Shen Clan, Clan Chief's Manor.
Shen Liqian sat in the middle of a vast, nearly empty room. The only extravagant piece of furniture was a bed with soft cushions.
Consumed by worry, Shen Liqian had been cultivating for six days without a break.
His legs were numb and cold seeped up through the floorboards, but worry for his father and his deep cultivation progress outweighed the discomfort.
His father went missing after he set out to hunt deeper in the Crown-Forged Eight Mountains.
The beasts were so dangerous that the Shen Clan stayed at the foot of the mountains, with nowhere else to go, and still lost at least a hundred clan members each year.
Worse, it was snowing heavily, so Shen Liqian couldn't understand why his father had chosen such a dangerous task in winter.
Those concerns sometimes resurfaced during cultivation like a Heart Demon—an intrusive fear that undermines cultivation.
I hope you'll return soon. I don't want to lose my parents again.
Shen Liqian had been reincarnated.
In his past life, he was born on Earth into a middle-class family with two sisters and two brothers.
Their happy life took the worst turn when their parents died, and the older siblings were forced to fend for themselves while taking care of the youngest.
Suddenly thrown into adult life in his mid-teens, Shen Liqian worked countless part-time jobs, then found an office job that sadly consumed all his time.
He worked himself to death under a relentless boss.
He drew his last breath at his desk and was startled to hear baby noises and unfamiliar voices, all while unable to see.
He quickly realized he had been given a second chance.
Born into a world where cultivating body and mind was possible and where strength related to cultivation mattered most, Shen Liqian swore to always appreciate this second chance and work hard on himself.
He was also the only son of the Shen Clan's Chief, so even in his second life he wasn't spared any responsibilities.
Unfortunately, he was undoubtedly born with below-average Spiritual Roots.
Despite training in his clan's Sword Claw Swordsmanship Manual since he could walk, Shen Liqian was only at the First Stage of Qi Attunement.
Of his Spiritual Roots, only a single root had connected to his Dantian.
There was a chance he had been born with only a single root, but no one in the clan could verify it, as no one was advanced enough to do so.
Shen Liqian had come to terms with his talent quite early on.
That said, he still practiced swordsmanship as diligently as a chief's son should, and he even beat peers at higher stages in pure swordsmanship.
He understood that hard work never beats raw talent, but he also knew that miracles happened in the Cultivation World.
Some clan members reached a rare breakthrough at age eighteen, as though fate wanted to help them endure the hardships of adulthood.
Shen Liqian would turn eighteen tonight, so he bet a lot on it. If not, he'd work hard until the right time came to him.
It was then that someone barged into his room, prompting him to wake from his cultivation trance.
"Qian'er!" Shen Liqian's mother, Shen Lexi, called as she stood in the doorway, her cheeks reddened, dry tear tracks visible on them.
Even though she had clearly cried and worried for her husband, none of her tears could taint her beauty, paired with wide hips and a plump ass, a trait highly appreciated in the Shen Clan.
She was so beautiful that, as Shen Liqian was told, his father and uncle, the only candidates for the Clan Chief's seat at the time, fought for her heart twenty years ago.
Her voice carried happiness, though traces of relief and worry still colored it. As a strong cultivator with six Spiritual Roots connected to her Dantian, she kept her voice steady.
"Your Father is back!" she said happily and turned around.
Finally! You really had us worried, Dad!
Standing up and chasing after his mother, Shen Liqian couldn't help but smile. He was relieved and happy more for his mother, who could finally relax, than for himself.
They quickly left their manor and headed to the center of the Shen Clan's village.
His mother hurried so much that she was still draping herself in an additional blanket that helped against the cold despite her cultivation.
Shen Liqian decided to brave the cold and simply went in his jade-green robes.
Even with snow up to his calves, he trudged on, snow squeaking underfoot and his breath steaming in front of him.
It was already dark and therefore colder, but many clan members left their wooden houses and headed to the village plaza to see their best hunters.
It wasn't unusual for so many to turn out to greet the Chief and his hunting team, but as Shen Liqian approached the plaza he noticed more murmurs and dejected faces.
Did something terrible happen?
Once he tore through the crowd and caught up to his mother, he saw her embracing his father, crying aloud. His father only closed his eyes and allowed her to pour out her tears onto his shoulder plates.
As she let him go and cradled his face, Shen Liqian noticed a huge hole in his father's steel armor and dried blood coating his vest and shirt.
A terrible premonition seized him.
It can't be…
His father caught his worried look and called out to him.
"Oh, Qian'er! Don't you dare to cry like your mother! I'll be fine. It's just a broken Dantian!" Shen Lijian laughed aloud.
The crowd fell silent.
He made it seem like a broken Dantian was nothing serious, but it was worse than death for most cultivators.
He would never be able to break through or use his peak strength anymore!
Now, Shen Liqian understood the reactions of the other clan members.
Their Chief had lost his strength, and they were now more vulnerable to beast attacks.
They had also lost an important hunter that day, meaning fewer people would be able to eat.
What did it matter that Lijian had returned with his brother and the others? They were empty-handed and wounded.
Their hunt was simply a failure!
It was then that Shen Liqian's uncle, Shen Junce, called to his brother.
"Remember what I told you, Lijian!" he said with a smirk and turned around, leaving the plaza with his family.
Shen Lijian's gaze honed to an edge as he watched his brother leave.
Then he shut them and forced a smile. "Yeah."
Shen Liqian saw it and tilted his head. Father?
He couldn't believe his senses, but for a single moment, Shen Liqian thought that his father wanted to kill his brother just now.