Purple Qi came from the east, piercing straight into the nine heavens, as a peerless cultivator opened his eyes in Yun Duan.
His cultivation had reached supreme completion.
Brilliant colored light flowed within his purple pupils, shimmering like shifting electrical currents.
After millions of years of bitter cultivation, today he had finally returned to Blue Star, back to his hometown of Ningcheng.
This young man was named Yun He. Ten years ago, he had been an ordinary university freshman when a mountain-climbing trip accidentally plunged him into an abyss, transporting him to another realm.
In that world, ten million years of time was merely equivalent to ten years passing on Blue Star.
Over those millions of years, Yun He mastered profound arts, becoming skilled in alchemy, medicine, and beast-taming. Now that his achievements were complete, he was finally able to return to his native soil.
His heart turned to his family—his parents, his younger sister, and Yun Qu, the adopted brother who, despite lacking intelligence, was loyal and kind-hearted. They shared a deep bond.
Now that his medical dao had reached the realm of ultimate perfection, perhaps he could cure Yun Qu's mental impairment.
It was time to go home.
With his purple eyes gazing down at the blue planet, the corners of Yun He's mouth lifted in a slight smile.
With a flash of his figure, he vanished into the clouds.
When Yun He descended upon Ningcheng, it was already ten o'clock at night. Arriving at the familiar villa, he saw the lights blazing brightly, filling his heart with a warm glow.
Seeing him return so suddenly, would his family recognize him? Would they be overjoyed?
As he stepped forward to enter, a shout suddenly rang out: "Stop right there! Who goes there?"
An old man stepped out, his eyes filled with utter contempt.
Yun He was dressed plainly in ancient-style attire. Although his features were striking, he wore no designer labels whatsoever. As the villa's butler, the old man had seen countless people in his time; how could he possibly look up to someone so impoverished?
"Excuse me, is this residence the Yun Family home?" Yun He asked calmly, assuming this was a newly hired butler his father had brought in.
Though the Yun Family was not among the Four Great Clans of Ningcheng, they still held considerable status, so it was completely normal for his father to hire a butler.
"You've even gone to the trouble of finding out the master's surname—are you here to beg for food, or are you trying to freeload a meal?"
Yun He's expression darkened slightly.
"Shut your mouth." He secretly considered himself fortunate that his temperament was far more refined now than it used to be; in the past, he would have already taken action.
"And calling yourself 'this young master'—ha! Look at you, dressed like that, you're clearly nothing more than a beggar..."
"Slap!"
Yun He flicked his hand casually. Before the man could even react, he was sent flying through the air, taking a solid blow across the face that knocked out his front teeth and filled his mouth with blood.
At that exact moment, a luxury car drove up. Seeing this, the old man sprang up like a dog spotting its master, scrambling to his feet as he mumbled thickly, "Eldest Young Master! Someone tried to force their way in to beg for food, and he hit me!"
Only then did Yun He realize what it meant when a dog barked for the wrong master.
Since when was he a beggar?
How could his father have hired such a butler? It was utterly baffling.
The Eldest Young Master inside the car burned with rage as he turned and barked, "Who dares make trouble at the Yun Family estate?!"
Catching a glimpse of Yun He's face, he froze instantly. "You are..."
Yun He recognized him at once: it was Yun Gang, the eldest son of his Eldest Uncle, and his own cousin.
"Yun Gang, it's me. I'm Yun He."
Before the words had even faded, Yun Gang's knuckle joints cracked loudly. Memories of the past rushed back—how that punk used to look down on him with contempt. Now, the tables had finally turned.
"So it's Yun He! Long time no see. You stray fledgling wandering out in the world, could it be you've mastered some supreme cultivation technique and amassed a fortune?" Yun Gang's tone carried a thread of mockery.
Yun He frowned slightly and said, "Nothing like that. I simply came back to check on my parents."
"See your parents? What a pity, they're no longer around." A hint of triumph seeped into Yun Gang's voice. "They've both passed away."
"What did you say?! My parents..."
"That's right, you unfilial son, you don't even know your own parents are dead. This estate belongs to us now, and your family's debts haven't been cleared yet—you still owe us a million spirit stones. You've come back at just the right time: either pay up, or make your sister drop out of school and get married off as soon as possible, using her bride price to settle the debt. Ha! Isn't that wonderful?" Yun Gang finished speaking, anticipating Yun He's panic, but Yun He merely knitted his brow, completely unmoved.
"You injured my estate guard. Two thousand spirit stones for medical expenses, and this matter is settled."
"Where is my sister now?" Yun He acted as though he hadn't heard a word, his mind fixed entirely on finding his sister.
"Yun He, are you still playing dumb? You are no longer the eldest son of the Yun Family—I am now. Pay up immediately, or else..."
Two burly guards stepped forward in response, their oppressive auras surging outward like two towering mountains blocking his path.
"Yun Gang, tell me, where is my sister living now?" Yun He had no wish to clash with his relatives the moment he returned home, but Yun Gang took this as a sign of cowardice.
"This punk must have just crawled out of some cage with his head not screwed on right. Teach him a lesson and strip him of anything valuable, just don't kill him," Yun Gang instructed, preparing to bask in his own grandeur.
The Eldest Young Master turned to leave, only to be stopped by an old woman: "Eldest Young Master, the Master's sixtieth birthday is fast approaching. How can you resort to violence here and let outsiders laugh at us for bullying our poor kin?"
Yun Gang glanced at her and replied impatiently, "Old hag, don't assume that just because Dad likes your stewed soup and spared your life, you actually carry any weight. But..." He paused to think. Considering his father's reputation in Ningcheng and the impending birthday banquet, if word of this got out, it would indeed damage the Yun Family's face.
He glanced back at Yun He and told the two thugs, "Let it go for today. If this punk dares show his face again, remember what he looks like—whenever you see him, teach him a lesson."
Yun He opened his mouth to speak, but the old woman suddenly grabbed his sleeve, signaling him not to say anything. With a jolt of surprise, Yun He recognized that this elderly woman was none other than their family's former cook...
Clutching the address in his hand, Yun He stared wide-eyed at the scene before him, finding it hard to believe. His sister and adopted brother were actually living in Ningcheng's most notorious slum. This area should have been demolished ten years ago; his father had once planned to buy it up and develop it into a blessed paradise for immortals. Yet here it still stood, even more dilapidated than before.
As he stepped inside, the buildings on either side teetered precariously, illuminated only by the faint, flickering light of spirit fires while chilling gusts of wind swept past from time to time. He even caught a whiff of an evil, malevolent presence and couldn't help frowning. How could such a place still harbor malevolent monsters? Humans and demons living in mixed company dealt a devastating blow to the vital energy of ordinary mortals.