Half a month after the apocalypse descended upon Earth in the 27th century, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared over a vast forest in the southwestern region of Great Xia.
A massive whirlpool of clouds began spinning faster and faster, as though the sky itself were trying to suck the earth upward.
Then lightning erupted.
From the center of the vortex, a lone figure fell from the sky, tiny against the terrifying celestial spectacle.
“Aaaaahhh!”
Xia Ruxi screamed as she desperately tried to cast spell after spell to stop her fall. Yet no matter what technique she used, nothing responded.
Boom!
She crashed into the ground with tremendous force, blasting a huge crater into the earth and sending dirt flying everywhere.
Groaning, Xia Ruxi rubbed her aching lower back and slowly clawed her way out of the crater before collapsing onto the nearby grass.
Her face was so covered in dirt that only a pair of bright eyes remained visible. Her hair stood on end as though she’d just been struck by tens of thousands of volts of lightning, and her once-elegant robes had been reduced to tattered rags, though it was still obvious they weren’t clothing from this era.
In her current state, anyone who saw her would probably mistake her for a beggar from some ancient dynasty.
“Finally… I can lie down.”
She muttered weakly, her lips still retaining a hint of healthy color.
“Where exactly am I? I was clearly undergoing my Heavenly Tribulation. I was only one bolt away from ascending to the Upper Realm… How did the final lightning strike send me here instead? This certainly doesn’t look like the Upper Realm.”
“It seems… I failed my tribulation.”
Closing her eyes, Xia Ruxi examined her spiritual sea.
Her expression immediately darkened.
Not only was her spiritual palace shattered, but the little spiritual energy she had left was in complete chaos. The remaining energy was barely enough to unlock the first layer of her storage ring.
“So that’s why I couldn’t summon my flying sword while I was falling…”
As she continued inspecting herself, another discovery nearly made her despair.
Her natal flying sword was gone.
Her spirit beast refused to answer her summons.
Things could hardly have gotten any worse.
The only silver lining was that her body-tempering cultivation had already reached perfection. Her physical body was powerful enough to survive the ordeal; otherwise, she would have perished on the spot, body and soul alike.
For now, all she could do was use her remaining trace of spiritual energy to open the first layer of the storage ring on her left index finger and retrieve some healing medicine and basic supplies.
“Thank goodness my storage ring was forged from Heavenly Beyond Goldstone along with countless precious crystals,” she said with relief. “Otherwise, if the heavenly lightning had destroyed it, I’d have cried my eyes out.”
Forming a hand seal with her left hand, Xia Ruxi released a thread of white spiritual energy.
The energy circled the ring once before disappearing into it.
A moment later, several porcelain bottles, a complete change of clothes, and an exceptionally sharp dagger appeared in her right hand.
“Luckily, I never threw these away. They’ve been gathering dust in the first storage layer all this time, but now they’ve finally come in handy.”
Xia Ruxi had always believed that no matter how powerful one became—even as a Tribulation-stage cultivator on the verge of ascension—there would always be situations beyond one’s understanding or control.
Being prepared for anything was a lesson she had learned after centuries of traveling through countless worlds.
She obediently changed out of her torn robes into the fresh clothes before washing herself in a nearby stream.
As the dirt washed away, the reflection of a beautiful young woman emerged on the water’s surface.
Her complexion was fair, her lips naturally rosy, and beneath her cool, composed features lay a thoughtful expression.
“Without spiritual energy, I actually have to wash and dress myself.”
She sighed.
“In the past, a single spell would have done everything. Oh well… At least my body isn’t seriously injured. One vial of Coagulation Elixir should be enough.”
Her gaze drifted toward the remaining bottle.
“But I only have one bottle of Vital Essence Elixir left. I have to save it for when it truly matters.”
As she thought, Xia Ruxi searched the surrounding area for a suitable place to stay.
“I’m already beyond needing food or water thanks to Bigu. Cultivators don’t need sleep either. But I have no idea whether there are dangerous beasts nearby.”
“I should find a safe cave first.”
After walking for some time, she spotted a cliff in the distance.
Halfway up its face was a broad natural ledge.
“Perfect.”
She smiled.
“My spiritual palace may be shattered and my cultivation gone, but my body is still incredibly strong. Good thing I always valued body refinement. Otherwise, climbing this cliff—let alone carving out a cave dwelling—would’ve been impossible.”
Using the nearby trees for leverage, Xia Ruxi quickly climbed onto the ledge.
Drawing the dagger from her storage ring, she began carving into the rock.
Though it looked ordinary, the dagger was a first-grade treasure weapon. Even such a modest magical artifact was more than enough to slice through mundane stone.
By the time the sun was setting, she had finally finished excavating a simple cave dwelling.
“Done.”
“Now to find something to eat.”
“Even though Bigu means I don’t have to eat… it just doesn’t feel right not eating anything.”
Xia Ruxi had always loved food.
Even after living for several centuries, she had never abandoned the habit of eating three meals a day.
It was because she had been born in a humble mortal village. Though fate had allowed her to follow her master onto the path of cultivation, she never wanted to forget where she came from.
To her, she was a human first, and a cultivator second.
She would never abandon those roots.
Returning to the stream below the cliff, Xia Ruxi used her dagger to fashion a simple fishing spear.
“I’m a sword cultivator. Spearing a few fish should be child’s play.”
She rolled up her pant legs, removed her shoes and socks, and happily stepped into the cool water.
The lively excitement on her face made it hard to believe she was a Tribulation-stage ancestor who had lived for hundreds of years.
Instead, she looked more like a carefree girl still in her teens.
The faint smile softening her otherwise cool features made her seem approachable and warm.
“Hmm?”
“These fish are surprisingly clever.”
“They dodge so well that I’m starting to wonder whether they’ve already awakened spiritual intelligence.”
Although puzzled, her hands never slowed.
With flawless precision, she thrust the spear again and again.
Within only a few breaths, two large fish were skewered cleanly.
“Not bad.”
“These two should be enough to satisfy my appetite.”
“Time to head back and roast some fish!”
Balancing the spear over her shoulder, Xia Ruxi walked back toward her newly made cave dwelling, happily swinging it from side to side.