'But... what good was it to know then? Father was already gone, having left me for good!'
'The tree wishes for calm, but the wind will not subside. The son wishes to care for his parents, but they are no longer there to wait.'
'I realized it all too late. If I'd understood sooner, I wouldn't have been such a bastard, cursing him until he didn't even dare to come home after Mother passed away and I took charge of our family branch! If I'd understood sooner, I wouldn't have screamed that I was ashamed to be the son of a failure like him when the Demon Race attacked, driving him to despair and making him willingly go to his death! If I'd understood sooner, I wouldn't have...'
'Too many 'what ifs,' too many 'I wouldn't haves'... all vanished with that single spear thrust, scattered to the winds, never to be reclaimed.'
'Dad, I've wronged you!'
'Dad, I was a bastard!'
'Dad, I was so ignorant! I never understood the hardships you endured for my sake!'
'Dad, since I've been given a second chance in this life, I'll spend my life making up for my past mistakes! I'll defend your honor and dignity with my very life!'
"Dad!"
Overwhelmed with emotion, Nie Yun looked at his somewhat tattered father, and the rims of his eyes reddened. A name he hadn't spoken for hundreds of years slowly left his lips. It sounded stiff, yet it carried all of a son's heartfelt affection.
"What... what did you call me?" Nie Xiaotian faltered in his stride, his entire body trembling. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
'Ever since he was six years old, this son of mine has been ashamed of his origins, ashamed of me, his father. He's never once called me 'Dad.' How... how could this be...?'
"Dad, you should drink less. That old injury of yours still hasn't fully healed!" Nie Yun said, suppressing his emotions.
"Telling me to drink less? My son called me Dad? No, no, I'm a disgrace to you. I'm not worthy of being your father..." Nie Xiaotian hurried away. With his back to Nie Yun and the others, two murky teardrops slowly slid down his face...
'My son is finally calling me 'Dad.' He's finally acknowledging me. Even if I were to die right now, it would be worth it!'
'I'll talk with Father more later. He's still living in the shadow of his past failure. I have to help him resolve this lingering trauma!' Sighing, Nie Yun turned to his mother. "Mom, I'm fine. Look, your eyes are all red. You must be tired. Go and get some rest. I'll come and see you in the morning!"
"As long as you're all right. You just woke up, so you should sleep a bit more. I'll find the best Healing Holy Medicine to treat your injuries and make sure you recover completely!" Seeing that her son was truly awake, the pressure that had been weighing on Nie Ling's heart finally lifted. She suddenly felt exhausted. After offering a few more words of comfort, she stood up and returned to her room to rest.
'If I want to change anything, I need power. No more wasting time. I have to start my Cultivation!'
After his parents left the room, Nie Yun slowly sat up. Following his usual method of regulating his breath, he entered a state of Cultivation.
There are a total of nine Realms for a Qi Sea Cultivator, commonly known as the Qi Sea Nine Heavens. They are the First Layer of Qi Introduction, Second Layer Spirit Valley, Third Layer Nourishing Breath, Fourth Layer True Qi, Fifth Layer Body Emergence, Sixth Layer Gang Formation, Seventh Layer Armor, Eighth Layer Qi Sect, and Ninth Venerable!
A Qi Sea Cultivator's talent is determined by their Bloodline. The stronger the Bloodline, the greater their talent for Cultivation, and the higher the Realm they can reach in the future!
The strength of a Bloodline is measured by Bloodline Factors. The number of Bloodline Factors a person has is fixed at birth and represents their innate talent. The greater the number, the more distinguished their status. They are divided into five ranks: Emperor, King, Marquis, Noble, and Mortal. An Ordinary Cultivator has no Bloodline Factors. Activating one is considered a Mortal Race Top Grade Bloodline. Two to three factors grant a Nobility Bloodline; four to five, a Marquis Clan Bloodline; six to seven, a Royal Family Bloodline; and eight to nine, the rarest Royal Family Bloodline of all!
Within each rank, Bloodlines are further divided into Top Grade and Lower Grade based on the number of Bloodline Factors. For example, within the Royal Family rank, a Top Grade Bloodline confers a higher and more distinguished status than a Lower Grade one!
Back in his day, his father, Nie Xiaotian, had activated a full seven Bloodline Factors, possessing a Royal Family's Top Grade Bloodline. This was a testament to his immense potential!
Each of those seven Bloodline Factors could form a Dantian within his Qi Sea. In other words, he alone possessed the Seven Great Dantians, allowing him to cultivate at a speed a full seven times faster than anyone else!
It took others seven days of Cultivation to match what he could achieve in one. A talent like that could only be described as terrifying!
'Huh? Where are my Bloodline Factors? Weren't they activated long ago? How can every single one be gone?'
The moment his consciousness entered his Qi Sea, Nie Yun immediately noticed that something was wrong. He froze.
'In my past life, my talent couldn't compare to Father's, but it wasn't bad. Otherwise, I never would have been able to cultivate to the Peak of the Dantian Acupoint Realm! I clearly remember activating three Bloodline Factors when I was sixteen, achieving a Noble Top Grade Bloodline. So how can there not be a single Bloodline Factor in my body now?'
'This is impossible!'
'Without Bloodline Factors, I'm just an Ordinary Cultivator. Even with the best Cultivation Technique, it would be impossible to reach the Peak of the Dantian Acupoint Realm. How am I supposed to get my revenge? How can I lead our branch of the family to prosperity?'
'And what's more, I remember that after I woke up from that serious injury at sixteen, I was still at the First Layer of Qi Sea Ninth Layer Heaven. Why... why don't I have any power at all now?'
'Having no Bloodline Factors was bizarre enough, but to have no power in my body whatsoever... Don't tell me that after being reborn, it wasn't just my mind that changed, but my body's Cultivation as well? And not for the better, but for the worse?'
'What in the world is going on...?'
BOOM!
Just as Nie Yun was reeling in confusion, unsure of what was happening, a sudden roar echoed in his vision, and an ancient, powerful consciousness instantly resounded throughout his mind.
"Heaven and Earth Creation, Infinite Bloodline!"
In that instant, a profound and incomprehensible Technique was transmitted from the consciousness. Guided by this Technique, the Inner Breath within his body slowly began to circulate according to a unique pattern.