Eight-year-old Gabriel remembered very little of the attack. He remembered screaming, the ground shaking beneath his small feet as evil cultivators attacked the village. He remembered buildings collapsing, fire consuming the homes he had known all his life, and the terrified voices of villagers calling for their families.
Then there had been silence.
Gabriel had ran until his legs could no longer carry his body forward. His light brown skin was covered in dirt and ash, and his thick curly black hair was tangled from his desperate journey through the forest. His violet eyes, normally bright with curiosity, had been filled with fear and exhaustion.
Eventually, he collapsed beneath an ancient tree. As he lay there he heard growls coming towards him but he could move due to exhaustion and on the verge of blacking out.
He never saw the woman who found him. She descended from the sky like a falling star, her long robes fluttering gently despite the chaos surrounding her. She was a powerful cultivator, one whose presence alone caused the surrounding beasts to flee.
At first, she had intended to continue on her journey.
Then she sensed something unusual coming from the unconscious child.
The women placed two fingers against Gabriel's forehead and closed her eyes.
A moment later, her expression changed.
"Impossible..."
She carefully examined his spiritual roots.
Water. Wood.
Not ordinary spiritual roots either, Heavenly Spirit Roots both of them.A child possessing even one heavenly spirit root was exceedingly rare. Possessing two different heavenly spirit roots was something Alana had encountered a scarce amount of times during her long cultivation journey.
She looked down at the unconscious boy.
"Who are you, little one?"
Gabriel didn't answer.
He couldn't.
His consciousness had already faded into darkness.
"Oh he unconscious, I'll take you with me."
______________________________________________
When Gabriel finally opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the ceiling. It wasn't the cracked wooden ceiling of his family's home.
It was beautiful.
Smooth white stone covered the ceiling, decorated with glowing blue formations that gave off a soft, comforting light.
Gabriel blinked.
Once.
Twice.
He slowly sat up.
"Where am I?"
His voice was weak.
He looked around the unfamiliar room.
A comfortable bed rested beneath him. A small wooden table stood beside it, holding a cup of warm tea. Strange spiritual symbols had been carved into the walls, and a faint fragrance of herbs filled the room.
Gabriel's heart began beating faster.
His memories returned in fragments, Fire, screaming, his village, his family, His small hands clenched the blanket.
"Mom..."
His eyes began to water. Before he could cry, the door opened. A young attendant entered the room.
She wore the blue-and-white robes of a sect disciple and bowed politely.
"Young Master, you're awake."
Gabriel stared at her cautiously and asked.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Mei. I am an attendant of Elder Alana."
"Elder... Alana?" Repeated Gabriel.
Mei smiled gently.
"Yes. The elder has requested your presence. Please follow me."
Gabriel hesitated. He didn't know this place. He didn't know this woman. But something inside him told him that whoever Alana was, she had saved his life. Slowly, Gabriel climbed out of bed. His bare feet touched the cool stone floor. Mei led him through a long corridor.
As they walked, Gabriel stared in amazement.
Outside the windows were enormous mountains floating among the clouds. Waterfalls descended from cliffs thousands of feet high, only to disappear into mist before reaching the ground.
Disciples flew through the sky on swords.
Others practiced martial techniques in distant courtyards.
Gabriel's violet eyes widened at such a mystical sight and asked.
"Where are we?"
Mei smiled.
"This is the Celestial Haven Sect."
She paused before adding proudly,
"It is one of the five great cultivation sects in the entire Moon Star Continent."
Gabriel looked at her with a shocked expression.
"The whole... continent?" Said Gabriel.
"Yes." Replied Mei
Gabriel didn't know much about cultivation.
Before the destruction of his village, he had only heard stories about cultivators from adults.
To him, cultivation had always sounded like something from legends.
But now he was standing inside one of the greatest cultivation sects in the world. Eventually, Mei stopped before a large wooden door.
She bowed.
"Elder Alana, I have brought him."
"Send him in."
Gabriel swallowed nervously. Mei opened the door. Inside was a beautifully decorated study.
A woman sat beside a large window overlooking the mountains. Her long hair flowed down her back, and her calm expression made her seem completely different from the terrifying cultivator Gabriel imagined from his memories. She turned toward him, her eyes softened.
"Come here, child."
Gabriel slowly approached.
Alana gestured toward the chair opposite her.
"Sit."
Gabriel obeyed, for several moments, Alana simply studied him. Then she asked gently,
"How are you feeling? Do you remember what happened to you?"
Gabriel lowered his head.
"Some of it."
His fingers tightened around the fabric of his clothes.
"There were... bad people."
Alana remained silent.
"They attacked my village."
Gabriel's voice trembled.
"Everyone was running. There was fire everywhere."
He looked down tears pooling in his eyes.
"I don't know where my family is."
Alana's expression became solemn.
"I'm sorry."
Gabriel looked up.
"Did you save me?"
"Yes."
"You found me in the forest?"
"I did."
Gabriel stared at her.
"Why?"
Alana smiled faintly.
"Because I discovered something unusual about you."
Gabriel tilted his head.
"What?"
Alana raised one hand, A tiny sphere of water appeared above her palm, Gabriel stared at the water that floated effortlessly in the air.
"You possess a heavenly spiritual root aligned with water element."
The water vanished, A small green sprout then appeared in her palm.
"And you also possess another heavenly spiritual root aligned with wood element."
Gabriel's eyes widened.
"What does that mean?"
"It means you have extraordinary potential."
Alana leaned forward slightly.
"Most cultivators are born with ordinary spiritual roots. Some are fortunate enough to possess a single heavenly spiritual root."
She looked directly into Gabriel's violet eyes.
"But you possess two."
Gabriel didn't know what to say.
Alana continued.
"I could have sent you to another elder. I could recommend you to the sect's inner disciples. But I have decided that I would rather teach you myself."
Gabriel stared at her.
"You?"
"Yes."
She smiled.
"If you are willing, I want you to become my disciple."
Gabriel was silent, A disciple. The word echoed inside his mind. He had lost his home, he had lost the life he understood.
He didn't know what the future held. But perhaps this was a chance to start again. Gabriel slowly stood. He looked directly at Alana.
"I want to become your disciple."
For the first time, Alana's face broke into a smile.
"Then from this day forward, Gabriel, you are my disciple."
She stood and placed a hand gently upon his head.
"Your path will not be easy."
Gabriel nodded.
"I'll work hard."
Alana smiled.
"Good."
Outside the window, the clouds parted, revealing the magnificent mountains of the Celestial Haven Sect.
The boy who had lost everything had unknowingly taken his first step onto a path that would one day shake the entire Moon Star Continent.
And so began Gabriel's journey into the world of cultivation.