Heavenly Rebellion: The Human Race's Rise to Prominence

As Feng moved through the shadowed depths of Blackwood Forest, blood continually seeped from the deep wound on his chest.

He grimaced, clutching his side.

"Damn, how the hell did I win that fight? Do I have some unique latent battle talent or something?"

[Responding to host: During combat, the system assists by managing emotions such as fear and anxiety, increasing mental acuity.]

Feng's brow furrowed as he processed the response.

"Oh? It can even do that sort of thing?" he muttered, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Then a deeper thought struck him, one that he couldn't easily dismiss.

"But… if it does, will I even be myself in the end?"

The idea of losing his sense of self sent a chill down his spine, but he shook his head and steeled his resolve.

"Whatever. What's important right now is that I finally have the strength and potential to turn my life around. Everything else can be dealt with later."

He glanced down at the small bag in his hand, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"A Bag of Holding. With this, I won't have to worry about leaving my supplies and valuables out in the open where others can see them.

This will make things so much easier."

Curiosity compelled him to examine the bag's contents.

"From what I remember back in Raincloud Village, a Bag of Holding is basically an item with an independent space inside it.

That means it can store items much larger than itself for safekeeping."

A wry grin formed as he muttered, "Dang, Ren was rich. Must be nice to be a genius, huh?"

Peering inside, Feng's eyes lit up.

The bag contained a map of the surrounding area, food, water, healing supplies, and even a few cultivation materials.

For now, he decided to set the cultivation materials aside—he'd just broken through and needed to focus on healing first.

"Let's look at the map," he thought, carefully unfolding it.

The parchment revealed a detailed layout of the Eastern Territories, with markers indicating towns, cities, and notable landmarks.

"Raincloud Village is part of the Eastern Territories," Feng murmured to himself, tracing a finger over the map.

"This region just like it's name dictates is found on the eastern end of the Soaring Dragon Continent."

There's no single ruler, just a collection of independent cities, each with its own power struggles.

But there are still absolute powers in the Eastern Territories that no one dares to provoke."

He studied the map more closely, his finger stopping at the nearest major city.

"Brightshore City. It's the largest city near me and has three major powers: the Church of Heaven, the Yao Family, and Brightshore Academy."

Feng tapped the map thoughtfully.

"The Church of Heaven has branches all over the eastern territories."

Their influence runs deep, and their basically the Orthodox religion of the Soaring Cloud Continent.

Then there's the Yao Family, whose renown is based on their Heaven's Pact known as the Yao Frost Sword.

Finally, there's Brightshore Academy, backed by the city's governor. It's a place where talent is the most important factor considered"

Leaning back against a tree, Feng considered his options.

"Brightshore Academy takes anyone with enough talent.

The basic requirement is reaching the fourth level of Qi Condensation before turning sixteen.

That means you need to have already formed your Heaven's Pact.

Kids from all over the surrounding villages apply, hoping to get in.

If you graduate, you're practically guaranteed a job in the city's military.

That's probably my best bet too."

The thought of joining the academy sparked a glimmer of hope in Feng's heart.

But first, he needed to survive the journey there.

The gash on his chest throbbed painfully, a reminder of how fragile his current situation was.

As he moved deeper into the forest, Feng stumbled upon a hidden cave nestled in a remote part of the woods.

The entrance was partially obscured by vines, and a nearby river glistened in the sunlight.

"Alright," Feng muttered. "This is probably a good place to rest and heal."

He stepped inside, his eyes scanning the dark interior.

The cave was dry and spacious, with enough room to lay out his supplies.

It seemed safe enough for now.

Slumping against the cave wall, Feng took stock of his condition.

The wound on his chest was deep, and though the bleeding had slowed, it was far from healed.

He winced as he pulled out the healing supplies from the Bag of Holding.

"I need to treat this before it gets infected, unless I want to die before I event get out of here" he muttered, his voice strained.

Using a cloth soaked in clean water, he cleaned the wound as best he could.

Then, he applied a salve he'd found in the bag and wrapped his chest tightly with bandages.

The process was excruciating, but Feng gritted his teeth and endured.

Once finished, he leaned back with a weary sigh.

"This will have to do for now.

After I get healed I need to measure how strong I've become, I need to get a good understanding my strengths and weaknesses before I get to Brighshore City.

He reached into the bag again and pulled out some dried food and a flask of water.

As he ate, his mind wandered.

"The Soaring Cloud Continent," he murmured.

"It's so vast. I've only ever known the small world of Raincloud Village.

But now… now I have a chance to see more. To be more."

The thought filled him with determination.

He couldn't let his current circumstances define him.

For too long, he'd been the outcast simply because of the fact that he didn't have a Heaven's Pact.

But with the system's help things were finally changing.

As the day turned to night, Feng meditated to stabilize his Qi and speed up his recovery.

The cave was silent save for the gentle sound of the river outside, and for the first time in days, he felt a sliver of peace.

Yet, even in the stillness, his mind was alert.