Heaven is divided into nine strata, Earth into ten depths, humanity into two kinds – righteous and evil, and the Dao into three thousand paths, with Heaven as its ultimate master.
In the Nam Yue Divine Continent, within the Bách Việt Kingdom of the Chì Quỷ Tribe, hundreds of miles beyond the starry expanse, an immensely colossal Long Liển, pulled by nine separate dragons, streaked across the sky, leaving behind a dazzling trail of seven-colored light. From below, it appeared like a meteor traversing the heavens and earth.
Á Đông Divine Sect.
A tranquil mountain sect, cradled by the vast wilderness, where the Hoàng Liên mountain range lay stretched across the land like a fossilized Earth Dragon. Beneath, the dragon veins ceaselessly exhaled and inhaled essence spiritual energy, bathing the land, which spanned thousands of square miles, in a gentle, divine light.
This was a blessed land for cultivation, favored by the heavens, where the feng shui was auspicious and life was fulfilling. Everywhere, sky-piercing trees stood tall, streams flowed, and birds sang. In the distance, peeking from behind layers of clouds, one could even spot a few immortal cranes riding the mists.
Phi Thiên Mountain rose from an open valley. It earned its name because, every eighty-one years, the mountain would ascend into the void to receive the will of the Heavenly Dao, guiding cultivators in their pursuit of the Immortal Dao.
The Á Đông Divine Sect, situated on Phi Thiên Mountain, was one of the five great leading sects of Bách Việt, alongside the Bắc Bộ Tinh Nguyệt Môn, Trung Bộ Phong Vũ Môn, Nam Bộ Càn Khôn Tông, and Đông Hải Thánh Long Môn.
For the cultivators of the Á Đông Divine Sect, today was an exceptionally momentous day, as eighty-one years had passed since the last reception of the Heavenly Dao's will.
Over ten thousand sect disciples, regardless of rank or cultivation level, had risen early, busily hanging lanterns and arranging flowers, purifying themselves. Everyone, in high spirits, turned their eyes towards the boundless starry void outside, watching the magnificent meteor slowly approaching.
After several tens of breaths, a colossal ancient ship could be seen slowly drifting in mid-air. It took the sky as its vast sea, the swirling mists around it as its sails, and the nine dragons as its rudder. Bursts of violent dragon roars echoed, making the very firmament tremble and sway.
From above, a powerful, ancient, and unfamiliar aura emanated. The ancient ship's material was unknown; one could only see dense golden characters, imbued with Dao charm, flickering and twisting on their own at a speed impossible for the naked eye to comprehend.
Suddenly, seven battle drums beat in quick succession, like sudden peals of thunder. They seemed to echo from the deep void, yet also as if they had existed through the mists of time, now coincidentally drifting into the present.
The moment the seven drumbeats ceased, Phi Thiên Mountain rumbled and shook, as if an ancient fierce beast, buried deep within the earth, was awakening and stirring. The earthquake grew stronger with time, the intensity of the tremors becoming more violent, causing the great earth to crack open. Countless fissures stretched endlessly, covering the ground like a spiderweb, yet so deep their ends could not be seen.
Great trees toppled, swallowed and buried by the gaping earth. Sand flew and stones scattered, dust obscured everything. Countless flying beasts and strange creatures, terrified out of their wits, sought to escape, instantly plunging the scene into utter chaos.
But cultivators were different. In that moment, without needing to be told, they all clenched their hands, their expressions solemn and reverent, as if awaiting something profoundly sacred.
Phi Thiên Mountain suddenly tore through the wind and soared into the sky, leaving a massive hole in the ground. Fierce winds howled, and a wild downpour lashed down, yet the sky remained perfectly blue, without a single blemish.
At this very moment, countless eyes across the Bách Việt Nation turned towards a single spot, as mortals prostrated themselves, kneeling on the ground, and silently prayed.
Suddenly, winds and clouds surged and rolled in the sky, and a moment later, they piled upon each other, transforming into a towering, majestic phantom of a Divine Being. The phantom man wore an imperial crown, seated on a throne, holding a scepter, appearing even more grandiose under the dazzling sun.
It seemed as if heaven and earth had no front or back, no up or down; only he reigned there, transcending all, his will becoming the will of heaven, his majesty becoming the might of heaven.
The phantom opened its mouth and spoke in a loud voice, its sound rolling like the waves of a great river: "This Immortal, in accordance with the will of heaven and the faith of sentient beings, now bestows upon Nam Nhạc Divine Continent forty-three Immortal Dao Seals, twelve Saint-grade Spiritual Roots, and seven types of Dao Rhyme Seeds, hoping that someone will soon ascend to the Phong Tiên Realm."
Having finished speaking, dozens of rays of light formed pillars of light, raining down in succession, spreading into the void, falling to unknown places.
The five great sects immediately became chaotic; their main gates opened, and decrees were passed down: "Dispatch disciples, quickly search for those with cultivation potential!"
Some rode on magic treasures, others flew through the air, rapidly descending the mountains from every direction, causing points of light to fill the sky.
At the same time, in Trấn Thiên Pass, a region located in the North Central part, stood a magnificent and grand manor. Its tall buildings with dragon-carved, phoenix-engraved eaves exuded extreme regality, proving that this must be a powerful and noble family in the mortal world.
Inside the small courtyard, dozens of servants gathered, bustling about, all focusing their gaze on the half-open door. Inside, a beautiful young woman was writhing on a large bed. Beside her, an elderly midwife continuously wiped the young woman's swollen belly with a warm cloth, beads of sweat dotting her forehead.
"Good heavens! Why won't the young master come out yet? It's been half a day already! Young master isn't being good! Don't you know you're making the young madam suffer like this?" the elderly midwife muttered as she carefully wiped.
At this moment, several loud, unexpected "Boom! Bang!" sounds suddenly rang out without warning, startling the servants in the manor.
A moment later, an anomaly occurred: dark clouds, appearing from nowhere, rolled in and covered the sky, then a streak of lightning tore through space, splitting the firmament in two.
"Boom...Boom...Boom!" Three loud explosions rang out. Everyone looked up at the sky in horror, where they could see the true form of a gigantic dragon coiling within the dark clouds, its eyes half-closed, gazing towards the room in the small courtyard.
Then, streaks of seven-colored light plunged down from the void. Their rapid speed illuminated the sky for a moment, then suddenly extinguished in the blink of an eye.
Half an hour passed. The clouds dispersed and the wind died down. In the main hall, a tall man wearing a light purple robe, with his hands clasped behind his back, paced back and forth, his distraught face clearly showing worry: "It's been half a day, why is there still no news? Could it be that Yến'er is having a difficult birth, or has something gone wrong?"
"Patriarch! The young madam has given birth! It's a young master!" a maidservant rushed in, shouting frantically as she ran.
"Given birth! It's a boy? Haha! My Vũ family finally has an heir! Yến'er! You've done well!" The man grinned with joy, his expression radiant.
"This young master is quite peculiar," the maid muttered, a hint of surprise and doubt in her voice. "He lay still for ages, refusing to come out. Only when he heard the thunder did he panic and dart out. Otherwise, who knows how much longer the madam would have had to endure."
"Still like that? This brat is really too much, damn it! I'll have to give him a few smacks on the bottom." With that, the man swiftly rushed outside.
At this moment, somewhere in the vast universe, stood a giant whose body was red as blood. Around him, a blood-red aura surged skyward, dyeing the heavens crimson and stirring up winds and clouds. This giant's form was utterly terrifying, his entire body covered in thick fur. Every inch of his meridians could be seen, like countless rivers surging with blood.
The giant unconsciously opened his eyes. From his nostrils, his heavy breathing whipped up storms, and the universe, this starfield, violently trembled for a moment. Those majestic eyes, filled with profound vicissitude, managed to glance at a blue planet, separated from this place by layers of space-time, before closing again.
"It's here, it's finally here. I have waited for this day for hundreds of thousands of years. The moment I awaken, Thương Không will surely perish. Lạc! Don't disappoint me, understand?" A deep, ancient voice, filled with weariness and regret, resonated, and this piece of heaven and earth suddenly sagged.
Years passed, moons rose and set, and time flew by.