Our tale begins not in a common village, nor a hidden forest—but in a towering palace that stood like a deity among mortals. This was no ordinary palace—it was the heart of the Demon Sect, the only one of its kind among the Five Great Sects that ruled the Sacred Heavens, the land of gods.
At the center of this grand palace, seated upon the throne of command, was Long Zi—the mightiest warrior in the skies. He sat in deep meditation, his aura flowing like an endless storm. But his concentration was broken by the sudden entrance of his aide, Fang, who came rushing in, his face pale with fear.
"Master," Fang cried, his voice trembling. "We are surrounded."
Long Zi's eyes snapped open, a sharp glint piercing the silence. His voice thundered:
"Who dares surround us?"
Fang's breath came in short gasps. "It's... the righteous sects."
Long Zi paused for a moment—then laughed. Not a laugh of humor, but of rage. A cold, cruel sound that echoed through the hall.
"Those dogs seek death? Then death they shall receive."
With slow, deliberate steps, Long Zi made his way outside. The sky had turned crimson, as if bleeding. Corpses lay strewn across the land, the ground soaked with the blood of the fallen. Without a flicker of mercy, he set the corpses aflame—ashes for the wind to carry.
From the smoke stepped a saint of the righteous sects, his gaze sharp as a blade. His voice, calm yet filled with venom, cut through the air:
"I want your death. But you may yet live—destroy your cultivation, and surrender everything you possess."
Long Zi stared at him in disbelief... then burst into laughter once more.
"You think I fear you? Even if the entire Sacred Heavens and the gods descended upon me, none could stand in my way!"
But in the next moment, the laughter died on his lips. Blood poured from his mouth. He fell to his knees, pain etched across his face.
"What... what is this?!" he gasped. "Fang?! Are you mocking me?! Are you betraying me?!"
Fang's voice shook with guilt. "I'm sorry, my lord... but I had no choice. If we didn't comply... the world would be thrown into war. Billions would perish."
Silence followed. Then—an explosion of dark energy erupted from Long Zi's body as he roared:
"I have made my decision... I will not die so easily!"
In a blinding flash, Long Zi unleashed a final, devastating blow—not to his enemies, but to himself. The palace was obliterated. The heavens shook.
The mortal world trembled as a beam of light pierced the sky.
And then...
Long Zi opened his eyes—to find himself in the body of a fifteen-year-old boy. For a moment, he sat in stunned silence, cold sweat dripping from his brow.
Then he laughed.
"The heavens... favor me?"
But that laughter turned into a storm of fury. His dark eyes burned with hatred as he stared at the sky and roared:
"Fang! Sacred Heavens! I swear—I will destroy you all. I swear it!"