Deep in the vast and boundless universe of the Honghuang Continent, chaotic light and immortal mist intertwined, as if weaving an enigmatic and unpredictable tapestry. The chaotic light here surged as though it possessed a life of its own, every beam laden with endless mysterious power. They crisscrossed like cryptic keys, seeming capable of unlocking the most ancient secrets of the cosmos. Meanwhile, the swirling immortal mist drifted like soft, gossamer veils, weaving through the radiance, at times growing as dense as a wall, and at other times thinning until it was barely perceptible. Wherever it reached, it lent an even more dreamlike and illusory quality to the region, filling the entire space with the unknown and the fantastical, resembling a mystical realm forgotten by the gods.
In this Honghuang Continent, the division of cultivation stages was as clear and rigorously cast as a ladder of forged steel, with every single rung bearing the dreams and sweat of cultivators. It began with Body Refining, a difficult process of tempering oneself and hardening the physique, much like slowly carving a piece of rough raw stone into fine jade; then came Qi Gathering, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to converge within oneself, akin to constructing an entirely new energy world inside the body; Spirit Transformation involved fusing spiritual energy with one's soul, bringing about an awakening-like metamorphosis; Void Flight was a stage that broke the shackles of the earth, allowing one to soar freely through the skies and feel the exhilarating rush of the wind whistling past one's ears; Profound Penetration began to touch upon the profound mysteries of heaven and earth, as if groping for a glimmer of dawn in the darkness. Beyond the Profound Penetration Realm lay the Return to Void Realm, a mysterious and unpredictable realm fraught with endless dangers and opportunities. Legend had it that hidden within the Return to Void Realm were powerful forces and rare fortunes that transcended convention, accompanied, however, by the immense risk of a narrow escape from death, with countless experts getting lost or even perishing within. Pill Condensation was the condensation of one's power into a pill, like transforming the accumulation of countless years into a dazzling pearl; Nascent Soul was the gestation of an entirely new, life-like existence within the body, possessing unimaginable power; after that came Body Integration, merging as one with one's Nascent Soul to achieve a new balance and strength; Great Vehicle was the advance toward an even higher level of metamorphosis, resembling the eve of a chrysalis breaking into a butterfly; right up to Saint Entry, Saint King, and God King, with every single step representing a deeper comprehension and mastery of the laws of heaven and earth; until finally reaching the realm of God Emperor and Dominator, standing at the pinnacle of the cosmos, looking down upon all things, and becoming a legendary existence. Each realm was an insurmountable chasm, demanding countless efforts, bitter sweat, and even the waiting of long years from the cultivator.
Tianwu City in the Luyu Ancient Kingdom of the Southern Wasteland Domain was like a pearl shining in the mortal world, with martial arts flourishing here like an everlasting flame. The powerful figures of the city cast a radiance like brilliant stars across the sky, every single one of their names passed down among the people like legends, and their deeds serving as a source of motivation to inspire countless juniors, illuminating the sky above this ancient city and filling it with a yearning and reverence for power. In stark contrast, however, the weak were like candles in the wind, trembling within the storms of cruel competition. They struggled for survival like ants in this world where the strong preyed on the weak, with the cruel law of the jungle acting as a ruthless executioner that dominated everything. Here, lacking strength meant lacking a voice—swallowing bitter herbs while enduring the pain without being able to speak—and offered no guarantee of survival, leaving one vulnerable to being swallowed by the dark abyss at any moment.
The Du Family, a prominent household in Tianwu City, was as splendid and magnificent as a small kingdom. The grand and imposing architecture of the estate stood like a giant in the center of the city, its crimson gates bearing witness to the family's majesty, while the bronze studs on the doors gleamed golden in the sunlight, as if recounting the family's glorious history. With a vast sphere of influence and a pivotal position in the city, the family was as unshakable as the pillars of the city itself. Yet I, Du Bufan, the young master of the Du Family, was like an eyesore on the canvas of the family's glory. Born with a defective physique, it was as though fate had played a cruel joke on me. On the path of cultivation, every step I took was like toiling painfully through a thicket of thorns. It took me a full three years to crawl like a snail into the Body Refining Realm, and half a year ago, I had exhausted all my strength just to barely reach the First Layer of Body Refining. Such snail-paced cultivation progress lagged even behind children of seven or eight, and the moniker of "Tianwu City's Number One Good-for-Nothing" weighed down upon me like a heavy mountain and a frigid shackle, leaving me unable to catch my breath.
I often sank into the abyss of despondency, shutting myself away in a dim room like a wounded beast. The room was heavy with the stench of alcohol, my tool of choice for trying to escape reality. Cup after cup, I poured wine down my throat, hoping to forget this cruel world in the haze of drunkenness. To me, the future was like a dark abyss devoid of even a shred of light, and that endless darkness seemed poised to devour me entirely. I felt like a lonely boat drifting off course in a storm, with the surging, violent waves acting like grasping demons ready to smash my fragile skiff to pieces at any moment.
Yet one day after I came of age, sunlight streamed through a crack in the window like an emissary of hope, spilling across my face. I sat quietly by the window, watching the family disciples diligently training outside. They shed sweat like rain under the sun, the droplets sparkling with crystal clarity as they refracted the light, while their eyes burned with determination and yearning for the future—a hunger for power and a persistent devotion to their dreams. At that moment, my heart was deeply stirred as if by a blazing torch; my brow furrowed involuntarily, gravity filled my eyes, and my thoughts surged like a tide.
Silently, I thought to myself: "This is a world where martial might is supreme, and strength is everything. Without sufficiently formidable power, even being born into a wealthy and noble household means nothing more than becoming a fish on someone else's chopping board, at the mercy of others. Although my father is powerful, he will eventually grow old and cannot protect me forever. If I remain this weak, not only will I bring shame and disgrace upon the family, but I will also be ruthlessly obliterated by this cruel world in the end. So what if the Return to Void Realm is dangerous? I must go and brave it; perhaps that will be the turning point where I change my destiny." At that thought, I felt the blood surging through my entire body. I clenched my fists tightly, my palms slick with sweat as my fingernails dug deep into my flesh, sending a sharp pain coursing through me. Yet this pain only made me clearer-headed, reigniting a glimmer of resolute light in my eyes. I told myself I could no longer spend every day muddled and dazed; I had to change, I had to grow strong. Even if thorns choked the path ahead, even if it demanded efforts beyond normal imagination, I would never back down. For I knew that only by bravely facing it and fighting could I shed the label of a good-for-nothing and claim a patch of sky of my own. I seemed to catch a glimpse of the dawn of hope flickering at the end of the darkness—the signal for my fresh start, the battle hymn with which I would challenge my fate.