For countless ages, legends told of a being too monstrous to be called man… and too human to be called beast.
Qing Yun, the first of his kind — not born of gods or bloodlines, but an animal who evolved through sheer will and martial cultivation. He defied fate, rejected ascension, and became something… else.
While the second generation of humans chose the divine path and ascended as gods, Qing Yun refused. The gods feared what he might become. So they united, eleven in total, and sealed him at the peak of his power.
Ten thousand millennia have passed. The world has changed. But a wild beast cannot be caged forever.
The mountains trembled. The skies cracked with invisible force. Deep within an ancient cave long erased from history…
A figure stepped out.
An old man. Muscular. Rugged. Timeless.
His long silver hair danced in the mountain wind. His eyes, glowing with suppressed power, pierced through clouds like blades.
Qing Yun:
"Hooo… how long has it been since those bastards sealed me?"
He stepped out from the mouth of the cave and stood atop a rocky cliff. The vast world stretched before him — foreign, evolved… unaware.
He breathed in deeply, then closed his eyes. Qi Sense.
A pulse of invisible energy erupted from his body, sweeping over mountains, rivers, forests, and far-off plains.
Qing Yun:
"Life signs… A village nearby? Hmph. Good. I need information."
With a single push of his foot, he soared into the sky, his aura cloaked, his speed unmatched.
Moments Later – A Rural Village Tavern
The door creaked open. A ragged man entered, clothes tattered from centuries of wear, barefoot, expression unreadable.
Bar Manager:
"Welcome, si—" (pauses)
"...Hey! Beggar! This ain't a soup kitchen. Get out."
Qing Yun said nothing.
Bar Manager:
"You deaf, old man?" (charges forward, trying to push him out)
"Get lost!"
But as his hand reached for Qing Yun's chest, the manager froze.
Their eyes met.
And in that moment — he saw death.
A gaze so ancient, so filled with bloodshed and divine fury, it felt as if a primordial beast stared back at him.
The manager's knees buckled slightly. Sweat dripped from his temple.
Manager (thinking):
"W-What the hell…? Those eyes... I'm not even a martial artist, but this… this is terror. Who is this old man?!"
Qing Yun took a single step forward. The air turned heavy. The tavern went silent.
Manager (thinking):
"Th-this presence… it's like I'm standing before a dragon that's lived for thousands of years…"
Manager:
"D-Don't move… Stay back…!"
But it was too late.
Qing Yun raised his hand and placed it firmly on the manager's forehead.
Qing Yun:
"Soul-Capturing Memory Phantom."
Streams of glowing essence flowed from the man's skull into Qing Yun's eyes.
The manager collapsed, unconscious.
A moment later, a waiter rushed out from the back.
Waiter:
"M-Manager! Manager, sir!"
But Qing Yun was already gone.
Outside – Rooftops
Qing Yun walked calmly, eyes half-closed as the memories settled.
Qing Yun:
"As expected, he wasn't just a bar manager… but a third-rate information trader from the Night Seller organization. How fortunate."
He stopped, gazing at the horizon.
Qing Yun:
"So this is the current age… The year 2011 of the Golden Era. An age of martial arts supremacy. The gods have not returned. But new titans have risen."
"The Eleven Supreme Heavens… successors to those false gods. Each rules over one of the great sects… backed by countless clans and bloodlines beneath them."
He smiled coldly.
Qing Yun:
"Interesting. The world has changed. But it's still the same — ruled by those who think they're at the top."
"Let's see how long their heavens can hold… when a forgotten god returns."