Chapter 1: Enchanted by Love

Qi, the source of all life.

Qi Gong, the cultivation of life's essence.

When cultivation reaches its peak, various extraordinary abilities manifest.

Qi Gong masters can "shatter rock with their hands," "hear the struggle of ants," "tread on water," "spit green flames," "be impervious to blades and spears," "connect their qi to the clouds," "fast by swallowing qi," "abstain from food and fire," "perceive the connection between heaven and earth," and "pursue souls over a thousand miles."

Yang Qi is such a Qi Gong practitioner.

On the fertile continent, in the city of Yan Du.

This city is one of the richest on the continent, bustling with traffic and brightly lit even at night.

It was mid-summer, the night was pitch black, and dark clouds gathered in the distance. The air was humid, and the distant rumble of thunder suggested an impending storm.

Bang!

In a secluded corner of the city wall, the ground suddenly trembled, and a deep hole appeared.

A young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in black, holding a delicate box, leaped out of the hole like a cat.

This young man is Yang Qi.

In the city of Yan Du, he is the young master of the Yang family, a well-known Qi Gong expert. Despite his young age and slender build, his every movement seemed to be infused with a mysterious flow of qi, ready to burst forth.

With a fierce movement, the qi within his body roared, creating a powerful and awe-inspiring momentum.

"Looks like I'll soon reach the fifth stage of Qi Gong, the Explosive Qi stage. When that happens, my true qi will be released, and I'll become a true master, ascending to new heights!"

Looking at the tall city wall, Yang Qi was satisfied. In a flash, he entered the dark forest outside the city, moving as swiftly as a black leopard, displaying superhuman physical abilities.

His Qi Gong had already reached the fourth stage, the Refining Qi stage.

On the fertile continent, all experts cultivate Qi Gong, which is divided into nine stages.

The first stage is "Nurturing Qi."

The second stage is "Circulating Qi," moving the primordial qi within the body through the meridians.

The third stage is "Gathering Qi," accumulating the primordial qi in the qi sea.

The fourth stage is "Refining Qi," refining the accumulated qi, turning it into steel through repeated tempering.

The fifth stage is "Explosive Qi," where the qi is released externally, capable of injuring from a distance.

For most people, cultivating from the first to the fourth stage—nurturing, circulating, gathering, and refining—only strengthens the body. However, reaching the fifth stage, the Explosive Qi stage, marks a transformation, allowing the qi to burst forth and injure from a distance.

The fifth stage, Explosive Qi, is the mark of a true master.

"Explosive Qi" is a significant milestone in Qi Gong cultivation.

At this stage, one can perform the Hundred Steps Divine Punch, breaking trees from a hundred steps away. This is a formidable combat ability, capable of taking on a hundred enemies.

The sixth stage, "Weapon Qi," allows one to condense qi into weapons.

The seventh stage, "Phenomenal Qi," involves shaping qi into various forms, such as dragons, tigers, fierce beasts, or even wings, enabling flight and traversal through the air.

The eighth stage, "Transforming Qi," reaches a divine level, with the body enveloped in a protective qi shield, impervious to blades and spears.

The ninth stage, "Qi Master," is a realm that Yang Qi can only dream of.

It is said that those who surpass the ninth stage, becoming Qi Masters, can snatch life from the heavens, entering the Life Snatching stage, where their bodies are transformed, and their lifespan is several times longer than that of ordinary experts. However, Yang Qi has never seen such a person.

Entering the small forest, Yang Qi saw a woman in a deep blue dress, with a graceful figure and an aura of nobility that left one breathless. She was facing away from him.

"Lan'er, I've brought the Dragon Subduing Pill. I risked everything to steal it from the city lord's treasure vault."

Yang Qi's heart raced as he held up the box.

"Oh? Yang Qi, you've finally succeeded."

The noble woman turned around, her face exquisite. She extended her ivory-like hand. "Dragon Subduing Pill, let me see it."

"Sure." Yang Qi handed the box to the woman without hesitation.

Lan'er took the box and opened it, revealing a fiery red pill that seemed to dance with flames. The fragrance of the pill filled the air, making her beautiful face flush, adding a unique charm.

"Lan'er, you said that if I helped you get this Dragon Subduing Pill, we could run away together. Let's go now," Yang Qi urged.

"Sorry, Yang Qi."

Lan'er calmly put away the box, her face expressionless. "I have some matters to attend to and cannot run away with you. We'll talk about this later."

Thud, thud, thud.

It was like a bolt from the blue!

Hearing this, Yang Qi took three steps back, his face pale and bloodless. "Lan'er, I risked everything to steal the Dragon Subduing Pill from the city lord's mansion. You promised to run away with me. Why are you changing your mind? Why?"

"Let me tell you why!"

A voice came from the dark forest, and a young man in armor stepped out. He was extremely handsome, tall, and exuded arrogance. He looked down on Yang Qi with a condescending gaze.

"Lan'er is the princess of Yun Hai City. How could she ever look at a mere boy from the Yang family? Even if you were the son of the city lord of Yan Du, you wouldn't be worthy of her. She was just using you, and you fell for it, like a toad lusting after a swan."

"Lan'er, tell me this isn't true?" Yang Qi's face turned ashen, but he still clung to a sliver of hope.

However, that last hope was shattered by Lan'er's words.

"Lan'er" said calmly, "That's right, Yang Qi. I was just using you to get the Dragon Subduing Pill. But I don't want to hurt you. You can leave now."

"You!"

Yang Qi trembled, his hands and feet cold. "Lan'er, I never thought you'd be like this! Where am I supposed to go? I can't return home after stealing the Dragon Subduing Pill, and Yan Du City will surely hunt me down. I hope you can give me the Dragon Subduing Pill, and we'll be even."

"Give it to you? Don't dream, boy. Once the meat is in my mouth, I won't spit it out." The young man in armor sneered. "Get lost, or I won't be gentle!"

"You!"

Suddenly, Yang Qi burst into action, moving like a fierce tiger, his body as agile as a snake. He lunged at the young man in armor, his hand like a large axe, chopping down.

"White Tiger Seizing Corpse!"

He unleashed the strongest Qi Gong killing move of the Yang family, "White Tiger Seizing Corpse." At its highest level, this move can condense the practitioner's qi into a massive, tangible white tiger, capable of turning an enemy into a corpse in one strike.

"White Tiger Seizing Corpse" is described as: "The right mountain crouches, head raised, as if about to seize the corpse in the grave."

"Looking for death!" Seeing Yang Qi charge, the young man in armor's eyes flashed with contempt. He suddenly struck out with his qi.

Buzz!

A transparent wave of qi spread out from him, and as soon as Yang Qi touched it, he was thrown back, landing on the ground with a thud, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

His eyes widened in shock. "Fifth stage, Explosive Qi!"

"That's right. I've long reached the fifth stage, Explosive Qi. You're like an ant before me." The young man in armor clapped his hands. "The 'White Tiger Seizing Corpse' is a powerful move, but in your hands, it's like a child's play."

"What's your name!" Yang Qi struggled to stand, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Song Hai Shan, Lan'er's cousin. Lan'er will soon become a disciple of the Tian Wei Academy, the most prestigious sect on the fertile continent. How could you ever dream of being close to her? You're asking my name, planning to take revenge. If that's the case, I can't let you live."

As he spoke, a whirlwind of fierce qi rose from Song Hai Shan's body.

"So you're the first young genius of Yun Hai City." Yang Qi said with difficulty. "I'll kill you! Yun Hai Lan, you deceived me today, but I'll make you pay one day."

"Then I can't let you live!" Song Hai Shan was about to strike.

"Enough, cousin, someone's coming. Don't kill him, let him live. Let's go!" Lan'er frowned, blocking Song Hai Shan, and then disappeared into the night, leaving behind a final message: "Yang Qi, when I become a disciple of the Tian Wei Academy, I'll make it up to you."

"Hmph! Boy, you're lucky. Lan'er doesn't want to kill you and taint her hands with blood. But the city lord of Yan Du won't let you live."

Song Hai Shan also disappeared with a sinister smile.

"Yun Hai Lan..." Yang Qi watched them leave, knowing he was no match for them. His mouth was bleeding, and his heart was bleeding even more.

He remembered the past. During an outing to help his family with business, he met Yun Hai Lan, who seemed to reciprocate his feelings. After some time, she asked for the Dragon Subduing Pill, and after much consideration, he agreed. Now, he was left with this bitter outcome.

His qi was rapidly circulating, telling him to run. If the guards of Yan Du City caught up, he would not only disgrace his family but also suffer a terrible fate.

But just as he regained the ability to move, several figures appeared before him, filled with violent energy.

One of them, a man in a heavy iron armor, moved with the agility of a steel beast. Yang Qi's heart sank in despair.

This was Luo Hun, a guard from the city lord's mansion, whose qi cultivation far exceeded the fifth stage, Explosive Qi. He was a fierce and terrifying figure.

"Yang Qi, you stole the Dragon Subduing Pill. Hand it over, and I'll spare your life!"

Luo Hun's eyes were devoid of human emotion, his iron armor exuding a deadly aura. He walked up to Yang Qi and suddenly struck his lower abdomen, the dantian, the source of his qi.

Puff! Yang Qi spat out another mouthful of blood, feeling his strength drain away like a deflated balloon. Eighteen years of qi cultivation, starting from the age of five, were all for naught.

"You... you've crippled my qi!" Yang Qi's face turned ashen, filled with deep despair. With his qi crippled and his dantian damaged, he could no longer gather qi and would have to live as an ordinary person.

"You stole the Dragon Subduing Pill. Crippling your qi is just a way to reduce your sins." Luo Hun said coldly. "Considering you're the young master of the Yang family and your aunt, I won't kill you on the spot. Bind him to a tree. I'll report this to the city lord and let him decide your fate. Don't touch the scene; let the Yang family see it."

"Yes!"

The guards quickly bound Yang Qi to a tree and began patrolling the area.

Luo Hun, in his heavy iron armor, leaped into the air like a large bird, heading back to Yan Du City.

Boom!

At that moment, thunder rumbled in the sky, and the long-awaited storm finally broke. It was a hot summer night, and thunderstorms were common.

Silver lightning split the dark sky, and heavy rain poured down like a waterfall.

"This rain is so heavy! There's so much lightning." One of the guards, watching the storm, shivered. "Let's leave the forest. Being under a tree is dangerous. The lightning today seems unusual. I've never seen such a storm. We could be struck by lightning and have no one to appeal to. Even experts beyond the Qi Master stage can't resist heavenly lightning."

"What about this boy?"

"Don't worry. He's been crippled and is bound. He can't fly away."

The guards quickly left the forest.

Crack!

Just as they left, a bright bolt of lightning struck the forest, hitting the tree where Yang Qi was bound. Immediately, his body was engulfed in electric currents, and a burning smell filled the air.