Bai Muchen, the apex martial artist of the Nine Heavens Continent, with an exceptional celestial five-vein talent, was hailed as the foremost genius under the starry sky.
From a young age, he was admitted to the Heavenly Mystery Sect, one of the eight great sects, stepping into martial arts at the age of eight. Afterward, he emerged into the world with astonishing talent, becoming a powerful expert of the "Creation Realm" at the age of twenty-five!
Moreover, he had an engagement with Xuan Qingzhu, the daughter of the Heavenly Mystery Sect Leader, his respected mentor, and he was the object of countless people’s affection.
He was the brightest new star in the Nine Heavens Continent in nearly a century, regarded as the most promising to claim the peak of martial arts.
However, during joint cultivation with Xuan Qingzhu, in an attempt to break through the bottleneck, he was plotted against by the woman he cherished.
The Heavenly Mystery Sect leader and his daughter Xuan Qingzhu, conspired to trap Bai Muchen, causing him to be possessed by a demonic force, and they stole his celestial five-vein talent, which was absorbed by Xuan Qingzhu.
The impact of the failed breakthrough left Bai Muchen, attacked by the demonic fire, dying in resentment.
And from then on, Xuan Qingzhu, known as the most beautiful woman of Nine Heavens, triumphantly rose to replace Bai Muchen as the unparalleled belle, becoming one of the top figures with unquestionable power in the Nine Heavens Continent.
Perhaps it was divine compassion that allowed Bai Muchen a chance to live a second life.
……
“Xiao Nan, Xiao Nan, you've finally woken up!”
Bai Muchen slowly opened his eyes, accompanied by severe pain in his head; two lifetimes, two individuals, their memories intertwined.
This Xiao Nan is just sixteen years old, slightly thin in stature, inherits the delicate facial features of his mother and the handsome looks of his father, appearing quite gallant.
The one who was vigorously shaking his shoulders at this moment appears to be an imposing, yet worried middle-aged man.
Bai Muchen looked at the middle-aged man with a somewhat vacant gaze, as the memories in his mind gradually became clear.
So it turns out that I've been reborn, reborn into the dying body of a young man. This body is now my own, and its name is: Xiang Nan.
The Xiang family was once a rising force in the Qingshi Town of Canglan Continent and Wolong Province. Thanks to the formidable strength of the current patriarch Xiang Zhanxiong, the Xiang family had its days of glory.
However, the path of martial arts is unpredictable. Xiang Zhanxiong hit a wall trying to break into the Heavenly Origin Realm, and he has been stuck there for twenty years. His cultivation never improved, and he became a laughing stock.
There are nine realms of martial arts: Body Refining Realm, Innate Realm, Return to Yuan Realm, Heavenly Origin Realm, Glimpse of Heaven Realm, Creation Realm, Divine Martial Realm, Martial Saint, and Heavenly Tribulation.
Each realm has nine levels, and Xiang Zhanxiong is stuck at the ninth level of the Return to Yuan Realm, never able to make a breakthrough.
The Wang family, Li family, and Mo family, who came from behind, had their patriarchs successfully break through to the Heavenly Origin Realm, putting immense pressure on the Xiang family.
Perhaps because these three families had once been subservient to the Xiang family, they feared the Xiang family's resurgence and strived to suppress the Xiang family even more.
This is a world where everything is determined by strength.
They crazily divided up the property of Xiang family and secretly killed off all the geniuses in the family, causing the members of Xiang family to either die or flee. The family lands became desolate.
Xiang Zhanxiong is Xiang Nan's grandfather, and the middle-aged man in front of him is Xiang Nan’s father, Xiang Shaohua.
By now, the Xiang family is so destitute that it's not even comparable to an ordinary noble family. The whole family has only the loyal old housekeeper and a few servants who have not left, besides Xiang Nan's parents and grandfather.
Memories of Xiang Nan have deeply imprinted on Bai Muchen's soul. Thinking of the current plight of the Xiang family, it's impossible not to feel grief.
"Father, what happened?" Xiang Nan struggled to sit up.
"Oh, it's nothing, just a knock last night." Xiang Shaohua nonchalantly wiped away the blood at the corner of his forehead and said, "Xiao Nan, what happened to you? You didn't wake up at all after returning last night."
Seeing the concerned look in Xiang Shaohua's eyes, Xiang Nan managed to squeeze out a faint smile and said, "It's nothing serious, just a minor accident while practicing martial arts last night. I'm fine, don't worry about me, father."
Xiang Nan lied. In truth, it was Wang Zonglin, a distant relative of the Wang family, who had sneak attacked him yesterday, shattering his internal organs with a single kick.
If he hadn't suddenly reborn in Xiang Nan's body, this Xiang Nan would have met his end in the early hours of this morning.
Yet Xiang Nan knew that his father was also lying. The wound on his father's forehead was clearly caused by a weapon, impossible to be a mere bruise from a bump.
"Xiao Nan, you're pale. Lie down quickly and don't move," Xiang Shaohua urgently helped Xiang Nan to lie down again, with full concern in his eyes.
This concern caused a warm current to flow through Xiang Nan's heart. In his past life of proud solitude, he had never experienced such tender care.
The only relatives he had were his most respected master and the woman he loved the most, and he never thought that the ones who would betray him in the end were those two...
"Something's terrible, young master, son, something awful happened!"
Suddenly, the door was knocked open, a servant from the Xiang family rushed in hastily and urgently said, "Old Li has been caught by the Wang family, he's outside the mansion gate right now, master you must come quickly."
"What?" Xiang Nan and Xiang Shaohua were astonished and hurriedly rushed out of the room.
Old Li was Li Zhong, the old housekeeper who devoted his entire life to the Xiang family.
Although Li Zhong was a servant in the Xiang family, he was always seen as one of them in the hearts of the family, especially as Xiang Nan who had been brought up by Li Zhong since childhood, the bond between them was deep.
As Xiang Nan rushed, he felt a bit of pain within his body but the injury was mostly healed.
"What happened!" Xiang Shaohua ran and scolded the servant, "Haven't I told you all that no one can take a step out of the Xiang family in this past month?"
A buzzing in Xiang Nan's head revealed a memory, as it turns out, the martial arts selection of the outstanding younger generation in the Qing Stone City was about to start in three days.
The outstanding young martial artists from the martial arts selection could participate in the martial arts city selection of Qing Stone City in a month. At that time, the martial arts sects from Wolong State would come to select young talents.
Certainly, this was the most important day for all the young warriors of the different families in Greenstone Town, and even the whole of Greenstone City.
If a youngster from a family was chosen by a martial art sect to become their disciple, that was regarded as bringing honor to the entire family lineage, and their family's status would skyrocket.
The Wang family, one of the three major families in Greenstone town, dealt the harshest blow to the Xiang family. They drew a large circle around the entire Xiang residence, warning that any members of the Xiang family who stepped out of this circle within a month would be killed without mercy!
Their purpose was to prevent members of the Xiang family from participating in the martial arts town selection, as well as the subsequent martial arts city selection.
At this thought, Xiang Nan clenched his fists tightly, fire practically spewing from his eyes. In his heart, he secretly vowed, "Wang family, you dare lay a finger on my grandfather Li Zhong!"
The father and son rushed out of the mansion, immediately seeing a group of young men from the Wang family, who were looking sarcastically in their direction.
Three steps outside the entrance of the Xiang mansion was a long red line, the line that represented the life and death of the Xiang family.
Beyond the red line, a distant relative of the Wang family, Wang Zonglin, was leading a group of subordinates. Under his foot, he was stepping on a bleeding Li Zhong, treating him like a dead dog!
Upon seeing Xiang Nan, Wang Zonglin showed a slight surprise in his eyes, and murmured in a very low voice, "This kid is still alive? Could it be that I didn't hit him hard enough last night."
"Wang Zonglin!" Xiang Shaohua's pupils filled with blood anger, he shouted angrily, "Let go of Li Zhong!"
While stepping on Li Zhong, Wang Zonglin pointed at the red line separating the two sides and said, "We have already said that anyone from the Xiang family who crosses this line shall be killed."
"Do you take our Wang family's words as a breeze?"
Someone on the side immediately burst into laughter, "Do you really believe your Xiang family is as powerful as it used to be? Xiang Zhanxiong, the old dog, hasn't left the Xiang mansion for three years. He might be already dead."
"Old dog..." Xiang Shaohua was so angry that his body trembled. Alas, he was not naturally gifted in martial arts. After forty years of hard training, he was still a minor level five martial artist.
Xiang Nan was much more talented than his father, but not much more outstanding. At the age of sixteen, he was only a level seven martial artist.
But the sixteen-year-old distant relative of the Wang clan, Wang Zonglin, was already a refined body of the ninth level!
"Wang Zonglin, move your filthy foot." Xiang Nan stepped forward, his toe just about to cross the red line. He spoke somberly, "You are just worried my family will participate in the Martial Dao Town Selection, aren't you?"
"I can promise you, as long as you let go of Grandpa Li, I will withdraw..."
"Young Master, no!" Li Zhong's face was half buried in the dirt. From who knows where, he gathered his strength, lifted his head, and strugglingly said, "This old man's life is of little value, Young Master, you..."
Before he could finish, Li Zhong was stepped on again by Wang Zonglin, who even scraped his shoe across Li Zhong's face twice.
Seeing this scene, Xiang Nan clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and word by word said, "Let go of Grandpa Li, and I will not attend the Martial Dao Town Selection."
Wang Zonglin laughed loudly, "He's just an old dog you've kept. You're willing to sacrifice so much for him, really pitiful. Even without my Wang family suppressing you, it seems your Xiang family can't do much either."
"Since you care about this old dog so much, I'll give him back to you."
As he finished speaking, Wang Zonglin picked up Li Zhong and kicked him in the back.
Li Zhong was instantly thrown away, as Jun father and son Xiang Nan dashed forward, catching the flying Li Zhong.
"Grandpa Li!" Xiang Nan examined Li Zhong's injuries. It was evident that just like himself last night, his internal organs were shattered by Wang Zonglin's kick.
"Old Li..." Xiang Shao Hua also had tears in his eyes. He supported Li Zhong, choking on his words "Why... would you…"
Although blood spilled from the corners of Li Zhong's mouth, he forced a smile, "Young Master, the Young Mistress isn't well, it pains us servants to see that, so this is... this is... cough..."
As he spoke, Li Zhong tremblingly pulled something out of his pocket. Upon seeing it, the father and son of the Xiang family already had tears streaming down their face.
It was a packet of herbal medicine!
Xiang Nan's mind buzzed, finally understanding why moments before, when Grandpa Li was being stepped on by Wang Zonglin, he was lying face-down on the ground, back slightly arched.
So, it turned out that what Li Zhong had been fighting so desperately to protect was indeed this packet of herbs!
Li Zhong had been beaten by Wang Zonglin till bones were broken in multiple places on his body. His long robe was beyond repair and even his internal organs were shattered under the violent kicks, but shockingly, this packet of herbs remained intact.
"Old Li!" With the packet of herbs in his hand, Xiang Shaohua choked out, "I... my family... we owe you an apology."
"Grandpa." Holding onto Li Zhong's hand, Xiang Nan said, "Grandpa, I still want to play with you, I still want to go mushroom hunting with you in the mountains, please don't leave..."
Li Zhong caressed Xiang Nan's hair with affectionate love, the cherished fondness in his eyes warm as sunshine, "Good child... Grandpa Li, cough, cough... can't accompany you anymore."
"Grandpa Li is leaving, you must take good care of yourself..."
"I, I... have served the Xiang family all my life, now I can die for Xiang's loyalty... it is also... it's also..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Li Zhong violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood onto Xiang Nan's chest, and his life came to an end.
At this moment, Xiang Nan felt as though struck by thunder, and simultaneously, there was a roaring thunder in his dantian!
The divine pulse that had been hidden inside him for a long time awakened!
