The Lower Realm—vast and boundless, divided into countless worlds.
Among them lay the Xuantian World, one of the Major Thousand Worlds of the lower realms.
This realm was divided into the Southern Domain, Northern Domain, Western Domain, and Central Domain. Each domain was ruled by countless powerful sects and ancient forces that controlled nearly all the resources of heaven and earth. Holy Lands and Immortal Sects stood like divine pillars across the continents, shaping the destiny of all cultivators who dwelled beneath the heavens.
Here, the strong could split mountains, part seas, and even pluck the stars from the sky—while the weak were nothing more than ants, trampled beneath the feet of the mighty.
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The Vermilion Bird Holy Land
Among the countless sects of the Northern Domain, the Vermilion Bird Holy Land stood as one of the top ten Holy Lands of the entire Xuantian World.
It was founded hundreds of thousands of years ago by the legendary Immortal Divine Fire, who ascended to the higher realms long ago. Over countless generations, the sect had produced numerous immortals who cemented its foundation, making it one of the true overlords of the Xuantian World.
The Holy Land was situated in the far corner of the Northern Domain, surrounded by ten thousand mountain peaks. Its territory stretched across millions of miles, protected by nine towering sacred peaks—
the Main Peak, Sword Peak, Spear Peak, Spell Peak, Law Enforcement Peak, Alchemy Peak, Weapon Refinement Peak, and two Hidden Peaks shrouded in eternal mist.
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Within the Holy Land's Inner Sect Mission Hall, a young man sat quietly behind the counter, eyes closed as if meditating. His features were as refined as carved jade, his white hair gleamed like freshly fallen snow, and though slender, his posture was straight and resolute.
This young man's name was Han Li.
"Sigh…"
Han Li opened his eyes slowly, gazing at the bustling hall. Inner disciples moved about, searching for suitable missions. Whenever someone noticed him, they greeted him with genuine respect.
It wasn't because of his handsome face—no, the reason was far deeper. Han Li was one of the top one hundred inner sect disciples, a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Realm, and he had reached such a level in his early forties—a feat that marked him as a rare genius within the Holy Land.
Yet none of them knew the truth—Han Li was not originally from this world.
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Forty-one years ago, Han Li had transmigrated from a world known as Blue Star, reborn as an infant in this realm. Blessed with loving parents and a peaceful childhood, his destiny took a turn when his Heaven-rank Spiritual Root was discovered—a gift so rare that it made him a peerless genius.
At the age of fourteen, he joined the Vermilion Bird Holy Land and had been cultivating there ever since. Through countless trials, battles, and competitions with other prodigies, he had climbed to his current position among the top disciples.
But recently, fate had turned against him.
During a beast hunt, he had been gravely injured, his cultivation foundation nearly destroyed. Were it not for his quick thinking and a few precious pills, he would have become crippled and forced to abandon cultivation forever—a fate worse than death for a cultivator.
Fortunately, with his accumulated contribution points, he managed to exchange for a Level 7 Foundation Repairing Pill. With his current cultivation, he estimated a seventy percent chance of recovery.
If it failed… he would have to descend from the Holy Land.
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After collecting his reward for the latest guarding mission, Han Li stood up. His injuries were mostly stabilized; now it was time to focus entirely on recovery.
He left the mission hall, stepping into the open air as disciples flew back and forth across the sky.
"Time to return to my cave residence," he murmured softly.
With a flick of his sleeve—
Swish!
Han Li transformed into a streak of rainbow light, soaring toward the distant peaks.
But suddenly, as he passed over a mountain range below, his sharp divine sense caught something—voices filled with anger and cruelty.
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> "Where are the spirit stones? Hand them over!"
"You cripple, you don't need spirit stones anyway!"
Han Li's eyes narrowed.
He looked down toward the source of the commotion, his expression calm yet slightly cold.
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