Body Cultivation Hurts - Prologue

Author note: This is a stand in title since one has not been decided on. This book will follow the returner trope, with a few interesting d

The sky was blood red as if mocking those bleeding out on the field of battle below. Small patches of dark clouds spotted the sadistic canopy. They were the sure signs of extreme-rank storm magic. Luckily those struck by the cloud’s charged lightning were already dead. The landscape was torn with cervices and multistory spikes of stone holding impaled bodies. Humanity made up the majority of the corpses strewn about. Nathan wasn’t sure they’d managed to kill more than a few hundred of demons.

He looked down on what was left of his own body. He had been amongst the most powerful that humanity possessed. He was too fast to be impaled or struck by lightning unless distracted. In the end, one of the demonic beasts had come for him personally.

There was a hole the size of a fist in his chest. One leg was ripped off. The monster had left him there after gobbling it down. He couldn’t feel one arm. Death loomed over him, yet there he sat.

The only reason he was able to last so long with his mortal wounds was because he’d put all his effort into strengthening his physique. His qi—also called mana—went beyond filling his lungs and bloodstream. With most of the blood drained from his body, his death was inevitable now. Only his qi was holding his consciousness in place.

Today was the day that the hope of humanity died. Some would escape as the Divine Monarch’s tower fled their world. Nathan had been considered one of the elites. He was amongst the one hundred thousand strongest human beings that Earth ever produced. In the beginning, the appearance of monsters and the portals that led to the tower were considered the apocalypse. It was more accurate to say that it was one kind Divine Monarch’s attempt at giving Earth a chance to save their world. The demonic hoard had come far sooner than anyone anticipated by more than a century. They hadn’t been ready.

Pulling up his spell list, he looked at the only spell he’d ever learned. It was possible for any mage or cultivator of sufficient rank to learn almost any spell through study, but rarely did people learn them that way unless they considered themselves a wizard of some sort. Most of the people belonging to that Path preferred learning through the points system. It took far less effort. Nathan had been anything but a mage. Not even an energy cultivator. He was a body cultivator. A pure martial artist. Strick focus had given him strength but also left him with many disadvantages.

This spell was a strange one. It appeared as a singular entry on the list in his Soul Sea. It was called Rebirth. Not only was it a rare spell, but it was unique. One of a kind. He hadn’t heard of anyone else receiving anything like it. It had been one of his few rare finds in the Divine Monarch’s tower. He wasn’t even sure how it worked, but there weren’t any worthless unique rank spells.

A low-rank demon around the Sky Realm came scurrying in his direction. It was a scavenger. It looked like a Komodo Dragon mixed with a porcupine.

A smirk pulled at his mouth. At least he could get in one last kill to allay his frustrations before his death. Looking around, he only found one object that would work for what he had in mind. The demon that had left him in this mutilated mess hadn’t devoured his arm. It had been removed just below the shoulder. It would make a nice floppy club.

With his last good arm, he grabbed his severed arm by the wrist and became very still.

The thing’s head was jerking back and forth as it’s snake-like tongue tasted the air. As soon as it was on his trail, its head straightened a its eyes locked on. It more or less galloped toward him while remaining low to the earth.

A moment later, it was on him. At least, that was its intention.

His arm fell like a flail, clubbing it on the top of its skull. He squinted as he turned his head to keep the blood from his eyes. The thing's head popped like a melon.

He didn’t bother trying to hide his presence as he chuckled. After all he’d seen, it was better than forgoing humor altogether.

Then he saw a bull-headed demon with the body of a giant cat and the rowed-fangs like a shark coming in his direction while sniffing its surroundings. It would only be a matter of time now.

He began to cast.

As he did, whatever qi he had left was drained for the spell. It seemed death would come before the demon could even reach him. There was no pain. His consciousness left him.