《Shadow Emperor》


 Prologue

    Snow Mountain, 10000 Million Years after Creation.


    A crying voice echoed through the valleys of Snow Mountain. On this special day where the whole kingdom celebrated the anniversary of Creation, a pair of dark blue eyes opened for the first time.


    These eyes belonged to a very innocent looking child, and although he was born with no unusual problems he had an aura of death surrounding him the moment he started crying. The birth of this child was of importance in this town, since he was of Vancun blood. The Vancun family was one of the most influential families in the kingdom of Draka, and although the Vancun Family in Snow Mountain was one of many outposts of the main sect, if one of Vancun blood was born it was still a major event in the villages of Snow Mountain. Thus, as soon as an elder of a surrounding village noticed the aura of death surrounding the baby he began to sweat and roar,This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°The Duncan offspring is dying, hurry up you dimwits and get his uncle he..¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, a middle-aged man with silver white hair materialized before the child.


    ¡°Sir..Sir.. Dunwood! The smell of death is emitting from the newborn, what is happening with him?¡±


    Dunwood Vancun gritted his teeth as he saw his sister¡¯s ashen face and the black fog that surrounded the baby. With a frozen face he said, ¡°Get out of this tavern, now.¡±


    At the same time he made a sealing mark with his hand as he channeled his Qi, before putting his hand unto the belly of the child. The baby started to wail even more loudly as more black smoke began to emit out of his nostrils and mouth, there was even black smoke coming out of his blue eyes. Dunwood channeled all his energy into his hands as he performed even more hand signs. Finally, after 10 breaths of time all of the smoke came out of the body, but to everyone¡¯s surprise the smoke seemed to have an intellect of its own as it formed a symbol which descended into the newborn¡¯s forehead. The symbol glistened on the baby¡¯s forehead for a second before it vanished completely, as if it had never existed.

 Chapter 1

    ¡°Is he fine?¡±, said Elena, the mother of the newborn. ¡°Everything was fine before he started crying and then, and then¡­ this black smoke nearly killed him, who did this to him Dunwood!!¡±


    Dunwood himself was one of the strongest men in the village, but even he had never seen something like this before. But he knew that this type of energy was way beyond his understandings, and if it had wanted to kill the newborn it might have already done it. But it seemed like the newborn was fine, as it slept soundly with a smile on it¡¯s face and some saliva dripping down it¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Elena, he is fine the black smoke did not harm him. We will keep watch of him and stay in the village for the upcoming weeks to see if anything happens to him, and if nothing happens we will visit the Shixiong Clan like we intended to.¡±


    Elena was once again reminded of that despicable sect, ah, why is life so unfair? They did not only rob and destroy households, now they even demanded a monthly contribution of raw materials? Did they not have any face for the Vancun family? Although it was true that they were how many miles away from the main sect, if it came hard on hard they could still request help and then even the Shixiong Sect¡¯s backing would not have any leeway to ask for forgiveness!The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Do you have to go? Can we not simply refuse and call your grandfather if they really do not back down?¡±


    Dunwood sighed as he looked at the horizon, ¡°We can not call them every time we have some trouble, where would my face be left? Don¡¯t worry about these small fries, you should rather think of a good name for this handsome boy here.¡±


    With his he left and closed the door, and as soon as he arrived in his room he sank to the ground.


    ¡°What was this symbol? Where have I seen this before? ¡®King¡¯¡­.¡±


    Back in the tavern the woman named Elena swayed the child back and forth, thinking of a suitable name. The child looked at her with his dark blue eyes, blinking and smiling as if it wanted to wash away all the worries from the woman¡¯s face. She began to smile as well as she decided on a name.


    ¡°You will be called Damian, Damian, the one who tames and subdues.¡±


    As if it liked the name, the newborn started to giggle and wiggled with his legs and arms, as if he had already started his quest to subdue the world.

 Chapter 2

    7 years went by in a fly. In the morning sun, a young boy with raven-black hair and dark blue eyes made his way through a mountain range. If you looked closely you might think that he looked a little frail, as if the wind could pick him up to a place far away. This boy was Damian.


    Sighing, he murmured, ¡°Ahh, why am I so thin.. why can I eat two portions that would feed the fatty for a day and still stay skinny? Dieties, what have I done to deserve this?¡± Maddened, he kicked at a pebble on the side. What Damian did not notice that it was a pebble in disguise. In reality it was a 1-meter thick rock with just the tip above the ground. With tears in his eyes Damian cursed the heavens while clutching unto his foot, was this his punishment for complaining to the gods?


    The real reason Damian was in distress was because of the innate talent ceremony which would be held in the late afternoon. The village chiefs of Snow Mountain would assemble all the children that turned 5 and test their innate abilities. It was the first time these children would see their innate ability. Some had weapons, and some had elements as their innate talent. Some rare talents even had battle beasts or plants as their inborn ability. Everyone usually had an innate ability, some had two, but it was very rare that someone had no innate ability at all. And Damian knew that he was one of those rare failures. He knew because on this very day he had sneaked into his uncle¡¯s room to test his before everyone else. But that goddamn stone did not show anything at all! Stupid stone!!


    As Damian thought that he had the urge to kick at something again, but he held himself back as he noticed that this pebble might be another rock in disguise! So he carefully touched it with his hands, and as he noticed that it was just a pebble he kicked it with all his might!


    What Damian did not think of was the power of momentum, and as he demolished the pebble he lost his balance and fell with his face first into the dirt.


    ¡°Shit!!! What a shitty day!!!¡±, was Damians response as he got up and wiped away his tears. ¡°Sh**¡± was the first and only curse word he knew of, and he picked it up from the older village kids. His mother Elena would always be very angry with him when he cursed, so he did it only when she was not nearby.


    What Damian did not know but would soon come to realize was that his mother arrived a moment ago and was standing a dozen pebbles away. ¡°Damian!!!¡± Turning around in a spectacular fashion and seeing who it was made Damian nearly faint. It was her of all people! Hearing me curse again, and that twice in a sentence, oh man how unlucky can I get? Was the pebble not enough punishment? He had enough of this unlucky strike that had been going on. With his knees on the ground and his gaze towards the sky he made an oath, ¡°Dieties, I will never vent my frustration on pebbles again, rocks have feelings too I understand. So please, please please please, will you make me pass the examination and bless me with a good innate talent?¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Elena watched all of this with a speechless face. Her son was indeed a strange boy, always getting into trouble. It was not like he intentionally created trouble, it was as if trouble came to him.


    Thinking of the night of his birth she smiled, it seemed like everything was fine with her boy. Besides his unnaturally thin body he was as healthy as anybody. What this strange smoke meant was still a mystery, a famous physician who visited Snow Mountain a couple days after his birth had never heard of such a thing¡­


    ¡°Damian, I know you are worried, but you know that even if you do not so well we will still love you all the same. Even if you have a low innate talent, what I don¡¯t believe, you can still become a strong fighter or cultivator like your father, you just have to put in more effort than everybody else! Your father had a low innate talent as well and look where he is now.¡± With that Elena rubbed through his hair. Surprisingly she found several pebbles..


    Damian sighed, his mother was truly a good person. His father was a debauchery who had multiple wives, but she never spoke badly of him. His name was Aidan Yang and he had left to an unknown place before he was born. He was in the Nascent Realm when he had met his mother, and someone in the Nascent Realm was akin to a noble in the Kingdom of Draka. The king of the Imperial Family himself was in the Nascent Realm, but a fight between two cultivators in the Nascent Realm, who had formed and strengthened their soul, could end in countless deaths, thus it was usually common curtesy to avoid fights in the Nascent Realm. Another reason why it was an unwritten law to avoid infighting in the Nascent Realm was the neighboring Kingdom, the Kingdom of Pan. The kingdoms of Light Continent were not necessarily enemies, but they were certainly not friends.


    There were less than two handful who had successfully entered the Nascent Realm in Draka Kingdom, and any of those strong fellows had their name known throughout the kingdom. The king was the strongest among them, so he did not worry that his rulership would be disturbed anytime soon.


    ¡°Mom, will father come visit anytime soon? Nevermind, I don¡¯t want to know! Dunwood has helped me and took care of me so I don¡¯t need him!¡± With that he ran back towards their hut, thinking of his debauchery father and the afternoon which would haunt him for a long, long time.

 Chapter 3

    Afternoon. In a dim-lighted hall were twenty-two seven-year-olds and their respective parents or family. The children sat on the floor and the parents chatted happily since it was a fateful day for the children and the villages itself. Snow Mountain consisted of three villages, the Vancun Family was the strongest amongst them. The second strongest was the Feng Family, the weakest family was the Shao Family.


    The Vancun Family had two Qi Condensation cultivators, whereas the other families had only one each. Thus, the Vancun family got half of the resources of Snow Mountain. Heng Feng, the Qi Condensation cultivator of the Feng Family, said to Helena, ¡°Helena Vancun, although you are of Vancun blood your husband left you. Where is the face of the all so mighty Vancun Sect? The women can not even keep their husbands! HAHAHAHA!!¡±


    Although she was boiling inside Helena kept calm, ¡°What happened with Aidan is none of your interest Feng, and if he heard that he¡¯d skin you alive you know that?


    ¡°Yes, IF. You said it yourself, in the last seven years he has not come at least once! And his son, I heard that some ghost possessed him right after his birth, maybe he saw that and got scared shitless and ran! Who knows hahahaha!!¡±


    At that moment a man with long, black hair appeared right behind Heng Feng. His arms were full of scars, and currently his aura was nothing but intimidating. ¡°You got anything to say Heng Feng?¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    And the moment Heng Feng turned around he got punched right in his face. With that he flew across the room, destroying some chairs on his way. The whole room cheered, Souk Vancun had arrived with a punch right into someone¡¯s face! No one liked Heng Feng, not even the Feng family did.


    ¡°Stop it, both of you.¡± When old man Shao entered everyone became silent. He had lived a long life and was the Patriach of the Shao Family. He had the highest cultivation as he was in the 5<sup>th</sup> stage of Qi Condensation. Dunwood, Souk and Heng were only in the 4<sup>th</sup> stage, thus they treated the old man with respect. His name was Lin Shao, but somehow everyone called him Old Man Shao. He was also the one who would test the kid¡¯s innate abilities. Everyone could test their abilities by himself with a philosopher¡¯s stone, but it was a tradition, and everyone on Snow Mountain followed this tradition.


    ¡°Children, line up and let this old man see what you got.¡±


    The children got up in a hurry to come first, only Damian seemed a tad slower than everybody. There was a variety of innate talents, fire, sword, bow, water...


    When it was Damian¡¯s turn he looked at his family. His uncle Souk and his mother were giving him a thumbs-up, telling him not to worry. He smiled back and when he was reaching Old man Shao, a tumult broke out.


    ¡°YOU BASTARDS OF SNOW MOUNTAIN, WHERE¡¯S OUR MONTHLY GOLD AND SILVER? DO YOU ALL WANT TO DIE SO BADLY?¡±

 Chapter 4| Change

    ¡°YOU BASTARDS OF SNOW MOUNTAIN, WHERE¡¯S OUR MONTHLY GOLD AND SILVER? DO YOU ALL WANT TO DIE SO BADLY?¡±


    Everyone quickly got out of the hall to see what kind of trouble had arrived. When Old Man Shao saw who it was he got afraid, what did we do to deserve him here, a 7<sup>th</sup> stage Qi Condensation cultivator?


    ¡°Sheng Shixiong, if it is about the raw materials, we still have a week to deliver them to you, and the gold we owed you from last month should have been delivered by Dunwood Vancun himself by now, did he not deliver it to you?¡±


    Sheng Shixiong spit unto the ground, ¡°This weakling? Yes he did, but this is not enough! Every surrounding mountain here has delivered us more gold and silver than you families of Snow Mountain, and I wonder, how come? Are you hiding raw materials from us? Do you think we are afraid of your backings? Do you think you can fool ME?¡±


    Souk Vancun got a bad feeling from Sheng Shixiongs¡¯s tone of voice and coupled with the fact that he brought so many strong cultivators of his clan meant nothing good. ¡°Where¡¯s Dunwood? What did you do to him?!¡±


    Sheng Shixiong laughed, ¡°You want to see your brother? Here you go!¡± With that he touched his spatial ring, and to everyone¡¯s shock Dunwood¡¯s head flew towards Souk!


    ¡°NOOOOOOO!!!¡± Elena fell onto the ground, unable to take her eyes away from her brother¡¯s head. Souk had catched it and tears were running down his cheeks, his brother had taken care of him and Elena since they were small. He was always there for them, and although he was strict sometimes he always wanted the best for them. Damian was shocked beyond belief, Dunwood was like a father to him, a father he never had. He had teached him how to defend himself against bad people, and he had teached him things being a man and standing up for yourself.


    ¡°Why, why did you do that? What did you do to my uncle!!!!!¡± He began to run towards Sheng Shixiong, not thinking of the danger he was in. ¡°DON¡¯T DAMIAN!¡± But it was too late, before Elena could reach him Damian got slapped and landed twenty meters away. One slap was enough to nearly make him unconscious, blood flew out of his nostrils, his lips were split.


    ¡°How dare you, I¡¯ll kill you¡­.¡± Elena reached into her pockets and threw an amulet towards Sheng Shixiong! Hitting his head, it exploded into a blinding white light, burning his face! But it was still not enough to kill a someone in the 7<sup>th</sup> stage of Qi Condensation..


    While having parts of his face burnt Sheng Shixiong laughed it off, ¡°Kill this bitch, kill them all. Leave no one alive.¡±


    With this a dozen upper Qi Condensation cultivators surrounded them. The Feng Family surprisingly turned unto the Vancun and Shao family, they had been betrayed! While Souk Vancun fended off someone in the 5<sup>th</sup> Qi stage, he got stabbed in the back by Heng Feng! ¡°Payback you little scarface, it is always better to side with the winners. You should have given away your pride as a Vancun and cooperated with the Shixiong Sect, maybe you would be living to see another day by then HAHAHHAHAHA..¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    While all of this was happening Damian slowly got his vision back, and when he saw his uncle dying he woke up completely. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH¡± He got up again, took a sword of a dead Shao Family member and ran towards Heng Feng. ¡°HOW DARE YOU BETRAY US AND KILL MY UNCLE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!¡±


    As he got closer, Heng Feng simply waved his finger and Damian was sent flying once again.


    This time his arms and legs were broken. Despite nearly losing consciousness again Damian still kept his gaze at the scene, and if gazes could kill, everyone from the Feng and Shixiong Family would die miserable deaths. ¡°I like that look of yours, but only the strong can change their fate. If you were stronger you might have been able to change the fate of your family..¡±


    Damian knew he was right. He was weak, utterly weak. He did not even have an innate talent, he could not protect anyone. And now even his mother, his mother¡­


    He looked to find Elena, and when he found her he started crying. He cried so much like he never had. His mother laid there, in a pool of blood, with a sword in her heart. The sword belonged to none other than Sheng Shixiong.


    He wanted to kill them all, but his body would not let him. He wanted to roar, but his voice would not let him.


    ¡°I will take revenge, Mom, Dunwood, Souk. Maybe not in this lifetime, but I WILL come back, and I will pay back this injustice no matter what!!¡±


    Sheng Shixiong took Heng Feng by his collar, ¡°Now you will show me the hidden treasure of the Vancun Family and all of your resources like you promised¡±


    With that they both vanished.


    A 6<sup>th</sup> Qi Stage cultivator from the Shixiong Sect looked at any survivors, and it seemed like only this already blood-soaked old man was alive. ¡°Old man, it¡¯s your time to say goodbye.¡± With that Old Man Shao¡¯s neck turned until it cracked.


    ¡°Anyone alive?¡± He looked around, and nearly told everyone to leave, when he saw someone crawling, trying to stand up. ¡°Oh, someone¡¯s still living huh.¡±


    Damian was currently full of hatred, if he was stronger, if his mother and uncles were with him..


    ¡°Kill them, kill them¡­.¡±, he murmured.


    The 6<sup>th</sup> stage cultivator called upon his sect disciples, ¡°Look at this little kid here, talking about killing us. HAHAHA!!¡±


    Although the Shixiong Sect had some casualties, there were still half a dozen of Qi Stage Cultivators alive. When they looked at the child they started laughing as well, what did this kid want to do again?


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re brave, so I¡¯ll give you a fast death¡±. With that he swung his sword down towards Damians heart.


    ¡°Is that my end? Is that how everything with end?¡±


    Damian closed his eyes, and when the sword when through his heart he felt an endless coldness.


    It was as if he fell into an endless ice pond, he fell deeper and deeper. After what seemed like an eternity he reached the bottom of the pond, and there he saw something strange. It was a little wisp of black smoke floating at the bottom of the pond. It was as if it was calling out to him, as if it knew him better than anyone else. It was the only thing giving warmth in this cold pond, so he grabbed it. The moment it touched Damian¡¯s hand it went through his blood, his bones, his heart. It felt so warm, but at the same time it was bitter cold. Everything that happened afterwards, he forgot...

 Chapter 5

    Mao Shixiong was one of the talented disciples in the Shixiong sect, a middle grade sect with the backing of a high grade sect. He reached Qi Condensation when he was 15, and broke the 6<sup>th</sup> Stage when he was 22. Although some geniuses were faster, an upper Condensation cultivator was no one to scoff at.


    But when he walked away from the kid¡¯s corpse, he felt a thick killing intent. His body froze midway, and when he managed to turn his head around lowly he got terrified. Terrified like he has never been before. The child that should have been dead was standing, and he was looking at him with pitch black eyes. There was no emotion on his face, and his whole body was surrounded by a black fog. When he looked into his eyes it felt like he was looking into a deep abyss! Not even a second passed before Damian appeared right before him. His hands latched unto his mouth and he ripped both hands sideways! Dead! Instant death of a 6<sup>th</sup> stage Qi cultivator!


    Everyone witnessing that was scared shitless. How was this kid alive? How did he kill Mao so fast? If he dies so easily at his hands, what about us?


    As they realized that, every one of them ran into different directions. But, deep in the pond, Damian already issued out his wish. To kill them. Kill them all, until no one was left alive. Currently, Damian had no control of what was happening. Everything felt like a dream to him, a nightmare you might call it, or a beautiful dream of sweet revenge..


    One cultivator managed to teleport out, but the rest of them felt as if they were frozen, unable to move or counterattack at all! Damian arrived behind another cultivator, ripping through his chest while holding unto his heart, before crushing it! This takes some time to describe but happened in an instant!Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Another cultivator got his head cut off, the remaining three all died by having their heart or head smashed apart! Damian right now had nothing but the wish to kill, and not to torture. So he killed with utmost efficiency!


    Damian¡¯s black eyes darted around, looking for the survivor who teleported. Then, he smelled something sweet not too far away, the cultivator had been marked by a strange symbol! Just a look sufficed to mark him, making it easy for Damian to find his location!


    The last survivor had teleported thrice, currently being more than 2 kilometers away from the bloodbath. On a tree branch he rested, thinking he was safe. ¡°What was this being? Was that a demon? But not even a demon can catch me this far away, I burned my life force to teleport farther, he can¡¯t catch me here, in no way¡­¡±


    What he did not know that Damian knew exactly where he was. He followed the smell. It was the smell of death, but to the Damian right now it smelled like honey. Honey which belonged to him.


    When Damian saw the last survivor, he smiled and licked his lips. He appeared in front of him like a ghost, and he punched his chest with all of his might! The cultivator had an ashen face as he saw the shadowy figure appear before him, but he got no time to think of anything before he flew like a sack through the air! He hit a rock 100 meters away. The rock gave in, and he flew for another 20 meters before he laid there, not moving an inch. A trail of blood 120 meters long, it simply looked brutal!


    Damian suddenly started to feel very tired. And itchy. It began at his heart, and as it spread to his arms it became worse and worse. The itching became a burning, his whole body felt like it was on flames. He needed to distinguish this fire immediately or he would die! It felt like he was in hell, currently hanging upside down in lava!


    He ran aimlessly into different directions, even running through trees and leaving his body frame etched forever unto these trees! It made a very weird scene, seeing all these trees with these human-looking holes in them..


    After what seemed like an eternity he fell into a lake, and for Damian, it felt like heaven..

 Chapter 6

    Alice did not know what to think of this strange boy. As she looked at his sorrowful sleeping face she could not help but feel sympathy.


    She had lost her father as well, and the pain on Damian¡¯s face and him repeating names all over again ¨C He had probably lost family as well.


    Alice looked at her grandfather, ¡°Grandpa, I know that we can not help every person we meet, but I really don¡¯t want him to die here. Who knows if this monster is still hunting inside this forest?¡±


    At this moment, a talisman in Kain¡¯s pocket vibrated, it was a message from his boss.


    ¡®Kain, come quickly, we need help, come fast..¡¯


    He rarely received emergency messages from his boss, so he knew something major had .


    ¡®Damn it, we have to hurry up.. But I told my darling I would help him.. Well, he has to go by himself I¡¯ll do what I can¡¯


    With that, he drew a map on the ground, marking where they were now and where his friend was. He also left a safe route and a flash grenade if something ever happened. This flash grenade was made of a rare mineral, and if it touched something with force it would explode and blind anybody for a couple precious seconds!


    Alice witnessed the emergency call, and after seeing the map and the grenade she also packed her things and left with her grandfather. Although she did not protest she still left begrudgingly.


    Damian slept for another 10 hours. After a good night¡¯s sleep he felt refreshed, and only his arms felt a little bit tingly. The pain from the day before has nearly vanished.


    He looked around himself, but his saviors were nowhere to be seen. Seeing the map on the ground and the grenade he realized they had left, but who was he to complain? They had left a route to a safe place and left him with an escape tool, it was more than he could wish for.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    He stretched his body before picking up the grenade and starting his journey. With a grenade in his pockets he slowly started to walk into the thick forest¡­


    Damian had walked for an hour before he decided to rest. Currently he was resting against a tree. The tree saved him from the sun¡¯s hot rays and it felt very rejuvenating in the shade.


    Thinking of the unusual power that was inside of him, he tried to call it back. He probed inside of him, but after several tries there was still nothing.


    ¡®Maybe I have to have this feeling again, this feeling of helplessness, this feeling of hate?¡¯


    He thought of the Shixiong Sect, he thought of Sheng Shixiong and Heng Feng, he tried to replicate this feeling of hate with all his might¡­ But there was still nothing.


    What Damian did not notice was the slightly darker hue of his eyes as he had these intense feelings¡­


    With that he continued his way to that mysterious friend of that friendly grandfather-daughter-pair. When he was at the location where her place should be, he saw nothing. It looked like a perfect location for a hut, but currently everything was empty.


    Then, he felt someone looking at him. He turned around very fast, putting his hands in front of his face as if to block an enemy¡¯s attack. Before him stood a very breathtaking woman in her 30¡¯s. She had long curly blonde hair, her assets were nothing but astonishing.


    Two round melons decorated her chest, and the curves on her body were there where they should be. Although Damian was currently 7 years old, he still had interest in girls. In his village it was not unusual to be married when you were 10 years old, and thinking that this woman before him looked very alluring he could not help but gulp.


    Oh and her legs, those long legs¡­ and her youthful but still mature face that sized him up as if he were food.. Wait food?


    ¡°Miss, my name is Damian and on my way I met Mr. Kain and Ms. Alice, they told me to come here. I did not want to disturb you or cause any trouble..¡±, Damian said as he made a step backwards. This woman was deadly!


    She chuckled, ¡°Ah so it was Kain, I miss his warmth¡­ but it seems like he sent me someone special huh?¡± As she said that she pushed him down and actually licked his face. ¡°Yess, I can smell it, your blood is very delicious. I don¡¯t know why, it is something I have never smelled before..¡± With that, she took Damian by his collar, took him inside her hut and threw him unto her bed¡­