A fine drizzle fell from the sky, bringing a steady stream of pedestrians to the otherwise bustling and prosperous avenue. Raindrops tapped rhythmically against the ground.
Some people covered their heads with both hands, eager to escape the pelting rain, and hurried away to take shelter inside an inn.
At this moment, a man with hair as dark as ink walked down the street, holding an umbrella. He looked handsome and dashing!
Ordinary people passing by caught sight of the man and cupped their fists in greeting, saying, "Young Master Xu Shang!"
Xu Shang nodded with a full smile, intending to step inside the inn, but he found that it was already packed with people. Instead of going right in, he quietly stood outside.
Although the inn was filled to capacity, everyone inside kept their heads down, and not a single person spoke. While it was quiet, the air carried a dead, oppressive stillness.
A man wore a peculiar expression as he broke the silence inside the inn, gently speaking to the man in front of him: "Do you all know about something passed down from ancient times to the present?"
Another man heard this, looked surprised for a moment, and asked, "What is it?"
The man glanced warily around his surroundings, paused, and continued, "It is said that several thousand years ago, four true dragons guarded the east, west, south, and north directions of the Spirit Ancient Realm respectively."
Those four true dragons, whose names have been passed down to this day, are: the Holy Dragon, the Golden Dragon, the Azure Dragon, and the Bone Dragon. The strength of these four true dragons was evenly matched, and none could compare to them.
However, it is said that a mysterious bead appeared in the Spirit Ancient Realm, its origin unknown. The four dragons and the human race scrambled to seize the bead. In the end, both the four dragons and the human race were heavily injured by the light emitted by the bead. Finally, the Demon Clan launched a sneak attack, causing the human race and the four dragons to suffer heavy casualties.
Yet the bead was something the four dragons and the human race were willing to fight desperately to seize, which was enough to prove its immense value.
When the others in the inn heard this, they raised their heads slightly and all stood up, walking toward the man.
This event was also known as the Four Dragons Seizing the Pearl.
The crowd surrounded the man in the center, asking questions all at once. "Whose hands did that bead finally fall into?"
"What is so miraculous about this bead?"
The man looked around the circle and said in a deep voice, "According to rumors, the bead ultimately vanished without a trace, and no one knows where it went. But one thing is certain: this bead contains immense energy, and whoever obtains it will possess endless power and wealth."
Hearing this, the others flashed greedy looks in their eyes. One of the burly men spoke loudly, "Since that's the case, why don't we go look for that bead? Maybe we can also become peerless experts!" The others chimed in one after another...
After hearing this, the man gave a disdainful smile and continued: The four true dragons fought desperately to seize it, and although the bead's whereabouts are unknown in the end,
it is not something one can simply stumble upon. Even if you do encounter it, with your mere strength, you probably won't be able to seize it! Hearing the man's words, the crowd felt a bit disappointed in their hearts, yet they still longed for the mysterious bead.
"If we could find that bead, perhaps it really could change our destiny," someone muttered to themselves.
The light rain in the sky had stopped, but the sun did not come out; it remained overcast. Seeing this, the crowd also left the inn!
At that moment, Xu Shang walked into the inn. The few men who had just left saw him and all cupped their fists in greeting, saying, "Young Master Xu Shang!"
Xu Shang scratched the back of his head, smiled, and just as he wanted to step into the inn, someone gently patted him on the shoulder.
Xu Shang turned his head and looked back. There stood a woman whose skin was as translucent as white jade with a faint flush, her waterfall-like black hair dancing softly in the wind. Her nasal bridge was high and straight, adding a touch of dignity and elegance to her face.
When the crowd saw the woman, they cried out in shock, "That's the eldest miss of the Su Family... Su Biyun!"
The others chimed in with shock, "That's right! What is she doing here?!"
When Xu Shang saw the woman, his originally calm face instantly lit up with joy. He paused and asked, "Yuner, why are you here? Weren't you locked up at home by your father to cultivate?"
Su Biyun pouted her tender, pink lips, her tone carrying a trace of displeasure as she said, "What? The eldest young master of the Xu Family can come here, but I can't?"
Xu Shang smiled awkwardly. "Yuner, that's not what I meant!"
Su Biyun let out a sudden chuckle. "I'm just joking with you."
Xu Shang and Su Biyun walked into the inn together, drawing envious gazes from the crowd. They found a corner to sit down and began discussing the legend of the bead they had just heard about.
"Yuner, do you believe that such a bead truly exists in the world?" Xu Shang asked curiously.
Su Biyun smiled and said, "The world is so vast that nothing is too strange. However, whether this bead exists or not, what does it have to do with us?"
Xu Shang nodded. "That's true. We might as well just live our own lives well!"
Xu Shang and Su Biyun ate and chatted, the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant.
The curtain of night quietly descended. Under the starlit sky, all things fell into slumber. A gentle night breeze blew by, carrying the fragrance of distant flowers and the shimmering, tipsy ripple of the lake surface, making one unable to help but be intoxicated by the tranquil night scenery.
Xu Shang and Su Biyun sat on the lawn, gazing at the starry sky, feeling the night scenery isolated from the world.
"Brother Xu Shang, have you still not found the reason why you cannot cultivate?" Su Biyun asked with puzzlement.
Xu Shang shook his head and hesitated slightly before saying, "No, Father said it's because my constitution is special. Ordinary Divine Arts have no reaction on me at all; I probably need a high-grade Divine Art!"
Su Biyun murmured, Divine Arts are divided from weak to strong into: Inscription, Spirit, Heaven, Xuan, Star, and Desolate. If even Spirit-grade Divine Arts cannot help Brother Xu Shang cultivate, wouldn't that mean he needs a Divine Art above the Star grade?! Divine Arts above the Star grade are probably really hard to find around here.
Xu Shang did not worry too much, instead asking Su Biyun, "Yuner, what stage has your cultivation realm reached?"
Su Biyun smiled. "Yuner is already close to the peak of Stage 9 Qi Inscription Realm!"
Xu Shang sighed in endless admiration, "Such... such a monstrous cultivation talent! At sixteen, you've reached a realm that ordinary people take half a lifetime to attain."
Su Biyun said reluctantly, "I've only reached the first tier; above this are the Body Inscription Realm, Inscription Splitting Realm, Spirit Opening Realm, Spirit Transformation Realm, and so on!"
After Su Biyun finished speaking, the air returned to silence, as if the world had stopped moving...
Su Biyun asked with curiosity, "Brother Xu Shang, what is your dream?"
Xu Shang hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I want to live quietly and happily right here for the rest of my life."
Su Biyun was slightly stunned, then took out a white jade pendant. The delicate patterns on the pendant resembled the natural beauty of lines in the world—warm, refined, and elegant—creating a unique, sophisticated aura.
"Here, this is for you." Su Biyun handed the jade pendant to Xu Shang and said.
Xu Shang hesitated and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"
Su Biyun knocked Xu Shang on the head and said lazily, "Giving you a gift, of course! What, you don't want it?"
Unable to suppress the joy in his heart, Xu Shang said, "I want it... I want it... I want it." Then he clutched the jade pendant tightly in his hand.
Su Biyun wanted to say something else, but suddenly thought of something. "Oh no, I have to hurry home, or Mother will come looking for me again."
"I finally managed to come out and play for a little while, and now I have to go back. Who knows when I'll be able to come out next time," Su Biyun said with melancholy.
"Then I'll go back with you!" Xu Shang pulled Su Biyun up and smiled.
Giggling, Su Biyun left this place together with Xu Shang!