Chapter 1 A Great Opportunity
“Mr. Lyu! Your idiot son bullied and beat my son, Zhang Ming, again! Are you seriously looking into this matter? Otherwise, I am going to report this incident to the government!” The neighbor next door, Zhang Wenguang, stood at the main door of Lyu residence and bellowed angrily.
“Brother Zhang, I am really sorry about it. Let me apologize to you! I’ll definitely punish that idiot son of mine once he’s home!” Lyu Liren promised with a sincere look.
“Enough of that. How many times have you been saying that? I’ve never seen Lyu Liang that idiot ever remembers it! He’s your only son. I guess you can’t bear to punish him at all?” Zhang Wenguang gave him a despising look and added, “Take a look at Wang’s second son. He went missing without any news for two years. No one had expected him to secretly become an apprentice of a cultivation sect. Now he’s flying here and there like an immortal! Those who had looked down on the Wang family are trying to get on his good side now!”
“Hehe, Brother Zhang. Our son prefers a comfortable life. I supposed he knew that he has gotten himself into trouble and is hiding somewhere now.” Lyu Liren said and laughed openly, though he felt slightly hurt when Zhang Wenguang mentioned about cultivation.
Lyu Liang was twelve this year. His skin was tanned, which made him looked like a farmer’s kid. Since he often got himself into trouble and involved in fights, he was well-known as the “King of the Children” in Siji Village at Qingluo Town. There was an abandoned Grand Supreme Elderly Lord Temple located on the slope of the mountain behind the village. In order to get to the temple, one must climb the vines. As the road leading to the temple was too rough, there was basically no one visiting the temple. Hence, it became a great hiding place for Lyu Liang. He also knew that his father would not punish him, but regardless, it was still better for him to wait for the complainant to leave first before heading home.
There were only two members in Lyu Liang’s family, namely his father and himself. According to Lyu Liang’s memory, both of them had always been living in Siji Village at Qingluo Town. His father, Lyu Liren, was the only homeschool teacher in the village. He was an honest and easy going man who was well-respected by the people in the village.
Lyu Liang’s mother had always been a mystery to Lyu Liang. He recalled that every time he questioned his father about her, the smile on his father’s face would fade immediately and was instantly replaced by a silent and scary look. The only feeling that Lyu Liang felt was the sense of loneliness and desperation in his father’s eyes. After which, his father would be in a daze for a long period of time.
As for cultivation, Lyu Liang had indeed thought about it in the past. When he was seven, he noticed a man flying across the sky with a long sword under his feet and land in the neighboring village. At that time, he recalled that the neighboring village was bustling with life, as though the people were having a new year celebration. He then discovered that it was because someone’s son had become an apprentice in a cultivation sect and had returned to visit his family after being successful. He had not only done his predecessors proud, but he had also benefited his successors. After all, having an immortal in the family was something to be proud of!
From then on, Lyu Liang was envious of the cultivators. He then honestly told his father that he wished to go into cultivation upon returning home.
Lyu Liang could still remember that his gentle-looking father became mad upon hearing him. That was the first time his father had beat him up. Lyu Liang had never known that his father, who usually looked frail, could be so strong, to the extent that the incident had caused Lyu Liang to be in bed for the next two days!
“Cultivation! Cultivation! What bullshit! It might appear good, but who knows how you’ll die from the training? Just be a normal man, get married and lead a peaceful life! As long as I am alive, you can forget about cultivation!” This was what his father said to him after beating him up. From then on, Lyu Liang buried this thinking deep within his heart. Due to this matter and the doubts he had about his mother, he became better in concealing his own feelings than other children that were of the same age as him.
Ever since he became sensible and mature, the talks about his mother was a forbidden topic. As long as someone mocked at him for having no mother, regardless of whether the other party was older or younger than him, an individual or a group, he would beat the other party up. Soon, his reputation of getting into fights became widespread and he naturally became the bad kid in everyone’s eyes.
At this very moment, Lyu Liang was lying on the prayer cushion in the Great Supreme Elderly Lord Temple on the mountain behind the village and was staring at the ceiling. “Mother, are you still alive? If you’re still alive, where are you? Why Father has never mentioned about your situation?”
“Boom!” A sudden, loud rumbling sound of the thunder was heard. At the same time, Lyu Liang felt a slight chill down his spine.
Before he knew what was going on, a chattering sound interrupted his thought. He did not know when a small monkey had stood by his side. It was chattering loudly while pulling Lyu Liang with its claw.
Lyu Liang knew this small monkey a year ago on the mountain. At that time, he did not know how the monkey had broken its leg and was lying on the ground moaning in pain. Lyu Liang took pity on the monkey and brought the medicine for injuries to treat it. In addition, he tore a piece of cloth from his pants and wrapped it around the monkey’s injury after he had applied medicine on it. After more than a month later, he returned to the mountain and noticed that the small monkey could move and jump around again.
Perhaps the monkey was thankful for Lyu Liang’s help. Every time Lyu Liang visited the Great Supreme Elderly Lord Temple, the monkey would come over to play with him, and at the same time, brought him some fruits. After spending time together once or twice, the two of them became close friends.
“Eek eek eek!” The small monkey seemed panicked and pulled Lyu Liang harder with its claw.
“Are you bringing me somewhere?” Lyu Liang asked. He seemed to understand what the monkey was trying to say.
“Eek eek!” The small monkey chattered as it nodded its head vigorously.
Lyu Liang followed the small monkey out of and behind the Great Supreme Elderly Lord Temple. That area was initially covered with weeds and rocks, yet now, there was a weird, round ripple mark imprinted on the rock. A word “emptiness” was faintly showing on the mark.
Lyu Liang was not afraid of anything, for he was very familiar with everything on the mountain. In fact, he was curious about the ripple mark. Before he gradually walked towards the mark, he bent forward to have a closer look and was unconsciously attracted to the ripple mark, which resembled the ripples on the water. Yet, this caused him to be in trance!
As Lyu Liang stared at the ripple mark, he was suddenly flooded with an unknown fear, which made his hair stand on end. At the same time, the clear blue sky had instantly turned bloody red. “What, what…” Lyu Liang was so frightened that he was lost for words. His body was already swaying and he seemed like he was going to fall over any time. He stretched his arm forward instinctively and wanted to support himself on the rock in front of him.
The moment Lyu Liang’s finger touched the ripple mark, the word “emptiness” shown on the mark turned into a bright beam of white light that penetrated through his body at once. In an instance, Lyu Liang had disappeared in front of the rock.
The ripple mark on the rock had disappeared along with him. What remained was the small monkey that lain flat on the ground while staring at the bloody red sky and trembling in fear.
A rift appeared in the bloody red sky almost at the same moment when Lyu Liang and the ripple mark disappeared. The thin rift rapidly formed a hole and two black beams shone out from within. After which, the beams faded and two silhouettes were seen in the sky.
The two silhouettes were two men in black long robes. Each robe was embroidered with a golden skull. Both of them were gazing in the same direction. It was the place where Lyu Liang had disappeared.
“Are we too late? I can’t feel that surge of energy anymore. Senior Brother Mo, can you sense what it was?” One of the men, who appeared charming and young, asked. He looked determined to know where that energy was from.
The other man with a thick goatee frowned as he sighed and said, “It’s too insignificant. It should be a restricted rare treasure of at least an immortal level energy. I can only sense its location. I am unable to tell its exact shape.”
“Damn, we’ve already cast the Blood Succession Domain. We’re almost there!” The young man punched his fist downwards angrily. The bloody red color faded from the sky and the sky became clear and blue again.
“Junior Brother Qi, let’s go. Without the domain to suppress the aura, I believe other neighboring cultivators would be here soon. Since we can’t find it, there’s no point forcing our way. Let’s go!” After finishing his sentence, he twirled into a dark light and left.
“Sigh!” The young man bitterly took one last glance at the area below before he followed the other man and left.
Shortly after they left, several cultivators came but all of them shook their heads and left disappointedly.
The second Lyu Liang disappeared, Lyu Liren, who was reading a book in his study room in Siji Village, suddenly frowned his brows. He then thoughtfully lifted his head and mumbled, “I can’t sense it anymore. Did something happen? But I’m sure that his life is not in danger. There was a strange surge of energy previously, but it was instantly blocked off. Could they be related? Could it be that Liang’er is not fated to be a normal child? Little Yue, what should I do…”
…
After god-knows-how-long, Lyu Liang woke up naturally and looked around. He found himself in a misty place and lying under a giant towering tree. “Where am I…? Oh yes, that bloody red sky. I lost my balance, toppled over and fell onto the rock. Then I seemed to have fallen all the way down?” Lyu Liang felt excited and stood up, as he blankly stared at the surrounding.
Suddenly, an old and hoarse voice appeared in Lyu Liang’s mind. “I am the Dreamless Heavenly Lord of Imperial Mausoleum Country in the Canglan Territory. Thou who is fated to enter this Virtual Realm shall obtain a Five-element Bead and “Xuanyuan Skill”. I am from no particular sect and have no successors. I am myself. When thou master “Xuanyuan Skill” and grasp the right opportunity, thou shall receive my mantle and become my disciple.”
The voice gradually faded. Lyu Liang was surprised to discover a colorful bead shone radiantly on his body and a scroll had appeared on his mind! “What, what is going on? Forget it. I should find my way home!”
“Hahaha, finally, someone is here! He should be the third one. Not sure if he’ll be the one to inherit Master’s mantle.” An instant and violent explosion noise was heard from behind, which caused Lyu Liang to jump and landed on his buttocks.
By the time he turned around, he noticed the dense foliage of the giant towering tree shaking slightly. It was as if the noise had come directly from this giant tree!