1 A weird dream

"Hey, hey look over there.. isn't that the Yao Chen?"

"yeah yeah.. that trash, he sure gets into trouble every day, hahaahaaa.."

"well... I pity his mother, ahahaa.. who asked him to born as trash anyway.."

a group of teenagers wearing ancient Chinese robes with long hairs tied in a ponytail laughing, looking at a young man being beaten.

the young being beaten but getting up again and again. the man beating him had a smile on his face.

"stop! let him go"

a female voice came out from behind. the group looked at the woman who was rushing over.

"Please.. let him go, Chen'er please let's go."

the man looked at the woman and his lips curled up.

"oh.. isn't it the mistress Ning? hahaha.. like father like son.. Piece of shit.."

he said as he took his leg off of him.

"Chen'er.." the woman rushed over and lifted him into her lap.

"mother.. "the beaten-up young man muttered slowly before passing away.

"Miss Ning.. looking so beautiful today.. have a good day, haahahahaahah..." the man turned around and walked away.

the woman lifted her son, supporting him by her shoulders and walked over to a courtyard nearby.

she put him on a bed inside a room and sat beside him.

....

'arrrghhh.. what's this...'

a young man inside a dark abyss.. fighting single-handedly, thousands of grey skeletons and mossy centipedes surrounding him charged toward him.

his brows furrowed and he got a little panicked.

they are rushing at a visible speed, he looked at the surroundings and picked up a piece of metal stick.

*kroooch* the centipedes attacked him without giving him any chance.

"death march sword style, first form, demon breath."

he breathed in and slashed forward. a dark red sword arc illuminated in the darkness annihilating all the enemies within a single breath. thousands of centipedes cut in half, dispersed, the skeletons turned into ashes...

this is the complete annihilation..

his lips curled up showing a bright smile, and sharp fangs.

"This is the death march... hahahaha... I will return. the vengeance should be mine... "

he said before moving forward.

.....

"Chen'er!.. Chen'er!"

"huh?"

Yao Chen opened his eyes and looked at the familiar ceiling. 'is that a dream?'

"Chen'er.. how are you feeling?"

his mother looked at him carefully,

"i.. am fine" he looked at her, helplessness could be seen in his eyes.

"thank god... I was worried, this time your face got extremely bruised..." she said in a slow voice.

"mother... I am sorry, but he.." Yao Chen refuted but didn't say anything.

"Chen'er it's fine, your father passed away.. It's getting tougher day by day... I can't bear to see you like this... Just try to ignore them, okay?

You're my only son, I-i don't.."

She started to sob, Yao Chen consoled her and sent her to another room.

Meanwhile,

On another side at the Ning family's main residence,

" boss Fu.. Don't worry, the arrangements are completed. Now that the old master is dead, we only need to provoke him a little and then we will finish both mother and son."

A man sitting on the patriarch's throne, stood up. "mm... It's better to be done before the secret realm opening."

The man stroked his beard before turning and walking away.

At the time a figure in a black robe emerged from the corner.

'secret realm is opening soon... These dogs from the Ning family might cause trouble... I have to keep a close eye on them.'

He thought before disappearing into the dark corner again.

.....

Inside a small courtyard in the ning family.

Yao Chen was lost in thoughts.

' what's this all about? This felt so real... I had never even seen those creatures...

He thought before getting off his bed. his bruised face somewhat healed.

He stretched his arm and went outside.

He sat on the courtyard and looked at the oak tree over there. Small cuts could be seen on the surface.

He recalled the time when he was a kid, he usually pick up a wooden sword and rush over here to practice some slashing and balancing.

He as a child without a father has suffered a lot.

He picked up a stick from the ground and got closer to the tree, and stretched his left leg a foot back, left hand supporting the edge of the stick-like sword halt.

*swoop*

He waved the stick similar to the way he had seen before in the dream.

'what!!' he felt like his energy concentrated on the tip of the stick.

His breath became heavy but clear, his hand moved instinctively, he moved the stick and..

*slash*

He felt very comfortable and smooth as the stick touched the surface.

The stick broke into pieces.

He became disappointed as he realized the stick is broken.

Just a moment ago he had some hope that he might discover something crazy...

Now he felt like a fool.

'maybe if I try with a sword..'

He shook his head and turned around.

'a dream is a dream after all.'

And walked away.

After a few breaths, the tree showed a glowing cut. And soon the tree becomes a bit dry. A lot of leaves fell and the branches got twisted.

...

"Chen'er come look."

His mother calls him over the book shelves in her room.

"This.." Yao Chen saw a few books in her hand.

"Chen'er take these... These are some breathing techniques I found from this trunk. Maybe.. They were your father's."

He looked at the books.

- Shije Zui Qiang

- Niepan zhi zhi

and a half-torn manual.

"oh... Okay, but you know... I can't cultivate. My spiritual roots aren't capable of absorbing the surrounding qi."

He said as his voice hidden a bit of pain.

His mother also became sad, there is not a day she never thought of this, she wanted to help him too... But what can she do? even her family members were against the idea of the mother and son living with them.

"Chen'er I understand... but it's not something to be emotional about, it's already what it is. You shouldn't think much about it. And cutting spiritual energy isn't the only way to become stronger." she said with a face of determination.

Yao Chen looked at his mother and smiled, it's the same mother... That used to cry like a baby every time something was to happen to him.

She somewhat became stronger, by the time.

"thank you mother, I will try my best."

"and that one is a body-refining technique... If you want you can cultivate. If not just practice the breathing technique and leave the rest."

[note - breathing technique is different for every technique. But every cultivation technique includes the breathing part corresponding with it.]

He went back to his room.