The long road to glory is tough as iron, but it's time to take strides and start over!
In the ancient world of Hongmeng, during late antiquity, the human race claimed the world's destiny. They collected the essence of the universe, refined the twelve sacred paths, birthed an Emperor of Heaven, who led the twelve Protectors of the Dao beneath him, strived for the Dao of universe and held unlimited power.
After being oppressed for endless generations, the human race gradually arose. Starting with the three Emperors and five sovereigns, they waged wars against the gods, shattered millions of tribes, with divine kingdoms demolished and gods ending in twilight.
Eventually, the human race achieved universal recognition as world rulers. They signed a contract with the eternal and unbeatable seventy-two ancient gods. Humans and gods ruled the world together. The human race now stood above all races, ruling the world with various gods!
In the twilight of the gods, a fierce war led to a great flood that wiped out the world, concluding the late ancient era and ushering in modern times!
The sun was already halfway down between the mountains. Although it was dusk, the setting sun still illuminated faraway mountains, creating sheets of golden glow.
Residual sunset rays painted the blue sky crimson.
In an old house within the city of Yuzhou, there was a young boy watching the disappearing sunset.
This young boy was about fourteen to fifteen years old. Thin-bodied, with an exquisite face, he wore a friendly smile. His eyes radiated limitless spirit, which made him quite likeable at first glance.
However, at this moment, his expression seemed dazed, as if he was hesitating about something substantial!
In his daze and hesitation, he couldn't stop touching a feather!
The feather was about a foot long, a tail feather. Its blue long trail was adorned with multicoloured ornamental plumes making it incredibly beautiful.
Upon closer inspection, however, the ‘beauty’ appeared deceptive. The feather was just more colourful and not imbued with any spirit energy. It was incredibly ordinary.
Yet the young boy knew, the feather he held was a treasure!
A feather from the everlasting cloud in ancient times!
The young man is named Ye Jiangchuan, originally from the family of Ye in the city of Yuzhou, the third son of Ye Ruoshui.
The Ye family has been the stewards of finances and grains in Yuzhou city for generations, possessing a family secret technique, an ability to discern gold. Whether looking at people or examining things, they seldom misjudge.
Once this technique is mastered, it can generate true Qi, elevating them to a transcendental life form, becoming a cultivator.
However, this spell is an ancient one. In the modern era, cultivating it is arduous, and without twenty years of hard work, it is difficult to master.
The Ye family may be hereditary stewards in Yuzhou city, but they are just low-ranking officials. Without any additional profits, only the eldest son can inherit the family's position.
His life can be said to have been predetermined since childhood. Once he came of age, his parents would use their lifelong savings to support him to start a new life and find him a stable job as a waiter in Fuxiangju, the largest restaurant in the city.
Then they would find him a suitable wife. If he was lucky, it could be a pretty girl, and he would live a comfortable life from then on.
As long as he worked hard, three years later, he would be promoted to an errand runner in the inner hall. Three years to three years, maybe in ten years, he could become the steward of Fuxiangju.
Don't underestimate this job. In this world that is fraught with demon monsters and countless refugees, having such a stable job wasn't easy to come by. If it were not for the Ye Ruoshui couple's plea, it would have been impossible to arrange.
In the end, he was only the third son of the Ye family. He had an older brother who was prepared to take over the family business and a younger brother who was the favourite of his parents. Even though his parents loved him, it was impossible to use the family's foundation for him. In fact, the family didn't have much of a foundation. They could only offer this much help.
Perhaps, after twenty years of hard cultivation, Ye Jiangchuan could master the family secret technique, become a cultivator and advance a step further. But by that time, he would be in his middle ages, and could only make minor changes to his life.
This would be the life of Ye Jiangchuan in the future!
An ordinary, unambitious life, going with the flow, a life of mediocrity.
Ye Jiangchuan let out a sigh. With the education from his parents, he already knew his future life, but he was unwilling and not content!
At the age of eight, when he learned of his parents' plans, he secretly went to Fuxiangju to see for himself.
The scene unfolded just as I caught sight of the head of Fuxiang Residence, harshly slapped by a small child dressed in splendid attire.
Because the waiter accidentally dirtied the other party's fine clothes, even the head of the inn, even a man in his forties or fifties, was harshly slapped by a child barely in his teens.
Even after being slapped, they had to maintain a smile, continue begging, and compensate the other party!
At this point, it was as such even for the head of the inn. Ye Jiangchuan didn't want to work in Fuxiang Residence anymore. He begged his mother, and in the end, all she could say was:
"Child, your parents truly have no other means. If you want to change your fate, unless you refine the "eye of wisdom" skill before you are of age."
Since he was young, he had been rigorously training the skill of the "eye of wisdom", hoping to change his fate.
However, the ancient technique was truly difficult. It was over-estimated to require twenty years to be fully learnt. Everything seemed predestined and unchangeable.
Suddenly, Ye Jiangchuan lifted the feather high up, placing it in front of his eyes, blocking the sunlight from entering his eyes.
Under the sunlight, the feather radiated a multi-colored glow, as if it was about to burn!
The young man laughed, his smile was so brilliantly dazzling!
"Mediocre, ordinary, living an entire life like that was my destiny!"
"But now because of this feather, my destiny has changed!"
"I, Ye Jiangchuan, will have a life of my own!"
Within his words, his pupils seemed to suddenly enlarge several times. Within those pupils seemed to be a black hole, absorbing all the light.
The multicolored sunlight penetrating through the feather was instantly absorbed by his pupils!
This was undoubtedly a hallucination brought upon by the ancient divination technique known as the Eyes of Discerning Gold, a practice that was supposed to take twenty years of hard cultivation. Yet, Ye Jiangchuan, who was not even 16, had managed to master it!
Last night, the fifteenth day of the sixth month in the year of the Water Ox, was a night of the full moon.
Ye Jiangchuan got up in the middle of the night and accidentally fell, scattering his nosebleed on the antique relic hanging on the wall in the living room- a single feather.
The feather was an ancient heirloom of the Ye family, rumored to be a spiritual feather from the divine beast Zhongming, from before the great flood that ended the ancient era.
Of course, this was likely a tall tale as there was not a hint of spiritual energy to be detected from it. It was just a decorative piece, with no real value, that adorned the guest hall.
However, when Ye Jiangchuan's nosebleed fell on this feather, with the immaculate moonlight shining down, in an instant, he vanished from sight!
As the young man lifted his head, he realized he had arrived in a strange world!
Enormous ancient trees towered everywhere, various terrains rolled endlessly, the environment exuding a wild, primal aura.
In the distance, massive mountains stood tall all around, interspersed with strange flowers, exotic grasses, ancient trees, and bizarre vines. Where was he?
"Where the heck am I?"
Ye Jiangchuan couldn't help but shout out loud, yet the desolate ancient environment yielded no answers.
Only the moon in the sky, unchanged from before, spread its cold glow in the night sky.
Ye Jiangchuan was filled with anxiety. What sort of place was this?
He strained his eyes to scrutinize his surroundings, and in his moment of urgency, subconsciously activated the Eyes of Discerning Gold, a family secret that he painstakingly cultivated.
It seemed as though the heaven and earth had heard his question. All of a sudden, Ye Jiangchuan felt a boundless spiritual energy accumulating in his eyes, like numerous spiritual springs flushing his pupils.
The sensation was quite peculiar. After an indiscernible period, Ye Jiangchuan felt a surge before his eyes, and upon looking anew, the world was transformed!
Endless brilliance appeared in his eyes; it was the colorful aura emanating from treasured objects.
Treasures possessed spirits, inherent consciousness. By observing these radiant lights, absorbing the hidden consciousness within, and interpreting it through their wisdom, one could identify these treasures. This was the secret of the Art of the Wise eye.
Watching the luminance before him, Ye Jiangchuan began to interpret:
“The tea-colored lucidity, the fragrant aroma, infused with the purple radiance, this, this should be the Purple Melody Fern Tree, an ancient tree from the primordial epoch. It was extinct even in ancient times, and had impressive value as it can be used for refining pills and making tools!”
“This, this one, standing one foot tall, entirely verdant, with thirteen rhomboid-leaflets, it absorbs spiritual fluid from the water mantle beneath, and the light of sun, moon, and stars from above. It’s the Wu Tan Ba Luo fruit tree, a spiritual herb from the primordial epoch. The Wu Tan Ba Luo fruit, once eaten, can advance one's cultivation by thirty years. Such a precious relic, extinct long ago. Alas, it bears no fruit now!”
“This tiny bud, pure as white jade, cloud-like and misty with a gentle touch of scarlet, is entrancing. It is the Ice Jade Tan Flower, a spiritual flower from the primordial epoch, used in illusionary magic practice. It is reported to have appeared a thousand years ago, with a single flower equalling the value of an entire city!"
"What’s happening? Is this a dream? All these priceless treasures scattered across the ground, as common as dirt!"
"Spiritual herbs from the primordial epoch, ancient trees from the primordial epoch, things from the primordial epoch...."
"I see now, this is no dream. The powers of that feather I had activated earlier, with the aid of the moonlight, have transported me through time and space to the primordial epoch!"
In that instant, Ye Jiangchuan seemed to understand something. Grasping the truth, he had traveled through time and space, aided by the moonlight, to the primordial epoch.
This was the primordial epoch. It bore no traces of the apocalyptic fire or floods, and indeed, the spiritual energy was abundant, a complete contrast to modern times.
The Art of the Wise Eye, a method that originally required two decades of diligent cultivation even during his prime, was instantly acquired all thanks to the sudden turn of fortune.
With this opportunity at hand, a sense of dissatisfaction emerged within him. The heroic legends he heard in his childhood started to replay in his mind.
Suddenly, an idea came to him. Perhaps his life would not be mediocre.
Just as Ye Jiangchuan was contemplating, he suddenly felt as if the surrounding moonlight was distorted, everything seemed to be in chaos.
With a feeling of serenity, he instantly knew that it was time for him to transmigrate. He was about to return home, back to his era.
Ye Jiangchuan let out a loud roar and reached out his hands. He pulled up the Ice Jade Primrose with his left hand, and the Black Primrose Tree with his right hand.
How could he come to the Primordial Era and leave empty-handed!
In an instant, there was a flash of light, time and space shifted. When Ye Jiangchuan opened his eyes again, he found himself back in his living room at home.
Looking at his hands, the Ice Jade Primrose in his left hand and the Black Primrose Tree in his right hand had also been brought back to the real world with the shift in time and space.
However, they only existed for an instant before fading into black and white and then dissolving into nothingness.
Nothing was left, not even a trace of dust.
Ye Jiangchuan was taken aback. He fell where he stood and returned to the same spot, nothing had changed. He couldn't help but question, "Could it be, could it all have been a dream?"
He wanted to use his "Insight of Gold" technique, but when the thought crossed his mind, he felt dizzy and collapsed.
When he awoke, he found himself lying in bed, the sun had risen, and his mother was gently looking at him, asking:
"Why were you sleeping in the living room, Third Son?"
Ye Jiangchuan could feel no changes in his body. He couldn't help but say, "Nothing was left behind, could it, could it all have been a dream?"
His voice was trembling, as if he were on the verge of tears. Was everything last night just an illusion? Had nothing in his life truly changed?
Seeing Ye Jiangchuan's confusion and his unwillingness to resign himself to a mediocre future, his mother already knew.
However, she shook her head and asked, "So what can we do?" At this moment, she heard her husband's voice calling from outside. She slowly left, leaving Ye Jiangchuan alone to calm down.
Sitting on the bed in a daze, Ye Jiangchuan suddenly felt something nearby his hand.
He picked it up – it was the feather! Even though he had been unconscious, Ye Jiangchuan had held onto it tightly.
Suddenly, a glimpse of hope sprung up. Although all the relics from the Primordial Era had dissipated, the 'Eye of Wisdom' technique he learned then had successfully been refined!
He decided to try, to see if all this was a dream or reality!
Breathing deeply, Ye grasped the feather tightly in his hand, and began to circulate his inner energy, practicing the Eye of Wisdom.
His inner energy circulated within his body. Ye Jiangchuan sat motionless, enveloped in a sense of illusion and hesitation.
Time went by quickly and before he knew it, it was evening. The setting sun fell, casting its blood red glow onto the sky.
Suddenly, Ye Jiangchuan began to laugh. He held up the feather and looked at it.
The radiant brilliance of the Eye of Wisdom appeared once again. Ye Jiangchuan had truly mastered the Eye of Wisdom and began to interpret its secrets.
"The legendary feather of the Divine Re'em Bird from the Primordial Era, containing the forces of space-time, is worth..."
"It wasn't just a dream…my life has already changed."
