"Lingyun Sect disciple Chu Fan, whose incompetence led to the fall of the Supreme Elder and his five beloved disciples at the hands of our enemies, is hereby stripped of his position as Saint Heir. The Saint Heir residence on Cuiyun Peak is reclaimed. Furthermore, as his Golden Core is shattered and his meridians are severed, rendering him a cripple with no hope of further Cultivation, all his cultivation resources are revoked. He is to live out the rest of his miserable days on Cuimei Peak."
Atop Yunmeng Mountain, on the summit of Cuiyun Peak, a row of magnificent halls was built along the mountain’s contours, exuding a majestic aura.
The main hall in the center boasted golden tiles and jade bricks, with upturned eaves like hooks and long, arching beams. In the center, three plaques were arranged vertically. The top plaque bore four great inscriptions: "Azure Qi," "Ten Thousand Zhang," "Mountains, Rivers, and Earth," and "Many Years."
The middle plaque read, "Supreme Devotion to the Dao," and the bottom plaque read, "Lingyun Hall."
A young man in mourning clothes walked down the steps in front of the main hall, one hesitant step at a time. The Sect Leader’s punitive decree repeated endlessly in his mind.
His eyes were bloodshot, and the rage in his chest was so overwhelming he could barely breathe. His steps were heavy, like a soulless, walking corpse.
His name was Chu Fan, recognized by the Six Sects and Eight Gates of the Eastern Domain as the number one prodigy. He was the most talented disciple in the Lingyun Sect’s three-thousand-year history.
He reached Foundation Establishment Perfection at age eight, Switch at ten, Fusion at twelve, and Heartbeat at sixteen. In the same year, he had an epiphany in the Sword Dao, reaching the Sword Qi Like Frost Realm. At twenty-one, he formed his Golden Core, and at twenty-two, his Sword Dao advanced to the Sword Gang Like Wind Realm.
He was only twenty-three now. If not for the battle seven days ago, his talent would have surely allowed him to surpass all the past patriarchs.
The Red Blood Mansion had seized the Lingyun Sect’s Jade Mine and was assassinating disciples who went out to gain experience.
His Master, Ling Zhexing—the Supreme Elder who was the Lingyun Sect’s Stabilizing Needle—led him and his five senior brothers to intercept a group of experts from the Red Blood Mansion. Unexpectedly, they were trapped in a desperate situation. His five senior brothers were killed on the spot, his Master was gravely injured, and his own Golden Core was shattered, his meridians severed.
His Master burned his own life force and potential to send him back to Yunmeng Mountain, before passing away.
’He couldn’t believe it. They had given everything for the Sect, only to be treated like this in the end.’
’His five senior brothers had died fighting for the Sect, yet the Sect hadn’t even retrieved their bodies.’
’He could have accepted the Sect stripping him of his Saint Heir title or taking away his cultivation resources. After all, he was a cripple now.’
He had been unconscious for seven days. The first thing he did upon waking was come to Lingyun Hall to ask the Sect to send people to retrieve his senior brothers’ bodies.
’"Whose incompetence led to the fall of the Supreme Elder and his five beloved disciples"? They were his most beloved Master and senior brothers! He cared about them more than anyone else.’
’And what did they mean, "live out the rest of his miserable days on Cuimei Peak"? Wasn’t that just house arrest, leaving him to fend for himself until he died?’
’What was the point of his Golden Core being shattered and his meridians severed?’
’In their entire lineage, he was the only one left, a cripple barely clinging to life. All the others were dead.’
’So was this the Sect’s excuse to discard him now that he was no longer useful?’
He was utterly disheartened with the Sect, but what did it matter? He was a cripple now. All hope was lost. He couldn’t even retrieve his senior brothers’ bodies.
’It wasn’t that he didn’t blame himself. If his Master hadn’t sacrificed himself to send him back, would he still be alive? Would he have been spared from seeing this cruel, bloody reality of human nature?’
"Traitor! You’re the traitor of our Lingyun Sect! How do you still have the face to live?"
Along with the curse, a rock struck Chu Fan on the forehead, immediately drawing blood.
Chu Fan stumbled onward, not bothering to wipe the blood from his face. His gaze was fixed vacantly on the stone pavers beneath his feet.
The jeers and curses grew louder as a crowd surrounded him so tightly he couldn’t move. He was forced to stop.
’These disciples before him... was there a single one who hadn’t once fawned over him?’
"If you hadn’t dragged them down, how could the Supreme Elder, the two Elders, and the three Stewards have died? Why don’t you just die?"
"Number one prodigy of the Eastern Domain? What a load of bullshit!"
"Go die! You’re a traitor to the Lingyun Sect."
Countless random objects pelted Chu Fan’s body, but he no longer felt the pain. How could the pain in his body compare to the ashes where his heart used to be?
"Stop!"
Two lavishly dressed disciples blocked the boisterous crowd. They walked up to Chu Fan, looking down on him condescendingly.
"Chu Fan. Did the once-unrivaled you ever imagine you’d see this day?"
Chu Fan didn’t speak. ’Was I really so arrogant back then?’ he thought. ’When has a disciple ever come to me with a problem in their Cultivation that I didn’t diligently guide them through?’
’Even these two before him, hadn’t they once done everything they could to curry his favor?’
"This day of mine? Heh!" Chu Fan gave a helpless, bitter laugh and began to drag his feet away.
"Everyone hasn’t finished venting their anger yet. You think you can just walk away?" The Sixth Elder’s own grandson, Li Qiong, blocked his path again.
"What... do you want?" Murderous intent gleamed in Chu Fan’s eyes, but with his meridians destroyed, who would fear him?
"All your cultivation resources have been revoked. Who knows if you’ve smuggled any of the Sect’s valuables on you?"
As soon as Li Qiong finished speaking, two disciples stepped forward and grabbed Chu Fan’s arms. Li Qiong reached out and began to search him.
An unparalleled sense of humiliation washed over him, and his pent-up fury erupted. He struggled with all his might, only to be rewarded with two slaps to the face.
Li Qiong found a bottle of Elixirs and a Jade Pendant on him.
"Give me back the Jade Pendant!"
’That Jade Pendant was the only memento his Master had left him.’
"Get lost!" Li Qiong sent him flying more than a hundred feet with a single kick. Already injured, it took him a long while to struggle back to his feet.
Looking back at the ugly, gloating faces, Chu Fan’s heart plunged into an abyss.
He didn’t know how he made it back to Cuimei Peak.
In front of the thatched cottage, the aged figure of Zhegu Slave stood at the gate, watching him.
"Young Master!"
"Zhegu Slave, what kind of world is this? Why is it like this?" Chu Fan wasn’t expecting an answer from Zhegu Slave; he was merely asking himself.
"This is a world where the strong prey on the weak. Without strength, no one cares who you are. When you fall from the heavens into the abyss, even an ant will step on you to feel a sense of importance."
"Only when you have nothing can you truly understand the fickleness of human nature. Young Master, do you see that now?"
Listening to Zhegu Slave’s words, Chu Fan looked at him, somewhat stunned.
"What if I do see it now?" Chu Fan laughed self-deprecatingly. The unwiped blood on his face made the smile look utterly grim.
"Before Ling Zhexing died, he sent you to Cuimei Peak and told me to give you a message: ’One cannot be remade without first being broken.’ Only by experiencing the lowest point in life can one soar to the heavens. He has arranged a path for you to rise again, but it is a path full of thorns and dangers. Are you willing to walk it?"
Hearing this, Chu Fan felt as if he had just grasped a life-saving straw.
At this moment, no one wanted to become powerful more than he did. Because of the humiliation he had just endured, because of the Sect’s injustice, and most of all, because his senior brothers’ bodies were not yet cold and their deaths were unavenged.
"The truth is, you possess the Chaos Body. Your shattered Golden Core and severed meridians are precisely the opportunity for you to be reborn from the ashes."
"What do I have to do?" At this moment, Chu Fan’s heart, which had fallen into an abyss, came back to life.
"You must endure the agony of having your marrow hammered and your body flayed to activate the Chaos Body. It is a process of life or death. After activating the Chaos Body, you must, within half a year, surpass your previous Cultivation Realm, reach Zao Ying Mountain, and break through the obstacle there to obtain the secret treasure Ling Zhexing prepared for you."
’Go from having no Cultivation to the Golden Core Realm in half a year? Is that even possible? But this is my only chance. If I can’t do it, I might as well be dead.’
"I’m willing!"
"Then this old servant will help you take the next step. Please follow me, Young Master."
As Zhegu Slave spoke, he walked into the thatched cottage. Chu Fan followed close behind, only to discover that the floor of the once-simple hut was now covered in Spiritual Jade.
Filled with countless questions, he followed Zhegu Slave’s guidance and sat down on the meditation cushion in the center.
"Remember, if you cannot surpass your previous Realm within half a year, you will die. If you fail to obtain the secret treasure in Zao Ying Mountain, you will still die. The Chaos Body cannot be controlled without sufficient fortune. Do not forget this!"
Before Chu Fan could respond, Zhegu Slave finished speaking and, with a wave of his hand, activated the Array inside the hut. A profound and mysterious aura enveloped Chu Fan...