Journey of true Cultivation

On top of a mountain, a young teenager sat cross legged on a rock, his eyes closed in deep meditation.

For three days, Yuan remained still, unmoving, lost in a trance like state. Then, slowly, he opened his eyes, gazing at the endless blue sky. He lingered in thought for a moment, then closed his eyes once more, sighing as his thoughts swirled through his mind. Finally, he exhaled deeply, opening his eyes again, this time with a calm and clear mind.

"So, I am not truly at the Blood Purification stage," Yuan murmured. "I am only at the peak of the Mortal Ascension stage, with all my senses already awakened. But this feeling... it is nothing compared to what Young Master Basilisk experienced. Even though his mind was not fully developed as a Blood Purification demonic beast, I can tell,this is not how it should feel."

With that realization, Yuan's thoughts shifted to what Young Master Basilisk had done to him.

For countless years, Basilisk had created a village of humans, shaping it into a paradise. He then spread myths,the Mansion of Countless Tombs, Heaven Defying Humans, and many more,to weave a grand illusion. But as his escape attempts continuously failed, he abandoned the village he had once nurtured.

Then, one day, Yuan was born.

With a special soul constitution,the true cause of the headaches he had suffered throughout his life,he unknowingly became the key to Basilisk's plan. As the only person with an constitution soul ,the young master had encountered only once, Basilisk saw him as the perfect vessel. He planned to devour Yuan's soul and take over his body.

However, the act of body possession is nearly impossible,unless the other person willingly allows it.

Then, until he arrived at the Ghost Forest,or as he now knew, the Illusion Forest,the young master had guided him in countless ways. He had fed him just enough spiritual energy to prevent him from breaking apart from the pain, manipulated his entire village to accelerate his growth, and even orchestrated the deaths of those closest to him.

His mother's death when he was three, his grandfather's passing,all of it had been planned. In fact, among all the people in the village, his grandfather had been the most manipulated. Now, with the memories of the young master, Yuan understood the horrifying truth. His grandfather had never truly been his grandfather.

His entire village had been nothing more than puppets, their strings tightly controlled by the young master's whims. Every trial, every illusion, had been crafted for Yuan to overcome, ensuring he would never turn back. Even the emotions he felt had been carefully orchestrated.

Despite the young master having long perished, his soul flame endured. Thanks to the Azure Basilisk Flame Art, he had survived without a physical body, using the art to manipulate soul essence,a power only achievable upon reaching the Soul Manifestation Stage. At that stage, a cultivator could create drops of soul essence, which allowed them to exert control over both true spiritual essence and, ultimately, complete mastery over spiritual essence.

But such things were far too distant for Yuan's current cultivation level. For now, his only focus had to be spiritual essence, the key to his advancement.

The most terrifying part of it all was not just the young master's influence but how seamlessly he had controlled everything. Even from the beginning, there had been signs,hints that the young master had known his name, details Yuan had overlooked in his naivety.

Yet, in the end, Yuan had trusted him completely.

Now, however, he knew the truth. He understood that even learning the Azure Dragon Steps and the wound he had sustained from the Shadow Horned Bear had all been carefully orchestrated. These events had not been coincidences but carefully planted influences designed to mold his body into the perfect vessel.

But none of that mattered anymore.

What mattered now was reaching the next stage.

Reaching the Blood Purification Stage was now his most important goal. However, achieving this stage was not a significant challenge for him. After all, he now possessed the Azure Basilisk Flame, which had already helped him awaken all of his senses.

With the Azure Basilisk Flame Art, even advancing to the Bone Forging Stage would not be an issue. Given time, he could potentially reach that level within a mere hundred years,an astonishing speed in the cultivation world.

After so much thinking and sitting still, Yuan's stomach suddenly growled with hunger. Hearing the sound, he instinctively placed a hand over his stomach, momentarily surprised. Then, he let out a small chuckle.

"Heh, how long has it been since I last felt hunger? Based on Basilisk's memories, the last time he ate was ten thousand years ago, before his imprisonment. But at that time, his cultivation was already so high that he could sustain himself purely on spiritual essence or use his inner true qi for nourishment. Well, no point in thinking about that now,it's time to find something to eat!"

With that decision made, Yuan stood up, stretching his stiff body. A dull ache spread through his muscles,his body still wasn't used to extended meditation.

Looking around, Yuan assessed his surroundings, contemplating his next move. He was currently at the border between the Dragon Continent and the Human Continent,at least, assuming no major war had broken out between the two races. If a war was underway, his situation could go two ways: instant death if he was caught in the conflict, or, if he was fortunate, an opportunity to join a sect in the Human Domain. But that's something to consider later…

After reevaluating his exact location, Yuan came to a realization,he was at the outer layer of the Illusion Forest, on its opposite side.

To reach the Human Domain, he needed to head north. Using the sun's movement and shadow positions, he carefully determined the correct direction. After a few hours of observation, he was confident he had found true north.

With a final glance at his surroundings, Yuan set off toward the north, hoping his sense of direction was correct and that he would soon arrive in the Human Domain.

Days passed, and the relentless hunger gnawed at Yuan's sanity, pushing him dangerously close to the edge. His stomach growled incessantly, each wave of emptiness like a dagger to his gut. However, with the endless years of life experience from Basilisk, he endured. Even as his body weakened, his will remained unshaken.

But then,something changed.

After what felt like an eternity of walking through mist and towering trees, Yuan finally saw something different. A vast, open plain of grass stretched before him,a sight so foreign yet so breathtaking that it made him momentarily forget his suffering.

Could it be?

The realization struck him like lightning,he was near the end of the Illusion Forest.

With renewed vigor, he forced his exhausted body forward. The mere sight of the open land ahead filled him with a joy he hadn't felt in what seemed like lifetimes.

After just twenty more minutes of walking, Yuan finally stood before the boundless plains. The golden sun bathed the landscape in warmth, the gentle breeze rustling the grass like ocean waves. The scene was beautiful, serene,a stark contrast to the eerie Illusion Forest behind him.

A wide smile crept across his face. And then,he burst into laughter, his voice echoing across the vast field.

"Hahaha! I, Yuan, have finally arrived at the Human Domain!"

His excitement surged, but just as he was about to take his first steps forward, he hesitated.

Turning around, he gazed back into the depths of the Illusion Forest,the place of his birth, his trials, and his transformation.

Slowly, memories resurfaced,his grandfather's stories, the village that once sheltered him, the endless trials that nearly broke him… and the manipulations that had shaped his fate.

But just as quickly as those memories came, they faded.

With one final glance at the past, Yuan turned back toward the open plains of the Human Domain.

With resolute determination, he spoke his final words to the past, letting them drift into the wind.

"Although I could not save them from the space cutting rune formation, I gave them the freedom they never had. I owe them nothing anymore."

With that final thought, Yuan turned away from the past, his expression calm yet unreadable.

Now, with his hands clasped behind his back, he strode forward,toward the other end of the vast, open plains.

His goal was clear. To find a mortal human village. A place where he could blend in, gather information, and begin anew.

And so, without looking back, he walked on.

First Act of Defiance-End

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AN:

Hey, LazyRedMoon here,

I hope you enjoyed the first volume of Journey of True Cultivation ´First Act of Defiance´. Although this volume is relatively short, with only 13 chapters, I'm satisfied with it. The next volume will be much longer, but that's something to look forward to in the future.

What I want to clarify in this author's note is that any small plot holes you may have noticed such as soul essence, true spiritual energy, true qi, and other concepts ,they are intentional. These aspects will be gradually explained throughout the story in the next volume ´Hypocrisy of Sects´.

So if you're feeling confused about certain elements, don't worry! Everything will be revealed over time.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you continue this journey with me!