Tale of the Creation of the Heavens

Under the slightly bluish glow of the moon in the night sky, four young men arduously climbed a snow-covered mountain. Their bodies trembled like branches swaying in the wind, and with each step, their feet sank into the snow that reached their knees. None of them carried weapons, and their golden garments, far too elegant for martial artists in such a hostile environment, seemed more ornamental than practical.

Xiang Yuze rubbed his hands against his arms, vainly trying to stave off the cold that seemed to freeze his very bones. He couldn't take it anymore. "Why don't we hunt a beast and use its hide to keep warm?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Shang Quian, the eldest of the group, raised an eyebrow. "Does anyone here know how to do that?"

The others exchanged glances, visibly embarrassed, before shaking their heads.

"Then forget it," Quian sighed. "We'd waste too much time learning how to skin one without ruining it."

Disappointed by their lack of such knowledge, they continued climbing the mountain.

The silence that followed was broken by Kai Jing, the only one whose attire remained immaculate despite the rigors of the climb. Everyone wore high-quality clothes, but his seemed a notch above the rest. He pointed ahead, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Look! Herbs!"

The others turned immediately, hope renewed. Around a snow-covered rock, small flowers grew, emanating an ethereal blue glow, similar to that of the moon. The four rushed toward the plants, their hurried steps kicking up snow along the way.

"We finally found them!" said Xiang Yuze, barely able to contain his excitement. He quickly advanced, extending his hand to grab the flower. But when he pulled the stem with his fingers, the plant's glow vanished. It now appeared as an ordinary white-petaled flower.

"What happened? All the essence disappeared!" he exclaimed angrily.

Shang Quian examined it. "These probably didn't absorb enough moonlight to become magical plants," he hypothesized. "I think we need to go higher. Remember what Master Heng said? The higher up the mountains, the better the quality of the herbs."

Xiang Yuze gritted his teeth, crushed the flower in frustration, and threw it to the ground.

Kai Jing glanced at the mountain's peak and sighed. He didn't actually need the magical herbs—his father owned several mines around Zaguhan. Thanks to his family's wealth, he had been able to drink a potion to accelerate his cultivation earlier that year.

He had only joined this expedition to increase his influence in the sect, but now he was beginning to regret taking on this challenge.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Tou Hue said, a smile on his face. He was the only one who managed to stay cheerful in such circumstances.

Shang Quian frowned and looked down at Hue. "How can you stay so upbeat in this place?"

"Why not?" He looked at Quian's scowling face. "We'll be the pride of our families when we return. Besides, the power we gain here could help us secure a good position in the tournament. Imagine if we take first place! Isn't it natural to feel excited about bringing such glory to the sect?"

"What nonsense," Xiang Yuze muttered. Yuze was the only one who knew Hue before their group formed. "You're not doing this for the sect!" he said accusingly.

"You're just dreaming big, thinking you might marry the lord's sixth daughter if you win the tournament." The news that the city lord's sixth daughter would come of age to marry next year was well-known among the nobility. Yuze knew how excited Hue got whenever she was mentioned.

Hue stepped back, glaring angrily at Yuze, but he didn't deny his colleague's accusation. Instead, he turned and continued climbing the mountain.

Yuze laughed, satisfied with his reaction.

***

The group of disciples pressed on with their arduous journey.

Then, Hue, who was leading, abruptly stopped.

"What is it? Found more herbs?" Yuze asked.

"No, that's not it. There's something strange up ahead." He pointed to a higher point on their path.

"Where?"

"Inside the fog!" Hue stammered, fear evident in his voice.

His words made everyone's eyes widen. The three looked upward and saw a humanoid figure within the dense white mist. The sight shocked them all—someone was indeed inside the terrible and mysterious fog their masters had so sternly warned them to avoid.

"Damn it, we're not the first to get here!" Yuze exclaimed.

"What do we do now?" Hue sought a solution from his companions.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Jing. "If that guy's coming down, it means he already found what he was looking for. We just need to make him hand over everything he's got."

Yuze nodded in agreement.

The two headed toward the unknown figure.

"Hey, be careful not to get too close to the fog!" Quian warned from behind them.

"That guy's there. It must be safe," Yuze replied.

They approached the person, confirming that he was indeed within the mysterious fog. He was a young man like them. The stranger stood with his back to them, gazing at the mountain's peak. He wore blue robes, now in tatters, which they immediately recognized.

"He's from the Southern Green Turtle Tear Sect," Jing said, clear apprehension in his voice.

The confidence they had felt diminished considerably; this was a very prestigious sect in Zaguhan, and its disciples' strength was greatly feared.

"So what?" Yuze said, attempting to recover his composure. "There are four of us, and he's alone. We can handle this."

"Hey, you!" he shouted. "We're disciples of the Indulgent Iron Sect. If you know what's good for you, I suggest you hand over everything you found up there!"

The young man in the fog slowly turned toward them.

When he finished turning, Yuze and Jing turned pale at what they saw. A chunk of the boy's neck was missing, exposing his white bones and red flesh. And yet, his skin still had a pinkish, healthy tone. If not for the hole in his neck, they might have thought he was in better condition than they were.

Their shock didn't end there. When they blinked again, the young man in the fog was no longer alone—dozens of humans and beasts stood side by side, staring at them, at least those who still had eyes to do so.

The boy in the fog lunged at Yuze, biting his face as if to devour it. However, Yuze only felt the pain of the bite. As someone deeply connected to Metal magic, his skin was tougher than that of any cultivator of another element.

Quian, who was already nearby, circulated Metal essence through his body. A metallic glow clung to his skin as he rushed forward, shoving the strange disciple away.

"We need to—" Before Quian could finish, something massive fell on him, crushing his body.

The remaining three disciples froze, as though their very souls were stunned by the event. Imperceptible and undetectable, a massive brown bear had descended from above, turning one of their companions into a mangled corpse.

They stared at the bear in disbelief.

The creature rose, there was nothing above its neck. Slowly, it began moving toward them.