Chapter 1 The Sweeper's Destiny

The Sword Sect, the Floating Mountain, and the Disciple Peak.

As one of the renowned major sects in the Southern Domain, the Sword Sect stood tall in the great Qin Empire, its magnificent presence entrenched within the sprawling landscape of the Floating Mountain Range, stretching over a thousand miles. The range encompassed seven main peaks and thirty-six smaller peaks, with Disciple Peak being one of them. True to its name, Disciple Peak served as the residence for the menial disciples.

Although Disciple Peak was designated for the menial disciples, its scale rivaled that of a small town with a population of over three hundred thousand, found within the borders of the vast Qin Empire.

With the break of dawn, just like any other day, Yang Ye woke from his slumber and, after a brief moment of tidying up, grabbed the broom behind the door and stepped out of his room.

Gazing at the fish-belly white hue on the horizon, Yang Ye took in a deep breath of the refreshing morning air. After a brief pause, a determined expression appeared on his slightly immature face as he murmured to himself, "Persist and strive, never give up!" With those words, he briskly headed towards the Clear Breeze Valley.

"Look, isn't that the former outer disciple?" "You're right. He's now just a menial disciple, responsible for sweeping like the rest of us." "What a waste. Such a handsome young man, at this age, could have had an unlimited future. But now, he's only left with these menial chores. What a pity!" "I heard he was taken in by an outer elder in the past, but he couldn't absorb even a trace of profound energy for an entire year. As a result, he was angrily demoted to a menial disciple by the elder. They say he's the first in the history of the Sword Sect to be demoted from an outer disciple to a menial one, earning himself the title of 'the number one waste of the Sword Sect.'" "'The number one waste of the Sword Sect.' Well, that's quite a title, isn't it?" Hearing the murmurs from those around him, Yang Ye's steps faltered for a moment. He tightened his grip on the broom in his hand, then, after a moment's hesitation, he took a deep breath, disregarding their comments, and quickly headed towards the Clear Breeze Valley.

Located behind Disciple Peak, the Clear Breeze Valley was surrounded by several small mountains, forming a sunken valley. Within the valley, flowers bloomed, lush green grass covered the ground, towering trees cast a shadow over the area, enveloping it in darkness. This was the place where the menial disciples gathered herbs and harvested wood, as well as where Yang Ye usually practiced.

Yang Ye casually tossed the broom onto a nearby boulder, then sat down on the boulder. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope and a small clay figurine. They were the letters and a handmade clay figurine he had received last night but hadn't had time to read due to his busy schedule.

Looking at the clay figurine in his hand, a gentle smile appeared on Yang Ye's face. Despite its lack of refinement, the facial features were clearly discernible. It was a likeness of him, crafted by his sister's own hands. Though imperfect and somewhat rough, it held immeasurable value to him.

After gently caressing it for a while, Yang Ye placed the clay figurine back into his pocket and carefully opened the envelope, pulling out the letter inside to begin reading.

"Brother, we received the gold coins you sent last month. Ever since you became an outer disciple

, the neighbors who used to look down on us have been visiting our house more often. Hmph, little Yao knows that they only started treating me and Mom better because they saw that you were making progress. A bunch of hypocrites!"

Yang Ye took a deep breath, his lips curling into a self-deprecating smile. "An outer disciple, huh..."

Moments passed, and Yang Ye suppressed the feelings of resentment and helplessness in his heart. He shifted his attention back to the letter.

"Also, that family from the Liu Clan is so annoying! They actually proposed a marriage alliance to Mom, wanting little Yao to become the concubine of their obese three-hundred-pounder. That fatty can barely walk, let alone eat a meal, yet he wants little Yao as his concubine. Thankfully, Mom didn't agree! Even if she were to marry, little Yao would only marry you... Oh, I'm so shy. Please don't make fun of me, Brother. Don't mock my feelings!"

"The Liu Clan!" A glint of coldness flashed in Yang Ye's eyes. This family held some influence in the city of Annan. They had once tried to take his mother as a concubine, but she vehemently opposed their proposal. The Liu Clan didn't dare escalate the matter further, as they feared the consequences within the strict laws of the Great Qin Empire.

However, the Liu Clan hadn't given up. They resorted to various means to harass his family in Annan, attempting to coerce his mother into joining their ranks. Despite the hardships they faced, his mother never compromised. The situation only began to ease slightly after Yang Ye became an outer disciple, as the Liu Clan started to show some restraint, wary of pushing him too far.

Little did he expect that the Liu Clan would harbor intentions towards his sister!

"Strength, strength! I must become an outer disciple," Yang Ye clenched his fists tightly. He knew that if news of his demotion to a menial disciple were to reach Annan City, the Liu Clan would undoubtedly become even more audacious. The safety of his mother and sister would be at risk.

With this in mind, Yang Ye carefully put away the letter, walked to the bottom of the boulder, and brushed aside some branches, revealing four dark, iron-like objects resembling bracelets underneath.

He secured the four iron objects on his arms and ankles, feeling the weight bear down on him. However, he had grown accustomed to this burden over the past year.

After donning the iron objects, Yang Ye approached a large tree. He pushed off with both feet, soaring into the air, his hands firmly grasping a branch. Taking advantage of the tree's undulating movements, his body contorted into a peculiar posture, subjecting his muscles to intense training.

This was the "Body Refinement Technique," a cultivation method he had obtained when he became an outer disciple. While it wasn't a top-tier treasure, every outer disciple possessed a copy. Its purpose was to strengthen the physical body. Only when the muscles and bones reached a certain level would a trace of profound energy manifest within, marking the true path towards becoming a profound cultivator.

Yet, after six months of cultivation, he hadn't absorbed a trace of profound energy. It was precisely because of this that he had been demoted to the lowest rank of a menial disciple in the Sword Sect.

To be demoted from an outer disciple to a menial disciple was unprecedented in the history of the Sword Sect. As a result, he earned the moniker "the first-ever waste of the Sword Sect!" He also became a negative example used by the outer elders when educating the outer disciples.

Whenever an outer disciple slacked off or didn't take

their training seriously, the outer elders would caution, "Do you want to become another Yang Ye?"

In most cases, people would leave the Sword Sect and return to the mundane world. But Yang Ye was different. He not only stayed but willingly became a menial disciple.

All of this was because he didn't want to disappoint his sister and mother! He was their hope. It was only after he became an outer disciple that his sister and mother were spared from further humiliation. It was because he became an outer disciple that they could finally live a slightly better life!

If he were to go back now, everything would change!

"Hoo... hoo..."

After a moment, the serene Clear Breeze Valley suddenly echoed with intense gasps for breath. Sweat trickled into Yang Ye's eyes, causing a stinging sensation. He tightly shut his eyes, allowing the sweat on his forehead to drip onto his face like raindrops.

At this moment, Yang Ye felt exhaustion wash over his entire body, especially his arms, which felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. Under such circumstances, most people would choose to rest, but he didn't give up. Clenching his teeth, gripping the tree branch with both hands, he continued to move up and down.

Through strenuous effort, after a considerable amount of time, Yang Ye's face turned a deep red, and beads of sweat covered his forehead. His menial robes were drenched. This intense training made him feel dizzy. Finally, when he loosened his grip, his body fell heavily to the ground.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Lying on the ground, Yang Ye gasped heavily, his strength completely depleted. The fish-belly white hue in the sky gradually transformed, revealing a clearer and more vivid scenery. A gentle breeze swept past, and Yang Ye greedily took in a breath of air. Suddenly, he sat up, his eyes wide open, his face filled with an incredulous expression.

He actually sensed profound energy!

Yes, he felt profound energy! That intermittent flow of profound energy slowly circulated through his meridians towards the position of his dantian. Although the flow was somewhat disjointed and weak, he undeniably felt it.

"Hmm? What's going on?"

Yang Ye felt the profound energy within his body, his eyebrows furrowing. After a moment, his eyes brightened, and his face revealed a look of astonishment.

"I... I... I actually have two dantians..." Yang Ye's throat bobbed as he wore an expression of disbelief. He had discovered that it wasn't just one flow of profound energy, but an entire patch hidden deep within his primary dantian. Within that small whirlpool, profound energy surged!

Yang Ye now understood why he had been unable to absorb profound energy before. It wasn't that he couldn't absorb it; it was instantly sucked away by that small whirlpool. Why hadn't he noticed the whirlpool earlier? It was because the whirlpool was concealed so deeply that if he hadn't followed the sensation of the flow of profound energy, he might have never discovered its existence in his entire life!

And now, he could sense profound energy because the whirlpool was already filled. Yes, it was brimming with profound energy. That patch of profound energy had been squeezed into the position of his normal dantian, but for some reason, the whirlpool forcefully absorbed all the profound energy, not leaving even a trace for the normal dantian.

To his knowledge, a normal person would only have one dantian. He didn't know if others also had two dantians, but he knew one thing for certain—he wasn't a waste. He possessed cultivation aptitude!

Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on

Yang Ye's face. The smile gradually widened, and from his throat came a light chuckle. After a while, the chuckle transformed into hearty laughter.

"I, Yang Ye, have the potential to become a profound cultivator! Hahaha..."

At this moment, tears streamed down Yang Ye's face as he laughed like a child. Countless days and nights, he had never given up, even though an invisible mountain weighed heavily on his heart. He wasn't afraid of being mocked as a waste, nor was he afraid of being underestimated.

But he was afraid of his sister and mother's hopes being shattered!

Afraid of his sister and mother once again suffering the neighbors' bullying!

Afraid of his sister and mother falling back into poverty!

He was truly terrified, beyond measure...

But now, he had the power to prevent all of that from happening. As long as he cultivated the "Body Refinement Technique" to the highest level, reaching the sixth rank of Mortal Realm, he would become an outer disciple. Once he became an outer disciple, he would gain access to cultivation resources, techniques, and sword arts. At that point, he would have the opportunity to become an inner disciple.

As an inner disciple, even the lord of Annan City would show him respect!

The gentle sunlight penetrated through the trees, casting a warm glow on Yang Ye's tear-streaked face, turning it a rosy hue.

"Why didn't I notice how beautiful the surroundings were before?"

He chuckled, suppressing the excitement within him, wiping away the tears from his face. Then, he put the iron objects back in their place, walked up to the boulder, picked up the broom, and headed briskly toward the exit of the valley. He knew his task for today was to clean the Sword Sect's training grounds.