Cangwu Continent, Western Border, Zhao'an City.
In front of the Si Family gates, a young woman was boldly confronting the Si Family's Fifth Elder.
At this moment, both their expressions were extremely grim, and the gazes they exchanged were dark and heavy, as if they harbored a deep, mortal enmity.
Not far away, a few busybodies watched from a distance, secretly pointing and inwardly admiring the young woman for daring to cause a scene with the Si Family. Who didn't know that the Si Family was one of Zhao'an City's three great cultivation families, with a Golden Core ancestor presiding over them? Ordinary cultivators would show them a measure of respect, absolutely never daring to oppose the Si Family.
Looking at the girl, her appearance was dazzlingly beautiful. While it was known that cultivators were nourished by spiritual energy and favored by the heavens, making their looks and temperament superior, this young woman's beauty was several degrees more striking than that of ordinary female cultivators, and her temperament was exceptionally noble. From a distance, she looked like an ethereal immortal, truly a rare sight. Her cultivation base was even more astounding; her spiritual bones indicated she was only 17, yet she was already at the tenth layer of Qi Refinement. Barring any accidents, it was estimated that she would absolutely be able to successfully reach Foundation Establishment before she turned twenty, becoming one of the youngest Foundation Establishment cultivators in this Western Region.
In this Western Region, where spiritual energy was thin, a Foundation Establishment cultivator at twenty years old could absolutely be called a generation-defining prodigy.
Soon, someone recognized this young woman as a disciple of the Yue Family, one of Zhao'an City's other two great cultivation families, named Yue Tianye.
Speaking of which, Yue Tianye was also a legend. It was said that before she turned 16, she was merely a mixed five-element spiritual root holder. Despite cultivating until she was 16, she was still only at the second layer of Qi Refinement – a lowest-tier cultivation level. Without advanced cultivation methods and numerous high-grade spirit pills, such a spiritual root, no matter how diligently one cultivated, could only ever reach the Golden Core stage, and even then, progress would be incredibly slow.
Who knew that when Yue Tianye was 16, during her cultivation, she suffered a qi deviation, almost dying. Fortunately, it turned out to be just a scare. Not long after, Yue Tianye seemed to have suddenly obtained some heaven-sent opportunity; her cultivation base soared as if she had consumed an immortal pill. In just one year, she diligently cultivated to the tenth layer of Qi Refinement, becoming an undeniable talent.
However, while Yue Tianye appeared to be a genius, in Zhao'an City, everyone knew that the true geniuses were the Twin Prodigies of the Si Family. These were truly exceptional talents. To be a Foundation Establishment cultivator at 15 was rare even on the Central Continent, and in those great sects, they would be called darlings of heaven.
Yet, the Si Family had produced two such peerless talents of the same generation. One, named Si Han, possessed a naturally mutated Ice spiritual root; he reached Foundation Establishment at 15 and was now twenty years old, already a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. The other, named Si Ling, possessed a single Fire spiritual root; he also reached Foundation Establishment at 15 and was now exactly eighteen, at the peak of early-Foundation Establishment.
However, what was truly regrettable was this: last month, when the Western Realm's Minor Saint Realm opened, Si Ling led his family's disciples, along with other disciples from the Three Great Clans of Zhaoyang An City, into the Minor Saint Realm for training. According to reports, he encountered a Level 6 demonic beast in the Minor Saint Realm. While saving a disciple from the Yue family, he was severely injured, and his cultivation level dropped to the early Foundation Establishment stage.
That wasn't all; worse luck was still ahead.
And just recently, Yue Tianye arrived at the Si family manor to seek an audience with Si Ling, but unexpectedly got into a conflict with the Si family's gate guards. She tried to force her way into the Si family manor, and unluckily ended up fighting with the Si family's Fifth Elder, Si Ming, who had just returned home.
Si Ming was 150 years old this year, a cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage. How could a junior at the tenth level of the Qi Refining stage possibly provoke him? However, Yue Tianye was naturally arrogant. Despite her low cultivation, she showed no fear of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Her imposing aura refused to back down, and she declared her intention to force her way into the Si family manor. A mere junior daring to cause trouble with him? Si Ming naturally showed no mercy. He originally intended to kill her outright — in the world of cultivation, low-level cultivators who didn't know their place and provoked high-level cultivators would find no sympathy if killed — but just as he made his move, Si Ling somehow appeared and, with great effort, took Si Ming's killing blow for Yue Tianye.
Si Ming was a long-renowned late Foundation Establishment cultivator, possessing his own Natal Qi. Even if he only used eighty percent of his spiritual power to unleash his Five Absolutes Qi, it was not something a severely injured person like Si Ling could withstand, was it?
The incident happened too suddenly. No one could have predicted that Si Ling – the genius of the Si family – would risk his life to save an unrelated young woman, potentially crippling all his spiritual roots. This foreseeable outcome left countless people sighing endlessly. Witnessing Si Ling collapse on the spot, everyone present could clearly feel his aura weakening.
“You—you injured him like that again!!” Yue Tianye's beautiful eyes blinked with rage, glaring venomously at Si Ming.
At this moment, Si Ming was also in turmoil. He hastily ordered the Si family members to move the unconscious Si Ling back to the manor. He was now filled with fury towards Yue Tianye, his killing intent growing even stronger. When all was said and done, this situation had arisen because Yue Tianye, not knowing her place, had forced her way into the Si family manor.
Si Ming was worried about Si Ling's injuries; he no longer had the composure to care about her. He immediately flicked his sleeve and roared, “Get out!”
The sound wave, seemingly tangible, swept through, sending Yue Tianye flying backward.
Yue Tianye knelt prostrate on the ground, unable to rise under the oppressive might of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, her heart filled with humiliation and shame. What made her even more distressed was that Si Ling had been severely injured multiple times because of her. How could such a deeply devoted and righteous man not stir her heart, moving her profoundly? Across both her lives, he was the only man willing to sacrifice his life for her.
But…
Si Ling, why are you so foolish?
No one cared about the young woman who had fallen to the ground. After all, in the eyes of ordinary people, Yue Tianye truly was someone who didn't know her place. She was clearly a low-level cultivator, and utterly clueless about her own standing. Not only did she dare to cause trouble at the main gate of the Si family, she even dared to provoke the Si family's Fifth Elder. If it hadn't been for the Si family's genius encountering an incident at that very moment, the Si family would have long since seized the opportunity to kill her right at their doorstep as a warning. It was believed that even the Yue family understood the reason, and wouldn't oppose the Si family for the sake of such an overreaching disciple.
The entire Si family was thrown into an uproar. Even the clan patriarch, alarmed, emerged from seclusion to inquire. When he learned of Si Ling's misfortune, the Si family patriarch gnashed his teeth so hard they creaked.
“Second Elder, how is Ling’er?”
Inside Si Ling's room, the Si family patriarch asked with concern, peering inquisitively inside. Si Ling was still unconscious. His handsome face was frighteningly pale, yet even so, he did not lose his striking good looks. One could say that Si Ling was born with such an unparalleled beauty, even more beautiful than women. Not to mention women, even men would find their hearts quicken a few beats upon seeing him.
The Si family patriarch's heart pounded, and he quickly averted his gaze.
The Second Elder was the Si family's most highly cultivated practitioner, second only to the First Elder. He had already reached the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, just a step away from forming a Core. Furthermore, he was a fourth-grade alchemist – this was what the Si family respected him for the most. In a place with such thin spiritual energy as the Western Reaches, alchemists were extremely rare. The highest-grade alchemists were sixth-grade, and such alchemists could only be cultivated in the great sects. For a cultivation family to possess a fourth-grade alchemist, it already elevated the family's inner strength above other families.
“It’s very bad.” The Second Elder withdrew his spiritual sense, his brows furrowed tightly. After a moment, he sighed and said, “Ling’er’s cultivation has been completely crippled. And most seriously, his fire spirit root… is destroyed.”
This was more than just a bolt from the blue.
With his spirit root destroyed, he could only live as an ordinary person for the rest of his life.
Originally a cultivation genius, he had now become a cripple. No one could accept this.
Very quickly, everyone in the Si family learned that the genius Si Ling's spirit root had been destroyed. In an instant, he had gone from a favored child of heaven to a cripple.
From then on, the title 'Si Family Twin Stars' would no longer exist.
When Si Ling awoke, he only felt his entire body heavy, as if experiencing sleep paralysis. He hadn't experienced this sensation in over a hundred years, making him feel somewhat unaccustomed. Moreover, his chest burned with constant pain, as if a large rock had crushed him, causing internal injuries. Any slight movement would make him want to cough aloud.
“Don’t move!” An icy voice commanded.
Si Ling obediently stopped moving. It wasn't that he was truly so obedient, but rather that the pain made him unwilling to move, to avoid enduring such agony again. After a moment, Si Ling endured the throbbing pain, and opened his eyes wide. When his gaze fell upon the unfamiliar surroundings, he was stunned.
“Hmph, for a lowly woman, was it worth it?”
Si Ling remained silent, only looking up at the man by the bed. His face was extraordinarily handsome, but a faint chill clung to his entire being. His expression was indifferent, appearing aloof and unfeeling; only a flicker of worry in his cold eyes betrayed his icy demeanor.
This was Tu Han, one of the Tu family’s Gemini, Tu Lăng’s elder half-brother and another genius of the Tu family.
“Big Brother…” Tu Lăng stammered.
Tu Han’s gaze subtly shifted. His ink-black eyes seemed to condense a layer of frost, a result of his cultivation of the Profound Ice Art. Possessing a naturally mutated ice spirit root, he had rarely been swayed by emotions or shown much expression since childhood. The only person who could elicit any reaction from him was this younger half-brother.
Tu Lăng lowered his eyes, not daring to speak until he understood the situation.
Fortunately, Tu Han didn't seem to want to hear anything from him. After a moment, he spoke calmly, “The Clan Leader has decided on your punishment today: you are to be sent to the forbidden ground to reflect for ten years. Do you have any objections?”
Tu Lăng’s mind raced, sifting through the sealed memories hidden in the original Tu Lăng’s brain. Right, this punishment was in place because, previously in the Minor Saint Realm, the original Tu Lăng had presumptuously taken it upon himself to rescue Yue Tianye – someone who had provoked a level 6 demonic beast – causing the Tu family to lose over ten disciples. The Clan Leader had been furious, but before he could even decide on the original Tu Lăng’s fate, the incident of Yue Tianye coming to challenge them had occurred. Once again, to save her, the original Tu Lăng had been struck by Elder Wu’s Five Absolutes Qi, destroying his spirit root and turning him into a cripple.
Even though he had become a cripple, the punishment still had to be endured. So, despite the original Tu Lăng now being an ordinary person with his spirit root completely gone, he still had to accept the penalty.
“No objections!” Tu Lăng said slowly, his chest aching as he spoke.
Tu Han silently looked at her for a few seconds, then said, “Take care. You will go to the forbidden ground in three days.” He turned and left.
Tu Lăng watched him leave. Only after the door closed did he let out a heavy breath, then covered his incessantly aching chest and gave a bitter laugh.
“She,” a woman, had actually transmigrated into a man’s body. What’s more, she had unluckily transmigrated into a man whose cultivation had been completely destroyed. What could be more tragic than this?