1 Tang Lin’s Resolve

In a small village within the Youlan continent of the Mortal realm, a boy grieves.

*Wuuwuu*

"Mother, you'll be fine, y-you'll be alright, o-okay? I won't let you die, so please, please open your eyes", cried Tang Lin.

*Snort*

"What a runny-nosed brat", said Xu Ming, walking into the run-down house.

"She got what she deserved; she still dared to show her face in front of big brother Xu Yang after he took a fancy for her and refused him. Simply courting death", said Xu Ming with contempt.

"Y-You…" Tang Lin stammers restlessly.

Just as Tang Lin was about to get up, he felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Tang Lin, don't fight them. I don't want to see you get hurt", his mother, Tang Mei, weakly whispered.

*Cough, cough*

Blood splattered over his arms and her chest as he held her tightly within his grasp, afraid she'd disappear forever.

"Mother!!" Tang Lin screamed, panicking.

He could feel her heartbeat weakening and see the light within her eyes fading.

"NO-NO-NO, I'll bring you to a doctor, I-I-I'll-…", he hurriedly said.

"Tang Lin!", she said with all her might, snapping him back to his senses. "I don't have much time left, but there are two things this pathetic mother has to tell you. Your father, h-he still exists, but I don't know where he is anymore. I'm sorry for keeping this from you, but I was afraid it would be too dangerous to tell you, yet I don't want you to think badly of your father for leaving us to travel, but you need to know that your father and I love you very much", she says sentimentally.

"And I'm sorry that I have to leave you behind in this world, but promise me. Promise me you will continue living", she says, her tears reflecting his ashen face.

Rain started to pour outside, as if the heavens were sending their condolences.

"I promise-... I promise I'll live on for you!" he muttered.

*Wuuu…AHHHHH*

Tang Lin looked up at the sky as he screamed as if he was challenging the injustice of his mother's death to the heavens. Uncontrollable tears ran down his face, his mother's face starting to blur from existence from the deluge of his tears.

"Hahaha, has the bitch finally died? A trash son and a pathetic mother, this match must've been made by the heavens." Xu Ming scorned with disdain.

"Xu Ming, you bastard, I'll kill you", Tang Lin snarled. He could feel the anger consuming his mind as he blinded himself with rage and sorrow with blood-shot eyes, killing intent filling the room.

"Hmph, just a kid wet behind the ears and you still dare to fight me, a 3rd stage Qi Condensation cultivator".

As Tang Lin ran towards him, he sent out a punch towards Xu Ming's stomach.

"Too slow", Xu Ming laughs, appearing to Tang Lin's right as he sent him flying with a kick.

"Shit, when did he ge-…", Tang Lin said halfway as he violently convulsed from the impact.

Slammed against the thin walls, the house trembled as the walls caved in, debris and dust scattered around him.

*Cough, cough…ugh*

Groaning, Tang Lin lay half-dead with blood and saliva sprayed across his body.

"You were once a peerless genius, despite your weak body. Truly a dragon among men, but now you can only blame yourself for being born with such talent and no background. Now you're just a weak piece of trash who can't even learn the most basic movement technique 'Shadow Steps' nor cultivation technique, because of your weak physique", he says pitifully.

In a bloodied mess, Tang Lin glared at him intensely.

"If it wasn't for your Xu Family's incompetence, you wouldn't have been jealous of my talent and destroy my meridians in the first place", he replied wistfully.

A bit startled from the amount of bloodlust, Xu Ming picked Tang Lin up by the collar, leaving him hanging helplessly in the air.

"You still dare to look at me with those eyes?!?" he shouted angrily.

*Tsk*

"Lucky you still need to pay off your mother's debt, so Lord Xu Yang still wants you alive", he ridicules.

With no energy, no life, no power, Tang Lin hung in the air, his face pale from losing too much blood. In the corner of his eyes, he could see his mother's bloodstained corpse getting further and further away. Ambition and revenge refuelled his resolve. Pathetically getting dragged in the dirt now, Tang Lin's previous lifeless eyes took on a sharp glint again. That day, Tang Lin swore, "I will get stronger, no… I NEED to get even stronger, so no one can hurt my loved ones and make me feel this pain again".