Fifty thousand years ago, chaos erupted.
Giants, demons, and humans clashed in endless war, each race struggling for dominance. Mountains crumbled, seas boiled, and the heavens themselves trembled. As the demons fell, so did the giants and the enlightened humans who once touched the highest realms of existence. The war lasted a thousand years and shattered the balance of the universe.
Then came the Great Bang — a blinding burst of light that ended an era of cultivation.
Two thousand years later, a new age dawned, and the path to enlightenment changed. Some claimed the restless souls of fallen warriors reshaped the laws of heaven; others believed a sage discovered a pool of blood-red liquid and, after bathing in it, transcended mortal limits. He called it the Cosmic Pool. His disciples followed, and the legend spread across continents.
Generations passed. From the Cosmic Pool, people awakened their Cosmic Souls — unique spiritual manifestations bound to their very being. Only those chosen by fate succeeded; the rest lived and died ordinary.
Thus the world reorganized under new laws of power.
The Realms of Cultivation
10 – Soul Scholar (Birth of spiritual sense)
20 – Soul Practitioner (Basic energy control)
30 – Soul Master (Tempered body)
40 – Soul King (Dominion over soul force)
50 – Soul Spirit (Soul Armour manifests)
60 – Soul Realm (Flight and spatial sense)
70 – Soul Sovereign (Creates personal Domain)
80 – Soul Ancestor (Comprehends origin laws)
90 – Soul Dao (Early → Middle → Late stages)
95 – Great Dao Realm
100 – Divine Path → Ascendant (103) → Monarch (104-106) → Quasi-God (107-109) → True God → Half God-King → God King → Creation God
Even beasts followed heaven's hierarchy:
Tier 1–10, then Divine Beast → Beast God → Half God King → God King → Creation God.
Strength ruled all. Mercy belonged only to the strong.
An old man sat beneath an ancient tree, surrounded by wide-eyed children. His voice carried both mystery and weight.
"Fifty thousand years ago," he said, "war erupted between the three great races. The cause remains unknown — some say a divine treasure, others a secret that could shatter heaven itself."
A small boy raised his hand.
"Grandpa, what were they fighting for?"
The old man smiled faintly. "No one truly knows. Perhaps a secret, perhaps a treasure — but the truth vanished with that era."
"Then… did it really happen? Or is it just a story?"
He chuckled. "Tell me, child — what do you believe?"
The boy frowned, thinking hard. "If even Grandpa doesn't know, how would I? But … I want to believe it happened. My parents said when I turn six, I'll awaken my soul. So it must be real!"
The old man laughed, pleased. "Good, good, good!"
As the crowd dispersed, he brushed dust from his robe and whispered, "So many times they ask who was strongest … but this boy asked why it all ended."
A faint smile crossed his lips.
If anyone had looked back, they would have seen no frail elder — only a man in his fifties, handsome and otherworldly, fading quietly into mist.
Three Years Later — Feng Family Estate
Excitement buzzed through the air. Today was the Cosmic Soul Awakening Ceremony. Children of six stood in the ancestral courtyard, faces bright with hope.
The Fengs were famed Rune Masters — craftsmen who carved spiritual formations and forged artifacts for mighty sects. Among the children stood Chu Feng, eyes shining with dreams of wealth. To him, awakening meant fortune — mountains of gold and endless treasure.
The ceremony master stepped forward, his robe embroidered with living runes.
"Do not fear," he said kindly. "Calm your minds and free your souls."
Energy rippled from his palms; a glowing phantom sigil appeared behind him. Gasps echoed.
"This," he declared, "is the Rune Master's path — wisdom before strength."
One by one, children placed their hands upon a crystal sphere. Light bloomed, revealing each child's grade. Cheers rose when the clan head's twins awakened seventh-grade souls.
High above, unseen, two cultivators battled among the clouds.
"Old Man Xi!" one shouted. "You took the Holy Sword of Water last time, claiming fate. Now fate favors me! Hand over the Life-Prolonging Elixir, and I may spare your life!"
Xi bled but smiled calmly. "Better jade shattered than humiliated."
Their clash ended in blinding light. When it faded, both were gone — the sword shattered, a single droplet of glowing water falling toward the mortal world.
Back in the Feng estate, Chu Feng pressed his tiny hands to the crystal. Warmth surged through him — then agony.
A silver droplet pierced the roof and struck his brow.
Light exploded.
The crystal shattered.
A rune flickered behind him, half-formed, half-gone. Chu Feng screamed, blood streaming from a hole between his brows.
"Chu Feng!" his father cried, but elders restrained him.
The officiant staggered back, eyes wide. "Sword energy…? Impossible!"
Chu Kang shouted, "What's happening to my son?!"
The officiant whispered, "Pray his will endures. If it breaks, he dies."
Pain consumed Chu Feng. His father's desperate voice echoed:
"Son! You promised you'd make big money! Fight — and you'll live to become rich!"
Somewhere inside the agony, a spark ignited.
Money… I want to be rich…
Greed replaced fear. Laughter filled his mind — golden mountains, endless coins, boundless joy. The pain dulled.
The wound closed.
Gasps filled the courtyard.
For an instant, a sword-shaped rune gleamed on his brow — then vanished like mist.
End of Chapter 1