The path of the fallen Immortal

[Note: Arcane Larvae are mystical, semi-sentient worms formed from the fusion of natural elements and spiritual energy. These larvae can be captured, refined, and evolved into powerful entities, each serving a specific purpose for the cultivator.]

The wind howled across the barren plains, carrying with it the scent of dust and blood. Beneath a sky stained by the crimson light of the setting sun, Xu Wuyan stood alone—his back straight, his eyes unflinching. Around him, a vast horde of cultivators surrounded him in a deadly circle, their eyes filled with fury and disdain.

At the head of the group stood leaders of both the righteous and demonic factions, their combined forces bent on putting an end to Xu Wuyan's ambitions once and for all. The ground beneath them trembled as they closed in, their spiritual energy crackling in the air like a violent storm.

"You monster!" shouted Elder Li Heng, a renowned righteous cultivator, his face twisted with disgust. "You have killed countless innocents, sacrificed lives in the name of your twisted obsession. For what? Power? You think you can play god and defy the heavens themselves? You are nothing but a vile demon!"

From the other side, Zhu Feng, a demonic cultivator known for his cruelty, sneered. "Hmph! I always knew you had no morals, Xu Wuyan. You've sacrificed everything—your friends, your clan, your very soul—all for a chance to refine a little larvae. The demons of this world may be ruthless, but even we draw the line at your depravity!"

Xu Wuyan's lips curled into a disdainful smile, a smile that could freeze even the most audacious souls. The words were nothing more than hollow accusations, born of fear and ignorance. His voice rang out, steady and chilling, carrying across the open plains like the murmur of a coming storm.

"Morals?" Xu Wuyan's voice echoed, his tone dripping with an unsettling calm. "How laughable. Morals are the chains that bind the weak, the illusion that keeps you clinging to your pathetic existence. You speak of depravity, Zhu Feng, yet all I see is a coward afraid to step beyond the boundaries of his own limitations. I have transcended your morality. I've sacrificed what is meaningless to achieve what you can never even dream of."

Yes, he had killed. Yes, he had destroyed everything and everyone who stood in his way. The innocent, the guilty, his own kin—none had been spared in his insatiable hunger for immortality.He didn't felt guilt instead he thought of it as a righteous act. His path had been one of sacrifice, but none of it had been in vain. He had seen the truth of this world, one where power ruled and death was the only certainty. In his eyes, it was not immortality that was wrong, but the foolish belief that it could not be attained.

"Xu Wuyan, you will die here today," Elder Li Heng declared, his voice shaking with righteous fury. "Not only for your countless sins but for your blatant defiance of nature itself. Eternal life is a lie. We are meant to die, to return to the world.You will pay the price for trying to mock the heavens!"

Around them, other cultivators echoed similar sentiments, their words sharp as blades. "Demon," they hissed. "Unfilial bastard." "You are cursed to die and never return."

But Xu Wuyan remained unshaken, standing tall in the face of their venomous words. His gaze swept across them, calculating, cold, and unyielding. He could feel the spiritual pressure mounting, the intense forces about to descend upon him. He had no illusion about the outcome of this battle; he knew the price of his ambition was death.

But death... that was not his true fate.

"I will die, yes," Xu Wuyan said softly, his voice cutting through the noise of his accusers like a blade through silk. "But not in the way you think."

His eyes, once cold and calculating, now burned with an intense, otherworldly fire.

In his final moments, Xu Wuyan's voice rang out, calm yet resolute:

"If eternal life doesn't exist, I will create it. Even death cannot stop me from walking the path of immortality!"

The silence that followed was like a stillness before the storm. His words were more than just defiance—they were a declaration, a promise to himself and the world. He had sacrificed everything in his pursuit of immortality, and in this moment, with the world against him, he was ready to go further than any cultivator ever had. He would reshape fate itself. The heavens would bend to his will, or he would make them.

As his hand reached down, his fingers brushing against the vial containing the chrono Larva, an explosion of spiritual energy erupted from him, a surge so powerful it sent shockwaves through the crowd. The cultivators were thrown back, their bodies crashing to the ground under the force of his sudden outburst.

Xu Wuyan's eyes glinted with determination. "I will walk the path of immortality. No matter what price must be paid."

His body began to tremble as the Larva's energy began to merge with his soul, igniting a surge of power beyond even his own control. His flesh and blood began to writhe, his essence merging with that of the Larva, creating an impossible connection. And in that moment, as the sky above seemed to darken and the winds grew still, Xu Wuyan's form glowed with an otherworldly light.

"This world will remember me," he whispered as the Larva's power enveloped him completely. "Not as a villain, not as a fallen immortal, but as the one who forced immortality into existence."

The next moment, his form shattered in an explosion of spiritual energy, leaving behind nothing but a faint echo of his final vow

...

The next thing Xu Wuyan felt was the warmth of sunlight on his face and the soft rustling of leaves in the wind. He opened his eyes to see a wooden ceiling above him, the smell of fresh earth and herbs filling his nose. A sharp contrast to the blood-soaked battlefield he had left behind.

Slowly sitting up, Xu Wuyan glanced around. The room was simple—bare wooden walls, a clay pot boiling over a small fire, and a single window letting in the golden light of morning. He staggered to his feet, his body unfamiliar and weak, but his mind as sharp as ever.

Xu Wuyan stood at the window, the cool breeze rustling his long, black hair as he gazed out at the serene landscape. His ordinary, dark black eyes seemed to absorb the light around him, yet they pierced through the distance, taking in every detail. The quaint village of Tianyuan lay nestled in the valley below, its residents going about their daily lives, oblivious to the weight of Xu Wuyan's memories.

As he took in the familiar sights and sounds, his eyes narrowed, and his mind slipped into the past. He had stood in this very spot before, but not in this lifetime. The realization sent a shiver down his spine.

"This is... Tianyuan Village," he whispered, his voice barely audible. His gaze drifted to the distant mountains, where a faint mist swirled around the peaks. The image was etched in his memory, a memory that spanned centuries.

"Six hundred years ago," he murmured, lost in thought. The past and present collided, and Xu Wuyan's eyes seemed to see right through the veil of time.