1. The Day of Their Disappearance

Azure Wind nation was one of the 9 nations located in the Eastern continent. It wasn't the most prospering or the biggest country around but it was by no means the weakest and poorest either; it could be considered somewhere along the middle. The Oracle island was situated in the outskirts of this nation. To be precise, it was located 2 kilometres off the coast of Azure Wind nation.

This island was occupied by one clan only: the Chu clan. The members of the Chu clan understood very well that their island was like a needle in a haystack - completely insignificant in size compared to the Eastern continent. However, the members of the island were well aware that this was a slowly sinking island which would probably last for two or three generation from now at most. That did not affect any of their daily activities though. After all, there was still about 400 years left before the island starts to become inhabitable.

Somewhere near the centre of the island there were a big palace surround by slightly smaller but similar sized palaces. The biggest palace in the island was occupied the current Chu family clan master, the tenth generation head, Chu Zhanyun and his wife, Mu Ruyan. They also had a child named Chu Ming.

Mu Ruyan was supposedly from a great clan from somewhere in the Eastern continent but she herself did not know very much about them. There was a unfortunate story behind Mu Ruyan's life. It was rumored that she came to attend a function near the coast of Azure wind nation from very far away but due to some unforseen circumstances, she got separated from the rest of the Mu family.

At the time Mu Ruyan was only 8 years old and hadn't even started cultivating yet. The little child had no idea as to what she should do; she waited a few days hoping her parents would find her but she had no luck. She stayed alive by drinking anything she could stealing food for a few weeks. One day she was found by Chu Xuanyuan, the grand clan master of the Chu clan, when he was still a clan master. He took pity on her and brought her back as adopted daughter since he only had a son and no daughters.

Couple of years later, Mu Ruyan fell in love with Chu Xuanyuan's Nephew, Chu Zhanyun and when they both turned 18, they got married. When Chu Zhanyun and Mu Ruyan both turned 21, they had their one and only child, Chu Ming.

Chu Xuanyuan's only son, Chu Yiming, the rightful heir to position of clan master, had no interest in it. He wanted to be unbound by anything and freely follow the cultivationg path. Hence, at the age of 26, Chu Zhanyun became the family head.

Chu Ming was playing by himself in the courtyard whilst his dad sat a few meters away from taking care of family head stuff that he had to do.

That was when a 27 year old man who looked some what similar to his own father came in, with a boy the same age as Chu Ming tailing him. When Chu Ming caught sight of them his eyes glowed with excitement.

"Uncle Yiming!" He squealed, dropping his toys and running to hug him.

"Ah... Ming'er" Chu Yiming hugged him back. "Now go play with Hao'er when I speak to your father, ok?"

Chu Ming nodded and grabbed his cousin's had and they both ran off to play with Chu Ming's toys.

After a while, when they both got bored they came back, but it seemed that Chu Zhanyun and Chu Yiming had already finished their conversation. It looked as if Yiming eas about leave. Chu Hao ran and held his fathers hand and waved back at Chu Ming and Chu Zhanyun.

"Bye little brother Ming, uncle Zhanyun" Chu Hao was 15 days older than Chu Ming so they addressed each other as 'little brother' and 'big brother'.

"Oh I almost forgot to mention," Chu Yiming said. "Brother Zhanyun, I am heading out to the mainland with my family later for the fun fair. Do you want me to take Ming'er with me?"

"Oh that would be fantastic," thanked Chu Zhanyun.

"Yay!" cheered Chu Ming at the thought of being able go the fun fair.

Two years ago, Chu Zhanyun did not really understand why Chu Yiming would reject the position of family head, but as time progressed he slowly understood. He wasn't able to spend as much time with his family as he wanted and he was able to take them out even less due to the work load. He never regretted his decision though. If he was given the choice again, he would still choose to be the family head. But it was a fact that he couldn't take his son out to see the world himself, so he could onlly trust his cousin to do it for him.

Usually, the family head was the strongest in their generation but it was rumored that despite Chu Yiming and Chu Zhanyun having the same cultivation, Chu Yiming could beat Chu Zhanyun in a one-on-one battle. Other than the grand clan master and the three great elders, Chu Zhanyun and Yiming had the greatest cultivation in the clan at the tenth level of spirit realm.

Cultivation was divided into different realms, which are then further divided into ten sub-levels. Everyone started at the elementary realm and after reaching the peal of the tenth level of elementary realm, they can attemp to break through to the spirit realm and then to origin realm and so on and so forth.

Chu Zhanyun and Yiming had extremely great aptitude; in fact, their aptitudes were the greatest in the history of their clan as they had both manged to reach the tenth level of spirit realm at the mere age of 24. The previous record was set by the grand clan master as he manged to reach tenth level of spirit realm when he was 30, but that took six whole years longer than those two.

Currently, above those two, the three great elders had a cultivation of first level of origin realm and the grand clan master, Chu Xuanyuan, had a cultivation at the second level of origin realm.

***

"Remember to thank your uncle," a beautiful lady was instructing Chu Ming by the boats.

"Yes, Mom," Chu Ming replied.

After he said his good byes to his mom and dad, Chu Ming ran to the boat where Chu Yiming and his family was waiting for him. Uncle Yiming's family consisted of four people: uncle Yiming himself, his wife, Chu Zhirou, his son and daughter, Chu Hao and Chu Ling respectively.

Chu Ling was 13 years old and had already satrted walking down the martial path of cultivation. She had only been cultivating for a year under guidance from her granfather and had already reached the second level of elementary realm.

As the boat set off, Chu Ming went to the edge to wave off his mother and father. As he kept waving, his parents kept getting further and further away until they became a dot in the distance. Once they completely disappeared from his line of sight, Chu Ming turned around and deeply bowed to his aunt and uncle.

"Thank you very much for taking me uncle, aunty."

"Oh Ming'er..." said Chu Zhirou. "You know it's no trouble."

Chu Yiming smiled as he helped Chu Ming up. "Being Zhanyun's son is like my son... you know that right?"

"Of course, uncle." It was true. Being bound by clan duties, his parents did not take him out much. It was always his uncle Yiming aunt Zhirou that took him out with them when they went out, so Chu Ming had a special feeling towards them that he wasn't yet able to describe.

Just then, they heard a quake from behind. When they turned around, they saw that the wave was headed straight for the Oracle Island.

Chu Yiming's eyes constricted as he sensed the danger heading towards their home too late. He didn't even have time to warn Zhanyun and the elders as Wave engulfed the island.

The boat stopped as they waited to hear news of any survivors but what they saw after shocked them even more. This was because the island was gone. Completely disappeared. It was almost as if it never existed. The only proof of its existence was the huge hole in ocean where the island used to be and the dangerous whirpool pulling them in.

"Father!! Mother!!" Chu Ming screamed.

Chu Yiming and Chu Zhirou rotated and released their full cultivation power as they tried to resist the suction force of the whirpool.

"Ling'er, Protect Hao'er and Ming'er," Shouted Zhirou as she helped Yiming.

Chu Ming was still shocked from what just happened. He was still looking at where the island used to be. He knew he would never forget this day in his life. 13th Spetember 3785. The day his parents disappeared.