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.
Mountains – Forgotten Cave
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 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 vanished 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?" (moves to shove him)
"Get lost!"
But the moment his hand neared Qing Yun's chest… he froze.
Their eyes met.
And in that moment — he saw death.
A gaze so ancient, so drenched in bloodshed and divine fury, it felt as if a primordial beast stared back at him.
The manager's knees buckled. Sweat rolled down his temple.
(thinking)
Manager:
"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 thickened like a stormcloud. The tavern went dead silent.
Manager (thinking):
"Th-this presence… it's like I'm standing before a dragon that's lived for thousands of years…"
Manager (backing away):
"D-Don't move… Stay back…!"
But it was too late.
Qing Yun raised his hand and pressed two fingers to 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 waiter rushed in from the back.
Waiter:
"M-Manager! Manager, sir!"
But Qing Yun was already gone.
Outside – Rooftops
Qing Yun strolled along the rooftops, eyes half-closed as the memories settled.
Qing Yun:
"Tch… not just a bar manager. A third-rate info rat from the Night Sellers. How convenient."
He stopped and stared at the horizon.
Qing Yun:
"So this is the current era… Year 2011 of the Golden Age.
An age of martial supremacy. The gods have not returned… but new titans have risen."
Qing Yun:
"The Eleven Supreme Heavens… successors to those false gods. Each rules one of the great sects — backed by bloodlines, clans, armies."
He smiled coldly.
Qing Yun:
"Interesting. The world's changed… but it's still the same. Ruled by the arrogant."
He stepped forward, vanishing with the wind.
Qing Yun (voice fading):
"Let's see how long their heavens last… when the beast they buried comes knocking."
[TO BE CONTINUED]