Prologue

Year 2116.

Since the unforeseen nuclear war of 2066, many countries have vanished from the world map. The Arctic Circle has nearly doubled in size, and most of what was once Russia is now a frozen wasteland, part of the present-day polar ice fields.

Earth’s climate has undergone violent transformation. The once distinct four seasons have dissolved into erratic summers and winters. Sometimes the summer lasts five months and the winter seven; at other times, winter stretches eight or nine months, leaving summer with only four or five. Perhaps the only remaining pattern is that summer seems perpetually shorter than winter. Thankfully, the atmosphere did not sustain severe damage; otherwise, the extreme temperature shifts between day and night might have reduced the post-war human population—now only three hundred million—even further.

A global cooling akin to a new Ice Age has slowly begun.

Historians call it: The Age of the Polar Wastes.

The ever-scarcer resources on Earth have become the trigger for wars among the surviving world powers. People now refer to this era as the Last Night.

But the greatest threat is no longer any nation on this planet. At some indistinct point, extraterrestrial beings descended upon Earth, and the menace they pose far surpasses that of humankind itself. Even the alien invaders cannot resist the struggle for survival and energy.

Human genes, too, have mutated to adapt to the new environment. At a certain moment, the spacetime in which Hua Feng lived became extremely unstable—a collapse from another dimension caused two realities to merge, triggering genetic mutations in humans and other species. The powers this bestowed upon humanity rivaled the martial masters of ancient legend. A unique energy, one that could be harnessed and cultivated, appeared—humans named it Vital Force.

The level of one’s Vital Force directly determined lifespan and combat strength, and a new era of cultivation began.

According to the World Association of Cultivators, Vital Force is graded into one hundred levels, with five levels as a minor stage, and twenty as a major stage. Each major stage is divided into basic, intermediate, advanced, and supreme ranks.

They are as follows:

Levels 1–20: Vital Human. Comparable to an ordinary special forces operative.
Levels 21–40: Vital King. Equal to masters of the martial world, on par with the legendary Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang; average lifespan around two hundred years.
Levels 41–60: Vital Emperor. Theoretically, these elites live over five hundred years. They can traverse kilometers in a blink and slay foes amid thousands.
Levels 61–80: Vital Sovereign. Such individuals are exceedingly rare; their lifespans are unknown, their power enough to move mountains and seas, their mere presence deadly.
Levels 81–100: Vital Saint. Legendary beings—only theorized by the Association—who have transcended the cycle of reincarnation and torment, their path eternal, their lives unending. It is said that beyond this, even more formidable and mysterious cultivators exist; those who surpass the Saint level achieve true immortality.

With the balance of spacetime shattered, countless hidden mystical realms have resurfaced: the Immortal, Demon, Nether, Buddhist, Beast, and Human Realms. The denizens of myth and legend from these six domains have begun to stir.

As these beings from the ancient tales manifest in the world, humanity discovers it is not alone. In this tumultuous age, none can remain untouched.

Many unparalleled masters joined forces to establish the World Cultivators Association. To stabilize the newly fused spacetime, countless sacrifices were made—some gave up their very life force, others perished entirely. Among them were seventy-eight practitioners at the Sovereign level (rank 70–80), and one hundred fifty-six at the pinnacle or perfect completion of the Emperor stage. History will not forget their contributions; they could have chosen to do nothing. This was the dusk before the Last Night. Thanks to their efforts, the end was postponed for fifty-five years.

Gods and demons descend, the six realms totter on the brink. All surviving humans are forced to desperately strengthen themselves. To protect those they love, countless people throw their flesh and blood against the blades of otherworldly foes.

At this turning point, a soldier named Hua Feng discovers he alone may be able to alter the impending annihilation at the hands of gods and demons. To prevent this nightmare from becoming reality, to stop spacetime from collapsing again, he sets out on the path of cultivation. With his unique constitution attuned to the balance of yin, yang, and the five elements, he embarks on the journey to become a god and a saint!