Purple Destiny Rising

Chapter One: Purple Lightning Descends from Heaven

June 1, 2010, Z City, China. In the sweltering heat of June, a man and a woman stood inconspicuously among the passersby outside a bar on a bustling street. The man's name was Zhao Tian, and the woman was his girlfriend, Liu Yue. They seemed to be arguing about something.

Zhao Tian frowned and said coldly, "Why should I do that? I haven't done anything to wrong you."

Although Zhao Tian isn't conventionally handsome, he has a refined, scholarly appearance. If he lived in ancient times, he would definitely be considered a handsome scholar. It seems people nowadays dislike pretty boys (he just looks like one, he's definitely not). He's generally quite good to his friends and girlfriend. Due to family changes at a young age, Zhao Tian has been rather reserved about relationships, so he cherishes his first love. His girlfriend is someone he's studied with from middle school to university; although they weren't in the same class, they lived close by and could be considered childhood sweethearts.

Liu Yue said guiltily, "We're not a good match. Although you're a very nice person, you're not the one I'm looking for, so I'm sorry." Liu Yue lowered her head, looking remorseful. Combined with her innocent face and alluring figure, she was incredibly tempting.

Still frowning, Zhao Tian replied, "Because we don't have money?"

"No, it's just that we're really not compatible. I hope you can find a woman who can make you happy," Liu Yue hurriedly explained, her eyes occasionally glancing nervously into the bar behind her. Zhao Tian saw all of this.

Zhao Tian sighed and looked up at the sky.

Liu Yue didn't disturb him because she knew it was Zhao Tian's habitual gesture. Whenever he did this, he was actually thinking, and no one except him knew what he was thinking or when he would do it—perhaps on the way, at work, online, or even engaged in s****l activity. Whenever Liu Yue asked him what he was thinking, Zhao Tian would only give her vague answers. After a few times, Liu Yue gave up and even got angry about it several times.

After a moment, Zhao Tian lowered his head and said calmly, "Actually, I've known for a long time that you have another boyfriend, but I don't dislike you because of that. I'm not a conservative person; I'm just waiting."

"What are you waiting for?" Liu Yue's eyes lit up, seemingly pleased that things could end peacefully. After all, it wasn't good for a woman to have two boyfriends, especially since Liu Yue came from a rural area and was quite particular about such things. She didn't want her elders to know, otherwise she'd be subjected to insults like being shameless and promiscuous. Girls are generally more sensitive about such things.

Zhao Tian maintained his unchanged expression, revealing neither joy nor anger. He said, "Nothing, just seeing if we were destined to be together. It seems you already know." He then looked up at the sky, turned, and walked away.

Seeing Zhao Tian turn to leave, Liu Yue hurriedly asked, "Won't you tell anyone about this?"

Zhao Tian waved behind his back and said, "Don't worry, I'm not that kind of person. Do as you please. And tell that guy on the second floor, don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble." When Zhao Tian finished speaking, his emotions erupted, and he could no longer hold back. In front of so many people on the street, tears streamed down his face. He dragged his tired body and disappeared into the street, looking so desolate, but his emotions returned to indifference.

At this moment, a handsome young man in a suit with a pale face and a wicked smile walked out of the bar. He put his arm around Liu Yue's waist and said disdainfully, "A useless man, trying to steal my woman. He doesn't know his place. I really don't know why you're so afraid of him. If you hadn't held me back, I would have put him in jail long ago." Then he looked down at Liu Yue in his arms.

Liu Yue laughed, "Alright, everything's fine now, let's go." Then the two of them, arm in arm, walked into the noisy bar. Others might not know how formidable Zhao Tian was; even his friends thought he was a very amiable and good-tempered person. But as Zhao Tian's girlfriend of five years, she knew all too well. Don't be fooled by his usual amiable demeanor and lack of temper; once you provoke him, someone could die. Don't think that because it's a society governed by law, Zhao Tian wouldn't dare to kill—that would be a mistake. In other words, Zhao Tian had many methods at his disposal.

The evening was sweltering, the whole city felt like a sauna. Zhao Tian, heartbroken from his breakup, went home, bought a dozen beers, and stood on the rooftop to drown his sorrows.

Zhao Tian never drinks much; at gatherings or holidays, he usually only has one drink. Although he has a good tolerance for alcohol, he never gets drunk—that's his principle. But today is an exception. Looking at the empty bottles scattered on the floor…

Zhao Tian shook his head and mocked himself, "Useless," then gave a bitter laugh. He swayed as he stood by the roof railing (don't misunderstand, he wasn't suicidal, just getting some fresh air), his hands resting on the railing as he gazed into the distance, quietly contemplating everything that had happened that day. "Boom," "Boom." A clap of thunder startled Zhao Tian awake.

"Is it going to rain?" Zhao Tian looked up at the dark sky. "Never mind, I'll go to sleep." Just as he turned to leave the railing, a sudden change occurred. A loud bang echoed in the sky, and a purple lightning bolt, the size of a bucket, struck the spot where Zhao Tian had just been standing. Startled by the noise, Zhao Tian turned around and saw the lightning strike just two steps away from him. He felt a chill run down his spine, and a cold sweat broke out. He was filled with lingering fear.

"That was close... What happened? That was terrifying, I almost died... Phew." Zhao Tian wiped the sweat from his palms and thought, 'This place is dangerous, get out of here!' Without another word, he quickly walked off the balcony and left this dangerous place.

Back home, Zhao Tian lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing with thoughts of what had just happened. However, the shock of the incident lessened the pain of his heartbreak considerably.

"How is that possible? How could that lightning strike so precisely where I was standing? If I hadn't moved away for a moment, I would have definitely taken a hit, and my life would be over," Zhao Tian frowned, his face filled with disbelief. Moreover, recalling that lightning, it was purple, an almost eerie color, something Zhao Tian had never seen before. Even with his strong willpower since childhood (related to family changes), he couldn't help but feel a trace of fear. His mind went blank for a moment, and he couldn't help but think of those fantasy novels he read in high school: "Could it be that there are cultivators fighting in the heavens?"

Zhao Tian rubbed his Tianyang acupoint and muttered, "What am I thinking? How could I be thinking such nonsense? Am I scared out of my wits...?" Although he said this, he couldn't help but be curious. People are curious about things they don't understand, especially since this was happening right next to him. Lost in thought, Zhao Tian couldn't sit still any longer and got out of bed. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Filled with curiosity, he went back to the rooftop balcony.

When Zhao Tian stepped onto the balcony and looked up at the sky, he was dumbfounded. "Impossible! How could this be? Absolutely impossible! Do gods really exist?" Zhao Tian kept muttering to himself. It seemed he had seen something impossible, something that deeply overturned his beliefs. Perhaps not only Zhao Tian, but I believe most people felt the same way—that what they were seeing was unbelievable.

The dark clouds in the sky moved rhythmically with the wind. They seemed to consciously gather towards the east, while the west remained cloudless, bathed in the bright sunlight. Yet, this scene was not unusual; heavy rain seemed commonplace. The clouds and sunlight, each converging in one direction, then merged and covered the entire sky. The vast sky, obscured by clouds and sun, mingled and, in an instant, formed a giant yin-yang symbol—the Tai Chi symbol of ancient China. This sight greatly shocked Zhao Tian; light and darkness appeared in the most incredible way.

"I love you, I love you like a mouse loves rice," a cell phone rang. It was Liu Yue who personally chose this song for Zhao Tian. "Hey Xiao Tian, heartbroken? Don't be sad. Think positively. Like me, I live perfectly well without a woman," a comforting voice came through the phone.

The caller's name was Zhao Da, who shared the same surname as Zhao Tian (they were not related). He was Zhao Tian's classmate from junior high to university, and their relationship was even closer than that of a girlfriend. He was a close friend. He had just learned that Zhao Tian had broken up with his girlfriend and immediately called to comfort him. However, Zhao Tian was not in the mood to talk about such things right now.

"You fatso, look up at the sky! Look, there's a ghost in the sky!"

"I'm not fat, am I? You keep calling me 'fatty.' I'll never find a girlfriend if you keep doing that... Um... The weather's nice today, but it's a bit dark. Are you seeing a ghost?" A nagging voice followed.

"Are you blind? Rub your eyes and look again!" Zhao Tian excitedly raised his hand and gestured towards the yin-yang symbol in the sky. His gesture seemed like a provocation to the heavens. The yin-yang symbol in the sky spun rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, a bolt of purple lightning struck down. This time, however, Zhao Tian couldn't dodge it, leaving only a large, charred crater on the ground.

"What the hell is this weather?"

"Can't a person get any sleep? What kind of thunder is that?"

A chorus of complaints erupted from the surrounding residents. Little did they know, a life was being lost. (A reminder: Curiosity killed the man.)

In truth, Zhao Tian was unaware that even powerful beings might not know that the lightning that struck him was an extremely rare form of primordial purple lightning. Primordial power is the very foundation of a world, in other words, it is the law. Primordial power is ethereal and invisible to the naked eye, and the conditions for its formation are incredibly demanding. The probability is akin to throwing two empty bottles, one into the Yangtze River and the other into the sss River, only to have them collide in the ocean. This demonstrates its rarity, and the time, place, and conditions for its appearance cannot be predicted.

Everything can be divided into Yin and Yang, and the Primordial Purple Lightning is no exception. There are two types: one is Yang, the Lightning of Life, containing boundless vitality. Mortals who obtain it can achieve immortality and even have the opportunity to control the transformation and ascension tribulations of all spiritual beings and cultivators—truly miraculous. The other is even more formidable, the Lightning of Death. However, the Lightning of Death is different from the Lightning of Life. This lightning is extremely domineering; even great gods who know its location dare not touch its edge. It appears to be a weak bolt of lightning, which anyone with some cultivation can unleash, yet no one has ever been able to wield it. Anyone who has the opportunity to obtain it has invariably died upon touching it. The Lightning of Life, however, was obtained by a great god who, through the Jade Tablet of Creation, perfected it and aligned it with the Heavenly Dao—none other than the Dao Ancestor of China, Hongjun Daoist. This is why he wasn't struck by the first lightning bolt; he was simply destined to be without it.

It is said that obtaining the Thunder of Death grants control over worldly punishments and the power to decide life and death. However, another theory suggests that the Thunder of Death is one that has escaped from the Heavenly Dao. The saying "Heavenly Dao is forty-nine, hence the escaped one" may be an exaggeration, but it does illustrate its mysterious nature.