Chapter 1

In the tranquil bamboo forest, Nie Tianxing and Ling Yue strolled, thinking about the ridicule and humiliation he had endured for the past fifteen years, which almost suffocated him. Anger, fear, and unwillingness surged like a tide, making it hard for him to control his emotions.

For a moment, a trace of sorrow permeated the bamboo forest. Ling Yue knew she had touched a deep scar in Nie Tianxing’s heart, and she felt very sad.

"Brother Tianxing..." Ling Yue looked at Nie Tianxing and tightly held his arm.

After an unknown amount of time, Nie Tianxing finally emerged from his low spirits. The tranquil and enchanting bamboo forest, with its leaves drifting everywhere, was a beautiful scene, but Nie Tianxing had no heart to appreciate it, as if covered by a layer of frost.

"Sorry, I made you sad too. Let's go, I'll take you to see the waterfall." Nie Tianxing smiled slightly, pulling Ling Yue's delicate hand toward the waterfall, and Ling Yue instantly showed a sweet smile.

"Where are you going to see the waterfall?" At this moment, Yang Yuntian appeared in the bamboo forest with several disciples, quickly intercepting Nie Tianxing and Ling Yue’s path.

"What are you doing? Is this how Xianyun Sect treats its guests?" Ling Yue saw the looks on their faces and knew they were not friendly, immediately scolding them, her face turning cold.

"Ling Yue, I'm sorry, Nie Tianxing doesn’t take me seriously and ignores my warnings, making me lose face. This time, I won’t let him off!" Yang Yuntian said coldly, his angry gaze fiercely staring at Nie Tianxing.

"Hmph! You dare!" Ling Yue snorted, standing in front of Nie Tianxing.

"Ling Yue, our marriage is set for a year from now. Your family has already betrothed you to me. Now you still come to find this waste, making me lose face. Originally, for your sake, I didn’t plan to hold it against Nie Tianxing, but now I can’t let it go." A slightly cold voice echoed, and a figure descended from the sky.

"What? Marriage? Betrothal?" Nie Tianxing’s face turned unpredictable, his heart suddenly feeling as if pierced by a sharp blade, the pain unbearable. He now understood why Ling Yue had shown a flash of sadness earlier; it was because of the marriage.

"Ye Feng!" Ling Yue’s face changed, not expecting Ye Feng to come in person. Ye Feng was a famous genius in the empire, already at the Golden Core stage at the age of sixteen.

"Hmph! Nie Tianxing, it seems you, this waste, still don’t know. Do you think the Ling family would betroth Ling Yue to you? Now you are no longer part of the Nie family, you have no right to be with Ling Yue." Yang Yuntian sneered, not missing any chance to mock Nie Tianxing.

"That’s right! And you have no right to challenge Young Master Ye Feng! You don’t deserve it!" Yang Yunfeng also mocked, his eyes full of disdain.

Shocked for a moment, Nie Tianxing’s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile, his eyes becoming even more dim and dejected. Yang Yuntian was right; he had no right to be with Ling Yue, he didn’t deserve it, and he had no right to challenge Ye Feng. He was now just a waste in the empire, a waste abandoned by the Nie family, while the Ye family had immense power in the empire, and Ye Feng was a famous cultivation genius, making them incomparable.

That lonely and desolate figure looked very pitiful, and the anger and unwillingness surged again, making his whole body tremble.

This cruel blow deeply pierced Nie Tianxing’s heart, making him once again experience the cruelty of reality. The word "waste" had followed him for over a decade, always a deep, unhealable scar in his heart.

"I indeed don’t deserve Yue. I am just a waste, nothing at all. Ye Feng is the eldest son of the Ye family, the top genius in the empire. Yue would only suffer if she were with me, but she could live a happy life with Ye Feng, without being ridiculed and looked down upon like me." Nie Tianxing said with a bitter heart, his face showing a self-deprecating smile, looking dejected.

"Ye Feng, I will never marry you. In this life, I will only marry Brother Tianxing. I don’t care if he is a waste or a genius; I will follow him for this life! You can forget about it, hmpf!" Ling Yue shouted, her anger rising at the mocking of Nie Tianxing.

"Is that so? But unfortunately, it’s not up to you now. This concerns the reputation of my Ye family and the survival of your Ling family!" Ye Feng sneered, his anger rising as Ling Yue showed no respect to him. The cold killing intent spread, scaring Yang Yuntian and the others pale.

The Golden Core stage was so terrifying; even the Xianyun Sect’s sect master was only at the late Golden Core stage. One could imagine how terrifying Ye Feng’s strength was.

"Teach this ignorant waste a good lesson!" Ye Feng said coldly, not bothering to act himself.

"Yang Yuntian, if you want to harm Brother Tianxing, either kill me or get lost." Ling Yue shouted, her face red with anger. If looks could kill, these people would have died a thousand times over.

"Hmph! A waste is a waste, needing a woman to protect him. What can you do in this life?" Yang Yuntian sneered, ignoring Ling Yue’s obstruction and walking directly toward Nie Tianxing.

"Yang Yuntian! If you want to harm Brother Tianxing, you’ll have to kill me first!" Ling Yue shouted again, her true essence force surging, rushing quickly toward Yang Yuntian.

"Ling Yue, I’m sorry!" Yang Yuntian sneered, his cultivation already at the late Enlightenment stage, one level higher than Ling Yue.

"Bang!"

Yang Yuntian also punched, and with a bang, Ling Yue was immediately knocked back. Seeing this, Nie Tianxing’s face changed drastically: "Yue!"

How could Yang Yuntian give Nie Tianxing a chance? His eyes flashed with a fierce look, and he quickly kicked Nie Tianxing, who was trying to help Ling Yue.

"Bang!"

The kick landed hard on Nie Tianxing’s chest, the powerful force making him spit out a mouthful of blood, his body flying several meters away and landing heavily on the ground.

"Brother Tianxing!" Ling Yue’s face was full of worry, and her anger was boiling.

"Good hit!" A disciple cheered, and the others watched as if it were a show.

"Senior Brother Yuntian, beat him up hard! Even if you kill him, it doesn’t matter; Xianyun Sect doesn’t need this kind of waste!" Another disciple chimed in.

Nie Tianxing struggled to stand up, a trace of blood hanging from the corner of his mouth, his face slightly pale, his dejected eyes flashing a cold look, scanning the crowd.

Nie Tianxing laughed coldly: "Yang Yuntian, you can only show off in front of me. Although I am a waste now, I don’t take you seriously!"

"You are asking for death!" Yang Yuntian couldn’t believe Nie Tianxing had the nerve to say such things, his lungs almost bursting with anger. In a fit of rage, he suddenly swung his fist and punched Nie Tianxing.