Chapter 1

It was still before dawn, and the chill of late autumn was intense, with everything still shrouded in darkness.

In the Luo family's cellar, a lamp had been quietly lit. Young Luo Zheng, who blocked most of the lamp's light, sat at a table and quietly pulled out an old, bound book.

Luo Zheng had just turned seventeen, with a slender build and a face that could not be called handsome, but he had a gentle demeanor, especially his eyes, which were full of spirit. Even in the dim light of the lamp, his eyes sparkled.

"This book, 'Tian Lun Wen Xian,' I spent a month reading it. The principles it expounds are all good, but I cannot agree with the four words 'repaying grievances with virtue'!" Luo Zheng whispered softly, looking at the small flame, his face showing a sad expression: "If it weren't for Father's kindness and belief in these four words, our main branch would not have fallen to such a state, and Father would not have died..."

After pondering for a long time, the sound of a lock being opened came from the cellar door. Luo Zheng immediately wiped away the sadness from his eyes, replacing it with a determined look. He quickly blew out the lamp and covered himself with an old quilt.

The lock on the cellar was opened, and several footsteps approached. The person in front stepped on Luo Zheng's bed and shouted in a high-pitched voice: "Still sleeping? Get up, you still think you're the young master of the Luo family?"

This person was a steward of the Luo family, with a sharp face and a mole on his forehead, a sight that instantly made one feel disgusted.

Luo Zheng lifted the quilt, deliberately rubbed his eyes, and got out of bed. He dressed silently, wearing old but neatly arranged clothes.

The steward rolled his eyes and muttered, "What a character," then waved his hand. The servants behind him surrounded Luo Zheng, putting on thick leather armor and handcuffs on him.

After this, Luo Zheng was led out of the cellar by the servants and walked toward the Luo family's training hall.

The Luo family was a prominent clan in Chongming County, owning thousands of acres of good land and hundreds of mines, well-known in the county.

However, the entire Eastern Domain had over a thousand counties, each with numerous powerful families, and the Luo family was not among the top in the Eastern Domain.

Luo Zheng was escorted by the servants, climbing out of the dark cellar, passing through countless pavilions and corridors, before finally reaching the entrance of the training hall.

The training hall was spacious, a place for the Luo family's descendants to practice. The entrance was adorned with dragons, phoenixes, and lions made of white jade, and the ground was paved with one-meter-square black stones. Standing at the entrance, one could feel the grandeur.

In the middle of the training hall, dozens of Luo family's descendants, dressed in gray robes, were practicing boxing under the guidance of the family's martial instructor.

The air was filled with the sound of punches and shouts.

These Luo family's descendants were mostly in their teens, striving to gain a certain status in the family. They practiced diligently every day, honing their bodies.

The cold wind of late autumn was piercing, but they were sweating profusely, with some even emitting steam from their heads, surrounded by white mist...

On one side of the training hall, there were already several men, like Luo Zheng, wearing handcuffs and leg irons, and dressed in leather armor. These men were in poor condition, with bruised and swollen faces, and visible and hidden injuries.

Luo Zheng was escorted into the training hall and stood with these men.

These men in poor condition were mostly death row inmates bought from the local prison by the Luo family, who became the family's slaves. Their role was to serve as human targets for the Luo family's descendants to beat, train, and test their strength. Many of these human targets were beaten to death or crippled each year.

Luo Zheng was not a bought death row inmate. He was once the eldest son of the main branch of the Luo family, a prominent young master with a high status in the family. Even the elders treated him with respect.

However, two years ago, a major event occurred in Chongyang County. Luo Zheng's father, the head of the Luo family, was poisoned and killed by his own brother.

Subsequently, the main branch was framed by the other three branches of the Luo family, accused of treason, and completely declined.

Luo Zheng, as the former young master, was also accused of treason and became a slave of the Luo family, serving as a human target for the Luo family's descendants to beat and train, with no hope of ever regaining his status.

This life of being beaten at will had lasted for two years, during which Luo Zheng had endured countless punches and humiliations.

"Today's practice is over. Each Luo family descendant, choose your human target! Striking a human body can help you fully understand the techniques of real combat and familiarize yourself with the weak points and bone structure of the human body!"

After the martial instructor gave the order, the Luo family's descendants each chose their human target. Soon, the training hall was filled with cries for mercy. The Luo family's descendants treated these slaves as mere objects, striking them with full force, showing no mercy.

Many of them specifically chose Luo Zheng, hitting him even harder and more forcefully, as beating the former young master gave them a greater sense of achievement!

Facing the punches of the Luo family's descendants, Luo Zheng protected his vital areas, his face expressionless, calmly and composedly dealing with the situation. He had become accustomed to this.

Not long after, several people walked into the training hall, led by a young man in brocade clothing, his face full of joy.

"The young master has arrived!"

"Young master, you have finally emerged from seclusion. You look energetic, your cultivation must have greatly improved!"

"Young master, with your outstanding talent, you must have already entered the Bone Refinement stage!"

The Luo family's descendants stopped beating and began to flatter the young man in brocade.

Luo Zheng's gaze fell on the young man in brocade, and a barely noticeable anger quietly rose. This young man in brocade, the "young master" as the Luo family's descendants called him, was named Luo Peiran, the former eldest son of the second branch, about the same age as Luo Zheng.

After Luo Zheng was demoted to a slave, Luo Peiran replaced him as the young master of the Luo family.

Recently, it was said that Luo Peiran had been in seclusion, not appearing for a while. Now, it seemed that his strength had improved even further!

Luo Peiran's senses were very sharp. Noticing Luo Zheng's unfriendly gaze, he turned to look at him, a mocking smile on his face, and walked up to Luo Zheng, saying, "Luo Zheng, I've been in seclusion for a long time, and I didn't expect you to still be alive?"

"Thanks to your good words, I'm not dead yet," Luo Zheng replied in a low voice.

"How dare you speak to the young master like that? What kind of attitude is this?"

"A mere slave, why don't you kneel? Quickly prostrate yourself and apologize to the young master, or you'll regret ever being born."

Several Luo family's descendants shouted, as if Luo Zheng had dug up their family graves.

Luo Zheng coldly surveyed the scene. These Luo family's descendants, who once treated him like a dog, now changed their faces faster than turning a page, becoming Luo Peiran's dogs.

Luo Peiran waved his hand, stopping the agitated Luo family's descendants, and said to Luo Zheng with a smug look, "Luo Zheng, do you know why I went into seclusion?"

Luo Zheng remained silent, his face dark as he looked at Luo Peiran.

"You should know that our Luo family has two Heavenly Transformation Pills? Recently, I consumed one of them," Luo Peiran smacked his lips and said, "This Heavenly Transformation Pill is truly extraordinary. The pure medicinal power cleansed my body, allowing me to transcend and reach the Bone Refinement stage from the Flesh Refinement stage. And the effects have only been partially realized, remaining in my body, continuously nourishing my body. I am just one step away from the Organ Refinement stage, and the Marrow Refinement stage is also within reach!"

Heavenly Transformation Pills!

These two pills were the Luo family's most precious treasures, holy medicines left by their ancestors, stored in the most secret place, not to be used by ordinary people.

According to the family rules, only Luo family descendants who reached the Bone Refinement stage before the age of sixteen were eligible to use the Heavenly Transformation Pills.

The human body has five stages of cultivation: the first stage is the Skin Refinement stage, the second stage is the Flesh Refinement stage, the third stage is the Bone Refinement stage, the fourth stage is the Organ Refinement stage, and the fifth stage is the Marrow Refinement stage. The differences between each stage are significant, and it is extremely difficult for ordinary people to break through. Without decades of training, it is almost impossible to advance.

Most people who reach the Bone Refinement stage by the age of thirty are considered to have exceptional talent.

According to the family rules, one must reach the Bone Refinement stage before the age of sixteen to be eligible to use the Heavenly Transformation Pills.

Reaching the Bone Refinement stage at the age of sixteen is undoubtedly a genius among geniuses. Not to mention the Luo family, even in the entire Chongming County, such a talent has never appeared. Therefore, for the past three hundred years, the Heavenly Transformation Pills have never been used.

Originally, Luo Zheng was the most likely to consume the Heavenly Transformation Pills.

At the age of fourteen, he had already reached the peak of the second stage, the Flesh Refinement stage, and was hailed by the Duke of Chongyang as the hope for the revival of the Luo family, a prodigy favored by heaven, a genius among geniuses!

Unfortunately, in that year, internal strife within the family led to his father's death due to his kind nature, and Luo Zheng was demoted to a slave, becoming a human target, a prisoner, with his cultivation stagnating, missing the opportunity to consume the Heavenly Transformation Pills.

Luo Peiran, on the other hand, had ordinary talent and only reached the second stage, the Flesh Refinement stage, at the age of sixteen, far from being eligible to use the Heavenly Transformation Pills. Yet, he still used it.

The Heavenly Transformation Pills were meant for him, yet they were consumed by this talentless waste. Even though Luo Zheng's temperament had been completely tempered over the past two years, he could not help but become agitated, angrily saying, "Luo Peiran, you have disregarded the family rules and privately consumed the holy medicine, you are no better than a beast!"

"Hmph, in my eyes, you are not even as significant as a worm in a rock crevice! I have reached the peak of the Bone Refinement stage, capable of holding a thousand pounds with one hand. You, a mere slave, can be crushed by me with one hand. Today, I have emerged from seclusion, and I will find a human target to test my skills!" Luo Peiran paid no attention to Luo Zheng's words, and pointed at a middle-aged man, saying, "I choose you!"

He did not choose Luo Zheng but a middle-aged man. The middle-aged man, seeing Luo Peiran point at him, trembled all over. Although he wore thick leather armor on his chest, which could withstand some damage, he still trembled in fear at the sight of Luo Peiran, who had reached the Bone Refinement stage, and his pants were instantly wet.

Luo Peiran took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and assumed the stance of the Luo family's ultimate technique, the "Purple Sandalwood Fist." He wanted to show off, so he pushed the technique to its limit, and a faint purple glow enveloped his body.

"Spare... spare me... Young master, please show mercy!" The human target, seeing Luo Peiran's aura, showed a look of despair. This punch would surely be fatal. He begged for mercy and was about to kneel.

"Pop!"

Luo Peiran ignored the human target's pleas and struck him in the chest. A dull sound echoed, and the leather armor on the human target's chest was shattered, his chest caved in, and he crashed into the wall of the training hall, falling to the ground motionless.

This single punch killed the fully armored human target.

"Young master's punch is mighty, I doubt there is another like him among the young people of our Luo family!"

"Young master will surely revitalize the Luo family and make it even greater!"

The Luo family's descendants, seizing the opportunity, began to flatter him again.

Luo Peiran seemed very satisfied with the effect of his punch and then looked at Luo Zheng with ill intent.

Luo Zheng instinctively took a step back. Although he was stronger than the middle-aged man, he could not withstand Luo Peiran's punch.

Luo Peiran laughed and patted Luo Zheng's shoulder hard, "Don't worry, I won't kill you so quickly. I want you to see that I, Luo Peiran, am much stronger than you, this piece of trash!"

After saying this, Luo Peiran was about to leave but suddenly remembered something and turned back, saying, "By the way, I forgot something. I heard that my talented cousin is not doing well in the Qingyun Sect. She offended a powerful figure and was sent to the Hellfire Mountain for penance. When I reach the Organ Refinement stage, I will go to the Qingyun Sect to rescue her, hahaha..."

Hearing this, Luo Zheng's heart tightened!