End of the Beginning

Among the many great cultivators dominating the continent, there was one individual who was greatly feared by many. It was the leader of the Black Dragon Sect—Shen Tian.

He and his followers brought terror to the cultivation world. They conquered hundreds of sects and clans, whether they were of the orthodox or unorthodox factions. Not a single cultivator dared to deal with him. Anyone who messed with Shen Tian met a tragic end.

Rumor had it that if there was a flag with a coiled dragon raised, then a sect would be destroyed that very night.

However, Shen Tian's horrific tale came to an end when the Cultivator World War broke out.

An unknown force called the Demon Cult waged war on both the orthodox and unorthodox factions. Of course, this caused turmoil within the cultivation world. All the sects and clans, from both factions, banded together against this great evil force, including the Black Dragon Sect.

After seven bloody years, the war eventually ended. The Demon Cult suffered a defeat and had to hide in the south, while the allied factions lost many talented cultivators.

The war inflicted heavy losses on all sides. The Black Dragon Sect was no exception. Shen Tian, the strongest and unrivaled cultivator, disappeared for an unknown reason.

There were countless rumors circulating. Some said Shen Tian died at the hands of the Cult Leader, while others said Shen Tian wanted to start a new life. No one knew exactly what happened to him.

"That's the story they all told."

A small flame from a candle maintained a dim light in the cave. In that small space, two male figures, separated by a significant age, sat cross-legged, facing each other. One was a very old man, and the other was a youngster around 17.

"But it was all a lie. They betrayed me."

The old man said this with anger, his eyes bulging and his face running red as if blood was pooling in his head. The anger was so unbearable that he emitted a terrifying energy.

Nevertheless, the young man did not seem intimidated by the old man. Instead, he looked sleepy and yawned several times. He tried hard to stay awake even though his eyelids felt heavy.

"I, Shen Tian, have never lost a battle in my entire life," the old man said. "Even that damn Cult Leader wasn't my match. He would've died if his men hadn't intervened."

Clutching his chest, Shen Tian relived the buried tragedy in his heart. A turmoil of emotions boiled out as the memories of his past played in his head like a movie tape.

"But I must admit, that bastard is quite good. He left a severe wound before running away with his men," Shen Tian continued. "And those orthodox bastards seized the opportunity. They stabbed me from behind when I was weak."

Suddenly, the old man's eyes welled up with tears.

"But what I still can't believe is that my three trusted disciples—they cooperated with those bastards. They even had the heart to kill their brothers."

However, the tears dried up soon after. The sorrowful expression turned into an evil, demonic grin.

"But they thought I was dead. They never imagined that I would come back someday and give them hell!"

When the story reached its climax, Shen Tian saw that the young man was falling asleep, snoring with a big snot bubble on his nose. Naturally, it made Shen Tian furious.

Sensing danger, the young man quickly woke up. "I, as the heir of the Black Dragon Sect, must kill them all and avenge you!" he said suddenly.

Shen Tian, who was about to get mad, frowned. "How do you know what I'm going to say, Yu Ze?"

"Because I've heard it many times."

"Really?" Shen Tian raised an eyebrow. "This is the first time I'm telling you this story."

Yu Ze sighed. "You always tell me this story before bed."

Silence enveloped them. The heavy atmosphere turned awkward.

Shen Tian cleared his throat. "Anyway, there are more important things we need to talk about."

The old man grabbed a cloth bundle next to him. As he unwrapped it, worn-out melee weapons were scattered about. At first glance, these weapons looked like junk. But if you look closely, they have very unique designs.

A sly smirk spread across Shen Tian's face.

"These are weapons belonging to master cultivators. I got these after killing those bastards." Shen Tian pushed all the weapons toward Yu Ze. "I will give them to you. Use them to kill those betrayers."

However, the disciple didn't seem interested at all. This astonished Shen Tian.

"Don't you like them?" Shen Tian asked curiously.

"Um, Master," Yu Ze scratched his head, looking reluctant to speak. "Our sect's martial techniques don't use any weapons. Did you forget that?"

Shen Tian was stunned, his expression showing he had just remembered it.

"You misunderstood my words, Boy!" Shen Tian excused himself. "I just want you to keep them for me. They're my precious trophies, after all!" The old man gave Yu Ze a deep look. "How many times do I have to say this? Pay attention when your master speaks!"

Yu Ze furrowed his brows. "But you said you wanted me to use them to kill your enemies."

Shen Tian squinted his eyes. "Did I?"

Yu Ze nodded his head. That response made Shen Tian let out a long sigh and lowered his head to hide his embarrassed face.

The atmosphere became awkward once again.

"So, Yu Ze," Shen Tian changed the subject, "after you avenge me, what do you want to do?"

Yu Ze's mood brightened. With a wide smile on his face, he said, "I'll open a restaurant and marry a beautiful woman!"

Suddenly, a strong killing aura filled the air. Terrifying energy emanated from Shen Tian, sending his white hair and gravel flying around him. 

"So you don't have any plans to rebuild our sect, huh?" Shen Tian asked in a cold tone.

"Of course, I will also rebuild the Black Dragon Sect!" corrected Yu Ze, terrified. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. "There's no way I'm letting the Black Dragon Sect vanish after you passed down all the techniques to me."

Shen Tian smiled with satisfaction. "Good. That's my boy."

Letting out a long sigh, Yu Ze was relieved to have avoided his master's wrath.

"I can finally rest in peace," Shen Tian continued.

Hearing those words escape his master's mouth, Yu Ze was dumbfounded, grasping what that meant. Not long after, he hugged Shen Tian.

"Master! I'm not ready for your death!"

Pak!

Shen Tian smacked Yu Ze on the head.

"You stupid disciple! I'm not dead yet!" the old man snapped.

Yu Ze grimaced in pain while rubbing his head. Meanwhile, Shen Tian just shook his head in disbelief.

"Damn it! I become hungry because of you. Get the hell out and hunt some chickens. I want to eat barbeque before sleeping," Shen Tian huffed.

"Yes, Master!"

Yu Ze got up quickly and carried out his master's command.

As Shen Tian was alone in the dim cave, the look of annoyance on his face disappeared. The old man stared into the darkness with a sad expression.

"Time flies so fast. You grew up before I knew it, boy."

Shen Tian clutched the scar on his chest. The wound not only marked the end of his glory but also the beginning of his fate with Yu Ze.

During Shen Tian's recovery period, he accidentally encountered a group of bandits. Despite his wound, those bandits were no match for Shen Tian. He wiped them all out and even destroyed their hideout camp.

Back then, Shen Tian was completely blinded by rage because his disciples' betrayal was still fresh. He blindly killed everyone in the camp. Until a crying voice brought him to his senses. Naturally, Shen Tian followed the crying, which led him to a tent.

As Shen Tian opened the tent, he found a baby boy whimpering in a basket. His cold-blooded heart was moved. He naturally took the baby boy into his arms, and it miraculously stopped crying. For some reason, holding the baby brought calmness to his heart, which was filled with anger.

After the baby boy calmed down, Shen Tian got out of the tent with him. At that moment, Shen Tian was stunned, his eyes widening.

"What have I done?"

Children, women, the elderly; all of these people died. This camp turned out to be a place for bandit families to live. Not a single one of them could pose a threat to even a non-cultivator.

As Shen Tian drowned in regret, tiny hands held his fingers. The Black Dragon Sect Leader looked down at the baby in his arms. A sense of pain and guilt filled his chest.

"Forgive this old man, boy. I killed your family because I was blinded by anger. I will take responsibility for my actions."

Shen Tian stroked the baby's head with his finger.

"You are a blessing. From now on, your name is Yu Ze."

Since then, Yu Ze was under Shen Tian's care.

Shen Tian nurtured Yu Ze like his own grandson. He gave him everything he had, including passing down the secret techniques of the Black Dragon Sect. He also stopped focusing on his own recovery and dedicated himself to training Yu Ze.

From the beginning, Shen Tian knew he wouldn't be able to fully recover. The wound left by the Demon Cult Leader was too severe. He might end up dead if he tried to take revenge on those betrayers.

However, that didn't mean he was giving up.

Shen Tian passed on his grudge to Yu Ze. He was confident that no one could defeat Yu Ze after the boy learned all the techniques of the Black Dragon Sect.

But still, there was a feeling that nagged at his heart.

"Should I give up on my revenge?"

Shen Tian closed his eyes.

"Well, I will wait for Yu Ze to return."

In the dimness of the cave, there was no sound other than breathing dampened by the stillness of the night. The candle glowed brightly, and the flames slowly ate away at it. Drowning in the melting wax, the flames tried to burn longer before finally going out.

"Master! I'm back!"

Yu Ze arrived to find the cave in the dark. Groping around, he tried to find a stash of candles to make some light. When the candlelight illuminated the cave, Yu Ze found his master sitting up asleep.

"Master, wake up! Here, I got five chickens! We'll have a barbecue until morning!"

However, Shen Tian did not respond.

"Master?"

Yu Ze looked at Shen Tian for a while. He then took courage to wake him up. But as Yu Ze touched his master's shoulder, he did not feel any life from him.