Chapter 1, Amaterasu

On the day of his twelfth birthday, Li Tianzhao's parents returned home. His mother's arm was injured, wrapped in cloth, with dark herbal medicine inside. Although the wound was not visible, Li Tianzhao knew that his mother had not moved that arm, indicating that it was not a minor injury

Li Tianzhao did not expect such a strong reaction from his mother. With his head lowered, he explained with embarrassment: "Mother, please do not be angry. I just do not want you to work too hard."

Li Tianzhao's father saw him in a daze and shouted loudly: "Come here quickly!"

He could hardly believe that the person being carried at this moment, covered in blood, with several wounds on her face that had opened up, to the point of being unrecognizable, was actually his mother

In reality, Li Tianzhao has already grown quite tall and admires the girl's beauty; however, he thinks of his parents' expectations and the promise made at the age of twelve, which makes him dare not relax

Father Li admonished sternly: "Words spoken to the sword are the sword's oath! Whether intentional or unintentional, the sword remembers. The 'Battle Seal' within the sword is the power bestowed by the great Martial King. Our honor resides entirely within it. To violate the sword's oath is to blaspheme against the great Xuantian Martial King"

Mother, mother, mother! Mother! Mother! Mother, wake up, wake up—mother, you cannot die, you are the fighting mandarin duck! Mother...'' Li Tianzhao cried out alone, shouting.

The last page

It has only been two days since returning, and we are setting off together again

The female swordsman and the child both survived, and the child was named Li Tianzhao

Father Li was quite disappointed, while Mother Li, though feeling dejected, still cheerfully said: "Don't worry, the powers of many chaotic fragments often reveal themselves late"

In Li Tianzhao's memory, his mother was always very beautiful, exuding a commanding presence, with piercing eyes, and she was particularly well-matched with his father

Because merit almost determines everything, and before reaching adulthood, Li Tianzhao's standard of material distribution depended on his parents' merits

The child speaking has always envied Li Tianzhao for having such formidable parents, as he heard the captain say that Li Tianzhao's parents are heavenly-level swordsmen among the Ten Generals. If he had suffered fewer injuries, he would have long been a hundred-battle general. As a child of the life-and-death mandarin ducks, he certainly has to fight harder than us

Li Tianzhao completed the skills taught by the village chief early on. Every time his parents returned, they would teach him how to practice, and he followed their instructions. Some villagers, curious about his abilities, tried to practice in the same way, but they gave up after just a few days.

Wangtian Village has only about thirty households in total. On ordinary days, the team leader arranges the day's tasks, which may include hunting, logging, gathering herbs, or mining. After completing these tasks, the remaining time is at their own disposal. The team leader will lead a training session for half an hour, after which individuals are free to practice on their own. As for whether they practice earnestly, the team leader does not concern himself with that.

His mother gritted her teeth in silence; although her heart ached, she understood the ways of the world. If one does not shed blood or tears in youth, one may face the loss of soul and life in adulthood. Thus, she remained silent, listening to her husband sternly reprimanding, "Hurry up, hurry up, faster! If it were the enemy's weapon, would it only hurt? Every training session must be taken with absolute seriousness!"

What everyone wants to learn are the easily mastered "skills", but what Li Tianzhao's parents taught were merely methods of training, which are much more arduous than what the village chief requires.

He cherishes these precious moments spent together, but he has little opportunity to meet with his mother. Li Tianzhao's parents, as active soldiers under the command of the Xuantian Martial King, are always engaged in battles outside and seldom have the leisure to return.

Li Tianzhao discovered that there was only one fruit, and he heard that this thing was very good. He initially wanted to share it with his parents, but he saw his father's brow furrowed, clearly indicating that he did not want him to be verbose. Thus, he obediently ate the fruit under their watchful gaze

"Why not practice in vain?" Another child looked at the most beautiful girl in the village who was still eating, and felt that her pouting parts were particularly attractive, so he absentmindedly replied.

They practice every day until dinner time, and they are already very tired. They have to continue to push themselves in the dark, and it is not possible to experience improvement every day, which truly lacks the motivation to persist

However, it was of no use

Everyone says that Li Tianzhao's parents are formidable warriors, and this pressure drives him to work twice as hard to live up to their expectations and not to disappoint the chaotic fragment power that he 'possesses'

Li Tianzhao clearly remembers that on this day, August 18th, his heart ached, ached, ached

Seeing tears welling up in Li Tianzhao's eyes, his father's expression darkened, clearly displeased

However, some fragments may remain in the organism for various reasons

The girl, having been rejected, does not get angry; after a few days, she will take the initiative to invite again, leaving the other three envious and lamenting the unfairness of fate, while also blaming Li Tianzhao for not understanding the virtues of women

"What is different about your body?" Li's mother asked eagerly. Li Tianzhao felt particularly energetic, as if the fatigue of the day had completely vanished. He replied honestly, "I feel an abundance of energy all over my body!"

Li Tianzhao gritted his teeth and endured the pain, the tears that involuntarily welled up in his eyes ultimately did not fall.

In the end, seeing that Li Tianzhao was so oblivious, Mao Sui took the initiative to express his willingness. Unfortunately, the girl pouted and directly said, "Who would want to go with you!"

Some were blocked by Li Tianzhao, while more fell upon his head, face, and body

On a certain day a month later, many voices in the village suddenly called out the name Li Tianzhao. He had just put down his axe when someone rushed over with an anxious expression and said to him: "Hurry, hurry to see your mother, for the last time!"

At the beginning, due to visibility issues, he would suddenly slip while walking, strain his back, and even fall, colliding with trees, which had happened before. Later, he was able to determine the positions of the trees by the sound of the air being sliced as he swung his sword.

Between heaven and earth, countless forces of primordial chaos are dispersed, their forms imperceptible and their sounds inaudible

The wound was a knife injury, the female swordsman had disheveled long hair, and barely managed to counterattack and kill her enemy. Looking at the wound on her prominently swollen abdomen, in a moment of panic, she resolutely took out the baby from within herself

Little Li Tianzhao certainly could not have imagined how many people were born on that day, and thus he believed his mother's words without a doubt

On a stormy night, a chaotic force driven by the fierce wind, which had been flying along with the circumstances, suddenly collided with the wound in the abdomen of a female swordsman

"Do not just focus on talking, continue practicing!" Li Tianzhao's father rarely smiled, always wearing a serious expression. At that moment, he was repositioning many ropes that were hanging with stones. When five-year-old Li Tianzhao charged forward with a wooden sword, he loosened his grip, and one by one, the stones swung and crashed forward.

A group of warriors stood silently there, their bodies marked with dried blood, their faces covered in dust, clearly having not rested along the way

Li Tianzhao's mother still remembers his birthday. They economize in every possible way, and even when injured, they are reluctant to spend their merits on treatment at the city clinic. Instead, they exchanged their merits for the expensive Chaos Fruit, intending to celebrate their child's birthday well. They did not want to utter any scolding words, but instead said: "Remember your father's words, spoken in front of the sword; that is the oath. Now, eat this Chaos Fruit. It can strengthen your body and also accelerate the manifestation of the chaotic fragments of power within you."

Li Tianzhao's mother suddenly lost much of her anger, and in a moment of emotional turmoil, she found herself at a loss for words

They are like fragments, varying in size and strength. Usually, they exist quietly among all things, or drift between heaven and earth with the wind, entering and exiting the breaths of living beings, fluttering beneath people's footsteps

His father's eyes were filled with sorrow, yet he did not cry. Suddenly, it began to rain heavily from the sky, and thus no one knew whether he shed tears

Meeting with his parents only once in a long while, the time spent together is an exceptionally rigorous training, yet he does not feel wronged; instead, he puts in double the effort and strives to do his best.

However, Li Tianzhao never dared to relax; even on nights without moonlight, he practiced swordsmanship in the woods outside the village. His parents said that if one cannot remember the circumstances of the environment, it would diminish the value of cultivation

Li Tianzhao, however, did not dare to rest, even when the most beautiful girl in the village invited him several times to go out for a walk after dinner, he always replied earnestly: "I need to practice after dinner"

Father Li hesitated to speak; in fact, he did not possess the full confidence of his wife

Li Tianzhao eagerly counted the days, and every night when he practiced until midnight and went to sleep, he felt that the time until his parents' return was getting closer.

Li Tianzhao still does not understand what it means to enter the city, yet he believes in his mother's promise and knows that the words spoken to the sword are a sword oath, which must never be violated

As he was about to leave, Li Tianzhao was held in his mother's arms, and tears glistened in both of their eyes. When Li's father urged for the third time, Li's mother suddenly set Li Tianzhao down, drew her long sword with a swift motion, held it horizontally before her, her expression extremely serious, and vowed with the sword: "When you turn twelve and your fate is foretold, our achievements will surely allow you to enter the Hall of Cultivation in the city"

When Mother Li left, she said that it would take at most one month, and at least three months, to inevitably send him to the city

"Mother, I heard that if one does not enter the city, they can become an auxiliary soldier upon turning twelve..." Before Li Tianzhao could finish his sentence, he saw his mother's expression darken, and she sternly reprimanded him, saying: "Shut your mouth!"

Unexpectedly, the mother, who appeared to be as weak as a thread, suddenly grasped him with surprising strength, pulling him close and, with all her might, whispered in his ear: "The path of a curved sword can be faster than a straight one! Remember this, remember it—"

After Li's mother finished speaking, it seemed as if all her remaining strength had been exhausted. Grasping Li Tianzhao's hand, as if afraid of hurting him, she suddenly took the initiative to let go. In an instant, she lost all her strength and her hand fell down.

It is not only him that is envied; in Wangtian Village, Li Tianzhao receives the most meat each time.

Despite this, he did not discover any special powers within himself until the age of twelve

Li Tianzhao suddenly came to his senses, but upon looking at his mother's appearance, he did not dare to touch her, only feeling that wherever he touched, his mother would surely feel great pain.

When speaking of the circumstances surrounding his birth, the female swordsman always adds, "Tian Zhao, you are a person favored by fate. That night, your mother narrowly escaped death; the thunder roared incessantly, and the lightning flashed one after another, allowing me to see the person who ambushed us... Others say that the extraordinary phenomena at the time of your birth indicate that you possess the power of formidable chaotic fragments!"

The parents are doing their utmost, and he feels that he must give his all.

The three older classmates at the table heard this; one was left dumbfounded, while another quickly signaled with his eyes to remind.

The younger children are all quite earnest, and most of the time they practice until dinner. Li Tianzhao is especially diligent; after hastily finishing his meal, he takes up his sword and goes out again. The other children, upon seeing this, comment: "Li Tianzhao really isn't afraid of exhaustion, practicing until midnight every day. How can he see anything in the dark?"

In the city, there are many training halls for acquiring skills; however, the achievements of Li Tianzhao's parents do not meet the standards, which is why he has been learning skills under the guidance of the captain of Wangtian Village.

How is it?" Mr. Li rarely showed a look of eager anticipation.

In a fit of emotion, she tugged at her arm injury, causing her face to involuntarily twitch. Her mother, filled with anger, exclaimed: "Who taught you to think this way!"