Chapter 0 (1/2)
Chapter 0: Prologue
It was a cold winter day as snow fell heavily fro itself like a white blanket over the a in the continent of Chang'an
The Northern Taiga was located in the Northern Territory, an ad, and it occupied more than half of the Northern Territory This cold, desolate forest was known as one of the deadliest regions within the entire Chang'an continent
While the Northern Taiga was considered very dangerous, it was the core of the forest that was the erous, and many came from far away to hunt on the outskirts of the forest One would findbeasts for their beast cores, skin, teeth, and horns as these were the parts of beasts that were highly prized They would also search for treasures and herbs
The deeper one went into the taiga, the erous it became All the weaker aniions were places where not even the most skilled martial artists dared to venture This was the place where Primordial Beasts resided
While the outskirts were filled with noise from beasts and hua were eerily quiet
It was next to the borders of this yun was located It was earlythe entire town, as the citizens awoke
This was but another typical day in one of the towns bordering the Northern Taiga People were going about their own business The scent of breakfast wafted in the air as oodbye to their faerous forest that loomed behind the city Women would walk around with their children in tohile on their way to work or to deliver various goods
While the tooke, youths appeared from all the different houses and moved towards the outside of the city They were headed towards a training field where three e and burly Their upper bodies were bare even though the ground was covered by more than a foot of snow, and scars adorned their suntanned skin
Their eyes were alert and filled with vigilance as they observed the children who rushed towards thees; some were juvenile, while others were closer to adolescence Soether, while others walked on their own, dragging their feet behind the ones were the most excited, while the older kids all seemed much more casual and carefree
The ones ere older allfield and started to run around the training ground without anyone giving them instructions From this one could see that they had done thistheir feet and felt unwillingness were now running as if their lives depended on it
The juvenile children grouped together in front of the three st each other, stealing glances at thewith admiration
One of these youths was Xue Wei, the son of the town's apothecary He was around ten years old, and his face was filled with expectation as he looked at the threeeyes filled with veneration
”Don't just stand there, get in line!” One of the h voice His voice traveled across the entire training field, and although his words were not directed at the older group of youngsters, they all flinched when they heard it The younger children, however, did not show any fear at all, and they hurried into lines after which they looked at these threefor their orders
”So, today’s the day all the new kids start training, huh?” One of the men said to the others as he looked at the disorderly childreninto lines Despite what one would think, his eyes did not show any excitement Instead, if one looked closely, the could see a certain sadness and pain
”We keep on raising these children to become warriors, only to send them to the army where they will be ripped to shreds by Primordial Beasts, and those who survive are either crippled or become mercenaries to sustain themselves”
”What do you expect?” One of the other two men asked with a sour expression on his face He furrowed his brow and placed his hands on his sides as he swept his eyes across the many children in front of him ”We are not from any major family or sect We have no access to materials or resources; we don't even have access to proper cultivation techniques All we have is the universal dom has passed down to towns like ours, for the sake of training soldiers for their armies”
His voice was sour and filled with endless jealousy and regret It was clear that he had experienced the vast difference there was between the poorer experts and the geniuses from the richer families and sects
”The sixteen year old children will be sent to the arain, and the rest will undoubtedly be scarred for life Such a waste of life!” The third person spat on the ground His face isted, but he kneell as the other two that he had no other option than to just do as he had been told He was a veteran of the ar that these children became useable warriors
”It is not all that bad,” the first man chuckled ”Look at us We found brothers in the ared to survive It was a hellish time, but it also broadened our horizons We finally realized that when you live in a s in a well”
”Look at these children; they look at us with veneration They think we are true martial experts, yet ho have seen what a real martial artist is know the truth We are in fact only cannon fodder!”
”Anyway, let’s go and welcome them Tell them about the achieveth is needed!”
Having said this, the three men walked forward and looked at theat their faces which were filled with expectation
”Welco here means that you wish to become a martial artist! That you wish to become a Warrior!” the firstin the air and his words causing the children to blaze with pride They were to become Warriors!
“To cultivate is to become Warriors! The Warrior rank is split into Ordinary Warriors, Earth Warriors, Sky Warriors, and Heavenly Warriors Each of these ranks are further split into nine layers”
“We, the three Overseers of Lingyun town, have ed to cultivate to the first layer as an Earth Warriors This is the result of all our hard work throughout our lives!”
“In the surrounding air is energy This energy can be absorbed by the body and refined into Qi When the energy is being refined, it will travel through your body before being stored in the dantian At the very beginning, you can only absorb wisps of energy, but later these wisps will turn into a steady streay, the more of these wisps you can contain in your dantian, thethis, Xue Wei clenched his fists He had waited for this day ever since he was old enough to understand what it meant to be a cultivator, and he dreahter Primordial Beasts, and save mankind!
”Now, listen closely Many thousands of years ago, hu but livestock for the Primordial Beasts We lived every day as slaves! But one day, the humans caused a revolt and overthrew the Prihtered them, and took back the world which had been our prison for years The re Priions, and no human cultivator dares to venture into theer region, and it is our responsibility to ensure that the Priain leave their prisons!”
”They send beast horde after beast horde at our cities They destroy our villages and kill our brothers and sisters! As long as these Primordial Beasts exist, we cannot live in safety!”
”Because of this, the entire continent of Chang'an has banded together Every single youth is taught outstandinghi huht the Priain coht!”
”Everyone coet a copy of theRead it and try to understand it before to these words, every child that was standing on the ground had faces red with exciteet to learn a cultivation technique, and all of them wished to becoht toe to toe against these legendary Priht
While standing in line, Xue Wei shuddered He finally understood that he was going to beco to fulfill his deepest desire!
While looking at the children with pity, the three ave out the copies of thewords to them before they shi+fted their attention towards the older students
”Don't slack off! Tenexercises! Run till you are on the verge of collapsing, run till you faint if need be!” The first h the children all sighed internally, they all yelled back in unison, ”Yes, sir!”
The young children who had just gotten the copies of the technique did not stay on the training field Instead, they all went back to the city onceback to their respective homes with s to read their first cultivation technique and then they would be able to start cultivating
As they arrived in town, Xue Wei was looking at the copy of the cultivation technique in his hands, and he was filled with excite, and before noticing it, he walked straight into a large round, and the cultivation technique he had just gained fell fro that he had dropped it, the young boy did not panic but quickly picked it up before he stood up He straightened his body and wiped the snow off his clothes
”I apologize for walking into you, sir,” he said as he raised his head and looked into the eyes of a tall, handso black hair which was tied up beautifully on top of his head His eyes were as blue as the endless ocean, and his body was draped in a dazzling blue robe with silver embroidery
Those deep blue eyes looked directly into Xue Wei's, and they instantly widened as they were filled with surprise and shock Even so, he did not withdraw his gaze Instead, it intensified over ti,” a chuckle sounded from beside the handsoed froaze into his soul He saw that an alluring wo by his side Her hair was silver like beautiful ht, and her eyes were also blue, but where the ht blue eyes that resembled ice
When she saw Xue Wei's eyes, her brows furrowed slightly, and she looked as if she was deeply pondering soht as if running into Xue Wei had caused an earth-shattering revelation Their change confused the youngthat they were veryinto you; I was too preoccupied today as soht bow, and the ht his mind
”Do not mind it; do not mind it at all,” he said with a devilish smile on his handsoa for a otten lostthis small town, so we decided to stop for a few days and buy provisions”
”I see, then you should come to my father's medicinal house! We sell the best pills, pastes, and herbs that are needed for a trip to the Northern Taiga!” Xue Wei said excitedly
Although the city had its own a quite often, it was rare for travelers to stop by since Lingyun toas one of the sa Most travelers would go to the bigger cities instead
”Your father owns a medicinal house? Could it be that he is an alchemist?” The man asked curiously as he squatted down to look eye to eye with Xue Wei, but the young child just shook his head
”Daddy is an apothecary! He can make pastes and is very proficient with raw medicinal herbs, but he cannot createfor atwo dimples on his cheeks like the very depiction of innocence ”But don't worry, father gets medicinal pills from the merchants so you can buy real medicinal pills at his shop too! You have to coerness in the child's voice, the handsoster and sently patted the child on top of his head ”I will definitelyand do your chores,” he laughed, and Xue Wei nodded his head, bowed slightly to the man and woman, and rushed back home