The moon hung low above the horizon — crimson, vast, and trembling as though the heavens themselves bled.
The night was silent, yet Xiao Wang could hear it — the faint heartbeat of the sword, echoing deep within his veins.
He had not slept in three days.
Since the sword's last whisper, since the image of his own reflection shattering like glass, his mind had been in turmoil.
He could feel something awakening inside him — a power that did not belong entirely to him, nor to the sword.
He sat cross-legged beside the ancient peach tree, the same one that had witnessed his awakening months ago. The ground beneath him was scarred by Qi burns — faint traces of crimson energy swirling in patterns like constellations.
"Sword," he murmured. "What are you hiding from me?"
There was silence.
Then — the blade pulsed once, and he was gone.
The Inner Realm
A flash of red light consumed him. When his eyes opened, the world was different.
He stood in a vast, empty expanse — the sky cracked with rivers of molten starlight, the ground made of fractured mirrors reflecting countless versions of himself.
At the center floated the sword, embedded in a black monolith, suspended over a sea of fire and stars.
And bound before it —was her.
A woman, chained in crimson light.
Her hair was white as frost, her skin pale as moonlight, her eyes closed as though she slept through centuries of suffering.
Around her body, crimson runes moved like serpents, sinking into her skin.
Xiao Wang's breath caught.
"Who… who are you?"
Her eyes opened slowly.
They were red — deeper and more ancient than any star.
"You ask who I am?" Her voice was soft, yet it shook the realm. "I am the one you carry. The hunger you command. The memory you've forgotten."
"You're… the sword spirit?"
She smiled faintly — a sorrowful, haunting smile.
"Sword? No. I am the Will of the Devouring Heaven. The blade is but my fragment."
The monolith trembled behind her. The sea of stars shifted violently.
"You were never chosen, Xiao Wang," she continued, her voice echoing. "You were forged. In your first life, you and I were one — but your betrayal broke that bond."
"My betrayal?"
"Yes. You chose mercy… and mercy is death to hunger."
The world shook. Chains clanged against the monolith.
"The moment you turned your blade away from your friend — the one who betrayed you — fate decided your end. But now you are reborn. The hunger inside you demands retribution."
He clenched his fists. "You want me to devour everything — mortals, gods, heaven itself. But I refuse to be your puppet!"
Her laughter was cold and distant.
"Refuse all you wish. Every swing of your blade feeds me. Every soul you claim, every beast you slay, every ounce of power you crave — it all returns to me."
The sea of fire beneath her surged upward.
"The Celestial Veins have begun to open. You cannot stop what you were born to become."
"Celestial Veins…?"
"The bridge between mortal body and divine will. The path that leads beyond Heaven's laws."
The space twisted, lightning roaring across the skies of his mind.
From beneath his feet, crimson light spread outward — connecting the fractured mirrors into a single, pulsating web.
He gasped, feeling the energy crawl through his body.
Each vein burned as if molten iron ran through it.
"This pain—"
"—is your awakening."
The woman's voice grew deeper — no longer sorrowful, but commanding.
"But beware, Xiao Wang. The first vein connects you to the sword. The second will connect you to me. When the third opens… neither of us will remain separate."
"You mean…"
"You and I will become one — again. And the Devouring Heaven will rise once more."
Her chains shuddered violently — cracking one by one.
"Wait— what happens if—"
"If the third vein awakens before you are ready?"
Her smile vanished.
"Then the world will drown in its own hunger."
The realm shattered.
Awakening
Xiao Wang's eyes snapped open.
Sweat poured down his body. The ground beneath him was scorched black, smoke rising from the earth.
Above him, the crimson sword hovered, trembling violently as if in fear.
"You saw her."
His head turned. The voice — the sword's whisper — was weaker than before.
"Who is she really?"
"The origin. The hunger that even Heaven could not contain."
"Then why do you fear her?"
"Because I was once her heart. And hearts remember mercy."
The sword dimmed.
Xiao Wang stood slowly, the pain in his veins fading, replaced by a faint, burning warmth.
He could feel it — the first Celestial Vein, open and alive.
His senses expanded. He could hear the flow of Qi in the trees, the pulse of life in distant beasts.
Power surged within him, fierce and wild — yet tethered by something gentler.
He looked at his hand. Crimson light flickered across his palm.
"So this is the beginning…"
"Of the path that devours Heaven itself."
He smiled faintly. "Then let Heaven tremble."
The Whisper of Fate
That night, the village slept. But Xiao Wang did not.
He sat on the roof, gazing at the distant horizon where mountains kissed the stars.
He thought of Lian Yue — of the crimson mark on her wrist.
Of Xiao Mei — his little sister who believed he was destined to be a hero.
Of the sword — now silent, resting beside him.
And then, his thoughts turned to them — his betrayers.
The ones who stole his life, his cultivation, his trust.
"A hundred years ago, you buried me," he murmured."This time, I'll bury Heaven itself before I stop."
The wind howled softly in reply, carrying whispers of distant power — the murmurs of sects, beasts, and kingdoms beyond his reach.
Somewhere far away, in the Skyfire Empire, banners were being raised.
A new Tournament of Ascension was about to begin — one where the strongest young cultivators from every sect would gather.
And among them, the name of a newcomer had begun to spread quietly through taverns and rumor networks alike:
"A boy with crimson eyes and a devouring sword…"
The next dawn, Xiao Wang walked alone through the forest trail leading away from the village.The crimson sword was strapped to his back, humming faintly — not with rage, but with purpose.
Ahead, a faint sound echoed — the rhythmic clash of metal and roaring cheers.
He stepped closer and saw it — the tournament grounds of the Skyfire Province, surrounded by thousands of cultivators.Banners fluttered. Drums thundered.
At the center stage, a massive jade tablet glowed with names.One spot remained blank — awaiting the name of the challenger.
Xiao Wang reached for the sword.The blade pulsed once, whispering faintly in his mind:
"Show them what hunger truly means."
He smiled.
"Then let the devouring begin."