When Li Qingyun stepped into his parents' chamber that morning, both Li Tianyang and Lin Meiyu noticed something different. It wasn't in his expression, which remained calm as always, but in his aura—vast, refined, and sharp.
"Father. Mother," he began, cupping his fists with the courtesy of a seasoned adult. "I've reached the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm."
Lin Meiyu gently set down the embroidery she was working on. Her lips curved into a soft smile, not a trace of surprise in her delicate features.
"Already?" Li Tianyang's brows rose for a moment, then he chuckled. "You really don't plan to let the other brats your age sleep peacefully, do you?"
But truly, neither of them were shocked.
From the moment Li Qingyun was born, the signs had been clear. The celestial phenomena that had graced the skies that day, the strange convergence of nine elemental auras, and the awakening of Primal Chaos Vessel Physique, a divine constitution said to contain the very roots of heaven and earth.
Not only that, but Qingyun had been born with Nine Elemental Meridians, each attuned to one of the fundamental forces—fire, water, wood, earth, lightning, metal, wind, light, and dark. These meridians absorbed and stored their respective elements, allowing him to convert them into pure natural spiritual energy and back, a feat no ordinary cultivator could hope to replicate.
Where other cultivators' dantian could be compared to a flowing river, Li Qingyun's was a vast, storm-swept ocean, endless and deep. His every breath stirred waves of qi within him.
The only surprise was how fast he moved through the stages—so fast, even the family elders had stopped comparing him to geniuses. He was no longer within that category.
He was something else entirely.
But what he said next caused Li Tianyang's expression to still.
"I want to leave the city and enter the wilderness," Li Qingyun said quietly. "Before I join the Sky-Reaching Sword Sect, I need to know where my limits are. I need to gain real battle experience. In the secret realm there was no danger and also I could not test where my limit exist. "
Li Tianyang's fingers paused mid-stroke as he stroked his beard. His voice dropped a note.
"You're serious?"
Li Qingyun nodded.
"This won't be like the sect's secret realm selection," his father warned. "There won't be restrictions. There won't be elders watching from afar to save you. Out there, it's life and death. A single mistake, a single moment of hesitation, and your life might be forfeit."
"I know," Qingyun said simply. "But I'm not afraid."
There was a moment of silence.
Then, a voice interrupted them.
"You're not going," Lin Meiyu declared. Her voice was soft but absolute, her eyes filled with worry. "You're only seven, Qingyun. What if you get hurt? Or poisoned? Or—"
"I will be fine Mother,"Qingyun interrupted gently. "Father will be there."
He turned to his father. "You'll protect me if it gets serious, right?"
Li Tianyang stared at his son, then gave a slow nod. "Of course."
Still, Lin Meiyu's heart wasn't easily swayed. She clung to Qingyun's sleeves, her voice rising as she protested again and again. No matter how much they reassured her, she refused to yield.
It wasn't until hours later—after endless coaxing, promises, and reminders of Li Tianyang's power—that she finally relented. Her eyes remained red, her voice choked.
"You must return safe," she said, pressing her hands to Qingyun's cheeks. "No injuries. Not even a scratch."
"I promise."
Though he sometimes found her clinginess difficult to understand, Li Qingyun never disliked it. In fact, a part of him cherished it deeply.
In his past life, he had lost his parents as a child. Now, every hug, every worried word, every bit of overprotectiveness—was a treasure he held close to his heart.
_____
By noon the next day, Li Tianyang and Li Qingyun set off on horseback.
Their destination was the Verdant Soul Forest, a massive wilderness stretching hundreds of kilometers beyond Azure Sky City. Rich in elemental qi, the forest was a natural haven for spiritual beasts of all kinds.
The forest was divided into four regions—Outer, Inner, Deep, and Core. Their target today was the Outer Periphery, where Rank 1 beasts—those equivalent to the Qi Gathering Realm—roamed freely.
But deeper inside, legends said Beast Kings of Rank 4 dwelled. Beasts who had cultivated spiritual cores and human-like intelligence. Some had even taken human forms, each ruling their own domain within the Core Region. Though Li Qingyun had never seen one, his father had told him tales during their trip.
"Never provoke a beast with a humanoid form," his father once said. "If you see one, you run—or it will be dangerous."
They traveled for half a day, passing through winding dirt roads and gradually fading signs of civilization. The trees grew taller, denser, and more ancient the farther they went. The air became humid, heavy with the scent of moss and blooming wildflowers.
Eventually, the landscape changed completely.
______
The forest stretched endlessly before them. Towering trees—some hundreds of years old—formed a green cathedral overhead, their thick canopies filtering sunlight into mottled beams of gold and emerald.
The ground was covered in soft, sponge-like moss. Vines curled up the trunks of giant trees, some as thick as a man's torso. Birds cried from unseen branches above, their calls echoing across the endless greenery.
Faint wisps of elemental qi shimmered in the air—tinges of fire, a trace of metal, the pulse of water—and somewhere, deeper still, the oppressive presence of hidden predators.
Li Qingyun stood at the edge, staring into the unknown.
"So this is it."
"The border between safety and danger. Civilization and wilderness."
He stepped forward. The wind shifted.
Behind him, Li Tianyang smiled. "Still not afraid?"
Qingyun looked back, lips curved in that familiar calm smirk.
"Never was."
They entered together.
"Well," Li Tianyang said with a half-smile, "welcome to the wild."
Then, without warning, he vanished.
There was no sound. No movement. Just a flicker—and then nothing.
Qingyun blinked.
"…Father?"
Only silence answered him.
A faint breeze stirred the leaves above. The stillness of the forest closed in around him.
Li Qingyun smiled faintly. So this is the kind of test it is, huh?
From the moment they stepped into the outer periphery, he was on his own.
Nearly an hour passed as Li Qingyun made his way through the undergrowth. His senses were spread wide, his steps light and silent. He followed a meandering stream, noting signs of beast territory—deep hoofprints, claw marks on trees, and discarded bones.
Suddenly, the bushes ahead rustled.
With a low snort, a thick-bodied Spirit Boar emerged. Its hide was rough like cracked stone, glowing faintly with spiritual qi. Two sharp tusks jutted from its jaw, and its eyes gleamed with dull aggression.
[Rank 1 – Mid Grade Spiritual Beast]
It saw him—and charged.
Li Qingyun didn't hesitate.
He slid one foot back, spiritual energy coiling within his limbs. His right hand flicked, and a black sword flashed into existence—Shadowfang. Its obsidian blade shimmered faintly, resonating with his intent.
The Spirit Boar barreled forward, the ground trembling beneath its hooves.
Boom!
Just as it closed in, Li Qingyun's figure blurred.
Phantom Step.
He reappeared beside the boar in a breath, blade flashing out.
Shnk!
A shallow gash tore across the boar's flank. It roared, turning faster than expected and swinging its tusks toward him.
But Li Qingyun was already in the air—
Voidcleave.
His sword curved through the air like a streak of silver lightning, tearing into the beast's shoulder.
Blood spattered. The boar screeched in pain but didn't fall. Instead, it surged again, eyes filled with fury. It opened its maw—and a burst of spiritual wind erupted outward.
Li Qingyun crossed his arms and slid backward several meters, boots skidding over moss.
"…Wind attribute, huh?" he muttered.
The boar charged again, enraged.
This time, Li Qingyun's gaze sharpened. His spiritual power surged as he unleashed the Ninefold Essence Sutra, sending waves of elemental qi into his meridians.
Shadowfang thrummed in his hand.
Advancing Edge—Sword Intent.
His presence shifted. In that moment, he no longer looked like a boy. He was a sword—drawn and ready.
The boar leapt.
Li Qingyun stepped forward.
'One step. One flash.'
Shadowfang sliced through the air in a clean arc.
Schlik!
The beast's charge halted mid-motion. A thin line of blood appeared across its neck—and then it collapsed, crashing to the ground with a final, muffled groan.
Dead.
Qingyun exhaled slowly.
"…Still too slow," he muttered, wiping the blood from his blade. "I wasted three moves when one should've been enough."
He looked down at the boar's body. And collected a bead like object from its body. It's a Rank 1 mid grade beast core.
These are used in various alchemy as ingredients or they can be used for some unorthodox practices.
"This… is only the beginning."