Chapter 1

"Peak Qi Condensation" "Yunhe" "Qingsong Kingdom" "Capital" "Fang Chen" "Imperial Qi" "Second Realm of Human Profound" "Golden Core" "Pill Qi" "Nascent Soul" "Twelfth Layer of Qi Condensation" "Qi Burst" "Earth Xuan" "Heir" "Three Thousand Taoist Gates" "Qi Condensation" "Daxia" "Military God Fang" "mortal world" "Foundation Establishment" "Spirit Severing" "Zhongzhou" "Tianxuan Realm" "Goddess Xiao"

"I Once Saw an Immortal"

The Daxia Kingdom, a ninth-rank empire, had suffered a devastating defeat five years prior against the Qingsong Kingdom at Three Gate Mountain. Having sustained heavy vitality damage, Daxia was forced to accept numerous unequal treaties, plunging the imperial court and the public into ceaseless revilement over the past five years.

From high-ranking officials and nobles down to common folk, there was only one person they cursed—Fang Chen, the Heir of General Fang's estate!

Five years ago, Fang Chen, at the tender age of eighteen, had led troops into battle as Daxia's peerless powerhouse. Skilled in strategy and fierce in attack, he had never tasted defeat since his debut, earning him the title of Military God throughout Daxia.

Yet in this battle, out of the eight hundred thousand troops Fang Chen led, a full six hundred thousand had perished! Even he, the commander-in-chief, had his eyes blinded and his Qi ocean shattered, reducing him to a cripple from that day on.

Inside the majestic General's Estate, a young man gazed quietly at the sky. With a nose like a suspended gallbladder and eyebrows like drawn swords, he stood in serene stillness, radiating a faint, ethereal aura that made him impossible to fathom.

Yet in truth, he could see nothing at all. His eyes were an eerie, grayish-white, with his pupils almost entirely obscured.

Five years ago, when he engaged the Qingsong Kingdom's First Wolf General, what should have been a certain victory was completely overturned because Qingsong had secretly invited a powerhouse from an eighth-rank realm to launch a sneak attack!

He was defeated, his Qi ocean shattered, and he was left a useless cripple.

At the brink of death from his severe injuries, he fancied he saw a fairy looking down upon the mortal world from within the blazing sun in the sky. He looked at the fairy, and the fairy looked back at him. Immediately afterward, a dazzling, blinding divine light engulfed him, and after that, he became blind.

The First Wolf General did not kill him, choosing instead to let him go.

He vaguely remembered the parting words of the First Wolf General:

"When you return to the Daxia Kingdom, you will learn what it means to wish you were dead rather than alive. Letting you live is, in truth, the greatest torture of all."

Sure enough, over the past five years, he had endured all manner of curses and insults. Those who had once vied to befriend him now avoided him like the plague.

"Second Sister, you must be eighteen this year, aren't you? It's about time for you to marry—must you still tease your eldest brother?"

Fang Chen suddenly spoke.

Not far behind him, Fang Zhixue, who had been tiptoeing stealthily and was still a dozen steps away, instantly wore a displeased expression. "Eldest Brother, how is it that you can always spot me? My cultivation has already reached the Second Realm of Human Profound, Qi Burst!"

There were four realms in Human Profound: Qi Condensation, Qi Burst, Imperial Qi, and Pill Qi.

The Qi Burst realm was no longer a common sight in the Daxia Kingdom, and could be considered top-tier prowess. As for Imperial Qi, those who reached it existed solely to split mountains and found sects.

The former Fang Chen possessed peerless talent, breaking through the Imperial Qi bottleneck to advance to Pill Qi at just eighteen years old—he was also Daxia's sole Pill Qi powerhouse!

"What brings you here?"

Fang Chen asked indifferently.

"Eldest Brother, the Emperor has bestowed a marriage upon you..."

Fang Zhixue's gaze suddenly turned gloomy.

"A bestowed marriage? Why would the Emperor bestow a marriage upon a cripple like me? Which family's daughter could possibly fancy me?"

Fang Chen chuckled lightly. "Is there some trick behind this?"

"The Emperor wants you to marry into the Xiao family, using this to ease relations between the Daxia Kingdom and the Qingsong Kingdom. Lately, the Qingsong Kingdom has been growing restless again, and the Emperor is afraid."

Fang Zhixue clenched her fists tightly, her eye rims turning red. "Father... has already agreed..."

"The Xiao family, the top clan of the Qingsong Kingdom? The family of Wolf General Xiao?"

Fang Chen was slightly startled, then resumed his calm demeanor. "Why? Even the Xiao family wouldn't deign to look at a cripple like me, not to mention that I was once Wolf General Xiao's mortal enemy."

"It was proposed by the eldest miss of the Xiao family. She said she had seen countless men, but she was very keen to taste what Daxia's former First Military God feels like, using this as leverage to force the Emperor into submission. If the Emperor refuses the marriage, the Qingsong Kingdom will sweep in once more, and this time, they won't stop until they strike the Capital."

Fang Zhixue whispered.

"The daughter of my mortal enemy wants me to marry into her family? Hehe..."

Fang Chen let out a faint, light chuckle.

Fang Zhixue's voice suddenly grew urgent. "Eldest Brother, let me take you away from the Capital. We'll flee to some uninhabited mountains where they can never find us."

"Second Sister, if I leave, what kind of treatment do you think the Fang family will face? Will the Emperor let the rest of the Fang family go?"

Fang Chen shook his head indifferently. "I am merely a cripple. If I can use my crippled state to buy the Daxia Kingdom a few more years of time, perhaps there will be a turning point in the future, and we can avoid the destruction of our nation."

"Eldest Brother, don't you know how those officials and commoners curse you? Why must you still think of them at a time like this?

For the past five years, even those peddlers and foot soldiers have dared to revile you behind your back. Is it worth it for them?"

Whenever Fang Zhixue recalled those scenes, anger welled up within her.

"Aren't there still people like you, Father, and Mother? Even if it's just for you all, it is worth it. What is more, there are those infants waiting to be fed; they know nothing of this—have they ever reviled or cursed me?"

Fang Chen waved a hand. "You should head down; I want to be alone for a while."

Fang Zhixue froze. With a soft sigh in her heart, she turned and left.

She knew her eldest brother's temper; once he made a decision, no one could persuade him otherwise.

Fang Chen continued to gaze out into the distance, his grayish-white pupils lifeless. Regrettably, apart from that single fleeting glimpse, he had never laid eyes on that fairy again.

He was desperately eager to figure out all of this, and also to know why, after that day, he had acquired the ability of Spirit Severing.

Before long, Fang Chen's soul had already left his body, flying up into the sky above the Capital to survey everything below.

The laughter and chatter within the imperial palace, the peddling and shouting in the streets—everything, down to the tiniest detail, was taken in at a glance.

He saw martial artists from the Qingsong Kingdom running amok in the Daxia Capital, wantonly beating passing pedestrians and citizens. Even when some officials crossed their path, they were met with a vicious thrashing.

He saw the fury in the eyes of the surrounding commoners, the sorrow in the eyes of the soldiers, and the humiliation hidden deep within the eyes of the beaten officials.

"Hahaha! You Daxia folk are utterly useless! From now on, whenever you see us people from the Qingsong Kingdom, you'd better address us as Lords, or else watch out for the First Wolf General to lead his troops and raze the Capital, kicking your old Emperor right off his dragon chair!"

The wildly arrogant laughter sparked hatred and heartbreak, yet was fraught with utter helplessness.

"Hoh, such a tiny nation, and yet it has a Daoist friend capable of Spirit Severing?"

Suddenly, a voice of startled doubt rang in Fang Chen's ear.

Fang Chen was slightly startled and turned to look, only to find a semi-transparent Daoist standing in the void, gazing at him with an equally curious expression.

Inwardly, Fang Chen was shocked. For five years, he had never been spotted while in the state of Spirit Severing, let alone spoken to!

Maintaining his composure, Fang Chen cupped his fists. "Greetings, Daoist friend. May I ask how to address you?"

The other called him a Daoist friend, and he called the other a Daoist friend; that certainly wouldn't go wrong.

"I am Daoist Yunhe, hailing from the Zhongzhou Kingdom. Are you also roaming the world in spirit form while passing through this place?"

"The Zhongzhou Kingdom!?"

Fang Chen's heart trembled. Since he was very young, he had heard tales of the Zhongzhou Kingdom. Legend had it that Zhongzhou possessed countless powerhouses and boundless territories, making it a true first-rank empire.

Yet these were mere legends; he had never seen anyone from Zhongzhou, and some even claimed that Zhongzhou did not exist in the mortal world at all!

"Wait, your divine soul is somewhat peculiar. Hoh... you are practicing Spirit Severing, not Nascent Soul separation?"

Daoist Yunhe let out a soft exclamation of surprise, and the next moment, he raised his hand and struck out with a palm strike.

Fang Chen instinctively wanted to dodge, but when he opened his eyes again, he found that his soul had already returned to his physical body.

"To think he is a mere mortal!? How strange, how bizarre. How can a mere mortal possess such a robust divine soul and even manage to leave the body on his own?"

Daoist Yunhe's voice rang out once more.

Calmly, Fang Chen cupped his fists and bowed toward a certain direction. "Senior, this junior is merely a martial artist whose Qi ocean was shattered. I have disappointed you."

"Disappointed? Hahaha, how could old man be disappointed? I originally planned to return after roaming the mortal world for a century, but I unexpectedly discovered a piece of raw jade like you. It must be fate. Your divine soul is naturally robust and mighty, making you prime material for cultivating immortality."

Daoist Yunhe laughed heartily.

He was currently in his Nascent Soul spirit form, and his laughter could only be heard by Fang Chen, failing to disturb the rest of the General's Estate.

"Cultivating immortality!? Senior... does immortality truly exist in this world?"

Fang Chen was slightly stunned, the image of that fairy lingering in the blazing sun continuously flashing through his mind.

"You hail from a ninth-rank empire, so it's no surprise you haven't seen cultivators. Whether immortality exists in this world, this old man does not know either. I only know that means such as ours are considered immortals to the likes of you."

Daoist Yunhe smiled faintly. "I intend to take you as my final closed-door disciple. Are you willing?"

Fang Chen fell silent for a few breaths. "This junior's Qi ocean is destroyed; I fear I cannot resume cultivation."

"Qi ocean? That's what you martial artists call it. We cultivators do not refine Qi oceans. To my knowledge, you martial artists have three realms: Human Profound, Earth Xuan, and Tianxuan, with each realm divided into four minor realms, am I right?

Yet cultivators like us have no such distinctions: Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul. Your Tianxuan realm can barely manage to exchange blows with the peak of Qi Condensation."

Daoist Yunhe said proudly.

Fang Chen's heart was shaken beyond measure.

"This old man must hurry back to Zhongzhou to attend to matters. If you are willing to apprentice under me, I will take you to Zhongzhou together with me."

Daoist Yunhe urged.

Go to Zhongzhou?

A bitter smile appeared on Fang Chen's face as he cupped his fists and bowed. "This junior cannot leave."

If he left, who would clean up the mess he left behind?

His father's hair was already turning gray, his grandfather was in closed-door seclusion of life and death with his fate unknown, and even his second uncle had exhausted himself for the family and the Daxia Kingdom over the past five years, leaving behind incurable hidden injuries that forced him to rely on a wheelchair to get around.

"You are actually unwilling to leave with me? What is there in this tiny place worth your attachment? As long as you follow me, I guarantee you will inevitably advance to Golden Core within a century. By then, returning will be effortless."

Daoist Yunhe looked somewhat astonished.

"While one's parents are alive, one does not travel far afield. This junior must stay behind to clean up some messes. I have let Senior down."

Fang Chen sighed softly.

"Tsk tsk."

Daoist Yunhe looked Fang Chen up and down repeatedly. "Everyone in the world yearns for immortality. If anyone knew they would become this old man's closed-door disciple, even if their legs were broken, they would crawl all the way to Zhongzhou. Yet you are unwilling to accompany this old man.

Such is the rule of my sect: a closed-door disciple must cultivate within the sect. Since you are unwilling to go, this old man cannot take you as my closed-door disciple, but your talent is too exceptional to waste.

How about this? I shall impart to you the introductory manual of the Three Thousand Taoist Gates. From now on, you shall be an outer disciple of the Three Thousand Taoist Gates in Zhongzhou, permitted to cultivate right here. You need only return to the sect to register your name after you advance to Foundation Establishment."

With that, Daoist Yunhe raised his hand and struck out a beam of spiritual light that sank straight into Fang Chen's glabella.

In an instant, Fang Chen felt his mind flood with countless memories that did not belong to him. These memories continuously intertwined, converging into a brilliant golden tome: [Introductory Manual of Three Thousand Dao].

Fang Chen's spirit stirred as he gently opened the book, instantly immersing himself in the cultivation methods of the immortals.

imperceptibly, the spiritual qi of heaven and earth continuously converged and poured into his body. This spiritual qi circulated through his meridians, nourishing his physical flesh. Although years of abandoning martial arts had depleted his vital blood, under the nourishment of this spiritual qi, his vital blood steadily grew robust once more.

Soon, the spiritual qi passed through his already crippled Qi ocean, but instead of showing any intention of lingering in the Qi ocean, it continued its circulation.

The sun sank and the moon rose, the moon hid and the sun appeared.

Fang Chen stood motionless in the same spot for an entire day and night.

The servants and maids of the General's Estate whispered among themselves in the surroundings until Fang Zhixue and the others arrived, at which point they hurriedly clamped their mouths shut.

"Could Eldest Brother have stood here from yesterday until today!?"

Fang Zhixue blurted out in dismay.

"Sigh... Perhaps the news of the marriage alliance has left him feeling aggrieved. Your eldest brother has an immensely high pride; how could he possibly accept marrying into the Xiao family?"

A middle-aged man sighed softly. As he looked at Fang Chen's straight, peak-like figure, a trace of heartache flashed in his eyes.

He was none other than the head of the Fang family, Fang Canghhai.

As an Imperial Qi powerhouse, he ought to have possessed youth-preserving arts, yet at barely over forty, both of his temples were already frosted with white, and wrinkles on his face grew more numerous by the day.

"Father, can we not refuse the Emperor? If Eldest Brother goes to the Qingsong Kingdom, I'm afraid he won't live as well as a pig or a dog!"

Fang Zhixue said with a trembling voice.

"Over the past five years, the Qingsong Kingdom's national strength has grown day by day, while our Daxia has steadily declined. Wolf General Xiao has spoken up on behalf of his daughter, demanding that Wudao marry into the Xiao family, or else he will lead troops to trample the Daxia Capital.

These words are no joke, nor are they idle boasts. Refuse, and the nation of Daxia faces imminent destruction; agree, and perhaps there remains room for maneuver. We are helpless against our circumstances..."

Fang Canghhai's eye rims turned red.

"Does Auntie have no way out of this either?"

Fang Zhixue whispered.

"Although your aunt is the Empress, she must also place Daxia above all else. She understands the logic of this as well. What way could she possibly have?"

Fang Canghhai shook his head slightly. "Tomorrow, the daughter of Wolf General Xiao will arrive in the Capital in person. At that time, your eldest brother will need to show his face. Go and persuade him to return inside to rest."

Meanwhile.

A crystal-clear immortal vein condensed within Fang Chen's body. In an instant, all the spiritual qi seemed to find its home, surging madly into this immortal vein.

The Twelfth Layer of Qi Condensation was precisely the process of refining and condensing immortal veins.

With the first immortal vein now formed, Fang Chen once more set foot in the extraordinary realm. This time, he was no martial artist, but a cultivator of immortality!

"A single day to forge an immortal vein? Hahaha, your talent is indeed extraordinary. Remember, come to the Three Thousand Taoist Gates to register your name after reaching Foundation Establishment!"

Daoist Yunhe let out a hearty laugh, turned, took a single step, and vanished quietly without a trace.

Fang Chen slowly snapped out of it and bowed respectfully toward the direction where Daoist Yunhe had vanished, his heart filled with gratitude. What Daoist Yunhe had done was not merely change his fate alone, but the destiny of the hundreds of millions of living souls across the entire Daxia!

"What is wrong with Eldest Brother!?"

Fang Zhixue stood there in a daze. Why on earth had Fang Chen bowed to an empty direction where there was not a single soul?

The servants of the General's Estate failed to understand either, an odd expression gradually rising on their faces.

"Chen'er."

Fang Canghhai sighed softly.

"Father, why are you all here?"

Fang Chen turned to look at Fang Canghhai.

At this moment, the onlookers fancied they saw a flash of brilliance faintly ripple across Fang Chen's lifeless eyes. They figured they must have seen wrong, seeing as Fang Chen had been blind for five years.

"You've been standing here for a full day and night. Father is worried. If you have anything on your mind, feel free to tell Father."

Fang Canghhai clenched his teeth. "No matter what, Father will help you!"

"Does Father think I am worrying about this matter of the marriage alliance?"

Fang Chen smiled.

"Aren't you troubled by this matter, which is why you stood here for a whole day and night?"

Fang Canghhai was slightly taken aback.

Fang Chen gently shook his head. "It is not because of this. Child has figured out a few things, so Father need not worry about this matter; child will handle it properly."

With that, Fang Chen cupped his fists. "Child takes his leave first."

"Father, what do you suppose Eldest Brother figured out?"

Fang Zhixue watched Fang Chen's retreating figure, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Your eldest brother has been precocious since childhood; the things running through his mind are different from us ordinary folk. Perhaps he already knows how to cope with the present predicament."

Sharp brilliance flickered in Fang Canghhai's eyes. This son of his had never been one to make empty gestures; if he said he would handle it properly, it would virtually never go wrong.

The only time he got it wrong was five years ago at that battle of Three Gate Mountain.

Ordinary citizens might not know, but he was well aware that experts from an eighth-rank empire had joined that battle, which was why the situation had spiraled out of control!

"What kind of methods does Chen'er still possess? Could he be planning to rely on those people? But his cultivation is ruined, and even if those people were personally trained by him, I'm afraid they lack the ability to turn the tides in this particular matter..."

Fang Canghhai fell into deep thought, completely unresponsive even when Fang Zhixue called his name several times. Seeing this, Fang Zhixue could only stamp her foot and turn to leave.

...

...

Fang Chen walked out of the General's Estate. Although his eyes remained tightly shut, he walked just like any ordinary person. His perception of his surroundings was exceptionally sharp—an ability he had acquired after losing his sight.

Or rather, it was an ability he obtained the moment he laid eyes upon that female immortal standing within the blazing sun. Even without his spirit leaving his body, his mind could project every single scene of his surroundings.

"Military God Fang is out for a stroll again."

"Heh, for the past five years, our Daxia Kingdom has suffered endless humiliation from the Qingsong Kingdom, yet only Military God Fang occasionally comes out for a stroll and tea, as if this matter has zero impact on him. Could it be he feels not even a shred of shame?"

"Six hundred thousand soldiers buried their bones at Three Gate Mountain, and he still has the mood to stroll and drink tea. I truly don't know what to say."

As the passing pedestrians caught sight of Fang Chen, they pointed and gossiped about him, their words laden with reprimand and anger.

"Yo, isn't this our Military God Fang? No, no, in just a few days, all of us martial artists from the Qingsong Kingdom will have to address you as Brother-in-law!"

Suddenly, several burly men dressed in fur coats appeared on the street, blocking Fang Chen's path.

The leader wore a look of contempt, mocking Fang Chen with a derisive expression.

Only the martial artists of the Qingsong Kingdom were fond of wearing these fur coats. Upon seeing them, the surrounding citizens of Daxia instinctively retreated to the side, their gazes toward the group tinged with a trace of lingering hatred that they dared not display.

"What are those Qingsong martial artists talking about?"

"Calling Military God Fang 'Brother-in-law'? What is this all about?"

Whispers erupted all around.

Upon seeing this, the Qingsong martial artist triumphantly raised his voice. "You lot still don't know this news? Wolf General Xiao has already proposed marriage to your Emperor. Before long, this Military God Fang of yours will have to marry into the Xiao family and become the husband of the First Wolf General's precious pearl, Goddess Xiao!"

Marry... Goddess Xiao?

Boom—

The minds of the surrounding citizens shook, and they stared at Fang Chen in disbelief.

"You're talking nonsense! How could Military God Fang possibly marry into the Xiao family!"

A scholar suddenly turned flush red, shouting with furious indignation.

"You pedantic scholar, how dare you say I'm talking nonsense? You truly have the gall!"

The Qingsong martial artist walked straight up to the scholar, grabbed him by the collar, and dealt him a dozen slaps right on the spot, making his head ring.