Chapter 1 - Succession

The Five Saints Realm is a world full of Spiritual Qi, a cradle to heavenly monsters and divine beasts, in which cultivators rise and fall in a constant fight for hegemony in the pursuit of the illusory Immortality.

Such a world is divided in five contients: the Vermillion Bird Continent, the Black Turtle Continent, the Azure Dragon Continent, the White Tiger Continent and finally, the Yellow Dragon Continent.

Within the Yellow Dragon Continent laid a mountain range full of mystical peaks and spiritual mist called the Sky Reaching Mountains, home to the Profound Heaven Sect.

Today, the Peach Courtyard of the Inner Sect of the Profound Heaven Sect was engulfed in a somber mood, as its many disciples stood their head down in the plaza. Beneath a majestic peach tree stood before them a row of old-looking people surrounding an open casket in which laid a body.

The body was that of a handsome middle-aged man dressed in black robes embroidered with purple gold thread. He looked to be a man of indomitable temperament. Unfortunately, the body remained motionless. It emanated the aura of death: it was a corpse.

At the sight of the body, the many disciples cried in despair.

"How could it be?! How could the Sect Master die?!!"

"It's these evil spawns from the Myriad Demon Temple!!!"

"How dare they ambush the Sect Master!!!"

"SILENCE!!!" roared one of the old-looking people next to the casket. With his shout spread his aura: it pressured the disciples into silence. They felt as if a heavenly mountain loomed above their heads.

"It's the Grand Elder..." murmured one of the disciples.

Another added "He is at the peak of the Divine Transformation Realm..."

"Yesterday, the sunset glowed blood red." said the Grand Elder, his gravelly voice taking a heavy tone. "Today, our Sect Leader is dead, taking with him five Elders of the Myriad Demon Temple down to the Yellow Springs."

"He died as a hero, honoring the sect until he drew his last breath."

He took a pause to admire the budding resolve in the eyes of the many disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect. He saw in their eyes the desire to avenge their Sect Master and reproduce his acts of courage.

The corner of his mouth upturned a bit until he took upon his familiar emotionless face to continue the ceremony.

"Sword King Lu Yingjie, 97th Sect Master of the Profound Heaven Sect has died."

"Yet, his Will remained!!!"

He looked at a young man of unique temperament who stood at the first row of disciples as his voice boomed once more.

"I call upon Yu Weiyuan, Prime Disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect, disciple to our late Sect Master, to preside over the ceremony!!!"

The young man took a step out of the crowd of disciples, bringing all their gazes on his person. His tall and slender figure couldn't hide the condensed power his powerful body exuded. His hair was ink-black, tied into a high ponytail that fell down to his waist. A few bangs fell onto the paper-white skin of his forehead, as if to stain it. The contours of his face were sharp, as if drawn by a thin brush. His sword eyebrows gave a feeling of heroism to his temperament. Yet, the most defining feature of his body was his two golden eyes which shined like two divine suns.

As soon as he stood out, both men and women were nearly enraptured by his peerless temperament similar to a banished immortal.

"Its Eldest Senior Brother!!!"

"Qi Refining at ten years old, Foundation Establishment at thirteen and Golden Core at eighteen!!! Eldest Senior Brother is peerless..."

"I heard that Eldest Senior Brother was preparing his breakthrough to Nascent Soul Realm... If he succeeds, wouldn't that make him the youngest Nascent Soul Realm cultivator in history?"

"He will be twenty-five then..."

Yu Weiyuan walked towards his master's coffin, ignoring the mutters of his fellow disciples. As soon as he stood before it, he was taken by his thoughts.

'Master...'

As he looked at the still corpse of his Master, the memories of his life flashed in his eyes.

'I was only a pitiful orphan when I encountered you for the first time, Master.'

'If the urge to conduct a Spiritual Root Test in the mortal city you crossed hadn't taken you, I wonder what would have happened to me...'

'When you discovered my Immortal Spiritual Root, you took me as the Prime Disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect, treating me as the son you never had, giving me resources and affection.'

'The saying goes like this: a teacher for a day is a father for life...'

Yu Weiyuan restrained his grief, keeping his face as normal as he possibly could.

'Now you are gone, Master. You are gone, but I'll have you as my only father for the rest of my life.'

Ploc!

The sound of a single tear falling on the ground resounded in the silent Peach Courtyard.

After a few moments, Yu Weiyuan raised his head, meeting the gaze of the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder took the cue and exclaimed:

"Prime Disciple Yu Weiyuan! Will you take the Dragon Phoenix Mantle, become the Sect Master of the Profound Heaven Sect and swear to lead it to greater heights?"

Yu Weiyuan's clear voice boomed: "I SWEAR!!!"

The Grand Elder nodded as a ring full of spirituality on his index finger flashed and a divine robe of golden colour with embroidered dragons and phoenixes in purple thread appeared in his hands before he presented it to Yu Weiyuan.

The young man took it and wore it, letting it rest upon his shoulders without wearing the sleeves.

He declared:

"I, Yu Weiyuan, 98th Sect Master of the Profound Heaven Sect, honour the late Sect Master!"

He kneeled before the coffin before standing again.

A flame appeared in his hand as he waved towards the casket. A arc of fire engulfed the coffin together with the corpse as they slowly burned.

Yu Weiyuan shouted once again:

"PROFOUND HEAVEN SECT!!!"

Taking a softer tone, he continued:

"Pray for your late Sect Master's Mortal Essence to join his Immortal Soul in Samsara, keeping it safe for all his future lives."

Most cultivators wanted their corpse burned after their death, preserving their mortal coil from the involvement of karmic bounds by sending it to the Immortal Soul in the cycle of reincarnation. It was a long-lived tradition, one that Yu Weiyuan's Master appreciated particularly.

As the corpse finished burning, Yu Weiyuan offered a last prayer before he opened his eyes.

'Master. I will make your Sect prosper for eternity.'

'I swear.'