Part 1: The Shadow of Mount Slayer
A thin fog shrouded the wild pine forest at the foot of Mount Slayer, a place rarely visited by humans. The calls of night birds and the low growl of wild beasts echoed faintly in the distance, creating a silent atmosphere that was both chilling and mysterious. Amidst the fog and shadows, the silhouette of a young man moved slowly, his black robe billowing in the wind.
Ye Tian.
His body still felt hot. The ancestral bloodline energy he had just absorbed in the Black Bone Valley had not yet fully stabilized. Behind his calm eyes, spiritual energy raged like a storm contained within a bottle.
Yet his face remained impassive, cold as a stone that had weathered thousands of seasons.
He was far from his homeland. His steps had brought him to Mount Slayer—a neutral territory bordering three major sects: the Heaven's Temple, the Demon Blood Sect, and the Eternal Snow Palace. Once a bloody battlefield, it had become a haven for unbound wanderers, wild cultivators, and destiny seekers.
"After all this," Ye Tian whispered, gazing at the sky covered with dark clouds, "I must grow faster. If the heavens begin to move… then I must surpass them before they deliver their judgment."
He lowered himself, sitting on the roots of a large tree, and began to meditate. The flow of energy from the earth slowly merged with the vortex of power within his body. His blood, which had turned a dark red, pulsed gently.
In his consciousness, a blurry silhouette of the ancestor he had seen earlier appeared—a figure of a man with silver hair and golden eyes, standing amidst a battlefield, wielding a giant sword that blazed with an aura of shadow and blood.
"Child of the cursed blood… bring destruction or salvation, it all depends on your choice."
Ye Tian opened his eyes. The air around him trembled slightly, and the wild creatures lurking behind the trees suddenly fled.
But from a distance, other footsteps approached.
The sound of breaking twigs. An unnatural silence. An aura faintly filled with murderous intent.
Ye Tian slowly stood up, turning towards the west.
"Come out," he said calmly. "I know you've been following me since the valley."
From the shadows, emerged a figure in a dark purple robe with hateful eyes and the emblem of the Heaven's Temple on his chest.
"Ye Tian…" the man hissed. "In the name of Heaven, I will erase your curse from this world."
And that night, under the shadow of Mount Slayer, a new battle began.
Part 2: Heavenly Light Against Ancestral Shadows
The figure from the Heaven's Temple stepped forward. His face was thin but sharp, like a sword blade honed hundreds of times. In his eyes, a fanatic belief shone—a belief that this world should only be controlled by "heavenly light," and that all that deviated must be destroyed.
"My full name is Mo Yanzhao, an inner disciple of the Heaven's Temple," he declared. "I am tasked with eliminating the source of sin that has been resurrected. You, Ye Tian, are a curse upon this world."
Ye Tian did not move. His gaze was sharp yet calm, as if listening to the roar of the wind was more important than the threat before him.
"Do you believe in your self-proclaimed heavenly light?" he asked flatly.
"I am not light," Mo Yanzhao replied, drawing his gleaming golden sword, "I am the punishing hand that wields the will of Heaven."
And as fast as lightning, he disappeared.
WUUUSSH!!
The golden sword sliced through the fog, aiming directly at Ye Tian's heart. But Ye Tian shifted slightly to the left—enough to make the slash miss by a fraction of an inch.
CLANG!
Shadow claws emerged from Ye Tian's arm, stopping the sword with a resounding clang. The first clash occurred. The ground split beneath their feet, the trees swayed by the rough and wild spiritual waves.
Mo Yanzhao took a step back, then leaped into the air, forming a seal in his hand.
"Sacred Judgment Formation: Four Pillars of Heaven!"
From the sky, four sacred lights swirled, forming giant towers that surrounded Ye Tian, creating an isolated field. The air within became heavy—as if the entire sky was pressing down.
"Feel the will of Heaven that you defy, heir of the dark blood!"
Ye Tian stood in the center of the formation, but it was not fear that flowed from his body—but something darker.
"If this is the will of Heaven… then I will change it."
He raised his hand, and from within his body, three blood rings emerged—the seals of inheritance that had been implanted in his body. The rings glowed darkly, swallowing the sacred light that tried to suppress them.
The air exploded. The pillars of light began to crack one by one.
"What…?!" Mo Yanzhao was astonished. "You can… devour the power of Heaven?!"
But Ye Tian had already leaped.
With one strike, he cleaved the air and struck directly at Mo Yanzhao. A fist clad in shadow and blood slammed into his opponent's chest.
BOOOM!!!
Mo Yanzhao was thrown back tens of meters, crashing into a large tree until its trunk snapped. He fell to his knees, blood flowing from his mouth.
But before he could rise, Ye Tian's shadow had already stood before him.
"This is not the end," Ye Tian said softly. "But consider this… a warning."
With a push of Qi energy, Mo Yanzhao was flung far out of the area, his body disappearing into the fog.
Ye Tian stood alone again, his breath heavy. But in his eyes, there was no emotion—only calmness… and a hardening resolve.
In the distance, the sky began to show a faint red line—the dawn that had not yet arrived… but carried the premonition that this battle was only the beginning of everything.
Part 3: Unquenchable Shadows
The night wind blew gently on the slopes of Mount Slayer, carrying the faint scent of blood that had not yet completely dried. The ground, which had just been shaken by the fight, still trembled slightly, as if holding its breath for what was to come.
Ye Tian stood with his back to the fog, his back straight, his body motionless. But within him, the vortex of blood and shadow energy continued to spin wildly, merging into a pattern he had never known before.
My body is not yet ready… he thought. This inheritance is not only power, but also a trial.
In the distance, candlelight flickered from an old building hidden behind a large rock—the Nameless Temple, a place where wandering ascetics resided, outcasts found refuge, and former disciples of major sects chose to live without oaths.
Ye Tian walked towards it, his steps heavy but steady. On the threshold of the temple, an old man in a straw hat sat sipping hot tea, seemingly unconcerned that the world outside was burning with conflict between sects.
"Sit down, young man," the old man mumbled without opening his eyes. "The aura you carry… is like a spirit that refuses to die."
Ye Tian said nothing, but sat opposite the old man. His eyes swept over the small, simple room, containing only a teapot, a wooden meditation board, and an old painting on the wall. The painting depicted a black dragon and a golden phoenix, intertwined in an endless circle.
"Do you know that painting?" the old man asked softly.
Ye Tian nodded. "A symbol of eternal duality. Darkness and light. Curse and blessing."
The old man smiled faintly. "Foolish people call darkness sin. But sometimes, light hides a deeper poison."
He looked at Ye Tian for the first time. His eyes… were empty. He was blind.
"But you… are not just a shadow. You are a combination of both."
Ye Tian frowned. "You know about my blood?"
"Of course." His voice turned cold. "This world holds more secrets than the elders of the sects can read. Including the 'Ancestral Shadow'—a curse that cannot be burned by heavenly light."
Suddenly, a rumbling sound was heard from outside. The ground trembled again.
Ye Tian stood up quickly. The aura of enemies approached—but not one or two. Seven, no… eight cultivators now surrounded the temple area, each carrying the emblem of the three major sects.
"I smell the scent of ancient blood from this place," a shout came from outside. "Come out, Heir of Sin! You are surrounded!"
The old man chuckled softly. "And they say this place is neutral. The world likes to pretend to be fair."
Ye Tian clenched his fists, then looked at the sky now covered with dark red clouds. In his heart, he knew…
The fight just now was only the beginning.
He opened his black robe, revealing the blood symbol now burning on his chest—three intersecting red lines, forming the seal of inheritance.
"You came to hunt the curse…" he said in a heavy voice. "But what you will find… is destruction."
And that night, Mount Slayer was once again stained with blood.
——