Zui Tian, the Immortal Drunkard, was known for his eccentricities. His lessons at the Dragon City Royal Academy rarely followed a traditional structure, but today was something altogether unexpected, even for him.
The group of irregulars—fierce warriors who had fought their way to ascension, only to be thrust into the peaceful halls of the Dream Academy—stood gathered around Zui in the classroom. The air was still buzzing with the tension of his previous lecture, the one about balance, peace, and the importance of rest. But as Zui Tian prepared to speak again, there was something different in his demeanor. His usual carefree, disheveled appearance was unchanged, but the glint in his eyes hinted at something more serious.
“You’ve all learned a lot here about balance,” Zui began, his voice carrying the lazy drawl that made everything he said seem like a half-joke. “About peace, rest, and finding yourselves. That’s all good and necessary… but now it’s time you understood something else—chaos.”
The students, still somewhat on edge from their peaceful reprieve, exchanged wary glances. Kai Ren and Mei Li stood side by side, their expressions cautious but curious. They had come to trust Zui’s methods, however strange they might seem, and they knew better than to doubt his wisdom.
“Chaos,” Zui continued, “is just as important as order. You’ve been sheltered here, but out there, in the wider cosmos, the war between the Abyssal Realms and the Immortal Realms never stops. There’s always fighting, always something to struggle against. And today, I’m going to show you what that looks like.”
Without waiting for questions, Zui waved his hand lazily, and a massive portal of shimmering light opened in the center of the classroom. Through it, the students could see a vast, blood-red sky stretching out above a battlefield that seemed to go on forever. Dark, twisted landscapes of jagged mountains and ravines filled the horizon, and in the distance, they could hear the faint sounds of battle—shouts, the clash of weapons, and the rumble of war machines.
“This,” Zui said, his voice suddenly sharper, “is the Abyssal Battlefield. One of the most dangerous places in the immortal realms. Millions of immortals and abyssal beings fight here, day in and day out. If you want to understand chaos, this is where you start.”
Before anyone could react, Zui Tian casually stepped through the portal. The students, after a moment of hesitation, followed him. As they passed through, they felt a sudden shift in the air—a heavy, oppressive energy that bore down on them as they found themselves high in the sky, hovering above the battlefield.
The scene before them was overwhelming. Endless armies stretched as far as the eye could see—immortal legions clad in shining armor, wielding weapons that glowed with divine energy, stood against the abyssal hordes, dark and monstrous beings whose forms were twisted by the chaotic energies of their realm.
The battlefield was a maelstrom of violence and destruction, but as soon as Zui Tian appeared, a strange silence fell over the armies. The battle halted as if by command, and within seconds, the generals of both the abyssal and immortal forces issued hurried orders. The vast armies that had been locked in deadly combat mere moments ago began to retreat, the ground clearing in a wave of motion as millions of soldiers fled from the battlefield.
The students, hovering in the sky with Zui Tian, stared in shock as the massive forces disappeared almost instantaneously. Within seconds, the battlefield below them was empty—an eerie silence settling over the now-desolate warzone.
“What… what just happened?” Mei Li asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
Zui took a long swig from his Endless Wine Flask before replying, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “They recognize me. Didn’t want to interrupt the lesson.”
As if to prove his point, two generals, one from the abyssal side and the other from the immortal legions, cautiously approached, their forms flying up toward Zui Tian with a level of respect and fear that left the students even more bewildered.
The Abyssal General, a towering figure with dark, demonic wings, bowed deeply, his eyes flicking nervously between Zui and the students. “Master Zui Tian,” he said, his voice rough and gravelly. “To what do we owe this… visit?”
The Immortal General, a glowing figure clad in radiant armor, followed suit, his expression equally wary. “We had no idea you would come here today,” he said carefully, his hands trembling slightly. “Is there something you need from us?”
Zui Tian waved his hand dismissively. “Relax, I’m just here with my students. Thought I’d give them a little tour of the battlefield, let them see what real chaos looks like. You know, field trip.”
The two generals exchanged stunned glances, clearly taken aback by Zui’s casual explanation.
“A… field trip?” the Immortal General repeated, incredulous.
“That’s right,” Zui said, taking another swig of wine. “But don’t worry, we’re not here to interfere with your little war. You can go back to fighting once we’re done.”
The generals hesitated, clearly unsure how to respond. After all, it wasn’t every day that an all-powerful being like Zui Tian wandered onto the battlefield with a group of students in tow.
“Carry on,” Zui said, gesturing for them to return to their armies. “We’ll be out of your way in a moment.”
Still looking somewhat dazed, the generals nodded and retreated back to their respective camps. Within moments, the battlefield remained empty, the tension palpable as both sides awaited Zui’s departure.
Zui turned back to his students, who were still trying to process what they had just witnessed.
“See that?” Zui said, his tone light. “That’s chaos. Constant war, constant struggle. No rest. No peace. Just battle. And while you’ve been given the chance to rest here at the academy, those who want to fight—those who want to grow stronger—have endless opportunities out here.”
Kai Ren, always the one with questions, spoke up. “So why show us this? What are we supposed to take away from it?”
Zui Tian looked at him with a rare seriousness. “Because while it’s important to rest, it’s also important to know that the world is still moving. Chaos is always there, lurking, and if you want to survive, you’ll need to understand both order and disorder. You’ll need to be able to fight when the time comes, but also know when to step back and rest. It’s all about balance.”
The students were silent, the weight of Zui’s words settling over them like a heavy cloud. This was no ordinary lesson. It was a reminder that while they were safe for now, the world outside was still full of danger, full of conflict. And one day, they might have to return to it.
But for now, they had time to learn, time to grow.
Zui Tian took another swig from his flask, then sighed. “Alright, that’s enough for today. Back to the classroom.”
With a wave of his hand, a portal opened in the sky, and one by one, the students followed him back through it, their minds still reeling from what they had seen.
Back in the classroom, the atmosphere was tense. The students sat quietly, still processing the magnitude of what they had witnessed. The pinnacle battlefield of the immortal realms—the clash between abyssal and immortal legions—had been laid bare before them, and yet it had all stopped at Zui’s mere presence.
Zui Tian, now lounging back in his chair with a half-smile on his face, eyed his students. “Now that you’ve seen what true chaos looks like, here’s the question: Do you want to see the pinnacle battlefield of nature?”
The students exchanged wary glances, unsure of what to expect next.
Zui’s grin widened. “This battlefield will test you. It’s not about power. It’s about survival. Nature is far less forgiving than any war between immortals.”
And with that, the next challenge loomed over them—a battle not of armies, but of the raw, untamed forces of the universe itself.
Witnessing the Birth of a Universe
The Infinite Immortal Realms were in a constant state of expansion—an endless sprawl of realities, dimensions, and universes, each one governed by different laws, different powers, and different forms of existence. Within every immortal resided the potential for an entire world—a seed that, with the right nurturing, could one day grow into a universe of its own. And so, for Zui Tian, there was no better way to teach his students the violence of nature than to bring them to witness the most fundamental and raw force in existence: the birth of a universe.
Gathering his class in the great open courtyard of the Dragon City Royal Academy, Zui Tian stood lazily, leaning on his walking stick, his tattered robes swaying in the breeze. The irregulars—the fierce warriors who had ascended through sheer determination—stood in front of him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
“Today,” Zui began, taking a swig from his flask, “you’re going to witness something few immortals ever get to see. The birth of a universe.”
The students exchanged startled glances. Even among immortals, the creation of a universe was a rare and powerful event—something that only beings of the highest power could achieve.
“But before that,” Zui said with a mischievous grin, “I need to call someone over to help me out. After all, I’m not the best at creating universes. That’s more my sister’s specialty.”
With a wave of his hand, Zui Tian summoned his sister, Wújìn Mèng, into the courtyard. Her arrival was as stunning as ever. A soft, ethereal glow surrounded her as she appeared, her long black hair cascading like silk down her back, her blue and white robes fluttering in the air like a dream made real. Her beauty was legendary, and even the most hardened warriors in the class were not immune to it.
As Wújìn appeared, the boys in the class—many of whom had fought through wars and survived the deadliest battles—lost their composure. Kai Ren, usually stoic and focused, felt his mouth go dry, and for a moment, he even let a bit of drool escape his lips. Jian Feng, the quiet and serious one, blushed deeply, turning his head away as if trying to shield himself from Wújìn’s radiance. Several other boys fell to their knees, overwhelmed by her presence, their awe turning into momentary embarrassment.
The female students, meanwhile, exchanged knowing glances, some rolling their eyes at their male counterparts, though they too couldn’t deny Wújìn’s otherworldly grace.
Kai, realizing his lapse in composure, quickly wiped his mouth and glanced at Mei Li, who was glaring at him with an expression that clearly said, Really?
Kai coughed and looked away, mumbling, “Sorry. Lost focus.”
Wújìn, seeing the reactions she always seemed to evoke, laughed heartily. “It seems I’ve caused quite a stir,” she said with a wink, doing a playful twirl that made several of the boys lose their balance again. The girls shot them another round of exasperated looks, but they couldn’t help but laugh at the spectacle.
Zui Tian, his eyes twinkling with amusement, took another long drink from his flask. “Alright, alright. Enough swooning,” he said, waving his hand as though brushing off the chaos. “We’re here to learn, not fall over ourselves.”
Wújìn smiled warmly, stepping beside her brother. “So,” she said, her voice soft and melodic, “you want to show them the birth of a universe?”
Zui nodded. “You’re the best at it, Sister. I figure it’s time these kids learn what real creation looks like. After all, if they’re going to nurture the worlds inside them one day, they’ll need to see how it’s done.”
The students’ curiosity piqued again. The idea of witnessing the birth of a universe—something that seemed so far beyond their current level of understanding—was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Wújìn nodded, her expression turning serious. “Very well. But I’ll warn you all—creation is not gentle. The birth of a universe is violent, chaotic, and filled with energy beyond anything you’ve experienced. What you will see today is both beautiful and terrifying.”
She raised her hand, and in an instant, the sky above them ripped open, revealing a vast expanse of void, endless and dark, filled with swirling mists of primordial energy. The students watched in awe as Wújìn began to channel the forces of creation, drawing upon the very fabric of reality itself.
With a mere thought, Wújìn summoned a sphere of Grandmist Energy—the raw, primal force from which all things are born. The sphere hovered in the air before them, glowing with a soft, pulsing light. It was small at first, no larger than a pebble, but as Wújìn poured more energy into it, the sphere began to expand, growing larger and larger until it was the size of a mountain.
“This,” Wújìn said, her voice filled with power, “is the seed of a universe. It starts small, but within it lies the potential for everything—worlds, stars, life, and death. But before it can become a universe, it must pass through the chaos of creation.”
The sphere of energy began to tremble, and the students could feel the tension in the air. The energy within the sphere was unstable, roiling with the forces of creation and destruction. It pulsed and twisted, the light within it growing brighter and more intense.
Suddenly, with a sound like the crack of thunder, the sphere exploded outward, sending waves of energy cascading across the void. The students gasped as they watched the violent birth of a new universe unfold before their eyes. The once small and contained sphere was now a swirling mass of chaos—light and darkness, fire and ice, all colliding and merging as the universe began to take shape.
Planets formed in an instant, only to be destroyed moments later by the violent forces of creation. Stars ignited and burned brightly, their light spreading across the newborn universe. The sheer magnitude of the event was overwhelming, and the students could hardly believe what they were seeing.
“This is the violence of nature,” Wújìn said, her voice echoing through the void. “Creation is not gentle. It is chaos, it is destruction, but through that destruction comes life. Every universe born in the cosmos is forged through this process. And one day, each of you will have the power to create your own worlds, your own universes, within your bodies and souls.”
Kai Ren, Mei Li, and the other students stood in stunned silence, watching as the newborn universe continued to form before them. It was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, a reminder of the immense power they could one day wield as immortals.
As the chaos began to settle and the universe started to take on a more stable form, Wújìn lowered her hand, and the portal above them slowly closed.
“That,” she said, turning back to the students with a gentle smile, “is how a universe is born. But remember, even though you have the potential to create, it is just as important to nurture. Without balance, creation will always lead to destruction.”
Zui Tian, looking pleased with the lesson, took another swig from his flask and clapped his hands together. “Well, there you have it, kids. That’s your first lesson in universal creation. Think of it as a glimpse of your future potential. But don’t worry—no one’s asking you to go create a universe tomorrow.”
The students, still in shock from what they had witnessed, managed a few nervous chuckles. The enormity of what they had seen—the birth of a universe—had left them with a new understanding of the balance between chaos and order, between creation and destruction.
Wújìn, with a graceful nod, excused herself, leaving the students still reeling from the experience. As she departed, some of the boys couldn’t help but stare a little longer, still captivated by her beauty, while the girls shared amused glances at their behavior.
“Alright, alright,” Zui said, noticing their dazed expressions. “Back to the classroom. You’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
As the students filed back through the courtyard and into the academy, they carried with them the memory of what they had witnessed—a memory that would shape their journey as immortals. And though they were far from creating their own universes, they knew that one day, they would be capable of shaping worlds within themselves, balancing the forces of nature just as they had seen today.
But for now, they were content to learn, to rest, and to prepare for the battles—and the creations—that lay ahead.