ONE LIFE ONE STEP

volume : 2

The wind howled as Li Zhao stood at the edge of the city. His breath came in shallow gasps, each one carrying a hint of the strange, heavy energy that now filled the air. The world was no longer a place of simple rules. No, it was a place of chaos, of power and destruction, where gods could fall and the weak would be crushed beneath the weight of a reality governed by strength.

The man who had approached him earlier—a cultivator, his aura crackling with energy—had given him no choice. No time for hesitation. Li Zhao’s first trial had begun. And it was far more brutal than he could have imagined.

"You want power?" the cultivator had said, his voice cold as steel. "You want to ascend? Then suffer. Only through suffering can you truly grow. Only through pain can you overcome."

Those words echoed in Li Zhao’s mind as the ground beneath him trembled. His fingers tightened around the book in his hand, the one that had led him here, to this world, to this fate.

Step by step. The words seemed to mock him now. They weren't offering a guide to power; they were testing him. Pushing him to the brink of his limits. He had thought the path of cultivation would be straightforward, that it would be about harnessing energy, cultivating his soul seed, and ascending. But no one had warned him about the true cost.

He turned toward the city, the towering structures now looming ominously over him. The once-thriving metropolis was now in chaos. People ran through the streets, their faces pale with fear. The earth trembled again, and the sky flickered as though it couldn’t decide whether to burn or freeze.

Li Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. He recognized it now—this was the world’s suffering. The beginning of the end. Cultivators like himself were supposed to rise above it. But how? How could he, a mere fledgling with a single soul seed, stand against the forces that were about to tear this world apart?

The First of Many Trials

As he walked through the streets, trying to make sense of what was happening, he was approached by another figure—this one clad in a dark cloak, their face hidden beneath the hood. They moved with a grace that made the air around them feel heavy, as though their presence alone could command the world.

The cloaked figure raised a hand, and the ground around them shifted, the earth parting like a living thing. From beneath the cracked earth, monstrous creatures emerged—beasts that towered over the city, their eyes glowing with hunger. They were born of the chaos that now spread through the world, creatures of pure destruction.

"These are the trials," the figure said, their voice a whisper that seemed to resonate in Li Zhao’s mind. "Only those who survive can ascend. The weak will perish. And even those who succeed will find the path unforgiving."

Li Zhao felt a knot tighten in his chest. These creatures... they weren’t mere beasts. They were born of the very suffering the world now endured. His heart raced. He had to fight. He had no choice. The book's instructions were clear: to survive, he had to step forward.

He took a deep breath and focused on the seed within him. The energy that had bloomed inside his chest thrummed with life. He had unlocked it—he had begun his cultivation. But it was far from enough. He could feel it, deep in his bones. He was still weak. Still vulnerable.

The first monster lunged, its massive claws swiping toward him, a roar that shook the heavens echoing from its mouth. Without thinking, Li Zhao summoned the energy within, his hand snapping out. A burst of light erupted from his palm, striking the creature's face, but it barely slowed it down.

Too weak. I need more power. Li Zhao’s mind raced, searching for any way to draw upon the power that the world offered. The books in his hands flickered, a pulse of ancient energy surging from their pages.

Step by step...

The book’s voice was calm, unrelenting, guiding him. But it wasn’t enough. He needed to do more. He needed to fight. He had to cultivate faster. The energy he had unlocked was only the first step. There was a limit to what a single soul seed could offer.

"Die, weakling!" the monster roared again, bringing its claw down on him.

The True Cost

Li Zhao didn’t have time to think. He leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the beast's attack, and his eyes flickered toward the distant horizon. There were others—other cultivators fighting. Some were succeeding, their bodies glowing with energy, their attacks swift and decisive. Others... were falling. Broken bodies littered the streets, victims of their own weakness.

Suffering. It was the first true lesson of this world. Power was a currency, and only those who paid its price could survive.

The beast lunged again, but this time, Li Zhao was ready. He reached out with both hands, gathering all the energy he could, focusing it into his core. The light around him flared as he forced the energy to condense into a single point. The soul seed inside him burned brighter, hotter.

With a roar of his own, he released the energy in a massive surge. The light pierced through the beast’s chest, and with a final, anguished cry, the creature collapsed, its massive form falling to the ground with a resounding crash.

Li Zhao stood there, panting, his body trembling from the effort. Sweat dripped from his brow. But he had done it. He had survived his first true trial.

The cloaked figure reappeared beside him, their gaze unreadable. "Not bad," they said, their voice devoid of emotion. "But this is only the beginning. The world will change, and those who cannot adapt will perish. You have stepped onto the path, Li Zhao. From now on, there is no turning back."

Li Zhao clenched his fists, the fire of determination burning in his chest. He wasn’t afraid. Not anymore.

"Step by step." The words in his mind were a constant reminder. The path would be long. The trials would be many. But he would rise. He would ascend. No matter the cost.