Chapter 1, Yun Tianyu
In order for the Nan family to regain control of the situation, the new generation of the family must rise to take on significant responsibilities and embark on a true path of defying the heavens in cultivation. This path of defying the heavens is divided into seven realms: Daoist, Dao Master, Dao Spirit, Dao Sect, Dao Saint, Dao Venerable, and Dao Immortal, with each realm further divided into seven levels.
Challenge. Although Nan Hong had indeed reached the seventh level of the Dao and sought to challenge Yun Tianyu to prove his own ideas, upon witnessing Yun Tianyu's extraordinary speed of movement, a sense of panic arose within Nan Hong. The fighting spirit that had just ignited within him was immediately replaced by fear, leaving him utterly unwilling to engage in battle
Very well, since you all wish to become true practitioners of the extraordinary path, you must exert ten times the effort of ordinary people. Now, you may begin your training. I hope that by the time you turn sixteen, someone among you can unlock their body's maximum potential and successfully break through to the seventh level of practitioner, reaching the first level of master. Anyone who breaks through to the first level of master before the age of sixteen will become a key focus of cultivation within the family. Additionally, one year from now, our family will hold a competition among disciples under the age of twenty-five. If any of you can place in the top five, you will receive generous rewards from the family, and the first place will receive a power elixir crafted by the clan leader using numerous rare materials from heaven and earth.
I am not the head of the Nan family, but my status is higher than that of you, a sinner's disciple. Proud and arrogant, yet my strength has always been suppressed by Yun Tianyu. Recently, having just broken through to the seventh-level Daoist with the help of medicinal pills, Nan Hong continued to provoke Yun Tianyu, deliberately flaunting the aura of a seventh-level Daoist.
This stern middle-aged man is Nan Mingfeng, the Third Guardian of the Nan family in Yannan City. He is well-known in Yannan City and has attained the level of Seventh Stage Dao Master.
More than thirty young men in athletic attire, undeterred by the severe cold and low temperatures, spoke in unison with spirited enthusiasm
Although the boy's features are not exceptionally outstanding, he gives off a very pleasant impression, especially with his pair of lively, large eyes, which add a touch of wisdom to him. This quietly contemplative boy is Yun Tianyu, a member of the younger generation of the Nan family, who possesses exceptional talent and has reached the level of a seventh-tier practitioner.
At the seventh level of Dao Master, a true essence is formed within the body at each level. When the Dao Master reaches the seventh level, the seven true essences formed in the body will condense and gradually transform into spiritual essence, impacting the Dao Spirit realm
"Yun Tianyu, do not get too complacent. What if you are strong? My family has plenty of younger disciples who are stronger than you, and there will be someone to deal with you when the time comes." Watching Yun Tianyu's gradually receding figure, Nan Hong, whose provocation had failed and who had instead been humiliated by Yun Tianyu, clenched his fists tightly in anger, the veins on his neck bulging, and he gritted his teeth, silently reciting in his heart, his hatred and jealousy towards Yun Tianyu growing even stronger.
"Yun Tianyu, are you still daydreaming? Even if you have exceptional talent and break through to the first level of Dao Master, so what? As an outsider, you are destined not to become a key figure cultivated by the Nan family. Sooner or later, you and your sinful master will be driven out of the Nan family." Just as the slender Yun Tianyu appeared to be deep in thought, contemplating the family competition a year later, a discordant voice of provocation reached his ears.
Having spoken, Yun Tianyu turned and left under the watchful gaze of the young disciples of the Nan family who were prepared to witness the spectacle
"Nan Hong, it seems that reaching the seventh level of the Dao has given you more confidence. I now formally challenge you; do you dare to face me like a man?" Because the Nan family does not permit internal strife unless both parties agree, otherwise, engaging in private conflict will result in family punishment. Yun Tianyu looked at Nan Hong, who was provocatively acting like a clown. With a slight movement of his body, before Nan Hong could react a second time, he instantly appeared in front of him, looking closely at Nan Hong's pale face, who was so frightened that he kept retreating and almost fell to the ground. In a cold voice, Yun Tianyu challenged him.
More than thirty young men from the Nan family practiced diligently on the snow-covered ground until noon. Nan Mingfeng, who was responsible for supervising their training, suddenly spoke up: "Alright, everyone can take a break! Tomorrow, I have important matters to attend to and will be away for three months. During these three months, I will not be able to supervise your training. However, in my absence, I hope you will train even harder and with greater effort than you do now"
In the depths of winter, the swirling snow transformed the city of Yannan, located in the northern part of Xisu County of the Great Jin Dynasty on the Western Continent, into a silver-white world, surrounded by the mountains.
"Nan Hong, you are nothing but a petty person who can only talk big! Since you dare not accept the challenge, so be it. When the family competition comes in a year, I will make you pay a painful price for today's provocation. I will make you understand that the pride of the strong cannot be trampled upon." Yun Tianyu looked at Nan Hong, whose face was flushed and who wanted to respond but didn't know how, and revealed a look of disdain, mocking him without reservation.
To become a powerful practitioner of the Dao, one must establish a solid foundation from a young age. The path of cultivation is a defiance against the heavens; there are no shortcuts other than diligent training of the heart, will, energy, strength, courage, and wisdom. A middle-aged man, dressed in a white wide-sleeved long robe, with a long beard and a ruddy complexion, bore a centipede scar on the left side of his face, which marred his overall appearance. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back and spoke in a commanding voice.
The Daoist, Dao Master, and Dao Spirit are the foundations of cultivating the Dao. To truly embark on the path of the Dao, one must condense the seven spiritual essences within the body into a Golden Elixir of cultivation, reaching the realm of Daoism. The realm of Daoism is also a watershed for defying the heavens in cultivation. Many individuals are unable to condense the Golden Elixir and break through the Daoist realm, ultimately exhausting their lifespan and turning into a pile of yellow earth
The Nan family relocated to Yannan City several decades ago. Before the Nan family's move to Yannan City, it was known as Yanluo City. After decades of management, the Nan family surpassed the Luo family and became the second largest family in Yannan City, leading to the official renaming of Yanluo City to Yannan City.
The practitioner is merely at the initial stage of defying the heavens in their cultivation. Only by maximizing their inherent potential can the practitioner generate true essence within their body. Once true essence is formed, the practitioner can utilize the true energy within their body to break through to the realm of the Dao Master
Do you wish to become a powerful practitioner of the Dao, respected by all?" A middle-aged man in a white, wide-sleeved long robe spoke with authority and suddenly asked loudly.
In one year, during this time, I must quickly enhance my strength, for the sake of my master's injury, I will spare no effort! The entire body erupted with a formidable aura, as Yun Tianyu, who cultivated the energy of heaven and earth, silently vowed in his heart
In the context of the entire Great Jin Dynasty, the Dao Spirit Realm is merely the beginning of cultivation. It can be said that if the Nan family fails to produce new masters of the Dao Sect, it is destined to remain a desolate small family, unable to surpass the Yan family, the first family of Yannan City, which is protected by a fifth-level Dao Spirit master, and will be at risk of being swallowed by other ambitious forces.
However, Yun Tianyu is not a member of the Nan family by blood; rather, he was the first genius of the Nan family and also the one who brought about their catastrophic downfall. Now, he is the most notorious disciple of Nan Hongpeng, the first sinner of the Nan family, who adopted him since childhood. As for why Yun Tianyu has been living in the Nan family and the details of his background, he himself is also unclear.
As dawn broke with a faint light, a layer of pale fish-belly white appeared in the distant sky. A group of youths, approximately fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in uniform black training attire, stood upright amidst the thick snow, undeterred by the biting cold and swirling snow.
"Get out of the Nan family! Nan Hong, do you think you are the head of the Nan family?" Hearing the deliberately provocative voice echoing in his ears, Yun Tianyu, pulled back from his thoughts to reality, revealed a hint of disdain. He looked at Nan Hong, who regarded himself as his greatest rival, standing half a head taller than him, with a square face and equally impressive talent, the grandson of the third elder of the Nan family, and retorted without any courtesy.
The reason the Nan family was able to quickly establish a foothold in Yannan City and surpass the old-established Luo family in overall strength is related to the background of the Nan family. It is said that the Nan family is a branch of the second largest force in Xisu County, the Xingxu Palace.
After this battle, the overall strength of the Nan family has significantly declined. In previous years, they had firmly suppressed the Luo family, which is now eager to seize the opportunity to take over as the second force in Yannan City.
Very well! Everyone, go back and rest. I hope that when you return in three months, some of you can give me a surprise. " Nan Mingfeng looked at the future hopes of his family with satisfaction, gently nodding his head. However, when his peripheral vision caught sight of the exceptionally talented Yuntianyu at the back of the crowd, he couldn't help but slightly furrow his brows, shook his head, and turned to leave.
Currently, in the Nan family, the most powerful head is Nan Jinghai, with the Grand Elder being merely a fourth-level Dao Spirit expert. The Third Elder and the Great Protector are first-level Dao Spirit experts, and no one else has managed to break through to the Dao Spirit realm.
Rest assured, Uncle Mingfeng, we will strive to cultivate diligently. The young men of the Nan family, who are absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, each spoke up to assure him, their bodies emanating layers of white mist.
Once one reaches the realm of Daoism, not only will their lifespan significantly increase, but they will also possess the qualifications to establish a sect and become a generation's grandmaster. This has been the dream of these young members of the Nan family since childhood
The Dao Power Pill, crafted by the clan leader, if I can emerge victorious in the competition among the younger generation of the family and obtain the Dao Power Pill, perhaps I can leverage its powerful medicinal effects to stabilize my master's severe injuries. Among the crowd, a tall and slightly lean-faced young man silently contemplated in his heart.
However, just as the Nan family was thriving and its overall strength was continuously increasing, poised to potentially replace the Yan family as the foremost family in Yan Nan City, a calamity was brought upon them five years ago due to a woman. This led to a conflict with the Tai Shi family, the second family in the Eastern You Prefecture of the Great Jin Dynasty, resulting in heavy casualties. Two of the family's seated Supreme Elders were killed. Had it not been for the intervention of a master from the Xing Su Palace, who resolved the crisis, the Nan family might have already faced extermination at the hands of the Tai Shi family.
"What? Can't you speak yet? If it weren't for your master being blinded by lust and bringing disaster upon the family back then, would my family, the Nan family, have suffered such heavy casualties? Would our situation be so difficult? All of this is due to your master, who is ignorant of the consequences and obsessed with women." Feeling the coldness flickering in Yun Tianyu's eyes, Nan Hong, who had been elevated to a seventh-level practitioner through drugs, inexplicably trembled inside. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the panic within, and forced himself to shout loudly.
"Disciple of a sinner! Nan Hong, do not think that just because you have reached the level of a seventh-tier practitioner, you can insult my master. If you dare to speak recklessly again, I will make you understand what regret truly means in the future." Sensing the deliberately emitted aura of a seventh-tier practitioner from Nan Hong, Yun Tianyu completely ignored it, his eyes revealing a cold gaze as he coldly regarded Nan Hong, who was a head taller and intentionally provoking him, suppressing the anger within and restraining himself.