Chapter 2

A thousand years ago, the Ling family was a prominent and influential clan, producing many talented individuals. The clan leader was bestowed the title of "Hero King," which was passed down through generations. Even the ordinary members of the clan could address the royal family as brothers and sisters.

It was a time of great glory.

Unfortunately, they later fell out of favor and were demoted. The title "Hero King" was granted by the founding emperor, and subsequent rulers could not revoke it, but all the stipends were taken away. Although the clan was not exterminated, their property was confiscated.

From then on, they were impoverished.

This alone would not have been enough to bring the Ling family to ruin, but then a vicious curse was placed upon them.

In the past, the Ling family produced many geniuses. While not everyone could practice martial arts, the core disciples' talent far surpassed that of other clans.

Not to mention second-rate and third-rate experts, even first-rate experts were abundant.

The cultivation of the body is divided into nine levels. If one reaches the sixth level, they become a first-rate expert in the martial world. Such experts possess the courage to face ten thousand enemies and can take the head of a general amidst a thousand soldiers. They enjoy unparalleled prestige in the martial world.

If they choose to serve the court, they can be granted the title of a second-rank loyal and martial general by the emperor, with power equivalent to a governor, ruling over a vast territory.

Not only do they wield immense power, but they also receive large amounts of gold and silver annually, and even have the right to marry into the royal family.

Of course, not a princess, but a close relative of the royal family.

When one person achieves success, the entire family benefits. A first-rate expert is extremely rare, and if a family produces one, the family's strength can be significantly enhanced.

In the Ling family of those days, it was not uncommon. At that time, the situation was such that second-rate experts were as common as dogs, and first-rate experts were everywhere.

It sounds exaggerated, but it was true. Unfortunately, that was a thousand years ago. Today, the Ling family has completely fallen, and they can hardly afford to eat.

All the changes stemmed from a curse.

A thousand years have passed, and no one knows the origin of the curse. They only know that after it, the martial talent of the Ling family's disciples became extremely poor.

Moreover, each generation was worse than the last. In the past hundred years, not even a single third-rate expert has emerged. Not to mention reviving the family, they are even at risk of being expelled from the Luoyun Mountain.

They are barely able to feed themselves!

The clan members now live in extreme hardship.

After organizing his memories, Ling Xian's face turned extremely gloomy, but soon a hint of determination appeared. He did not know why he was here or why he was reborn in this body of Ling Xian, but since he was here, he would not be weak like this Ling Xian. He would take control of his destiny, regardless of the curse. He would revive the family and pursue the legendary path of flying immortals...

A look of longing appeared on Ling Xian's face.

Actually, even if we don't talk about cultivators, the martial arts in this world are also incredibly profound. While it might be an exaggeration to say they have the power to move heaven and earth, the difference between martial artists and ordinary people is like a chasm.

Not everyone can practice martial arts. If one lacks talent, even ten years of hard training would hardly allow them to reach the first level of body cultivation.

They cannot even enter the door.

This is different from Ling Xian's previous life.

However, although the requirements for martial arts are strict, the rewards are also astonishing. For example, a martial artist at the first level of body cultivation can have a strength of three hundred pounds in both arms and can break a hard wooden post with a single punch.

Their endurance and speed far surpass those of ordinary people. For instance, in plowing fields, a first-level martial artist can plow three acres in a day with their strength, speed, and remarkable endurance.

An ordinary farmer, even with three or four skilled workers, would be lucky to plow one acre in a day.

In other words, a first-level martial artist can plow fields ten times more efficiently than an ordinary person. If it were a fight or other physical labor, the difference would be even greater.

It's almost like a superhero!

No wonder the status of martial artists in this world is far superior to that of ordinary people.

Ling Xian's face showed a look of reflection. He himself was now a second-level martial artist, with a strength of five hundred pounds in both arms and could break a hard wooden post as thick as a calf with a single punch.

If it were a thousand years ago, it would be nothing special, but given the current state of the Ling family, he was already a remarkable figure among the younger generation.

While Ling Xian was thinking, a sudden "bang" sounded, and the door was knocked open. Ling Xian was startled and turned his head to see a boy and a girl running into the hall.

They were both only about fifteen or sixteen years old, very young, with a hint of panic on their innocent faces.

"Clan leader, clan leader, something bad has happened."

"What happened? Don't panic, take your time."

Compared to them, Ling Xian appeared much more mature, having lived two lifetimes.

"Yes!"

Under Ling Xian's gaze, Ling Feng and Ling Yu seemed somewhat restrained. They vaguely felt that the clan leader before them was different from before, but they couldn't pinpoint the difference.

Unconsciously, a hint of reverence appeared on their faces, but they were still anxious. This year, there was a severe drought, and the clan was relying on the land on the southern slope.

"Chen family, herding horses?"

After listening to the siblings' description, a hint of anger appeared on Ling Xian's face.

The Chen family was too overbearing!

He tapped his forehead and continued to organize his memories.

The Chen family was one of the 108 clans on Luoyun Mountain, but in reality, it was only a third-rate force. However, it was far superior to the current Ling family.

The Chen family had thousands of clan members, with five hundred core disciples practicing martial arts, and five third-rate experts at the fourth level of body cultivation.

With such formidable strength, they were on a completely different level from the fallen Ling family. If they were to clash, the outcome would be extremely tragic.

But the land on the southern slope was crucial for the clan's food supply. There was no room for retreat, so it was a dead end.

Unsolvable!

Ling Xian did not hesitate, stood up, and said, "Let's go together."

"Yes!"

Seeing Ling Xian's calm face, the siblings felt that the clan leader was different from before and gained a bit more courage.

Perhaps the clan leader could solve this dead end.

The land on the southern slope was only a few miles from the Ling family's main residence. Although the three of them were not yet third-rate experts, they had practiced martial arts for years and had a good pace, so they arrived quickly.

However, what they saw made Ling Xian's face turn extremely gloomy. The southern slope was a vast area, about a hundred acres, with very fertile soil. But now, the green crops had been trampled by horses, and more than a third of them were destroyed.

If they had waited until harvest, these tens of thousands of pounds of grain would have been enough to feed the Ling clan for several months. Now, with the crops destroyed, the remaining grain would not last until winter.

At this moment, there were nearly a hundred people gathered in the fields.

Most of them were ordinary members of the Ling clan, working in the fields, with looks of anger and sorrow on their faces.

There were also a dozen core disciples of the Ling clan, gritting their teeth and clenching their fists.

In addition, there were seven or eight people from the Chen clan, dressed in fine clothes, riding horses, with mocking expressions and extremely arrogant attitudes.

"Hey, where did Uncle Three go?"

Ling Xian raised an eyebrow. As the clan's grand elder, Ling Tianxiong had arrived earlier. Why was he suddenly nowhere to be found?

A sense of foreboding arose in his heart.

"Clan leader."

"Clan leader has arrived."

"It's Brother Ling Xian."

...

The three of them did not hide their presence and soon came into view of both sides.

The Ling clan members looked relieved, while the Chen clan members remained extremely arrogant, with looks of disdain:

"Clan leader, a second-level body cultivator, a waste, can actually become the leader of a clan. It's a joke."

"When the mountain has no tigers, the monkeys become kings. The Ling clan is no better than a bunch of clowns. They should leave Luoyun Mountain as soon as possible. We are ashamed to be associated with them."

"Exactly, a bunch of waste, how can they even call themselves a clan? They are just a group of wild men."

...

The Chen clan members were sharp-tongued and condescending, their noses almost reaching the sky.

"Grandpa Four, where did Uncle Three go?"

Ling Xian did not lose his temper but first wanted to understand the situation. Although the current situation was extremely dire, he still had the patience to do so.

"The grand elder, the grand elder was ambushed and is now unconscious."

Before Grandpa Four could answer, a voice filled with anger reached Ling Xian's ears. He turned his head and saw the young faces of the Ling clan members burning with anger.

"Big Niu, you tell me."

"Yes!"

A sturdy young man approached, gritting his teeth. "Clan leader, the Chen clan people came here to herd horses, destroying our crops. The grand elder came to reason with them but was ambushed and knocked unconscious..."

"Ambushed?"

Ling Xian raised his head and sized up the Chen clan members. Although they were not spoiled, they were far from being core experts. They were just young martial disciples, their cultivation fluctuating between the first and second levels of body cultivation. The Ling clan, though fallen, had Uncle Three as their top expert, who had reached the peak of the third level. How could he not be a match for them?

He was puzzled.

But after a moment of reflection, he understood.

The Ling clan had long fallen, and not only had their martial arts declined, but their spirit had also weakened.

In the past, a common member of the Ling clan could address the royal family as brothers and sisters. Now, facing a third-rate clan like the Chen family, they were extremely timid.

When provoked, they did not dare to fight back, only wanting to reason and avoid conflict.

But it was not that easy. In this world, martial strength was supreme. The more timid and fearful you were, the more others would see you as weak and easy to bully.

Otherwise, a third-level body cultivator like Uncle Three would not have been defeated by these young men.

More tragically, even after Uncle Three was severely injured, the Ling clan members were still retreating.

Of course, it was not that the Ling clan had no backbone. Young martial disciples like Ling Hu, Ling Feng, and Big Niu, like young bulls not fearing tigers, were ready to fight.

But the older, more experienced elders like Grandpa Four were desperately holding them back, fearing a conflict with the Chen clan.

Faced with the elders' weakness, Ling Feng, Ling Hu, and others were helpless. They lacked a leader, and the person in charge was not there.

Until Ling Xian arrived.

However, the Chen clan members remained arrogant, looking down on this young clan leader. They were openly defiant, as if to say, "I have destroyed your crops and injured your grand elder. What are you going to do about it?"