Chapter 1: Invincible Loneliness

It is said that between heaven and earth there are ten realms, each realm connected by order, each guarded by its own divine being. Like the endless movement of celestial bodies, countless living beings are nurtured within.

In a corner of the world, there is a realm called Three Thousand. Under the bright sun, three thousand vast continents float and revolve in the universe, bearing the fortune of heaven and earth, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. According to ancient tales, these three thousand continents were formed from the fragments of an ancient god who fell, and since ancient times have continuously nurtured and multiplied life. Eventually, lush forests grew and life flourished, thus known as the Three Thousand Worlds.

Beneath these three thousand fragmented realms, a lower layer is formed by a thousand lands with thin spiritual energy. Each is suppressed by a divine seal, making them unable to connect with one another. These fragmented realms form their own small worlds. After tens of thousands of years, they developed their own rules and began to completely separate from the upper worlds. Clouds and mist linger for millennia, the wilderness stretches for thousands of miles, and divine birds soar to the sky while savage beasts shake the mountains.

The bloodlines passed down from the descendants of ancient powerful beings began to multiply, and humans gradually came to rule these fragmented realms, forming ancient empires and clans, passed down through generations.

In the southeastern corner of the world, an ancient continent floats among countless stardust, forming its own unique realm, called the Dragon Realm.

Upon the Dragon Realm lies an ancient empire, known to the world as the Dragon Spirit Empire. After generations of inheritance, it was renamed the Dragon Spirit Federation. In the north of the Federation, a small city called Silverleaf City sits among the mountains. The city is strong, the population prosperous, and our story begins here.

……

"Young master, wake up, Ryan Scott young master has already arrived. Today is your big day!"

In the early morning, aside from the chirping of birds in the courtyard, there was only the voice of Mr. Foster. Mr. Foster is the house servant of our Bu family, having served since my father's generation.

My name is Ethan Baker, born in a small city called Silverleaf City in the north of the Dragon Spirit Federation. My father, Brian Baker, runs an ironworks. The business is decent, so my status in this world is probably slightly below average.

People of the Dragon Spirit Continent are skilled at using the spiritual power between heaven and earth and revere the Seven Spirit Gods. The entire continent is made up of various powers, and after years of war, it was unified and became known as the Dragon Spirit Federation. It is this alliance that has almost single-handedly maintained peace and stability in the world.

The reason Mr. Foster said today is my big day is because today is my "Divine Awakening Day."

Every spiritual cultivator must go through three major stages. The first stage is the awakening of the spiritual vein—only with a spiritual vein can one use spiritual power. The second stage is the awakening of the innate life artifact. The so-called innate life artifact is an object one is born with, a product formed by one's own spiritual power, also called "spirit equipment." Some people's innate life artifacts are weapons, others are defensive items; the types are countless.

The third stage is the most important: the awakening of talent.

I am lucky. At six, I awakened a top-grade heavenly spiritual vein. At nine, I awakened the spirit equipment Moonblade. At fourteen, I broke through the Heavenly Surge Vein, becoming the youngest Heavenly Surge Realm expert in the Federation. Three years ago, a trial on the Pale Road transformed me, and I became one of the top experts in Silverleaf City!

But, even at twenty, I still have not awakened my talent. This is a worry for my whole family.

Outside the door, Mr. Foster held a basin of fresh water, smiling kindly: "Young master, hurry up, Ryan Scott young master has been waiting for you for a long time."

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Foster."

Ryan Scott is my good friend, just a year younger than me. We've played together since childhood. His father is a traveling merchant, often away from home for years, so Ryan Scott used to spend all his time at my house. We became as close as brothers.

After washing up, a youth of about twenty stood outside the door. Though still a bit immature, he tried to put on a worldly air, his face nearly breaking into a grin: "Ethan, hurry up and come out! I heard that the one conducting your awakening ceremony today is Sarah Sutton, one of the Federation's Valkyries. They say she's an astonishing beauty!"

"I know, but she's thirty. Are you sure you're not overthinking it?" I laughed.

Ryan Scott scratched the back of his head and grinned: "I thought you liked her! Anyway... anyway, let's hurry up. We can't keep the Valkyrie waiting, that would be rude."

"Yeah, let's go!"

Outside, our family carriage was already waiting at the distant courtyard gate, the coachman ready.

The so-called awakening ceremony is actually a ritual that forcibly awakens talent using a potion. Though the legends make it sound mystical, in my view, it's just the effect of the potion.

I'm nearly twenty and still haven't awakened my talent. Today is my last chance.

If my talent awakens, my future will be limitless. With my innate top-grade spiritual vein, in time I could become a person who commands the wind and rain, perhaps even reach the pinnacle of the Dragon Spirit Continent and become a Martial God. But if my talent does not awaken, my cultivation may forever be stuck at its current stage, unable to advance any further.