1-5 Rise of a Planeswalker [Xianxia][Isekai]

Prologue - Birth of a Planeswalker (Revised)

"Hey! Mikhail! We'll all drink at Johnny's tonight. Are you in?"

A man in a loose-fitting shirt stood at the threshold of Mikhail's lab, sporting a slightly intoxicated expression. Mikhail could smell the alcohol in the man's breath, even from the other side of the room. Still, despite the noise the man's loud voice emitted, Mikhail paid no attention; he was too absorbed in his research.

"C'mon! Weren't you looking forward to it?" the man said as he approached the workbench, where Mikhail was currently tinkering. "The girls said Sarah's going to be there."

Mikhail raised his gaze while still keeping a firm grip on the device in his hands; the slightest deviation from his calculations would have astronomic consequences. Still, he couldn't help but be intrigued once he heard the woman's name.

He looked at the slovenly man and couldn't help but frown. Despite also being a researcher in this facility, he couldn't look further from it. His shirts were always flashy, and he never wore the company white coat. Despite all this, he was one of the most brilliant minds of this century. A shame he was a drunkard and womanizer. He could have propelled the world forward a few decades, but he was much too busy living in sin. Worse yet, he would try to rope Mikhail in his decadence at every chance.

"Hey, I heard you're working on a prototype for interplanetary shift?" the man said, wobbling slightly. "What's wrong with good old teleportation? Did it become so mundane that you now want to tear the dimensions apart?"

Mikhail frowned as the liquor bottle in the man's hand sloshed around with every step he took. The man took a gulp from it while a slight tint of red rose to his cheeks; his smile grew wider as he wrapped his arm around Mikhail's shoulder.

"C'mon, live a little! This boring world will still be here tomorrow."

Mikhail shook his head. Despite his insufferable nature, Mikhail couldn't hate that man. He had something different, something special.

Despite all his efforts, Mikhail was only slightly brighter than the rest. Even when he applied to this research lab, he could barely make the cut. Even now, his research into interdimensional matter shift remains at a standstill. If he failed to show results within this quarter, the lab threatened to cut his funding.

The device in his hand was his life's work, but it was only a step from completion. He knew his theories were correct, but he could not find a way to materialize them until he found an old blueprint tucked away within the research lab's archives.

Mikhail had found it odd. Who would use paper blueprints nowadays? Everything was digitized and stored within the nation's central database. It was as if the person who drew them didn't wish for the company to find them yet couldn't bear to throw them away.

What surprised him most was the ineligible signature at the bottom of that blueprint. Mikhail could have sworn it resembled this drunkard's name. Mikhail paused for a moment, contemplating its implications were it to be true. Yet, he put it out of his mind as it seemed much too farfetched.

Anyway, those blueprints were a flash of inspiration. Without them, his project wouldn't have been so close to completion. And yet, he was still missing a piece, the most crucial one. Still, he had no idea what it was. He had tried everything; he was at the end of his rope. He was irritated and stressed. Maybe that man was right, and he needed to let it go.

"Hmm, what's this?" the man said as he snatched the device from Mikhail's hand. "Is that your Dimensional Tear Generator? Isn't it quite puny? I figured it should have more... girth, you know? Something with more piercing power, maybe?"

Mikhail could only shake his head and sigh. Despite the man's brilliance, it was always drowned out by a sea of alcohol. If only he could rid himself of his vices, he could have made something of himself; he could have been someone important, someone who stood above others. Still, it seemed the man had no interest in that, opting to enjoy his life each and every day. Still, Mikhail couldn't help but envy the man's carefree attitude sometimes.

"Please give me back my device; I need to finish this," Mikhail said calmly, trying to reason with the drunken man. Unfortunately, trying to do so was an exercise in futility.

"Isn't it already done?" the man said with a slight smile. "Just give it a good whack, and it should start right up!"

Colour drained from Mikhail's face. While he believed the man to be joking, he couldn't shake the feeling that he would really do such a thing in his drunken state. He wrestled with the man's arm, trying to free himself from his hold, before extending an arm to reach for his device, but the man jerked his hand back, out of reach.

This sudden motion prompted the drunken man to fall backward, off-balance. The device flew from his hand as he tumbled backward, falling on his back. The bottle of liquor in his other hand also flew to the ceiling. The device hit the ground with a thud, yet it seemed intact.

It was a sturdy, three-dimensional, hexagonal black box, not much larger than a baseball. It was made of solid metal, so the soft floor wouldn't leave a mark on its surface. Mikhail let out a sigh of relief once he noticed that his baby was safe. However, the liquor bottle started his descent before he could reach for it.

Mikhail tried to catch it but missed it by an inch. The bottle crashed straight into the device, spilling its contents everywhere. Whether due to the shock or the strong liquid spilling on it, a strong, incandescent light spilled from the device's core as it split slightly in the middle.

Mikhail was blinded. He tried to block the light with his arms but to no avail. The light seemed to pass right through before embedding itself straight into his visual cortex. Minutes passed—or maybe just an instant; Mikhail couldn't tell—yet the light drowning out the world showed no signs of receding.

Mikhail felt a burning sensation arise within his core as if trying to split his very soul. He screamed, yet no sound was heard, as if he had no lungs. He couldn't feel his body anymore; the burning sensation seemed just like a lingering pain within his brain, something akin to the feeling of a ghost limb.

Soon enough, even his consciousness blurred as the light was extinguished. Nothing remained of his research lab. It was now nothing but a smouldering crater. Mikhail and the device were both gone as if they had evaporated in the night.

******

An old man lay on his deathbed, surrounded by his family. In his youth, he had been a famed merchant. He had started from the bottom and created a business empire that now spanned countless star systems. And yet, despite all his money, he still couldn't go against the universe's natural laws. He grew old and was about to die.

Although his life would end, he was content. His wife held his hand as he was to take his last breath while his five sons and daughter watched over him. A man couldn't ask for more than to die of old age surrounded by one's family.

Still, to die was never easy, even if one was accustomed to it. A slight terror could be found in the depths of his eyes, but his time had come, and nothing could reverse death's judgment. He had no choice in the matter. He would die this very day.

The old woman by his side looked at her man, breathing his last with a tear in her eyes. She buried her head into his now still chest, weeping silently. She, too, would die soon after from overwhelming grief, accompanying the man she loved on the journey beyond.

******

A rabbit ran on the plains from the predator chasing it. It knew its chances were slim, but its powerful legs would carry him until life would fade from it. Unfortunately, such a moment came much too soon.

A pair of powerful jaws clamped on its body, plunging the sharp teeth into its flesh. Blood flowed, moistening its captor's throat. Its mind grew hazy until all its heat finally left it.

A large black panther held a rabbit in its maw, savouring the taste of the blood flowing in its mouth. Unfortunately, this meal was cut short as an arrow flew before embedding itself on the beast's side, piercing a lung. The beast lay on its side, struggling to breathe as its own blood endlessly dyed the plains red. Death came for everyone equally.

******

A young woman stood alongside her comrades at the summit of a massive tower. Before her was a floating window congratulating them on their victories over the tower's overlords, the Mad Gods of Destruction.

They were battered and bruised; the fight had been intense, but they had survived against all odds, primarily due to the woman's equipment. Although she could fight, her true talent lay in the art of artifact forging. Thanks to the equipment she had created, her group returned alive more than once.

Unfortunately, not all could resist the allure of such legendary gear. As the woman was now celebrating their newfound freedom, a blade plunged into her back—the same blade she had once forged. The blade slid right through her heart effortlessly before emerging from the other side.

She looked down to see the deadly weapon reaping her life. Traces of blood slid along the corner of her mouth as all life departed her. Still, her gaze was calm as water, as if she had anticipated this and chose to accept it. She stood upright for a moment longer before she closed her eyes for the final time.

******

An old man stood on a mountain peak. His long black robes fluttered in the wind as dark thunderclouds gathered overhead. His expression was grim, if somewhat insane. He was raving, screaming to the heavens above; his frustration at the world's unfairness was apparent.

Thunder cracked above before lightning fell mercilessly. The man's gaze was firm, if somewhat laced with madness, as he leapt toward the incoming bolt of lightning, sword in hand. They collided; the man's sword shattered the lightning, but he couldn't avoid the consequences of his rebellion. A mass of blood flew from his mouth, staining his robe, and yet his gaze held firm.

The sky grew darker as more clouds converged before it fell once again. Heaven's wrath seemed unending as, soon enough, the old man couldn't withstand the strain anymore. He became dust under heaven's thunder, and yet, in his last moment, the old man was content. He had confronted the world and proved his Dao.

******

Countless others rose and fell within the endless flow of history. Some were great heroes, others despicable villains, but most were simply ordinary beings living their lives as best they could. Still, they all had one thing in common.

Despite their best efforts, they felt alien to the world, as if estranged from their own reality. Some chose to bury that feeling, while others chose to fight against it. One thing was for sure: They made the most of their limited lives and died in the end. The same would hold true for all those who had yet to come.

******

A young man was seated on the sturdy branch of a large tree, watching the sun slowly set with a bottle of liquor in hand. Despite the slight melancholy in his heart, his face held a smile as he felt the soft breeze caress his skin. His long robes fluttered in the wind as he watched the sun slowly descend from the heavens toward its temporary rest.

The man reminisced of memories so long ago that they were literally lifetimes apart. He was reborn again—reborn to live and die without end—without the means to return home. But where was home again? Was it the world where he was a scientist tinkering with interdimensional shifts? Or was it the countless ones after that?

Still, such questions were best left to philosophers. The young man was content with his life. Home is where the heart is, or so it was said; his heart was here at that moment. The man could live anywhere as long as he had women to flirt with and liquor to drink.

I wonder how Mikhail is doing after all this time, the man mused. Did he finally rid himself of his virginity?

He chuckled slightly; it was so long ago, but it seemed just like yesterday that his life was thrown upside down due to the collision of a small device and a bottle of booze.

"Here's to you, old friend!" the man said as he raised his bottle before bringing it to his lips. "And to our next meeting."

The man smiled slightly, reminiscing of relationships long past before his smile faded, and he sighed. While still absorbed in his own thoughts, a feminine voice echoed from below.

"Qin Yun! Come! Your bride awaits!"

Chapter 1 - The Engagement of the Family's Shame (Revised)

Qin Yun leaned on a sturdy broom, resting his chin over his hands. While he was tasked with sweeping the grounds by the family's elders, he found something else that held his interest.

A small bird in the distance flapped its multicoloured wings in an effort to attract a female of its species. While such a thing was all too common, Qin Yun couldn't help but muse that some things were irrelevant of species. The urge to find companionship was universal.

Qin Yun, too, would one day leave to find a partner with whom he could share his life. Still, he was in no hurry. He was still young, no more than twenty. He still had his whole life ahead of him. Why subject himself to the whims of another while he could still be free for a bit longer?

Still, not many shared his dream of freedom. Most wanted him to find a wife and move in with her, or at the very least, they wanted him gone.

Qin Yun's family prided themselves as an Immortal Family. Well, immortal was a bit of a stretch. At most, they could be considered a Cultivation Family. It had been eons since the family last birthed an immortal. So long in fact, that no records remained to prove it.

Still, it wouldn't stop the family's elders from bragging about it. To this day, this was their greatest source of pride, just as Qin Yun was their greatest shame.

Qin Yun didn't care, though. So what if they labelled him a failure behind his back—sometimes even to his face. Why should his worth be decided by anyone other than himself?

Still, he understood where they came from. For someone over the age of twenty to be unable to break through the peak of the Body Strengthening Stage could indeed be deemed a failure. Well, it wasn't that he couldn't, but that was beside the point.

It was only a matter of face, really. In their eyes, the sooner they could get rid of this shame, the better. To them, birthing an immortal was their life's calling. Anyone not contributing to that goal was deemed incompetent. Qin Yun honestly had no interest in their petty wants.

However, a good thing about them was that they weren't depraved enough to simply dispose of him. If you listened closely, it wasn't rare for a clan to kill off some of their less talented members. They wouldn't do it personally, mind you. They only had to find a reason to make them leave on a mission, hoping they never returned, which they often didn't.

Qin Yun didn't worry about that. If they wanted to get rid of him, it would be after they had put their hands on his mother's inheritance. As far as he knew, his mother was still alive, but something prevented her from coming back to him.

Qin Yun was too lazy to care. He had already seen such tropes too often during his multiple different lifetimes. He was sure she held some unspeakable secrets that she would divulge somewhere down the line. He only had to wait until the opportune moment.

Qin Yun failed to mention this wasn't his first life. Indeed, he had lived so many before. So many, he lost count. It wasn't even his first time being born in this world. If he remembered correctly, this should be his fourth or fifth; he wasn't sure. Well, this didn't really matter, anyway.

He died in the end, just as he always did. Maybe, if he was lucky enough, he might find the vestiges of his former lives, but he doubted it. He wasn't even sure if those lives were in the past, relative to now, or in the future. What was chronology supposed to be in five-dimensional thinking, anyway?

If you wish to know how he even knew where he was, that was all due to a small, hexagonal black box hovering just out of his reach. For as long as he remembered, it had followed him around. Except for a series of numbers written on what he believed to be a screen, there was nothing special about it.

As far as he knew, those numbers should be akin to coordinates. Still, they were almost meaningless to him. Who would bother to remember five-dimensional coordinates? Well, he did. He didn't know why, but he thought it would become handy at some point. Well, it didn't.

Still, that box wasn't totally useless. It possessed its own dimension, which he utilized aplenty in other worlds. However, that box was a useless item here.

This cultivation world already possessed space rings for storage, which were also relatively cheap. So the box was useless, except that it followed him wherever he went and was invisible to anyone but him.

That meant Qin Yun could store whatever he wanted in it and use it in his next life, which he did initially, but things soon got boring. How would it feel to start a new life with everything you could hope for? Qin Yun was sick of it, so he sealed it for the time being. While he wouldn't be stubborn about its use, he would try to enjoy his life here before resorting to it.

This brought us back to his family. While his mother was gone, who knows where, Qin Yun lived with the family on his father's side. It was a peaceful life until they realized how inept he was at cultivation. At that point, even his father lost all interest in him. That suited him just fine, as he had no interest in the man himself.

Still, that also came with its own set of problems. The people here were quite... special, let's say. They took an uncanny pleasure in the suffering of others. Qin Yun didn't know what it was, but each time he was reborn here, people seemed much too arrogant for their own sake.

Couldn't they just live in harmony with each other? What was the point of all this fighting and killing, anyway? Wasn't the point of cultivation to seek the Dao and achieve immortality? How could they do that if they were already dead?

Qin Yun couldn't understand their thought process. More than that, he didn't wish to. He was more than content living a simple life away from the limelight. He had had more than enough lifetimes of bloodshed.

"There you go again," a young woman slightly older than him said gently. "Why do you seem like an old man each time I see you like this?"

Qin Yun's gaze left the bird as it flew away with its newfound mate; he then turned to the young woman beside him. She was Qin Meihui, his cousin. She was probably the only one in the family who accepted him despite his ineptitude.

She wore a thin white dress that slightly exposed her shoulders, while her long black hair was tied in a bun using an ornate hairpin, showing her cute ears. While Qin Yun appreciated all women—especially gorgeous women like his cousin—he wasn't depraved enough to make a move on family. Otherwise, he might have seriously considered it. She was, after all, everything Qin Yun could ever hope for.

As her name suggested, she was beautiful but also wise. While not the most talented in the family, she was among the best and brightest. She knew how to conceal herself to avoid the more confrontational branch family members.

Indeed, the Qin Family wasn't a monolith but an assortment of countless branch families originating from the same ancestor. While Qin Meihui could be considered part of the Main Family, Qin Yun was from a branch one. Still, they were closely related as their fathers were brothers, and their grandfather was the Patriarch.

Yet, their status couldn't be more worlds apart. Under normal circumstances, it would be unthinkable for them to even converse, as cultivation talent was seemingly all that mattered in their eyes. Qin Yun wouldn't care, though. He quite liked the freedom offered by being ostracized.

"What can I do for you, sister?" he asked with a slight smile.

Qin Meihui shook her head. She couldn't understand how this cousin of hers could remain so carefree under such circumstances. He was shunned within his own family. His mother was missing, while his father wanted nothing to do with him. Even his blood-related siblings despised him. Yet here he was, smiling peacefully. She really could never tell what went on in his mind.

"Aren't you afraid of the elders' anger once they see that you haven't swept the grounds?" she asked, concerned.

"Is this task supposed to mean something?" Qin Yun asked as he shrugged. "If they wanted this place cleaned, with their cultivation base, they only had to wave their sleeves, and the dust would be gone. Why bother asking me to do it? Unless they simply wanted a reason to berate me even more. Why waste energy in that case when the result would stay the same? I'm too lazy to care."

Qin Meihui was lost for words. Although his reasoning was on point, she felt he was too brazen. They were the elders; they had lived for many years, and their cultivation bases were unfathomable. Did he think he could resist them if they were angered by his words? He had no one to rely on and no power of his own. Where did this confidence come from?

As if knowing her thoughts, Qin Yun replied, "They won't do anything too harsh until they get what they want from me." His smile was calm and peaceful, like a massive tree that could withstand any storm.

Still, Qin Yun wouldn't try to antagonize them too much. He had no idea as to the limit of their patience. While they still had their pride as elders, which would prevent them from using force, the same couldn't be said for the younger generation. Most of them would be more than happy to fall out with him if it meant being appreciated by their ancestors.

Qin Yun wondered if sucking up to those fossils was worth it. He was never interested in politics, but it seemed that it always played a crucial part despite whatever world he found himself in. At first, he hoped that a world like this one—where might was king—would be somehow different, but to his disappointment, it wasn't.

If anything, it was somehow even worse. It wasn't rare for plots and conspiracies to occur even within the same clan. Everyone vied for power in one way or another. Qin Yun shook his head. Why couldn't they simply enjoy themselves instead of seeking what little power they could? Would that make their lives worth it?

"The elders summon you to the Main Hall," Qin Meihui said with a slightly grim expression. "What did you do this time?"

"Who knows," Qin Yun replied as he shrugged. "I don't even need to do anything, and they'll find something to pin on me. Honestly, it just saves me the trouble, and the unknown makes life more exciting."

Qin Meihui could only show a wry smile. She didn't know if this cousin of hers was brave or simply apathetic. She leaned more heavily on the second option as he would use any opportunity to slack off when no one was watching. She just hoped the elders wouldn't be too heavy-handed; she quite liked this bum of a cousin.

After saying farewell to Meihui, Qin Yun made the trip to the Clan's Main Hall. However, he was in no hurry and occasionally stopped along the way to admire the sights. Sometimes, he would stop before a tree, watching the wind blow within its leaves. Others, he would stop to smell the scent of flowers as bees buzzed around their pistils, pollinating them.

Nature was just full of wonders that people seldom appreciated. They were in too much of a hurry to appreciate these simple sights in all their glories. Even cultivators who could live for millennia never took the time to do so. What was the point of rushing through life when one had all the time in the world? Qin Yun felt living in the present was more rewarding than worrying about the future. Unfortunately, not many shared his vision.

Two old men and one woman were seated in the Main Hall on thrones of gold and crystal. The men's hairs were white, and their long beards reached their chests. Despite their aged features, their eyes still shone with youthful vigour. Yet, their expressions were grim as they waited impatiently for this impertinent junior of theirs.

Unlike the aged elders, the woman looked no older than thirty despite being from the same generation as the men beside her. Her long black hair fell like a waterfall over her slim shoulders, while a delicate jade hairpin was nestled at the back of her head, giving her an elegant air. Her blue dress was slit at the hip, showing her long, slender legs.

All in all, if Qin Yun had a type, she would be it. In fact, it would be difficult to find a man who didn't find her attractive. It wasn't simply her beauty, but her strength and character were also impressive. Few were a match for her, either in terms of looks or ability. Qin Yun could only lament the fact they were related. In fact, most of the Qin women had something special about them.

The atmosphere within the hall was tense as the three elders waited in silence. It had been almost an hour since they had sent Qin Meihui to fetch that insolent young man, yet there were still no signs of him.

In her impatience, the lady snorted slightly before a slight pressure permeated the hall. This was proof of her divine sense propagating outwards. For an expert of her calibre, enveloping the whole of the clan's grounds into her divine sense was child's play. It took no more than a moment for her to find Qin Yun's whereabouts.

Once she did so, however, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her glare grew colder. Qin Yun was sprawled on the stairs leading to the main hall, basking in the sun. His eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell lightly with each breath. As you might expect, he was sound asleep.

The woman pushed one of her graceful hands forward as an ethereal blue lotus appeared above her head. The lotus was hazy as if a fog hovered over it, yet its might was unmistakable. Even the remaining two elders were slightly surprised to see the slowly rotating lotus. Even with their uncountable years of experience, they couldn't mask the awe they felt in their hearts.

"Junior sister Lihua's cultivation is unparalleled in her generation," one elder said as he clasped his hands in salute. "Senior brother stands in admiration of junior sister's beauty and might."

Indeed, although those three were considered of the same generation, Qin Lihua was far and away the strongest of the three. Still, as she held almost no interest in anything other than the Dao, not many knew her identity, much less how strong she truly was. Many speculated that she might be a match for the Patriarch despite being a generation lower.

The blue lotus spun as shards of frost appeared on its surface. Qin Lihua stayed silent, paying no heed to the man's words. Her only thoughts were on how to punish this insolent junior who had made her waste her precious time. A single, slender, outstretched finger pointed down as her pressure increased slightly.

Outside the hall, Qin Yun slept peacefully under the warmth of the sunlight as a small cloud materialized above his head, creating a slight shade. Despite being a cloud, if one looked closer, one would realize that it wasn't formed of water droplets but minuscule ice crystals hovering in the air.

While its exterior wasn't much different from that of other clouds, its interior was so cold that one might become a block of ice in a matter of seconds. Still, this was an infinitesimal fraction of the female elder's powers.

The ice cloud fell without warning, burying Qin Yun in its frost and waking him from his dreams. Unexpectedly, Qin Yun didn't rise in fright as the ice burned his skin but instead slowly opened his eyes and calmly yawned before getting up slowly as if he couldn't feel the threat looming over him.

It wasn't that he couldn't, but such a childish prank didn't mean much to him. It was just cold; resisting it only took a little willpower. Still, it might have been better to give more of a reaction, as Elder Lihua was less than pleased with Qin Yun's nonchalant attitude.

Elder Lihua's brows were slightly furrowed as Qin Yun entered the clan's main hall. A water trail followed his step as his damp robes dripped onto the marble floors. His hair was slightly wet, yet he simply shook his head, as a dog would, before tying it haphazardly in a ponytail using a shabby hemp string.

He seemed so out of place compared to the hall's splendour that the remaining elders couldn't help but frown. Despite his messy attire, Qin Yun showed no hint of shame; his back was straight, and his gaze was clear as he walked toward the thrones.

He stopped a few paces away, showing a slight gentle smile, before bowing deeply to his elders. Qin Yun wasn't concerned about seniority, but he would show them a modicum of respect as they were from the same family.

"Junior Qin Yun greets the three elders!"

Qin Yun's firm voice reverberated in the massive hall, bouncing off the countless pillars that held it up before he raised his head without waiting for the elders' reply. While he would show the minimum respect necessary, Qin Yun didn't feel inclined to offer much more, as they, too, didn't respect him in the slightest.

Qin Yun could feel a slight hint of anger in their gaze as he stared back at them. While he was too lazy to care about what scheme they had planned for him, it didn't mean he would just roll over and accept it. This was his own slight form of resistance, just enough to show he wasn't the pushover they thought him to be. Still, he couldn't show too much as they might get suspicious, and he would have to kiss goodbye to his lazy life.

A white-haired elder scoffed slightly as the silhouette of a green lotus hovered above his head, putting pressure on Qin Yun's body as if trying to make him lower himself. Still, Qin Yun stood upright as if this was but a gentle breeze, and he was a sturdy tree weathering the storm.

Seeing this, the elder furrowed his brows even more as he increased the pressure slightly. The other elder showed an interested look while the woman remained impassive as if she didn't care either way.

Despite the mounting pressure, Qin Yun maintained his slight smile, but thoughts swirled in his mind. He wondered when would be a good time to buckle under the pressure. He would need to make it look authentic. Thankfully, some of his prior lives had taught him how to act. Still, Qin Yun couldn't be bothered and chose the simplest option.

"Qin Yun dares to ask why the elders have summoned his humble self," Qin Yun said calmly.

The archaic way he spoke was meant only to make fun of them. Despite this being a world of cultivation, who in their right mind would still talk in this old-fashioned way? Still, the elders seemed to like this way of speaking, as some of their expressions softened while the pressure receded. Only the woman remained indifferent.

"Must you be so stubborn in your ways?" Qin Lihua asked while wearing a mask of indifference as if his answer wouldn't matter in the slightest.

Qin Yun knew what it referred to. Although he could feel her good intentions, Qin Yun had already chosen his path and remained silent. While he knew his family would never understand, this didn't matter. Hearing no answer from him, Qin Lihua grew slightly angered.

"So be it," she snorted. "Have it your way."

Ignoring their last interaction, they returned to the matter at hand.

"Nephew Qin Yun, we asked you here to inform you of your upcoming marriage," the last elder said.

Qin Yun's eyebrow rose slightly. While arranged marriages were the norm, they were rarely done so young as most cultivators could live easily for hundreds of years. They would usually wait for them to mature to ensure both parties possessed the necessary qualities they could bestow their offspring with.

Qin Yun's case was even weirder. He was well-known in the city for being a failure. Who in their right mind agreed to be the bride? Was she a sacrifice, or was there something wrong with her too? Qin Yun was puzzled but also intrigued. This seemed like an excellent way to rid himself of his boredom.

"Might I ask who the bride is?" he asked calmly.

"She is an inner disciple of the Immortal Phoenix Sect," the female elder replied to his inquiry in a cold voice, almost frozen. Qin Yun didn't take it to heart as this was this female cultivator's standard tone. "She is the sole disciple of my good friend. Her name is Yun Jingfei. Know that this marriage is already set in stone. We are only informing you. You have no right to refuse."

Qin Yun showed a slight smile at those words. Surely, there was a conspiracy afoot. He wondered what the family had to gain with this marriage; better yet, what did the Yun Family hope to achieve? Still, he grew curious about this Yun Jingfei; he couldn't wait to meet his bride-to-be.

"Qin Yun understands the elders' good intentions. Qin Yun wouldn't dare to refuse such a favour. Qin Yun thanks the elders with all his heart."

Although Qin Yun's words and expression seemed perfect, Qin Lihua couldn't help but find his voice grating as if he were mocking them. Still, she was an elder; she couldn't vent her frustration on a junior based on her whim. She had a reputation to preserve.

"You can go," she said to Qin Yun as she waved her sleeve. "The marriage is scheduled in a month. The bride is bound to arrive only slightly before you are to be wed."

Qin Yun bowed again, then turned and left. Before he could leave the hall, however, the female elder's voice prompted him to stop.

"Until then, you best be on your best behaviour. You cannot bear the consequences if you were to shame the clan before the bride's family."

"Qin Yun will bear the elder's warning in his heart," he said as he left but scoffed in his heart.

He was already the family's shame; could he shame them even more? Well, he could; it wasn't that hard, but there was nothing to gain from it. Besides, it would demand too much of an effort from him. He wasn't that bored. Okay, maybe just a little bit. But now, he had something to look forward to.

He wondered how beautiful his bride would be or if there would be something more... He couldn't wait.

Chapter 2 - A Scientist at Work (Revised)

Once again, Qin Yun was sprawled out on the stairs leading to the Main Hall, reflecting upon the implications of his upcoming marriage. All around him, clan members passed him by as they gave him looks. You know the types: ones filled with mockery and derision. Still, Qin Yun wasn't bothered by it.

By no means was he a deviant, but anything was better than indifference. Qin Yun dreaded only two things from the bottom of his heart: boredom and solitude.

Solitude was self-explanatory. No sentient creature was poised to live alone, even if they deluded themselves into thinking they could. It was simply ingrained into their genes, and humans were no exception.

Even more so for Qin Yun, as his situation was particular; he was unique in the world. At least he never found anyone in a similar situation. Still, it wasn't something to hide. More than once, he had told those close to him in his previous lives. Yet, so few were inclined to believe him. He didn't blame them. Even he barely believed it himself.

As for boredom, that was trickier. It wasn't about boredom itself but its side effect. As you might expect, living for so long was quite a strain on the psyche. Everything became mundane after experiencing it so many times. The quest for new stimuli was always an ongoing process.

That was where the problem reared its ugly head. Seeking new and fresh experiences always meant going far beyond what was already known, which meant ever-increasing risks. As you might expect, all that awaited him at the end was death.

At first, death was interesting as it was something new, but again, too much of a good thing could also be harmful. As he knew he would always be reborn, Qin Yun went slightly mad. For a while, seeking death was like a drug, and he was an addict.

Qin Yun couldn't help but sigh as he looked back on those times. He was young and immature; he didn't know his limits. Due to his recklessness, he missed out on so many exciting worlds. Qin Yun wouldn't make the same mistake again.

As he silently pondered upon the steps, a young group of cultivators ascended the stairs toward the hall. Two men with identical features surrounded a fifteen-year-old woman as they did their best to flirt with her. Unfortunately, their efforts seemed to be in vain, as the woman's expression was the epitome of indifference.

The young men's loud voices as they recounted their feats of strength brought Qin Yun out of his reflections. He observed the noisy trio as one of his eyebrows rose slightly. He was familiar with the young woman as she was Qin Meihui's younger sister. Basically, she was also his cousin.

Still, her expression reminded him of his Grand-Aunt Lihua. It was no wonder as they were master and disciple. They were well fitted for each other as both were much too absorbed in pursuing the Dao while possessing an interest in not much else.

Qin Yun could only shake his head at the duo's futile attempt to garner her attention, as they were doomed to fail. Still, he wouldn't point it out as he eagerly anticipated the climax of this train wreck of a show.

Sadly, one of the twins noticed his gaze and frowned. Qin Yun scoffed slightly and broke line of sight. It seemed he would have to miss the ending. He expected the trio to pass him by as they ascended the stairs, but it seemed the young men had other plans. Qin Yun could guess their intentions as it was all too generic.

One of them stood before him, then looked down, sneering slightly. The man opened his mouth to speak, but Qin Yun was too lazy to remember what was said. Something about being trash and the family's shame; no originality whatsoever.

Seeing that his words were being ignored, the man grew agitated. He had hoped to show his gallant features to his junior sister, thus garnering her admiration. Qin Yun had no idea how such warped thinking came to be. How was picking on someone something to be proud enough to show off? Were they touched in the head?

Did they bash each other's skulls in so hard they suffered from brain damage? It wouldn't surprise Qin Yun, as settling things through violence was the norm in this world. Whoever had the biggest fists, something or other. How very barbaric. Qin Yun expected nothing less from such a backwater world.

Qin Yun remained silent, paying no attention to the poor, mentally challenged boy. Yet, it only seemed to enrage him further. What did they want from him? They were unhappy when he showed up, calling him the family's shame. Yet, even when he kept a low profile, things didn't improve. Honestly, they should make up their minds already.

As Qin Yun expected, when the boy couldn't get the reaction he wanted with words, he resorted to violence. Typical. A slight trace of pressure swarmed around the boy's palms as he struck forward. His eyes glowed slightly, and he sneered, expecting his strike to make short work of the failure before him.

Qin Yun's eyes narrowed slightly, but only because of how weak that strike was. While he didn't remember who those boys were, judging by their relationship with Meihui's sister, Qin Yun could infer they were probably of similar status. Qin Yun judged that strike to be somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd level of the Qi Refining Realm.

What he used to base his observations on wasn't the strike's strength but its mastery over Qi. Even if the boy was holding back, this was the limit of his proficiency. Still, Qin Yun couldn't wrap his brain around it. The boy should be somewhat talented in the clan, yet this was all he amounted to.

Qin Yun didn't bother to block; such a weak strike was beneath him. The boy's fist fell and met its target: the side of Qin Yun's head. As the two collided, the boy laughed maniacally, then turned to see the young lady's reaction to his posturing. Unfortunately, he would be disappointed as a look of surprise replaced the indifference in the lady's eyes. The boy frowned and then turned back, expecting to see Qin Yun writhing on the ground in pain, yet all he saw was Qin Yun giving him a look of pity.

Undeterred, the boy struck again, this time with all the strength he could muster. Yet, to Qin Yun, this was only slightly more potent than his previous attempt. He could only shake his head at this deplorable sight.

Qin Yun raised his hand, pointing a finger forward as he gently received the strike. The boy's fist stopped dead in its tracks, unable to move even a millimetre further as if space denied the existence of momentum.

The boy stood rooted in place, mouth slightly agape, unable to accept reality. As he was stuck in a stupor, his twin entered the fray, claiming some inane theories about how Qin Yun was a fraud, or he used some sort of artifact, or he had killed the real Qin Yun and was a doppelganger who wished to feast on their flesh. Indeed, a boy with a fertile imagination.

Qin Yun had no intention of being part of this farce. People started to gather, and Qin Yun wasn't some sort of circus show for other's entertainment. If anything, he was the one who needed to be entertained. He didn't bother to acknowledge the twins' existence and only nodded slightly to Qin Meihui's sister. It was only proper courtesy as he appreciated her sister greatly.

The girl nodded back, but soon, indifference returned to her eyes as she resumed her climb, leaving the two clowns behind. Qin Yun smiled slightly, seeing this; the girl was quite interesting. He would have to ask Meihui for her name, as he presently had no idea.

While Qin Yun held a slight interest in all beautiful women, he hadn't bothered to remember most of those of his own clan, as his reputation was indeed at rock bottom. Still, such thinking was probably only related to him. Most cultivators weren't bothered by things like blood relations.

It didn't surprise Qin Yun, as this world's moral bottom line was truly low. Besides, he suspected those people had no idea of such a thing as Genetic Diversity. Of course, they probably had no idea what genes were, to begin with, much less of the consequences of consanguineous breeding.

Qin Yun had no intentions of educating them, as it was pointless anyway. The only reason to avoid breeding with family was to strengthen the blood so that the whole family line would not die out due to one single cause. However, they were cultivators; ordinary diseases and toxins were a non-factor.

The second reason was purely a matter of ethics—of societal norms—which were basically non-existent here. Everything was fair game, a free-for-all, so to say. Qin Yun had never seen such massive hypocrites in all the worlds he had visited. Their so-called idea of justice was just the biggest joke ever.

As for how Qin Yun could resist the boy's strike despite being a realm lower, well... that was Qin Yun's little secret. It all started one day when he was bored—as everything ever did—when he pondered the implication of the word: Peak. More precisely, the Peak of the Body Strengthening Realm.

Qin Yun was a scientist, after all. Defining things and seeking answers was what he did for a living.

Most cultivators claimed to be at the peak when they were close to achieving the next realm, but that was so broad that it rubbed Qin Yun the wrong way. So, he decided to run a small experiment. He wouldn't stop until he reached the true peak of the Body Strengthening Realm. That was fifteen years ago, and he was still far from it.

Common knowledge was that each major realm was subdivided into ten minor stages, which most call levels, with the tenth being the peak. Once reached, one could attempt to break through to the next major realm.

Qin Yun's hypothesis was thus: the so-called peak was only the bare minimum necessary to ascend to the next realm. Minimum, as opposed to maximum. Qin Yun wished to seek this maximum. Curiously enough, each level seemed to grant the same strength proportional to an individual's base power. This meant that by measuring the amount of power gained at each level, one could infer which level was indeed the peak.

Qin Yun was at the 112th level of the Body Strengthening Stage and still seemed far from the peak. Or at least, that's what he surmised. To his dismay, the strength curve after the 10th level wasn't linear but exponential, which made estimating the levels more tricky.

As such, when he broke through the 11th level, his strength began to skyrocket, but it also brought some more problems that Qin Yun had to deal with. Still, there was no need to be so strict with it, as those further levels were simply arbitrary. This was only done for intellectual curiosity's sake.

With this insignificant incident over with, Qin Yun strolled the clan's grounds aimlessly, lost in thoughts. He had much to ponder, and wandering seemed to suit him well. Still, the sun was beginning to set as night was approaching. The meeting with the elders had taken much more time than he anticipated—really, he just slept through most of it—it was time for him to go home.

His feet led him to a massive mansion surrounded by impressive walls nestled in the centre of the clan's grounds. Still, Qin Yun didn't enter but continued on his way until he reached a secluded shack hidden in a dilapidated courtyard behind the mansion.

As he reached home, a slight smile flashed on his lips as he saw his cousin Meihui waiting for him inside. Still, his expression sunk just as fast when he heard her speak.

"Your father is waiting for you; you should go. Do not make him wait," she solemnly warned Qin Yun.

Qin Yun sighed; he simply couldn't catch a break...

Chapter 3 - Confronting the Master of the House (Revised)

"What's wrong with them, always using you as a messenger?" Qin Yun asked Qin Meihui rhetorically as he shook his head. "Although I enjoy seeing you, don't they know you have things to do besides yielding to their every whim?"

Qin Meihui could only smile wryly.

"Who else but me can tolerate your lazy bum?" she said half-jokingly.

Qin Yun smiled slightly. While her statement was mostly true, the proper reason should be that she would be the only one he would listen to. So many times, they tried to make him do something, and he just ignored them.

Still, once again, Qin Yun heeded her advice. It wasn't that he felt pressured, but even if he didn't care about himself getting into trouble, the same couldn't be said for Meihui. Qin Yun held no doubt they would use her to pressure him into doing their bidding, even if she was the Patriarch's granddaughter.

With some time before the sun completely set, Qin Yun doubled back to the mansion he had passed before, accompanied by Qin Meihui. Qin Yun's eyebrow rose slightly, and he was surprised to see her accompany him.

"Your father wants me there, too," she said, shrugging, not knowing why.

Qin Yun had his guesses. This was probably related to his mother's inheritance. Qin Yun's smile grew slightly larger; this would prove to be an interesting show.

The mansion was simply next door, so the duo arrived there quickly. Yet, as they passed the front door's threshold, the two men guarding the gate greeted Qin Meihui and shot Qin Yun looks of disgust. Qin Yun could only sigh internally, seeing the brazenness of mere guards. While he might be shunned by his family, it didn't mean unrelated guards had free reins to disrespect him.

Qin Yun looked straight ahead, not bothering to entertain them. Yet, as his foot touched the ground, it sunk slightly into the stone surface, causing a localized tremor that unbalanced the two men. They swayed, then fell flat on their asses. While it might be petty, Qin Yun only considered their embarrassment his slight revenge for this affront.

A man saw the whole scene from the steps before the mansion's main hall, yet he didn't notice Qin Yun's actions. He only saw the ground tremble slightly as the guards fell over. While he suspected something, he had no proof. He could only narrow his eyes, trying to understand how this situation happened.

Qin Meihui knew exactly what Qin Yun did as she witnessed his actions from a close distance. She had always had suspicions concerning Qin Yun, yet she held them in her heart, as revealing them would bring no good ending. Obviously, Qin Yun had no intentions of making this matter public; she knew he had his own considerations and respected his opinion. Still, she couldn't help but chuckle slightly as she saw the two men sprawled on their asses.

Embarrassment crept up the men's faces at the sight of this fairy's laughter, yet they were entranced by the beauty of her voice. They stood seated on the ground as the duo walked past. It wasn't until they heard the man on the step cough slightly that they rose as if springs were being unleashed before clumsily dusting their garments, trying to look as if nothing was wrong.

The man on the steps looked at the two guards as if they were fools, trying to decide their punishment for the shame they brought to the family he served. Without turning around, the two guards shivered slightly as if some predator had chosen them for his next meal.

As Qin Meihui stopped before the steps, the man bowed slightly to her, ignoring Qin Yun. Qin Yun merely shrugged at the sight, which was far from unexpected.

"Steward Li, we have come following uncle's request. Where might we find him?" she asked the man on the steps.

"The master is in his office. He has been waiting for you. Please follow me," he said as he turned and walked away. Although his words were meant for Qin Meihui, Qin Yun could hear the reproaches laced within, as if Qin Yun had made them waste their time. Still, Qin Yun retained his slight smile, completely unconcerned.

Whatever plans they had for him, he would go along for the time being. He was quite interested in how they would wrest his mother's inheritance from his hands, considering that he didn't even have such a thing in the first place. Of course, he never bothered to point out that fact, as their faces would be priceless when they would find out.

It had been years since Qin Yun had last set foot in this mansion. Ever since he had remained stagnant in the Body Strengthening Realm, he had been granted that secluded shack behind the mansion. As if physically distancing themselves from him would make people forget they were related. Talk about contrived reasoning.

At least the family wouldn't have to be reminded each time they saw his face. Still, Qin Yun wondered how his brothers and sister had fared since he last saw them. As far as he knew, his older brother was now the disciple of a sect somewhere—Qin Yun forgot the name and wasn't interested enough to find out—while his younger brother studied under one of the clan's elders as he had talent in alchemy.

As for his younger sister, she was now the family's jewel and was considered their future Branch Family Head after their father stepped down from his position to focus on cultivation. Still, such a situation would only occur when she had grown up and acquired the necessary strength and backing.

As for his stepmother—the biological mother of two of them—she was doing fine. One might even say that she was doing great, at least according to the men she had sent to harass Qin Yun. Strangely enough, once he beat those hired thugs to an inch of their lives, they suddenly disappeared, and he hadn't heard from them ever again. As for Qin Yun despising violence, sometimes a good kick in the groin was the only way to get one's message across.

The trio walked among the mansion's halls in silence. Somehow, Qin Yun thought the mansion had become gaudier. All along the halls, works of art, golden statues, or even vases were displayed upon ornate jade pillars, obviously a result of his stepmother's peculiar tastes. Qin Yun very much doubted his father held an interest in the objects of the mortal world.

Qin Yun could only smile slightly, but it was short-lived as they finally reached their destination. His father's office was much too grand for Qin Yun's taste as if the man was overcompensating for something. The vaulted ceiling was over ten meters tall, supported by massive carved stone columns that pulsated with a slight trace of energy. Obviously, the materials they were made out of were far from ordinary.

Toward the back of the room was a massive window that spanned the height of the wall. Before it, a large luxurious desk was placed on a slightly elevated structure, with some stairs leading to the door. It was as if the man wished to assert his dominance over anyone foolish enough to enter this room.

The man in question stood straight before the window, his back to the door. Even as they pushed the doors open, the man didn't deign to turn around and simply waved his hand, prompting the steward to leave, closing the door silently behind him.

Qin Yun couldn't help but chuckle internally; his father had always liked posturing. The man was tall, sporting long light blue robes that shone slightly—obviously some sort of precious fabric possessing innate Qi. His long black hair held some strands of light grey coiffed backwards and held in place with a small golden crown that emitted a slight immortal aura.

Qin Yun had no doubt that his father's attire was worth more than all the objects displayed in the halls combined many times over. Yet, those clothes held no defensive attribute; they couldn't be considered artifacts, as their only function was to look good. Qin Yun couldn't help but shake his head as he thought vanity was universal.

The man spoke first, addressing his cousin Meihui. Qin Yun ignored their conversation, opting to observe the carvings on the columns. Surprisingly enough, underneath their gaudy exteriors, Qin Yun noticed hints of formation markings within the structure.

Qin Yun pondered whether his father was aware of such a thing or simply acquired those pillars for their looks alone. Looking at how they were placed haphazardly around the room, Qin Yun opted for the second option. Those formations couldn't hope to reach more than five percent of their proper strength with how they were set up. Still, Qin Yun wouldn't point it out to him as he knew his father would only be offended if he were to do so.

"Are you even listening?" his father bellowed in a low voice, bringing Qin Yun back to reality.

To Qin Yun's side, Qin Meihui did her best to make it look like this had nothing to do with her. Although she liked Qin Yun, she wouldn't participate in his folly.

"I wasn't," Qin Yun said, much too calmly for his father's taste. His rage only mounted as he had hoped to see him squirm as he put him in his place, but before he could vent, Qin Yun added, "Can we get to the point? I was planning to get some sleep before you called me here."

Qin Meihui could only barely muffle a chuckle as she knew that Qin Yun already spent most of his days asleep, trying to slack off on the tasks assigned to him.

On the other hand, his father's expression was grim as he wished nothing more than to strangle this unfilial son where he stood. He snorted slightly as a mild wind emanated from his body, prompting Meihui to perspire slightly despite not being the target of his ire.

Simply being next to Qin Yun brought her pressure she could barely resist. As expected, her uncle wasn't a Nascent Soul expert for nothing. His youthful appearance was nothing but a facade, as he was much older than he appeared, which was mostly true for any cultivator.

Faced with his father's pressure, Qin Yun stood unyielding as he wondered why the people here were so fond of making others bend the knee before them. How shallow was their self-confidence that they could only get validation by humiliating others? Still, Qin Yun saw a slight appeal in it. He was human, not a robot devoid of emotions. Plotting revenge was always something exciting.

He shook his head and gave up on his plans, as doing so would only lead to something he couldn't be bothered to deal with.

Seeing that Qin Yun could resist his pressure, the man raised an eyebrow and increased it even more, hoping to find the limit of his endurance. The room's pillars trembled slightly as the man's might permeated the atmosphere. An ethereal and blurry lotus manifested itself above the man's head as it slowly rotated. Unlike the elders' lotuses Qin Yun had seen prior on this day, his father's was a deep red, and an intense heat emanated from it as if it were the sun itself.

Qin Meihui couldn't help but step back as a small, weak lotus platform appeared above her head, frantically rotating as it tried to fight the incoming heat storm. Meihui was only at the 3rd level of the Foundation Building Realm, a far cry from the Nascent Soul. She had no hope of resisting, even if the man pulled his punches. Noticing that Qin Yun seemed unconcerned, she took refuge behind his back, where the pressure lessened slightly.

Noticing his cousin's exhaustion, Qin Yun sighed before lightly punching forward, creating a light wind that pushed back the incoming pressure. The man frowned at this sight and decided to recede his pressure just as Qin Yun had already clenched his fist, intending for a second strike.

"As usual, you only have brute strength. There's not a single trace of Qi in you," the man said with a slight hint of ridicule.

Even if Qin Yun was unrivalled in strength, it was nothing in front of a cultivator's Qi Mastery; at least, that was their fallacy. Qin Yun didn't bother to argue that fact as he didn't see the point.

"How long do you plan to persist in your crooked ways?" his father asked in a voice reeking of frost.

"Is an immortal that important to the clan?" Qin Yun replied, uninterested. "There are other ways to seek strength."

"And renounce the legacy our ancestors built?" his father replied in an even colder tone. Do you have no respect for the path they opened for us? Do you think yourself their equals?" he scoffed, reeking with disdain. "Know your place."

It's the same thing every time, he sighed internally. Doesn't he get tired of it?

Chapter 4 - A Drink Under the Moonlight (Revised)

Qin Yun didn't remember much of the meeting with his father as most of it was just him rambling about face and reputation, something he couldn't care less about. In fact, he took great pleasure in shaming them. To him, the insults and slander thrown his way were nothing more than children bickering over pointless things.

As you might recall, Qin Yun was several lifetimes older than most elders. His way of thinking was simply brought by the passage of time, and even he couldn't escape it. Time wore down everything, just as the wind and rain wore down the earth. It was simply the natural way of the world. It was Dao.

As you might expect, most of that meeting was related to his upcoming marriage. Still, not much was revealed when Qin Yun asked about his bride, either because not much was known or they simply wanted to keep him in the dark. Qin Yun strongly suspected the latter.

Once again, he couldn't wait for the day, as it would prove highly entertaining. From what he could pry out of his father, the woman was the same age as he was but worlds apart regarding talent. Rumours mentioned she was poised to attempt to break through the Void Core Realm; however, something happened, and she was forced to give up. As for the details, they were vague, to say the least.

Qin Yun didn't bother asking for more information, as the result could easily be inferred by the fact that this marriage was agreed upon in the first place. Still, Qin Yun hoped that his bride would have quite the tale to tell; he was sorely lacking in entertainment at the moment.

Most of Qin Yun's waking moments were spent avoiding his responsibilities. It wasn't that he was a jerk—okay, he was—but most of the tasks given to him were asinine, at best: things better left to the servants in charge of the clan's maintenance—things better left to professionals. How would he appear if he was seen stealing their jobs from them? He was only doing them a service, really.

As for what he did with his newfound free time? What he knew best, of course. Experiment! Qin Yun had many theories he wished to probe the depths of, and many things to inquire about.

Despite all his lifetimes, Qin Yun never changed much. Maybe his personality was deeply ingrained in his soul, but he never felt the urge to deviate from who he was. He had long accepted that he was flawed and had no intention of striving for perfection.

It wasn't that perfection eluded him; quite the contrary. With his wealth of experience and all the time in the world, what couldn't he accomplish? No, perfection frightened him somewhat. What would he do once he achieved it? There would be nothing to strive for, only endless boredom.

Still, Qin Yun figured that achieving perfection in cultivation was acceptable as he could always start over if he eventually reached the top. Qin Yun wasn't a man without ambition; he simply never let it show.

As the duo finally exited the compound, the sun had long gone to bed, and night had blanketed the clan. Only the sparse light of torches fought against the darkness while they walked upon the empty streets. Just as Qin Meihui mentioned that she was leaving, Qin Yun held her back by gently holding her wrist.

"How about a drink, for old time's sake," Qin Yun said as he smiled slightly. "I have some thousand-year-old Dwarven Fire Wine."

Qin Meihui frowned slightly, looking deep into Qin Yun's eyes. Yet Qin Yun's smile didn't falter, and she didn't struggle from his hold. A moment passed, and then her scowl turned into a charming smile.

"While I don't know what Dwarven means, You're on!" She exclaimed with a playful expression.

The duo quickly made their way to Qin Yun's secluded hut, ensuring they wouldn't be spotted by anyone for fear of spoiling their fun. If Meihui was spotted with him at this hour, Qin Yun had no doubts that some unsavoury rumours would be spread about him. Something akin to how the poor girl was forced to keep him company or how he somehow forced himself on her despite Meihui being two whole realms higher than he was. No consistency whatsoever.

As Meihui reached his courtyard, she stripped herself of her shoes and skipped barefoot into the tall, soft grass. While Qin Meihui was a young adult with many responsibilities, that didn't mean she didn't have a childish side. While trying to meet all the expectations placed on her, she had lost most of her childhood to gruelling practice.

Qin Yun watched her play within nature, with a slight smile on his face, as slight rays of moonlight piercing the veil of clouds ended their journey on her soft and radiant skin, illuminating her beauty. Qin Yun felt akin to a father watching his young daughter make the most of her youth.

Noticing his old man's gaze again, Qin Meihui scoffed as she stuck her cute tongue out before sprinting toward the pavilion at the centre of a small pond within the courtyard. Qin Yun shook his head as his smile grew slightly larger before slowly following her.

Qin Meihui skipped through the shallow pond as she felt the water's soft, fresh coldness on her feet. Her thin dress fluttered lightly in the night breeze, making her look no less than a fairy.

Qin Meihui first reached the pavilion as Qin Yun used a small bridge. Unlike with his house—ready to fall apart at any moment—Qin Yun had meticulously restored the pavilion to its former grandeur.

As if on cue, when both sat upon a wooden bench within the pavilion, facing the largest part of the pond, the thin clouds receded from the sky, letting the moonlight illuminate the night. Upon the shimmering watery surface, three round objects of different sizes were reflected as if a mirror of the sky.

While Qin Meihui was mesmerized by the magical sight, Qin Yun extended his hand, lightly touching the invisible black object. Two jugs of wine materialized from thin air, and he poured a cup for both himself and her.

Qin Meihui carefully watched the liquid in her hand before slightly taking in its scent. She was pleasantly surprised by its aroma and chose to take a sip of this most peculiar wine. Qin Yun's smile was mischievous as he knew his companion had never tasted anything like this.

An intense burn emanated from her throat as the liquid went down to her stomach, yet the sweet taste made her lips ask for more. With each sip she took, a feeling of euphoria overwhelmed her, yet soon enough, her cup was empty, and she couldn't help but glare at Qin Yun as if he had kidnapped her firstborn.

Qin Yun could only shake his head slightly amusedly before pouring another cup, which she drank just as fast as the first.

The duo slowly wasted the night away, mostly with pointless talk. Yet, sometimes, they let the silence linger between them as they appreciated the world's Dao. While their cultivation was much too shallow to comprehend the intricacies of the natural laws, with just observations and slight reflections, Qin Meihui could feel the chains of her bottleneck slowly disappear as if dust in the night breeze.

Amid the laughter of their small talk and the comfortable silence, Qin Meihui felt her strength increase as a hazy lotus platform appeared above her head. The rotating lotus was a mix of deep blue and green, and with each passing moment, its ethereal nature slowly subsided, becoming evermore real.

A small bud appeared on the platform, displacing the three leaves already present, before it burst into a flash of coloured light, illuminating the night sky above Qin Yun's courtyard. Qin Yun waved his sleeve, prompting the small black box to rise above Qin Meihui. The box rotated slightly, bursting into a black curtain, engulfing all the light as if a giant maw rendering the very sky.

With the light taken care of, the lotus platform rotated faster and faster until a fourth leaf emerged from the bud, prompting Qin Meihui's ascension to the 4th level of the Foundation Building Realm.

"Congratulations," Qin Yun whispered softly as he raised his glass to Meihui, sporting a slight smile.

Qin Meihui remained in a state of enlightenment for a while longer before the light extinguished and the lotus disappeared entirely. All that remained was Qin Meihui slowly opening her eyes as a joy-filled smile graced her lips.

She turned to face Qin Yun and opened her mouth to speak, yet no words came out. While she had always known she was on the verge of a breakthrough, none had come as easily as this one. She knew it was somehow thanks to him, yet his expression at this moment made her reign in her joy.

"What are you gazing at so intently?" she asked softly.

Qin Yun's gaze was locked upwards, fixed on the three celestial objects overpowering the night sky. His smile was gentle, if somewhat sad, and filled with nostalgia. Hearing her inquiry, Qin Yun slightly shook his head, then looked her in the eyes, admiring the depths of those jewels.

Slightly embarrassed, Qin Meihui turned away, humphing slightly. Qin Yun chuckled, but then a slight melancholy overpowered him as memories of days long gone assaulted him.

"Those sights only made me remember old memories," he said with a slight sadness.

"You talk as if those were tales from before you were born," she said curtly, less than pleased to hear such a vague answer.

With a slight smile, Qin Yun replied, "I might be inclined to tell you the truth in the future."

"Why not now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You aren't ready to know the truth," he said as if stating facts.

Qin Meihui scoffed but didn't push him further, knowing she wouldn't get an answer on this day. After refilling her cup, she asked what was truly on her mind.

"How do you feel about your upcoming marriage? I wouldn't have thought you would be the first of us two to get married."

Qin Yun turned to face her as an eyebrow lightly rose before a playful smile appeared on his lips. He waved his sleeve in front of his face, obscuring his features for but a fraction of a second. Yet, when he revealed his face again, his familiar and ordinary facial features had significantly changed. Gone were the slight imperfections of his skin and the asymmetry of his bone structure, replaced by what one could only liken to perfection.

This was but a side effect of his cultivation technique. With each step he took upon the road of perfecting the Body Strengthening Realm, his body rid itself of all faults and weaknesses until it reached perfection.

To avoid garnering attention from the clan, Qin Yun had a habit of distorting his facial structure to become only slightly more handsome than the average man. Obviously, Qin Meihui was aware of this, and Qin Yun saw no reason to hide when it was only the two of them.

"Are you jealous?" Qin Yun asked with a playful tone as his face inched closer to hers, eventually whispering in her ear.

Qin Meihui's ears soon took on a red hue as embarrassment overwhelmed her heart. While what she felt for this man wasn't love, she couldn't deny that she held a slight interest in him. Unfortunately, she was much too aware of his policy of not courting family. Too many times, she had seen him away from the clan, embracing some unknown woman on the streets. By this point, she held no expectations in her heart. Yet, this man would never let her go. Always teasing her with the hope she had renounced so long ago.

Qin Yun knew her heart well, but he, too, felt attracted to this woman. Yet, he had to set some boundaries, as he knew himself best. The world itself couldn't bear the weight of his unbridled self. If he were to let himself go completely, all that would remain would be dust.

Still, even though they couldn't share the pleasure of the flesh, if she was willing, they could share eternity. Qin Yun was more than willing to walk side by side with her. They weren't mortals; the urge to procreate wasn't the driving force of cultivators' relationships.

As if to drown her sorrow and embarrassment, Qin Meihui drank cup after cup while Qin Yun simply accompanied her silently. While his upcoming marriage might threaten to upset their relationship, Qin Yun would never let her go.

Chapter 5 - Experimenting with Innate Qi (Revised)

Qin Yun woke up the next day with a pounding headache. While cultivators could easily reverse the effects of alcohol, where would be the fun in that? He was sprawled out on the floor, wearing nothing but his trousers as all his clothes were thrown around the room. At least he was inside his house with a roof above his head.

He tried to rise but found another body blocking his path. Qin Meihui was lying on top of his chest, wearing nothing but her undergarments. Her eyes were still closed, and Qin Yun could feel her soft breath on his skin.

Qin Yun's gaze was locked on her long eyelashes as they slightly vibrated along with her breath while he did his best to restrain himself from doing something he would regret. Despite his miserable state, Qin Yun's memories of last night were crystal clear; he knew nothing had happened between them.

With a slight, mischievous smile, Qin Yun lightly pinched her slender nose, waiting for her to wake. She did this slowly at first until the memories returned to her like a cannonball in her brain.

She rose in one step, snatching the first item of clothing she could find, which happened to be Qin Yun's outer robes. Hiding behind it, she looked at Qin Yun with a piercing glare as if to impress her shame into his mind.

The man chuckled slightly before turning around, letting her get dressed, which she did with much difficulty as her gaze was riveted on him. Once done, her mouth opened and closed several times, trying to find the words to say. After a moment, she finally settled on this.

"We didn't... did we?"

While she still had most of her memories, some were missing—the most important ones.

"No," Qin Yun affirmed as he turned, locking gaze with her. "The wine was simply too strong, and it unbalanced your Core Qi, which resulted in you taking off your clothes."

Qin Yun failed to mention that this Dwarven Fire Wine wouldn't have had the same effect on him as the nature of his Spiritual Roots was wildly different. Qin Meihui's was of the water and wood attribute, which didn't mesh well with the fire attribute of the wine, which raised her core temperature substantially.

While intoxicated, Qin Meihui argued that it wasn't fair for her to be the only one to take off her clothes, so, with no other choice, Qin Yun obliged reluctantly.

Still, Qin Yun could tell she didn't believe in the slightest that this story was so simple. Yet, the sun was already high in the sky, and she couldn't continue to loiter around here. Unlike this lazy bum, she was quite a busy woman. Still, she wouldn't let this go so easily.

"What should I expect from our relationship from here on?" she asked as she was about to exit the threshold of his house. She turned and looked straight into his eyes, expecting a truthful response without avoiding the issue.

Qin Yun sighed and then spoke his mind.

"That's up to you," Qin Yun said as he sighed slightly. "There are many things I can give you and just as much that I can't. Still, the path is long and lonesome. Company would always be appreciated."

Qin Meihui frowned, thinking of the implications.

"What about your marriage," she asked sheepishly.

"For now, I've no intentions of going against it. Still, it will all be made clear once I meet the bride," he said as he shrugged.

Qin Yun rose and, while still bare-chested, approached Qin Meihui, pinning her against the door frame.

"You should clearly think about what you truly want from me. If you want my heart, then you had it long ago. Still, the heart isn't that simple. I don't expect you to give your whole heart to me, so don't expect this from me. I just want you in my life in any way you choose to be."

Hearing those direct and sincere words, Qin Meihui's gaze became slightly hazy as a complicated feeling rose in her heart. She looked Qin Yun in the eyes yet couldn't sustain his gaze. She turned and walked away at almost a run. Yet, as she left the courtyard, she couldn't help but turn around for one last look before finally leaving.

With a peaceful expression, he went back inside and dressed. While he had feelings for her, his were much more subdued than the average person's. He had loved many people in his long years and had all seen them go, either through his or their deaths. Still, those feelings remained in his heart to this day. To ask him to choose which ranked higher was an impossibility, even if Qin Meihui was alive and they were already long gone.

Still, Qin Yun tried his best not to be a hypocrite. He left the choice to her to figure out what she truly wanted. He knew he couldn't avoid this marriage unless he fell out with the entire clan. While it was still a possibility, he would try to avoid it if possible. He also knew, sooner or later, she too would have to face her own marriage. What she would choose at that point would be up to her. He wouldn't think less of her if she wanted to be with that man, as it would only be fair of him.

While some may think he was cold and uncaring, this was the only way to protect his heart in the long years and countless seasons he had been alive. He had no intention of becoming a machine going through the motions. Everything stemmed from his own will. He wouldn't ask something of someone he wasn't prepared to do himself.

With those thoughts at the back of his mind, Qin Yun sat on the floor and started cultivating. While he did circulate his Innate Qi within his muscles and bones every waking moment, it was only when properly cultivating that most of the heavy lifting was done.

Speeding through the Body Strengthening Realm wasn't complicated, as most cultivators simply chose to skip this stage entirely. They were already born with a more robust body than most mortals, as their innate Qi perfused their flesh, sculpting it into a receptacle fit to accommodate the world's spiritual energy.

Few lingered in this realm, much less those like Qin Yun, who went far and beyond. According to his theories and past experiences, this would come back to haunt most cultivators, as their foundations would be brittle at best, ensuring the road ahead would be filled with hardship.

As Qin Yun wished to reach the peak, he wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection. He took a deep breath and started circulating the pitiful amount of Innate Qi he possessed, making sure to quench every muscle and bone fibre.

Unlike the Spiritual Qi, which cultivators collected in their Qi Centre when they reached the Qi Refining Realm, Innate Qi was a limited and scarce resource determined at birth, which would be slowly expelled as one aged. The only way to retain it was to actively do so, preferably as soon as possible.

Innate Qi was truly a peculiar existence. Unlike Spiritual Qi, which could be found everywhere, innate Qi behaved much differently. For one, it was much more potent, containing much more power, but it was also impossible to renew once used up.

Also, Innate Qi and Spiritual Qi were incompatible, as if their origins were two opposites balancing each other. Spiritual Qi was created from Heaven and Earth, while Innate Qi was created by a mother and then transferred to the child in the womb.

However, as the Spiritual Roots in a newborn child grew, so would the friction between Innate Qi and Spiritual Qi wishing to take root, leading to the dissipation of Innate Qi, almost as if Spiritual Qi couldn't tolerate its existence.

Fortunately, Qin Yun became aware almost precisely as he was born, so the amount of Innate Qi he possessed was much more than most thought possible. Yet, compared to what even a 1st level Qi Refining Realm cultivator could accumulate, his reserves were indeed pitiful. He could use no techniques for fear of using up any Qi. All he had was his body forged through years of gruelling hardship.

Tempering the body was by no means an easy task, especially past the 10th level. Every time his Innate Qi circulated within his flesh, it would tear at his muscles and break his bones, only to restore them but only slightly stronger. The process would repeat itself, day after day, ad infinitum.

Qin Yun pushed through the pain, regardless. This was far from the worst torture he had ever experienced. Besides, the reward was worth it. He judged his physical body to be as strong as his father's, if not stronger. One had to know that his father was easily over a century old while Qin Yun was only twenty.

If he were to expose his strength, that would surely be a devastating blow to the clan. Still, this didn't mean he could win against his father in a fight. Only that his current flesh surpassed the Nascent Soul Realm. His father had ample Qi to use, while Qin Yun could only punch and kick his way to victory. Still, he had trump cards but would prefer not to use them.

Qin Yun did the same as he always did. He made the Innate Qi do one full lap around his body, destroying and reconstructing everything before he ground two packets of Innate Qi against each other. A small amount of Qi was destroyed in the collision, yet its purity seemed to rise slightly.

Since the start, Qin Yun had followed this procedure to the letter, working his Innate Qi one bit at a time. After years of doing so, Qin Yun's Qi was almost void of any imperfections. Still, its amount was truly too pitiful to show. Yet, it was still enough to temper his flesh.

As for why he did so, that was another theory he had. The Qi Refining Realm could be divided into two distinct phases: the accumulation and refining phases, usually done in this order. Yet, Qin Yun thought, why not do it backwards.

Usually, new cultivators enraptured by the allure of newfound strength would accumulate as much Qi in their Qi Centre as possible before slowly refining it to progress to the next realm. However, they failed to realize that the more Qi you had, the harder it was to refine.

Most were left with just half-baked refined Qi as they attempted to build their foundations, which often resulted in a shaky base on which to build.

Qin Yun realized that if you were to add Spiritual Qi to highly refined Innate Qi, the purity would only drop slightly as if the Innate Qi would simply devour the Spiritual Qi introduced. As such, when he finally reached the Qi Refining Realm, Qin Yun could streamline the process and swiftly move through the levels as he prepared to build his foundation.

Still, one problem arose from all this. Qin Yun had no idea how pure he could make his Innate Qi. He had started this project over fifteen years ago, and there was no end in sight. Maybe he would be stuck in the Body Strengthening Realm for quite a long time. This didn't really bother him, as his strength would constantly increase even if his realm did not.

There was another one. As the two types of Qis were incompatible, Qin Yun would be forced to choose between them. His first instinct was to integrate all his Innate Qi into his flesh once it reached its highest purity. This, however, felt like a waste as replacing it with Spiritual Qi would mean a drop in his means. He was reluctant to do so and would seek another way.

With this day's cultivation over with, Qin Yun rose and examined his surroundings. He had never put much effort into fixing his shabby dwelling, as he could sleep mostly anywhere. But now, with his marriage quickly approaching, something needed to be done.

He wasn't the type of man to let his wife live in such a situation. Even if he didn't know what type of woman she was, he would do his best as her husband. That was simply the type of man he was. Besides, he was an experienced husband; he knew he could make this work.

With his newfound goal, Qin Yun spent most of each day simply cultivating during the night and fixing his courtyard during the day. He mainly kept out of everyone's way as the clan eagerly prepared for his upcoming marriage. Unbeknownst to him, the list of guests was staggering, ranging from the current city lord to the elders of the surrounding immortal sects.

While most in the clan knew a wedding was coming, the clan's elders had kept the bride and groom's identities under wrap, probably fearing an uproar if they were to know their shame was one of the participants.

As the elders had ordered, Qin Yun had been on his best behaviour for almost an entire month, as he rarely left his courtyard. Nobody even bothered to come see him regarding the details of the ceremony; Qin Yun also didn't bother to ask and left everything to them to manage,

And so, the fateful day was finally upon them.