My grandfather was one of the most powerful warriors in the Bimong Legion of the Orc Clan. Over eighty years ago, he single-handedly killed a dragon, earning him the honorable titles of "First Warrior of the Orcs" and "First Warrior of the Bimong." Standing over five meters tall, he had few equals across the entire continent at the time.
To resist the growing power of humanity, the Orc tribe and the Demon tribe entered into a series of political marriages. My grandfather was one of those involved in these alliances, marrying the daughter of a concubine of the Demon Emperor, who became my grandmother.
My grandmother is the person closest to me in this world, if she were still alive. She would be eighty-five years old this year and was the kindest person to me. She married my grandfather, who was already in his forties, when she was sixteen. She often told me she was a victim of politics.
Clearly, marrying into the orc kingdom was not her choice, but fortunately she did, because without her, where would I be?
My father is my grandfather's only son, inheriting his superior bloodline. He stands over five meters tall, and even now, his arms are thicker than my waist.
By the age of eighteen, my father had already defeated all orc warriors, with a temperament that was violent and ruthless, possessing overwhelming strength. He is the current first warrior of the Bimong, the commander of the Bimong Legion, and the rightful Bimong King. Under his leadership, the orcs have never suffered any losses in battles over the past few decades, so among the orcs, my father's reputation is no less than that of the Orc Emperor.
Due to his exalted status, he naturally had countless concubines, and I was born to him and a human woman he had kidnapped. Among his four sons, I was the youngest and once his least favored son.
My mother was a tragic woman whose origins were unknown. Though not yet forty, she appeared incredibly aged, with wrinkles and gray hair that should not have been there already familiar to her.
One could only tell from her features that she had once been a beauty. She hated her father and despised him, and she also hated me, for I was the son she had borne under his rape.
She had never truly received her father's affection and had suffered constant bullying and exclusion from the other concubines.
It wasn't until four years ago, after I came into power, that my mother finally obtained her own house. She rarely spoke, and every time I saw her icy gaze, it made my heart feel cold.
I am sixteen years old, a half-breed of beast, demon, and human, the deputy commander of the Bimong Legion, standing two meters tall. Human features are most prominent in me, and in others' eyes, I am undoubtedly a handsome young man. If it weren't for my Bimong beast's powerful physique and innate divine strength, no one would believe I am a beastman.
I hate my father because he caused my mother such suffering; I hate my father because if it weren't for him, my grandmother wouldn't have died. Although my grandmother's death brought me the glory I have today, I don't need it. I only want the grandmother who loved me, cared for me, and cherished me.
Four years ago, I was bullied by everyone. No one was kind to me. Behind my father's back, they all called me a bastard. Except for my older brother, who treated me normally, everyone said I was my father's worst son.
My life was worse than that of some servants. At that time, only my grandmother cared for me. She often made me delicious food and spent time with me. It was she who left a trace of warmth in my young heart.
My grandmother's death was the greatest pain of my life. That day…
"Lei Xiang, come here. Grandma made your favorite braised chicken wings." I heard my grandmother's kind voice.
"Coming!" I rushed to the kitchen, where the rich aroma of meat filled the air. "Grandma, I love you so much."
"Silly boy, eat quickly." With a smile, the wrinkles on Grandma's face gathered together, and the traces of time were so evident on her.
I picked up a chicken wing and ran quickly outside, eating while jumping around in the courtyard.
Because she preferred quietness, Grandma didn't live with the family, and since no one would pay attention to me, I followed her out.
In the realm of beasts, finding such a place was rare. Beasts valued the law of the jungle, and every beast could become prey to another.
Of course, no beast would be foolish enough to come near my home in search of food, which is why it remained so peaceful.
A deep voice sounded behind me: "Lei Xiang, where's your grandmother?"
Hearing this voice, I shuddered. Five towering figures stood behind me, blocking the bright sunlight. In the center was my father. It turned out he had come to visit Grandmother, accompanied by four Behemoth guards.
My father and grandmother didn't have a good relationship. Although they were part of the Monster Alliance, my father always looked down on the demon race, often saying that only the Fallen Angel Battalion had any real ability, while the rest of the demon race were just freeloaders. My father revered strength above all else, so someone as weak as my grandmother, who couldn't even lift a chicken, naturally didn't register in his eyes.
Among orcs, women could only serve as appendages to men. He rarely paid attention to my grandmother, so why had he come today?
I whispered, "Grandmother is inside." I was truly afraid of my father.
Seeing my timid expression, my father flew into a rage, slapping the chicken wing out of my hand and shouting, "What a disgrace! Is this how my son behaves? I don't have a cowardly son like you!"
Looking at the chicken wing covered in mud, tears welled up in my eyes.
My father slapped me to the ground and shouted, "Cry, all you know how to do is cry. Look at yourself, so skinny, just like your dead mother. Your brothers could tear tigers and leopards apart when they were your age. But you? You can't even kill a chicken." He stomped on the chicken wing with force.
Grandmother heard the commotion outside and rushed out. Seeing me lying on the ground, she furrowed her brows. As she helped me up, she said to my father, "What are you doing? He rarely comes here. Why are you hitting Xiang?"
My father snorted coldly and said in a rough voice, "Mind your own business. Someone, take this little beast back and have the second son teach him a lesson."
The second son referred to my older brother. If that happened, I'd probably end up with a few scrapes and bruises. My older brother, Lei Hu, was known for his hot temper.
Grandma shielded me behind her and said, "Forget it. Don't be so hard on the child."
My father suddenly snatched me away and threw me to one of his men, then said to Grandmother, "I'll discipline my son without your interference. I'm just passing through this time. If you want to live a few more years, mind your own business." With that, he turned to leave.
Grandmother's face turned bright red with anger, and she shouted, "Lei Ao, is that how you speak to your mother?"
As she spoke, Grandmother lunged forward to grab the Bimong guard holding me, trying to pull me back. But how could her frail body compare to the powerful Bimong beast? The guard merely gave a casual shove, sending her flying backward. Poor Grandmother's back collided with a large rock, and with a gush, blood spurted from her mouth.
It felt like a cold wind had swept through me, and my heart suddenly grew icy cold, with waves of chill washing over me.
I screamed, "Grandma!" As I struggled with all my might, my innate divine strength finally erupted, and despite being a twelve-year-old child, I managed to break free from the grasp of the Behemoth.
I sprinted to Grandma's side, picked up her body, and cried out, "Grandma, Grandma, how are you? Dad, please save Grandma! I beg you!"
Grandma's face was deathly pale. She gripped my hand and whispered weakly, "Don't beg him. Let's go back inside."
The Behemoth guard who had thrown my grandmother to the ground knelt on one knee, glanced at her, then turned to my father and said, "King Leo, I..."
My father looked at my grandmother and said indifferently, "Forget it. She's dead. At her age, it's not exactly a premature death. Go back and have someone bring some money to bury her."
In his eyes, my grandmother was clearly less important than a Behemoth warrior.
Hatred and anger burned my eyes red. I roared to the heavens, my blood boiling. Suddenly, my brain felt hot, and I charged like a mad bull toward the murderer who had killed Grandma.
The Bimong guard froze for a moment, then raised one hand to try to block my attack. My eyes were bloodshot, and even my originally pale green hair had turned deep red. My speed was more than five times faster than usual. With a loud crash, I actually knocked the Bimong guard, who was twice my size, flying through the air.
I didn't stop. My body followed the flying enemy, and my small fist slammed heavily into his stomach. The most unexpected thing happened.
My fist actually pierced through the Bimong guard's incredibly sturdy skin. He let out a wild roar and brought both hands down from above. I instinctively raised my other hand.
In mid-air, the three disproportionate hands collided, emitting a sound like striking leather.
My hand did not break; despite my frail frame, I managed to block the blow. However, my feet had already sunk deeply into the ground.
"Ah! Kill..." With a loud roar, my entire body trembled, and an astonishing aura erupted from me, causing the surrounding leaves and grass to rustle. With a bang, the Bimong Guard's torso exploded around the fist I had plunged into it, creating a hole half a meter in diameter. It was clear he was beyond saving.
Blood sprayed all over me, and internal organs flowed out of the blood hole, like a rotten watermelon, with no intact pieces. The Bimong Guard's towering body slowly collapsed backward, while I stood motionless, my hair gradually returning to its original green color.
All of this happened in an instant, leaving my father and the other three guards stunned by this abnormal transformation.
My father muttered, "Lei Xiang has gone berserk. Lei Xiang has actually gone berserk. It's been a hundred years since a Bimong could go berserk." Even with my father's immense strength, he couldn't go berserk. A berserk Bimong could swiftly amplify its power to several times its original strength.
"King Lei Ao, what should we do?" one of the guards asked.
My father did not seem distressed by the guards' deaths. With a look of excitement on his face, he said, "Take Lei Xiang away. He's already exhausted. Find a place to bury your comrades. Let that old woman fend for herself."...
I don't know how long it took, but I gradually came to my senses.
"Grandmother, Grandmother, how are you?" My body was exceptionally weak and painful, especially my left hand, which felt like it was splitting open with intense pain. It lay motionless beside my body, unable to muster any strength.
I realized I was in my own room within my father's mansion. I struggled to get up, leaning against the wall to exit the room. The outside was pitch-black, mirroring my gloomy mood.
Oh, it was already night. I wondered how Grandma was doing.
Just as I was about to step out the door, a wave of weakness hit me, and I stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Lei Xiang, why did you get out of bed? Come, go back to rest." A tall figure entered the room and picked me up.
I opened my eyes and saw it was Lei Long, the only older brother in Bimeng with whom I had a decent relationship.
"Brother, I beg you, please take me to see Grandma. She's about to die." I said tearfully.
Brother looked at the sky and nodded. "Alright, but you must return before dawn."
"Alright, alright, let's go quickly." As long as I could save Grandma, I was willing to do anything.
My older brother's massive, nearly five-meter-tall frame carried me as easily as a dry twig. Soon, we arrived at Grandma's house under the cover of night.
"Grandma!" I cried out desperately. Grandma was still lying in the same spot.
My older brother set me down, and I crawled over to Grandma, lifting her frail upper body. Dew had soaked through her clothes. I shook her gently: Grandma, wake up, wake up!"
Grandma's cracked lips moved slightly, and her eyes slowly opened. Seeing it was me, she smiled faintly and tried to reach out to stroke my head, but her weakened state prevented her from doing so. Her hand only raised halfway before falling back down.
"Child, you've come back to see Grandma. Grandma didn't raise you in vain. Cough, cough." Grandma coughed up some blood foam.
I grabbed Grandma's hand and pressed it against my face, crying, "Grandma, don't speak. Rest for a while. You'll be okay."
Grandma smiled bitterly and said, "Silly child, Grandma knows her own body. Help Grandma back to the house."
I don't know where I found the strength, but I managed to lift Grandma and staggered back to the house. My older brother wisely didn't follow.
I laid Grandma on the bed and collapsed beside it, gasping for breath.
Grandma gently stroked my head, looking at me with kindness, and said in a broken voice, "Xiang'er, Grandma... the one I worry about the most... is you. You must promise Grandma... that you will be a strong person... and live well. Don't blame your father too much. The Beastmen are like this... they only worship strength... and have no sense of family."
Tears soaked through my collar. I clutched Grandma's wrinkled hand tightly and sobbed, "Grandma, please don't say anymore. You'll be fine. You'll definitely be fine."
Grandma trembled as she reached under the pillow and pulled out a thin booklet, handing it to me. A flush spread across her face. "This is the Demon Clan's most precious treasure... a copy of the Heavenly Demon Sutra... it was stolen by me back then... I stole it to seek revenge... Only those with demonic royal blood can learn it. You must study it well... Once you master it... you can become a fallen angel... Only the strong can survive... Don't let your father... find out."
I cried out in grief, "Grandmother, Grandmother." My voice echoed through the roof tiles. I stuffed the booklet into my chest and fainted.
When I woke up, I was back in my own room. My older brother was beside me. Seeing me awake, he said, "I've already buried Grandmother. Don't worry. Come, eat something."
Now I felt nothing mattered anymore. The only person I relied on in my life was gone. What was the point of living alone? My eyes were hollow as I stared blankly at the wall.
A loud clap of thunder echoed from outside. My older brother frowned and said, "What a loud thunderclap. It looks like a heavy rain is coming."
Ignoring my injuries, I stumbled out the door. Large raindrops began to fall, and soon the rain grew heavier, relentlessly pounding my body. Through the hazy rain, I seemed to see Grandma's kind face again. I lunged forward, but there was nothing there. My older brother quickly helped me up, covered in mud and water, and dragged me back into the room.
Thus, I spent seven days in a daze, surviving only because my father forced food into me.
Later, I regained my senses, and my grandmother's final words became my endless motivation: "You must promise Grandmother... to become a strong person..." "Only the strong can survive." I must become a strong person, an unparalleled strong person.
Due to my special ability to go into a frenzy, I was highly valued by my father, who personally guided my training from then on. I was no longer the naive child I once was; nothing could shake my resolve to become an unparalleled strong person. From that point onward, I buried my hatred deep within my heart.
My father passed down his most prized technique, the Heavenly Thunder Armor-Shattering Art, to me. This was a martial art akin to qi cultivation, primarily focused on defense. Since our Bimong clan is naturally endowed with strong physical attack and defense capabilities, and also possesses strong resistance to magic, our ancestors created this Thunder Armor technique to better leverage this advantage. It primarily regulates bodily functions to perfect defensive capabilities, and upon reaching a certain level of mastery, it can generate a defensive field similar to a martial arts aura.
If practiced by humans, the Thunder Armor Technique would at most be a second- or third-rate martial art, but when practiced by us Bimong, it is vastly different. Back then, my grandfather relied on the Thunder Armor Technique's powerful defensive capabilities to withstand a direct attack from a dragon knight, thereby gaining the opportunity to kill him and his dragon, earning an immortal feat of glory.
The Heavenly Thunder Armor technique has three stages. The first stage is internal to external, similar to practicing ordinary qi cultivation. Through meditation, one enhances physical condition, strengthens the body's immune system, and gradually alters the body's state. According to my father, the first segment of this technique is extremely important—it is, in essence, a process of complete transformation. This is the process I completed over the past four years. By the second year of practice, my exceptional talent began to shine through. Though I was small in stature, my strength matched—and even surpassed—that of any Bimong of the same age. Now, with my strength enhanced by the transformation from practicing the Heavenly Thunder Armor Technique, my power rivals that of my older brothers.
The second stage involves applying the gradually formed qi to the body's exterior, creating a protective barrier capable of blocking various attacks. I am still in the early stages of this phase.
The third stage is essentially an enhancement of the second stage, where the qi, once it reaches a certain level, can be used to harm enemies. My father has already completed this stage. With his overwhelming strength, he can obliterate anyone within ten meters using the Heavenly Thunder Armor technique. Even dragon knights, if outnumbered, cannot pose a threat to him.
Due to my rapid progress, I have been promoted by my father to the position of deputy commander of the Bimong Legion, alongside my older brothers. In truth, I hold only a nominal title. All authority lies with my older brothers, and I simply practice my techniques daily. Having no interest in commanding troops, I am content with this leisurely existence.
During the day, I persistently practice the Heavenly Thunder Armor-Shattering Technique, while the night is the perfect time to practice the Heavenly Demon Decision. Compared to the Heavenly Thunder Armor-Shattering Technique, the Heavenly Demon Decision is far more complex and difficult to comprehend. It is hard to fully grasp. The Heavenly Demon Decision cannot be entirely classified as a martial art nor as pure magic; it is a technique that combines magic and martial arts.
The Heavenly Demon Decision is divided into nine levels, further subdivided into three tiers, meaning each tier contains three levels. Advancing to each higher level is exceptionally challenging, though the difficulty is accompanied by a corresponding increase in power. Each tier brings about new changes and a qualitative leap forward. According to the text, upon breaking through the third level of the first tier, one can undergo the Fallen Angel transformation. After the transformation, all abilities are doubled, resulting in a two-winged Fallen Angel. This represents the intermediate power of the demonic race. After completing the Fallen Angel transformation, the practitioner gradually becomes a master of dark magic, with their dark magic prowess significantly enhanced. When practicing up to the sixth level of the second tier, one mutates into a four-winged fallen angel. Currently, only the Demon Emperor and his personal guard captain possess this strength. The ninth level of the third tier is an unattainable realm, reached only by the legendary Great Demon Lord Lucifer, who is a six-winged fallen angel. The copy my grandmother gave me does not include the cultivation methods for the final tier.
What makes me feel ashamed is that after four years of practice, I have only just entered the second level. Since practicing the Heavenly Demon Decision, I have come to greatly enjoy solitude, feeling repulsed by crowds, and I have developed a preference for wearing black clothing. The dark power cultivated through the Heavenly Demon Decision is indeed a formidable force, but each time I use it, I feel my heart growing increasingly cold. I can now use some basic dark magic with the dark energy, such as [***] and corrosion. The dark magic cultivated through the Tianmo Decision is far more powerful and pure than the dark magic practiced by ordinary dark mages, and it is relatively less dangerous (using dark-attributed magic carries the risk of backlash). However, it is extremely arduous to cultivate (this is my personal experience).
Another night fell. I sat cross-legged on the bed, gathering the dark energy within my body. The surrounding darkness became my best friend, constantly supplying me with dark energy. I spent two hours circulating the icy dark magic power according to the second-level techniques of the Tianmo Decision, feeling a slight improvement.
Slowly exhaling the impure energy from my body, I got off the bed and looked out the window at the bright moonlight, feeling a pang of loneliness. I was startled—what was happening? Had I practiced the Tianmo Decision incorrectly today? I reflected on it but found nothing amiss.
I jumped out of the room and went into the courtyard. After looking around to make sure no one was there, I quickly slipped out the front door and into the open field. At home, I felt like a bird in a cage; it was much more comfortable outside. The cold night breeze, mingled with dew, gently brushed against my clothes. The icy, penetrating sensation felt exceptionally comfortable. The dark magic within me flowed naturally.
Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming surge of power throughout my body, with nowhere to channel it. I stepped forward with my left foot, pushed off the ground with force, and shot upward in a flash. Then I concentrated all my strength into my right fist, and with a "thud," " I slammed it heavily onto the ground. Within a one-meter radius, the ground first formed a network of fine cracks, followed by a "boom" as it exploded into a half-meter-deep hole.
I used the rebound force to float to the side, looking at my astonishing achievement. All the unpleasant feelings seemed to have been vented through this punch, leaving me feeling much more at ease. I took several deep breaths, and the irritation had already vanished without a trace.
Just as I turned to walk back, suddenly, my intuition told me there was danger. Since practicing the Heavenly Demon Technique, my senses had become much more acute than before. I instinctively activated my meridians, clenched my fists, and growled, "Who's there? Come out."
In response, a torrent of qi surged toward me, accompanied by a massive fist growing larger with each passing moment. The qi swept through the surrounding vegetation, causing it to rustle. I felt as though I were a trapped beast, and the intense sense of danger prompted me to lower my center of gravity, step forward with my left foot, and utter a deep "heh" as I collided with the opponent's fist. This was the attack method my father had taught me. He said that with our own overwhelming strength, we must clash head-on with the enemy to fully unleash our power. All flashy techniques are nonsense; brute force is the best way to victory.
Two fists, one large and one small (the small one being mine), collided in the air. An overwhelming force surged from the opponent's fist, sending me stumbling backward five steps. My right hand throbbed with intense pain. The opponent did not relent, immediately leaping forward again and delivering another powerful punch.