During the Tianli era, the Pure State enjoyed great national fortune and a scene of boundless prosperity.
Those who transmigrated from the Celestial Realm and were born here shared a distinct trait: they could master any cultivation technique instantly upon studying it, and they possessed innate divine flames. Their spiritual roots were extremely mixed, all for the purpose of keeping a low profile and developing in secret.
The tall tree catches the wind; who would dare openly declare themselves a visitor from the Celestial Realm?
Across the four seas and eight wastes, heaven and earth were divided in two. Zixiao Mountain had always belonged to the territory once governed by Immortal Emperor Ziyang. It was a round heaven and square earth where spiritual qi gathered thick and rich, spiritual veins stretched long and unbroken, and it was truly a sacred ground for cultivation.
Suddenly, winds and clouds shifted, mists rolled, and a strange natural phenomenon appeared in the sky. In an instant, a deep rumble echoed as a heavenly tribulation lightning bolt struck down in the distance. Disciples of all major sects were utterly astonished by this omen.
Sect Master Li Qinghe of the Zixiao Sect felt a mixture of curiosity and alarm. "What divine being is undergoing Tribulation Transcendence outside Zixiao Mountain, disturbing this old man's cultivation?"
Before going further, let us understand why Li Qinghe was so afraid.
Lei Feng, master of Nan Batian, the leader of the Kong Demon Sect, had shaken the world with his might back in the day. Hundreds of years had passed, and he had simply been waiting to undergo Tribulation Transcendence and ascend. Unfortunately, it was rumored that while traveling through the Cangxuan Mountain territory near the Zixiao Sect, he had been struck to death by several bolts of heavenly thunder—though in truth, these were merely Jianghu rumors. After all, Immortal Emperors came and went without a trace; a casual wave of their hand could destroy a mountain range, or even obliterate the entire Nebula Continent. Who would dare suspect that an Immortal Emperor had killed him?
Li Qinghe's closest friends had been Jiang Hong, master of Divine Dragon Island, and Zhao Changsheng, dean of Luojia Academy. His greatest enemies, on the other hand, were Nan Batian, leader of the Kong Demon Sect; Xie Tao, leader of the Yunlan Sect; and Su Yu, palace mistress of Shuiyue Palace. Thus, he was terrified that one of his enemies might beat him to the punch, undergo Tribulation Transcendence, and ascend to the Immortal Realm ahead of him. In the Nebula Continent, might had always made right.
Sect Master Li Qinghe was just about to leap into the air and fly to the peak to take a look when the sky suddenly cleared up completely, leaving him looking astonished. "Strange, truly strange." Suspecting that the Tribulation Transcendence might have been a false alarm, he shouted loudly to his disciples, "Everyone, head down the mountain and search with all your might! Whoever captures the person undergoing the tribulation will be rewarded with five hundred Spirit Stones, plus a bottle of Qi Condensation nourishing pills."
Feng Qing led several inner disciples, while Ding Yi led several outer disciples, and they hurriedly set off to carry out the mission.
The "person undergoing the tribulation" they spoke of was practically at the ceiling of the cultivation world—a god-like existence who could casually trample Deity Transformation stage masters underfoot. Yet how could these disciples care about such trivialities? People out making a living in the world weren't doing it for nothing; as long as Spirit Stones were involved, anything could be discussed.
Goudan, an outer disciple, said eagerly and amazedly along the way, "Five hundred Spirit Stones! This is no joke. For cultivators like us, inner disciples only receive ninety Spirit Stones a year, and outer disciples wouldn't even dare dream of such a sum!" As it turned out, Qi Condensation stage cultivators regarded cultivation pills as their top choice for nourishing and boosting their strength. Something was always better than nothing. There were many ways to acquire Spirit Stones, but one must never violate sect rules. Aside from Qi Condensation nourishing pills, monster beast inner cores were the rarest of all, because Qi Condensation stage cultivators stood no chance against the fierce beasts in the forests. Some of these monster beasts had reached the Qi Condensation stage, while others even surpassed the Foundation Establishment stage. Ordinary inner disciples at the late Foundation Establishment stage might be able to trade blows with a monster beast, but they couldn't necessarily kill it in a single strike. The group of disciples included both inner and outer disciples. The inner disciples had been selected through layers of rigorous screening and possessed superior strength in all aspects compared to the outer disciples, which inevitably led to neither side yielding an inch during this capture operation.
To break through to the first level of the Qi Condensation stage, the sect's disciples had no choice but to go out on missions; to buy pills, they had to secure Spirit Stones first.
They hadn't walked far when they saw several rogue cultivators lying on the ground, dressed in black robes with long, flowing hair. Their chests had massive holes in them, their lips were purple, and they were foaming at the mouth. Ding Yi, the senior outer disciple, pondered, "These men were killed by a first-grade Monster Beast, the grass-tailed snake. Once killed by a grass-tailed snake, symptoms of purple lips will appear." Realizing what had happened, Goudan told the other disciples to proceed with caution.
Down the mountain, Han Longsheng was tending to his medicinal herbs and wondering why he had clearly heard a rumble of heavenly thunder just moments ago, only for it to stop so abruptly. Giving it no further thought, he immediately headed home. At that moment, Han Lin was in the courtyard planting flowers, never expecting a bolt of heavenly thunder to strike him directly and knock him unconscious to the ground. His father cried out in heartache, "This old man has lived an upright life and never done a single malicious thing. With only this one son, I cannot simply watch him die. If he goes, I have no reason to live either."
The father had kept a few sheep and cows in the courtyard for his son, but when the lightning struck, some died and others bolted.
Lying on the bed, Han Lin possessed an peerlessly handsome visage, yet his deep, clear eyes remained tightly shut. Between his brows lingered a noble and mysterious aura.
At that moment, a phantom appeared in Han Lin's dreams, and within his divine sense, he muttered involuntarily, "Have I transmigrated?" He recalled being hunted down and killed by Nan Feng, a Demon Lord whose cultivation had reached terrifying heights, turning his dream of Tribulation Transcendence and ascension into a bubble. That deep-seated resentment was buried in the depths of his heart. Still, to have survived and lived anew was something to rejoice over. Although his body had lost all spiritual power and his meridians were in complete disarray, a surge of intense pain caused him to lose consciousness once more. Heartbroken beyond measure, Han Longsheng silently prayed that his young son was still alive. Musing to himself, he thought, *All these years of quiet sacrifice have been just to raise my son.* He stayed right by the side of his unconscious boy, praying for him to wake up soon.
Three days later, Han Lin opened his eyes from his slumber and murmured, "Where is this? Why am I lying here?"
Han Longsheng said excitedly, "You silly boy, did a lightning strike scramble your brains? You are Han Longsheng's most precious son; how could anything ever happen to you?"
Han Lin let out an "oh," then put on a warm, affectionate expression and cried, "Father! You are my father!" And he burst into loud sobs.
Han Lin finally understood: he had been reborn, and in a wildly comical and dramatic twist of fate, he had somehow survived. *Damn it, I even got struck by lightning!* he thought with disdain. *Good thing my past life was an immortal cultivation body—a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. An ordinary person would have been reduced to ashes.*
"I mustn't tell Han Lin about the cattle and sheep," Han Longsheng muttered. "I'll go up the mountain and catch a wild chicken to boil some soup for my son."
Han Longsheng gathered some medicinal herbs that could nourish the body, replenish qi, and repair meridians for his son, then brought over a bowl of chicken soup. "Son, this restorative medicine will help heal your meridians and spiritual power."
Without the slightest hesitation, Han Lin drained the essence of the medicinal herbs in one gulp. His father then handed him a qi-recovery pill to help restore his vitality.
After swallowing it—*whoa!*—he felt his mental state multiply manifold. Before long, he stepped out of the thatched hut into the courtyard, stretched, and said, "Wander as you will amidst the fragrance of a hundred flowers! In my past life, I missed the person I loved most; in this life, I shall surely find her."
The outside world was magnificent, and he truly wanted to go out and see it.
His stomach began to rumble endlessly, and once he stepped into the outhouse, he squatted there for a full hour.
In his past life, he remembered being an alchemist with more pills than he could ever finish. Goodness gracious—and now? He felt as though he had just woken up from a dream.
Han Lin felt a faint, inexplicable connection to his family's medicine field. There had been no hints in his dream, but he dared to guess that a treasure was definitely hidden beneath it. For now, however, it had been converted into fertile farmland for growing herbs. Since he had just transmigrated, he would slowly investigate later.
His father patted his shoulder earnestly and said, "Cultivators take the cultivation of the physical body, the refinement of the primordial spirit, and the comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth as their path, pursuing longevity and the realm of transcending reincarnation." This was a world where might made right, so he had to be extremely careful. Only by cultivating to a powerful realm would he never be bullied again. True strength meant cultivating until the day came when no one could bully him anymore; only then could his cultivation be considered a great success.
After chatting for a long time, Han Lin asked, full of anticipation, "Who is my mother? Where is she?"
His father hesitated for a moment before replying, "I cannot tell you yet, for fear you will be harmed and your life placed in jeopardy."
No wonder—in the cultivation continent, the strong trampled upon the weak. Without strength, one could not butt heads with others; instead, raising one's cultivation realm was the most crucial thing of all. *Sigh! Trying to find someone in the Nebula Continent is like finding a needle in a haystack!* Yearning for his mother, he thought, *I have been an unfilial son, but I must make myself strong—strong enough to strike fear into the hearts of all cultivators.* Everything he had lost in his past life, he would surely take back in this one.
"Ah!" Han Lin asked with a blank expression, "Every other child has a mother, so why don't I?" He wanted his mother to stay by his side, *waah...*
"Child, one day you will see your mother. I promise you," Han Longsheng said.
Hearing his father's earnest words, Han Lin believed them implicitly, yet he thought, *I have no choice but to believe it—might makes right after all!* In the past, he had always been beaten by others, and his father, currently at the Foundation Establishment stage, had even had one of his legs crippled by a powerful adversary. Though he did not know who was behind these grudges and hatreds, he would grow strong in this cultivation continent so that his family could reunite and he could see his mother sooner.
There were countless cultivators in the Nebula Continent, and hundreds of cultivation methods, each to be chosen according to one's circumstances.
Rogue cultivators generally wandered the Jianghu, fighting and killing in the martial world, or else they found a master and cultivated slowly. Sects were different; they distributed Spirit Stones every month, and one could also take on missions to earn pills and cultivation techniques. With money, one could buy magical tools—whichever one caught your eye, you could just buy it, hehe.
"If I can't even protect the person I love, how can I have the face to go on living?" Han Lin vowed.
He made up his mind that his next step would be to enter a sect of the cultivation continent, seize the opportunity, and cultivate diligently.
As dusk fell, he lay in the courtyard and pondered. With so many sects out there, which one should he choose...?
[Audience expectation and affection +1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1+2+2+2+2+2...]