Chapter 1

In a rather spacious hall, an old man, dressed in gray with grayish-white hair and sunken eyes, was sawing a section of iron pine wood with a saw that had fine ropes at both ends. The iron pine wood was as hard as iron, and the fine needle-like ropes had already sunk deep into it. As the old man pushed the saw back and forth, it continuously made a 'puchi puchi' sound, deep and muffled, far from the clear and loud 'chi chi' sound of an iron saw cutting through wood.

On the shelves on both sides of the hall, various wooden carvings were displayed. There were lifelike flying birds and bees, vivid fairy maidens and children, various fierce beasts and domestic animals, and even grimacing demons and little ghosts. Each one was incredibly realistic; if not for their miniature size, anyone would think they were living creatures.

Just as the old man was sweating profusely, sawing away with the rope saw, the door of the hall creaked open a crack, and a young boy of about fourteen or fifteen slipped in. The boy had a slightly yellowish complexion, a thin face, a slightly pointed nose, thin lips, and long, round eyes that sparkled like the stars, exuding a sense of resilience and determination. He wore a gray storage bag at his waist. After closing the door, he saw the old man sawing the wood and sweating profusely. He walked a few steps to the old man, looked at the dinner already set on the table, grabbed a roasted chicken, tore off a leg, and started eating it in large bites.

"Grandpa, the roasted chicken today is really delicious. It must be from the Gao family in the east. It's really good, really, really... delicious."

As he gobbled down the food, the boy grabbed the wine jug nearby, drank a few gulps of wine, and then, looking at the rope saw in the old man's hand, frowned and said, "Grandpa, you've been sawing this piece of iron pine wood for three months. Why not use an iron saw? It would only take an hour to saw through it. Really, if people knew you were training your mind, they might think you were being silly."

Seeing that the old man didn't respond, the boy didn't say anything more and continued eating. When he finished the entire roasted chicken, the fine needle-like rope on the old man's saw suddenly snapped with a 'pa' sound.

This sudden change startled the boy, who quickly stood up and pointed at the broken saw, saying, "Grandpa, the green-scaled snake sinew broke, the green-scaled snake sinew broke."

"There's no need to make such a fuss. It's just a piece of green-scaled snake sinew. If it breaks, I'll just find another one tomorrow."

After responding, the old man picked up the saw, examined it, and then looked at the iron pine wood, which was almost halfway through. He shook his head and sighed, "It shouldn't be like this. There must be something about to happen."

He then put the saw aside, moved his hand slightly, and an invisible force moved the iron pine wood to the side. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he looked at the well-fed boy and smiled, saying, "Yuan Dian, you seem to have had a good meal. It looks like you did well today, didn't you?"

"Hehe, Grandpa, I did really well today. I faced two cultivators at the third stage of the Condensation of Qi and defeated one, scaring the other into fleeing. How about that? Wasn't the roasted chicken worth it?"

Hearing this, the old man nodded slightly, showing his satisfaction. Yuan Dian let out a long breath, thinking to himself, "Finally, I've made Grandpa happy."

Yuan Dian, the young boy, was a cultivator in the southeastern part of the Qionglei Peninsula, in the capital city of Miyang in the state of Ju. He had just entered the third stage of the Condensation of Qi. He and his grandfather, whose cultivation level was unknown, ran a wooden carving shop together, living in the mortal world while cultivating and making a living.

Two years ago, when Yuan Dian was twelve, he followed his grandfather to search for carving wood and encountered two cultivators in a battle. Faced with flying fireballs and ice arrows, Yuan Dian marveled at the power of cultivators. On that day, his grandfather told him that he could also cultivate and become a cultivator, and gave him a book called "Complete Guide to Cultivation."

Since then, under his grandfather's guidance, Yuan Dian entered the path of cultivation. After reaching the first stage of the Condensation of Qi, he began to seek out other cultivators of the same level for battles, as his grandfather required.

This practice of seeking out others for battles meant that Yuan Dian would actively look for other cultivators of the same level to fight. If he was defeated, he would go without dinner for three days. If he defeated his opponent, he could enjoy a hearty meal, as he did today.

In addition to the "Complete Guide to Cultivation," his grandfather also taught him the "Disguise Technique" and the "Heavenly Travel Technique." The former allowed him to change his appearance so that no one would recognize him, while the latter, which Yuan Dian valued more, allowed him to escape quickly when he was at a disadvantage.

His grandfather always knew the outcome of each battle, which made Yuan Dian never dare to lie. There were even times when he found himself in dangerous situations, and his grandfather would appear just in time to save him.

Given his grandfather's control over everything, Yuan Dian guessed that his grandfather was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to know everything about his actions. This gave Yuan Dian more confidence in his battles, but his grandfather strictly ordered him to only seek out cultivators of the same level and not those with higher cultivation, unless he reached the fourth stage of the Condensation of Qi and entered the middle stage.

"Middle stage of the Condensation of Qi, I must reach it as soon as possible." Every time he thought about this, Yuan Dian would silently encourage himself.

In the two years since he entered the cultivation world, Yuan Dian naturally knew some things about cultivation. Cultivators at the Condensation of Qi stage were as common as shrimp, while Foundation Establishment cultivators were like crabs, dominating without restraint. Those at the Core Formation stage were like dragons, controlling everything. As for cultivators above the Core Formation stage, Yuan Dian had only heard of them but never seen them; they existed only in his imagination.

The third stage of the Condensation of Qi, where Yuan Dian was, was divided into four periods: early, middle, late, and perfect, totaling twelve levels. Yuan Dian had just entered the late stage of the early period, still far from the middle stage. He could only diligently follow his grandfather's instructions and seek out cultivators of the same level.

"Yuan Dian, starting tomorrow, you need to change your target. Focus on cultivators from three small sects, like shrimp."

"What? Grandpa, those are the three major sects!" Hearing this, Yuan Dian jumped up from his seat, his eyes wide with surprise as he looked at his grandfather.

The three small sects his grandfather referred to were the Qiyang Sect, Feimoshan, and the Qintang Sect, which were the true rulers of the state of Ju. As a group, they were extremely powerful, with hundreds of cultivators at the same stage as Yuan Dian, and Core Formation cultivators within their ranks.

Most importantly, these sect cultivators often moved in groups, with a mix of sizes and strengths, rarely acting alone. Yuan Dian had once considered targeting them, but seeing their uniform clothing and the way they moved in groups, he wisely abandoned the idea.

Sect cultivators were different from independent cultivators. They were stronger and more organized. Seeking out independent cultivators might offend a few people, but seeking out sect cultivators could cause widespread trouble.

When Yuan Dian expressed these concerns to his grandfather, the old man showed the usual disdainful look, saying, "Don't worry. A few small sects are nothing to fear. Just go ahead and seek them out. Everything will be fine with me backing you up."

"Same old line." Seeing his grandfather's domineering attitude, Yuan Dian muttered to himself.

In his memory, whenever he described powerful cultivators he had seen, his grandfather always showed disdain, even ignoring them. It was as if even the Core Formation elders of the three major sects in Ju would not make him blink. This disdain seemed innate, and every time he saw his grandfather's expression, Yuan Dian wondered, "Does Grandpa really have the confidence?"

As Yuan Dian considered how to complete his grandfather's task the next day, his grandfather's voice came to his ears, "Yuan Dian, two years of training at the bottom is enough for you. Starting tomorrow, you will begin a new training method. Otherwise, you will never become strong."

Before Yuan Dian could respond, his grandfather looked around the various wooden carvings on the shelves, as if thinking deeply and teaching Yuan Dian, "Yuan Dian, the cultivation world is vast. Ju is just a tiny place. Staying here will never make you strong. When you go out, you will discover many things that will make you feel inferior. Most importantly, your family's mission, your responsibility, your revenge..."

At this point, his grandfather suddenly stopped speaking, looking at Yuan Dian with a pained expression, then shook his head helplessly, as if lost in thought.

Seeing his grandfather's expression, Yuan Dian, despite his many questions, did not speak. He knew that even if he asked, his grandfather would not tell him.

He was no longer a child. From his grandfather's occasional words, he could infer that he did not belong here and that he had his own revenge and mission. His grandfather would reveal everything at the right time, whether it was the middle stage of the Condensation of Qi, the late stage, or even a more distant future, but not now.

Looking at Yuan Dian, who was also lost in thought, his grandfather sighed softly, gently patted his shoulder with his rough, calloused hand, and said with affection, "Yuan Dian, my good child, you will know everything in the future. Tomorrow, continue your training. Remember, this time, your target is the cultivators from the three small sects."

Hehe, I designed this scene because I didn't get into high school after graduating from junior high school and learned carpentry for a while. However, I only learned for a month before going back to school.

Hehe, I was once a carpenter, and I can tell you that the apprentice test for carpenters is to make a small stool, a four-legged stool, which is the hardest to make because you can't use a single nail.

Hehe, our story begins. Friends, please support us!

[AD begins on the previous page]

[AD ends on the previous page]