The Eastern Star Continent was a vast land composed of three kingdoms and one empire: the Hu Kingdom, the Wang Kingdom, the Ming Kingdom, and the Thousand Star Empire. Among these four great powers, the Thousand Star Empire stood as the strongest, ruling over a significant portion of the continent.
Beyond these dominant forces, several sects controlled other regions of the land. These sects were divided into different factions and ranks, such as the White Sect, the Black Sect, and the Neutral Sect. Each sect was further categorized into lower, middle, and upper tiers.
To enter a sect, one must possess an element within their body. An element was the fundamental requirement of every martial cultivator. Without it, a person would remain an ordinary mortal for the rest of their life.
There were five basic elements: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Metal. Beyond these five basic elements, there were also four advanced elements that only geniuses could possess: Ice, Lightning, Light, and Darkness.
Generally, a cultivator could only possess one element within their body. However, there were rare individuals capable of wielding more than one element—true geniuses among geniuses.
Cultivators were divided into several realms of power: Body Realm, Core Realm, Spirit Realm, King Realm, Earth Realm, Sky Realm, and Saint Realm. From the Body Realm to the Core Realm, each had ten layers. From the Spirit Realm onward, each realm only had three stages: early, middle, and late.
On the Eastern Star Continent, the strongest known cultivator was only at the middle stage of the King Realm, and that individual belonged to the empire with the greatest resources—the Thousand Star Empire.
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Mo Chen sat atop a rock, his eyes closed as black smoke continued to swirl around him. After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Damn it… why is this black flame still leaking out? I've been meditating, yet it still seeps from my body!"
He looked up at the sky and felt how impossibly far he was from the surface above. Escaping from this abyss was nearly impossible—especially while black smoke continuously poured from his body.
"Arghh… I may still be alive, but there's no way I can get out of this place. And this black flame refuses to disappear from my hand!"
Suddenly, the black smoke in his hand vanished.
"Huh?! The flame disappeared?!"
Mo Chen turned his hand over, no longer seeing the black smoke escaping from it. But just as quickly, his body became weak and dizzy. Within seconds, he lost consciousness and collapsed onto the ground.
When Mo Chen opened his eyes again, everything around him was still shrouded in darkness. Looking upward, the starry night sky was gone, replaced by thick fog with no visible end.
"How long was I unconscious? My body is still weak… I have no energy left."
Gathering his strength, Mo Chen forced himself to stand. After steadying himself, he walked toward a black sword lodged in the ground. Gripping its hilt, he pulled it out effortlessly. Then he began wandering through the abyss in search of something to eat.
After walking for a long time, he found nothing but rocks—no living plants in sight.
Just as his consciousness began to fade, he noticed a faint light not too far away. Summoning the last of his strength, Mo Chen staggered toward it. Before reaching the source, he collapsed. When he looked forward, he saw a blue fruit shaped like an apple right in front of his face.
Without hesitation, Mo Chen opened his mouth and took a large bite. As he chewed and swallowed, heat surged through his body and his energy rapidly returned.
"This fruit is incredible… my strength has already recovered from just one bite!"
He sat down and plucked the blue fruit, continuing to eat. Its texture and taste were identical to an apple, yet it contained immense energy that made his body burn with warmth.
"One fruit is enough to fill me up. It's a shame I could only find one."
Mo Chen turned around to retrieve the sword he had dropped earlier—and froze in shock.
Behind him were countless blue fruits growing in abundance, along with several other types of plants.
"I didn't expect so many plants to exist in this abyss. With this, I can survive!"
He looked up at the sky, still blanketed by thick fog that blocked out any light.
"But my true goal is to escape from here as soon as possible!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet trembled violently. From below, a massive worm-like creature burst out of the earth, its mouth filled with countless sharp teeth.
Mo Chen fell to the ground, trembling. For the first time in his life, he was facing a real monster.
The monstrous worm approached him and opened its mouth wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Terrified, Mo Chen gripped the sword tightly and slashed forward instinctively. Black smoke erupted from the blade and engulfed the worm, reducing it to dust.
Mo Chen dropped the sword and collapsed to the ground. The attack had drained all his strength, and he lost consciousness once more.
Several hours later…
Mo Chen opened his eyes again, feeling his body devoid of energy. He immediately rushed toward the blue fruit and devoured it. His strength quickly returned after eating.
"So there are monsters in this place… Luckily I have this sword. Otherwise, I would have died to that worm earlier. Huh? That monster…?!"
Mo Chen looked around but saw no trace of the worm's body.
"Did I really defeat it? Then where did its body go?"
He ran to the spot where the worm had emerged and found a hole in the ground. Nearby, he noticed a small black orb. Picking it up, he examined it closely.
"What is this? It looks like a sphere… but something inside seems to be moving. Let's see what's inside!"
Mo Chen raised his sword and sliced the black orb in half. The blade cut through it as easily as tofu.
The orb released black smoke.
Within seconds, the smoke was absorbed into the sword.
"What was that? The sword absorbed the smoke?"
Mo Chen wanted to test it again, but he could no longer find another black orb.
"Where can I find another one?"