"Arh!" Zhao Long let out a groan of pain. His closed eyes slowly opened, allowing the dim light to enter his pupils.
After a moment, Zhao Long was finally able to see clearly.
He was slightly surprised by what he saw. It turned out he was in a room that seemed familiar.
It was his bedroom.
And on the side of the room, a man sat silently on a chair with a blank stare.
That man... was Zhao Yuan, Zhao Long's father.
Seeing Zhao Yuan, Zhao Long's heart immediately ached like it was being slashed. "Father..." he called weakly.
Zhao Yuan turned and looked at Zhao Long. A smile appeared at the corner of his lips, though it looked forced.
"You're awake...?" Zhao Yuan asked with that same forced smile on his face.
Zhao Long looked at Zhao Yuan with a complex, unreadable gaze. "Father..."
Zhao Long immediately got up and hugged Zhao Yuan. He cried.
Zhao Yuan returned Zhao Long's embrace, gently patting his son's back. His eyes stared ahead, empty and distant.
Zhao Yuan's mind was in turmoil. He thought Zhao Long's future had been destroyed—his dreams buried along with the loss of his cultivation base.
Zhao Yuan believed Zhao Long was crying in sorrow over the loss of his cultivation and the shattering of his future.
For a cultivator, the destruction of one's cultivation base was more painful than death itself.
On the other hand, Zhao Long spoke in a soft tone. "I thought I'd never see you again, Father. I thought I was going to die..."
Zhao Long didn't continue his sentence and hugged Zhao Yuan tightly.
Zhao Yuan sighed.
"Let's just call it your luck—that I was able to find you. Thankfully, no wild beasts were around."
Hearing this, Zhao Long fell silent.
Zhao Yuan then released the hug. He smiled. "Rest now, you must still be in pain."
Zhao Long shook his head. "Father… will you hate me because I no longer have cultivation?" Zhao Long murmured.
"What are you talking about?" Zhao Yuan snapped. "There's no way I would hate you. I've come this far just to protect you as my son. Even if you were just an ordinary mortal, I would still protect you—because you are the treasure of both me and your mother. You are the proof of our bond, the one she was willing to sacrifice her life for."
"But… as a mortal, I may easily fall ill and..."
"It's okay, Father. If this is my fate, I'll accept it. What matters is… I get to live longer with you," Zhao Long cut in.
Zhao Yuan looked at Zhao Long with deep sorrow in his eyes. He gave a bitter smile. Clearly, he couldn't accept the cruel fate awaiting his son—one far harsher than what he himself endured in the past.
In the past, Zhao Yuan was actually the son of the clan leader. But his father died in a trap set by the clan's deputy leader—who is now the current clan leader—and by the elders who resented the previous leader's strict rules and governance.
In the end, the clan leader was killed by his own people.
Such a tragedy.
And Zhao Yuan, son of the former clan leader, became an orphan at six years old and was bullied and mocked throughout the clan.
By the age of eighteen, he had married Zhao Long's mother, Yun Lan. This only deepened the clan's hatred for them.
A year into their marriage, they had a daughter. But sadly, their daughter died after being beaten by members of the Zhao Clan in a brutal and tragic manner.
Yun Lan, enraged by this, slaughtered every child involved in their daughter's death. This sparked widespread anger in the clan, and they demanded the deaths of both Yun Lan and Zhao Yuan as punishment.
But sadly for them, Yun Lan's power was too overwhelming at the time. Everyone was still weak— even the clan leader couldn't do anything.
Eventually, the clan's hatred could only be buried deep within their hearts.
Years passed, and by the age of thirty, Zhao Yuan broke through to the Nascent Soul stage. Joy came when Yun Lan became pregnant again. This news soured the Zhao Clan's mood, but also reignited their buried hatred.
When the time came to give birth, Yun Lan died—having exhausted her Yin energy for Zhao Long's sake. This made Zhao Long considered a genius.
At just ten years old, Zhao Long reached the Foundation Establishment - Early Stage, shortly after awakening his cultivation base.
At first, the Zhao Clan wanted Zhao Long and Zhao Yuan dead. But they held back after learning that Yun Lan had given both of them protective treasures.
In the form of a necklace.
A necklace shrouded in mystery.
---
The Next Day
Zhao Long was seen standing still in the courtyard of his residence, eyes blank and unmoving.
The news of his destroyed cultivation had not yet spread, so no one knew that Zhao Long was now merely a mortal.
He stood alone in the yard without the slightest movement, like a statue.
Clan members who saw him thought Zhao Long was acting strange. Some threw stones at him, but Zhao Long didn't respond at all.
This only confused people even more.
Even when blood dripped from his head, Zhao Long didn't move an inch. He truly looked like a statue.
Eventually, three youths arrived at Zhao Long's residence. Their expressions were unfriendly.
One of them was Zhao Mingxi, son of the Zhao Clan Leader, Zhao Penmiu. His cultivation: Core Formation Level 9.
Zhao Weichun, son of the Deputy Clan Leader, Zhao Weimu. Cultivation: Core Formation Level 9.
And Zhao Luing, son of the First Elder, Zhao Liu. Cultivation: Core Formation Level 8.
The three of them looked at Zhao Long with disdainful, mocking eyes.
"Look, the clan's discarded trash is in deep thought," Zhao Mingxi said mockingly.
"Haha, look at that face. You're better off as a worthless reject. A genius? What a joke," Zhao Luing sneered.
"Why are you standing like a statue? Want to be one? A useless, decorative statue? Hehaha," Zhao Weichun added.
Zhao Long remained silent. He had no intention of responding to these fools.
What they didn't know was that Zhao Long was currently trying to communicate with the Laws of Nature. By doing so, he might be able to heal his destroyed cultivation base.
Of course, this idea didn't come out of nowhere. It came from the necklace around his neck.
A jade green necklace, shaped like a one-eighth circle. Like a slice of cake. Or a triangle.
The three young masters of the Zhao Clan grew furious when they saw Zhao Long completely ignoring them.
He didn't even glance at them.
This was the ultimate insult!
"Bastard!" Zhao Mingxi shouted angrily.
He raised his palm and slapped Zhao Long hard across the face.
Plak!
Boom!
The slap snapped Zhao Long out of his trance. He tried to dodge, but it was too late.
The slap landed, striking Zhao Long hard and sending his frail mortal body flying backward in a pitiful heap.
On the other hand, Zhao Mingxi—after feeling the state of Zhao Long's body—suddenly widened his eyes.
"Y-You? You've become a cripple with no cultivation base!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
A sinister grin spread across his face.