Morning melted into noon, and noon into dusk.
Within the secluded forest clearing, Ren Moxi sat silently upon his flat stone, his long black hair cascading around his torn robes like dark silk. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow and calm. The black flames of the campfire flickered low, casting shifting shadows across his expressionless face.
Jian Tian sat nearby, knees hugged to his chest. Hunger gnawed at his belly, and pain pulsed steadily from his side wound, but he did not dare move. Instead, his gaze remained locked upon the still figure before him.
He did not know how much time had passed when Ren Moxi finally opened his eyes. The setting sun painted the pine forest in hues of crimson and gold, illuminating the sharp lines of his pale face and the cold, deathly light within his gaze.
"Come here."
His voice was soft, yet carried no room for refusal. Jian Tian scrambled forward, kneeling properly before him, heart pounding so loudly he was certain Ren Moxi could hear it.
The ancient being regarded him silently for a moment, his gaze deep and unfathomable like an endless void.
"You are weak," he said flatly. "Barely at the peak of Meridian Opening. Your qi flow is unstable, your sword foundation flawed, and your spiritual sense pathetic."
Jian Tian flinched with each word, shame burning in his chest. He lowered his head, feeling the truth of Ren Moxi's assessment pierce him deeper than any blade.
But then, to his surprise, Ren Moxi continued.
"However, you possess courage, and your fate is entangled with mine. I will allow you to follow me… as my disciple."
Jian Tian's head snapped up, eyes wide. For a moment, he could not comprehend what he had heard. His lips trembled.
"D…disciple…? Senior Ren Moxi… truly wishes to accept me?"
"I do not wish to," Ren Moxi said coldly. "But fate has deemed it necessary. Kneel properly."
Jian Tian quickly adjusted his posture, pressing his forehead to the cold earth as tears welled in his eyes. For him, a poor outer disciple of the Black Dragon Sect with no background nor powerful master, such a chance was beyond dreaming.
"Disciple Jian Tian greets Master!" he declared, his voice echoing with fervent determination.
Ren Moxi gazed at the youth before him, silent for a long moment. A faint, almost imperceptible sigh left his lips.
"Raise your head. Listen well, for what I tell you now shall become your foundation."
Jian Tian sat up straight, wiping his tears with shaking fingers, eyes locked onto Ren Moxi's cold, distant gaze.
Ren Moxi extended his right hand, and a faint thread of black qi flickered between his fingers, coiling like a living serpent.
"The cultivation system of this era… Tell me what you know."
Jian Tian swallowed before speaking quickly:
"Yes, Master. In this land, cultivation is divided into these main realms:
Body Refining Realm – to strengthen flesh and bones,
Meridian Opening Realm – to open and stabilise spiritual pathways,
Qi Condensation Realm – to gather spiritual qi into the dantian,
Core Formation Realm – to condense the golden core of power,
Nascent Soul Realm – to awaken a soul projection,
Spirit Ascending Realm – to begin the path towards immortality,
Earth Descending Realm – to temper the body and soul with heavenly laws,
Sky Merging Realm – where one's existence fuses with the heavens,
Immortal Realm – to transcend mortal life completely."
He paused, frowning slightly in confusion.
"But Master… I heard from sect elders that these realms used to be different in the ancient eras…"
Ren Moxi closed his eyes for a moment before nodding slightly.
"Indeed. What you call Immortal Realm today… was once merely the threshold to true cultivation."
Jian Tian sucked in a sharp breath, stunned.
Ren Moxi continued, his voice deep and quiet, yet each word shook Jian Tian's heart like thunder:
"In the Primordial Era, before Old Heaven usurped the cosmic order, cultivation realms extended far beyond mere immortality. There were realms that commanded worlds, realms that severed samsara, realms that birthed universes within a single breath."
He opened his eyes, black qi flickering within them like dying embers.
"Your current system is a shadow of what once was – a crippled ladder with its higher rungs shattered by design. Old Heaven wished mortals to remain shackled, unable to ascend to power great enough to challenge him."
Jian Tian's body trembled as he listened, his throat dry. He could barely imagine such heights of power, let alone comprehend them.
Ren Moxi raised his hand again, letting the black qi coil around his fingers before dissipating into the dusk air.
"Your cultivation focuses too much on gathering external spiritual qi. True cultivation refines the soul and the void within. Your swordsmanship lacks foundation because your body's meridians are not tempered properly. Even your breathing methods are flawed – they disperse qi instead of consolidating it."
He gestured towards Jian Tian's sword, leaning against a fallen branch nearby.
"Retrieve it."
Jian Tian hurried to obey, kneeling again with his sheathed sword held out in both hands.
Ren Moxi rested a single finger upon the hilt. Black qi seeped into the blade, and faint cracks formed along its surface before fusing back together. When he lifted his finger, the steel glowed faintly with a darker, deeper luster.
"Your sword is crude, but for now, it will suffice. I have strengthened its spiritual structure. In time, you shall reforge it under my guidance."
Jian Tian stared at his sword in awe, feeling its weight shift subtly in his grip. It felt colder, sharper, and somehow alive.
Ren Moxi's gaze turned eastward, towards the hidden horizon beyond the dense forest.
"We will leave at dawn. This forest is pointless, and I must begin gathering information about the powers of this era."
He closed his eyes again, leaning back against the pine trunk behind him. The campfire flickered low as dusk faded into early night. Crickets began their chorus among the ferns, and moonlight seeped through the canopy in silvery beams.
Jian Tian remained kneeling, clutching his sword. In his chest, a burning determination surged alongside fear and awe. He knew his life had forever changed today. He had no idea what his master's true goals were, nor what fate awaited him on the path ahead.
But within his heart, he swore silently:
"I will never betray this chance. Even if Master walks upon a path of darkness… I will follow him to the end."
Above them, the moon rose high into a clear, star-swept sky. Cold winds rustled the pine needles, carrying with them faint whispers – echoes of forgotten gods and fallen immortals, drifting through the endless night.
And beneath those ancient trees, under the watch of silent stars, a new oath was forged:
A forgotten sovereign reborn in darkness.
A young cultivator bound to him by fate.
And a world that would soon tremble beneath the shadow of Ren Moxi, as his journey to reclaim his true throne began.