The boundless Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
Cliffs rise like jagged teeth, ancient trees pierce the sky.
A Taoist temple perches alone atop the peak, nestled in clouds.
Two figures stand before its gates.
An old man, a young man.
"Kyle, ten years have passed. You are invincible in the mortal world. It's time to descend the mountain."
The elder's voice carries the weight of ages.
"Just say you want to beat me up."
Kyle's eyes burn with hatred as he glares at the old man.
The elder falls silent, then says, "When I hit you... it was for your own good."
"Hmph..."
Kyle lets out a cold laugh, no more words.
"Kyle, do you hate me deeply?"
The elder suddenly asks.
"I used to."
"And now?"
"Now it doesn't matter. Ten years gone—these words mean nothing."
"Yes... meaningless. How many decades does one get in life?"
"Time is a blade that cuts down even the proudest genius."
"Even someone like me... failed to reach the other shore that lies so far beyond."
The elder sighs.
With difficulty, he lifts his head to gaze at the distant sky.
The sun dips westward, painting the world in dusk.
Sunset glow merges with clouds; the lingering light spills over endless forests, reflecting a haunting radiance.
"The setting sun is infinitely beautiful, yet it nears twilight."
The elder murmurs, then adds softly:
"Kyle... could you call me 'Master'?"
Kyle lowers his head, a perpetual sneer still curving his lips.
The elder seems accustomed to this, continuing as if speaking to himself.
"Kyle, what do you imagine the Immortal Realm looks like?"
"Kyle, I want to eat dumplings."
"Kyle, my tooth aches..."
Silence creeps over the scene.
A cool evening breeze whispers through the air, carrying a chill.
After a long while,
Kyle senses something amiss. He looks up at the elder—
Only to find those eyes closed, breathless, motionless.
At the sight,
Kyle lunges forward, seizing the elder's body roughly. His voice sharp as ice:
"You wanted me off the mountain to find an excuse to hit me—why resort to this absurd pretense of death?"
But...
No matter what Kyle says,
The elder remains unresponsive.
His face purples gradually; his body grows cold.
That emaciated frame, barely eighty catties, bears no trace of the once otherworldly grace.
...
Memories flood in.
Ten years ago,
Kyle was twenty-two, fresh out of university.
To keep a promise to his girlfriend, he'd traveled alone by bus to Yunchuan to meet her parents.
On the way, he encountered this mysterious elder—Eldric.
Eldric claimed he possessed a rare spiritual constitution, a perfect candidate for cultivation.
Then, ignoring his protests, he was dragged to this isolated mountain range.
Ten years trapped here.
For a decade, Eldric subjected him to the harshest training imaginable.
Up before dawn to practice.
Swordsmanship at seven,
Leg techniques at ten,
Blade arts at noon,
Eye techniques at two,
Array formations at six,
Alchemy at nine.
After midnight, breathing exercises.
Day after day, year after year.
Countless times he tried to escape, to return home.
Each time, Eldric caught him effortlessly—and beat him senseless.
Once, he nearly died from the beating.
Though immortality sounded tempting, Kyle cared nothing for it.
His girlfriend Clara waited for him to propose. His aging parents, his young sister Lila—they needed him to earn a living.
How could he stay here?
But no amount of begging moved Eldric.
He'd even knelt, pleading to send word home. Eldric refused,
Beating him savagely before saying coldly:
"Cultivation defies heaven. You must sever mortal ties."
"Kyle, until I die, you'll never leave this mountain."
...
From that moment,
Kyle's hatred for Eldric burned fiercely.
He trained relentlessly, longing to surpass the old man, to tear him to pieces, to avenge his suffering.
And so,
Ten years slipped by.
He'd spent a decade training, never overtaking Eldric—only to witness this.
In this instant,
Kyle's heart feels hollow.
No elation, no rage—only a numb calm.
Ten years of resolve, suddenly seem laughable.
The wind picks up,
Temperatures in the mountains plummet, as if frozen.
Kyle says nothing, silently burying Eldric.
Turning, his melancholy eyes scan the green mountains ahead.
No one could fathom his thoughts.
After a long, long time...
"Never thought you'd really die."
"Your body will fade, become eternal—like grains of sand in a desert. In a way, that's a kind of immortality."
"We part here, never to meet again."
Kyle never spoke that word—"Master."
Not that it mattered now.
He summons his sword, transforming into a streak of light, vanishing into the horizon.
Any cultivator present would be astounded.
Unthinkable—someone capable of sword flight, in this era of declining spiritual energy!
...
Half an hour later,
Kyle returns to his hometown.
His village lies outside Golden Ridge City, Southern River Province.
The home he'd dreamed of is just a humble cottage.
A small pond sits before it, willows swaying at its edge.
"Nothing has changed..."
Familiar sights bring moisture to his deep eyes.
A decade away, returning at last.
Even with his current state of mind, his throat tightens, tears threatening to fall.
How many nights in the mountains had he dreamed of this?
Swimming in the pond as a child,
The warmth of family meals,
The vibrancy of youth... and those he'd left behind.
"After ten years of disappearance, my parents must think me dead."
"And Lila—she was nine when I left. I wonder if she's in university now?"
"Eldric said cultivation is a path to longevity, requiring severance of mortal bonds. But if you cut ties with those dearest to you... what's the point of living forever?"
Kyle exhales deeply, steadying his turbulent thoughts.
Hadn't he waited ten years for this moment?
Then,
A terrified cry bursts from the cottage:
"I'm sorry! I don't want the demolition money! I'm sorry, I know I was wrong!"
"Please... no... no..."
"Slap! Stay still!"
...
At the sound of that fear-stricken voice,
Kyle's face hardens.
Is that Lila?
His sister—being attacked?
"Dammit!!"
Kyle's expression turns icy.
He moves with near-teleportation speed, rushing toward the cottage door!