Eastern Mountain Region.
A place where countless people settled.
The place where people followed the path of Martial Arts.
...
To follow Martial Arts is to pursue Immortality and Sovereignty. No single individual could not cultivate, sense the Heaven and Earth, and absorb the Qi.
However, some certain people who are born with it or had their foundation crippled were the people that are unfortunate ones.
In this world where powers spoke above the rest, where strength matters the most, where weaklings can be trampled at any second, where dangers lurked whenever you are, where deaths are common...to the people that were crippled, this world is simply hell for them.
This what the Eight Prince, Jiang Xunli, of the Great Qin Empire felt and underwent.
At the age of Eight, his mother died for no apparent reason. At that time, Jiang Xunli was oblivious of the reason. But as he matures, he finally understood the motive behind it.
He was a prince. His mother was the Eight Concubine. His father was the Emperor.
His mother's death left a deep impact on his personality and he felt remorse. Back then he was ignorant of his mother's death. But later did he realized that it was because of jealousy and dislike from the other Concubines and the Queen herself.
His Father, the Current Emperor of the Great Qin Empire, was deeply infatuated with the Eight Concubine, his mother long before he was the Emperor.
The two have met when the Emperor, that was once a Prince, wandered the world and were smitten as time elapsed.
However, because of the strict hierarchy and regulations of the Great Qin Empire, his Father had no other choice but to leave his Mother at that time.
That junction was also the intense struggle for the throne of the Great Qin Empire. But ultimately, his father had the last laugh and become the Ninth Generation Emperor. During that period, the internal struggle was severe. Some officials tried to rebel but Emperor Ruthlessness won the majority of the people, which later on he stabilized the condition of the Empire.
He tried to find Jiang Xunli's mother to the point he disclosed it to the whole Eastern Mountain Region, bestowing generous reward to whoever can pinpoint the location of Jiang Xunli's mother. Two or three years passed but Jiang Xunli's mother never discovered nor appeared in the face of the public.
The Emperor keep waiting and waiting until the high officials of the Great Qin Empire were dissatisfied with his conduct. For three years, he had not married nor had concubines. If this keeps going on and on, the Great Qin Empire might only turn to a pile of history under his leadership.
The Emperor, without any other alternative, had to comply for the sake of the Great Qin Empire. Consequently, five years later, he had married to a Queen and concubines and had sons and daughters.
But on that year's twelve lunar months of a certain day, a beautiful woman appeared in the Great Qin Empire claiming that she was the person the Emperor sought years ago.
The Emperor, his father, then finally meet the woman he fallen in love with years ago. Although he hasn't seen her for eight years, he cannot forget her image... not even for once!
Only that, his beloved woman had brought a child with him, asserting that this was his son.
That year, Jiang Xunli was a mere eight-year-old boy. He was ignorant and oblivious of his surrounding. After a month his mother reunited with the Emperor, she died without a reason.
Only then did the light shine when Jiang Xunli, fourteen that year, suffered from the Assassination which destroyed his foundation. He was crippled, one year later, he finally understand the truth behind everything the injustices that happened to him and his mother!
The Emperor that ought to be his Father had never visited him once...Ever since the death of his mother!
After that devastating incident, Jiang Xunli finally has his conclusion.
That was...
The Great Qin Empire, to him, was nothing but strangers and despicable creatures.
...
The dark sky covered the entire Eastern Mountain Region. The stars could be seen flickering above. They formed a stellar formation that whoever could witness the spectacle would appreciate its scenery.
On the Great Qin Empire's certain Palace, the Snowsilk Palace was the Eighth Prince abode.
The Snowsilk Palace was enormous and gigantic. It was built by the Master Craftsman, who was entitled to be the very best in craftsmanship within the land of the Great Qin Empire.
Although it was enormous and gigantic, there were no people who could be seen outdoor. Excluding the two thin corpses like guards standing at the gate, there was no single person besides Jiang Xunli on the Snowsilk Palace.
Inside the room of Jiang Xunli, he was seen there sitting in a lotus position. His were shut tight, appearing to be deep thought.
A while later, Jiang Xunli opened his eyes. A flash of the light beam out his eyes. His gaze was frosty and his aura that seemed to be frigid cause the temperature to rise in the room.
A while later, the frigid chillness was withdrawn. The serene room returned its tranquility.
"With this speed, even if I use all means, I will not achieve greatness, let alone upgrading the Cauldron."
Jiang Xunli mumbled. He opened his palm and a small cauldron, the size of a thumb, appeared in his line of sight. With a thought, the cauldron integrated to his right arm.
He looked at the dark sky and sighed, "The Great Qin Empire is a place where I do not belong. Mother, I miss you...But there is nothing to mourn about. This empire is corrupted, they even use any means to gain higher standing. Mother, I think you are right. This world is full of deceit that needs to be purified."
"Mother, do you know I had turned fifteen two weeks ago? I never thought that you left me a precious treasure such as this Heavenly Swallowing Cauldron. I don't what kind of origin it held but all I know that this is the present that you left for your unfilial child. Mother, if you are watching me from above, this day is the day I will venture out of the Great Qin Empire...And visit the place whom you wanted your unfilial son to go."
Jiang Xunli mumbled. His voice was somewhat emotional and hoarse when mentioning his mother. This was his sweet spot. Calming down his nerves, he stood up and put on his robe and mask. Feeling that it all coveted his facial face and figure, so he swiftly made his way out of the Great Qin Empire.
....
Meanwhile, in a certain secluded Cultivation Chamber, a middle-aged man suddenly snapped opened his eyes. He looked in a certain direction and smiled. Coincidentally that location was where Jiang Xunli headed out.
With a trace of pain and affection on his eyes, he mumbled, "My son, you finally grown up. One day, I hope that you will become a promising figure...When that happens, you will eventually understand."