Chapter 0 - Awakening

In a dark grotto, a pair of deep eyes opens "I am back". The moment those words echoed in the grotto an orb of light appeared, brightening the cave. Its surface was full of complex and ethereal patterns morphing in a spiral, which sank between the youth's eyes, bringing in his mind confused and incomplete images.

After contemplating for some seconds, his complex darkened “Humanity has lost in the end. The most powerful palaces and sects have been burnt to the ground, the most virtuous and competent generals have been decimated, the most desired legacies are no more". A sad sigh was followed by heavy steps leaving the grotto.

He was a brilliant prodigy of his generation, but after being plotted against he had to seal himself, crippling his cultivation and arts to avoid being consumed by the enemy curse. As the core disciple of the most powerful sect of the human race, preparations had been made for every situation. A grotto, protected and hidden by deep Dao runes, was ready to seal him anytime. It could be considered the safest place of all, its creator was an existence that could cause any living being to prostrate in fear and admiration.

Stepping outside and basking in the warm rays of the sun, the youth could admire the blue sky again, but the warmth was soon replaced with new displeasure “The natural chi should be far thicker here, something is wrong with this place.” He tried to circulate the inner chi through his meridians, it was a slow and painful process. His cultivation had been crippled and he was back to the slave stage, the starting stage of any human. The only difference between a cultivator and a non cultivator, at this stage, was that the first had a minimal amount of chi in their meridians and could slowly move it, with much effort.

Luckily, even if he was crippled of every art and possession he had, he still retained his core cultivation art. The core cultivation art, for every cultivator or martial artist, is the set of laws and principles that guides the cultivation process. More advanced core cultivation arts have particular properties, fighting techniques may be linked to the cultivation process as well.

Falven, the youth, had the edge in this regard. No core cultivation art was better than his and except from his creator, no expert would be more proficient or knowledgeable than him regarding this profound art.

No pain no gain, higher the stake higher the risk. This is a perfect description of the Asura Art, which can allow, among the many and wonderful benefits, a quick advancement in cultivation. Martial artists believed that everything was possible with this art, but the price was too steep to pay. Incredible sufferance had to be borne, an adamant Dao heart was demanded, the will to fight without ever turning back had to be pursued and a perception capable of seeing through the Heavens’ will was required.

Many cultivators tried to use this art to cultivate, but they all ended up with a stagnant cultivation or crippled, forcing them to cultivate simpler versions of it. Only Falven achieved that in the past and he was ready to repeat the feat.

Even if painful, the first stage was the easiest. Activating the Asura Art the little amount of chi in his meridians was stimulated, becoming restless, aggressive, as if he wanted to ravage the meridians and break the body open from the inside.

Withstanding the pain, Falven exerted efforts to control it. The Asura Art was based on the concept of ever-fighting, no matter the challenge or the enemy, the Asura goes on, fighting and slaying everything on his path, resisting every condition, braking through every barrier. The spirited chi had its fury redirected along the meridians, circulating many times faster than usual.

After circulating several times in his body, causing a great deal of pain, the chi had polished the meridians, perfectly clearing and connecting them “First stage cleared, I am a soldier now” a dry laugh escaped his mouth. The soldier grade was the second stage of the cultivation journey, but considered the very first starting point of cultivation.

Looking at the sky the youth murmured, with a smirk on his face “Let’s see who’ll prey who in this generation”.

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Hello dear readers, I’m pleased to present this light novel to you all. As a promise to you I shall now say that by each Sunday midnight, Italian time, at least one chapter will be published. In the first weeks more chapters per week are going to be published to let the story take off. Also, the chapters should be about twice the length of this prologue.

If you have any opinion, feedback, comment or critic, please feel absolutely free to speak your mind, I would sincerely appreciate that.