1 Yun Bianzhong

"Haaaaaaaaaaaa"

A long, sad sigh escaped the lips of a young man clad in a dark blue robe as he lay down under the Moon's gentle light. The robe, woven from top-tier silk produced by the elusive Rank 5 Sunken Silkworms, carried the insignia of the illustrious Heaven-Splitting Sect, a flying swallow. This swallow, however, left a sharp trail in the clouds which split the skies and tore the Nine Heavens asunder.

The swallow seemed to come to life as the young man's robe danced in the cold Winter wind.

But the young man, drowning in a sea of melancholy, paid no heed to neither the Moon, the robe, nor the swallow. His gaze, seemingly bewitched, stayed fixed on the massive pillar before him. But don't be fooled by it's gray color; this pillar is anything but stone! Before Yun Bianzhong stood one of the 12 pillars which consist the Heaven-Splitting Sect's greatest treasure, The Dragon's Ribs!

Yes, this "pillar" is one of the many ribs the Heaven-Splitting Sect's first Patriarch, Yun Che, tore from the Dragon King! The dragon's carcass then became the foundation for the Sect's establishment. The elders even say that should the Sect encounter an enemy attack, the mountain will revert to it's Dragon form and drown the world in flames once more!

But this pillar wasn't a treasure or weapon in Bianzhong's eyes, but rather a reminder of his youth, a reminder of the dreams he once pursued.

"Haaaaaaaaaaa"

The young man couldn't help but sigh once more as he reminisced that moment in his childhood. The image of a young man, with a face similar to his own, facing the same gray pillar while being surrounded by the same green grass and the same clay houses slowly appeared in his mind. This younger young man, however, did not wear the same blue robe but instead a white one, with the words, "Outer Court." This robe didn't have the swallow logo as only the peerless Core Disciples had the honor of carrying the Sect's name and glory on their shoulders.

"Only the strong can split the Nine Heavens!"

The young Bianzhong, with both clothes and eyes bearing tears, made a vow that day. He vowed to one day carve his name, "Yun Bianzhong", on the rough yet glorious surface of The Dragon's Rib for all the world to see. He would return to this very spot and repeat the very same promise everyday after hours of arduous training. He would exert twice, no, thrice the effort of his peers despite having four times the talent, all in hopes for achieving his one true dream. He would devote all his time and denounce all the distractions that would lead him astray from his goal.

But Yun Bianzhong, as he awakes from his stupor and as his gaze lands upon the familiar pillar, could only sigh, and sigh, and sigh once more.

"Yun Bianzhong", were the words carved on the rough dragon bone.