The night sky was a river of brilliant stars.
In the depths of the tranquil cosmos, nine five-clawed, black-scaled dragon corpses abruptly appeared. Their colossal bodies, thousands of feet long, lay sprawled across the star-filled void, their Dragon Power awing the heavens.
Dragons, entities on par with the divine, reigned supreme above the Rules. They were magnificent, forbidden beings that all life looked up to in reverence.
Even more incredibly, they were pulling a sky-piercing tomb wreathed in Chaos. It was like a boundless celestial curtain, separating heaven and earth and leaving endless darkness in its wake.
This shocking scene caught the attention of the experts of the Grand Emperor Domain. Their eyes were fixed on the starry sky, fists clenched tight, as if they were waiting for something.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the nine incomparably massive dragon corpses seemed to come back to life. Pulling that mysterious, sky-piercing tomb, they came roaring out of the Nine Heavens Star River and charged toward the Grand Emperor Domain with a sound that shook the Firmament.
Instantly, dragon roars shook the Firmament. Before the sky-piercing tomb had even landed, the earth was already trembling and rumbling violently, as if unable to bear the oppressive weight.
HUMMM!
The moment the sky-piercing tomb entered the Grand Emperor Domain, it transformed into a dazzlingly brilliant ray of light, then rapidly contracted and vanished without a trace. The starry sky returned to its initial tranquility.
"This… this is a divine miracle!!"
"It must be a divine miracle! Find it!"
Witnessing this world-shocking scene, the eyes of countless experts glinted with excitement and fervor. They immediately issued one order after another, vowing to find the mysterious, sky-piercing tomb.
「Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and the divine miracle of that day was already fading from memory.」
In the Grand Emperor Domain, within the Ancient Spirit Mountain Range, sects were as numerous as trees in a forest, and experts were just as plentiful. The Ancient Spirit Sect was one such sect.
"They actually gave out ten Body Tempering Pills this time! This is great!
In the Outer Disciple Hall, many disciples could be seen leaving gleefully, each clutching a jade bottle.
Inside the jade bottles were the Body Tempering Pills distributed by the Sect. They were Second Grade Elixirs and were indispensable Cultivation Resources for Outer Disciples in the Body Tempering Realm.
"Ten Body Tempering Pills… they should be enough to help me break through to the Body Tempering Third Layer!"
In the crowd, a young man overheard this. His eyes flickered, and he clenched his fist.
This young man was named Ye Wushuang. He was fifteen years old and also an Outer Disciple. Seeing that everyone else had received their Body Tempering Pills, he too rushed eagerly toward the front of the hall.
"Steward Chen Kun, Disciple Ye Wushuang is here to receive the Body Tempering Pills," Ye Wushuang said, standing before a counter and addressing a bald, middle-aged man.
The bald, middle-aged man was named Chen Kun. His features were sharp and severe, and his gaze was like a needle. He gave Ye Wushuang a cold glance and casually handed him a jade bottle. "This is yours!"
"Thank you, Steward Chen!" Ye Wushuang exclaimed, excitedly taking the jade bottle.
However, when he opened the jade bottle, the joyful expression on his face vanished. Inside were only three Body Tempering Pills, and they were all of inferior quality.
"Steward Chen, did you make a mistake? Why did I only get three Body Tempering Pills? And besides…" Ye Wushuang turned his head and asked in confusion.
Chen Kun's gaze darkened. He shot a cold, sidelong glance at Ye Wushuang and sneered, "We're almost out of Body Tempering Pills. To make sure everyone gets some, we had to reduce the quantity."
'Reduced the quantity?'
Ye Wushuang's brow furrowed. He glanced at the others nearby and said angrily, "If you reduced the quantity, then why did everyone else get ten pills while I only got three?"
Chen Kun's face darkened further. "Take them or leave them," he said impatiently. "Ten Body Tempering Pills are for nurturing geniuses, not for raising wastes. You're not the genius you once were. I gave you three out of pity."
'So because I'm not the genius I used to be, you're making things difficult for me!'
Ye Wushuang's heart trembled with humiliation, and fury blazed in his eyes. He clenched his fist but ultimately turned and left without another word of argument. He knew that fighting it would only bring him more shame.
"Tsk, tsk. That waste still thinks he's the genius he used to be!"
"Hahaha! He's been crippled for three years. What a joke of a genius. He's just a worthless loser."
A group of Outer Disciples burst into mocking laughter.
Hearing their grating laughter, Ye Wushuang's heart turned cold as iron. He still didn't say a word in rebuttal, but a savage glint emerged in his resolute eyes.
He remembered how, three years ago, back in his glory days, this same group of people had bowed and scraped, fawning over him. How utterly pathetic they had been.
And now that his talent had vanished, all they did was kick him while he was down, mocking and ridiculing him!
This was the world of Cultivators. Only the strong and the talented earned respect. The weak were destined to be abandoned, to suffer unfair hardships, and to be… trampled upon!!
Strength!
Genius!
These two words were deeply seared into Ye Wushuang's heart!
He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, forcing himself to swallow the humiliating and unfair treatment. Turning his head, he shot a look at Chen Kun. "I will remember what happened today!"
Amid a roar of laughter, Ye Wushuang left the Steward Hall. Without strength, there was only humiliation everywhere he went—and even the threat of death!
Of course, Ye Wushuang was unaware that in the crowd behind him, several disciples had exchanged a glance and begun to secretly follow him.
Following a bluestone path, Ye Wushuang quickly arrived at a courtyard at the foot of the mountain.
It was a converted woodshed from the Outer Sect. Compared to the cave abodes where the other disciples lived, it was a world apart.
The cave abodes were not only lavishly furnished but also rich in Spiritual Qi, making Cultivation twice as effective with half the effort.
Three years ago, when Ye Wushuang was still considered a genius, he too had a cave abode. But now, three years later, it had been replaced with this wooden hut.
It was even more rudimentary than a farmer's house.
However, despite its simplicity, Ye Wushuang kept it extremely neat and tidy.
"Ye Waste, stop right there!"
Just as Ye Wushuang stepped into the courtyard, an arrogant shout erupted from behind him.
When Ye Wushuang turned around, he saw four or five young men roughly kicking open the courtyard fence and charging in to surround him.
"Xia Zhen, it's you!"
Ye Wushuang's expression darkened as he stared at the young man directly in front of him.
This young man was around the same age as Ye Wushuang and possessed the strength of the Body Tempering Fifth Layer. He could command a force of a thousand pounds, and a single punch was enough to kill a fierce tiger.
Three years ago, Xia Zhen, who loved the spotlight, had tried to make a name for himself by using Ye Wushuang as a stepping stone. Instead, he was taught a harsh lesson, and he had held a grudge against Ye Wushuang ever since.
"Ye Waste, be a good boy and hand over your Body Tempering Pills, unless you want to get hurt," Xia Zhen said with a mocking smile, looking at Ye Wushuang and holding out a hand.
"These three Body Tempering Pills are all of inferior quality. They're useless to you, so why bother robbing me?" Ye Wushuang said, staring at Xia Zhen with a deep frown.
"Three inferior pills are indeed useless to me, but…"
As he spoke, the corner of Xia Zhen's mouth curled into a cold smirk. "These three inferior pills are useful to you, Ye Wushuang. And as long as they're useful to you, then I, Xia Zhen… am definitely going to take them."
"Xia Zhen, have you forgotten the lesson from last time?!" Ye Wushuang said coldly. 'He's robbing me just because the pills are useful to me? This is bullying of the highest order!'
'Besides, these three Body Tempering Pills are incredibly important to me. I absolutely cannot let these guys take them.'
Hearing Ye Wushuang mention that past lesson, Xia Zhen flew into a rage. "Cripple this waste for me!" he roared. "You think you can make a comeback with three worthless pills? Dream on! Ye Wushuang, you'll be a waste for the rest of your life, and you'll spend it all being trampled under my feet!"
Xia Zhen bellowed, his eyes filled with venomous malice.
"You waste! Hand over the Body Tempering Pills and get on your knees and beg!"
At the command, the gazes of the other disciples turned cold. They closed in on Ye Wushuang with cruel smiles.
"These Body Tempering Pills are my last hope! I won't hand them over!"
Ye Wushuang glanced at the disciples surrounding him. His expression hardened, and with extreme decisiveness, he pulled the Body Tempering Pills from his robes and swallowed all of them at once.
"You're just a waste. You think swallowing those pills will do you any good?!"
Seeing Ye Wushuang swallow all the elixirs, Xia Zhen's face filled with contempt. He roared at the other disciples, "Kill him!"
"Young Master Xia, are we really going to kill him?"
The disciples hesitated. Killing another disciple within the Sect was a crime punishable by death!
"Kill him! If there are any consequences, I will handle them!" Xia Zhen said with a sinister tone.
At that same moment, however, an inexplicable rage twisted Ye Wushuang's expression.
Before he even had a chance to begin the Refinement process, the immense medicinal power of the three Body Tempering Pills was completely devoured by his Dantian.
Three Body Tempering Pills, even inferior ones, should have been enough for him to achieve a breakthrough.
But now, there was nothing. Not the slightest sign of an increase in his Cultivation.
"You bastard! I've been feeding you for three damn years! How much more are you going to fucking devour?! I'm about to die here!"
Sensing the strange activity in his Dantian, Ye Wushuang roared with indignation. His eyes became completely bloodshot, giving his face a ferocious cast.
SWISH!
The charging disciples stopped in their tracks, staring at Ye Wushuang in bewilderment. 'Has this waste been scared out of his mind?' they wondered.
"What are you all standing around for?! Kill him! No, cripple his Dantian! Make him a true and utter waste!" Xia Zhen roared with a vicious sneer from the side.
The Dantian is the foundation of a Cultivator. Once it is crippled, that person's life is effectively over.
Crippling a person's Dantian is considered a fate worse than death and is one of the greatest taboos among Cultivators!
BOOM!
Upon receiving Xia Zhen's order, a disciple at the Body Tempering Fourth Layer sneered viciously. He took a large step forward, his hand forming a Palm Saber as he stabbed swiftly toward Ye Wushuang's Dantian.
Seeing this, Ye Wushuang's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly dodged back, crossing his hands to protect his Dantian. As long as his Dantian remained, he believed he might still have a chance to turn things around.
If his Dantian was destroyed, then all hope would be lost!
But how could he, at the Body Tempering Second Layer, possibly be a match for an opponent at the Body Tempering Fourth Layer?
BOOM!
The disciple was faster, like a gust of wind. With a sickening thud, the Palm Saber pierced into Ye Wushuang's Dantian, and an excruciating, drilling pain flooded his mind.
'It's over!'
The thought echoed in Ye Wushuang's mind.
"Hahaha!"
In that instant, Xia Zhen burst into wild laughter. "Waste is always waste! This is your fate!"
'My fate? Hahaha, what is fate? Is it my destiny to be a waste? No! It's not! I refuse to accept it! This isn't the destiny I want! I, Ye Wushuang, may be just an ordinary man, but I don't believe in fate! I refuse to believe in it!'
Ye Wushuang's eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at the heavens and roared, his gaze filled with utter defiance!
BOOM!
The rage of one man seemed to set the world ablaze. In an instant, heaven and earth warped, and a terrifying hurricane descended, roaring and rampaging in mid-air.
Shockingly, a massive black vortex suddenly appeared at the site of Ye Wushuang's Dantian, latching firmly onto the attacking disciple's hand.
"What's happening?"
"My power is disappearing! My body!"
"AAAH!"
The disciple's face was a mask of terror, as if he had encountered some unspeakable horror. He struggled desperately to pull back the hand that had pierced Ye Wushuang's Dantian.
But a violent, devouring force was madly consuming him—his energy, his very being.
If one were to look closely at that moment, they would discover a mysterious, sky-piercing tomb flashing into existence behind the vortex, like a ferocious Ancient Fierce Beast glaring down upon the world!
......