Shadow Mask Group
1 - Early Start

In a village that is quite crowded with residents, some people pass by. The sun is now overhead indicating the time of day.

In a spacious yard, a boy about 8 years old was watching a boy about 13 years old who was using a sword. The 13-year-old swung his sword left and right, front and back.

The 8-year-old boy seemed enthusiastic to see his brother playing with a sword. "Great brother! I want to be like a big brother!"

Hearing the praise from his sister made the brother stop playing with the sword in his hand. He walked towards his sister. Until it finally stopped right in front of him.

"Hahaha, big brother is great" said the older brother as he folded his arms around his chest with a confident face.

The sister nodded with a smile. Until a very beautiful woman walked out of the house near the two brothers.

"Yi'er, Chen'er let's eat, I've prepared lunch" she said, smiling at her two sons.

"Good!" answered both.

The woman also entered the house.

"Let's eat Chen'er" invited the older brother who immediately walked towards the house.

The sister nodded. He followed his brother to enter the house.

They are also sitting at a dining table. On the edge of the dining table there are 4 chairs. The two brothers sat side by side. In front of them sat a handsome man and a beautiful woman. They are both parents of brothers.

His name was Liu Hongli. Meanwhile, the woman beside him was named Li Wei.

His older brother Liu Changyi and younger brother Liu Chen.

At the dining table there are already appetizing dishes.

"Mother, it's not usual for mothers to cook this much food" Liu Changyi said. Then take some side dishes at the dining table and put her on her plate.

"Didn't you like it, Yi'er?" li Wei.

"Ahahaha, mom-it's not so mom. It's just that you don't usually make this much food" Liu Changyi said nervously. Liu Chen nodded at what his brother said.

"Mother cooks a lot because your father gives you more money than usual. Maybe the harvest this time is more than usual isn't it, baby?" li Wei said as he looked beside her, precisely towards Liu Hongli.

Liu Hongli was seen chewing his food. He nodded at his wife's statement. "Daddy's harvest today is more. Also, all the crops sold all"

"Ah yes, Yi'er I heard later there will be a tournament in the city that is quite close to our village. Do you want to follow Yi'er?" liu Hongli.

"Em.but there must be a lot of people stronger than me. It will be very difficult for me to win the tournament" Liu Changyi said as he stuffed food into his mouth.

"Isn't sister great? Brother will win. Whoever your brother is going to fight, you can definitely beat him" Liu Chen said with a smile looking at his brother. He strongly believes his brother can win.

He does not know that the world is very wide, maybe his brother is weaker than children his age because there are no resources that support him.

"But what Yi'er said has a point. Perhaps a child of his age was stronger than Yi'er, so it would be difficult to win" Liu Hongli said.

"There's no need to win, the most important thing is that you've tried Yi'er. I will support whatever your decision is, whether or not to attend the tournament. It's up to you, I won't force it. If you lose, I don't mind it.

After all, the tournament was held to select talented disciples from a small village village like us. The cost of entry will not be too high. Your father must also still have the money from the sale of the harvest this time" Li Wei said as she glanced at her husband.

"Yes, what do you think of Yi'er? Maybe this tournament is the first time that's been held for village people like us. Especially if they got the top 5 champion, then they would be appointed as disciples in a white Stork sect.

I also heard that if you are going to be a student there because of winning the tournament later, we do not have to pay anything. That includes prizes awarded to the top 5 champions. If you enter the sect, you will definitely become a great cultivator in the future and boast of us" Liu Hongli said.

"Sister, just go to that tournament. Big brother can definitely win" Liu Chen said.

Liu Changyi seemed to think for a moment until he finally nodded. "All right, I'm going to the tournament. But I don't know if I can win or not. However, I will try my best" he said with determination.

His mother and father smiled. "Tournament will be held in 1 week. So practice Yi'er" Liu Hongli said.

Liu Changyi, "Good father, mother. I'll try".

"Sister definitely won. Brother spirit, big brother can definitely!", Liu Chen gave his brother spirit to become more confident.

Liu Changyi clapped with a smile.

"Let's finish the food quickly" Li Wei said.

They continued eating until they finally finished.

"Uh, I'm full" Liu Changyi patted his rather large belly because of his fullness.

"Sister eats a lot, brother will get fat later" Liu Chen stabbed his index finger into Liu Changyi's stomach.

"Stop Chen'er. Don't bother brother, now you just go to the room"

Liu Chen puffed his cheeks. "Good sister"

Then Liu Chen got down from his seat and went towards the room.

The day goes on fast. It didn't feel like 1 week had passed. During that time, Liu Changyi was always cultivating and practicing using a somewhat rusty sword.

Although the Qi around his residence was thin and he had no resources to help him increase his strength, Liu Changyi always tried to grow stronger by training with his father.

Now Liu Changyi, Liu Chen, Li Wei, Liu Hongli and many residents are outside the village to take the departure of children who will go to the tournament.

"Guard yourself big brother, don't lose big brother!", Liu Chen smiled.

"Yes yes, big brother will definitely fight as much as big brother" Liu Changyi randomized his sister's hair. To the point of making Liu Chen protest and annoyed.

"Sister, stop. My hair is falling apart", Liu Chen protested as he brushed off his brother's hand that was on his head at the moment.

"Hahaha, yes yes"

Then Liu Changyi directed his gaze at his mother. "Mother take care of your health here. I'll try to win that tournament and make you proud"

Li Wei smiled and nodded. "Fight on!"

Liu Changyi nodded and smiled. He turned his body and looked at his father. "Let's go, everybody's gone"

"Then let's go now. Honey, take care of Chen'er huh?", Liu Hongli glanced towards Li Wei.

"Surely, I'll take care of Chen'er. You also take care of Yi'er", Li Wei directed his gaze at Liu Hongli.

Liu Hongli nodded when he heard his wife's statement."Come Yi'er"

Liu Hongli and Liu Changyi started walking away. Some children with their parents were also in front of them.

This tournament was attended by children from the village who wanted to participate in the tournament with the age of 10-15 years. To register also do not have to pay a high price because this tournament is specifically for villagers. This is the first time that has happened.

Li Wei and Liu Chen along with the other residents looked towards their departure. Until finally they began to return to their respective homes and do their respective activities.

"Come on Chen'er"

"Yes mother"

They also went back home.

The hours keep changing, the days change, then the weeks and finally the years change.

It has been 3 years since the tournament. Liu Changyi also entered the White Stork sect because he got the 4th place champion. Although the white stork sect was only a middle-white sect, it still made Li Wei and Liu Hongli proud that their son could become a disciple of one of the middle-white sects. Because, the Qi around where they were was thin made it difficult for a cultivator to raise their level.

Liu Changyi who lived in such a place, yet being able to become a middle sect disciple must have been quite admirable.

Liu Changyi would go back to his house once a year. Liu Changyi's strength also increased due to his resources and because he was now in a place where there was more Qi than where he was.

Meanwhile, Liu Chen always helped his parents garden. Liu Chen had always been ridiculed by some of the children in his village.

Liu Chen's dantian was a flawed dantian that made Liu Chen weaker than even ordinary humans.

Liu Chen always held back his anger because he was always ridiculed and reviled by some children his age or older several years from him. He never complained to his parents either. Because after all it is the truth.

Liu Chen would not be able to cultivate.Even his body was weaker than an ordinary human. He could only help his parents in the garden.

There was nothing Liu Hongli or Li Wei could do to heal Liu Chen's dantian disability.

Liu Changyi who heard about his sister's flawed dantian couldn't do anything either. He did not have much money to buy pills that could cure his sister's dantian disability or have an alchemist make pills for his sister.

But Liu Changyi was always trying to earn more money by doing missions.

Now Liu Chen was walking his way to find some fresh air. Today starts the afternoon.

"I want to be strong.but how? My dantian is just a deformed dantian" Liu Chen muttered with a bow.

He thought he could not boast of his parents like Liu Chanyi.

"Hey isn't that Chen the trash?" said a child older than Liu Chen while pointing at Liu Chen.

A friend next to him seemed to nod his head.

"Yes, it was Chen the trash who was even weaker than ordinary humans"

"We'll meet him"

The others nodded hearing the words of one of them.

They numbered 5 people walking towards Liu Chen who was now in a state of sadness.So they stood in front of Liu Chen as if to block him.

Liu Chen raised his face and looked towards the 5 children.

"Hei Chen the trash, you get out of here. You can't pass by here", the boy with a few years of age above Liu Chen walked closer towards Liu Chen. Until it stopped when the distance was very close to Liu Chen.

"What's your business? this is not your path" Liu Chen said.

"Hey trash, you don't fight. You better get out of here or I'll break your legs so you can't come back to this place"

"If I were you, I would choose to follow what Shing said" said one of them.

The Shing in question was the one who wanted to expel Liu Chen. His name is Wang Shing.

Liu Chen had no intention of leaving from there. "Why do you always bother me? I never bothered you at all"

"The color of your presence disturbs us. I want you to leave here now" Wang Shing said with an arrogant face.

Liu Chen just remained silent as he looked at the five of them.

One of his five people directly hit Liu Chen's stomach making him fall to the ground while coughing.

"Huh, hurry up and go now. I don't want to see you here" said the man who hit Liu Chen.

"Hahaha, even just getting hit like that you've lost" another sneer. Everyone laughed at their friends.

Liu Chen got up again while holding his stomach. He looked at the person before him with a look of annoyance.

"What's wrong? Why are your eyes like that? Wanna fight? Hahaha, you won't be able to defeat us" said Wang Shing.

Liu Chen could only grumble inwardly. He also went from there because he did not want to fight the five children, of which 3 of them had an older age than him.

Although the five people were not cultivating and were ordinary humans, they had bodies that were stronger than Liu Chen's. Because Liu Chen had a flawed dantian made his physique weaker.

"Hahaha, he finally left as well" said one of them.

"Fuck, why do I have to meet them" Liu Chen inner as he ran towards his house so as not to be bothered more than this.

After a few minutes, Liu Chen finally arrived in front of his house. He held both knees like he was exhausted.

Li Wei walked out of the house. When he saw his son who looked exhausted, he went up to him and held both shoulders. "Chen'er, what's wrong?"

Liu Chen raised his face and looked at his mother. He shook his head. "I'm just tired mom, 'cause I ran"

"Hm? Why run like that? What happened Chen'er?"

Liu Chen shook his head while looking at his mother's face.

"If there's anything, just tell your mom or dad. We don't want anything bad to happen to you. You hear Chen'er?"

"Yes mother", Liu Chen nodded his head.

"All right, now let's go in. It's starting the night"

Liu Chen nodded. He then went into the house following his mother from behind.

Liu Chen was grateful in his heart for having parents who still cared about him. Although they already know that he has a defective dantian.