"Knock, knock, knock."
A muffled knocking sound disturbed the birds from their morning slumber.
A new day began.
"Daughter, I received the invitation card. Your fiancé will be visiting soon. Do you have any thoughts about this matter?"
The hearty voice of a middle-aged man came from outside the room.
But in reality...
Jiang Wuque paced in front of the door, rubbing his palms and slapping his scarred face covered in stubble, forcefully pushing away the exhaustion that overwhelmed him.
A pair of eyes filled with worries curved into an arc, and the backbone that life had broken stood tall.
In the eyes of others, he was just a spineless person who kneeled to beg for spirit medicine.
He was just a talent who led the family towards decline.
He was just an ordinary cultivator in the Third Realm.
But at least, at the moment the door opened, he would be a towering tree that sheltered from wind and rain.
"Hahaha, miss your father, don't you?"
Jiang Wan Yu slowly exhaled, and her eyes suddenly opened.
The young girl smiled bitterly, shook her head, and sighed.
She climbed out of bed, physically and mentally exhausted, and stretched her legs, which had gone numb from sitting cross-legged all night.
She approached the tea table in a few steps, and there was a letter with fresh ink on it.
Pain appeared on Jiang Wan Yu's young face. She bit her lip, remained silent, and a layer of mist formed in her reddened eyes.
"To Wan Yu: Our sect's Senior Brother Huang Quan has already set off and will arrive in Red Lotus City approximately one day after you receive this letter. Senior Brother has always cherished his feathers and is unlikely to act against you or the Jiang family openly. Of course, you shouldn't be too happy either, as the one remaining among the twenty-three fiancées is coming with ill intentions. Senior Brother values profit over separation. Take care of yourself - Zhu Sha."
A strange signature.
The two characters for "Zhu Sha" were not written in a conventional style but rather in a vivid, cracked font, pierced by a slanted knife.
Jiang Wan Yu confirmed that she didn't know this mysterious person named Zhu Sha. The signature was too distinctive; just one encounter would leave a deep impression.
Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that someone didn't want to reveal their identity and fabricated a false name.
Regardless, the other party hadn't shown much malice for now, which allowed her to be mentally prepared. In these days, she had seen too much good, evil, beauty, and ugliness.
The servants who used to flatter and fawn over her had revealed their true faces, treating her with distant respect and privately whispering that she had probably brought "divine punishment" upon herself due to her improper conduct.
The sisters who once called themselves her clan members began to look at her coldly and turned around to fawn over the "Second Heavenly Pride of the Jiang Family."
From being bustling and crowded to being deserted and quiet, this kind of transformation wasn't too difficult to achieve.
"Click."
Jiang Wan Yu walked out of the room, hiding her despair and sadness deep within her heart, and wore a puzzled expression. "Father, how come you have time to visit me today? I heard that the Jiang family's business hasn't been doing well recently."
She naturally seized the opportunity to throw stones at someone who had fallen into a well, as they say. The Jiang family, as a long-established family with a history of over 800 years in Red Lotus City, naturally held a prominent position among the so-called "Three Great Families."
In this world where weakness was considered a sin, there were more upheavals than one could imagine.
The accumulation of original resources is paved with blood and bones.
Few clans dare claim their hands are completely clean.
The difference lies in whether one can justify it to their conscience.
The Jiang family believed they were justified by heaven and earth, worthy of their conscience, but they certainly had their sworn enemies.
The father's reputation brings honor to the child. On the day Jiang Wan Yu was born, ten miles of rosy clouds covered the sky, and colorful bridges stretched in all directions, asking the heavens about the birth of a fisherman.
He was said to possess the unparalleled Immortal King Physique from legends.
In the future, he would undoubtedly ascend to become an Immortal King above the Ten Realms...
The current cultivation system in this world:
First Realm - Foundation Establishment. A towering building rises from the ground, signifying the foundation. However, bigger is not always better. Normal people know that having something too large is crude! There's a limit to everything, as excessive size may strain the body.
Having a strong foundation means that the resources required for later stages increase exponentially. Once one cannot bear the consumption of resources, the so-called invincibility at the same realm becomes an illusion. While you remain in the Fifth Realm, others have already surpassed you and reached the Eighth Realm. It's pitiful and lamentable.
Second Realm - Qi Refinement. Unlike traditional cultivation, in this world, one must establish a solid foundation before being able to draw in Qi. The fragile bodies of ordinary people cannot withstand the cleansing and impact of spiritual energy. Successful Qi refinement signifies the official entry into the world of cultivators.
Third Realm - Spirit Gathering. Utilizing spiritual power for one's own purposes. There isn't much technique involved, mainly relying on resources and diligent practice.
Fourth Realm - Mortal Shedding. Crossing this first threshold of cultivation is enough to wash away ninety-nine percent of cultivators. Taking this step means gradually departing from the life of an ordinary person.
Fifth Realm - Army Shattering. "Though there are thousands of people, I go alone." One sword can suppress an army, one person can deceive a country. In the eyes of ordinary people, you are the divine immortal who opens the gates of heaven with a sword on land.
Sixth Realm - Creation. Breaking through the second threshold of cultivation, which eliminates ninety-nine percent of cultivators. Reaching this realm usually requires tremendous luck and great opportunities. It is also known as the Gate of Immortals and Mortals. Crossing this gate extends life by three thousand years, allowing one to seek longevity and aspire to the great path.
Seventh Realm - Nirvana. The third threshold of cultivation, still eliminating ninety-nine percent of cultivators. This step is akin to the phoenix's nirvana, the fish leaping over the dragon gate. Reversing means becoming a deity, following means mediocrity, success means life, failure means death. Will you enjoy the glory of thirty-five hundred years of life, or take a gamble?
Eighth Realm - Mountains and Seas. Moving mountains and filling seas.
Ninth Realm - Roaming the World. Morning traverses the North, evening to the land of Cangwu. Though heaven and earth are vast, there is nowhere one cannot go, nowhere one cannot reach.
Tenth Realm - Transcendence. The fourth threshold of cultivation. Young people do not understand transcendence; it emphasizes...
Beyond the Tenth Realm - Heavenly Sovereign. I am the will of heaven! Reigning over the world.
According to legend, in ancient times, above the sky, there was one known as the Emperor.
For ten billion and three thousand years, the Emperor's path has been severed, with no sign of return.
This means that as long as Jiang Wan
Yu does not fall halfway, he will undoubtedly become the strongest in this world, the one who enforces the rules.
Omens cannot be hidden. Since it has already been exposed, Jiang Wu Que decided to make a firm resolution.
"The old man will speak of his youthful madness, appreciating flowers and wine, paving a street for hundreds of miles, and welcoming guests from all directions."
At the banquet, some wanted to kill her, while others naturally wanted to help her, aiming to board this invincible warship.
In the end, it was the Heavenly Demon Sect that took the lead and formed a marriage contract with the 'Yellow Springs Saint Son,' who was unmatched at the age of eight and reached the Fourth Realm. They would marry when Jiang Wan Yu turned twenty-eight.
This caused a great uproar and elevated the status of the Jiang family in the Crimson Lotus City.
This marriage contract was even hailed by some as the 'Jiang Springs Dries Up.'
The birth of such two monstrous geniuses in the Southern Domain has exhausted the fortunes of the era.
Any arrogant prodigy would pale and be laughed at in front of them, unable to withstand a single blow.
It's good to take shelter under a tall tree.
The future invincible warship would join forces with the Demonic Sect that covers the sun.
Any descendant of the Jiang family, when going out, must not walk upright, as it's easy to be arrogantly beaten. So, it's better to walk diagonally, implying a moderate attitude.
However, fate plays tricks on people.
Without any warning, within a week, Jiang Wan Yu's cultivation in the Fourth Realm regressed, turning into 'trash.' The golden eyes symbolizing the Immortal King Physique dissipated, revealing their original crimson color.
Meanwhile, the 'Yellow Springs Saint Son,' her betrothed, continued to advance rapidly. From shedding mortality at the age of eight to achieving great opportunities at the age of twenty, now at the age of twenty-three, he already has twenty-two volumes of books, clearly depicting the sword's emotions. He desires to go against the flow and experience the brilliance of nirvana.
The audacious wolves have already smelled blood and exposed their fangs, eager to tear apart the Jiang family, a plump and well-fed sheep.
The timid hunters, bolstered by Huang Quan's progress, have mustered the courage to draw their bows and are ready to launch a fatal strike against the Jiang family.
Storm clouds approach, and the once towering building is now on the brink of collapse.