Chapter 1: Betrayal

The sun set in the west, and the autumn wind danced through the forest.

In the Tian Shui County of the Great Gan Dynasty, outside Tian Shui City.

A figure in white darted through the mountains and forests, landing on a cliff dyed red by the sunset.

The figure in white was a handsome young man, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a warm smile on his face.

"Brother Jianqiu, you're here!"

Standing on the cliff was a girl in yellow, who, upon seeing the young man in white, revealed a sweet smile on her exquisite and beautiful face.

Chu Jianqiu, looking at the girl's sweet smile, felt immense happiness in his heart. He reached out to touch her black hair, doting on her as he said, "Yaoyao, after today, the Three Yin Cold Poison in your body will be completely removed. Then you can become a genius girl admired by all!"

"Really?" The girl in yellow asked in surprise, her eyes shimmering with joy.

Chu Jianqiu's heart stirred, and he gently embraced the girl, smiling, "Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you?"

Holding the girl in his arms, Chu Jianqiu felt incomparably happy. Although he had paid a huge price, he felt that everything was worth it at this moment.

Chu Jianqiu was the young master of the Chu family, one of the four major families in Tian Shui City. From a young age, he showed extraordinary talent and had an incredible aptitude for cultivation, making him a prodigy in Tian Shui City.

At the age of fourteen, he broke through to the True Qi Realm. Soon after, he awakened a Middle Rank Earth-Class bloodline, which caused a stir throughout Tian Shui County.

However, after that, something very puzzling happened. For the past three years, Chu Jianqiu's cultivation had not progressed at all.

Chu Jianqiu began to face countless doubts and ridicule, falling from the pedestal of a genius admired by all.

Chu Jianqiu simply smiled and ignored all the criticism, as he was very clear about the reason for his lack of progress in cultivation.

For the past three years, he had been using his own lifeblood to treat the girl in yellow.

The girl in yellow was the beloved daughter of the head of the Liu family, one of the four major families in Tian Shui City, Liu Tianyao.

Even though the Liu family was one of the four major families in Tian Shui City, they were helpless against the Cold Poison in Liu Tianyao's body. This Cold Poison was produced by the Three Yin Absolute Meridian, which could only be cured by the lifeblood of a practitioner who had awakened the Nine Yang Bloodline.

And Chu Jianqiu had awakened the Nine Yang Bloodline, and it was even a Middle Rank Earth-Class Nine Yang Bloodline.

In the world of martial arts, bloodlines were divided into four major ranks: Yellow, Mystic, Earth, and Heaven. Each rank was further divided into Lower, Middle, Upper, and Supreme Grades.

With Chu Jianqiu's Middle Rank Earth-Class Nine Yang Bloodline, he could naturally cure Liu Tianyao's Cold Poison. However, a practitioner's lifeblood was the essence of their cultivation, and losing it would cause significant damage to a practitioner.

But for the woman he loved, Chu Jianqiu did not hesitate to force out his lifeblood.

Liu Tianyao, receiving Chu Jianqiu's lifeblood, gradually had her Cold Poison removed, while Chu Jianqiu's cultivation did not progress for three years.

"Once your illness is cured, I will immediately propose to Uncle Liu and marry you. In a month, the Xuanjian Sect will hold a recruitment competition. We can join the Xuanjian Sect together and become a pair of carefree and happy immortals." Chu Jianqiu's eyes sparkled with excitement and hope for the future.

Liu Tianyao's face flushed with two rosy patches, and she nodded shyly, whispering, "I will do everything as Brother Jianqiu wishes. It's just that you've suffered so much these past three years!"

Chu Jianqiu gently pinched Liu Tianyao's nose, scolding her, "You're still saying such formal words to me. You deserve a spanking!"

The two embraced for a long time. Chu Jianqiu then helped Liu Tianyao to her feet and said softly, "It's getting late. Come, let me remove the last bit of Cold Poison from you."

Liu Tianyao nodded obediently and sat cross-legged on a rock at the edge of the cliff.

Chu Jianqiu closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, his True Qi circulating, and the bloodline in his body began to flow rapidly with the cultivation technique. Chu Jianqiu's body trembled slightly, large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and his teeth were clenched, clearly enduring great pain.

After half an hour, a drop of pure blood appeared at the tip of Chu Jianqiu's finger, containing an immense amount of pure energy.

Chu Jianqiu slowly placed the drop of pure Yang energy-infused blood on Liu Tianyao's forehead, and her forehead visibly absorbed the blood.

Chu Jianqiu let out a sigh of relief, took a few steps back, and his face turned pale. His clothes were drenched in sweat, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

After another half an hour, Liu Tianyao slowly opened her eyes, stood up from the rock, and a powerful icy aura erupted from her body.

Seeing this, Chu Jianqiu felt a great weight lifted from his heart and said joyfully, "You've finally succeeded!"

"Yes, I've finally succeeded!" Liu Tianyao said softly, but her voice was as cold as ice, devoid of any warmth.

Although Chu Jianqiu found it a bit strange, he did not think much of it, assuming that Liu Tianyao's sudden mastery of the Three Yin Absolute Meridian had affected her personality.

"So, you can die now!"

However, when the next words came out of Liu Tianyao's mouth, Chu Jianqiu's smile froze.

Chu Jianqiu could hardly believe his ears and forced a smile, asking, "Yaoyao, what did you just say?" He hoped it was just a joke.

"I said, you can die now!" Liu Tianyao said coldly, her voice devoid of any emotion, her eyes cold and indifferent, looking down at him with disdain, not a trace of her usual gentle demeanor.

Chu Jianqiu stared at Liu Tianyao for a long time, finally confirming that she was not joking. The last bit of hope in his heart was completely shattered.

Seeing Liu Tianyao, who seemed like a completely different person, Chu Jianqiu felt a chill run through his body, as if he had fallen into an ice cave. His heart felt as if it were being torn apart, a pain far greater than the pain he had endured while forcing out his lifeblood.

"Why?" Because of the extreme pain in his heart, Chu Jianqiu remained unusually calm, looking into Liu Tianyao's eyes and asking seriously.

"You, a lowly peasant from the mountains, how could you possibly match my noble bloodline? If it weren't for treating my illness, why would I have stooped to approach you! For the past three years, how many times have you offended me? Even if you were cut into a thousand pieces and died a thousand times, it would not satisfy my hatred." Liu Tianyao said coldly, her eyes filled with icy disdain and contempt.

"So, all of this was just a plot! For the past three years, I have been continuously giving you my lifeblood, and in your heart, it was worth nothing!" Chu Jianqiu felt a bitter taste in his mouth, a mix of pain, unwillingness, disappointment, and anger, all swirling in his chest.

"Exactly, it was all just a plot. If not for this, would you have been willing to sacrifice your own lifeblood to treat me!" Liu Tianyao sneered.

Chu Jianqiu looked at the completely unfamiliar girl before him, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and laughed bitterly, "Wanting me to die, even if you have fully mastered the Three Yin Absolute Meridian, even if I am now severely weakened, can you kill me?"

Even though his cultivation had not progressed for three years, his True Qi Realm was still far beyond the capabilities of Liu Tianyao, a Fifth Rank Body Tempering practitioner.

"Add me in!" A cold voice came from the nearby forest.

Chu Jianqiu's heart trembled, and he turned his head to see a young man in purple slowly walking out of the forest, his brows filled with arrogance and coldness.

The Second Son of the Tian Shui County Governor, Ouyang Yuan!

Chu Jianqiu instantly recognized the newcomer.

Seeing the young man in purple, Liu Tianyao's cold expression melted like ice, and she instantly put on a radiant smile. She ran over, grabbed the young man's arm, and called out sweetly, "Second Son!"

Seeing this, Chu Jianqiu felt a mix of hatred, pain, and bitterness, and he gritted his teeth, cursing silently, "Bitch!"

Chu Jianqiu forced himself to regain his composure and instantly darted towards the edge of the cliff.

Chu Jianqiu was very clear about Ouyang Yuan's strength. Even at his peak, he might not have been a match for Ouyang Yuan, let alone in his current dire situation. To survive, he had to run.

"Too late to run!" Ouyang Yuan shouted coldly, and his figure was already in front of Chu Jianqiu, striking him with a palm on the chest.

"Crack!"

Chu Jianqiu's body flew back several yards, several ribs broken, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Chu Jianqiu was shocked. Ouyang Yuan, who he had not seen for three years, was now a Sixth Rank True Qi Realm practitioner. Chu Jianqiu fell into a deep despair, knowing that falling into their hands meant certain death.

Ouyang Yuan came to Chu Jianqiu's side, looking down at him coldly, and said, "This bloodline is being wasted on you, a lowly peasant. Today, I will find it a true master."

Saying this, he placed a palm on Chu Jianqiu's chest.

Chu Jianqiu instantly felt the Nine Yang Bloodline in his body rushing towards Ouyang Yuan's palm, and his cultivation began to plummet.

Bloodline Transfer Technique!

Chu Jianqiu was shocked. Ouyang Yuan dared to practice such a forbidden secret technique.

"You two dogs, I will never let you off, even in death!" Chu Jianqiu was filled with hatred and cursed wildly.

After half an hour, Chu Jianqiu's Middle Rank Earth-Class bloodline and all his cultivation had been transferred to Ouyang Yuan. Chu Jianqiu was now on the brink of death, a complete cripple.

Ouyang Yuan, feeling the Nine Yang Bloodline in his body, let out a triumphant laugh. He had finally obtained what he had been plotting for so long.

Ouyang Yuan was originally a Middle Rank Earth-Class bloodline practitioner, but he had awakened the Six Yang Bloodline, which was far less pure than the Nine Yang Bloodline. Now, having absorbed Chu Jianqiu's Nine Yang Bloodline, his bloodline would be even stronger.

"Fuse!"

Ouyang Yuan shouted, and the Six Yang Bloodline and Nine Yang Bloodline in his body began to fuse. After a moment, Ouyang Yuan's aura grew immensely, and the fusion of the two bloodlines elevated his bloodline to an Upper Rank Earth-Class.

Ouyang Yuan looked at Liu Tianyao and smiled slightly, "I will give you Chu Jianqiu's cultivation. Cultivate well, and in a month, the Xuanjian Sect will hold a recruitment competition!"

Saying this, he placed a palm on Liu Tianyao's back, and her cultivation began to rise rapidly, finally reaching the Ninth Rank Body Tempering Realm.

Liu Tianyao was overjoyed and smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Second Son!"

"What do you plan to do with him?" Ouyang Yuan pointed to the half-dead Chu Jianqiu on the ground.

Liu Tianyao glanced at Chu Jianqiu and smiled sweetly, "If we kill him directly, it would be too easy on him. Let him taste the pain of falling from the heavens to the earth, wouldn't that be more delightful?" Saying this, she struck Chu Jianqiu's dantian with a palm.

Chu Jianqiu let out a惨叫, his vision went black, and he fainted.

At that moment, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, and thunder rumbled. Lightning danced wildly in the sky.

Crack!

A bolt of lightning split the sky and struck the unconscious Chu Jianqiu on the ground.

In the blinding light, a small black tower entered Chu Jianqiu's body with the lightning.