The Primordial Continent has always been a land of conflict and bloodshed, yet few remember its beginning.
Before the rise of great empires, the dominance of bloodline clans, and mortals claiming supremacy, the world belonged to the Origin Beasts—colossal beings unmatched in power, wielders of the purest form of Origin Qi.
At that time, the world was sparsely populated. Races and civilizations had yet to develop; humans, demonic beasts, ferocious race, and other sentient beings roamed the vast, uncivilized landscape as scattered tribes.
They were vulnerable, constantly at the mercy of the fierce and devilish monsters that prowled the continent. Even these terrifying creatures feared the true rulers of the world—the Origin Beasts.
These titan-sized beings, unique in their existence, alone possessed Origin Qi, the essence of life, which they harnessed against the will of nature.
For epochs, they sat unchallenged at the top of the hierarchy, observing the struggles of smaller beings like sand ants.
Then, something changed.
Driven by arrogance or perhaps divine will, the Origin Beasts decided that dominance was their fate. With their superior power, they descended upon the world, binding every living race in servitude.
Resistance was futile; the weak were shackled, their lives mere fuel for their masters' eternal reign. Those who dared to oppose them were annihilated, their entire bloodlines erased from existence.
However, the curse of supremacy came at a cost.
As the Origin Beasts revelled in their unchecked power, corruption began to take root. Origin Qi, the source of their strength, began to wane, exhausted by their desires and excesses.
Unable to maintain their dominance, the once-mighty beasts fell dormant, forgotten by time. Though their physical forms vanished, the darkness of their reign lingered.
The world they crafted bore their mark—a landscape where only the powerful were deemed worthy of rule. The curse of dominance seeped into the fabric of society, infecting all who craved power.
Thus, the laws of the Origin Beasts became the laws of the world: power dictated destiny, and the weak existed solely to serve the strong.
This was the world into which Su Vaen was born.
---
On a cold winter night, the chilling breeze brushed against Su Vaen as he sat in the stone courtyard of the Su Clan manor.
Distant screams of animals echoed from the Great Desolate Forest, an anarchic wasteland beyond the empire's borders.
His clan lived on the periphery of civilization, far removed from the opulence of the imperial heart. Survival was a constant struggle, and power reigned supreme.
With his back against the wall, Su Vaen remained calm outwardly, though his heart was heavy. Two years had passed since he lost his sight.
He could still recall the day vividly—a single encounter with an old beggar, a curse cloaked in wisdom.
As he strolled through the bazaar, he found himself face to face with the old man, whose frayed clothes hung from a gaunt frame and whose eyes were black voids that seemed to pierce his very soul.
The beggar spoke nonsensically at the time: "The world is bound by chains that you cannot see, and you, boy, will break them. But first, you must be freed from the illusion of sight."
Before Su Vaen could react, searing pain erupted in his head. His vision faded, and his cries echoed through the streets, but no one came to his aid.
In an instant, the world vanished from his eyes.
At just fifteen, he lost everything: his future as a cultivator, his combat skills, and his place within the clan.
Now, at seventeen, approaching eighteen, he had grown accustomed to life without sight. Yet, the world had yet to learn how to include him.
---
Su Vaen clenched his fists in a mix of fury and patience, his ears picking up distant whispers from his clan brothers.
"Is he still out there? He should be sensible and accept his reality. A blind person has no place among cultivators."
"I heard his uncle is gaining more support. Su Ren might not win the race at the end."
Su Vaen remained silent.
He didn't need his eyes to know what was unfolding within the clan. His father, Su Ren, was locked in a struggle for dominance with his uncle, Su Liang.
The victor would become the future head of the clan.
While his uncle focused on gathering followers and showcasing strength, his father dedicated himself to the clan's stability, ensuring its survival in the empire's unforgiving hierarchy.
But Su Ren was blind to his own reality.
He loved the clan deeply, but not his own son. Since Su Vaen's injury, his father had withdrawn, pouring all his energy into protecting his position. Unwittingly, he had already given up on his son.
Su Vaen sighed.
If only their people could live in harmony. If only they were not forced to fight for strength like the Great Clans, vying for the empire's favor. If only his father had shown him care instead of loyalty, rather than sacrificing himself in a war destined to be lost.
But this was the life they led—one governed by the curse of supremacy.
To be weak was to die.
Su Vaen understood this better than anyone else. Deep within his heart, where mortal minds could never reach, an ambition began to stir—a desire to govern a world where wars would not claim the lives of thousands. Under absolute rule, only those deemed worthy would serve the world.