Chapter 1 Looking Up_1

Lower Realm.

Year round, the sun, moon, and stars are never seen.

In a fragmented world known as Northern Qi, torrential rain is pouring down at the moment, thunder is booming, and the sky is chaotic.

Northern Qi is located in the Extreme North Land of the Fourth Realm, right next to the Boundary Wall, with "Mysterious Fog" occasionally appearing.

The closest area to the Boundary Wall and the "Mysterious Fog" is the sprawling Solitude Mountain Range. Seen from the sky above, the mountains wind like a dormant serpent, seemingly struggling to crawl out, attempting to escape from the clutches of the Boundary Wall and the "Mysterious Fog."

Towards the outer "Snake's Mouth," there is a treacherous valley, in which the howling wind sounds as mournful as ghostly wails.

However, ten miles away from the valley in the wasteland, there stand three stone cottages, quite stark and sudden against the backdrop.

In today's inclement weather, the fences around the stone cottages rattle "clatteringly," as if they might collapse at any second.

Above the stone cottages hovers a gigantic green Divine Bird, its broad wings spread wide, yet without a single flap, it stays suspended in the air.

The Divine Bird's open yet unmoving wings span several acres in the sky, with each feather appearing like divine jade and fine iron, radiating a glowing aquamarine treasure light that illuminates the courtyard below as if it were daytime.

There are also strands of divine light that congeal into substance, hanging down like green drapes, covering the stone cottage and its surrounding area, warming the courtyard as if it were spring.

In the courtyard, a young girl in her early teens anxiously clutches the edge of her luxurious skirt, looking towards the distance with an uneasy and expectant gaze, as if waiting for something impatiently.

At the same time, Sun Bin looks at the girl who has just changed into new clothes with eyes as fervent as if she were a rare treasure, the more he looks, the more satisfied he feels.

With her face washed clean and the coarse linen clothes replaced, the girl's unexpectedly refined and delicate beauty makes Sun Bin feel as though a light has shone before his eyes.

He had never expected that on this trip to the Lower Realm, this young girl would turn out to be his greatest gain.

"Elder Sun, we still have urgent matters at hand, we can't delay any longer."

Also in the courtyard, a short and plump middle-aged man in a yellow robe, after a long wait without seeing anyone arrive, reluctantly speaks up to remind him.

The girl's eyelashes flutter anxiously, and she pleads in a clear voice, "My brother will be back soon!"

"Alright, we shall wait a bit longer," Sun Bin nods with a smile.

Turning to the side, he looks indifferently at the two people behind him; the two who were full of complaints immediately fall silent, not daring to speak further.

After an unknown amount of time, Sun Bin's expression changes slightly as he looks towards the muddy path ahead. Through the torrential rain, he spots the vague figure of a person in a straw raincoat slowly emerging.

Under the dark gray sky, the person approaching stands tall and straight, wearing a long bow and a bamboo basket on his back with a Long Blade at his waist, striding through the storm.

After squinting and taking a closer look, Sun Bin can't help but be astounded, "Girl, is your brother really just two years older than you, only fifteen?"

"Yes."

Unable to see the distant scenery through the heavy rain as Sun Bin does, Pang Lin responds softly.

Sun Bin chuckles softly to himself with a different look in his eyes, nodding and saying, "Hmm, perhaps there could be a new surprise."

Through his personal examination, he found that within Pang Lin's Spiritual Sea, there exists a naturally formed Thunder Vortex. With a little guidance, she could take advantage of this special weather to gather nature's spiritual energy extensively and condense the Thunderous Lightning in her own Thunder Vortex.

Such a cultivation prodigy like Pang Lin is extremely rare even in the Upper Realm, so Sun Bin was naturally overjoyed to encounter her in the Lower Realm, where Spiritual Energy is scarce.

Thinking that if Pang Lin is already like this, and her brother also appears extraordinary from a distance, Sun Bin couldn't help but feel anticipation.

...

"Boom!"

A startling thunderclap suddenly rises from the depths of the gray sky, as if a God Spirit is in a rage, causing the creatures deep within the Solitude Mountain Range to tremble restlessly.

Pang Jian, who is much taller and more robust than boys of his age due to his years of hunting in the Solitude Mountain Range, frowns as he looks towards the distant mountains ravaged by the fierce storm.

Under the tumultuous and murky sky, the young man's face is sculpted and his features are distinct, while his eyes are clear and bright.

"Strange," Pang Jian mutters to himself in confusion.

In his memory, including the surrounding areas, the Solitude Mountain Range has not seen such severe weather in several years.

The reason he returned from the mountains early was to go to Lingshan Town to exchange his hunted game for grains and food. It was because of the odd weather, triggering flash floods, making it difficult for him to even move through the Solitude Mountain Range.

Thinking that if he was unable to hunt in the mountains for a long time, and couldn't exchange for enough Silver Taels, it would hinder the educational path he had laid out for his sister, Pang Jian grows agitated.

Through the downpour, Pang Jian continues to contemplate as he strides rapidly, getting closer and closer to home.

A moment later, the young man suddenly stops, his eyes widening in disbelief as he stares at the space above his home.

A gigantic, otherworldly green bird is now suspended above his house, like a divine bird from mythology.

The bird's vast wings gleam with dazzling light, with the wing bones shining brilliantly like gold, iron, and jade, emitting an extremely imposing aura.

Tendrils of aquamarine light artfully fall from the edges of the divine bird's feathers, enveloping the house and courtyard within, protecting them from the onslaught of the storm.

The young man, who had ventured through various parts of the Solitude Mountain Range under his father's guidance since childhood, has never seen such a wondrous thing.

This scene of the Divine Bird suspended in air, with its blinding radiance and its majesty and sanctity, deeply shocks him.

After staring in a daze for a while, the young man gradually comes to his senses and suddenly remembers the sister he left at home.

"Pang Lin!"

With a trembling heart, the young man rushes through the rain like a cheetah, speeding toward his house with the fastest velocity he can muster, fearing any mishap has befallen his sister.

The thunder booms, the downpour continues ravaging the land, and the young man who is sprinting is anxious, his face soaked with rainwater, his vision growing increasingly blurry.