Divinity

The Awakening of Bia Xiao

"Am I dead? Is this all just a dream?"

Bia Xiao stopped in his tracks, placing his hand on his chest, feeling for his heartbeat, his pulse, anything that would confirm he was still alive. Everything felt surreal. In the span of a few days, he had fought warriors at the Meridian Opening Realm, narrowly avoided death by dodging countless throwing knives, and survived injuries that should have killed him.

"The Raging Tiger Art... it's strong, but it shouldn’t be this strong, right?"

He continued walking, though his pace was slow and labored. His bones were healing, but the process was slow and agonizing. An itchy sensation crawled under his skin, as though his very body resisted the mending. For fifteen days, he limped along, and finally, by the eighteenth day, his body regained enough strength for him to stand tall again. Color returned to his face, and the fire of vitality burned within him once more. That was when the pull began.

It started with a faint tug deep within the cave, a distant light that flickered in the darkness ahead. The air grew hotter as he neared, but instead of feeling scorched, something strange happened; his body welcomed it. Every cell in his being seemed to cry out in response, surging with energy. The ripples of heat that shimmered in the air, hot enough to burn any mortal man, only invigorated him further. The energy within him pulsed, soaking through his skin, and began connecting to something—something ancient and powerful that lay at the core of the cave.

"Damn it! If I die, I die!"

With a shout, Bia Xiao launched himself forward. His feet pounded against the cave floor as his body surged with newfound strength. Every cycle of the nameless energy coursing through his veins made him faster and stronger. His heart raced with exhilaration, a primal urge to unleash it all. Mid-stride, he couldn't resist, he began practicing the Raging Tiger Art. His fists flew, and his kicks followed in fluid motions, each muscle bending and twisting in perfect harmony. His movements were wild yet controlled, a fierce tiger in motion. He pushed his body beyond its limits, and for the first time in his life, he felt truly alive.

"It’s... the Raging Tiger Art! I can’t believe it!"

Each breath he took was heavy, but he didn’t stop. The energy flowing through him followed a path he had never known, starting from his left foot, weaving through his abdomen, and connecting to his heart. Suddenly, a sharp explosion rang inside his mind. Blood poured from his nose as his body crumpled to the ground. Darkness consumed him. Eight hours passed before he awoke. Bia Xiao groaned, lifting himself off the ground. His body felt light—lighter than it had ever been. The blood on his face had long dried, cracking on his skin. The cave’s temperature had risen to unbearable levels, but his body endured it. His throat was parched, but it didn’t matter.

He gasped, his hands trembling as he checked his body. "First-stage Meridian Opening Realm... is this for real?"

He could feel it—a meridian channel, flowing with vibrant energy from his left leg to his heart. With every pulse, his heart strengthened, as if being forged in some otherworldly furnace.

"This... this is insane! The Raging Tiger Art... I never imagined it could have such incredible effects. If I had known this sooner, I would've trained day and night." Excitement surged through him, filling him with the desire to strike something to unleash his newfound power. But confusion soon followed.

"What kind of meridian did I open? It starts with my legs... not my hands." Generations of Bia tribe warriors focused on the meridians leading to the palms. The fire element, their birthright, was best controlled through their hands. It was the way of their tribe.

"I wonder... can I still control fire even though I didn’t open the meridians in my hands?"

Bia Xiao took a deep breath, closing his eyes in concentration. Slowly, he reached out, trying to sense the fire element in the surrounding air. Moments later, he felt it—an intense, burning presence, beckoning him to absorb it. Yet something was wrong. His pores, which should have drawn in the fire element like a sponge, instead felt distant and disconnected. And then the strangest sensation overwhelmed him: rejection.

"I’m being rejected by the law of fire."

The thought sent a shiver down his spine. How could this be? Everyone in the tribe, even the children, could sense and absorb fire elements to some degree. It was unheard of for a member of the Bia tribe to be rejected by the fire element.

"Maybe it was just a mistake. I’ll try again."

Bia Xiao settled his mind, calming the storm of emotions inside him. Once more, he opened his pores, trying to absorb the fire element. But, like before, he was met with a fierce rejection, one that struck deep within his soul. The rejection stirred something else—rage. A primal fury erupted inside him, foreign and uncontrollable. Without warning, he threw his head back and roared, venting his frustration into the echoing cave. His foot slammed into the ground, creating a spiderweb of cracks that spread out beneath him. The nameless energy surged violently within, his blood boiling with its force.

"Calm down. Calm... down," he muttered through clenched teeth, his heart hammering so hard it felt as if it would burst from his chest. After several deep breaths, the rage subsided, leaving him exhausted. He resumed his path toward the source of the light.

Two days later, after resting and pressing on, Bia Xiao finally reached a massive chamber. The air shimmered with overwhelming heat, and a blinding light flooded the space. Blue flames danced in the heart of the chamber, their brilliance so intense he had to shield his eyes.

"What... is this?"

The walls glowed red-hot, with molten lava flowing like rivers through the chamber. But the lava wasn’t ordinary—it glowed with a bluish hue, giving the entire scene an otherworldly, dreamlike quality.

"Blue lava... this place is insane. How come the elders never found this place?" For hours, Bia Xiao stood before the chamber, letting his eyes adjust to the brightness. The heat intensified to the point where it finally began to burn his skin—but not as he expected. Instead, the heat was drawn into his body, black impurities seeping through his pores.

"Impurity cleansing!"

A rare and miraculous event, the cleansing of one’s impurities was a process every martial artist coveted. Without the aid of herbs or spiritual pills, most cultivators would never succeed in cleansing their bodies fully, leaving behind blockages and weakening their foundation. The Meridian Opening Realm, after all, was just the beginning. A warrior needed to open ten meridians to form their qi sea, and only then would they step into the gates of the Master Realm. And beyond that lay even more profound realms that required absolute purity of body.

"The lava... it's hot, but the energy in my body feels... similar to it." Bia Xiao sensed it more clearly now—the connection between the energy surging within him and the blazing heat around him. It was a realization that sent a shiver down his spine.

"I’ve only practiced the Raging Tiger Art for four years. What will happen if I master it? How much stronger will I become?"

For the first time, he sat cross-legged, fully prepared to study the manual his father had given him. Until now, he’d only skimmed the surface, dismissing it as a mere relic his father found by chance. He realized now, though, that it was more than just a worn-out book.