Shen Aozu, once the revered grandmaster of the Azure Wind Sect, had become a figure of legend. His martial arts prowess was unmatched, and his wisdom was sought by those from across the lands. Many disciples came and went, but among them was Li Wei, his most promising student and the one who was always thought to be his successor.
Yet Shen Aozu had always held back his deepest and most sacred techniques from Li Wei. He recognized the ambitious nature of his student, but he also feared that the full power of his teachings could corrupt Li Wei, just as it had corrupted so many before him. So, Shen Aozu withheld his most dangerous techniques, knowing that the path to true mastery required more than raw talent it required wisdom and control.
When Mei Lian, a brilliant young woman, entered the sect, she quickly outshone even Li Wei in her martial skills and spiritual awareness. Her humble nature, combined with her deep respect for the sect’s traditions, made her the ideal candidate to become the future leader. Shen Aozu, seeing her potential, made the difficult decision to make Mei Lian his successor, the true heir to the sect’s sacred techniques.
The Betrayal: Li Wei, already consumed by jealousy and resentment, could not accept being overlooked. He had always believed that he was the rightful heir, that the sect was his by destiny. Mei Lian’s rise to prominence marked the breaking point, and Li Wei’s jealousy turned into a dangerous obsession. He began to secretly plan how he could seize the power he felt was his, and in his heart, he believed that only one of them he or Mei Lian could survive.
In a cruel and calculated act, Li Wei first struck Mei Lian. Luring her away from the sect under the guise of a secret mission, he ambushed her and poisoned her, making it appear as though her death was an accident or a result of natural causes. Shen Aozu mourned deeply for his fallen disciple, unaware that it was Li Wei who had orchestrated it.
Li Wei’s jealousy didn’t stop there. Seeing the grief-stricken Shen Aozu ready to pass down his final teachings, Li Wei made his move. The grandmaster was already weakened by the loss of Mei Lian, and in that moment, Li Wei poisoned him as well. But Li Wei had a plan more twisted than simply killing his master—he needed to ensure no one ever found out what had happened.
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In a final, merciless act, Li Wei dragged both Shen Aozu and Mei Lian’s bodies to the Abyss, a cursed, uncharted void where no one could follow, and where their bodies would be lost forever. The Abyss was a place from which even the most powerful cultivators could not return—a fitting grave for the grandmaster and his once-prized successor.
By casting them both into the Abyss, Li Wei ensured that no one would ever know the truth. He made it appear as though they had died in a tragic accident, and with the sect now leaderless, he would step into the role he felt was rightfully his.
Transition to the New World: But despite Li Wei’s best efforts, Shen Aozu did not die. The power of the Abyss, though it shattered his physical body, could not erase his will to survive. Instead, Shen Aozu awoke in a strange, unfamiliar world—his body frail and weak, his martial strength a distant memory. The Ashen Lotus mark burned on his soul, a cursed remnant of the fall that was both a symbol of his suffering and a reminder of the power that was once his.
Shen Aozu wandered this new world, confused and broken, until he was found by a group of wanderers who saw something in him, even in his weakened state. They were skilled healers and mystics who helped restore his body, though he remained far from the peak of his former self. They introduced him to the concept of Qi, the energy that flowed through every living being in this world—a power he would need to rebuild his strength and fulfill his vengeance.
Power System Introduction: The healers explained that this world’s power system was based on Qi, which could be cultivated to increase one’s physical abilities, mental strength, and spiritual awareness. Those with the talent to manipulate Qi could become formidable warriors, able to perform extraordinary feats of strength and control.
Shen Aozu, though still frail, could feel the faint remnants of his former power stirring within him. The Ashen Lotus burned with a strange energy, and as he began to study the cultivation techniques of this new world, he realized that this was his chance to reclaim what had been taken from him.
Closing Scene: As Shen Aozu sat alone under the stars, contemplating his past and the betrayal that had sent him into the Abyss, a cold fire of vengeance ignited within him. Li Wei had thought him gone, erased from existence, but Shen Aozu was alive. He would rise again. This world, with its strange powers, would be the key to his revenge.
He swore to himself that he would find Li Wei, no matter where he had gone, and make him pay for his treachery. And once he did, he would burn everything to the ground—no longer the grandmaster of a sect, but a force of pure, unrelenting vengeance.
