Chu Yang rubbed his sore eyes, the computer screen's blue glare piercing the dim office. **23:47**—the numbers burned in the corner. Another late-night overtime.
"Chu Yang, don't forget to send me the API documentation before work tomorrow." Manager Li Feng patted his shoulder on the way out, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Understood, Manager Li." Chu Yang forced a smile until the elevator doors closed—then let it drop. He exhaled sharply, saved his code, shut down the computer, and grabbed his already-packed backpack.
The early autumn wind carried a biting chill. Chu Yang hunched his shoulders, zipping his jacket to the top. The twenty-minute walk from the office to his apartment was a route he'd taken daily for two years—he could navigate it blindfolded.
At the third intersection, he froze.
A strange scent hung in the air—metallic yet spiced, raising the hairs on his neck.
"Who's there?" He called into the darkened alley.
No answer, but the smell grew stronger. His rational mind screamed to leave, yet something primal pulled him forward.
Then—**a shadow plummeted from above**, crashing five meters ahead.
Chu Yang staggered back, barely stifling a shout.
A **man in archaic gray robes** lay sprawled on the pavement, his chest drenched in a dark, **unnaturally glistening** stain. Blood—**too much blood**.
"Young man… come here…" The elder lifted his head, revealing a wrinkled yet ruddy face. His eyes **glowed faint gold** in the dark.
Chu Yang's legs locked. This was too surreal—had overtime exhaustion finally made him hallucinate?
"No time… take this…" The elder wheezed, extracting a **jade slip** carved with intricate, alien patterns. "The Taixu legacy… must not perish…"
**A crimson streak split the sky.**
Chu Yang shielded his eyes. Through his fingers, he saw a **black-robed figure suspended midair**, wielding a **sword wreathed in bloodfire**.
"Old fool, I've found you at last!" The figure's voice grated like scraping metal. "**Hand over the Taixu Art!**"
The elder suddenly lunged, seizing Chu Yang's wrist with **preternatural strength**.
"Remember—**qi flows through the Ren and Du meridians, the spirit guards the Violet Mansion**…" The words spilled frantically as he shoved the jade slip into Chu Yang's palm.
**Electric heat exploded up his arm.**
The black-robed figure roared. The bloodfire sword descended.
With desperate strength, the elder hurled Chu Yang aside and **charged toward the blade**.
"**RUN!**" The elder's final shout held something unreadable in those golden eyes.
**The world detonated.**
The shockwave slammed Chu Yang into a wall. Darkness swallowed his vision—but not before he registered two things:
The **unnatural warmth** pulsing from the jade slip in his grip.
And the elder's voice echoing as if from deep within his skull:
"**Your path of cultivation… begins now…**"