Chapter 1

"Who knows which scum your good-for-nothing father sired a waste of space like you! Today you got dumped, and you still have the nerve to come for the elixir!"

The cold voice, full of arrogance, echoed through the elixir room.

Du Shaoling stood straight, his fists slightly clenched, but his eyes were calm as he looked at the several Du family enforcers seated on the dais and the elder in the center of the elixir room. "As a Du family member, according to the clan rules, I have the right to receive one 'Qi Nourishing Pill' every three months!"

"If it weren't for your surname Du, you wouldn't have this privilege. You got dumped, disgracing the family. Fortunately, Chenyang saved face for our Du family; otherwise, you would have disgraced us completely!"

The elder in the elixir room stared at Du Shaoling, his tone icy and his eyes cold, as if he were looking at a stray dog or an ant.

A Du family enforcer responsible for distributing the elixirs threw the pill directly on the ground.

This was a Qi Nourishing Pill, which Du family members under eighteen could receive every three months for cultivation.

Such words pierced Du Shaoling's ears like needles, but he was already used to it.

Picking up the Qi Nourishing Pill from the ground, he glanced around the elixir room, his gaze sweeping over these so-called clan members. He clenched his fist holding the pill, his nails digging into his palm, drawing a few drops of blood.

Knowing from birth that he was a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "transmigrator" or "reincarnated person"), Du Shaoling originally thought he would wake up with power in his hands and lie drunk on the laps of beautiful women.

But reality was cruel.

Born into a cultivation family like the Du family, his father was crippled and his cultivation was ruined by enemies, and Du Shaoling himself had extremely poor martial talent, making him a well-known waste of space in the city from a young age.

The day when Du family members received the Qi Nourishing Pill every three months was also the day Du Shaoling faced humiliation.

"Since you've already taken the Qi Nourishing Pill, why don't you get lost!"

"The Du family has been supporting you and your father all these years out of respect for the hard work your grandfather did for the clan!"

The Du family members in the elixir room looked down on him, their expressions cold and their voices harsh.

"Hard work, is that all my grandfather did?"

Du Shaoling's clenched fists slowly relaxed, a bitter smile on his face, his eyes filled with a hint of sorrow.

His grandfather was the clan leader of the Du family.

But his grandfather had been missing for ten years, and some people in the Du family, worried about their positions, wanted to drive him and his father out.

Every three months, the Qi Nourishing Pill he received felt like a condescending favor from them.

"Still not leaving? You disgrace the Du family with your presence!"

The elder in the elixir room was already impatient, shouting at him.

"If my grandfather were still here, would you dare to treat us like this?"

Du Shaoling's lean figure stood tall, his slightly disheveled bangs covering his eyes. His gaze was deep and bright as he glanced around the elixir room and then turned to leave.

The faces of the people in the elixir room turned green, their expressions dark and ugly.

If Du Shaoling's grandfather were still here, then...

"Wait, little waste of space!"

The elder in the elixir room, his eyes still cold, called out to Du Shaoling. "Even though you're a waste of space, you still receive the Qi Nourishing Pill every three months. After the clan competition in seven days, all eligible Du family members will go to the Death Valley for training. Since you're also a Du, you'll have to go too!"

"Understood!"

After a long pause, Du Shaoling forced out three words.

He knew this was someone in the clan deliberately making things difficult for him.

The Death Valley was not a place for ordinary people; it was fraught with danger.

"Hmph!"

The elder in the elixir room sneered, a hidden coldness flashing in his eyes.

"Get lost. The Du family has been kind enough to support you and your father all these years. These days, you'd better stay indoors. If you're not afraid of disgracing yourself, the Du family still has its dignity!"

The elder in the elixir room waved his hand and ignored Du Shaoling.

"Du family, hah..."

Du Shaoling smiled faintly, a mix of sorrow and self-mockery, and then left without looking back.

The Du family.

While the Du family was not significant in the entire Central Continent, in this desolate city, it was one of the four famous martial families.

The Du family had many strong members, with the main and collateral branches combined numbering in the thousands.

Du Shaoling's identity should have been a solid third-generation member of the Du family.

Unfortunately, his grandfather had disappeared, his father Du Junlin had been crippled by enemies, and Du Shaoling's talent had always been poor, with someone always targeting him. As a result, his status in the Du family was even lower than that of a servant.

"Waste of space, you got dumped today and still have the nerve to come for the elixir."

"The Du family's face has been disgraced by you!"

As Du Shaoling walked out of the elixir room, he encountered many Du family members of his age, who mocked and ridiculed him.

Despite the ridicule, Du Shaoling remained calm, his expression unchanged.

In his previous life, Du Shaoling had already understood the coldness of the world.

Especially in this world where martial arts flourished and strength was paramount.

"What use does a waste of space have for a Qi Nourishing Pill!"

A voice with an uncertain tone came from nearby, and a young man with a distinguished air was surrounded by several young men and women.

The young man was not much older, around seventeen or eighteen, with a handsome face.

Looking at Du Shaoling, the young man's face was full of ridicule. "Old rule: do we beat you up, or do you hand over the Qi Nourishing Pill obediently?"

"This waste of space is about to get beaten up again!"

A crowd quickly gathered, seemingly accustomed to such scenes.

No one sympathized with Du Shaoling; they were just happy to watch the spectacle.

Du Shaoling recognized the young man, named Du Tengda, who was his cousin. Over the years, Du Tengda had often taken his elixirs.

"Who's going to take it!"

Du Shaoling had become accustomed to this over the years. Although he had been robbed countless times, he occasionally managed to protect some.

Looking at Du Shaoling, the young men felt an inexplicable pressure.

While Du Shaoling was not their match, he always clung to one of them with a fierce determination, which made them wary.

However, as their cultivation improved over the years, Du Shaoling remained stagnant, still a waste of space.

This made them less wary of him.

"Brother Chenyang and Miss Yang Yuting are here!"

At this moment, a commotion arose in the crowd.

A young couple slowly approached.

The young man was about eighteen or nineteen, dressed in fine robes, with a well-defined brow and narrow eyes that seemed like a gentle stream. A faint smile played on his lips, as if he were always radiating a dazzling smile.

However, the light in his eyes occasionally revealed a coldness.

But there was no doubt that the young man had an extraordinary aura, clearly not an ordinary person, but a dragon among men.

The young woman seemed a bit younger, around seventeen or eighteen, with a well-proportioned figure, a long dress outlining her alluring form, and a face as delicate as jade, without a single flaw. She exuded a mature and elegant air, with a touch of youthful charm that made any man unable to resist looking at her.

"Brother Chenyang, Miss Yuting."

"Actually, it should be Sister-in-law Yuting!"

Seeing the young couple, the Du family's young men and women immediately bowed in respect.

All the young members of the Du family couldn't help but look at Yang Yuting's well-developed figure.

The young men's eyes were filled with admiration, and the young women looked at her with envy.

In the entire desolate city, Yang Yuting was the acknowledged first beauty, the goddess in the hearts of countless young men, and the object of admiration for many talented young men.

But this high-and-mighty goddess was usually cold and distant, even to the young men from other noble families in the desolate city, only nodding indifferently, showing her arrogance.

But everyone in the desolate city knew that this high-and-mighty goddess, the eldest daughter of the Yang family, one of the four martial families, was once Du Shaoling's fiancée.

Over the years, this fact had caused countless young men in the desolate city to beat their chests in frustration and heartache.

But today, the entire Du family, and even the entire desolate city, knew a major event.

The Yang family had come to the Du family to break the engagement, dissolving the marriage between Yang Yuting and Du Shaoling.

This matter was not handled by Du Shaoling, and no one even asked for his opinion.

Everything was arranged by someone else.

But at the same time, Yang Yuting had become engaged to Du Chenyang of the Du family.

Du Shaoling also saw Yang Yuting.

It had to be said that Yang Yuting was indeed beautiful, and she had developed even more over the years, with all the right places growing and the right places staying slim, and the right places becoming more prominent.

But Du Shaoling was not particularly moved.

In his previous life, so-called feelings sometimes didn't even matter when the rice was already cooked.

Moreover, this was just a childhood playmate, a marriage arranged in childhood.

And from the beginning, with Du Shaoling's two lifetimes of experience, a childhood marriage didn't mean much.

"Brother Chenyang, Miss Yuting."

Seeing Du Chenyang and Yang Yuting, Du Tengda's face immediately lit up with a smile.

Although they were both Du family members, he knew he couldn't compare to Du Chenyang.

Both Du Chenyang and Yang Yuting only nodded at Du Tengda, without any extra expression.

"Meeting you is good. I'll also take this opportunity to tell you that the engagement between us, when we were young, doesn't count. That's all."

Yang Yuting looked at Du Shaoling, her young but beautiful face, with a cold and distant gaze, though it also had a hint of innocence.

Du Shaoling's eyes flickered with emotion but quickly returned to calm. His face showed a maturity that didn't quite match his age. "In this world, marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers. The engagement was set by your grandfather and my grandfather. Just you saying it's over doesn't seem enough."