1 Fall and die

Mainland Xing, home to countless experts. The continent is full of Qi, a spiritual force usually absorbed to generate life and, mainly, to enter the meridians of a person, making him a cultivator.

Cultivators were said to be beings capable of dividing mountains, spraying rivers and controlling an entire region.

At this time, the Xing continent was experiencing a serious situation. All practitioners of the spiritual arts were in a quiet breath, suffering as they failed to advance in their cultivation. The world's Qi was weak, and no one could find out why. Indeed, powerful sects and eccentric experts have sought the source of this lack, but have failed to come up with an answer.

The Mountain Range of the Ten Moons was the most suitable place to find spiritual beasts. It was full of thorns, which facilitated concealment. Along with the powerful blizzard that surrounded the place, it was impossible to get out of there alive, whether for reasons like extreme cold or death when encountering a beast.

A strange glow comes from inside the mountain range. At the edges of a frozen stream, there is a soft cry.

The crying was gradually increasing to the point of screaming. Magical animals listened and went quickly to the source of such discomfort, but returned at the same speed, unhappy. For what reason? Of course, it was the tiny newborn who was crying.

It was a fragile package, with black eyes full of curiosity and hunger. No one would expect this little being to bring such unhappiness at birth. Although he was just a newborn, there was only one thing protecting him. A spiritual beast called the Viper of the fiery skies curled around him, five meters high and three meters wide. The beautiful red scales shone in the moonlight, generating an inexplicable peace. The beast, although it was weak, protected the newborn with its own life.

It was unbelievable. Why would a beast protect another cub other than hers? The answer remained lying in the depths of the sea, showing no sign of being raised to the surface. The Flaming Sky Viper just had this feeling, that it should be looking after and raising this little human as its own egg.

Wrapping the tail around the bundle, the viper hesitantly brought it up to eye level, staring wildly at the black depth that was in the child's gaze.

As if it had decided something, the beast nodded and slowly left the stream, dragging the newborn with it.

Crawling for two hours, the viper finally stopped in a cave. The cave was small, hidden between two hills and surrounded by tall trees, making it impossible for anyone to find it easily. She entered, revealing a warm and humid interior, with several tunnels connected to it.

Upon entering deeper, the viper finds two more of its species, both larger than itself. Hissing at them, the beast calmly removed the package from behind, bringing them to have a look. The scene was similar to a mother showing her precious puppy to her friends, proud.

The three vipers came to a conclusion that night.

Three years later, a small child, with flushed cheeks, delicate features and eyes as black as pitch was seen running, his clothes were reduced to a single blanket made of leather and leather, a piece of tendon is seen tying the boy's waist . Although this blanket may be mediocre and may seem inefficient for the cold, underneath that coat is a thick layer of enchantment.

This boy didn't seem to feel the snow on his feet, running through the trees at a great speed. His breathing was barely exhaled, it was more like he didn't need to breathe.

"I must get the thousand-year-old Snow Tempering Herb for Juzai!" Said the boy, climbing a steep and dangerous mountain. In sight, it was possible to come across several beasts along the way, but none of them prevented the boy.

If they were lucky, that child would finally fall and die.

It wasn't like they had any grudges against the boy, but they were still unhappy. Years ago, they still remember the strange appearance of this childishness, and how strange it was that magical beasts took a weak human to create.

They all felt that this was wrong, no matter how it was seen.

In exchange for the deaf silence of the beasts, the boy was quiet, without authorization to disturb them. It was a simple but direct relationship.

Rising as if his life depended on it, the child gasped, with no strength to continue. But she couldn't. His mother was about to die, he couldn't let her suffer any more! Although the Flaming Sky Viper was a celestial level beast, it suffered a serious wound two years ago. 'Maybe, just maybe, this herb could help you!' Snow Tempering is useless for celestial beasts, but the sad little boy not is know it.

Since he was adopted by the vipers, his grandmother and uncle were killed by the beasts in the midst of the goal of generating a better life for him. He cannot leave his one and only mother behind! He should be able to get the grass!

At that point, the boy lived with the vipers so much that he didn't know he was human. In his heart, he was a snake, as was his family. He was just a little more humanoid, but he has absolute confidence that he too would wake up like a Flaming Sky Viper!

Reaching the top of the mountain, the boy's eyes went moist. He had finally arrived at his destination. Snow Tempering was a beautiful flower like snow, with transparent and shiny petals, emitting a weak light of seven different colors. The herb was named like that because, to the touch, it was extremely cold and its stem was wrapped in a thin frost, but resistant.

He bent down and elegantly plucked the grass from the soil. Now, with his hands full, he could only slip down the mountain and pray to the god of beasts that he would be lucky and find no enemy on the way.

And, in fact, he didn't come across any problems. The boy walked for three hours, restless and shaking with fatigue, until he arrived at his house. A large cave, hidden among the trees.

He stepped inside, panting when he found his mother paralyzed, shattered on the floor of the hot cave.

"Mother!" The boy shouted, running to her side.

"[...]"

Juzai hissed, his eyes filled with warmth and love. Although it was true that only three years had passed since she found the bundle at the edge of the stream, she created the human with devotion, not letting it intimidate her, wanting her cub to grow up like a beautiful butterfly, wrapped in its cocoon.

"Mom, I was an unfaithful son. All I can bring you is anguish ... "He commented dryly, his voice enveloped in deep sadness, his eyes shining. In the end, the injuries in Juzai had been caused by him, it was because of him that she took such a risk and faced the Nine Legged Tiger, all because of him.

"[...]" The snake replied, enraged.

"But…"

"[...]"

Juzai was in shock. She did not believe that the fragile little boy of three years would face the blizzard to catch something as ridiculous as Snow Tempering.

"I went! Mom, I hope this herb helps you! " He exclaimed, a beautiful smile on his face. This smile would make anyone's heart race, exclaiming in their thoughts how much they wanted to protect you!

Although he was a beast and not a human, Juzai felt like he was going to burst into tears. It was a fact that no living being could compare with humans in terms of feelings, but Juzai was a beast that was close to them in this factor.

"[...]"

It was as if lightning had been launched at the boy.

"Does not fit…?"

Immediately, tears started to flow. Although it was not an intense effort, this was the last time he would have time to go out and return with his mother alive. That herb was all the little boy's hope, and knowing it was useless was like a slap on his cheek.

"[...?]"

And so, taking a last breath, Juzai slowly closed his huge yellow eyes and passed away. Feeling this, the boy's crying stopped, suddenly. Her face was wet with tears that froze in the cold, but now she had an empty expression as she looked at Juzai.

He felt empty. There was nothing left for him.

He left the cave without looking back. It was better for Juzai's body to remain hidden, and that means he must go.

He walked for hours again, wandering through the forest like a wanderer. He was never more aware of the snow beneath his feet, or how cold the morning breeze was. He had never noticed the birds that sang, the hares that hopped or the water in the stream that passed by.

He had never realized how difficult it is to have no one.

Sighing, the boy went towards the cliff, staring at the pitch that appeared in front of him. His black eyes shone with fear, but he moved on.

He slowly descended the cliff, holding small stones until his hands were peeling. When he finally reached the bottom, the child was shaking and his lips were blue. The cold was even more intense at the bottom of the cliff, and there was this feeling of black magic in the air that prevented him from breathing normally.

Inhaling the air with difficulty, a bundle of shiny lines entered his body, circling his bones and infiltrating deeply into his blood.

That was Qi. The boy, although only three years old, could absorb Qi! This was unusual, even by the standards of the Xing continent. Usually, growers would wait until they were six years old to start cultivating.

This was due to the fact that no small child could bear to spend hours and days just feeling the world around him. The fact that the little boy could do that was unbelievable!

Most impressive, actually and it was not that surprise. It was the fact that the child had no cultivation method, he was just using his breath to absorb Qi!

Now that his strength was restored, the child stopped cultivating, continuing to walk in pitch. He could barely see the outline of his arms, and he ended up tripping over small rocks a hundred times. But he didn't give up, and so he continued until he was in front of a cave.

The last time he was there, he never ventured into that cave. Juzai had said that there was a powerful cultivator trapped there, that they shouldn't be bothering him if they wanted to keep his head. He was supposed to continue listening to his mother, but the child was desperate to become strong. Perhaps that person could help you, pass on your knowledge and make you your disciple.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly entered. It was lighter than the outside, as if there was something that transmitted light there.

He stopped when he found a pool of blood. Shocked, the little boy tripped over a rock and fell right on it. As he did not know how to swim, he ended up drinking some of the blood.

It had a disgusting taste and smell and the boy was hard to get out of there, like a live tomato.

Only after leaving did he realize that he had someone else in the cave.

This person was trapped, his wrists tied to the rock wall and a choker tied to his wrists. It looked like an ordinary chain, but it glowed red.

"Hey, boy, what are you doing here?" Asked the man.

The child frowned, confused. What was he talking about?

"I said, what are you doing in my cave?" The man repeated again, irritated.

Seeing the man open and close his mouth, the little boy guessed that he was saying something. But what was it? He didn't understand. What language was that? To prove his doubts, the boy opened his mouth and tried to say something, but all that sounded to the man's ears was wheezing.

'Could it be that ... he can't speak?' Asked Bai Hong.

That man was Bai Hong, a famous lawbreaker, a pure-blooded demon.

Calling the boy with his finger, Bai Hong cautiously watched him come, his eyes shining with curiosity. When the little one came close enough, Bai Hong suddenly attacked him, kicking the child's forehead.

She was sent flying for two meters, her forehead forming a small red bump.

Just when the little one was going to get up and curse this arrogant man, suddenly a lot of information was put into his mind. Cultivation techniques, cultivation methods, weaknesses of spiritual beasts, even details of the outside world!

Immediately, the boy understood that this man had done something to him. There was even a way to listen to him now!

Doing as described in the memories he had just received, the little puppy manipulated the Qi around him to form a barrier in his eardrums, and now everything he heard would be transmitted in his language!

Of course, it took a lot of effort from him. In the end, he was shaking with fatigue and his eyes blinked sleepily. He was, after all, a mere child of three. There was no way he couldn't get tired of the amount of effort he invested in order to understand the man who kicked him.

This man was a good person, after all! He was giving so many techniques to him, it can only be someone good!

So, innocence overflowing, the little boy slowly approached Bai Hong, walking with difficulty. His body was weak, he really took serious damage from that kick.

"Brat, can you understand me now?"

Nodding, the boy looked curiously at the man. She had long blond hair, tanned skin and eyes as red as that pool of blood. In the boy's opinion, this man was strange looking.

"This is good. My name is Bai Hong." Sighing, Bai Hong slowly closed his eyes, as if remembering a painful memory. "A long time ago, I was arrested here by powerful sects, afraid that I would become stronger than them. I thought I would spend the rest of eternity here alone, but apparently the heavens sent me."

"A long time ago, boy, there was a legend about Xia Li, a peasant woman. Her beauty was capable of making kingdoms fight for her, heroes and demons fell to please her, but her personality was so great that no offer accepted. One day, as a means of getting rid of countless confessions, she declared: 'Whoever brings me the best sword will be able to marry me.'

The little boy did not understand. What the hell does this legend have to do with man?

"Countless heroes gave everything they had for illustrious blacksmiths to make the most beautiful sword. A demon, far from it all, did what no other did. He spent five days and nights refining lazuli immortal's, transforming it into a small, simple and coarse sword. When the day came, he finally said: 'Here it is, my lady, and in it I sheath my blood.'understand that his lineage was powerful, causing the sword to consume and drain that powerful energy. "

"After that day, the peasant did not struggle with the feelings of this demon, accepting the sword and marrying him. They had months of peace, until the war between demons and humans began. As a human, Xia Li was tempted to save her race, but she could not abandon her husband. Determined, she put the sword in her husband's hand and told her not to go home until everyone who was involved in the war was dead. "

"Said and done, the husband killed both humans and demons, and the sword became more and more powerful, so much so that it turned against those who wielded it and killed it. The sword accepted only one master, Xia Li. After that, it was said that no matter how weak his cultivation was, one could move mountains and cut the skies. "

The boy was confused now. If he killed so many people, how did he not anger anyone? Cultivation? What was that?

"Until one day, Xia Li passed away, and along with it, the sword was buried. The world was in chaos. For such a powerful sword to die with it, what a waste! So the world was in chaos again, trying to find out where that sword was. "

Pausing to take a breath, Bai Hong turned his gaze to the pool of blood, reflecting, until the story finally ended.

"Xia Li and her husband had only one child at that time. With greed and fear, the great sects came together and arrested this child, torturing him for information. They never managed to find the tomb. "

Turning to the boy huddled next to him, Bai Hong smiled widely and asked:

"And do you know why, boy?"

Not waiting for the obvious answer, he answered himself.

"Because, in the end, Xia Li's grave resided in his son. The child's affection was so great that he couldn't bear to see his mother rotting in some ditch, so he devoured her. "

At this point, the poor three year old boy's eyes widened, surprised and sick at the achievement.

"He devoured the mother, as well as the sword."