Chapter 1

With a splash.

A slender figure leaped into the river, splashing up a wave of water.

The figure seemed to be a boy around thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in splendid attire, but half of his body was stained with blood. As soon as he entered the water, he kicked his legs and swam downstream toward the river bottom.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Arrows whistled through the air from behind, piercing the water at an angle.

The sharp arrows, still carrying momentum, swiftly pursued the boy, leaving cuts on his cheeks, arms, and thighs. Blood quickly dyed the surrounding water red, but fortunately, none of the arrows hit vital areas.

The boy gritted his teeth, using his hands and feet to squeeze out the last bit of strength he had, desperately diving toward the river bottom.

Suddenly, the nearby current became turbulent, a powerful undercurrent enveloped his body, and in an instant, it swept him several dozen feet away.

The boy, instead of panicking, was delighted and swam quickly with the current.

The rain of arrows continued to pursue him, but by this point, they were losing their force. The undercurrent scattered them, and they no longer posed a threat.

The boy in the splendid attire secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his movements did not relax. He quickly descended to the river bottom and continued to swim forward with all his might.

The farther he escaped, the greater his chances of survival.

In a moment, he had swum half the length of a joss stick, and there was no more commotion behind him.

However, after staying underwater for so long, his breath was almost at its limit. His chest felt like it was filled with thunder, and his head was throbbing. He was about to risk surfacing to take a breath.

Suddenly, the surrounding undercurrents became several times stronger, and even underwater, the loud rushing sound could be heard. The boy could not stabilize his body and was directly swept away.

The sound of the river's current ahead grew even louder, like a water dragon swirling, forming a massive undercurrent vortex several dozen feet wide.

Many jagged rocks stood within it, like the teeth of a giant beast, tearing and swallowing everything.

The boy was greatly alarmed. Although he was a good swimmer, he was now severely injured and almost out of breath, with little strength left. If he were to be swept into such a massive undercurrent vortex, he would surely die.

In a panic, he quickly inserted his hands into the mud below, trying to grab something to stabilize himself. His right hand touched a hard object, which seemed to be a rock.

The boy used all his strength with his ten fingers, and his body, carried by the current, slightly paused.

However, the object he grabbed was not solid. Before he could fully stabilize himself, it detached from the riverbed, and he was swept away by the undercurrent vortex, colliding heavily with a black rock with a "bang."

The boy could no longer hold on, and a mouthful of blood mixed with a large bubble burst out, and blood gushed from his multiple arrow wounds.

At that moment, he felt as if all his bones were disintegrating, his head grew increasingly heavy, and with his breath gone, he had no strength to resist. He was about to be completely swallowed by the massive vortex.

Suddenly, a green light appeared from his right hand, illuminating the surrounding seabed. The originally turbulent undercurrent vortex suddenly calmed and silently disappeared.

Everything around him became silent.

The boy faintly felt a cool sensation entering his head, and his spirit was refreshed. The feeling of suffocation was greatly relieved, and he was startled to look at his right hand.

Faintly, the glowing object was the thing he had just picked up, a small, ancient green incense burner about the size of a bowl.

The fresh blood flowing from his right hand wound was swirling around the incense burner and quickly seeping into it.

Just as the boy was about to examine it further, the green light from the incense burner suddenly burst.

His mind felt as if it had been struck, even more intensely than when he had hit the rock. At that moment, bizarre scenes began to surge in his mind.

A torn sky, a devastated earth...

Under a blood-red sun, the west wind stirred up a thousand miles of sand, and a massive creature, covered in sharp spines and claws, twisted its body, rising and falling, surrounded by lightning...

A massive figure, half-naked and covered in strange tattoos, was bound to a cliff that soared into the clouds, eyes tightly closed, with two dried blood tears...

The sky full of stars shattered in an instant, and the moon dimmed, leaving only endless darkness in the world...

These scenes flashed through the boy's mind, leaving no trace.

Before the boy could form any thoughts, he instantly lost consciousness.

The green incense burner transformed into a green shadow, merging into his right arm, becoming a faint green mark...