In the southern part of Qing's Wei Kingdom stood Green Bamboo Mountain.
Green Bamboo Mountain was a corner of the vast Luoyun Mountain Range, which spanned thousands of miles.
Besides the Rin Family of Green Bamboo Mountain, there were the Jin Family of Golden Horn Mountain, the Sun Family of Flying Eagle Mountain, the Wu Family of Jiuhua Mountain, and the Luo Family of Baiyun Mountain.
All five major families had Foundation Establishment Cultivators in residence, along with more than twenty smaller Qi Refining families scattered throughout the range.
From atop its main peak, Green Bamboo Mountain resembled a coiled giant serpent. Its "head" appeared as a massive stalk of bamboo, a thousand feet tall, standing proudly at the centre.
The mountain stretched over a hundred miles, with deep gorges, underground rivers, and diverse terrain. Its peaks were shrouded in clouds and mist year-round, giving it the air of a paradise.
The mountain was blanketed in thickets of Qingling Bamboo, known for its extraordinary flexibility. Classified as a First Order wood-attribute spirit material, Qingling Bamboo was highly sought after for Artifact Refining. When added during the refining process, it greatly enhanced the resilience of Spiritual Artifacts—especially flying swords—making it a premium material.
Green Bamboo Mountain was the ancestral land of the Rin Family, whose legacy stretched back more than eight hundred years.
Its founder, Patriarch Rin Duan, had once been a Mid-Stage Golden Core Cultivator. At the age of two hundred and fifty, he was grievously wounded while treasure hunting in the demon-infested Maple Forest Mountain Range. Although he survived, his damaged meridians prevented him from making further progress in cultivation. Dispirited, he returned to Qingzhou and established the Rin Family upon Green Bamboo Mountain, using his life savings to secure their foundation.
Since the Patriarch's passing, over six hundred years have gone by. In that time, the Rin Family had grown steadily, passing down through more than ten generations. Today, they numbered 175 cultivators, with two Foundation Establishment experts and over a hundred Qi Refining disciples. After centuries of development, the Rin Family had become a household of some renown in the southern Wei Kingdom.
Within a courtyard on the mountainside, Rin Tianhai sat cross-legged on his bed.
In his hand, he held a milky-white Spirit Stone, about the size of a toddler's fist, crystal clear and beautiful. Spiritual energy coursed along the complex circuits of his meridians, eventually converging within his dantian.
After an hour of meditation, the Spirit Stone shrank until it finally dissolved into a wisp of blue smoke.
A flicker of joy flashed across Tianhai's eyes as he probed his meridians and dantian with his Divine Sense. Both had expanded noticeably, and he was only a step away from reaching the Fifth Level of Qi Practice. With a dozen more Spirit Stones, he was confident he could advance.
Tianhai sighed in satisfaction. Cultivating with Spirit Stones truly was faster—one low-grade Spirit Stone equaled several days of hard practice.
At just fouteen years old, Tianhai already stood at the Fourth Level of Qi Practice. He possessed dual Spiritual Roots of wood and fire, rare among the Rin Family. Dressed in a simple green robe, his features were handsome, and though still young, his eyes occasionally reflected a trace of maturity beyond his years.
That evening, after consuming two more Spirit Stones, he rubbed his aching head. Although distressed by the cost, he found comfort in the swelling spiritual power within his dantian. He was one step closer to the next level.
Resources in the Rin Family were limited. During the early stages of Qi Practice, each cultivator received one Spirit Stone per month; in the mid stages, three per month. To earn more, disciples had to contribute to the family through tasks and missions.
When his stomach finally growled in protest, Tianhai stretched, pushed open his door, and nearly bumped into Rin Xuelian.
"Brother," she called with a smile, grabbing his sleeve, "Mother sent me to call you for dinner!"
Tianhai chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately.
"Just in time—I was getting hungry."
"Then let's go!" Xuelian said happily, pulling him along.
Rin Xuelian, his ten-year-old younger sister, wore a bright red dress. She bore a resemblance to Tianhai and was bound to grow into a stunning beauty. Gifted with triple Spiritual Roots of metal, wood, and fire, she had been cultivating for two years and already reached the First Level of Qi Practice—a notable talent for the family.
In the main hall, their mother, Xi Yuexin, was arranging the tableware.
"Mother, what delicious food do we have today?" Tianhai shouted as he ran in and immediately grabbed a bowl, devouring its contents.
"Eat slowly," Xi Yuexin said with a smile. "There's plenty more."
Watching him, Xuelian wrinkled her nose.
"Brother, eat slower. No one's going to steal it from you."
Tianhai laughed between bites. "When is Father coming back?"
Xi Yuexin's smile faltered for a brief moment, but she quickly composed herself.
"Your father escorted a batch of Artifact Refining materials and Spiritual Artifacts to our store in Luoyun Market. He should return in a few days."
Then, with a softer tone, she added, "Before leaving, he instructed me to supervise your cultivation. He hopes you'll break through to the Fifth Level soon and begin taking family missions to ease our burdens."
Tianhai nodded firmly. "I understand, Mother. I'll work hard and contribute to the family as soon as possible. The world is vast, and I've long dreamed of seeing it myself."
Ever since he was discovered to have dual roots at age ten, his Family had placed great expectations on him. In the clan's eight-hundred-year history, except for one another person, only their founder, Rin Duan, had also been born with dual roots. That person, though failed to achieve Core Formation, but reached late stage Foundation establishment. Since then, no one else with such talent had reached Core Formation. Most Rin cultivators possessed three to five roots, their potential limited.
In major sects with abundant resources, Core Formation might have been possible, but for the Rin Family, such hopes were slim.
After dinner, Tianhai sat in the courtyard with Xuelian, guiding her through the Five Elements Spell.
Pinching a seal with his fingers, a wax-yellow flame flickered at his fingertip before expanding into a massive fireball several meters wide. With a shout, he launched it skyward.
Boom!
The fireball exploded, the shockwave rippling across the courtyard.
"Brother, you're amazing! I want to be as strong as you someday," Xuelian said, eyes shining with admiration.
Tianhai smiled and patiently explained the principles of the spell. The Fireball Technique was a basic art, controlling fire attribute spiritual power through divine sense. The stronger the sense, the greater the spell's power and precision.
"You must study hard, and if there's anything you don't understand, ask Seventh Grandpa tomorrow at the Skill Transmission Hall. Understood?"
"Yes, Brother! I'll work hard. I'll leave you to your cultivation—I'm going to find Tianqin!"
In a flash, she was gone.
Returning inside, Tianhai found his mother waiting with a dark green storage bag in her hand.
"Tianhai," Xi Yuexin said warmly, "your father asked me to give this to you before he left. We've been saving it for the past two years to aid your cultivation."
She handed him the bag. His eyes lit up with curiosity.
"What is it?"
"See for yourself," she replied with a smile.
Back in his room, Tianhai examined the bag, embroidered with golden birds and beasts, far superior to his own basic pouch. Refining it with his divine sense took half an hour, after which he eagerly peered inside.
The bag was a First Order, Medium-Grade storage bag—its space as large as a room. Inside were thirty-five low-grade Spirit Stones and a jade bottle of Qi Condensation Pills, three bright green pills shining with spiritual energy.
Tianhai picked one up, his heart racing with delight. Qi Condensation Pills were invaluable to Qi Refining cultivators, packed with spiritual energy and far more effective than Spirit Stones. Each pill equalled a month of hard cultivation and was worth at least twenty Spirit Stones.
Including the contents of his old pouch, Tianhai now possessed forty Spirit Stones and three Qi Condensation Pills. With such resources, he was confident he could break through the Fifth Level within a year—and perhaps even reach the Sixth.
Carefully arranging his treasures, he lay back on his bed. After three days of intense meditation, exhaustion finally caught up with him.
Within moments, his room was filled with the sound of peaceful snoring.