Ascension through the Abyss

Chapter 4: The Awakening

Nine days.

That was all Ren had left before the Azure Domain Tournament. Every morning, he was on the training field before sunrise. He trained until his body couldn't take it anymore, then moved to the wooden dummies. In the afternoon, he sparred with Bi Chen.

Bi Chen was one of the few people who had never laughed at him. Even when everyone else had given up on Ren, Bi Chen still treated him the same. He still trained with him every day. By the fourth day, Ren's whole body hurt. His hands were covered with small cuts, and every part of him ached whenever he moved. Still, he kept training. He had already wasted too many years.

That evening, Ren left the training grounds later than usual. The sun had already gone down, and the sky was getting darker. Most of the disciples had already gone home. The path was quiet. Ren walked alone. Then someone hit him. A fist crashed into the side of his head.

Before he could react, he lost his balance and fell hard to the ground. A kick landed on his ribs. Pain shot through his body. Ren looked up. Three disciples stood over him.

"You think you're special now?" one of them said.

Ren tried to get up. Another kick knocked him back down. The three surrounded him. Punches, kicks followed. Ren fought back as much as he could, but after a whole day of training, he had almost no strength left. All he could do was cover his head and endure the beating. Then... c***k.

A small sound came from his chest. The pendant around his neck had broken. Something warm ran across his skin. It was his blood.

His blood had reached the c***k in the pendant. The next moment, a strange warmth spread through his body. It started deep inside his chest and slowly spread through his arms and legs. It wasn't painful. It just felt... different. The warmth grew stronger with every heartbeat.

Ren couldn't understand what was happening. It felt like something inside him had been asleep for a very long time. Now... it was waking up.

The three disciples suddenly stepped back.

"What...?"

One of them stared at Ren. Another slowly took a step back.

"Let's go!"

Without waiting another second, they turned and ran. Ren barely noticed. His vision became blurry. The warmth inside him kept spreading. Everything slowly went dark.

When Ren opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at a white ceiling. The smell of herbs filled the room. He knew this place. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his body.

"Don't move."

His mother quickly stopped him. Lan Xiu was sitting beside the bed. She looked tired. Her eyes were red, as if she hadn't slept. His father stood nearby with his arms folded. His face looked calm, but Ren could tell he had been worried.

"What happened?" Ren asked.

Lan Xiu slowly shook her head.

"We don't know."

"Some disciples found you near the training grounds. You were already unconscious."

Ren tried to remember. Three disciples. The attack. The pendant. After that... Nothing.

"How long was I asleep?"

"A full day," his father answered.

Ren looked down.

His ribs were wrapped in clean bandages.

Then he noticed something else. His pendant was no longer around his neck. It was lying on a small table beside the bed. A long c***k ran through the middle. Dried blood was still inside it.

"My pendant..." Lan Xiu carefully picked it up.

"It was already broken when they brought you here." She looked at it quietly before placing it back on the table.

There was something strange in her eyes. It wasn't fear. It wasn't surprise. It was a look Ren had never seen before.

He frowned.

"Mom?"

She looked at him and forced a small smile.

"You should rest," she said softly. "Everything else can wait."

Ren wanted to ask more questions, but his body was too tired.

He slowly lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. Before sleep took him, he caught one last glimpse of his mother. She was still staring at the broken pendant. She looked at it for a long time without saying a word. Something about it didn't feel right. She couldn't explain why.

But deep in her heart, she had a feeling...that Ren's life has just changed forever.