"Sigh..."
As she gazed out over the shimmering expanse of Sapphire Lake, Long Lifen let a deep, soulful sigh escape her lips.
The sun blazed fiercely above, casting a scorching glow on the already-prepared scene below.
Her father, Heaven Star, had undoubtedly vanished into the shadows after his disastrous meddling, making any attempt to find him and resolve the chaos futile.
The guests stood by, draped in expectation, yet she yearned only to hasten through the engagement ceremony and reclaim the rhythms of her everyday life.
Today marked not the consummation of marriage but rather a potential binding to a man she scarcely could stand.
Yet within Long Lifen stirred a defiant scheme.
A cold, calculating gleam flickered in her eyes, betraying her inner resolve.
She envisioned him relegated to the cold, hard floor at night, her resolve as unyielding as the ice; his touch would not come near her.
"Hehe..."
With a mischievous thought flickering in her mind, a soft giggle slipped through Long Lifen's lips, stirring the leaves of the tree behind her to dance in tune with the melody of her enchanting voice.
She gracefully advanced toward the lake, her slender, pale legs delicately skimming the water's cool surface.
The venerable Azure Dragon Clan, currently presided over by Heaven Star, Long Lifen's father and an esteemed S-ranked guardian, had humble beginnings.
Once known as the Linshui Clan in the bygone Era of Tianjian, it had blossomed from obscurity into prominence.
Tianjian, the name once borne by a mere disciple of the Linshui sect, became legendary.
During that era, few could have predicted that this unassuming figure would rise to such eminence that an entire era would be named in his honor, all thanks to his extraordinary accomplishments.
Wielding the Celestial Codex and the Heavenly Sword, Tianjian Xin, the revered Guardian of the Celestial Bastion, ascended to remarkable heights.
His crowning achievement was the creation of Heaven's Shield—a formidable barrier that now encircles Wuxia Province and many other regions, providing a bastion against the never-ending assaults of hunters.
The legendary hero of Linshui, however, mysteriously vanished without leaving behind even a whisper of his whereabouts, and Long Lifen's father, Heaven Star, stands as one of the few surviving cultivators who had the fortune to witness the hero in his full glory.
Legend holds that it was Tianjian himself who aided Heaven Star in ascending to the leadership of the clan, catapulting it to great heights.
Before vanishing into the annals of history, Tianjian bestowed upon him profound secrets of the cosmos, which transformed their destiny.
The revered technique that propelled the clan to this pinnacle, known as the "Azure Dragon's Heavenly Breath", is rumored to be a direct creation of the hero.
This mystical technique is shrouded in secrecy, zealously guarded by the elders who would rather lay down their lives than see it fall into the wrong hands.
Despite her extensive lifespan of over a thousand years and her prestigious status as an A-ranked guardian within the Void Mastery realm, Long Lifen harbors a healthy skepticism about these tales.
Her father, Heaven Satar, remained tight-lipped about Tianjian, and like everyone else in the sect, held only a reverent admiration for the hero that mirrors the hallowed respect reserved for mythic figures.
Outside the ancient walls of their sacred grounds, the rumors continue to thrive, fueled by the imaginations of those far removed from the inner sanctum of the sect's mysteries.
In this world, the art of cultivation is not merely a practice but a sanctified rite, a celestial boon to be ardently embraced.
Only those who delve into the profound mysteries of their own essence and the cosmos itself might ascend the ethereal ladder to immortality.
The path of a cultivator unfurls the moment they awaken to the presence of Qi, the ethereal substance that suffuses all of creation.
At the miraculous moment of birth, a cultivator enters the 'Qi Awakening realm', their nascent senses attuned to the ambient Qi that whispers through the air, allowing them to absorb and commune with this vital energy.
By the tender age of ten, they progress to the 'Qi Refinement realm'.
Here, cultivators learn the delicate art of refining and purifying Qi within their bodies, honing it into a potent force for both healing and strength.
These formative stages—the Qi Awakening and Qi Refinement—herald the beginning of their journey, known collectively as the "Qi Initiation Stage".
The path then ascends to the "Foundation Building Stage".
Around the age of twenty, a cultivator steps into the 'Qi Consolidation realm', where they fortify their inner core, augmenting their Qi capacity and mastery, thus preparing themselves for greater challenges ahead.
At thirty, the journey leads to the 'Meridian Expansion realm'.
Cultivators expand and reinforce their body's meridian channels, allowing them to channel and harness even greater torrents of Qi.
The third stage, "Core Formation", marks a pivotal epoch in a cultivator's life.
'Core Emergence Realm' — When a cultivator forges their Qi into a robust core around the age of fifty, they undergo a profound metamorphosis, their powers and abilities soaring as they are recognized as adults and are eligible to become Star Guardians, starting at the rank of D.
By the age of eighty, those who reach the 'Core Strengthening' realm achieve a mastery over their Qi core, enhancing their ability to manipulate Qi with unparalleled precision and power.
Each step forward on this journey deepens a cultivator's connection to the boundless energies of the universe, weaving their life' fate with the threads of cosmic destiny.
The path of cultivation soars to celestial realms with the fourth stage, the "Nascent Soul Stage", typically heralded by a cultivator's ascent to rank-C.
This realm is where the spiritual and the corporeal begin their intricate dance.
By the time they reach the venerable age of 120, cultivators enter the 'Soul Manifestation' realm.
In this profound state, their souls weave into their Qi cores, deepening their connection with the pulsating energies of the cosmos, making their inner essence resonate with the universal symphony of life.
Advancing to the age of 200, they achieve the 'Soul Refinement' realm.
Here, cultivators strengthen their nascent souls, honing their abilities to manipulate Qi with exquisite precision and unleashing spiritual powers that transcend the mundane, tapping into the ethereal strands of existence.
The journey then ascends to the ethereal fifth stage, the "Spiritual Transformation" Stage, commencing typically at Rank B.
At the ripe age of 300, practitioners reach the 'Spiritual Awakening' realm.
During this transformative era, their spirits begin to metamorphose, unveiling esoteric insights into the deeper mysteries of Qi, and allowing them to perceive the subtle weave of the universe.
By the seasoned age of 500, a select few achieve 'Spiritual Ascendancy', ascending to a transcendent state of being.
Here, they wield control over the complex phenomena of Qi, their spirits attuned to the celestial cadence of the cosmos.