The Land of Tianyuan, a Certain Region in the Southern Territory

"Elder, do you think anyone will survive here?" The girl held a long sword, looking at the debris strewn all over the ground and the land soaked with blood, her youthful face pale with a hint of innocence.

"It's hard to say. The ordinary people here have probably not survived this great battle." The white-robed old man furrowed his brow, sighing as he looked at the ruins of war around them.

In the distance, the mountains were cut off, and numerous cracks extended from the horizon, with the gurgling blood flowing over the dark brown soil.

The air was filled with a pungent smell of blood, indicating the fierce battle that had taken place here!

The girl was originally the Saintess of the Vermillion Bird Sacred Ground. She passed through this area during her journey and often heard nearby cultivators talk about the great battle that had occurred here.

It was rumored that two powerful beings had fought here for a rare treasure, with thunder roaring and astonishing phenomena occurring!

She and the white-robed old man came here to investigate. After several searches yielded no results, it seemed that there were no survivors.

Just as the girl and the white-robed old man were about to leave, they suddenly heard a faint crying.

"That sound... is it a baby?" The girl frowned slightly, her face showing confusion. Then, she and the white-robed old man followed the sound to a pile of rubble.

They found a male infant still in swaddling clothes. The girl carefully picked up the baby.

Looking at the baby in her arms with affection, she reached out and pinched his tender cheeks, making the baby giggle.

Thinking of herself being adopted by her master, she couldn't help but feel compassion. The maternal instinct hidden within her was awakened.

"Elder, I want to take this little guy back to the Sacred Ground to raise him. I will inform the Sect Master about this."

"Well... alright. Encountering this little guy here may be a sign that his life was not supposed to end. Perhaps there is a connection between him and us."

"Little guy, from now on, you'll take my surname and be my little brother," the girl said softly.

"Let's call you Chong Ming."

Looking up at the gradually brightening sky, after a moment of contemplation, she continued, "From now on, we'll be dependent on each other as siblings. I'll take good care of you."

Hum—

The sound of swords rang out, and the white-robed old man and the girl soared into the air, turning into streams of light and speeding away into the sky.

Southern Territory, Yunmeng Marsh.

Stretching over tens of thousands of square kilometers, the lake group connected into one, with islands of various sizes scattered across the vast marshland. It was rumored that each island in Yunmeng Marsh corresponded to a star position in the sky.

At dawn, the sky flowed with brilliant star rivers, reflecting on the vast marshland, occasionally shrouded in mist, beautiful and dreamlike, like a fairyland.

In the continuous mountain ranges near Yunmeng Marsh, there was a towering mountain that rose thousands of feet above the ground, surrounded by clouds and mist, winding around its half-mountain.

Ancient and magnificent palaces and pavilions were scattered among many peaks and mountain ranges, surrounded by dense spiritual energy, almost substantial.

As one of the well-known forces in the Southern Territory, the Vermillion Bird Sacred Ground was a sacred sect that many cultivators in the Southern Territory dreamed of joining. It not only had a profound background but also abundant resources.

Moreover, it was located near the beautiful and dreamy Yunmeng Marsh. The advantageous geographical location made it the preferred choice for many female cultivators in the Southern Territory, known for its beauty and charm, even outside the Southern Territory, it was well-known.

Therefore, the female cultivators of the Vermillion Bird Sacred Ground were recognized as the most numerous and beautiful, second to none!

Vermillion Bird Sacred Ground, on Mount Zhurong.

"How can a man beat a woman? It's really outrageous! Men are all scoundrels!" The girl flipped through the book in her hand, angrily condemning such despicable behavior!

Glancing at the silent young man beside her, her willow eyebrows suddenly furrowed, her anger rising, she reached out her slender jade hand and twisted the young man's waist forcefully.

"A Qin, what are you doing?" The young man gritted his teeth in pain, his expression twisted as if wearing a mask of agony.

"Humph, why aren't you speaking?" A Qin straightened her burgeoning chest, her waterfall-like green hair falling to her waist.

"Anyway, you're also a young lady of Yunmeng Marsh, can't you pay attention to your image?" Chong Ming looked at the beautiful girl in front of him, his eyes full of helplessness.

"Who cares, no one's watching anyway." A Qin crossed her arms, snorting discontentedly.

"Who said that? Am I not a person? Pretending I don't exist, huh?"

"Humph, I'm just the princess's favorite." A Qin looked at the handsome young man, her eyes looking at him with a teasing smile.

Although she didn't spare any mercy with her words, anyone could see her attitude towards Chong Ming, and their relationship was very close.

A few disciples passing by outside the mountain peak happened to see this scene and began to whisper.

"Brother Chong Ming is flirting with A Qin again."

"Ah, year after year, day after day, we've all gotten used to it."

The two leading disciples, with thoughtful expressions, recalled the first time they saw this scene, from initial doubts and jealousy to numbness and willful ignorance.

"Who is Brother Chong Ming that you are talking about? Could you please explain it to us new disciples?"

"I heard that Brother Chong Ming has been living in the Sacred Ground since he was a child. He is the younger brother of Saintess Chong Xi and later received the Sect Master's favor because of his outstanding talent."

"Saintess Chong Xi... is she the Saintess of our Vermillion Bird Sacred Ground?"

"Yes..."

"May I ask, who is the young lady next to Brother Chong Ming?" one of the disciples asked respectfully.

"She is the daughter of the Dragon Lord in the Southern Territory, the princess of the Dragon Clan here. Remember, if you ever see something like this happen, just pretend you didn't see anything, and treat it as if nothing happened."

"But... don't the Elders and the Sect Master care about this?"

"Who dares to interfere? The Dragon Lord of the Southern Territory has unfathomable strength and has always had a good relationship with our Sect Master. The Sect Master and the Elders tacitly approve of this matter. Who dares to stir up trouble?"

"You see, someone just happened to see it, didn't they?" Chong Ming glanced at the disciples passing by outside the mountain peak, giving A Qin a look that said 'you're so bad.'

A Qin snorted coldly and grabbed Chong Ming's arm.

A familiar and ominous feeling surged in Chong Ming's heart. He silently thought this wasn't good and was about to speak up.

Before he could react, a powerful electric current surged from A Qin's body, instantly paralyzing his entire body. Chong Ming immediately began convulsing uncontrollably, shouting in pain.

As he watched Chong Ming's miserable state, a hint of cunning flashed in A Qin's eyes, and a smug smile appeared on her lips.

"Brother Chong Ming, by yelling like this in front of your junior brothers and sisters, you're tarnishing the noble image of being an older brother~"

The screams echoed on the summit of Mount Zhurong, causing the disciples to feel their scalps tingling and their spines chilled. They hurriedly increased their pace and left...

The young man lay on the ground, convulsing continuously, while A Qin watched him with a smile, blinking her eyes filled with autumn water.

I may be a beauty in the making, but I'm too violent! I always shock him, young people these days have no martial ethics, coming to cheat, coming to sneak attack! Who can stand it!

"A Qin, who would dare marry you if you're so fierce in the future!" Chong Ming lay on the ground, his lips twitching slightly, speaking helplessly.

The graceful girl, with a bright and charming smile on her face, stepped over with long legs and bent down beside the young man, whispering softly in his ear, her breath fragrant like orchids.

"A Qin thinks... Brother Chong Ming is up to the task..."

The girl's cheeks blushed slightly, her eyes slightly lowered, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Chong Ming stared at her blankly, as if he could smell the fragrance from her body and hear the pounding of his heart.