Prologue: Immortal Cultivation (Beginning of a Journey)

(Heaven, Mountain of Flowers and Fruit)

There lies a vast and mighty mountain in a faraway place. Demonic beasts of different shapes and sizes reside upon this mountain. One of these beasts is a monkey who has achieved the state of immortality through hard work and dedication. His enemies call him the Monkey Imp. His friends call him Sun Wukong.

He has done many deeds and gained allies and enemies alike. He has stolen from the exalted Jade Emperor. He has drunk the forbidden Heavenly Wine. He has eaten the Immortals' Greatest Treasure. However, he has regretted one thing. His heritage.

"I must pass on this legacy of mine to one worthy enough to inherit it." Sun Wukong was deep in thought. 'Which mortal deserves such a precious cultivation technique?'

Sitting at the mountain peak, he looked down at the black book in his hand. It emanated an imposing and noble aura. The seemingly simple title gave off an even more awe-inspiring feeling. "Sun Wukong's Body and Qi Cultivation Technique," the monkey uttered.

"I believe that you will make the right choice, old friend," he said.

The book did not respond — possibly because it had no intelligence or any way of communication — but its aura changed for a second, almost as if it had acknowledged the monkey's request.

"Make sure you take good care of whoever is to become my inheritor. I wish you a good journey."

He threw the book off to into the distance, down to the Lower Realm. He knew that it would be some time before he could see it again. He turned around and walked back to his home on the mountain, looking forward to what would become of the successor of his legacy.

...

(Gekai, An Independent Village)

In a village situated somewhere between Rakia and Orario, a little white-haired, ruby-eyed boy, an elderly man with the same white hair, an adventurer, and a mage shared a house.

On normal days, the adventurer and mage would help in finding food and protecting the village while the elderly man tended the fields and cooked. Whenever the boy wasn't trying to read books on his own, he would ask the elderly man to tell him tales of adventurers and heroes.

Today, however, was not a normal day. It was the little kid's birthday.

Because of the special occasion, all four of them had gathered around a campfire to talk before going to bed. "Grandpa. Why can uncle Zald and aunty Alfia hunt monsters?" the kid asked his grandpa.

The two men shared a look with each other while the woman kept gazing at the boy. Knowing that they would have to explain it to him someday, the man referred to as uncle Zald nodded, accepting the fact that they should tell the boy who had now turned six years old a bit more about life.

"Bell," Zald paused, making sure that he had the full attention of the boy. "There is something called Falna, many also call it a god's blessing. It allows us to improve our physical and magical capabilities by fighting." He gave the boy a questioning look to see if he had understood what he had said.

The boy gave a quick nod.

"Once these improved capabilities reach a certain degree, we can break through to the next level, gaining an improvement in those stats. Even though it seems like every time we level up that we are losing statistics, the reality is that those stats are stacking up onto each other." He gave another look to make sure the six-year-old boy could comprehend what he was explaining, which gained him another quick nod from said boy.

"So, by defeating stronger monsters you get stronger?" The boy asked.

"Yes, but you do not always win, sometimes you might lose as well," Alfia chimed in.

"But grandpa told me that heroes don't lose!?"

This reply gained the old man a glare from the woman who seemed as if she could strike him down at any moment for teaching the boy such absurdity.

"It isn't that heroes never lose, Bell. What makes them heroes is that they always get back up, no matter what, to protect the people and the cause they care and fight for," his grandpa replied, trying to avoid Alfia's death stare.

"Does that mean that I could become as strong as uncle Zald and aunty Alfia if I never give up?" Bell asked with an innocent look on his face.

The question made her frown. 'This man always finds a way to make things worse…'

"Yes, you can. I know you will," his grandpa replied, once again earning him a blazing glare from Alfia.

'And just when I thought he couldn't go and screw it up any more than he had!' She sighed. "Bell," she said his name in a strict manner, "you should know that the path of an adventurer is not easy, that of a hero is even more challenging… You may fail."

"No. I won't." the boy got up and made his way back to the house, once he reached the door, he turned around and gave another shocking statement "I will become a hero, and no matter what, I will always get back up." He went inside and shut the door behind him, proceeding to his bedroom.

His reply had left her dazed. The statement had carried such determination, such resolve…

'Ah… I see now… He has what both Zald and I lack. That will power… not even seasoned adventurers can talk with such confidence, yet this six-year-old boy…' she chuckled, and excused herself from the campfire, leaving the two men with smiles on their faces.

"Ha! Looks like the boy's really something, eh?" Zald asked.

"Hah. He sure is…" the elder replied, trailing off near the end.

The two sat there in silence before Zald decided to retire to his bedroom as well, leaving the old man gazing at the clear night sky.

"I wonder… just how much will you achieve, Bell?" he asked, voicing the question that had been on his mind since Bell's earlier show of confidence.

...

Bell dreamed. He dreamed of standing in white. Flawless, genuine, unblemished white.

In the midst of the white stood an object. It was a pitch-black book. Its very nature contrasted the white surrounding it. While the white space radiated of friendliness and affection, the black book emanated of unyielding power.

Bell slowly walked up to the book and read the title on its front cover.

'Sun Wukong's Body and Qi Cultivation Technique?'

As soon as he picked it up, it felt as though he was destined to have it. It gave him an indescribable and irresistible urge to open and read it. So, he did.

'Immortal Cultivation…'

That day when young Bell Cranel first learned of immortal cultivation, he did not know where the path would take him, or what he would encounter. But he knew one thing: he had to be strong. Strong enough to protect those he loves. Strong enough to be their hero…

...

Two Years Later

Whenever the young one wasn't listening to his grandfather's stories, helping with the work around the village, or running away from the village girls who were chasing him, he was cultivating. Day and night, he cultivated. He followed each step exactly as it had said to do so in the book. And today, he would finally see the fruits of his labour.

He picked up the wooden sword he had secretly made, walked up to a tree, and aimed to swing it right at the trunk.

"I can do this!" He swung the sword at the tree.

For a second, nothing happened as the sword passed clean through the tree. "Did I-!"

His question was cut in half. The whole tree fell his way, so he quickly jumped out of the way to avoid becoming squashed underneath.

*Clap clap*

He raised his head to look up from where he lay on the ground. He was startled to see that Zald had been standing there, clapping at him. He got out of his shock almost immediately and anxiety struck him.

He was no idiot. He knew that what he just did would not be possible for someone at the age of 8 — especially not without Falna. "This… I-I can explain this!" He shouted quickly, as if that would make him any less suspicious.

"Explain? No need, I was just appreciating your technique," Zald replied. "Though, I do wonder how you were able to do that…" Zald asked aloud to see the boy's reaction.

That left Bell visibly sweating. Anyone could see that he was extremely nervous. Of course, this didn't escape Zald's Level 7 senses. He sighed. "Would you like to spar with me?"

"H-Huh?" Bell took a moment to process what had been asked, "Y-Yes. Yes, please."

"Alright, let me see your stance," Zald said as his manner turned serious in no time. Seeing this, Bell took his usual sword stance.

"Good form," Zald nodded. "Alright then, come at me with all your strength."

"A-Are you sure uncle Zald?" Bell was worried that if he could cut across a tree so easily, wouldn't that mean that he could do the same to human flesh as well? He knew that Zald was strong enough to hunt wild catch and defeat the monsters that attacked the village, but…

"Haha! Don't worry, I'm stronger than that tree you just cut through," Zald replied, sensing the uneasiness in Bell.

"Okay then," Bell said, calming down as he breathed using the steps from the Black Book. "Here I come!"

Bell ran towards Zald and swung with the same technique he had used to cut the tree. Zald had a stupefied expression on his face. Never had he expected the kid to be so agile. His speed was comparable to that of a beginner Level 3.

Then, Bell's strike contacted Zald's upper right shoulder, cutting down all the way to his left hip.

The sword shattered in Bell's hands, and when he looked at Zald, he was shocked. Zald was perfectly fine. Not even a single scratch on his body. However, his face showed an expression Bell had never seen him show before: amazement.

'His strength is equal to that of an advanced Level 2!!' He soon noticed how stupid he must've looked to the kid with such an expression on his face. "Okay. Come again."

"But the sword is…"

"Oh… right," Zald understood what he was saying when he remembered that the wooden sword shattered when Bell had struck him with it. "Why don't we just continue tomorrow then? Don't worry, I'll bring a sword that won't break this time."

"O-Okay then! See you later uncle Zald!" Bell ran off as Zald just stood there, watching him go.

'Just how did this boy…' he shook his head, 'I need to talk to Zeus about this," then he walked towards the fields where the old man usually spent his time.

...

Zeus saw Zald walking up to him and greeted him with a wave, "Something happen?"

"Zeus, you have some explaining to do," Zald replied in a lightly angry tone. "When did you give that boy your Falna?"

The elder was confused at this statement, "What?"

"No beating around the bush, old man. The kid fights like an advanced Level 2. There's no way he could that without Falna."

This left Zeus even more confused. "I never gave him my Falna… Did you check his back?"

"…" Zald was speechless. 'I forgot to check!'

Zeus sighed. "Let's go, come on."

...

"This is troublesome," Zeus said, voicing the thought in both their minds. They had checked the boy's back a couple of minutes ago, and they had seen no signs of Falna.

"What do we do now?" Zald asked.

"All that we can do is train him and see if he gets stronger. If he doesn't that just means that the person who gave him his Falna has locked it so that we can't see it. If he does… we just keep training him."

"…" Zald considered that for a second. "What about Alfia?"

"We don't tell her — for now. Not until we're sure if this is Falna or not."

"What is it that you won't be telling me, Zeus?" a voice asked from behind them. That left the duo sweating bullets.

"No-Nothing Alfia, it's all good here," Zeus said, trying to divert the topic of the conversation.

"Tell. Me. Now."

"Bell can fight like an advanced Level 2!" Zald snitched immediately. If only to avoid a little bit of punishment.

"...HE CAN DO WHAT?!?" Alfia yelled.

...

About an hour later, after the two men had been given a lesson as to why they should never keep things from her, Alfia summarized what they had told her.

"So, he cut a tree with a wooden sword. Seeing that, you, a Level 7, decided to spar with him. When you did, you learned that his speed is equal to that of a beginner Level 3, and his strength is that of an advanced Level 2? And when you checked his back, there was no Falna?"

"Yes," the duo replied quickly.

"And now you're planning on training him to see if he gets stronger?"

"Yes."

"Well, I understand why you would like to train him. But-" Alfia paused and gave the two a glare, "I will be there to train him as well. Who knows, maybe he'll be skilled in magic."

This statement surprised both Zeus and Zald. They had not expected her to offer to train the boy along with Zald.

"Okay. It's set then."

...

"Umm… uncle Zald, why is aunty Alfia here?"

It was the following morning. Bell had been waiting for Zald in the grasslands that lay between the village and the nearby forest. What he hadn't expected was for him to bring along Alfia. 'I'm in trouble, aren't I?' He knew that Alfia was against him training until he was older. So, when he saw her walking next to Zald, he had obvious panic written across his face.

"Don't worry, Bell. Alfia's here to teach you magic while I teach you the way of the sword."

"Really?" he turned to look at Alfia and gave her a big smile. "Thank you so much aunty Alfia!"

She smiled back at him. "No problem, Bell. Which one would you like to start with?"

"Umm…" He considered it for a second. "Could I begin with sword training?"

Zald stepped forward and pulled out two swords, "Okay, let's get started then. First, here's your sword, it's a real one, but it has magic that stops it from cutting anything. It's just for you to get used to the weight." He tossed the sword in his left hand to Bell, who easily caught it.

"Wow. So, this is what a real sword feels like."

"We'll spar with these swords for a couple of minutes so I can test all your abilities. For your information, I will hit you. Ready?"

"Yes!"

As soon as Zald yelled "Start!" the two struck at each other, swords colliding in the air. Bell was struggling to hold on while Zald was once again impressed by the eight-year-old boy's strength. He was holding back his strength to that equal to an intermediate Level 3, but he was also having trouble since he usually did not hold his strength back so much.

Once Bell wasn't able to hold the position anymore, he jumped back and regained his stance only to feel a sword strike his left shoulder. "Agh!"

"If you are in a defensive position, you don't use an offensive stance. That leaves you wide open to any strikes. The same goes the other way around. When you're on offense, you take the offense. When you're on defense, you go defensive."

"Okay."

Zald attacked while Bell defended by parrying, deflecting, and blocking the incoming swings. He had been hit many times already because of the difference of strength between them, but he was able to counterattack once by punching Zald in the face. That brought about the end of their spar. Zald was still confused as to how he couldn't dodge the fist but wrote it off as having been distracted.

Alfia had known otherwise. She had seen his flawless technique. 'He is indeed equal to an advanced Level 2… and not just that, he can fight above his level because of his techniques. Looks like he is indeed quite good. I wonder, just how did he learn such exquisite moves?' She was pulled out of her daydreaming by a hand tapping her on the shoulder.

It was Zald. "Alfia, it's your turn to test his talent in magic."

"Hmm? Oh, okay." She walked towards Bell. "First off, let me show you my magic. Ataraxia." The moment she finished the chant, a shield covered her entire body. "This shield neglects other magic."

"Wow! That's so cool!"

"Indeed, magic is cool, isn't it? There are many types of magic, but all of them originate from the elements around us. Look around you, Bell. What do you see? What do you feel? What do you hear?"

Bell looked around him for a minute before recounting all of the things he had noticed:

"The soil, smoke from a campfire, a river, a light breeze, a forest, a storm out in the distance, the sun, shadows, villagers, and… a graveyard."

"Good, now try to understand what they are made of."

"Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Wood, Lightning, Light, Darkness, Life, and Death," he replied.

The reply had left Alfia astounded. '… He could see through all of it so quickly. Maybe he really has talent in magic, I should probably-'

Her thought was broken by a sight that would amaze even the gods.

The boy in front of her had held up his hands, palms open and turned towards his face. What happened the next moment was simply beyond belief. One by one, each elemental attribute he had called the name of just seconds ago formed at his fingertips. A couple seconds later, all ten elemental attributes had formed at his fingertips.

The pair of adventurer and mage just stared at him in utter disbelief. Why wouldn't they? The boy had not only formed each element at his fingertips, but they were in their purest forms! Not even the elves who had incredible affinity for magic could achieve such an impossible task!

"Is something wrong?"

"N-No, we're just surprised that you had affinity for all of the elements," Zald answered. He then looked at Alfia who was already looking at him, and they communicated with their eyes before Zald stated that he needed to go and talk to Bell's grandpa about something important.

"Did something happen, aunty? Did I do it wrong?" Bell asked, confused as to why the two had been so baffled.

Alfia took another moment to gather her thoughts before proceeding. "No, you did very well, Bell. I think we should end today's training here."

Bell just nodded at that, and he walked back to the village, leaving Alfia alone.

'Huh. Looks like the kid has true talent. I guess training him is the best option we have then. It'd be better for him to learn how to control his power rather than to leave him be.'

That was the day which Bell learned the Ten Dao: Dao of Earth, Dao of Fire, Dao of Water, Dao of Wind, Dao of Wood, Dao of Lightning, Dao of Light, Dao of Darkness, Dao of Life, and Dao of Death. He didn't know at the time but gaining mastery over these then elements was near impossible for even the most talented immortal cultivators. Only a select few could even hope to achieve the perfection realm of mastery in three or four elements after thousands of years of constant practice… but Bell had already reached the beginning realm on all ten at such a young age…

...

About 5 Years Later

It was Bell's 13th Birthday today. It was the day he would leave to travel the continent and get stronger — all the while picking up girls to create the harem which he had promised to do so to his grandfather.

The little boy had grown to become a promising young man. He had achieved near-perfection realm on all Ten Dao by consistently practicing with Alfia. The Daos of Fire, Wind, and Lightning were the most useful while being offensive, which he figured out while sparring against Zald. The Daos of Earth, Water, Wood, Life, and Light proved to be effective as support elements to defend, heal, and enhance his strength. Though, it had been difficult to try out the Dao of Darkness and Dao of Death, but he had used it on the monsters he had fought. Both were effective to use if his goal was to kill the opponent without leaving a full corpse. He was sure that there were many more ways to use the Ten Dao, but he likely wouldn't be able to figure it out without reaching the realm of perfection with several or all of them.

He had practiced the sword with Zald and had even created his own sword techniques. The one he was most proud of was infusing an elemental attribute into his attack. For example, when he added fire into his sword strike, the strike would keep travelling until the fire dissipated or it struck its target, retaining the sharpness of the sword within the strike. In layman's terms, even if a target was 20 meders away, if hit by the strike, they would feel the same pain and be as hurt as they would be if they had been hit by the strike by the fire infused sword at point-blank range. Of course, this technique wasn't all overpowered. It drained Bell's Qi very quickly, and if he overused it, he would be left exhausted for at least a couple of seconds — enough for his enemy to beat him within the time period. A couple of seconds meant everything in a fight, a loser might become the winner, and the winner might become the loser.

"Good luck, Bell! Make sure you take care of your women and become a hero!" Bell stopped and turned around at this remark.

"Of course, grandpa. See you when I do! You take care too, uncle Zald and aunty Alfia," he said before turning around and continuing to walk. When the boy had disappeared from their view, Zald and Alfia turned towards Zeus.

They were in no way happy to let the boy out into the world so early. But Zeus had made them unable to retort by sarcastically telling them that allowing the boy to become a hero by himself would be a better idea than allying with Evilus to forcefully create one — and likely fail while attempting to do so.

"Hey, Zeus, so what are you planning to do now?" Zald asked.

"I'm going to meet with Hermes and tell him to pay attention to any news he may hear about Bell. Afterwards, I'll probably disappear until Bell is strong enough to get me permission to return to Orario. What about the two of you?"

"We're going to travel around Gekai to destroy any monsters nests we find that may cause trouble. I don't think we'll get much stronger at this point, but we'll do our best to reach Level 8 by the time 'it' awakens."

"Hmm… Well, find Hermes if you ever think you've reached Level 8. He'll be able to tell me where you are so that I can update your status."

"We'll go and pack our belongings," Alfia declared and walked back towards the house.

"The boy will be fine, Zeus, don't worry. He's already able to fight on equal grounds with an intermediate Level 5."

"Haha! I'm not worried about his strength… But if he stays as dense as he is, he'll never get that harem…" Zeus trailed off, almost as if he was mourning after having faced great misfortune.

That left Zald speechless, and as much as he wanted to think the old man was just burying his real feelings by sputtering nonsense, he couldn't help but agree. 'I truly hope you get better at understanding women's feelings, Bell Cranel.'

...

The boy was oblivious to the contents of the conversation which had taken place as soon as he had departed. All he had in mind was one word. The name of the first destination on his path to become the strongest. Rakia.