Present time

It was winter and snow covered the mountains peaks that protruded into the firmament. The trees and plants were all coated in white. In between the forest, countless demonic beasts and humans struggled to survive in this beautiful, yet deadly world, where danger lurked around every corner.

It was a world where the strong preyed upon the weak, a world where power dictated everything and a world filled with powerful cultivators that strove for eternal life and power.

The ancient practice of cultivation, created in an age long forgotten, allowed all living beings with a soul in the myriad of universes to cultivate their bodies and minds, enabling them to plunder the resources of the Heavenly Dao to attain immortality and be free from all shackles.

Even though the world could be cruel and merciless at times, life had so much more to offer if you found your way in this world. One such place could be found in this snow covered forest. Deep inside lied a well-hidden glade with a cliff.

The tranquility surrounding this particular place offered a rare kind of paradisaical hideout and allowed even the most stressed person to take a deep breath, forgetting all their worries.

Right now, a little boy laid on the cold ground with his eyes closed. The coldness of the snow and winter seemed to not affect him in any way.

He had long, black hair and was accompanied by an iron sword. He was slightly skinny, suggesting that he barely made ends meet. Although he was thin, it could not veil his handsomeness.

Time passed slowly and snow covered the little boy bit by bit, but he still did not move, seemingly oblivious to the snow that engulfed him. After some time, the boy opened his eyes and revealed pitch black eyes as deep and wide as the oceans.

He stared at the sky and revealed a tired expression that was unfit of his age. The usual childlike naivety was nowhere to be seen and was replaced by a touch of maturity instead. This little boy was Yasha.

He stood up and patted his clothes to shake off the snow that had covered him. He then directed his eyes at the horizon. The sky was covered with thick gray clouds that conveyed depressing feelings. Even though it looked gloomy, the sun occasionally managed to pierce the dark clouds bringing with it its warmth.

Yasha sighed. His countenance turned melancholic for a moment, but his gaze soon turned into indifference again. The snow is coming and another year comes to an end with me being unable to cultivate. How will I be able to participate at the kingdoms tournament that way? Only cultivators are allowed to participate. I’m already 16, so this is my last chance... Some day I must break this obstacle and enter the real world of cultivation! There has to be a way! Maybe my body and sword play isn’t good enough? Maybe I can get an opportunity to cultivate if I train them to the peak.

Firm resolve and determination were plastered across his face. These emotions were one of the few things that kept him going and pushed him forward, even though he had no family and was laughed at no matter where he went.

Yasha looked around until he found his sword besides him. He picked it up and got into a fighting stance. The wind blew chillingly and the snow got heavier. The black-haired boy was standing there unfazed amidst this scene not willing to give up.

Gathering his focus, Yasha started to execute the basic moves of swordplay that he learned from watching the other children of his family clan. These included all the fundamental moves like slashing and thrusting, the foundation of all sword moves.

The sword in Yasha’s hand slowly began moving. He took a step forward and grasped the sword tightly in his hands, while slashing in an arc. Then he moved back, twisted his body for 90 degrees and thrust forward. His movements were executed in an extremely fluid and natural way, showing his expertise in the way of the sword. From that, one could only image how often he already trained the same moves again and again, to reach such near-perfect state at his age.

Yasha closed his eyes, immersed in the feeling of moving together with the sword in hand. Soon, his thoughts and mind seemed to be elevated onto a higher plane of existence, clearly unaware, that he reached some sort of special enlightenment or epiphany.

Immersed in this state of enlightenment, it seemed that Yasha’s sword moved by itself. The wide diversity of the sword was shown, as he slashed, hacked and stabbed. Yasha completely forgot about the outside world and focused on the sword in his hand.

In this state he forgot about his inability to cultivate and his existence as an orphan. Only the sword in his hand mattered. If a cultivator happened to pass by, they would get green from jealousy, because this state of enlightenment could not be entered willingly, it could only be achieved through a stroke of luck.

Such an enlightenment could even change a cultivators fate, allowing them to overcome their past limits. Although the sword moved slowly, every move was executed with Yasha’s full strength and utmost concentration.

After some minutes, large beads of sweat poured down on Yasha’s face and forced him to stop. Yasha tried to catch a breath and had to use his sword to keep him from falling.

A little while later, the boy was finally able to calm down and reflected about this training session. My understanding of the sword has deepened, but it’s a pity that I cannot cultivate. If I had more power and could use spiritual energy, I would have stayed longer in this special state. I wonder if my sword skills can allow me to fight against a cultivator with spiritual energy? But even if I could, it doesn’t matter. I have to be a cultivator to even be allowed entry to the tournament… The tournament matter really gave Yasha a big headache, but he had to move on. He would not allow himself to give up. Not before he found out about his past and why his parents left him.

After improving his sword skills, Yasha got a boost in confidence and was more determined than ever, though he was still thinking hard about a way for him to cultivate. There simply had to be a way.

As he ruminated about all this, the sky turned darker and the snow got even heavier. Yasha looked at the sky and then peered down the cliff to spot a big village in the valley.

The houses and streets clung to the steep mountain slopes and followed the peaks into the far distance. Bright lanterns shone like countless small stars between the trees and lit up the surroundings. A bustling and lively atmosphere hung over the valley, contrary to the serene and sometimes even scary surrounding wilderness.

Yasha’s gaze, however, became complicated. This town was not just a town, it belonged to a powerful family clan in the Fallen Snow Mountain Range and technically it was Yasha’s home. He was adopted and thus was part of the clan.

But Yasha felt no sense of belonging to his family due to various reasons. Aside of his adoptive mother, who died shortly after he was accepted, no one cared for him. He lived alone and had to care for himself without any support whatsoever.

The main cause for this was the early and sudden death of his adoptive mother, soon after she found him. Since then, he was labeled as a kid that only brought misfortune. Naturally, no one took the initiative to approach him.

Yasha took one last glance after which he packed his belongings. His movement was quick and accurate, getting everything together in just a moments time. It is getting late. The Fallen Snow Mountain Range gets dangerous real quick after the sun sets. I need to get back as soon as possible.

He then started moving rapidly through the forest that was like a second home to him. He would spend time in the Fallen Snow Mountain Range whenever he was bullied at home or when he had free time—this forest was his safe space, even though there were many things that could easily kill him.

Yasha had experienced the dangers of this forest first hand and narrowly escaped death many times. But still, there was something magical here that lulled his stressed spirit. It was the only place where he could really calm down and be himself.

Sometimes, when Yasha roamed the Fallen Snow Mountain Range, he felt a silent beckoning in the dark that seemed to entice him, but for some reason he never felt fear. He instead welcomed the familiar feeling. However, every time he tried to trace back the beckoning to its origin, it would fade like it never existed in the first place.

Under the cover of the night that was slowly creeping over the Fallen Snow Mountain Range, Yasha swiftly moved around the stones and trees with precise footwork, clearly showing his experience of living in the wilderness.

His every move executed a well refined finesse with no superfluous movement. The young boy only relied on his skills and intuition to safely maneuver through the forest and reach his destination. Yasha seemed to be borne for the wilderness.

After some time, Yasha finally reached the main road. This path was one of the few trade routes that led through the Fallen Snow Mountain Range.

They were like veins that connected the various forces in the surrounding wilderness. Only these trade routes could mitigate the dangerous journey through the Fallen Snow Mountain Range and made it somewhat affordable for traders to tread these unsteady paths.

It did not take long until he reached a richly decorated gate with luxurious letters engraved on the archway. The characters possessed a domineering aura that instilled awe into those with a low cultivation.

It acted as a deterrence for those that harbored ill intentions and it was a symbol of power at the same time. Every great clan that thought highly of themselves had such a gate that represented their prestige.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

This was the Hunlua Clan!

This was the clan that Yasha officially belonged to, though he did not really see it as his home. If not for his promise to his adoptive mother, he would have long left the clan to begin a new life. But because he had to participate in the kingdoms tournament to represent the Hunlua Clan, he could not leave.

In his past elation that he was no longer alone and that he could officially cultivate after he was adopted, he promised his mother that he would make the clan proud in the kingdoms tournament, as his mother dreamed of making the name “Hunlua Clan” resound throughout the kingdom.

And what better way was there to achieve this than to make it far in the kingdoms tournament, one of the most important events in the Azure Dragon Kingdom? But then Yasha’s talent for cultivation was tested and his youthful naivety crumbled into despair, as he was said to be completely crippled with no talent whatsoever.

The usual method to test a cultivators aptitude was through the magical Essence Opening Stone that guided a strand of extremely pure spiritual energy through the meridians. The longer the strand remained inside the body and the more cycles the strand of spiritual energy completed, the higher was the talent. This method, though, was only one of the many methods used to test a cultivators aptitude.

Yasha’s test was extremely unusual, as the Essence Opening Stone wasn’t even able to enter the spiritual energy system inside his body. Thus he was directly labeled as a waste and his ambition and hope turned into despair.

His mother did not care about this result and still loved him deeply and simply wanted him to live a happy life. Sadly, not longer after this disaster, disaster struck again, causing Yasha’s world to crumble once again, as his mother died mysteriously.

There were many times where Yasha was about to give up, but when he thought about the fond and hopeful eyes of his mother whenever she looked at him, he couldn’t cross that last step.

In the end, he overcame his despair and resolved to not give up until he found out about his past and why his adoptive mother died. And the first step on this journey was to enter the kingdoms tournament to fulfill the promise he made to his mother.

One of the most important anchors to overcome his previous despair, and his only hope left, was his training with the sword, which enabled Yasha to guide his emotions alongside the usual bodily aspect that came with sword training. Whenever he had a sword in his hands, he felt like he could conquer the world, which became an important cornerstone of his life.

After Yasha walked past the entrance gate, a beautiful and familiar scenery unfolded before his eyes. The streets were lit up with lanterns that highlighted the various shops and market stands. Even though it was already late, business was still happening everywhere and the streets were filled with a bustling crowd.

Yasha slipped through the mass, past all kinds of shops that were essential for cultivators and mortals alike. There were shops for beast materials, shops that sold pills for cultivation, blacksmiths, restaurants and many more.

Those were a source of great income for larger clans, as the shops naturally had to pay certain fees to sell their goods, while some shops directly belonged to the Hunlua Clan, so they naturally did not need to pay any fees. At the same time, cultivators needed those shops as cultivation required an immense amount of resources.

Looking at all those factors, it was needless to say that the Hunlua Clan was a powerhouse—at least in the Fallen Snow Mountain Range. However, if you took the whole Azure Dragon Kingdom into consideration, then the Hunlua Clan would be nothing more than a mediocre force, albeit barely.

The true major force was the sect that gave the kingdom its name: the Azure Dragon Sect. Such a force could annihilate a small family clan like the Hunlua Clan without lifting a finger. It was an untouchable existence and nobody who offended even a servant of such a force would have a good ending.

Even though the Hunlua Clan could not compare with forces of such a caliber, it had its own deep history and had solid foundations. All this was enough to qualify the Hunlua Clan to host the kingdoms tournament—the most important tournament for the younger generation.

If you proved yourself on this stage, then you would get the chance to transform from a carp to a majestic dragon, at least in theory. The path to the peak was tedious and long. Only the best would persevere until the end to come into contact with that chance.

There were countless hidden geniuses in the younger generation, waiting for their opportune moment to shine and make a name for themselves.

But all of that was of little interest for Yasha at the moment, as he only participated to fulfill his promise and to get stronger, not to gain fame or fortune. Only with enough strength could he unravel his past. While Yasha made his way through the dense masses, his mood gradually turned downcast, a common occurrence whenever he thought about cultivating. I can dream as much as I want, but in the end I am simply a cripple, unable to even reach the first stage of cultivation… Yasha shook his head and continued forward, trying to get these depressing thoughts out of his mind.

Gradually, the massive tide of people receded, until finally, he reached the part where only clan members could enter. But then again, it couldn’t really be counted as part of the main clan, it was more like a slum, where the wastes of the clan resided, a quarter for the outcasts.

It was situated at the edges of the main clan and was barely protected from the wild. Therefore demonic beast attacks were common, not seldom with one or two casualties. However, all of that didn’t matter for Yasha, as he disliked the Hunlua Clan to begin with. Whether he lived here or in the main clan, made no difference.

It was already late at night, when Yasha finally spotted a small house made of wooden planks at the outermost circle of the slums. Even though he was this close to the wild and beast attacks were frequent, he was strangely spared every single time. No demonic beast attacked him or his house.

Yasha often thought about this weird occurrence, but after some time he simply accepted this positive coincidence. Although the house could barely be called a house, it was still made by Yasha with his own hard work. He built it completely by himself, gathering all the materials in the Fallen Snow Mountain Range. It was not much, but for Yasha it was the only place in the Hunlua Clan he would call his home.

Yasha entered his house with a smile on his face. He was finally back home. This time he spent nearly a month outside in the Fallen Snow Mountain Range, training his body and his sword moves—aside of trying to reach the first stage of Energy Gathering, living of what the Fallen Snow Mountain Range had to offer. So, he was glad to see the same familiar four walls again. Inside, there was barely room for a small table, a simple bed and a bookshelf. Yasha lit up a candle and proceeded to sit on his bed. He closed his eyes, took a deep a breath and entered a meditative state.

Like everyday Yasha tried to cultivate with the basic cultivation method, Basic Fire Energy. It was the common cultivation method of the Hunlua Clan that could be cultivated by everyone.

Therefore it was mostly cultivated by those in the slums, as the main clan had much more powerful cultivation methods, like the Great Art of Flames for example. This was not only a cultivation method, it was a complete inheritance and possessed additional techniques that perfectly fit the cultivation method.

But this art could only be cultivated by the clan leader and his direct descendants. The Basic Fire Energy could not be compared with such a high level technique.

As these names implied pursued the Hunlua Clan mainly the cultivation of fire spiritual energy, even though it only really mattered at later cultivation stages. Nevertheless, the Hunlua Clan possessed a high affinity with fire, which helped cultivating such an element immensely.

The most basic requirement before one could even start on the road of cultivation was the Spiritual Sense. Only with this kind of sixth sense could living beings cultivate, as the Spiritual Sense enabled them to feel the existence of spiritual energy. This was an important prerequisite that stopped many people from entering the cultivation world.

Normally, every human was borne with a such sixth sense, but there were rare occurrences, where a newborn wouldn’t possess a Spiritual Sense. Those with a Spiritual Sense all started with the same: cultivating the basic spiritual energy that permeated the whole universe. In the Energy Gathering Stage, the first cultivation stage, you had to sense the spiritual energy around you and then you had to guide it into your meridians.

The latter part was really important and hindered many from cultivating further than the Energy Gathering stage, as they either did not have the required meridians or their meridians were too narrow for holding spiritual energy. Thus talent played an immense role in cultivating.

Nevertheless, cultivators in the Energy Gathering stage had to constantly refill their meridians and widen them through absorbing greater amounts of spiritual energy every time, thats why this stage was divided in nine stages. Only if you reached the ninth stage could continue cultivating.

Meridians were not meant to store spiritual energy after all. Their main function was to transport spiritual energy through the body and enabled the practitioner to use powerful techniques.

The cultivator could then use this energy to gain inhuman speed or strength. Element cultivation methods like the Basic Fire Energy could even enhance the attacks of cultivators with its corresponding element. At later stages, it is even possible to transform spiritual energy entirely, giving it brand new trades.

On his bed, Yasha then extended his Spiritual Sense to sense the spiritual energy in his surroundings. He slowly breathed in and out, concentrating to feel the energy around him. With each breath he could sense the spiritual energy around him slowly gathering and revolving around his body.

He then opened his pores to slowly absorb the energy that moved around him, only for it to suddenly vanish the moment they were entered his meridians, as if they couldn’t store it for even a second. It directly scattered and returned to the surroundings.

Yasha sighed and opened his eyes. Even though he failed, his expression didn’t change. He failed so many times already, it didn’t matter if he failed again. He would try next time anyways, because he had no other solution to this problem. One day it would work, it simply had to.

He stood up and walked to the small bookshelf. If he wasn’t training out in the wild, he loved to read. All those stories about powerful cultivators that stood at the peak and could look down on all living beings resonated deeply with Yasha.

They possessed everything he didn’t have, but longed to have. He quickly browsed through the familiar books until his eyes stopped at an old and shabby book. The cover was red and the ancient characters in the middle of the cover were barely visible, which made the book all the more interesting, giving off the aura of eons long ago.

With the book in his hands the black-haired boy got back on the bed and opened it. The book was written in an ancient, long forgotten language. But for some reason, as Yasha found and opened the book for the first time, he instantly understood everything, even though he could not even tell what language it was.

That wasn’t everything, Yasha could feel an even deeper connection between the book and himself, but when he tried to connect the dots, every thought became unclear, shrouded in a thick fog. Nevertheless, this book quickly became Yasha’s favorite book in his collection.

This book was found by him in a corner of the clan’s library. Despite it’s age and potential value, the clan probably forgot the existence of the book, as nobody could read it. Of course there many scholars of the Hunlua Clan who tried to decipher the ancient characters, but no matter how intelligent they were, no one managed to put together a logical translation, even less unraveling the potential profundities hidden within.

Many of those scholars that researched this book even became insane, or ended up bedeviled. Thus it gradually fell into oblivion.

Eventually, after many years, Yasha got his hands on it and was hooked since the first character. The library is one of the few places Yasha was allowed to enter without a shred of a cultivation base, thus he would spent much time in it. Places like the Weapon Pavilion or the Scripture Hall were only open for those with a sufficient cultivation base.

The ancient book told stories of strong cultivators, who rose up from the bottom to become monstrously powerful, standing above everyone else, just what Yasha likes the most. Yasha then carefully opened the red book.

Dust fell to the ground and a musty smell permeated the air, a clear sign of the ancientness of the book. His eyes were glued to characters and Yasha quickly forgot the world around, entering the world of his dreams. But then his heartbeat suddenly became faster. Something was clearly different than usual…