C1 He Came Back!

The setting sun blazed a vivid crimson, painting the western sky with an ominous hue.

In Northern Sky City, a young boy of just over five years old dashed through the bustling streets, his small frame dwarfed by the throng of people around him.

"Uncle Liu, hurry up! I want to get some candied hawthorn sticks," he called out.

This boy was Lin Yan, the second son of the Lin family's patriarch. The Lin family was renowned for their martial prowess; from the highest-ranking elders to the gatekeeping guards, all were warriors.

Yet, Lin Yan had not been granted the opportunity to follow in their footsteps; he couldn't even awaken a single Martial Pulse.

"Second Young Master, the lady of the house insists we return before nightfall," came a gentle reminder.

Standing by a snack vendor was a man not quite fifty, who, after settling the bill, turned to Lin Yan with a warm smile. Despite Lin Yan's lack of martial qualifications, he was well-loved. In the harsh world of warriors, his elder brother was a once-in-a-millennium prodigy of the Lin family. Lin Yan, talent or not, was assured a life of comfort.

"Your big brother Lin Shuang is returning home today!"

Uncle Liu crouched down, placing a candied figurine into Lin Yan's eager hands, which brought an instant smile to the boy's face.

Lin Shuang, his biological elder brother, was a rare genius who had unlocked over ninety meridians by the age of ten. By twelve, he had already surpassed the Martial Pulse Stage. His strength rivaled that of many family elders when he left. A year had passed, and his current prowess was anyone's guess. Across the entire continent, he was undoubtedly among the elite.

"Brother Shuang is coming home today!"

With the sweet treat in hand, Lin Yan bounced excitedly towards the Lin estate. Onlookers shared in his happiness; the Lin family was known for their approachability, devoid of the usual haughtiness of the mighty.

Upon reaching the family's gates, Lin Yan's father, Lin Haodong, rushed forward, enveloping him in a tight embrace that made it hard for the boy to breathe.

"Father... let go, it hurts."

"Patriarch?"

Uncle Liu watched, puzzled, as Lin Haodong quickly vanished from sight. He had never seen the patriarch so visibly shaken.

At that moment, Lin Haodong's brow was beaded with sweat, his anxiety palpable.

A sinister, blood-red cloud crept towards the Lin estate, casting a shadow of unease over all within.

"Dad, it hurts, please let go," Lin Yan pleaded, wriggling against the grip that left crimson marks on his skin.

But Lin Haodong remained resolute, ushering Lin Yan into the family's sacred Ancestral Land. As he pricked Lin Yan's finger, allowing a drop of blood to fall, a radiant burst of light erupted from the ground, and an altar rose up amidst violent tremors.

"Yan'er, listen to your father," Lin Haodong spoke gravely, gripping his son's shoulders. "What's about to happen may cause you pain, but you must endure. If one day your mother and I are no longer with you, you must be strong and carry on. Understand?"

Lin Haodong's voice was stern, his hands leaving imprints on Lin Yan's shoulders.

"Do you understand?" he repeated, louder this time, his voice cracking as tears streaked down his face. For a man who led a family, it was a rare moment of emotional vulnerability.

Lin Yan gave a faint nod, managing to hold back his tears.

"Hao Dong!"

A woman descended from the heavens, her features not enchanting but undeniably beautiful. She was Lin Yan's mother, Luo Shan.

"He... has arrived!"

"I know. Take Yan'er inside the altar. I'll hold him off!"

Before Lin Haodong departed, he cast a lingering gaze upon Lin Yan and Luo Shan, then charged into the blood cloud above.

"Yan'er, come with mother, quickly."

Luo Shan led Lin Yan into the altar, where stone pillars stood in each corner, engraved with intricate symbols resembling ancient text, as if weathered by over ten thousand years, exuding a sense of time-worn majesty.

At the altar's heart knelt a stone statue, behind which an ancient bronze sword was embedded, its blade inscribed with enigmatic script.

"Ancestor! Our clan faces peril. I beseech you to awaken and preserve our last vestige of hope!"

Tears filled Luo Shan's eyes, and Lin Yan, sensing her distress, felt his own eyes redden.

"The path of the Asura is fraught with hardship. In silence, the world watches; I embrace the demon within!"

The voice echoed around the altar, and as it faded, the stone statue before Lin Yan slowly opened its eyes.

"This child is not a demon! To become one would defy the cosmic order, and our lineage would vanish from existence!"

The statue spoke to Luo Shan with deliberate gravity.

"Ancestor! The fate of our clan now rests in Yan'er's hands!"

Luo Shan guided Lin Yan to the statue, where he sat cross-legged.

"Unfathomable are the cycles of reincarnation, unclear the mandates of heaven..."

With a heavy sigh, the statue extended a finger toward Lin Yan. As it did so, its stony flesh began to crumble, each fragment falling away, diminishing its form and weakening its presence.

Boom!

From the blood cloud above, a blood-red ice arrow shot forth, striking the ground of the altar and pinning Lin Haodong's body beneath. In less than fifteen minutes, Lin Haodong, the family's mightiest, had fallen.

"Father!"

Lin Yan cried out, reaching toward Lin Haodong.

Luo Shan caressed Lin Yan's cheek, her tears cascading down like a torrential wave. Then, with a pained smile, she stepped away from the altar.

"Shuang'er, does power truly mean so much to you?"

Luo Shan addressed the blood cloud overhead.

"Hahahaha... You've always used me and Yan as your guinea pigs. Now, I've come to return all the pain you've inflicted upon me!"

A young man emerged from the blood cloud, bearing a resemblance to Lin Yan, his demeanor icy, radiating a chilling, bloodthirsty aura. He carried a frosted bow on his back and wielded a cold iron sword, its blade etched with snowflakes and its hilt a deep blue. It appeared ordinary in size, yet was deceptively heavy.

"Shuang'er, things aren't as you believe. Your father and I..."

Luo Shan gazed at Lin Shuang, desperate to explain.

"Silence! I've seen it all. Had Yan possessed my talents, I might have waited for him to mature, to join me in this reckoning!"