The darkness swallowed him whole, completely blinding his vision. Then, a sudden spark of light erupted, unfolding before him like a miniature universe. Within the light, he saw a vast web of shimmering threads, each line redirecting toward different cosmic cores.
A figure walked out from the light toward him.
Qin Feng...
Huh? he thought. Who's calling me? That voice sounds so familiar.
He looked up, but there was no up. He looked down, but there was no down. "Where is it coming from?" he whispered into the empty expanse.
Suddenly, a beam of pure light descended, shaping itself into a human form.
"What... what the hell?"
Do not panic, a voice echoed in his mind as the figure stretched its arm directly toward him. Son, you have finally come.
Huh? Qin Feng's mind raced. Why do you look like my mother?
Ah, my son, I am your mother.
"You can read my thoughts?" Qin Feng spoke aloud this time.
There are no secrets, no hidden thoughts in this space.
"What? A space?" Qin Feng was shocked.
It is a sanctuary created just for us, the figure continued, stepping closer. A place where we are going to live together, forever.
As the entity spoke, a cold wave of suspicion washed over Qin Feng. Something was deeply wrong. "You say I've struggled enough, that we should be together once and for all... No. I don't trust a single word you're saying. You're showing me nothing but an illusion!"
The figure paused. Then, a chilling sound echoed through the void. Hahaha... You caught on to that surprisingly quick. Well, since the gentle approach won't work... I will just have to take you by force!
Instantly, the entire realm screamed. The beautiful cosmic scenery shattered like a sheet of fragile glass, and the figure vanished into thin air. Everything plunged right back into a suffocating darkness.
What's going on? Qin Feng thought, spinning around. He looked into the void but found nothing.
Then, a sudden, squinting purple light erupted from the abyss directly behind him. Qin Feng felt it before he saw it. He didn't know why, but ever since his soul entered this form, his senses had become hyper-sensitive to his surroundings. He whipped around to look.
Hovering in the dark was an entity without a physical body, an indescribable mass of pure malice. To Qin Feng, it felt like a predator ready to devour him whole.
"What is this?!"
Before he could move, the pitch-black energy surged forward, covering him in an instant. Fear twisted his features.
"AHHHHH!"
With a violent gasp, Qin Feng jumped straight up from his bed, panting heavily. He threw his eyes around the room, sweat dripping down his face, his heart racing like a thunderous war drum. The silence of his bedroom felt heavier than the nightmare itself. Outside, a gentle night wind brushed against the windowpane.
Clenching his fists, Qin Feng tried to steady his breathing, whispering to himself, "That... that was just a dream…"
He didn't notice the faint purple glow flickering in the shadow behind his bed, snapping shut like a miniature wormhole.
Although he hadn't seen the anomaly, a small, knowing smile flickered on his lips. "Man... that felt way too real."
Suddenly, his phone broke the silence, ringing loudly. Dom! Dom! Dom!
He turned to his right and snatched the device off his nightstand. The moment he pressed answer, a girl's frantic voice blasted through the speaker.
"Qin Feng! I have been calling you for over thirty minutes! Are you seriously still sleeping? It's already 4:30 AM! Do you want the instructor to scold you again?!"
"Huh?!" Qin Feng's eyes went wide. He scrambled out of bed and sprinted toward the bathroom. "Ahhhh, I'm dead!"
Twenty minutes later, Qin Feng exited the train station. He was wearing a casual hoodie, walking side-by-side with a strikingly beautiful young lady. She wore a bright pink hoodie that contrasted with her long, flowing silver hair and piercing silver eyes. Strapped neatly to her waist was a sleek piece of technology.
"Hmmm... are you absolutely sure this is the right place, Xiao Lian?" Qin Feng asked, glancing around.
"Yes! The nanotech locator the instructor gave me is at least a Version 5 device," Xiao Lian said confidently, tapping the gadget on her hip.
"Wait, a Version 5?" Qin Feng was genuinely shocked. "That's incredibly advanced."
"Yeah, and it specializes entirely in tracking and locating," Xiao Lian added with a grin.
"Oho, well then, I believe it's leading us in the right direction."
A few moments later, they halted in front of a building so massive it seemed to swallow the sky. Etched into the grand entrance were the words: THE MORTAL VANGUARD.
Xiao Lian literally jumped up in excitement. "Yes! We are finally here!"
Qin Feng looked up at the towering structure, a genuine smile spreading across his face. Inwardly, his thoughts turned bittersweet. Mom... I had absolutely no talent for traditional cultivation. But I will join the Cultivator Hunters. At least this way... A memory of his real mother's face—a kind woman with dark black hair—flashed in his mind. ...at least this way, I can hunt down the rogue cultivators who commit crimes and protect people.
He walked through the grand doors alongside Xiao Lian. They navigated the bustling corridors until they finally approached the guard instructor at the front desk.
"Ah, I think you two are..."
The guard instructor never got to finish his sentence.
Without a single second of warning, a catastrophic explosion ripped through the building, originating from the nearby Experimental Lab.
WHOOP! BOOOOM!!!!
Alarms instantly wailed into life. Pi! Pi! Pi! Pi!
The world tilted. The explosion itself had occurred further down the hall, but the resulting shockwave was devastating, tearing through the structural walls and sending heavy debris flying through the air like lethal missiles.
Qin Feng felt his vision closing in, little by little. A strange numbness washed over him. He slowly looked down at his own chest.
A jagged iron rebar had pierced straight through his sternum.
Blood instantly spilled from his lips, staining his clothes.
A few feet away, Xiao Lian pushed herself up from the floor where the shockwave had thrown her. "Ahhhh! Ahem!" She coughed violently, waving her hands to clear the thick, suffocating cloud of dust and smoke. "Qin Feng!" she screamed, her eyes scanning the wreckage.
Xiao Lian... a faint voice strained to call out.
"Huh?" She locked onto the entrance area, but the debris made it impossible to see. "Ugh, if not for this dust, I can't see a thing! Qin Feng, say something!"
She rushed blindly toward the entryway, but the moment she broke through the smoke, her entire body went rigid with shock.
"Qin Feng... Qin Feng... Qin... Qin Feng..."
Her voice cracked, turning rough and trembling as tears immediately flooded her eyes. The iron bar was driven completely through his chest, pinning him down. Tears streamed down her face as she dropped to her knees beside him. "Qin Feng, please don't do this! Don't leave me!"
"Xiao Lian... I'm... I'm so sorry," Qin Feng whispered, his voice barely a breath. It took every ounce of his remaining willpower just to force the words out of his throat. "It looks like... I won't be able to be with you in this life..."
"No!" Xiao Lian shrieked, grabbing his hand. "Qin Feng, don't do this to me! We've been together for eight years! Why are you leaving your best friend all alone?!"
Ah... Qin Feng thought as his consciousness began to slip. Is this really it? He wanted to cry, wanted to comfort her, but his body wouldn't obey.
The light drained from his eyes. His vision turned pitch black, and the chaotic sounds of the ruined building faded into absolute silence, leaving him with nothing but the echoing memory of Xiao Lian's heartbroken screams.