PROLOGUE

The brightly lit palace was dazzling yet imposing site. The exterior wall were crafted from fine marble. Their pristine surface reflecting the golden rays of the sun and giving the palace an etheral glow. Elaborate carvings adorned these walls. Blue smoke rose in spirals from the blue rocks that burned within each oil lamp and weaved about in the palace.

The blue rocks were blue sandalwood. They gave off rare fragrance when burnt that had a calming effect. However, such items were not cheap. Hence, their usage as a fuel was enough to show the status of the palace's owner.

A middle-aged man stood within the exquisite rooms of the palace with his hand behind his back. Unwavering determination decorated his face and his eyes contained a dignified aura indicating that the man had been in a high position for a long time.

At the man's side was a beautiful woman in a dress that showed her refined elegance. Her figure was testament to both youthful vitality and graceful maturity. Her features were natural and pretty.

At this time the man and the women who were clearly of substantial status stood together, their eyes reflecting a shared worry that seemed to weigh heavily on their shoulder, as they looked at the fourteen years old youngster who lay motionless on the bed in front of them. The younster's body was rather fragile and his eyes were tightly shut but there was a subtle, almost imperceptible energy which seemed to emanate from the area around his eyes and travel across his body.

By the youngster's side was a white haired old man placing his palm on the chest of the youth and checking the youth condition carefully using his spiritual qi.

After sometime, the white haired old man breathed a sigh in relief as if a great burden has been relieved. Subsequently, he turned around and bowed to the worriedly waiting middle-aged man a and beautiful women.

"Young master fainted from pushing himself to hard in training. I've given him energy pills and he should wake up in two to three days" Elder Qin explained, addressing the middle-aged man.

Elation graced the face of middle-aged man and women upon hearing this news, gradually releasing their clenched fists.

The middle-aged man countenance-lit up, and he expressed, "Thank you, elder. You may take your leave now"

"Yes, sect master", acknowledged elder Qin, beginning his exit from the palace

The name of the ailing, the young master, is Liam Sigrid and the middle-aged man, Aeron Sigrid, holds the esteemed position of sect master in the azure blossom sect. The lady by his side, his wife, goes by the name, Elaine Sigrid.

As elder Qin made his departure, Elaine turned to Aeron and inquired, " Darling, why did you choose to conceal the true reason of Liam's fainting from him "

Aeron, with a somber expression, responded, "Elaine, it's not that i wish to keep our son's jade body stage hidden from the world. It's because we lack the power to shield him from potential threats. Thus, I opted to veil the real cause of his fainting--his intense effort to breakthrough to the jade body stage"

In this realm of cultivation, the journey commences with the body refining realm, comprised of five distinctive stages:Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Jade body. This initial realm is also referred to as preparatory realm. Typically, cultivators need to attain the silver body stage to progress to the next realm. However, some daring individuals strive to ascend through the higher stages, as these stages confer certain exceptional benefits and also fortify their foundation thoroughly. Yet, the higher one aspires within this realm, the more excruciating the soul wrenching trials they must endure. Consequently, cultivators at this stage are a rare sight.

Usually those who reach the Diamond or Jade body stages become disciples of formidable sects, enjoying protection from potential threats. However, Liam is not aligned with any such powerful sect, rendering him prime target for other cultivatiors who seek to harness his potential through refinement or organisation who will employ various methods to compel to join their ranks.

As concern etched across her countenance, she inquired, "will Liam remained unharmed if this news is exposed"

Aeron obseeving her distress over the impending situation, offered a reassuring smile and responded, "fear not,my dear. I've devised a remedy for this. All we need to do is to keep it concealed for a while"

With his assurance, her anxiety began to melt away, and she affirmed, "very well then. Let's allow him some rest"

Aeron began to exit the room, his thoughts filled with tantalizing possibility, that if fate were kind, we might one day witness the ascendance of azure blossom sect in our lifetime