Chapter 1: The Youth Xiao Yi

"Tian'er, this is the top-quality tea the old Emperor sent over. Why don't you try some?"

"Tian'er, the Dingguo Duke is thinking of sending his young granddaughter to the Tianjian Sect to attend to your daily needs..."

"Tian'er..."

Xiao Yi looked up at Xiao Zhengde, who was on the main seat with a face full of ingratiating, even somewhat abject, obsequiousness. In his calm gaze, there was a touch of bitterness and helplessness. As his glance moved, it settled on the handsome and extraordinary young man sitting boldly in front of Xiao Zhengde.

He was Xiao Yi's own elder brother, Xiao Tianjiao!

An exceptional genius destined for greatness from birth.

When Xiao Tianjiao was born, a fire dragon descended from the sky and acknowledged him as its master.

Not even three years old, he awakened the Supreme Overlord Holy Body, possessing divine power strong enough to lift a thousand-pound cauldron with one arm.

By the age of five, he had broken through to the Tenth Layer of the Physical Body Realm, stepped into the Qi Gathering with Ten Layers at seven, successfully struck the Shentong Realm at eight, becoming the youngest Shentong Realm powerhouse in the history of the Great Qian Dynasty, and entered the Tianjian Sect, the first among the top ten sects of the Great Qin Dynasty, and became its direct disciple at ten years old.

Now at just twenty, Xiao Tianjiao had successfully stepped into the Tao Tribulation Realm and was hailed as the hope of the rise of the Great Qian Dynasty.

The entire nation eagerly awaited his advance into the Longevity Secret Realm, becoming the first everlasting giant since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Because of Xiao Tianjiao's existence, the Xiao Family, which used to be a minor household, became the hottest noble family in the Great Qian Dynasty overnight, receiving gifts from the Holy Emperor himself during the holidays.

One could say that there was not a person in the Qingtian Realm who did not know the name Xiao Tianjiao.

As for Xiao Yi...

Under the dazzling light of his brother Xiao Tianjiao, he was without any presence at all. Everyone who saw him would only say how fortunate your life is, to have such an outstanding brother.

In everyone's eyes, Xiao Yi was truly lucky—his brother was the number one talent of the age, and also the Saint Heir of the number one sect of the Great Qian Dynasty. Just giving him a little bit of resources could make him a top-notch expert.

But the reality was that when Xiao Yi turned ten, Xiao Tianjiao strictly forbade him from continuing his cultivation.

Even the most basic body tempering was not allowed.

According to Xiao Tianjiao, having him as the one dragon in the Xiao Family was enough.

He disliked the thought that when people mentioned him, they would remember he had a brother sharing the same blood, who was nothing more than an ordinary mortal with mediocre talent.

That would tarnish his perfect image.

If not for Xiao Yi's mother, who protected him with her life, Xiao Tianjiao's methods would have long since made him silently disappear from the world, forever eliminating any future trouble.

Because of this...

For the past eight years, he had been imprisoned in the most secluded courtyard in the depths of the Xiao Family. Even so, Xiao Tianjiao was still not at ease. To prevent Xiao Yi from escaping, he even arranged for two Shentong Realm powerhouses to watch over Xiao Yi, who was only at the Physical Body Realm, at all times.

If it weren't for his mother, who secretly sent him some books and passed him some news, he wouldn't even know who the current emperor was.

However.

The mother who was the only one to cherish him also died suddenly three years ago. Since then, Xiao Yi had not taken a step out of the courtyard for three full years, as if the whole Xiao Family had forgotten about him.

And today...

Xiao Zhengde suddenly ordered for him to be called in.

It had been two hours since he arrived at the great hall, yet Xiao Zhengde and Xiao Tianjiao acted as if they had never seen him.

Looking at the two, high above and happily conversing, Xiao Yi's heart turned cold as ice.

Eighteen years.

Living for eighteen years like the air, he was long accustomed to being ignored.

There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart.

Standing in the vast hall, facing what should be the closest relatives in this world, Xiao Yi was only left with loneliness and tranquility.

After another half hour, it seemed Xiao Zhengde only then remembered Xiao Yi's existence. As he turned around, the sycophantic and ingratiating smile on his face vanished, replaced by cold indifference, disgust, and loathing. It seemed he was too lazy to say more to Xiao Yi and said dismissively, "Go back and prepare. You will leave for Nanhuang City in the Tianqing Kingdom three days from now..."

"The Tianqing Kingdom?"

Xiao Yi was taken aback. The Tianqing Kingdom was a small country subordinate to the Great Qian Dynasty, bordering the vast and barren wilderness, a forsaken place where no bird would lay its eggs. He frowned and asked, "What am I to do there?"

Xiao Zhengde said impatiently, "Your brother..."

"Hmph!"

Xiao Tianjiao snorted coldly, his expression showing a bit of displeasure and disgust.

In his eyes, being Xiao Yi's brother was a great shame.

"Oh my, I misspoke..."

Xiao Zhengde hastily said a word of appeasement, and, seeing Xiao Tianjiao's expression slightly mollify, he continued, "The fire dragon of Tian'er took a liking to the Silver Winged Sword Dragon kept by the Fang Family in Nanhuang as their clan guardian beast. Yet the Fang Family absurdly thinks to climb up by this connection with our Xiao Family, stubbornly refusing to hand over the Silver Winged Sword Dragon. After discussing it, we decided unanimously to have you marry into the Fang Family to become their son-in-law in exchange for that Silver Winged Sword Dragon!"

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

Xiao Yi felt as if there were no sounds in the world except for his own heartbeat and the cold expressions of Xiao Zhengde and Xiao Tianjiao. His usually tranquil mind, like still ancient wells, was now churning with shockwaves.

To be sold off like goods just because Xiao Tianjiao's mount, the fire dragon, took a fancy to the Silver Winged Sword Dragon? To be sent to the Fang Family as a live-in son-in-law?

Xiao Yi's head was spinning.

Incredulous.

Even though for over a dozen years Xiao Zhengde ignored him, and Xiao Tianjiao saw him as a stain and a disgrace, having imprisoned him for eight long years and prevented him from cultivating any cultivation techniques or martial skills, he had endured it all.

But now...

Xiao Yi's face was full of bitterness, and with the last glimmer of hope in his eyes, he looked at the brother he once idolized and said in a deep voice, "Is this what you want?"

Xiao Tianjiao glanced at him indifferently, his face showing dispassion.

It seemed even speaking to Xiao Yi was a disgrace to him.

"This is the will of the entire clan. Even though you're useless, having stepped into the Physical Body Realm at eight years old and still remaining there after a full ten years, we have not mistreated you. You've never lacked for food or clothing. Now, it's time for you to repay your debt..."

Xiao Zhengde thought for a moment before continuing, "Today, I called you here to inform you, not to seek your opinion. You just need to follow our arrangements!"

Just to inform me, huh?

Indeed!

Like my cultivation path, I don't even have the right to choose!

Xiao Yi looked up, his gaze intense, wanting to shout at the two of them that he was not useless, that he'd been stuck at the Physical Body Realm for ten years!

It's not that he lacked talent for staying in the Physical Body Realm for ten years, but because the seal over something inside of his body had yet to be broken.

But now...

It doesn't matter.

There's no need!

Whoosh!

Xiao Yi let out a long breath, completely despairing of this family. His tense body gradually relaxed, and the fists he had been clenching quietly uncurled. This family no longer held anything worth yearning for. Gritting his teeth, he replied each word with deliberate force, "Becoming a son-in-law of the Fang Family, right? I will go, but before I leave... I would like to pay respects to my mother!"

His mother had suddenly passed away three years ago.

Xiao Yi was confined to a small courtyard, unable to pay his respects to his mother, let alone hear of her death. It was only two months later that he learned of her passing from the servants, and to this day he didn't even know where her grave was.

This was his only obsession with this family!

However...

Xiao Tianjiao looked at him with contempt, sneering, "There's no need for you to pay respects to mother. I will do it myself."

Xiao Yi's eyes turned blood-red, his body shaking like chaff, and he growled through clenched teeth, "Xiao Tianjiao, she's also my mother!"

"No, from now on, she isn't!"

Xiao Tianjiao spoke calmly, "Your name has been struck from the family records. From this day forth, you will only be an idle son-in-law in the Fang Family of Nanhuang and have no relation to the Xiao Family."

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A bolt from the blue!

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Yi stumbled back three steps with his face turning deathly pale, and he bellowed hysterically, "Xiao Tianjiao, are those even human words you speak? Huh? Ashamed of me, you stripped away my right to cultivate, confined me like livestock for eight long years—eight whole years! And now, do you even wish to strip away my right to pay respects to my mother?"

"Shut up!"

Xiao Tianjiao leaned forward slightly, proud and towering, looking down from on high at Xiao Yi, "I am a true dragon above the heavens, and you are nothing but a mudfish struggling in the mire. What right do you have to pay homage to my mother? We are people of two different worlds, and my world is far too high for you..."

"Too high for me? Hahaha, what a 'too high for me'..."

Xiao Yi took a deep breath, his bloodshot eyes like two crimson moons, staring intently at Xiao Tianjiao and Xiao Zhengde, "Xiao Tianjiao, Xiao Zhengde, your bullying is too much... I swear, one day you will regret everything you have done today."

"A vow, huh? An ant will always be an ant, and a vow is just a weakling's futile struggle..."

Xiao Tianjiao didn't take Xiao Yi's words to heart at all. He glanced at Xiao Zhengde and said dispassionately, "Father, even with the Dragon Blood steeds running day and night, it would take five days to reach Nanhuang. The longer the night, the more dreams. Better for him to leave right now."

"Right now? Fine," Xiao Zhengde agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Xiao Tianjiao's voice came again, "To prevent any mishaps along the way or his escape, it's best to knock him unconscious and have someone deliver him directly to the Fang Family."

Face filled with grief and anger, blood-red eyes brimming with towering rage, Xiao Yi glared at Xiao Tianjiao, "Xiao Tianjiao, your tyranny is..."

Bang!

Before Xiao Yi could finish his words, he was struck by a palm from Xiao Tianjiao and sent flying. The violent wind filled his mouth, preventing him from uttering the rest of his words, and then he slammed into a pillar with a thud.

Everything went black, and he fell into a deep faint.

However...

Nobody noticed that in the moment before Xiao Yi lost consciousness, his field of vision, which had turned pitch black, was suddenly pierced by a dazzling light.

It was as though invisible colossal hands ripped through the darkness, completely engulfing his consciousness.

In an instant.

The darkness before Xiao Yi dispersed, and looking ahead, he found himself amidst a boundless expanse of starry sky. Countless stars spilled before his eyes, massive ones whizzing past, stirring ripples of space that stretched for billions of miles.

Vast, majestic, endless, boundless.

Not far in front of him in the starry sky, there floated a black mausoleum, ancient and enormous, suspended right there, with four huge black dragons, their bodies like black iron, coiled around the tomb, their heads and tails linked.

Inside that mausoleum, nine sky-supporting pillars stood tall between heaven and earth, as if piercing the entire cosmos. Eighty-one massive black chains stretched from the top of the pillars into the boundless void, firmly locking onto eighty-one suns radiating intense and scorching light.

The fierce flames emitted from each of the eighty-one suns could incinerate a whole realm, yet they were restrained by the black chains, staunchly supporting the mysterious dark mausoleum.

Xiao Yi couldn't contain the shock in his heart as he looked toward the entrance of the mausoleum. Two azure pillars flanked the gate, each inscribed with a line of blood-red characters, similar to a couplet.

On the left: A thousand tribulations, a hundred hardships, through ancient times in the blink of an eye!

On the right: An immortal body, an indestructible soul, who can rival throughout ancient and modern times?

Connecting the two azure pillars was a black plaque, inscribed with four earth-shaking characters...

Eternal! Celestial! Tomb!

PS: Xiao Tian has created a public account. Just search for "Ye Tiandi" to find it. Xiao Tian will post some extras and the like there, I hope everyone will join!