Pathway

Wonyong.

A relatively large village in the northern province on the continent of Anhui. The village was located near the legendary Anji sea to the front and Zhoudao city to the back. The curve of the Anji sea also connected with the city of Zhoudao. Opposite Wonyong on the other side of the sea, was a small fortified city formed by the three villages of Fushui, Darsa and Sinsan.

The vast body of water known as the Anji sea, was the home of three different groups of the thalassics [Water sacred beasts]. Those three thalassics were the fishfolk, the dragonborn and the lionkind. Over the ages, there had been many wars over the territories of the sea. But after millions of years of disputes, an agreement was finally reached. The Anji sea was equally divided among the warring groups, bringing peace to the sea.

The agreement also created a free region in the sea. A place where all the sea sacred beasts could come together without barging into each other's territories. Trades and meetings, among others, could be carried out in the free region.

On land, Wonyong village was situated at the free region of the sea where the three thalassics came together. In the immediate waters of Wonyong were three tribes of those thalassics. They were the White Sybils of the fishkind; the Ruby Crowns of the sea dragons and the Grey Runes of the sea lions. Due to them living closer to the free region, there was a close interaction among them. 

To consolidate the unity among the three thalassics, a significant decision was made regarding an invaluable artifact of the sea. The Frozen Ember pearl. A total grade luminous treasure. It was divided into three fragments, and each was given to a group of the sacred beasts. The three groups then gave them to the three tribes living near the free region of the sea. They would carry the symbols of peace and unity in the sea of Anji.

The peace was extended to the land. The three groups of the water sacred beasts, made an agreement with Wonyong village. The arrangement was in regards to the region and depth of the water to fish. After all, the sea was their home.

Wonyong was also a village with abundant vegetation. Due to the availability of vegetation towards the other side of the village, half of the villagers were farmers. The various produce of the farm along with the mundane sea creatures caught in the water, was bringing a fair amount of visitors, cultivators, traders and merchants to the village.

But the true value of the village was the luminous pillar, the Righteous-World.

The Righteous World was a total grade luminous treasure of high importance. It was located in the valley on the other side of the village. Just before the chains of mountains which separated them from the city of Zhoudao. The valley area of the village had no building or any other structures. But the whole place had been reconstructed with many bamboo mats, covering the floors. Cultivators would sit on them to meditate and practice their cultivation. The effective power of the pillar covered the whole area of the valley. 

Due to all these, cultivators were coming from far and near to cultivate under the Righteous World. Among them were the sacred beasts who could transform into mortal forms. Once a sacred beast reached a level of power, it would attain mortal transformation. They would often visit Wonyong to trade or to practice cultivation under the Righteous World.

A relatively peaceful harmony ensued among all. Gradually, the older members of the water sacred beasts began coming out to join the meditating cultivators.

Among them was Liqiris from the White Sybils of the fishkind. He was a sacred beast at the early stage of the golden core who had already reached the cultivation levels of full transformation. In his possession was one of the fragments of the pearl, the one belonging to the White Sybils of the fishfolk. It was the responsibility of his clan to keep the fragment and produced it when required. Being a diligent sacred beast, he was chosen to be the keeper of the fragment.

It was around the same time that a Xue Wu named Lang Hou came in from the Zhoudao city. He was an extremely powerful cultivator at the peak stage of the ascension level of power. As a blood cultivator of the nascent soul, not many cultivators on the mortal plane would be able to threaten him. On the mortal plane, hegemons were the highest in ranks. His core beast was a divine red eagle who had gained complete awareness of its existence. 

With him was a young blood cultivator of the peak-stage of the nascent soul who happened to be his son, Lang Hai. They would come to the Righteous Valley to meditate for long hours, building up trust with the others. It was there they met Cao Wang.

To maintain the sacredness of the pillar, some workers were assigned to see to the upkeep of the valley as a whole. To regularly attend to it. They were known as the Righteous Keepers. One of those keepers was Cao Wang. Joyful for being part of the order, he had been carrying out his daily task efficiently. He was a late-stage golden core cultivator who had been looking forward to breaking through to the silver core stage. The treasured pillar had been of a great help after he was stuck at a bottleneck for a quite a long time.

Due to the long hours spent by Lang Hou and his son at the valley to meditate, they had come to the attention of Cao Wang. And with time, they had come to know one another. Cao Wang had learned about them, and they too had acquired some information about him. Sometimes, they would provide him with some assistance in his bid to breakthrough to the next stage.

Gradually, he became accustomed to their presence and conversations. He would tell them many things of interest whenever he had the moment. Parts of what they were talking about included cultivation, artifacts and treasures.

But Cao Wang wasn't alone. With him was his only child, Cao Wang Xiu. Most of the time, she would join her father at the Righteous Valley where she practiced her own cultivation. She was doing that whenever she had the slightest chance to do so. While with her father, she would listen to his conversations with the Lang father and son. Although Cao Wang Xiu was a young girl of Lianchi stage, she understood everything they were talking about. 

She couldn't have been more proud of her father for everything he had done in her life. Ever since the death of her mother many years back, her father had been the one taking care of her. There was no denying the pain her loss had borough them. Oh, how much they missed her. She had died in a strange necrosis attack. Though the perpetrator was killed too, the weight of the scar it left on them was still enormous to bear. Yet, her father had never left her wanting of anything. He had been taking good care of her. Why wouldn't she be proud of him? The weight on her shoulders had been massive, but she had been trying her best to carry it. 

Cao Wang Xiu remembered being at home one day preparing the evening meal when her father suddenly staggered into the living room, still vomiting blood.

"Wang Xiu."

She had ran to her father after recovering from the shock of the sight of him. She was very afraid when she saw the blood on his father. Who could have done that to her father? She knew her father never had any quarrels with anybody, even at the righteous valley. More so, he was a copper core and a good martial artist. Who could've gone after him? Whoever attacked her father had to be a very powerful cultivator. Cao Wang Xiu heart began to beat faster as she held on to her father.

"Pa!"

Holding her father, she knew something was very wrong. The wounds, why were they not healing? Bloodroot pills should stop the bleeding. Why were they still bleeding? She didn't know when she started crying. She was losing her father. 

"No, no, no."

She tried to stop the bleeding, but couldn't. The many deep cuts on his body kept on gushing out blood. Her anger at being helpless to help her father was making her hands shook uncontrollably.

"Do something, Pa!" 

"Wang Xiu, take...take this spatial sac."

Cao Wang Xiu couldn't stop herself from crying as she continued to hold her father. She didn't want to take any sac. She just wanted him to be healed. Not to die.

"Nooo father, noooo."

Cao Wang coughed up more blood as he tried to speak.

"Listen to me, my daughter. What's inside this... sac I'm giving you is... very important. It belongs to the Anji sea sacred beasts. Es-pecially... the White Sybils of the fishfolk. It's a... fragment of the Frozen Ember pearl. Please... keep... it... safe. Don't let... it fall... into the... wrong hands..."

He coughed more blood as he took out a seal.

"This... teleportation seal will take you... away from here. It's the last one... I have. After you leave here, go to the... Lijiang continent. Look for.. the Last-Sages sect, and show them... this token."

Cao Wang produced a golden token and gave it to his daughter. He touched her cheek with one bloody finger while looking at her affectionately. He had tried his best to be there for her, but his best wasn't good enough. He could only hope she would find her feet after he was gone. 

"Hurry up, my... daughter."