"In seeking revenge, paths intertwine,
What you chase may soon claim you."
...
Qinghai City.
Inside the Sun Family's mansion.
A young cultivator sat cross-legged in a small room, his expression was a mix of boredom and resignation as he stared at the soul lamps in front of him.
The soul lamps glowed faintly, their flames burning strongly. Each one represented a core member of the Sun Family, their lives connected to the light flickering within.
Sun Xia sighed heavily. His task was to watch these lamps, it was an important task but it was also incredibly mind-numbing.
"You're not allowed to cultivate, or do anything else," he muttered, resting his chin on his hand. "Just stare at these soul lamps like your life depends on it. Which, technically, it does."
He grumbled, his voice low and bitter. "I wouldn't have taken this job if it didn't pay well. Spirit cores don't grow on trees, after all."
"Why was I born into the branch family?" he mused. "Me and Sun Zhao are the same age, but he's at the fourth level of Qi-Refining while I'm stuck at the second. And what's he doing? Playing around with girls while I'm stuck babysitting his soul lamp. Tsk."
His complaints trailed off as his eyes lazily followed the flame of Sun Zhao's soul lamp.
Suddenly, the flame flickered.
Sun Xia froze.
The flickering grew more intense before the flame sputtered out completely, leaving behind only an empty lamp.
His mouth went dry, his heart racing.
"Th-That's Sun Zhao's soul lamp!" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
His mind raced.
"Did I just... curse him to death?" he thought, swallowing hard. He didn't dare say it aloud.
Shaking off his shock, Sun Xia jumped to his feet.
"I need to report this immediately!" he blurted, rushing toward the door.
Without sparing another glance at the extinguished lamp, he sprinted down the hallway, his mind filled with panic.
...
Inside the Sun Family's grand hall, Sun Qing sat on a high-backed throne. His expression was serious, his gaze as sharp as a blade. The room was large, its walls filled with different portrayals of the patriarch.
A knock at the large doors broke the silence.
"Come in," Sun Qing said, his voice commanding.
The grand doors of the grand hall creaked open, revealing an elder of the Sun Family stepping inside with hurried steps.
His robes, though well-maintained, lacked the elegance of the man seated on the throne. A clear indication of the status disparity between the two brothers.
This elder who entered the grand hall was Sun Qing's younger brother, a man who had spent most of his life in the shadow of the patriarch.
Sun Qing's eyes flicked toward his brother, his expression unreadable. He always knew when someone brought him news, whether it was trivial or monumental. Thus, he was able to tell from his younger brother's expression that it was bad news.
The younger brother bowed deeply before straightening up. His stance was confident yet restrained—a man who knew his place in the hierarchy of the family.
Although he was an elder of the Sun Family, his path to influence in the family had been an uphill climb. Unlike his older brother, Sun Qing, he had been born with a lower-grade spiritual root, a misfortune that had shaped his life ever since it was tested.
While Sun Qing's talent had propelled him to the position of patriarch and into the realm of Foundation Establishment, his younger brother had stagnated in the Qi-Refining realm for much of his early life.
Even now, though he had made progress, he still lagged far behind his older brother.
Sun Qing, seated on his throne, finally released his aura that showed his authority. His cultivation base was at the very peak of the Foundation Establishment realm, and his presence alone made everyone in the family feel pressured.
He needed only a single opportunity—some rare treasure, a fortuitous encounter, or perhaps an insight from cultivation and he would be able to break through to the Core Formation realm.
It was an achievement he had long sought and one that would elevate both his status and that of the Sun Family inside Qinghai City. And yet, despite decades of hard effort and relentless striving, that elusive opportunity remained just out of his reach.
Sun Qing had tried everything within his considerable means. He had sought guidance from masters in larger cities and poured his wealth into acquiring rare resources hoping to stumble upon a treasure that could push him to the next stage.
Nothing had worked.
The bottleneck mocked him like an insurmountable wall, and though his cultivation base was at its peak in the Foundation Establishment realm, he was never able to break it.
However, all was not lost. His youngest son, Sun Zhao, was his glimmer of hope.
Unlike Sun Qing, who had a sixth-grade spiritual root, Sun Zhao was born with a higher-grade spiritual root, a seventh-grade spiritual root—a true blessing for the Sun Family.
"It's only a matter of time before our family can fully take over Qinghai City," Sun Qing often thought, his pride in his son tempered with expectation.
And yet, that same potential came with its fair share of complications. Sun Zhao's talents had also nurtured an arrogance that Sun Qing found understandable.
Still, Sun Zhao's habit of indulging in luxuries, women and causing trouble in the city left Sun Qing frequently cleaning up after him.
"The higher the tree grows, the more wind it attracts," Sun Qing muttered to himself often, using an old saying to rationalize his son's behaviour.
"Speak," Sun Qing said, his tone calm.
The elder nodded, as he prepared to deliver the news.
But beneath his composed exterior, a feeling of unease sprouted in his chest. After all, the extinguishing of a core member's soul lamp was never a trivial matter. Especially if the core member was none other than, Sun Zhao.