The Azure World Scripture was unlike anything Li Yi had ever seen.
Each character etched onto the scroll pulsed with life, resonating with his bloodline and soul. As he sat cross-legged in the hidden chamber, the scripture's teachings flowed directly into his mind—not as words, but as visions.
He saw a vast sky filled with blue roots, each one connected to realms, stars, and even time itself. The Azure Root Sect had not simply cultivated spiritual energy—they drew upon the very threads of existence. Their cultivation path did not climb; it spread outward, reaching into the essence of the universe.
Li Yi trembled.
"This… isn't a technique meant for mortals."
As the vision faded, his second Foundation Core spun rapidly. Twin golden lights flowed up his meridians, reinforcing his bones, purifying his blood, and sharpening his mind.
Azure energy condensed in his dantian, forming patterns along his meridians—webs of light that looked like roots etched in starlight.
He had stepped onto a new path: The Rooted Heaven Path, an ancient way that evolved with every realm he touched.
When he opened his eyes, the world looked different. He could see qi lines in the air, trace the movement of spiritual energy within trees, mountains, even insects.
It was as if the realm itself had opened its secrets to him.
He rose and left the ruins, sealing the gate behind him with a new sigil. The secrets within could not fall into the wrong hands.
That night, he meditated beneath a blue-hued moon. As the wind stirred, the pendant around his neck began to hum.
A voice echoed softly.
> "Li Yi… they are watching now. Do not trust the stars. Follow the roots."
His heart clenched. He recognized the voice.
His mother.
For the first time since his birth, her presence truly reached him—faint, far, but undeniably real. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he said nothing. He simply bowed toward the moon and whispered, "I will come find you."
Suddenly, the ground beneath him shook.
A beam of black light tore through the sky, striking a mountain in the east. An ominous howl followed, one that caused beasts across the range to flee in panic.
Li Yi turned sharply.
From the ashes of the explosion, a figure emerged—cloaked in demonic mist, eyes glowing red.
"Abyssal Qi…" he muttered. "Here?"
The demon looked at him and grinned. "Child of the Li blood… they said you'd awaken soon. I've been waiting."
Without warning, the figure charged, wielding a dark blade covered in cursed sigils.
Li Yi reacted instantly. His twin cores surged with energy as he unleashed a wave of azure light.
The battle was swift but intense. Blades clashed, roots erupted from the ground, binding and tearing. The Azure Scripture granted him the ability to manipulate the terrain, and the demon's cursed qi faltered before the divine resonance in his blood.
With a final strike, Li Yi's palm glowed blue-gold and struck the demon's chest, blasting it apart.
The body faded into smoke—but the warning remained.
Someone had sent that demon. It had known his name. His lineage.
He stood in silence, wind howling around him.
The battlefield was no longer far away.
It was coming to him.