Ren Tao/History

## Story

### Monkey Elder

The mysterious bird flew over Ren Tao's village, burning it to the ground and killing all the residents. Ren Tao, only eight at the time, managed to escape into the nearby woodlands, and eventually stumbled across an old shack. He found some food inside which he ate, and was caught by the Monkey Elder. The Monkey Elder would go on to see he had some cultivation talent and decided to teach him about the world of cultivation, and nurture him so he could become a mighty cultivator. He learnt how to unlock his meridians, how the cultivation world works, and how to become stronger. After three years, a battle raged on nearby.

The battle was between two powerful cultivators, but the Monkey Elder stepped in and defeated them both. He turned the spiritual herb they were fighting over into a pill which he then gave to Ren Tao to help him grow stronger.

The Monkey Elder went on to teach Ren Tao for a total of seven years before an old man visited him and expressed interest in Ren Tao. The Monkey Elder agreed to send Ren Tao to the old man's sect after some debate. So Ren Tao said goodbye, and left for the Sacred Spirit Sect.

### Sacred Spirit Sect

Ren Tao travelled to the Sacred Spirit Sect with the elder, who was called Han Boqin. Elder Han rode atop a massive phantom bird to the Sacred Spirit Sect, which was located within the Old Lands- a massive expanse of mountain ranges and wastelands which held many mysteries. After arriving Ren Tao became an outer disciple and learnt about how the sect worked. He took a mission with Sun Chun, a disciple who had entered the sect a year before him, and on that mission they encountered Lin Lin. She was one of the top disciples in the sect, and came from the Lin Family, famed for being the descendants of the legendary Sun Goddess.

On the mission to defeat some ordinary spirit beasts, they encountered a giant glacial python, defeated it and gained some good loot. Ren Tao would discover that his mother's pendant was being auctioned off, and that it was a valuable item. Li Lim, a rich and arrogant young master of the Li family, would oppose him, but then help him buy it back. Ren Tao goes on several adventures as an outer disciple, including helping Sun Chun defeat his old rival, taking part in a competition outside the sect for a powerful artefact and protecting a village from a flock of flying spirit beasts. He progressed in strength rapidly.

Ren Tao would take a mission to defeat a wolf spirit beast harassing a mortal town, but would discover it already dead by other cultivators. He'd learnt from a witness that a young woman was about to be attacked but was saved by the cultivators, and followed them away. He followed their trail, discovering their camp where they had done terrible things to the woman. He slaughtered all the cultivators, freeing the woman. He would use a strange red gem they had to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, only a year after entering the sect.

### Advent Of The Hidden Lands

Ren Tao, after breaking through, was allowed to become an inner disciple. However, to do so, he had to prove his might at the Advent of the Hidden Lands- an event that took place every year, where a sub-world would open at a random location in the southern regions of the continent, and all the sects would send their outer disciples there to get rewards. He went alongside Sun Chun and Li Lim, and Lin Lin would also go. They would enter the Hidden Lands, and were sent to random locations in the sub-world. Ren Tao would adventure across the Hidden Lands, fighting beasts, meeting people, killing people, finding treasures, and would eventually arrive at the peak of a mountain where a red gem similar to the one the cruel cultivators before had.

He'd defeat the Lesser False Phoenix guarding it, and fuse the two gems to create a crimson round pearl. The pearl constantly absorbed spiritual energy which he could instantly consume at any time like a pill. But, unlike a pill, it'd replenish the spiritual energy. He broke through to the Ethereal Layer of Foundation Establishment within a month thanks to it. He met up with Lin Lin, and the two fought against a large group of arrogant cultivators. Sun Chun would get captured by the third prince of the Great Sky Dynasty, and awakened his Tyrannical Mammoth Bloodline.

Ren Tao would gather a large force of outer disciples to lead an attack against the Forsaken Scorpion, guarding a tomb. He'd use the outer disciples as a distraction to sneak in, discovering massive amounts of wealth and treasures. He'd take some pills, a technique, and the best one- the famous King Slaying Sword, and would slay the Forsaken Scorpion with it. All the cultivators would loot the tomb for treasures, and worship him as a true genius before the Hidden Lands closed.

Ren Tao became an Inner Disciple, and would gain his own Mountain Residence with thick spiritual energy and a spirit boosting array. He would then use the pills he acquired to break through to the Shadow Layer of Foundation Establishment. He'd also learn the technique he found.

### Battle Between Geniuses

A year passed, and Ren Tao couldn't break through to the Golden Core Realm. He had been cultivating diligently, completing missions, and was well-liked by many. He talked to Li Lim, who told him that his senior had an opportunity for him. He met with his senior- The rank 3 Inner Disciple, Tan Su, who was at the Shadow Golden Core Realm, close to breaking through to the Manifestation Realm and becoming a Core Disciple. Tan Su told him about the Battle Between Geniuses- an event held in Blessed City. The attendants had to be within the Foundation Establishment Realm, perfect for him. The reward was a Blessed Elixir, which could help with breakthroughs.

He attended the event, fighting many tough opponents and the second prince of the Great Sky Dynasty in the finals, but he won. He was hunted down by warriors from the Great Sky Dynasty for ten days and ten nights. He came across an old cave which was the home of a spirit beast. He convinced the spirit beast to let him stay there, and then managed to break through to the Golden Core Realm. He then killed all the cultivators, and returned to the sect.

### True Sacred Spirit

Ren Tao arrived back at the sect and strengthened his foundation. However suddenly a disturbance happened in the sect as the sky parted, and a crack appeared. Many people theorised immortals were going to descend, or a treasure would appear at the Sacred Spirit Sect. Ren Tao and all the other inner disciples were called forth, and the sect master told them that a treasure would appear in their Sacred Spirit Sect, and that many other sects would attempt to take it.

The sect master revealed that he was taking in a personal disciple to pass on his skills to. He made everyone demonstrate their strongest skill, and was impressed by Ren Tao's Lesser Rain Sword. He sensed something in him and chose him, taking him to the Elder Palace. There, he told him that the sect would fall, which shocked Ren Tao. He wanted to pass on his skills before he fell with the sect. Before he could impart any of his techniques, Ren Tao needed to reach the Manifestation Realm. He sent him to the Spirit Pool, where Ren Tao created a contract with the Thousand Eyed Spirit and learnt a new technique.

He then travelled with several disciples on an mission to destroy the Black Wolf Gang. He was caught in a trap of a Spirit Unity cultivator, but thanks to the Thousand Eyed Spirit he turned the trap around to devour the soul of the Spirit Unity cultivator and directly advance to the Manifestation Realm. He then learnt the Rain Sword technique and Lesser Sword Body technique from the sect master. He also was given the manual for the Revolving Yin-Yang Soul technique, but couldn't learn it until he reached Spirit Unity.

### Death Of The Spirit

The treasure descended upon the Sacred Spirit Sect- a star bursting with power that could fit in one's hand. A massive amount of sects invaded at once, and many disciples were slaughtered from all these sects. Ren Tao managed to escape the confusion, but gained an injury. He retreated out of the Old Lands to a mortal town where he rested. He cultivated peacefully there for a month in order to heal his wound, battled some bandits, and travelled to the Eldritch Woods. There, he found the Monkey Elder who revealed that Han Boqin, the grand elder of the Sacred Spirit Sect, was his brother and that he was once the grand elder but during the Demonic Collapse he was terribly wounded and could no longer cultivate.

Now he had a few years left to live, and Ren Tao insisted on helping him. The Monkey Elder told him about a plant in the northern parts of the Earth Shattering continent called the Blooming Frost Lotus, which contained powerful cold energies and could heal his wound. So, Ren Tao set off north for the mysteries planet.

### Earth Shattering Continent

Ren Tao travelled north, and went through the Great Sky Dynasty. There, he met the first prince who wanted revenge for his fallen brothers. Ren Tao managed to escape at first, but was chased further north into the Yang Empire, where he heard rumours about a powerful beast residing in a place called Forsaken Earth. He travelled to the Forsaken Earth, leading the first prince there, and encountered the powerful beast- it was a Wyrm. The Wyrm attacked the first prince, wounding him, whilst Ren Tao managed to escape deeper into Forsaken Earth where he found a massive coalition of demons.

He managed to befriend the demons, and found a red gem similar to his own on an altar. He questioned about it, and learnt that the gems are called the Hellfire Fragments- parts of a massive crystal from the Devil World which created powerful black and red flames called Hellfire. The crystal broke through unknown means, and scattered across the mortal world. Ren Tao learnt that the spiritual energy he was gaining from his Hellfire Fragment was actually just the unrefined hellfire spiritual energy. He attempted to refine it, creating hellfire. He absorbed the hellfire, attacking the boundary and breaking through to the Shadow Manifestation Realm. He then fought against the first prince once more, and used the Hellfire to create the Fractured Hellfire Sword technique, killing him and using the pills on his body to break through to Nascent Soul.

### Central Regions

Ren Tao travelled further north, reaching the central regions of the Earth Shattering continent. It had been three months since he had departed from the Eldritch woods. He met a travelling warrior troupe who told him about the Mammoth Warrior who was making a name for himself. He met this Mammoth Warrior, and sure enough it was Sun Chun. Ren Tao learnt that Li Lim had fled back to his clan, and so had Lin Lin. Sun Chun was just trying to become stronger. He agreed to follow him north, but the two were stopped on their journey by a Lesser Wyrm fighting disciples of a sect. Sun Chun defeated it, and they learnt they were from the Flowing River Sect- a sect that's only a hundred years old, and very weak. They had however attacked the Sacred Spirit Sect.

Ren Tao told Sun Chun to wait in the nearby town. He travelled to the Flowing River Sect where he was made a guest due to being at the Nascent Soul Realm- the same realm as the sect master. He killed the sect master and all the elders, and slaughtered the disciples. He took their best technique - a Mid-Black technique, before returning to Sun Chun. They continued north, and encountered several obstacles- A town plagued by ghosts, a flock of Fierce Crows that had created a wasteland, and a war between two small kingdoms.

The war was fought between mortals, Ren Tao was in a hurry so he fought his way through the thousands of mortal soldiers, killing nearly all of them in a few minutes. They eventually came across something terrifying though.

### Chaos Pool

They came across a Chaos Pool- a pool of chaotic spiritual energy which held a treasure within it. Many other cultivators were there. A boy named Duan Min and his sister, Duan Ning, asked to join them in the Chaos Pool. The four of them dived in, entering a sub-world filled with chaotic spiritual energy. At the centre of the Chaos Pool sub-world was a massive mountain, from which a beam of red light ascended from.

They made their way to the mountain, and encountered cultivators from the Sinister Claw Sect, who were hunting out the Duan siblings. They fought them off, but their leader was at the Shadow Nascent Soul Realm. They were separated by an Earth Wyrm, and Ren Tao retreated to a cave where he met a white tiger who was injured. He healed its wounds, and discovered that it had the bloodline of the Heavenly King White Tiger. The white tiger warmed up to him quickly, and led him through a cave system to a place under the mountain, where a Hellfire Fragment sat, alongside a golden sphere the size of a marble.

He took them both, and a powerful force pulled them out of the cave. Outside the main mountain was the Earth Wyrm, battling dozens of cultivators. Ren Tao utilised the new hellfire fragment to improve his sword technique, and helped slay the Earth Wyrm, taking its core for himself and escaping the Chaos Pool.

### Heaven and Earth Divide

Ren Tao travelled north with Sun Chun and the Duan siblings who upon reaching a certain point left them. The two then continued travelling onwards, and eventually Ren Tao felt a strong pull towards a mountain range where a sect was. The pull was coming from the golden marble. He followed its pull to the sect, which was abandoned except for an old man whose strength he couldn't measure. The old man took the golden marble, inspected it, and led him to a gate at the back of a mountain which was chained. The golden marble undid the chains, and he led them through a portal to a floating island in the sky.

The old man seemed elated, and then turned into ashes with a smile. They weren't in a sub-world, but it was another plane of existence entirely. Using the golden marble, Ren Tao left and inspected the abandoned sect, finding the journals of the old man who was the sect master. The gate could only be unlocked with the Heaven and Earth Marble, and whoever possessed it could travel into the other dimension called the Heaven and Earth Divide. In the Divide was apparently the legacy of an immortal.

Ren Tao searched the other dimension, but after walking for so long a barrier appeared that didn't let him past. He needed to reach a certain level of cultivation to inherit the legacy.

### Blooming Frost Lotus

Three months later, the two of them reached the Northern Regions which seemed to be completely destroyed, with mortal towns and cities ravaged, cultivation societies destroyed, and sects burnt to the ground. Ren Tao recognised this as the work of the mysterious bird that destroyed his village. He continued onwards with no obstruction towards a frozen mountain where he took the Blooming Frost Lotus. Sun Chun decided to investigate what had happened, whilst Ren Tao travelled back with the White Tiger. He named the White Tiger 'Yuki'.

Suddenly Ren Tao encountered a cult who were worshipping the 'Fallen Immortal'. This fallen immortal was the mysterious bird who had laid waste to the north. Ren Tao killed all the cultists, and continued south. On the way, he came across his old village which was still destroyed. He inspected the damage to the surroundings. The entire area was still a wasteland, except the areas around it were fine. It seemed the mysterious bird was targetting certain places.

Ren Tao encountered demons from Forsaken Earth and went back down, taking the Hellfire Fragment, and then continuing to the Eldritch Woods. After three more months, he met the Monkey Elder once more, but he revealed that the Blooming Frost Lotus couldn't actually heal him, and that he wanted Ren Tao to get the lotus for himself, as it could help him breakthrough to Spirit Unity. After a lot of convincing, Ren Tao used it, breaking through to Spirit Unity. He then learnt the Revolving Yin-Yang Soul, and the Thousand Eyed Spirit gave him the Sentinel's Eye technique. The Monkey Elder's final gift was his Devil Rending Sword, which held the souls of thousands of devils he personally killed. The Monkey Elder then passed away.

### Fallen Sun

Ren Tao returned to the Sacred Spirit Sect which was now just ruins with a few disciples and elders still roaming around, trying to rebuild it. The sect master was bedridden from his wounds. Ren Tao visited him, and the sect master called back all the disciples across the continent. Thousands of disciples gathered, and the sect master announced that they would get revenge against the world. He revealed that the treasure that had fallen upon their sect had been stolen by him, and that it was called the Fallen Sun Relic.

Using it could increase the spiritual energy in the environment massively. In twenty years, they would wage war against the world. Ren Tao visited Han Boqin who had taken him to the sect. He was also dying, and gave him his position as Grand Elder before passing away.

Ren Tao, age eighteen, became the Grand Elder- the youngest in history. He learnt from the sect master that up to the Spirit Unity stage, cultivation was quite fast, but to break through to Ensoulment it'd take many years, and then even more for Nihility. The sect master was nearly a thousand years old, and was only at the Shadow Ensoulment Realm. Their ancestor had reached Nihility, but nobody in their sect had ever reached Human Deity. There were apparently only ten Human Deities in the entire world, and one of them was the guardian of the Earth Shattering continent.

All the elders and the sect master set up the Fallen Sun Relic, and the quality of the spiritual energy in the sect improved massively. The speed of all disciples and elders would improve by many times. Ren Tao delved into the Sacred Spirit Pool to refine the Thousand Eyed Spirit, learning the Mystic Glare Technique. He then received the blessing of the sect master to begin learning the ultimate technique of the sect: Sky Carving Sword. However he could only use the lesser version right now.

He met with Sun Chun and Li Lim, but learnt that Lin Lin was still at her clan. He was upset but ignored this matter, using his resources he had acquired from his journey across the Earth Shattering Continent to enter secluded cultivation.

### Forsaken Earth Rises

Ren Tao was disturbed from his cultivation two years later. He had reached the ethereal stage, but was still quite far from the shadow stage of Spirit Unity. He sensed a powerful but serene energy flowing around him. He grasped at its principles and discovered it was the legendary sword intent, convening around him. He started to absorb its knowledge, and after half a year of this he realised he had comprehended around 5% of the sword intent.

He left his secluded cultivation when he realised there was a commotion outside. A giant crack had appeared in the centre of the continent leading to Forsaken Earth. The demons were invading the mortal world. He travelled out there with some elders and disciples, and discovered that the demons had a new leader called King Kry. He wanted to dominate the mortal world.

Battles ensued. Hundreds of sects banded together, forming the Great Mortal Alliance, led by the ten most powerful sects. Sacred Spirit Sect wasn't amongst them, due to how weak they were. Ren Tao represented it as the sect master was in seclusion still recovering from his wounds. There was internal strife, but when the demons directly attacked them they went to war. A large scale battle occurred, destroying the beautiful landscape, wiping mortal and cultivation civilizations off the face of the continent, and in the end Ren Tao used his sword intent and the complete version of the Sword Body to defeat the Demon King. The position of the Sacred Spirit Sect went up in the world once more.

### Seeds Of Discord

After defeating the demons, they fled back underground and the hole to Forsaken Earth was sealed with a massive array. The many sects started to fight one another about who should get the treasures of the demon and who contributed the most, leading to the sects fighting one another. Ren Tao planted seeds of discord within the many sects using spies, and encountered the Grand Elder of the Blazing Harmony sect, who was at the Nihility Realm. He nearly died, and barely escaped.

He retreated to the sect and sealed its gates so no disciples could leave. The infighting amongst all the sects would soon lead to disaster, and they couldn't act until the time was right. Ren Tao needed to cultivate faster and reach Nihility realm. He travelled to the Purple Sky Pagoda, where many powerful cultivators went to acquire power. You could only enter once, and your benefits depended on how high you advanced. There were a hundred floors.

He met Duan Ning there, and learnt that her brother, Duan Min had entered but never left, she feared he had died. According to her spiritual compass, he got up to the 48th floor. Ren Tao entered the Purple Sky Pagoda. The challenge on each floor were spiritual beasts, massive amounts of them, and as he advanced the strength of the beasts increased. Eventually he reached the 48th floor and discovered a spiritual array that was trapping people. He broke it, and fought against another Spirit Unity cultivator who was very similar to one he met a long time ago. He killed him and freed Duan Min, who was only at the Nascent Soul realm still . He left the pagoda.

He continued up to the tower and upon reaching the 80th floor, the spiritual beasts switched for cultivators who were much more powerful but had no souls. He fought his way up to the 89th floor before he couldn't bare it any longer and left the tower. From the tower drifted down a powerful iron known as Devil Devouring Iron, a manual for the Thunder Emperor Sword, and a white elegant robe with golden weavings that created a dragon pattern on the sleeves and back.

He found a great blacksmith with no name who combined the Devil Devouring Iron with his Devil Rending Sword, creating a new and much more powerful artefact at the High-Gold Rank. He put on the robe, and begun to learn the Thunder Emperor Sword.

After all of this he travelled to the top of a mountain where the spiritual energy was thick and begun cultivating.

### Thousand Sect War

Nineteen years later, the Sacred Spirit Sect had accepted a large amount of disciples but never allowed any of them to leave. They all cultivated diligently, mastering great techniques. The elders of the sect were all at the peak Spirit Unity realm, and the sect master had reached the Ensoulment Realm.

Ren Tao stood up from the mountain peak, satisfied with his cultivation. He was at the Shadow Ensoulment Realm!