"Legend has it that at the very beginning of the universe, when chaos first unspooled, three thousand gods and demons were born, giving rise to the Three Thousand Great Daos."
"They fought incessantly, each seeking to devour the others to strengthen themselves. The resulting battles were world-shattering and cataclysmic. No one knows how many tens of thousands of years they fought, nor what the final outcome was!"
"Their fallen bodies transformed into the earth, their blood into rivers, their bones into towering mountains, and their eyes into the sun and moon... Step by step, they expanded the desolate cosmos and shaped the heavens and earth as we know them today."
"Legend says they are the ancestors of all living races today. Their personal Dao rhythms transformed into the myriad races, and after a long and protracted evolution, the various peoples came into existence."
At the dawn of the primordial chaos, not only were the three thousand gods and demons born, but countless heaven-defying objects also came into being, known as "Primordial Supreme Treasures." It is said that whoever manages to acquire even one of them will possess the power to master the universe.
Yet for hundreds of millions of years, no one has ever been heard to master this power; in the end, it is merely a legend!
***
In the Tianling Continent, within the Eastern Region, in an ordinary village nestled deep in the Myriad Mountains of the Yunling Empire.
An old man dressed in a gray linen robe smacked his lips as he closed a book. With a face full of gentle smiles, he said to a boy, "Little Hun, it's getting late. Let's stop the story here for today!"
"You all have morning cultivation tomorrow, so get to the rest early."
The boy sitting opposite the old man was exceptionally striking, about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a black coarse-cloth tunic.
He had short hair as sleek and dark as ink, a fair and handsome face, and a high bridge of nose. His eyes, in particular, were as dark and lively as an abyss.
The boy possessed the vigor and spirit natural to his age. From his flashing eyes, it was clear that he was still utterly enthralled by the old man's story and wanted to hear more!
"Grandpa Village Chief, tell us a bit more! What happened next? What happened next?"
"Is this legend really fake?"
The boy's eyes sparkled as he looked at the old man with an expression of eager anticipation.
The old man smiled slightly. "How would I know? Since ancient times, there have been far too many legendary tales. They are too far removed from us, and by now it's impossible to distinguish the true from the false!"
"Although this old man traveled to quite a few places when I was young, all I know are a few half-true, half-false tales. Just listen to them as stories, Little Hun, and don't believe them too deeply!"
With that, he reached out and patted the boy's sleek, short hair, reminding him that it was time to rest.
"All right! Then can Grandpa tell me about your travels tomorrow?"
The boy wasn't disappointed, instead looking forward to hearing other stories from his grandfather tomorrow.
"Good, good, good!"
"Afterward, Grandpa will tell you all the adventures I experienced when I was young."
The old man said with a smile!
"Hooray!"
"That's wonderful! Good night, Grandpa!"
Skipping and hopping, the boy left the old man's room and returned to his own.
Carrying his anticipation for tomorrow, he drifted off into dreamland.
The next day!
The sun had just climbed into the sky, and the small mountain village also awakened.
In a relatively large clearing, a dozen vigorous boys and girls stood with arms outstretched, practicing horse stances. Fine beads of sweat slowly appeared on their foreheads, and some of them were panting heavily!
At the very front stood a middle-aged man, tall and robust, his exposed bronze skin looking as though it might burst his short-sleeved tunic.
At this moment, his face was stern, hands clasped behind his back as he held a bamboo switch. He paced back and forth among the boys and girls, occasionally correcting someone's posture.
"Hey!"
"Ye Hun, those Azure Spirit Fruits are about to ripen. Let's go take a look today?"
In the front row, a sturdy-looking boy whispered to the other.
"Alright, we'll go take a look after morning cultivation ends."
The other boy replied.
"Ye Hun, Ye Feng, what are you two whispering about?"
At that moment, the middle-aged man's booming voice rang out as he instantly appeared at the front.
"You two, step out of line!"
The two boys exchanged glances, each reading two words in the other's eyes: We're done for!
"Um, Uncle Teng, we weren't saying anything. Really, we weren't saying anything," the boy named Ye Feng stammered.
Ye Feng was a bit taller than the boy beside him, Ye Hun. He wore a short-sleeved black tunic, had short hair, a resolute face, and a sturdy build.
At that moment, he kept his head down, not daring to look at the middle-aged man in front of him, silently cursing his bad luck. Why did it have to be Uncle Teng on duty today of all days!
Meanwhile, Ye Hun quickly confessed his fault. "Uncle Teng, I'm sorry for disrupting everyone's cultivation. We know we were wrong and are willing to accept punishment!"
"Hmpf, that's more like it. At least Ye Hun is sensible," the middle-aged man said, not forgetting to gently kick Ye Feng on the side.
"Learn a proper lesson from him! I won't punish you too harshly this time—you two just need to hold your horse stances for an extra half hour!"
"Phew!"
Only then did the two of them let out quiet sighs of relief. Thank goodness, thank goodness they weren't kept behind individually for extra training, or they would have been stripped of a layer of skin.
After dealing with them, the middle-aged man continued pacing, walking and speaking at the same time: "Your cultivation today is all for the future. In a few years, when we old folks get old, it will be up to you to protect the village."
"I hope that by then, the village can produce a few high-stage Spirit Awakening Realm cultivators. Only then can the village be truly safe."
"And only then can we rest easy passing the safety of Ye Family Village into your hands. You must not let down the expectations of us elders!"
"Yes!"
"Don't worry, Uncle Teng."
Voices rose and fell in a chorus, answering Uncle Teng's words.
Soon, morning cultivation came to an end.
As soon as Uncle Teng left, the group of boys and girls swarmed over to Ye Hun and Ye Feng.
"Are you guys alright? Good thing you admitted it fast, otherwise I wouldn't dare imagine what would have happened!"
"Sigh, what terrible luck. I never expected it would be Uncle Teng today; I didn't even dare to breathe heavily. What are we going to do about evening cultivation tonight?!"
Some were celebrating Ye Hun and the other's narrow escape, while others worried about the evening study.
"It's fine, it's fine. Isn't it just half an hour?"
"It's no big deal!"
Ye Feng laughed, not caring in the least.
Meanwhile, a completely different scene was unfolding on the other side!
"Big Brother Ye Hun, aren't you tired?"
"I'll fan you."
"Right, Big Brother Ye Hun, are you thirsty?"
"I'll go get you some water."
"Big Brother Ye Hun, I didn't memorize yesterday's set of fist techniques. Can you teach me?"
The girls all crowded around Ye Hun, leaving Ye Feng staring with intense envy.
"Um, I have a few things to take care of in a moment. I'll teach you later."
Ye Hun thought for a moment and smiled.
"Okay, thank you, Big Brother Ye Hun!"
The girl was overjoyed.
"I'm not very good at it either, count me in, Big Brother Ye Hun."
"Me too, I don't know it either!"
The other girls shouted upon seeing this.
"Sigh, is this the advantage of being handsome?"
Ye Feng smiled bitterly to himself. Clearly, this wasn't the first time he had seen such a scene; this sort of thing had been playing out ever since they were kids.
Sticking close to Ye Hun could certainly deal a blow to one's pride. Of course, he wouldn't actually complain—he and Ye Hun had grown up together, and their bond was stronger than that of real brothers.
How could a petty thing like this create a rift between them?
Time flew by, and the half hour passed quickly. The people around them had long since dispersed, leaving the two of them slumped on the ground, panting heavily.
Yet there was not a trace of resentment on their faces. Morning physical conditioning was relatively simple; nighttime was when the real cultivation began.
They lived deep within the mountain ranges, in the most ordinary of small villages among the hundreds of miles around, with a population of barely a thousand people.
Their lifelong dream was to walk out of the mountains and see the outside world. According to the village's oldest and most respected village chief, the outside world was truly magnificent!
It was a boundless and vast world where powerful cultivators could shatter the void with a single sword stroke, immortals could ride their swords and soar freely through the heavens, and celestial maidens possessed beauty beyond the mortal realm.
There were countless rare treasures and exotic immortal beasts, all together enacting endless wonders, with various thrilling spectacles unfolding every single day. Every bit of this constantly pounded at the hearts and minds of these youths!
Of course, the village chief had also said that all of this depended on one's cultivation level. If one's cultivation was too low, then the outside world would simply be a living hell, and they might die without even knowing how it happened.
This cold reality doused the excitement of quite a few people, because the highest cultivation level in Ye Family Village was only at Spirit Awakening Stage 7.
And this band of youngsters had just barely set foot on the path of cultivation; truly, they had no idea when they would ever qualify to step into the outside world!
After resting for a good long while, the two of them finally regained their strength. They sat up and looked at each other.
"Let's go!"
Their words carried an indescribable thrill!
They stood up, simply brushed the dust from their clothes, and then walked out of the village with an air of nonchalance, before breaking into a light jog toward the mountains beyond.