Chapter 1: One Hundred Thousand Years of Qi Refining

In the back mountains of Tianlan Sect.

Suddenly, dust swirled into the air, revealing an unremarkable stone door that began to tremble and slowly opened.

From within, an elderly man stepped out.

With his first step, his energy surged, and he no longer appeared old!

With the second step, he looked to be in his middle age!

By the third step, he appeared to be only in his twenties.

"Another ten thousand years have passed! Sigh, I still haven't broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage!"

His name was Xu Yang, and he had been cultivating for a hundred thousand years.

One hundred thousand years ago, he was one of the founding disciples of Tianlan Sect. His master had ascended, but he remained in the Qi Refining stage.

Ninety thousand years ago, his junior apprentice had ascended, and he was still refining his Qi.

Fifty thousand years ago, even the old dog guarding Tianlan Sect had ascended, but he was still refining his Qi.

Thirty thousand years ago, an old tree at the mountain's base turned into a demon but perished while undergoing its tribulation. Xu Yang continued to refine his Qi.

Ten thousand years ago, the 9,872nd-generation disciple of Tianlan Sect, Zhang Wuji, ascended. Xu Yang kept silently refining his Qi.

He secluded himself for ten thousand years and, in the end, still hadn't succeeded.

He had consumed more Foundation Establishment pills than most people see in their lifetime.

When his master accepted him as a disciple, he praised Xu Yang for his extraordinary talent. But by the time he ascended, he'd stopped mentioning it.

Xu Yang's one strength was that he would never age, able to continuously advance in the Qi Refining stage without stopping.

Most cultivators reach the ninth level of Qi Refining, or if highly talented, the tenth level, and then they proceed to establish their foundation. They then form their Golden Core, awaken their Nascent Soul, and open up their own spiritual domain. Finally, they solidify their primordial spirit, merge it with their divine infant, and, after passing through the tribulation, they achieve great mastery and ascend!

But for Xu Yang, he had achieved the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-ninth level of Qi Refining!

"A hundred thousand years have passed, and the sect has fallen into decline!"

Xu Yang sighed. In its prime, Tianlan Sect was the top force in the Three Thousand Provinces. Now, looking at the desolate back mountains and the ruins of once-grand halls in the distance, only the main hall faintly retained its former grandeur.

"Hm?"

Xu Yang's brow furrowed, his gaze becoming fierce.

The decline of the sect was due to the shifting of ages and the depletion of spiritual energy. What was once a paradise of cultivation had become an ordinary place.

It was understandable that not every disciple across the generations was exceptionally wise. Decline was inevitable.

But someone was trying to extinguish the Tianlan Sect's lineage!

Xu Yang would not allow it!

…

Bang!

A Tianlan Sect disciple was flung through the main gate, collapsing to the ground and coughing up blood.

"Ling Qingshu, I've already told you, if you marry me and move Tianlan Sect out of here, I can guarantee its survival. Once I become the Sect Master of Tianyun Sect, you'll be the Sect Mistress!"

"I'll give you one last chance! Otherwise, I'll wipe out your lineage—don't blame me for being ruthless!"

A man strolled in arrogantly, with dozens of powerful, imposing figures standing behind him.

He belonged to Yunshan Sect, a major faction in Qizhou, and they had cultivators in the Golden Core stage!

For a long time, Yunshan Sect had coveted Tianlan Sect's mountain gate. While the previous Sect Master of Tianlan Sect, who had Golden Core cultivation, was alive, they dared not make a move.

But ever since the former Sect Master passed away, Yunshan Sect had been growing increasingly restless.

Today, they had completely torn off the mask of civility!

In the main hall, dozens of core disciples of Tianlan Sect gathered. At the top sat the current sect master, Ling Qingshu—a beautiful yet fierce-looking woman, though her eyes betrayed a sense of despair.

Ling Qingshu was the strongest in Tianlan Sect, yet her cultivation was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. She had two elders in the early stage of Foundation Establishment as her only support.

Meanwhile, the Yunshan Sect boasted a Golden Core cultivator and dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Even the weakest among them was on par with Ling Qingshu.

"We in Tianlan Sect don't live on our knees—we die standing!" Ling Qingshu declared defiantly, rising from her seat with unwavering determination. She drew her sword with a loud clang. "Liu Yunqing, bring it on. If you think I'll ever become your sect's matriarch, you're dreaming!"

Liu Yunqing licked his lips, his gaze lustful as it roamed over Ling Qingshu. He sneered, "I want her alive!"

Instantly, two figures rushed forward. Their auras were terrifying; both were peak Foundation Establishment cultivators.

A three-way battle ensued. Ling Qingshu was already struggling to handle even one opponent, and the other two showed no restraint, intending to finish her off quickly. They were only holding back enough to keep her alive.

Their forms blurred as they clashed, and Ling Qingshu was sent flying, blood spurting from her mouth. Her sword snapped in half. Despair filled her eyes as she realized there was no hope for victory.

Then, her eyes flashed with resolve. She would rather die than fall into Liu Yunqing's hands.

Raising her broken sword to her throat, she prepared to end her life.

"Why resort to this? Sigh…"

A gentle sigh echoed beside her.

Her hand froze mid-motion, unable to move the sword even an inch closer to her neck.

Startled, Ling Qingshu looked up to see a young man standing in front of her. Despite his youthful appearance, his gaze was ancient and weary. With two fingers, he held her sword firmly.

It was Xu Yang.

"So, how do you all wish to die?" Xu Yang released Ling Qingshu and walked slowly to the front of the hall.

Liu Yunqing fixed his gaze on Xu Yang and then chuckled. "Another one rushing to his death? I thought you'd be someone impressive, but you're just the janitor monk of Tianlan Sect. A mere Qi Refinement cultivator dares act so recklessly?"

Xu Yang nodded. "Since you won't answer, I'll send you all off myself."

He moved, targeting the two who had attacked Ling Qingshu earlier.

"Another fool seeking death," one of them sneered. "Don't interfere; I'll crush him with one finger."

The man sneered and threw a punch, aiming to obliterate Xu Yang and show him the vast, insurmountable gap between Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment.

In an instant, he closed in on Xu Yang.

Ling Qingshu gasped, her heart sinking. Could this man, who seemed like a savior, be here to die in vain, joining her sect's burial?

Yet, Xu Yang remained calm. He casually raised his hand and struck.

The attacker's expression changed dramatically as an immense, uncontrollable force surged up his arm. His entire body shattered, his bones crushed to powder. He couldn't even open his mouth to scream; blood seeped from his seven orifices.

Yet, remarkably, he had no internal injuries, and given his cultivation, he wouldn't die immediately.

"One down," Xu Yang said nonchalantly.

"He's not in Qi Refinement!" the other attacker gasped, his eyes widening. "He's in the Golden Core stage! Only someone at Golden Core could overpower Liu San so effortlessly!"

"Retreat! Retreat now! A Golden Core cultivator—he's invincible!"

They panicked, even Liu Yunqing was stunned, scrambling to flee. When had Tianlan Sect gained a Golden Core powerhouse?

Xu Yang smiled, moving steadily through the retreating crowd without pausing.

"As I said," he murmured, "I am merely at the Qi Refinement stage."