Chapter 1

The hottest months are June and July.

The scorching sunlight and sweltering heat make the entire earth feel like a giant furnace.

Iron Ox Town.

It was noon, and the sun was blazing overhead.

"Phew!!"

On a long stone staircase.

Qin Feiyang was climbing step by step, drenched in sweat, and panting heavily.

The stone staircase inclined at a forty-five-degree angle, with a total of nine hundred and ninety-nine steps leading to a massive palace.

Each step, under the intense sunlight, became scalding hot.

Sweat dripped and evaporated instantly.

Sizzling sounds could be heard.

Qin Feiyang was just a fifteen-year-old boy, but he possessed a maturity and composure that his peers lacked.

He was 1.75 meters tall, slightly slender, with handsome features, but his face was pale and bloodless, giving the impression of a frail, sickly youth.

No!

Not just an impression.

He was indeed a sick person.

And his condition was terminal!

His life would end in five days.

Climbing the nine hundred and ninety-nine steps, coupled with such harsh weather, would be a challenge even for a healthy person, let alone someone as ill as him.

But stepping onto this stone staircase was his only chance to survive.

It might even change his fate for life!

Five years ago.

Qin Feiyang was a prince of the Great Qin Empire, noble in status and gifted.

At the age of ten, he had already become a Ninth Rank Martial Artist, and was hailed as a prodigy that appeared once in a thousand years.

One could say that he was the sun that everyone looked up to from a young age, and among all the princes, he was the most likely to inherit the throne.

He was also the emperor's favorite prince.

However.

At the height of his glory, with numerous accolades, a sudden change occurred.

Due to this change, he was forced to swallow the 'Cursed Spirit Pill' and was mercilessly expelled from the imperial palace, the Great Qin Empire, and ended up in Iron Ox Town.

The Cursed Spirit Pill was an extremely vicious pill. Once taken, it not only stripped away all his cultivation, but also prevented him from ever cultivating again, leaving him plagued by illness and destined to live only until the age of fifteen.

He had only five days left until he turned fifteen!

Five years had passed.

The Great Qin Empire still stood as a mighty empire, ruling over the continent.

And him?

He struggled to survive here.

He refused to accept it!

Countless times, he had vowed in his heart that one day, he would return to the Great Qin Empire and make those who wronged him pay the ultimate price!

The palace at the top of the stone staircase was his only hope.

Gradually.

His legs grew weak and ached terribly.

Each step was a struggle!

He was drenched in sweat, already in a state of dehydration.

His lips were cracked, and blood trickled from them.

He began to feel dizzy and see stars.

He stopped on a step, gasping for breath, trying to recover his strength.

At the same time.

He looked up at the top of the staircase, his weak eyes shining with determination.

At the end of the staircase, a grand hall stood majestically, resplendent and magnificent.

The palace doors were tightly shut.

Beside it, a black stone stele stood, about ten meters high, with two prominent characters carved on it.

— Pill Hall —

The characters were like iron hooks and silver strokes, strong and powerful, exuding a daunting pressure.

This was a place that countless people dreamed of entering.

Because here, there were all kinds of pills.

Some pills could cure all poisons, heal all diseases, and ensure a lifetime of peace.

Some pills could cleanse the body, allowing one to be reborn and enter the path of cultivation.

There were even rumors of legendary divine pills that not only had life but could fly and dive, stir the seas, and if one were fortunate enough to take them, they could become revered deities overnight.

Therefore.

The Pill Hall was a sacred place!

Every disciple of the Pill Hall was a revered existence.

Even the lowest-ranking alchemists were flattered and courted by countless people, just to obtain a single pill.

Qin Feiyang's goal was a pill called the 'Bone Washing Pill.'

The Bone Washing Pill was the key to his rebirth!

He had come here countless times to obtain the Bone Washing Pill, but each time, his severe illness prevented him from reaching the top and the Pill Hall.

But this time, he had no choice but to push forward, with no room for giving up!

Because in five days, he would die.

To survive, he had to reach the top!

He took a difficult step, gritting his teeth, and continued climbing.

Boom!

At that moment, the tightly shut palace doors quickly opened.

A woman in her thirties, wearing a red dress, strode out of the palace.

She stood at the edge, looking down at Qin Feiyang from above, and said coolly, "Qin Feiyang, count how many times you've come here. Don't you know when to give up?"

Qin Feiyang did not respond, lowering his head and continuing to climb.

This woman, Ma Hongmei, was the chief elder of the Pill Hall and an alchemist.

Because of her status as an alchemist, she was arrogant and looked down on everyone, and over the years, she had not spared him any humiliation.

So.

He chose not to speak, to avoid further humiliation.

However.

Her attitude only made Ma Hongmei angrier.

She sneered and said, "Don't think I'm underestimating you. No matter how many times you come, the result will be the same. You might as well give up and stop being an eyesore."

"Ma Elder, you can close your eyes and not look," Qin Feiyang stopped, looked up at her, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

Ma Hongmei laughed coldly, "Oh, so you think you have a reason? Fine, I'll tell you clearly. Even if you reach the top, I won't give you the Bone Washing Pill."

Qin Feiyang's hands clenched tightly.

But in the end.

He endured and continued climbing.

He had no choice; when under someone else's roof, one must bow.

Besides, the Pill Hall had more than just Ma Hongmei as an alchemist. He could seek out other alchemists.

Time passed.

It was unclear whether it was due to Ma Hongmei's provocation or his strong will to survive, but he did not stop, gradually approaching the top.

Two hours later.

He was only fifty steps away from the top.

Despite his physical and mental exhaustion, his head feeling heavy, and each step causing his leg muscles to tear in pain, his heart burned with determination!

Just fifty more steps, and he would reach the top!

Reaching the top was crucial for him.

It not only meant he could survive but also that he could cultivate in the future.

Only by becoming stronger could he have the right to seek answers and resolve his doubts!

He looked at the top, his gaze firm and full of fighting spirit!

This time, he would definitely succeed!

Forty steps!

Thirty steps!

Twenty steps!

Ten steps!

He reached the top in one breath, his body losing all strength, and he collapsed on the ground, greedily breathing in the air.

"Wow, what a miracle today, you actually made it up here."

Ma Hongmei, who had not left, was quite surprised to see Qin Feiyang reach the top.

But then, a cold glint flashed in her eyes, and she kicked him.

Qin Feiyang shouted in shock and anger, "Ma Elder, what are you doing?"

"Of course, I'm sending you down."

Ma Hongmei laughed mockingly and kicked him in the chest.

Bang!

Immediately.

Qin Feiyang, like a ball, accompanied by a painful scream, rolled down the stone staircase.

"Ma, I curse you to a miserable death!"

He screamed in desperation, filled with resentment.

He had finally reached the top, but he never expected this woman to be so vicious, clearly cutting off his path to survival.

"Still cursing me, truly fearless of death. I'll kill you now!"

Ma Hongmei's eyes flashed with killing intent, ready to chase after him and finish him off.

"What's happening?"

But at that moment, a powerful voice echoed from inside the palace.

Then.

A middle-aged man walked out of the palace.

He was seven feet tall, wearing a purple robe, walking with a majestic gait, his eyes sharp and commanding.

Ma Hongmei frowned, turned to the middle-aged man, and bowed, "Greetings, Third Hall Master."

The Third Hall Master nodded, looked at Qin Feiyang rolling down, and frowned, "Why is he here again?"

Ma Hongmei smiled, "He's after the Bone Washing Pill, of course."

The Third Hall Master asked in confusion, "Then why is he rolling down?"

Ma Hongmei said with a malicious grin, "He brought it upon himself. I repeatedly advised him not to continue climbing, but he wouldn't listen. As a result, he ran out of strength, his legs gave out, and he lost his balance, rolling down."

Hearing this, Qin Feiyang was overwhelmed with anger and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing this, Ma Hongmei laughed coldly.

The stone staircase had nine hundred and ninety-nine steps, and rolling down like this left no chance of survival.

If no one rescued him, he would die from the fall without her needing to lift a finger.

Qin Feiyang, the victim, was well aware of this.

But.

When he reached the top, his body was already sore and weak, and his limbs were unable to move.

Now, rolling down, he was battered and bruised, with both hands broken, and he had no way to stop.

"Am I going to die like this today?"

"No!"

"I must survive..."

"I must return to the Great Qin Empire alive..."

"Those who wronged me, I will make them pay a thousand, ten thousand times..."

Qin Feiyang roared in his heart, his eyes turning bloodshot, his body radiating a fierce aura. Despite his broken hands, he did not give up.

His unwillingness and anger became a source of strength.

He suddenly flipped over, facing the sky, his back against the stone staircase, sliding down.

His feet acted like brakes, pressing firmly against the steps.

He used this method to reduce the impact and slow his descent!

After a hundred breaths.

He finally stopped, lying on the stone staircase.

But his back and feet, after the intense friction with the steps, were torn and bloody, and even his spine was shattered.

The excruciating pain, like a tidal wave, assaulted every nerve in his body, making him suffer unbearably!

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