In 2500 AD, the world erupted in nuclear war. The entire Earth was enveloped in a shroud of radioactive mist, and human civilization was fundamentally destroyed.
A thousand years later, the Earth slowly recovered its vitality. Due to the effects of the nuclear war, the Earth's volume had expanded several times, and its surface area was dozens of times larger than before.
Humanity once again thrived, but scientific and technological civilization had completely declined. Cultivation civilization became the mainstream of the world.
At this time, ten major righteous and evil sects emerged across the land of Huaxia. The seven great righteous sects were: Kunlun Sect, Kongdong Sect, Shushan Sect, Heavenly Master Dao, Longevity Gate, Bodhi Sect, and Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple. The three great evil sects were: Heavenly Demon Cult, Yin-Yang Sect, and Ten Thousand Ghosts Sect.
The two factions, righteous and evil, constantly clashed, and the human world was everywhere engulfed in the flames of war!
******
Song Yuyao and Li Yuzhen were gathering herbs on a small mountain. Both were disciples of Longevity Gate, and junior sisters to the current sect leader!
Song Yuyao wore snow-white robes, her figure slender and well-proportioned, her bright eyes shining like stars in the night sky.
Li Yuzhen exuded an otherworldly aura, her skin as white as congealed fat, her hair long and raven-black.
Both women were renowned beauties in the Cultivation World, and among the top five most highly cultivated second-generation disciples of Longevity Gate, having both reached the Soul Division Stage!
As the sky began to darken, the two women were preparing to return to Longevity Gate when Song Yuyao suddenly said:
"Junior Sister, listen. It seems there's the sound of a child crying at the foot of the mountain!"
Li Yuzhen concentrated and listened, then said:
"It really is a child crying, Senior Sister. Let's go down and take a look!"
The two women flew towards the foot of the mountain, and indeed, in the bushes, they found a small boy. The little boy was probably only about six or seven months old, his face covered in tears, crying pitifully.
Song Yuyao picked up the child and gently patted his body. The child slowly stopped crying, and Song Yuyao said with pity:
"I don't know who this child's parents are, to think they could cruelly abandon him here!"
Looking at the child's sorrowful face, an unprecedented maternal instinct rose within Song Yuyao. She gently held the child and couldn't help but lightly kiss his face.
Li Yuzhen then said:
"Senior Sister, how should we handle this child? How about we find a villager family at the foot of the mountain and entrust the child to them?"
Song Yuyao shook her head and said:
"Junior Sister, this child is so pitiful. I... I've decided to adopt him myself! Our sect leader brother still allows us to find our own disciples, so I will take this child as my disciple! From today onwards, he is my disciple!"
Looking at the child's bright eyes, Song Yuyao felt a tremor in her heart. She absolutely did not want this child to suffer any more harm!
"This..."
Li Yuzhen hesitated slightly. The seven great sects were extremely strict in accepting disciples; aptitude, comprehension, and temperament all needed to undergo rigorous testing. If one didn't pass, they would absolutely not be accepted as a disciple, but now her Senior Sister was being a bit too casual!
At this moment, Song Yuyao was only concerned with taking care of the child. She gently patted the child's bottom, and the child smiled at her. Song Yuyao couldn't help but smile charmingly, and said:
– Junior sister, he’s so adorable! I’ve decided, from now on he will be my disciple!
Immediately, Song Yuyao brought the child back to Changsheng Mountain. She washed the child’s body and discovered a jade pendant on his neck. The pendant had the character “Xue” on it, leading Song Yuyao to guess that the child’s surname must be Xue.
– From today, you are my disciple. Your master should give you a pleasant-sounding name! Hmm, let’s call you Lingyun. I only hope that my disciple will have the ambition to soar high in the future!
Song Yuyao played with the child while muttering to herself.
From that day on, the child was called Xue Lingyun, and he became Song Yuyao’s first disciple.
When Xue Lingyun was three years old, Song Yuyao began to teach him cultivation methods. However, Xue Lingyun couldn't absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It wasn't until Xue Lingyun was five that Song Yuyao realized something was wrong.
That day, Song Yuyao personally sought out the sect master, her senior brother, and said:
– Senior brother, your cultivation is profound. Please help me examine this child’s body to see what’s wrong! He has been cultivating the Changsheng Scripture for two years, yet there isn’t a single trace of spiritual energy in his body. This is very abnormal!
Sect Master Liu Qing nodded. He began to examine Xue Lingyun’s body, and half an hour later, he frowned and said:
– Junior sister, if I’m not mistaken, this child must have the Nine Yin Severed Meridians!
– What!
Song Yuyao’s heart trembled. She had once read records about the Nine Yin Severed Meridians in an ancient text at the Changsheng Sect. It was rumored that the Nine Yin Severed Meridians were a rare and extraordinary condition; anyone with such meridians fundamentally could not cultivate. Even more terrifying was that those with this condition generally wouldn’t live past twenty years old!
Song Yuyao gently hugged little Lingyun, her tears falling, drop by drop, onto Xue Lingyun’s face.
Xue Lingyun reached out to wipe the tears from Song Yuyao’s face. He said, both worried and anxious:
– Master, why are you crying? Is it because Lingyun won’t be able to cultivate in the future? It doesn’t matter, as long as I can be with Master!
Hearing Xue Lingyun’s words, Song Yuyao grew even more sorrowful. Not only could her disciple not cultivate, but he also likely wouldn't live past twenty! The more she thought, the more she pitied her disciple. Abandoned by his parents since childhood, yet he could only live for less than twenty years. Why is Heaven so unfair?!
Song Yuyao gently wiped her tears, lightly kissed Xue Lingyun, and said tenderly:
– Lingyun, don’t worry. Master will definitely cure your Nine Yin Severed Meridians, no matter how much effort it takes!
At this moment, Xue Lingyun didn’t yet know how serious the Nine Yin Severed Meridians truly were. He just looked up at Song Yuyao curiously and said:
– Master, is this illness very difficult to cure? If it’s too difficult, you really shouldn’t bother with me. Lingyun doesn’t want to see Master heartbroken because of me!
Tears once again streamed down Song Yuyao’s face. She couldn’t understand at all why little Lingyun, so sensible and adorable, had such a tragic fate.
Not long after, most of the Changsheng Sect disciples knew that Song Yuyao’s disciple fundamentally couldn’t cultivate. Some advised Song Yuyao to take on another disciple, but Song Yuyao stubbornly refused. She swore to cure Xue Lingyun, no matter how much effort it took!