Chapter 1

Wuguo.

Qinghe County, Luoyun Mountain.

In a time of chaos, bandits rose up everywhere, human lives were as insignificant as grass, and martial arts sects and extraordinary individuals were countless. Occasionally, there were even tales of immortals ascending to heaven in broad daylight.

Without mentioning the outside world, Luoyun Mountain was a famous blessed land in Wuguo, stretching for eight hundred miles with abundant primordial energy, making it a treasured place for martial artists.

Numerous martial arts sects and noble families were situated here, with over a hundred and eight of them, according to legend.

In times of chaos, strength was paramount. A high-ranking martial artist possessed the power to withstand ten thousand men, and wealth and honor were within easy reach. Even the emperor of Wuguo treated the powerful forces of Luoyun Mountain with the highest respect.

The main approach was to pacify them, granting them official positions and salaries, making these sects and families extremely prestigious.

However, there were always exceptions.

Luoyun Mountain was vast, and among the one hundred and eight families, there were also those who had fallen on hard times.

To the west of this sprawling mountain range, towering trees and dense vegetation covered the land, but there was a large open area with peculiar rocks, where a massive building stood.

It was desolate and ancient, constructed entirely of gray greenstone, exuding a heavy and majestic aura. Though weathered, it still appeared grand and imposing.

It was a miracle that required immense human and material resources to build.

Unfortunately, times had changed, and the glory of the past had faded into the long river of history.

The Ling family of Qinghe County was once able to call the royal family brothers and was bestowed the title of a hereditary prince, known as the first noble family of Wuguo.

However, it had now fallen to the point where they could hardly afford meals.

Well, that was an exaggeration, but the reality wasn't much better.

...

Ling Family, Training Ground.

It was just dawn, the sun had just risen above the horizon, and had not yet cast its first rays of light in the clouds...

"Martial arts are about diligence compensating for clumsiness. With enough effort, an iron rod can be ground into a needle, and water can wear through stone. Even a slow bird can fly first. As long as we work hard, the Ling family will surely rise again."

On the training ground, a middle-aged man with a stern appearance was urging the young disciples to practice martial arts. His face was extremely serious, and he explained the principles of martial arts while also boosting their morale: "The foundation of martial arts is the body, hence it is called body refinement."

"Body refinement is divided into nine levels. Each level brings a significant increase in strength. If one can break through to the fourth level of body refinement, they can become a third-rate expert, riding fine horses and wearing fine clothes, becoming a guest of honor in major sects. If they serve the court, they can be granted the rank of a seventh-grade general, with power equivalent to a county magistrate, the supreme ruler of a hundred miles."

His voice echoed over the training ground, and the young disciples of the Ling family formed a square, their fists moving with the force of the wind, practicing martial arts while listening attentively.

"At the fourth level of body refinement, each punch has the strength of a thousand pounds. In battle, one can hold off a hundred enemies, matching a hundred elite soldiers. If one advances to the fifth level, their strength will double to two thousand pounds, making them a second-rate expert. If they serve the country, they can be granted the rank of a fourth-grade general, with power equivalent to a governor, the supreme ruler of a thousand miles."

"Uncle Three, what is the supreme ruler of a thousand miles?"

A child's voice, still in the baby talk stage, asked. The little one was only three years old, with a cute, round face.

He could easily fall if he ran too fast, yet he was practicing martial arts with his older siblings on the training ground.

The middle-aged man sighed. The Ling family's young disciples were diligent and hardworking, without the airs of noble family children. They practiced in the coldest and hottest seasons, but...

Suppressing his gloom, he forced a smile and encouraged them: "The supreme ruler of a thousand miles is because a governor's jurisdiction covers a thousand miles. If one becomes a second-rate expert and is granted the rank of a fourth-grade general, they will have the same power as a governor, the supreme ruler of a thousand miles, with the authority to decide life and death, and the power to turn the tide with a single word."

"Then... can he eat meat every day?"

Hearing the child's voice, filled with hope and curiosity, Ling Tianxiong's heart ached. Other noble family children were all dressed in fine clothes, rode in carriages, and had beautiful servants. Exotic delicacies were common, and they had various elixirs to enhance their bodies during their cultivation.

But the Ling family, once on par with the royal family and granted a hereditary princely title, had fallen to the point where they could hardly afford meals.

They could only eat meat once every ten days, and each person could only get two ounces. This was the treatment for those who practiced martial arts.

The rest of the clan members only had two meals a day and could taste meat twice a month.

Though they were not starving, they were barely making ends meet.

The Ling family's code of conduct emphasized love and equality among clan members. The ordinary clan members voluntarily saved food and resources to support the martial artists, hoping to one day revive the family, but...

Thinking of this, Ling Tianxiong's heart ached. His elder brother had passed away, and he was now the strongest in the Ling family, but he was only at the third level of body refinement.

He was not yet a third-rate expert.

Moreover, he had been stuck at this bottleneck for a long time. If he could break through to the fourth level of body refinement and be granted the rank of a seventh-grade general, although it would not be enough to revitalize the Ling family, the salary would be enough to buy a large amount of food to prevent the clan members from starving...

It was all because of that hateful curse!

Just as Ling Tianxiong thought this, the sound of scattered footsteps reached his ears. Looking up, he saw several clan members, their faces pale and haggard, running over in a panic.

Ling Tianxiong frowned. The training ground was a restricted area, and ordinary clan members were not allowed to enter, for fear of disturbing the young disciples practicing martial arts. Could something serious have happened?

Sure enough, many of the young men's gazes turned towards him, and their movements became sluggish.

"Martial arts require concentration, the mind must be focused and undistracted..."

Ling Tianxiong gave a cold snort, reciting the general principles of the Ling family's martial arts. The young disciples were startled and quickly focused, concentrating on their practice.

In this world, strength was paramount, and only by practicing martial arts could they protect their clan.

Ling Tianxiong quickly walked forward to meet them.

There were six people, three men and three women, all wearing patched clothes, dusty and dirty, their faces pale and haggard.

However, Ling Tianxiong had no disdain, and he stepped forward to grasp the hand of an old farmer.

"Fourth Grandpa, what's wrong?"

That's right, these were all members of the Ling family, but they could not practice martial arts, so they farmed. The old man leading them was not actually Ling Tianxiong's fourth grandfather, but he was called that according to the family hierarchy.

The Ling family was loving and equal, with no distinction between the core disciples who practiced martial arts and the ordinary farmers.

They were all descendants of the same ancestor, all blood-related family members.

At this moment, the old man's face was full of anxiety, and he was on the verge of tears, wanting to kneel down: "Elder... Elder, the Chen family... the Chen family sent people to desecrate our land on the southern slope..."

"What?"

Ling Tianxiong's face darkened, his expression stormy.

The Ling family was no longer what it used to be, not only had their wealth and honor vanished like clouds, but they were almost at the point of starvation.

The family's main income came from farming, producing grain to meet the needs of the clan.

However, farming was already extremely laborious, and the weather was not favorable. Even in the mountains, they had encountered a severe drought, and several of the Ling family's fields had suffered significant reductions in yield.

Even the core disciples, in addition to practicing martial arts, had to carry water and fertilize the fields to support the family's grain production.

Only the land on the southern slope, being close to a water source, had not been affected and was the most important granary of the Ling family.

The clan's ability to eat depended on this land. Hearing that it had been desecrated, Ling Tianxiong was naturally anxious: "Take me there."

After taking a few steps, he seemed to think of something: "Ling Feng, Ling Yu, go find the clan leader."

"Yes!"

From the square, a boy and a girl stepped forward, both about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a resemblance that suggested they were siblings. They left the training ground and ran towards the back courtyard.

...

"Where am I?"

Ling Xian woke up from a dream, looking around in confusion, and was surprised to find that he was no longer on the school's back mountain but in an ancient and elegant room.

The furniture was exquisitely arranged, though very old, it still exuded a grand and imposing atmosphere.

He tried to sit up from the bed, but the world spun, and a flood of memories rushed into his mind.

"Ah..."

Ling Xian let out a loud cry, fell back onto the bed, and trembled all over. After a while, he finally calmed down.

His eyes became incredibly complex as he sorted through the memories that did not belong to him.

"Here is not Earth. I never thought I would really be hit by a meteor, a stroke of luck that would have made me a millionaire if I had bought a lottery ticket." Ling Xian's expression was self-deprecating.

"This young man, also named Ling Xian, died in his sleep from excessive grief after his father's accident, and I took over his body. This is too coincidental."

"Hey, this world..."

Ling Xian sorted through the memories and found that this world was very different from Earth. There was no technology, but martial arts were extremely prosperous. If he had to compare, it was somewhat similar to ancient times but even more bizarre, with various unimaginable monsters and tales of immortals ascending to heaven in broad daylight.

Cultivators!

Ling Xian muttered to himself.

Unfortunately, such miraculous beings were extremely rare, but the wonders of martial arts were also breathtaking.

The family he belonged to was once the most prestigious noble family in this world, with no equal. Unfortunately, times had changed, and they had fallen to the point where they could hardly afford meals.

He had just turned seventeen, and after his father's death, he was hastily pushed into the position of clan leader.

Ling Xian's greatest wish was to cultivate to the fourth level of body refinement, become a third-rate expert, and serve the court. This way, although he could not bring glory to the family or revive it, the salary of a seventh-grade general would at least allow the clan members to have a full meal.

For a once-first noble family, this was a very humble request, but now it had become almost impossible.

All because of that thousand-year-old curse!