Inside a two-story blue building, Ling Wuxie entered through the door. There was no one inside.
His parents were working. His mother at the hospital, and his father, who had surely returned to the forge by now, was probably refining some material.
Alone, he walked into the kitchen, a spacious room of about twenty cubic meters, equipped with various household utensils. Since his family were blacksmiths, their house was filled with tools and gadgets.
Sometimes even excessively. For example, the three wood-burning stoves took up a lot of space, and the cabinets were crammed with plates and pots of various shapes.
Walking over to a clay filter, Ling Wuxie filled a glass with water and drank it, quenching his thirst. Then he went to a cold chamber built with the scales of a powerful beast, whose True Qi was of the Ice attribute.
His father had created it to preserve food. It was something quite popular in the city, and due to this popularity, the price of one of those chambers was a hundred thousand spirit stones.
The Ling Family was very wealthy. Still, Ling Wuxie didn't live like a young master. His parents wouldn't allow it. If everything were handed to him, he'd end up spoiled. To avoid that, his father made him earn things on his own.
'Today I earned twenty spirit stones... If I sold my sword, I'd get a thousand... But I won't do that. This is my first sword.'
Ling Wuxie had a special attachment to it. Like someone receiving their first gift in life.
But unlike a simple memento, he wanted to use it to fulfill his dream: to become a true swordsman.
Beings who understood the sword at a high level — who could destroy shrouds and clouds with a single slash, and with a bit of aura, move mountains and make the world tremble.
"A sword cultivator is awesome!" Ling Wuxie was his own number one fan! As a weapon fanatic, these swordsmen made his heart race with anticipation.
"I'll be like that too! One day I'll understand the sword! I'll cut the stars! And move an entire continent with my aura!"
At that moment, Ling Wuxie was just a boy in his youth, dreaming high with childish ambitions.
After that moment of euphoria, he grabbed a piece of meat and several medicinal herbs from the cold chamber and left. He stuffed the meat with the herbs, placed it on an iron grill, and set it over the stove.
Half an hour later...
It was ready. A delicious smell filled Ling Wuxie's nostrils, and he began to salivate. Without wasting time, he removed the grill and began slicing the meat with a small knife. After several cuts, he picked up two chopsticks, grabbed a juicy piece, and placed it on a blue ceramic plate.
Seeing the meat on the plate, he salivated again and quickly put the piece in his mouth. The taste was delicious. It had a sweet and cold flavor due to the herbs' peculiarities, but it was pleasant.
After eating, Ling Wuxie patted his belly and sat cross-legged, absorbing the essence of the meat.
Inside his body, his blood warmed up. The digested meat was divided into two parts: the first, regular nutrients; the second, the essence — the beast's blood — that fused with his human blood, increasing his power.
In the first cultivation realm — known by many names, but popularly as Qi and Blood — the goal was to increase blood energy, also called Blood Qi. By strengthening this energy, the physical body became more powerful. With each advancement, human limits were broken.
There were ten limits in total. Each one harder to break than the last. When broken, the body became capable of absorbing Spiritual Qi — the energy that permeated everything in the world.
Ordinary humans couldn't even sense it. But after breaking those limitations, everything changed, and true cultivation could begin. True transcendence.
Ling Wuxie, who was turning twelve that year, had a single goal: to break all ten levels in a single year. And at thirteen, begin his cultivation.
Something considered impossible. Even for children of wealthy families. But this boy believed in himself.
"I'm a blacksmith!"
That was his confidence. Many considered alchemists amazing for creating miraculous pills. But in Ling Wuxie's opinion, a blacksmith was even more deadly. Because they could refine anything, relying solely on their skill.
"The cauldron I asked my father to forge can turn things into essence! That's the power of a blacksmith: creativity! With this cauldron, all I need is large amounts of meat... And this realm will be a breeze!"
With a smile on his face, Ling Wuxie went to his room. Inside were clothes, a single bed, and in the corner, a golden cauldron along with several other tools.
He walked over to the cauldron and picked it up, along with a square wooden case next to it. When opened, it revealed a space abnormally large — much larger than the exterior would allow.
It was made of several storage pouches, all fused into a single case. Another bizarre creation from the Ling Family.
Placing the cauldron in the case, and the case inside the pouch he wore — which also had a small internal space — Ling Wuxie left the house. This time, his destination was the Northern Mountains.
He would begin devouring essence to increase his cultivation. And also train with his sword — killing two birds with one stone.
Setting that routine in motion, he headed toward the city gates.
Dawn City, where he lived, was a small town with no more than ten thousand inhabitants.
There were no major clans there. All families were modest, surviving through their own trades.
It was a good city to live in. No fights, no disputes. It was affiliated with the Crimson Phoenix Empire.
To the south was the path to the empire's capital.
To the east, a cliff.
To the west, the Blue Sea, which bordered several empires.
And to the north, the Dead Star Range.
It was called that because at night, no stars could be seen in that place — the sky was completely dark. For some unknown reason.
Ling Wuxie, heading there, would never even think of spending the night in such a place. Just imagining it made his heart tremble.
"Get there before the sun sets!" He made that promise to himself, then continued toward the Dead Star.