Author’s notes: Just a short intermission among several I plan to do. I believe you can guess who the youth whom you will read about is. Or will be. I’m sorry I haven’t posted anything new for so long. Been a week or longer right? I had stuff going on, and it took up most of my time. I have the next chapter partly finished. May be out sometime during the weekend. But most of my posts will be out on weekdays, just so you know… unless something comes up. Oh and please review the story. It may be too much to ask since I still have so few chapters out, but how do you think the MC is shaping up to be? His personality still hasn’t been revealed much, I know. Just speak about whatever feedback you might have so far. How do you feel about the story right now? What kind of story do you think it will eventually become? Have any pointers for future reference? I’m interested to know.

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It was a barren wasteland. It continued endlessly, and every square inch was covered by human corpses, the scent of death hanging in the air like a suffocating shroud and attracting scavenger birds to feast upon the dead bodies of the fallen warriors. None of the warriors, when they were still living, were below the Immortal realm.

In some places their blood pooled, making small rivers and tinged the very ground with a scarlet hue. Countless swords, spears, and other weapons lay either in a corpse or scattered across the land, many in shatters beyond repair. Each one was a precious weapon that had a powerful aura, none of them below the Sky realm in terms of power. Soon, if left unattended, they would absorb the blood of their owners and become weapons that thirsted for death and destruction.

The sky was an ominous, dreadful gray as if the very heavens were in mourning. It was a nightmarish scene. Anyone, be they child or adult, would be sickened at the sight, especially at the vicious and merciless wounds that lay upon each of the bodies, second only to how the birds looked as they continued to eat away at their corpses.

In the sky, high enough to overlook the entire scene, a youth who could not have been older than seventeen hovered motionlessly, his face breathtakingly handsome and his eyes like azure flames, merciless and cold. Like a young male god had descended to the mortal plane. He, in that moment, had the aura of a peerless sovereign who looked upon the world with disdain. His body carried an oppressive feeling to it, an atmosphere of power that made others feel small and insignificant in front of the youth, yet they would somehow also seem drawn to him as If by some magnetic pull. Not only that, he was also clad in flames, a physical manifestation of his awesome power. A peerless technique he invented himself. He appeared totally unaffected by the carnage below him.

Even though it was he who caused it.

Not three feet away from him, a massive sword also hovered, pointing downward. Its length was at least 6 or 7 feet long, its weight exceeding several tons. For any other cultivator or practitioner of the Martial Way, it was impossible to lift up even an inch. It was a weapon the youth manifested using his very soul. A blade that was born of his flesh and blood.

The weapon had a domineering aura and awe-inspiring presence, a true king among swords. Its blade was of the purest black, so absolutely dark that it seemed as if the world would be sucked right into it. Yet it also had veins of azure, the same exact shade as the youth’s eyes, running along it length. The veins glowed with an inner light. If the youth had placed the weapon into his hands, the glow would intensify, as if recognizing its master. It was a sword that anyone would kill for, a priceless treasure. And its strength… was even surpassing the realm of gods.

In the youth’s arms, was a small girl of perhaps 13 or 14, with a delicate and beautiful face that would capture the hearts of any who looked upon it.

“It didn’t have to end this way.” The boy said coldly. But the corpses, of course, could not reply.

He didn’t regret his actions a single bit, neither did he feel guilty over the deaths he cause. Yet if they had left him with another option, he would not have been so unforgiving. But they, and the ones they served, threatened his most precious person, and for that they had to die. They likely had families who loved them. But it mattered not to the youth. The only thing the mattered to him was. . .

His beloved sister, or at least he thought of her as such, who could never be allowed to be harmed in any way. It was something he decided long ago.

But those men were sent to kill her, an unforgivable sin in the youth’s eyes. Even if it were the heavens who ordered it, in response he would merely overthrow the heavens and reduce the heavens to ashes.

For her, he had the will to do so.

The girl, who had been resting in his arms, awoke finally. She looked at him with worshipping eyes without a trace of impurity. One could see the amount of care that was in them.

“Brother, is it…over?” she asked, her lovely voice pulling upon his heartstrings.

“ Yes.” He answered softly, lovingly. “I will never let anyone harm you, my dearest one. Not them, nor that traitorous family of ours.”

The family who would condemn such a pure and innocent girl was no longer any family to him, no matter that they raised and nurtured him as if he were their own. So what if the girl was a threat to the world, so what if she might bring ruin to them all? Even if it were to come to pass, the world could burn for all he cared.

But still, he would never allow that future to happen. By his own power and will he would merely seize that fate and crush it. Never will he allow his beloved sister to be taken by such a fate. If fate decided that her path would be something so cruel, he would take that fate into his hands and shatter it.

Because she was the one he decided to protect.

His sister who was born into that traitorous family when he himself was five and had only been a member of that family for perhaps a year and no more, was the object of all his love and affection. How could he, as an older brother, ever allow her to be killed, and even over such trifling matters?

The mere thought of them, that family, stroked his anger, causing a cold and monstrous killing intent to leak out of him. It was enough to shatter the courage of even the bravest of people, a coldness that would make them believe their very souls were freezing

Even they, the Imperial Family bloodline who had reigned supreme over the planet for millions of years, was nothing in the youth’s eyes. No matter how many soldiers they send, no matter the resources they expend to kill her… the youth could obliterate everything that is thrown at them.

“Come, my dearest Grace, let us leave this wretched place.”

“But brother Ro, where can we go that our family will not reach us?” she looked at him, using the shortened version of his name that she used when she was too little to say it properly.

The youth looked into the distance, his expression unreadable.

Finally, he spoke. “I will be merciful, for despite everything they are your blood. For that alone, I will not kill them as I had originally planned. Instead…we will travel to the realms above this mortal plane. I will find us a new home where we can live in peace.”

Without another word, the youth, the sword, and the young girl disappeared in a flash of azure light.

It was only one of the lives the youth will live, only one out of his several incarnations, and not even the first.

He will not remember the girl from this life, or the sword which he would later use to pierce through the heavens, but they will remember him… and sooner or later, they will find him again.