A silver moon hung high in the sky, casting down its pristine moonlight.
Beneath the moonlit night, Fang Yang walked out of the ancestral hall.
The moonlight paved his way as he ambled forward. Serene and peaceful, he exuded an otherworldly aura.
He had already made his choice: to select the upper-mid lot and join the Cangmu Banner!
Behind him.
Elder De watched Fang Yang's receding figure. For reasons unknown, he let out a soft sigh. "Ah Yang, if only you had been born a century earlier."
Over a century ago, though the Fang Clan had already started its decline, it could still barely hold its own.
With Fang Yang's remarkable talent and aptitude, the old geezers of the Fang Clan would have risked everything to ensure he obtained the Thunder and Fire Spirit Body of the Carp Eagle transformation!
But alas, there were no 'what ifs'.
The current Fang Clan was a far cry from its glory three hundred years ago. It was being torn apart by the wolves within the greater clan, barely clinging to life!
For example, Zhang Ye's Zhang Clan had grown strong precisely because of the Fang Clan's decline!
Elder De gazed expectantly at Fang Yang's fading silhouette. 'Cultivate well. I hope that one day, you too can be like Ancestor Fang Nian—an eagle soaring through the sky, with fierce flames that set the heavens ablaze…'
The night sky over the Fang Clan's estate was filled with a brilliant silver radiance, like a misty veil drifting across the vast bamboo forest.
Before he knew it, Fang Yang had arrived back at his own small courtyard.
In his bedroom, he sat on a cattail cushion and quietly took stock of his gains.
Fang Yang had gained a great deal from his Enlightenment; it would be no exaggeration to call him the biggest winner.
His first gain was a medium-sized storage pouch!
This medium-sized storage pouch contained a Grotto Heaven, about the size of a bamboo house.
Inside the pouch were over a hundred Yuan Stones, a Fang Clan Inheritance Jade Scroll with techniques up to the Tier Three realm, and a Tier One Cyan Flame Spear.
His second gain was status!
Because he possessed the Fire Eagle Spirit Body, even though it was only a B-grade Spirit Body, it was far superior to that of Fang Xuan and others in the clan.
Moreover, his connection to Ancestor Fang Nian led the Fang Clan elders to place great hopes in him.
From now on, he would undoubtedly be a beneficiary within the Fang Clan.
The Fang Clan needed him to rise!
His third, and most important, gain was his successful Enlightenment. He was now a Cultivator.
From this day forward, he had truly set foot on the path to immortality, a goal no longer as illusory as the moon's reflection in water, unlike in his past life!
'Enlightenment is the first step on the path to immortality.'
'Reaching Tier Three adds two hundred years to one's life. Reaching Tier Six adds a thousand. After that, passing each tribulation grants even more years.'
'But to achieve true immortality, to become an Immortal Ancestor, what realm must I reach? Tier Seven alone is clearly not enough...'
Fang Yang opened his eyes, and a flash of electric light streaked through the dark room.
Why wasn't reaching Tier Seven enough to achieve immortality and become an Immortal Ancestor?
Because his ancestor, Changkong Fang Nian, had been a Tier Seven Great Cultivator. Yet in the end, he died during his tribulation, reduced to ash.
'So, if I want to surpass my ancestor, I cannot repeat his mistakes.'
'In other words, I must attain a perfect-grade Thunder and Fire Spirit Body—the Kun Peng transformation!'
'Only then can I advance to a perfect-grade Thunder and Fire Saint Body—the Kun Peng Aspect. That is the only way I can avoid falling in a tribulation as my ancestor did, and the only way I can ascend to Tier Eight...'
A minor Tier One Cultivator, having just embarked on his journey, was already scheming a path to Tier Eight.
It was an absurd daydream, the most ludicrous joke in the world—utterly laughable.
But Fang Yang understood this was the path he had to walk.
His cultivation path was modeled after that of Ancestor Fang Nian!
Besides, he had the [Seek Fortune, Avoid Calamity] talent!
Even so, at this moment, Fang Yang couldn't help but feel a heavy pressure.
After all, the entire, vast Changkong Clan currently only had a single Tier Eight Great Cultivator.
After a long moment, Fang Yang slowly exhaled and pushed the thoughts from his mind.
He pressed the Inheritance Jade Scroll to his forehead to receive the information within.
This world was comprised of eight Great Domains.
Cultivation in this world required one to open the body's apertures and increase one's cultivation level by constantly advancing their tier.
Tiers One through Five were known as the Adept Realm, Tiers Six through Eight were the Saint Realm, and Tier Nine was the Venerable Realm.
Fang Yang was currently a Tier One Cultivator, and he began to practice the Flame Skill.
"Fierce Flame rages, burning heaven and scorching earth. Let the heart move the qi, while the spirit alone settles. When heart and spirit unite, the qi shall follow..."
An hour later, the night had grown deep.
Fang Yang suppressed his excitement and prepared to rest.
He understood a simple truth: moderation in all things.
No matter how much passion burned within, one had to remain composed.
After all, even if you held a thousand threads in your hand, you could only pass them through the eye of a needle one at a time.
...
The dark clouds in the sky grew heavier, plunging the night into a deeper blackness.
The Zhang Clan's meeting hall, however, was brightly lit.
At this moment, several old men were deep in discussion:
"I considered that the Fang Clan might produce another prodigy, but... but why a Fire Eagle Spirit Body?"
"Yes, why did it have to be a Fire Eagle Spirit Body?"
"Don't tell me the Fang Clan is truly on the verge of a revival, about to produce another Carp Eagle Saint... If that's true, how deeply must the Thunder Ancestor favor the Fang bloodline?"
"Hmph. Whether he has a Fire Eagle Spirit Body or not, his brilliance already outshines our Ye'Er. It's time for us to make our move."
"Exactly. We must ensure Ye'Er maintains his lead over Fang Yang at all times. That's the only way we can guarantee our Zhang Clan continues to suppress the Fang Clan in every generation and prevent them from ever striking back."
"If all goes as expected, Fang Yang should be heading for the Thunder Punishment Banner. We can have Shuang Ran and the others get ready."
"..."
The lamplight flickered, casting the old men's shadows on the walls like grotesque demons.
They were secretly plotting to suppress Fang Yang, just as they had suppressed every outstanding member of the Fang Clan for generations!
The linchpin of their current scheme was the Thunder Punishment Banner.
Within the Thunder Punishment Banner, the Zhang Clan had several members firmly entrenched in key positions, giving them a strength that far surpassed the Fang Clan's.
Once Fang Yang joined the Thunder Punishment Banner, it would be tantamount to walking into the Zhang Clan's own territory!
There were several main reasons why the Zhang Clan went to such lengths to suppress the Fang Clan and prevent their resurgence:
First, the Zhang Clan's rise was built on devouring the Fang Clan's resources, like a pack of hungry wolves.
Second, the Zhang Clan had yet to produce a Tier Six Cultivator. This meant their elevated status wasn't secure, and unlike the other clans that had profited from the Fang Clan's decline, they couldn't rest easy.
Therefore, all things considered, the Zhang Clan was the most aggressive when it came to suppressing any sign of the Fang Clan's resurgence.
Their foundation was the weakest; one wrong move could capsize their entire clan!
Now, Fang Yang's sudden emergence had naturally drawn their attention.
In a corner.
Zhang Ye listened to the elders' discussion and couldn't help but curl his lip in disdain.
He tilted his head slightly, clasping one hand behind his back. Gazing up at the dark sky, he thought to himself:
'Fang Yang is mildly interesting, perhaps worthy of me putting him in his place. But until one reaches Tier Six, they are nothing but dust. My true journey lies on the path to the Saint Realm. The Saint Realm...'