"Where am I?"
Jin Ming couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu as he asked himself that familiar question.
When he opened his eyes, all he could see was an endless expanse of dull darkness. It was so pitch-black that he couldn't even see his own body.
Nothing existed in this place. It was silent—not horrifying, yet not peaceful either. Nothingness was the only thing that could be seen… and the only thing that could be felt.
Minutes became hours.
Hours became days.
Days became months.
Months became years.
Trapped within this endless void, Jin Ming tried everything he could think of to escape. He attempted to move his invisible body and found that he could—or at least, that was what he believed after trying to clench his fists. As he explored his surroundings further, he realized that he was floating. There was nothing beneath him and nothing holding him in place.
He experimented with everything he could imagine. He tried flying, and to his surprise, it worked. He tried flying faster, and that worked as well. For a while, he even enjoyed the strange sensation of drifting freely through the endless darkness.
Yet no matter what he did, his thoughts always returned to the same questions.
"Where am I?"
"Why am I here?"
"How do I get out of here?"
Years continued to pass as he wandered through the endless void, yet nothing ever changed. There was nothing to see and nothing to feel. Strangely, Jin Ming experienced no urgency, no worry, no fear, no anger, and no madness. Even the thought of being separated from his parents failed to stir any emotion within him. More strangely still, the absence of emotion itself did not frighten him.
As he continued drifting through the darkness, his mind wandered endlessly.
I never realized… nothingness could be both seen and felt.
How can nothingness be seen and felt if it is nothing in the first place?
…And how am I even able to fly?
These thoughts occupied his mind for what felt like countless years as he searched for answers that never came.
Eventually, he sighed.
"Let's see what happened before I ended up in a place like this…"
He recalled the experiment he had conducted with his parents to reopen his six apertures and step onto the path of cultivation once again. Unfortunately, as far as he could remember, the experiment had ended in disaster.
"I thought the Heavens always left a path for everything. But why…?"
Jin Ming could only sigh. He firmly believed that there was a solution to everything.
"There must be a way… right?"
"There should be a way."
"If there isn't…"
"…then just make one."
A harmonious yet emotionless voice echoed throughout the endless darkness, answering every question and doubt within his heart. Despite its calm and monotonous tone, its words carried an undeniable conviction.
"Eh? Who's there?"
Jin Ming quickly looked from side to side, trying to locate the source of the voice. It seemed to come from every direction at once, making it impossible to determine where it had originated.
Although he failed to discover who had spoken, something else caught his attention.
Far away in the distance floated a beautiful crimson orb.
It was dazzling.
Majestic.
Like a priceless jewel beyond anything this world could produce.
No words could adequately describe the beauty before his eyes.
As Jin Ming silently admired it, the crimson orb gradually appeared to grow smaller. It wasn't moving away from him—it was rapidly approaching him. Yet he failed to notice, completely captivated by its indescribable beauty.
The crimson orb gently entered the center of his forehead without him even realizing it. The instant it did, a crimson radiance burst forth from his forehead while crimson light shone from his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and every pore of his skin.
The sixth aperture…
The Vital Spirit…
Was now completely open.
Dark clouds hung heavily over the sky, as though the heavens themselves were reflecting the sorrow within the hearts of the man and woman who stood beside the bed. Both silently watched over their frail son, who had remained unconscious ever since the experiment.
The dark clouds had begun gathering three days ago. Now, deafening peals of thunder echoed from time to time, sending tremors through the heavens.
As an experienced cultivator, Jin Duan immediately recognized the phenomenon as the sign of an approaching lightning tribulation. However, something about it left him deeply perplexed.
Ordinarily, one could determine the realm of the tribulation simply by listening to the thunder. Yet the thunderclaps rumbling through the sky carried the characteristics of all five lower cultivation realms at once.
"Dear… what is happening?"
The charming lady looked at Jin Duan, her beautiful face filled with worry.
"I don't know," he answered gravely. "But we'd better move Jin Ming away from here before this anomaly reaches us."
She nodded without hesitation before turning toward the two servants standing quietly by the door.
"Pack everything we'll need. We're leaving for your master's cave abode and staying there for the time being."
"At once, Milady."
The servants bowed before immediately carrying out her orders.
The couple exchanged a glance before carefully lifting their unconscious son, preparing to leave.
~~~
Somewhere within the heart of Baleful Valley…
An enormous cave lay hidden deep within the valley.
Moss covered the ancient stone walls, while countless stalactites hung from the ceiling. Despite its secluded appearance, the air inside was remarkably fresh, thanks to the crystal-clear pool continuously nourished by the sunlight streaming through an opening high above.
Today, however…
No sunlight reached the cave.
The sky beyond had been completely swallowed by the dark tribulation clouds.
At the center of the pool stood a stone platform where Jin Ming quietly lay.
Gentle droplets of water occasionally fell from the stalactites above, creating melodious ripples across the tranquil surface. The soothing sounds naturally calmed one's mind, making this cave an excellent place for cultivation.
Across the pool, the cave had been furnished into a modest living area. A simple marble table, a long wooden couch, and an exquisitely woven rug completed the quiet space. Although humble, it offered the worried couple a small measure of comfort as they patiently waited beside their son.
A month passed.
Jin Ming remained unconscious.
The only consolation they had was the platform beneath him, which had been engraved with a Vital Energy Gathering Formation. They could only hope it would hasten his recovery.
While the couple remained lost in thought, a tiny crimson streak of light—so faint that it was nearly impossible to perceive—descended from the heavens and gently entered Jin Ming's forehead.
Even with their cultivation, they sensed only the slightest fluctuation.
Before either of them could react…
Jin Ming's body slowly rose into the air.
The couple stared in astonishment.
Then—
BOOM!!
A deafening clap of thunder shook the heavens.
The dark clouds stretched across a thousand-kilometer radius, barely reaching the outer regions of the royal city of the Nine Serpents Kingdom.
The very next instant…
The first bolt descended.
…
The fourth.
…
The seventh.
The eighth.
The ninth.
Nine multicolored bolts of lightning fell from the heavens one after another, each carrying enough destructive power to erase all existence in its path. Though each bolt was no thicker than an arm, they were so densely compressed that the world itself seemed to lose all color, leaving only the dazzling brilliance of the heavenly lightning.
The cave abode exploded into countless fragments.
Even Jin Duan and his wife—both Blood Nascent cultivators—were caught completely off guard. Before they could react, the terrifying shockwave blasted them away, leaving both gravely injured.
As suddenly as they had appeared…
The nine heavenly bolts disappeared.
The tribulation clouds followed soon after, as though nothing had ever happened.
When the dust finally settled, Jin Ming slowly descended onto the stone platform once again. A crimson barrier surrounding him gradually faded into nothingness, as if it had never existed.
His shoulder-length black hair had become silky crimson hair that flowed all the way to his waist. His skin was now fair, smooth, and flawless—so delicate that countless women would envy it. Even his once frail body had transformed into a lean, perfectly sculpted physique brimming with vitality.
Slowly…
Jin Ming opened his crimson eyes.
He looked around in confusion before absentmindedly asking,
"Where am I?"
The couple stood frozen in place, completely bewildered by everything that had just happened. At first, they thought an expert was undergoing a lightning tribulation somewhere nearby.
Now…
They knew the truth.
The one who had undergone the tribulation…
Was their own son.
Yet everything about it defied common sense.
The lightning tribulation they had just witnessed was unlike any ever recorded since the beginning of history.
Their gazes gradually fell upon Jin Ming.
He had changed completely.
His appearance was now so dazzling that even they were momentarily stunned. Thankfully, his handsome features still bore a perfect resemblance to both of his parents, making it obvious he was their son.
"My dear Ming!"
The beautiful lady could no longer hold back her emotions. Tears streamed down her face as she rushed forward and tightly embraced her now healthy son.
"Congratulations, my dear Ming!"
"You can cultivate again!"
Her joyful voice trembled as she spoke. While embracing him, she instinctively examined his cultivation and was pleasantly surprised.
He had already reached the Crescent Cycle of the Blood Awakening Realm.
Jin Ming slowly looked at his hands.
Gone were the weak, fragile arms that had once been unable to support him.
Now, they were strong and full of vitality.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he gently returned his mother's embrace.
"I'm… a cultivator now."
His voice was calm, yet it carried years of longing that could never be expressed with words alone.
"Hahaha!"
"You truly are my remarkable son!"
Jin Duan walked toward them with a hearty laugh despite the ragged state of his robe.
Jin Ming's smile quickly faded.
Only then did he notice the bloodstains covering his father's tattered robe. His expression changed again as he realized that both of his parents were in the same plight.
"What happened to you guys?"
Jin Duan and his wife exchanged awkward smiles.
"Let's not talk about that first."
Jin Duan scratched the back of his head before letting out a helpless chuckle.
"We almost forgot we were injured."
Only after saying those words did the couple finally realize just how battered they actually were. The joy of seeing their son awaken had made them completely forget the pain running through their bodies.
"Let's leave this place first," Jin Duan said, his expression gradually turning serious. "I'm afraid we've attracted some unwanted attention."
His wife nodded in agreement.
"You're right. Let's go to my place in Mapelle."
Although her son could cultivate again, she quickly realized what this miracle would look like to outsiders.
A young man who had survived one of the most terrifying poisons in existence…
Not only had he recovered…
He could cultivate once again.
Anyone who heard such a story would naturally believe he possessed a heaven-defying secret.
No one would think otherwise.
Jin Duan let out a long sigh as he began gathering the few belongings they still had left.
Mapelle was the homeland of his wife, while Redcliffe was where the Jin Clan's side branch had resided for generations.
Unfortunately, his master's cave abode was beyond saving.
The Vitality Core Vein hidden beneath it had been completely destroyed by the heavenly lightning. Even if the cave were rebuilt, it would never again become a suitable place for cultivation.
Perhaps…
After a thousand years…
The ruined cave would nurture countless spiritual herbs and become a treasured land once more.
But by then…
It would no longer belong to them.