Chapter 1

In the late hours of early autumn, the cicadas, finally tired, had just quieted down. At this time, most people would be sleeping the sweetest and most peaceful sleep. If anyone were to be disturbed at this hour, they might even feel like hitting someone.

The autumn cicadas, knowing their days were numbered, chirped even louder than in the height of summer. The crickets must have hated them especially. After all, they all relied on their wings; did being bigger make them better?

The young man sat up in bed as if there was a clock inside him that never erred by even a minute. He stretched lazily and greedily, then cast a lingering glance at his hard wooden bed. Although it was just a bed made from a door panel and two stacks of bricks, it was the most luxurious piece of furniture in the room.

He dressed carefully, treating each button with attention. This was not just because he believed every task should be taken seriously, but also because he only had this one set of clothes. He squatted down to tie the straps of his straw shoes, neither too loose nor too tight. They were new straw shoes, so he had walked three miles to adapt to them, ensuring this was the most comfortable way to tie them.

Then he combed his hair in front of a mirror that was half-broken, using a comb made from pine needles, with each tooth spaced evenly.

Yes, this was his attitude.

While combing his hair, he held a branch in his mouth, already bitten with many teeth marks.

He smiled.

The curve.

He made his smile look as warm as a spring breeze.

He would not let anyone see the hatred in his heart, nor would he let anyone think he harbored grudges. He smiled at himself in the mirror, telling himself that all of this was to reclaim what belonged to him. All the gloom and coldness were carefully hidden in the deepest corners, where even the warm sun could not reach.

Calculating the time, it was time to go out. He walked out of the door, which was missing a panel, and picked up the pole and buckets outside. Even with his eyes closed, he would not take a wrong step. From his door to the well, it was exactly 2,622 steps, one less than last year.

Because he was growing.

For him, growing continuously was a remarkable achievement.

Chen Xi walked and silently counted his steps. At the 899th step, he began to smile, the same smile he had practiced in front of the mirror. He leaned forward slightly as a greeting, though the old man meditating in the small grove ignored him as usual. But Chen Xi did not think his actions were meaningless, nor did he think the old man had not seen him.

This was Xiaoman Tianzong, the most famous sect in Qingzhou.

Even if all the sects in the nine prefectures and eighty-one states were counted, Xiaoman Tianzong would still rank in the middle to upper level. The old man was the head of the Qingwu Academy, one of the six outer sects of Xiaoman Tianzong. His name was Zhou Jiuzhi. Chen Xi did not know how high his cultivation was, but he knew that if he wanted to practice, he needed to get close to this person.

And he must practice.

Chen Xi's steps did not slow down, and he did not look back. He maintained the perfect pace, not wanting to annoy anyone.

He needed to fill the twelve large vats in the training ground with water before dawn. The disciples of the Qingwu Academy would start their physical training at sunrise and then use the water in those vats to bathe. According to the rules, Chen Xi had to leave before the disciples arrived, as he was just a servant, and if he were caught watching them train, he would be beaten to death. The water had to be refilled every day because the pampered disciples would never use water from the previous night.

It had been almost a year, Chen Xi calculated.

He had arrived in the depths of winter last year, and now it was autumn.

He drew water from the well, filling the buckets to just below the brim. This was the best he could do; if the water was any fuller, it would splash out when he ran. He had long adapted to the weight of two buckets and began to run on the path paved with blue stone slabs, focusing entirely on his run.

Each step he took landed on the most stable part of the blue stone slab. The mountain path was uneven, and the slabs were not flat. If he stepped on a raised part, he might sprain his ankle and fall. He passed by the old man's side many times but never looked that way again.

On his twentieth pass, the old man opened his eyes slightly.

"A bit too old, a pity."

He said to himself, then closed his eyes again.

Chen Xi, of course, did not know what the old man was thinking. He only knew what he had to do. To avenge himself, he must practice. His enemy was powerful, so powerful that even a slight movement of a finger could mean his death. Power, influence, and high cultivation—these were the things his enemy possessed.

And he possessed only one thing... perseverance.

After filling the twelve vats, Chen Xi wiped the sweat from his forehead and started to walk back. When he was a mile away from the training ground, he took off his clothes and jumped into the deep pool to bathe. This was the famous Bishui Cold Pool of Xiaoman Tianzong, where even a Third Rank Foundation Establishment cultivator would not dare to enter easily because the water was too cold.

Chen Xi dared, but only just.

Each time, he felt as if he were dying.

But he told himself he must do this.

On the hillside, Zhou Jiuzhi watched Chen Xi, who was almost unconscious in the cold pool, and frowned.

"I don't know what you bear, but if you risk your life just to impress me... such a mindset may not be a good thing."

...

...

Chen Xi squatted on a rock and handed the roasted chicken wings to the disciples wearing the blue robes of the Qingwu Academy. These proud young talents were so arrogant that they did not even notice Chen Xi's existence. To them, Chen Xi was just someone who appeared whenever they needed him, and he never disappointed them.

But even so, their attitude toward Chen Xi did not change. They did not beat or mock him because they did not even see him.

Chen Xi was an ordinary person, while they were cultivators of the Qingwu Academy... even if they were just the lowest-level initiates.

They had never noticed Chen Xi, but Chen Xi cherished every moment he could pay attention to them.

"You all know that the annual exam is next month on the first day. Only those who reach Fifth Rank Foundation Establishment are eligible to take the internal test, and those who pass can enter the Destiny Altering Tower for three months of cultivation. Don't just focus on eating, drinking, and playing. If none of my students enter the Destiny Altering Tower, it will not only be a disgrace to you but also to me."

Professor Ding Mei looked at her playful disciples with a slight disappointment. There were too few outstanding students in this batch. She remembered when she was cultivating in the Qingwu Academy, there were several geniuses in her class who had reached Seventh Rank Foundation Establishment, including him, who was now a high-ranking instructor in another place. He had already reached Eighth Rank Foundation Establishment before entering the Destiny Altering Tower.

The disciples laughed, and a young man with a stern face said, "I don't know about the others, but I won't let you down, Teacher."

Zhan Qing

Ding Mei glanced at her favorite disciple.

In Class A, no more than five students had the qualifications to enter the Destiny Altering Tower. Among them, the one Ding Mei was least worried about was Zhan Qing. He had enlightened at six, reached Foundation Establishment at seven, Fifth Rank Foundation Establishment at fifteen, and Seventh Rank Foundation Establishment at eighteen. His cultivation speed was dazzling even in the entire Qingwu Academy.

"Neither will I."

The girl sitting next to Zhan Qing was named Shi Xueling, a young generation from the prestigious Shi family of Qingzhou. She was not only exceptionally talented but also beautiful. However, from the way she looked at Zhan Qing, everything was clear.

Ding Mei smiled, "Don't be cheeky, or I'll move your seat."

Shi Xueling stuck out her tongue and reached for Zhan Qing's arm, "No way, no one can take my seat."

Zhan Qing pushed her hand away and turned his head to the side.

Shi Xueling was not angry and smiled at Zhan Qing.

She had given Ding Mei a bottle of Clear Skin Lotion worth a hundred gold in the black market to get the seat next to Zhan Qing. A hundred gold was not much for a Qingwu Academy instructor, but the Clear Skin Lotion was a product of the Shi family's medicinal kitchen, not something money could buy.

Ding Mei smiled, but she was still disappointed.

She was a woman whose age was hard to guess, always wearing the same dark blue instructor's robe. According to Chen Xi's understanding, Ding Mei was a woman whose life was monotonous to the point of being boring. She woke up, ate, and taught on time, never went shopping, bought pretty clothes, or had a boyfriend.

Even the Clear Skin Lotion she had received from Shi Xueling remained untouched on her desk.

Chen Xi knew this because he handled all the miscellaneous tasks for Class A of the Qingwu Academy. Although he had never been in Ding Mei's room, he could clearly see everything on her desk when he cleaned the windows, neatly arranged. A woman who was this disciplined was not at all lovable.

So Chen Xi was convinced that Ding Mei had a story.

Her decision to help Shi Xueling was likely related to her own story.

"The path of cultivation has no end."

Ding Mei said slowly, "However, the cultivation realm is divided into five stages and forty-five ranks, with each stage having nine ranks. Being able to enter the Qingwu Academy is, in itself, a form of recognition. In the annual exams, the Qingwu Academy has never dropped out of the top three. Among the six outer sects, the Qingwu Academy may not be the best, but it is you who are honored to join the Qingwu Academy, not the other way around, understand?"

Her tone suddenly turned cold, and the disciples immediately became solemn.

"Understood!"

"The first stage is Foundation Establishment. The most talented person I know reached First Rank Foundation Establishment at six and Eighth Rank Foundation Establishment at ten when he entered the Destiny Altering Tower. He left Xiaoman Tianzong before he was fifteen. You are all very proud, which is a good thing. Cultivators should have pride. However, if your pride is not proportional to your strength, it becomes a joke."

Ding Mei said, "The thirty-six disciples of Class A combined are not as good as him."

"After Foundation Establishment comes Void Breaking, then Spirit Mountain, then Grotto Concealment, and above that... is the Full Realm."

Ding Mei said, "A cultivator with average talent may spend their entire life without reaching Void Breaking, ultimately becoming a bodyguard for a wealthy family. You all have lofty ambitions, but how many of you will have lives as fragile as paper? Fish swim upstream, the strongest leading. Geese fly south, the strongest leading. If you lose the will to win, your life is over. Even if you enter the Destiny Altering Tower, it won't change your fate."

"Among you, only Zhan Qing, Shi Xueling, Zhao Wu, Sun Xianke, and Fu Dao have a chance to enter the Destiny Altering Tower, one less than last year."

Ding Mei said, "One less will drag down the Qingwu Academy's performance. Is there anyone who can volunteer and believes they have the ability to compete with the disciples of other academies?"

The students looked at each other, and except for the five Ding Mei mentioned, the others lowered their heads, not daring to speak. The competition was fierce, and no one held back. If they lost, it would not just be embarrassing but also painful.

"Ah... you are all spineless."

Ding Mei provoked them, but no one spoke.

At that moment, the small servant who was never noticed slowly raised his hand, weakly but firmly said, "How about... I give it a try?"