Azure Ghost

Gazing at the silhouette of the azure ghost who had saved him from truly losing himself, Yuan felt a mix of emotions. After all, who wouldn't? Standing before him wasn't a human but a ghost-like being, an existence he had never encountered before.

For a moment, he simply stared, his mind processing what had just happened. Then, taking a short breath, he spoke with sincerity, lowering his head slightly in gratitude.

"Senior, this child must sincerely thank you for your help. But... how could Senior be in this lonely place?"

Hearing Yuan's probing question, the azure ghost let out a light chuckle.

"Hehe... Child, there's no need to test me with your words. If you wish to know, I can simply tell you who I am. But how ironic... to be so distrustful toward the very person who just saved your life! Do I need to prove that I mean no harm? Hehe... well, that isn't much of a problem."

The ghost's tone was calm, yet there was a hint of amusement as it continued.

"I am just a ghost, a spirit of a cultivator who failed a trial and is now trapped here, waiting for more fellow Daoists to challenge this cursed inheritance. Maybe... just maybe, one of my clansmen will come and set me free. Yes, that is who I am."

Cursed inheritance? Spirit of a cultivator who failed a trial? One of my clans? Now trapped?

So many new pieces of information struck Yuan at once. He lowered his gaze, touching his chin in thought.

What is a cultivator? Is this place the cursed inheritance? How could someone who has already died still be trapped here?

Again and again, he turned these thoughts over in his mind, yet no matter how much he tried to make sense of them, he found no answers. These were all words, all concepts, that he had never heard before.

"Thought enough?"

The ghost's voice pulled Yuan back to reality. Embarrassed, he quickly looked back at the azure ghost and tried to explain himself.

"Apologies, Senior! It's just that... I don't understand anything you are saying. I have never heard of cultivators, nor do I know where this inheritance is! I just" Yuan hesitated before finishing with admiration, "This child is truly impressed by Senior's knowledge!"

Hearing Yuan's words, the azure ghost froze, staring at him in complete shock.

"You don't... know what a cultivator is? Or where we are?"

The ghost's tone had lost its amusement. It was no longer chuckling, no longer treating this as a lighthearted exchange. Instead, it fell silent for a long moment, as if struggling to process this revelation.

Finally, after gathering itself, the ghost asked in a slow, cautious voice, "Could it be... that you are not someone who challenged this trial for the inheritance of the Crowned Ghost Prince?"

"Crowned Ghost Prince?" Yuan repeated, tilting his head in confusion. "Never heard of him."

Yuan blankly spoke the name,a name that was once feared across the cultivation world,shocking the azure ghost beyond belief. The ghost's flames flickered as he processed Yuan's words before finally asking,

"Then why are you here if you don't seek his inheritance?"

Yuan exhaled sharply, frustration laced in his voice.

"I don't even know where I am! I was trying to escape the Ghost Forest and reach the Mansion of Countless Tombs, but I somehow ended up here instead! I know nothing about this so-called inheritance or the Crowned Ghost… whatever! I just want to find the Mansion of Countless Tombs and uncover the secrets of those who defied fate!"

Hearing Yuan's outburst, the azure ghost gave him a strange look. Then, as if recalling something, he muttered,

"The Mansion of Countless Tombs...? I think… I've heard of that place before. Hmm…"

For a moment, the ghost seemed lost in thought, his flickering form shifting slightly. Then, as if speaking the name aloud unlocked a buried memory, he suddenly gasped.

"Ah! Now I remember! The Mansion of Countless Tombs... It did exist once. But that was long ago. This place,was once its foundation, its core. However, it was later discovered and overtaken by the Crowned Ghost Prince!"

The ghost let out a cold chuckle.

"So, boy… congratulations. You've already reached your so-called 'destined goal.' Only, this place is no longer what you were searching for. The Mansion of Countless Tombs no longer exists. What stands before you now is the Palace of Ghosts."

Hearing this, Yuan felt his thoughts spiraling into chaos.

The Mansion of Countless Tombs… no longer exists?

Shock hit him like a thunderclap. Everything he had endured,every pain, every near-death trial, every step forward,was for nothing?

His hands clenched into trembling fists. If the Mansion was gone… then how could he defy his fate?

The azure ghost noticed the shifting expression on Yuan's face, the way his body tensed, the slight tremble in his hands. His fiery eyes narrowed in thought.

"Hmph… judging by your face, I take it you were after something specific in the Mansion? Perhaps… these so-called 'secrets' of defying fate?"

Yuan remained silent, his mind still struggling to process the revelation.

The ghost chuckled, folding his arms across his spectral chest.

"Tell me, boy… you're worried about defying fate? About these 'secrets' you spoke of?"

Yuan hesitated, then slowly nodded.

The ghost smirked.

"You don't need to search for some ancient secret to defy fate. After all…" The flames surrounding his form flickered wildly as he continued, "Isn't that exactly what cultivation is?"

Yuan's breath hitched. He looked at the ghost, his voice uncertain.

"Defying fate… is cultivation?"

The azure ghost let out a small chuckle, a knowing glint in his fiery gaze.

"Yes. If there's one definition that fits us cultivators, it's that we go against fate. We live longer than ordinary mortals. We break past the limits of our bodies. We grow stronger beyond what was intended. The heavens gave us a lifespan of 100 years, and yet, we refuse to accept it. We cultivate. We defy this fate and forge our own path!"

He took a step forward, his form growing sharper, his voice filled with undeniable conviction.

"Let me tell you more about the wonders of cultivation. But before that…"

His smirk faded, replaced with a rare, serious expression.

"I must warn you."

The air around them grew heavier. The flickering flames along the walls dimmed, casting long shadows over Yuan's face.

"Cultivation is not something you can do half-heartedly. It must come from the depths of your soul, from your very existence. To cultivate is to walk an endless path,one filled with sleepless nights, grueling years, and bitter failures. There will be times when you struggle for decades, only to face death at the doorstep of a breakthrough. You may dedicate everything… only to fail in the end."

The ghost's fiery eyes bored into Yuan's own, as if peering into his very soul.

"So, tell me, boy…

Are you truly ready to walk this path? To dedicate your life to cultivation, even if it means spending countless years striving for power, for freedom… knowing you may die trying?"

"Tell me… would you regret it?"

As the azure ghost began to preach about cultivation, the world around him began to shift, reflecting his words.

The once,dark space,where only an azure flame and a young boy stood,suddenly lit up with a myriad of lights, all radiating from the ghost's spectral form. These lights flickered and danced, illuminating the void… but in their brilliance, they cast an even deeper shadow, one that Yuan could not comprehend.

Buffeted by the ethereal glow, Yuan found himself drawn toward a single light among the many. Something about it called to him.

Something told him that this light held his fate.

Without a second thought, he ran toward it.

But as he did, the light moved away, as if fleeing from his grasp,as if it feared what would happen should it fall into his hands.

Yet Yuan did not stop. He did not hesitate.

He reached out with all his might and

He grabbed it.

Slowly, the light dimmed, its radiance fading as it settled within his grasp.

Taking a deep breath, Yuan slowly opened his hand,his gaze locking onto something unlike anything he had ever seen before.

It was small, yet perfectly shaped.

A knife.

No… it was too small for a knife.

It was green, its handle crafted from a material that felt both warm and cold at the same time, sending a strange sensation through his palm. A few black serpents coiled around the hilt, their bodies carved with unsettling precision,or so he thought.

Because then, he noticed something.

Their eyes were moving.

Not just moving… but looking somewhere.

Not at him.

At something beyond him,as if guiding him toward something unseen.

Yuan's blood ran cold.

With a shudder, he let out a startled yell and dropped the knife, stepping back in fear.

His breath quickened, his heart pounding against his chest.

And then

Laughter.

Loud. Deep. Amused.

It echoed from behind him.

Yuan spun around.

There, standing where he had been moments ago, was the azure ghost.

But something had changed.

It was smaller now,its once looming form now no larger than Yuan's arm.

Yet, despite its reduced size, its smile had only grown wider.

Seeing Yuan's shock fade into wary confusion, the azure ghost let out another chuckle before speaking.

"So… now that you've glimpsed the mysteries of this world, tell me

Do you wish to walk the path of cultivation?"

Its voice deepened, filled with undeniable weight.

"Do you wish to pursue the Great Dao? To seek eternal life, power, and freedom,knowing that you may die trying?"

The ghost's fiery eyes bore into Yuan's soul as it took another step forward.

"Or do you reject this path entirely?"

It spread its arms wide.

"Answer me! Tell me, child

What do you truly desire?"

"Walk the path of the Great Dao…?"

His voice trembled.

"What… do I want?"

"What do I truly desire?"

The ghost's flame-like body flickered, its voice pressing further into Yuan's mind.

"Yes, Yuan! Say it! Say what you truly desire!"

The words pulsed like a heartbeat inside his skull.

Yuan's lips parted, and in a voice barely above a whisper, he answered.

"I… I want to survive."

Silence.

Then

"You want only to survive?"

The ghost's voice was neither amused nor mocking. It was simply… questioning.

"Is that truly the extent of your desire?"

Yuan froze.

A thought struck him.

"Is… is that really all I want?"

"Just to survive?"

"Is that my only desire?"

He clenched his fists.

No.

That wasn't the truth.

That was never the truth.

The voice echoed endlessly in his mind.

"Say it, Yuan! What do you truly desire?"

The weight of the words pressed down on him, forcing him to confront himself.

Yuan gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists. What did he want?

For so long, he had only thought about survival, about escaping his inevitable death. But now… now he understood.

Surviving wasn't enough.

He didn't just want to live,he wanted to experience.

His mind filled with visions.

A sky, vast and endless, free from mist.

Mountains so high, their peaks pierced the heavens.

A great ocean, stretching beyond the horizon, its waves crashing against the land.

He imagined standing above the clouds, looking down on the world from beyond mortal reach.

His body shuddered.

It wasn't enough to dream.

He wanted to see it all with his own eyes.

A fire ignited in his chest, burning away the hesitation, the doubts, the weakness.

Yuan lifted his head, his gaze unwavering.

"What I truly want…"

His voice started as a whisper, but with each word, it grew stronger.

"I want to walk the world. To see the places my grandfather once spoke of. To witness a crystal-clear sky without mist. To gaze upon mountains so vast that I cannot comprehend their size. To stand before an endless ocean and taste the salt in the wind."

His breathing was steady, his heart pounding with unshakable resolve.

"I want to leave this Ghost Forest. To leave the village. To see the real sky, the real mountains, the real world. I don't want to imagine anymore. I want to live it!"

His fists tightened, his voice ringing with mad determination.

"And beyond that,I want to see what lies above the clouds! I want to witness what only the heavens themselves have seen!"

Yuan's words echoed through the darkness, ringing with absolute certainty.

The voice did not laugh this time.

There were no more echoes,no more illusions.

Only a cold, absolute truth.

"Then you know what you must do."

Yuan took a slow breath, the last of his hesitation crumbling into nothingness.

"Yes… now, everything is clear."

His gaze hardened, filled with a new fire that could never be extinguished.

"I now understand how to defy fate. To defy fate… one must face the heavens. And to face the heavens, I must become powerful,strong enough to break free from their grasp!"

Silence.

The world itself seemed to hold its breath.

Then, with absolute conviction, Yuan declared his path to the heavens.

"I will walk the path of the Great Dao!"

"The path toward power and freedom!"

"I will not regret it. And I will gladly die trying!"

"Yes,I will cultivate!"

"I will rise to great power and break free from the chains of fate!"

His voice thundered through the void.

The world began to shift.

As his words filled the emptiness, the darkness that once blinded him peeled away.

Light rushed in.

The once,shadowed hall now appeared before him in radiant clarity,the details sharper, the colors more vivid, as though he had been blind his entire life and was only now able to see.

"So many lights..."

Yuan's breath hitched as he gazed at the spectacle before him.

Countless glowing orbs floated in the air, flickering like tiny stars, shifting through endless colors and shapes, spinning slowly as if dancing through the space before him.

Without thinking, he reached out.

One of the lights descended into his palm, hovering gently just above his skin.

It twisted, changing shapes, shifting hues, as if alive,a toy of the heavens themselves.

A wide smile broke across his young face.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Yuan looked like a real ten year old child, filled with pure wonder.

His admiration was interrupted by a familiar voice behind him.

"Congratulations."

Yuan froze.

He knew that voice.

The azure ghost chuckled.

"You have taken your first step on the path of the Great Dao. From this moment forward... you are now a cultivator."