Liuzhou City lies at the foot of the Hundred Barbarian Mountains of the Miao Frontier, backed by rivers and mountains, its scenery elegant and beautiful.
This place is home to many descendants of Jiuli. The people are fierce and brave, and the young men possess robust physiques, with backs like tigers and shoulders like bears, making their living hunting in the mountains. A single person can carry a wild boar weighing around a hundred *jin* and still run like the wind.
The customs here differ from those of the Central Plains. The people are proud and unruly, believing in the Ten Great Demon Venerables. They worship demon gods in their homes, commanding spirits and manipulating ghosts. Therefore, the Hundred Barbarian Mountains are also a gathering place for demonic path sorcerers.
Early morning, at the outer training ground of the Ye Manor, nearly a hundred Ye family disciples were practicing martial arts. Their waists were like bows, their fists like arrows, their arms like whips. As their fists and feet struck down, they roared and shouted, their momentum like a surging flood.
A few disciples occasionally glanced towards another spot in the training ground, envy and admiration appearing in their eyes.
In another part of the training ground, a blue-robed youth stood silently on the grass, his feet in an eight-character stance, eyes half-closed, slowly regulating his breath.
If any martial arts masters were present at that moment, they would undoubtedly be shocked, for the youth's breathing was extremely profound and resonant, almost reaching a state that ordinary people could hardly imagine.
His internal organs had been tempered to a state as hard as steel, like a massive bellows. The currents of air he inhaled and exhaled caused the surrounding grass to bend. Even an internal martial arts master who had painstakingly cultivated for ten years might not be able to achieve this!
This youth was named Ye Xu, styled Shaobao. He was only fourteen years old this year, his youthful face somewhat refined. He was from a collateral branch of the Ye family, ranking seventh among the descendants of his generation.
The Ye family was a renowned Desolate Shaman Clan in Liuzhou City. The Manor Lord, Ye Sidao, was famous in the demonic path. Ye Sidao cultivated the "Ancient Python Toad Great Strength Divine Art," his shamanic arts divine. He was the most powerful shaman in Liuzhou, possessing a vast family estate.
The Ye Manor covered over a thousand *mu* of land, magnificent beyond compare. Courtyards were densely packed within, and even long-serving servants often got lost inside.
The Ye family had a large estate. Everyone in the manor, from top to bottom, including the household servants, practiced martial arts. Among the servants, there was no lack of masters, and quite a few had even cultivated martial arts to the Xiantian realm.
Ye Xu's parents died early. At seven years old, he began cultivating the "Azure Nether Body Tempering Art." In just an hour, he cultivated true qi, and his cultivation rapidly advanced. Two years later, he had cultivated the Azure Nether Body Tempering Art to the fourth level. He was recognized by the Ye Manor as an unparalleled genius; even Manor Lord Ye Sidao valued him greatly, considering him a key talent to nurture.
By this time, Ye Xu had already cultivated the Azure Nether Body Tempering Art to the ninth level, only one step away from the Xiantian martial arts realm!
Outside the training ground, two middle-aged shamans stood there. The Inner Manor Steward, Ye Sizhen, stroked his chin and chuckled, "Shaobao truly lives up to his reputation as an unparalleled genius. In just seven short years, he has cultivated the Azure Nether Body Tempering Art to the ninth level. At fourteen, he will break through to the tenth level and enter the Xiantian martial arts realm, showing great potential, just like I did back then!"
Another shaman, Ye Sitian, also an Inner Manor Steward, heard this and burst out laughing, "Old Eighth, don't go gilding your own face. Everyone knows you only became a Xiantian martial arts master when you were twenty-six!"
Ye Sizhen, mortified and enraged, fiercely punched him and said, "Old Ninth, you beast, you only know how to pick on me!"
Ye Si Tian chuckled chidingly, his gaze serious. “If Shao Bao can enter the Xiantian martial path before twenty, doesn’t that mean he’ll become the youngest shaman in our Ye Clan in three hundred years, perhaps even surpassing our ancestors?”
To become a shaman, one must first cultivate to the Xiantian martial path, gradually nurturing and strengthening the primordial spirit within the body. This was common knowledge throughout the entire Witch-Wilds World.
Ye Si Zhen nodded lightly. “Our ancestor became a shaman at fifteen and founded the Ye Clan. If Shao Bao can become a shaman this year, I fear his future achievements will truly surpass our ancestor’s… huh?”
Ye Si Zhen suddenly exclaimed, his eyes wide as he stared at Ye Xu, gasping, “Old Ninth, I fear it won’t even be by the end of the year. This brat Shao Bao has unexpectedly stepped into the Xiantian martial path right now!”
Ye Si Tian’s body trembled. He quickly turned to look, only to see a swirling current of true qi manifesting beneath Ye Xu’s feet. He could hardly believe his eyes. “Condensing Qi into an Aura… He’s actually cultivated the Azure Nether Body Tempering Art to the tenth level!”
At this moment, the other disciples of the Ye Clan had also stopped, looking up towards Ye Xu, complex expressions appearing on their faces.
Beneath Ye Xu’s feet, that spherical, condensed qi had solidified and would not dissipate. Moreover, its rotation speed grew faster and faster, gradually expanding upwards to his waist, abdomen, and head. Finally, it enveloped him completely, like a miniature vortex.
As the wind intensified, grass and plants on the ground were uprooted, instantly pulverized within the vortex.
Condensing Qi into an Aura!
The tenth level of the Azure Nether Body Tempering Art meant that one’s martial cultivation had entered a new realm: condensing qi into an aura, becoming a Xiantian master!
Among the more than a hundred disciples of the Ye Clan, some could not even touch the threshold of this realm in their entire lives. Yet, Ye Xu had now stepped through that door, entering the realm they yearned for but could not attain!
After a long while, the aura slowly dissipated. Ye Xu opened his eyes, revealing a joyful glint, and thought to himself, “Heaven rewards the diligent. I have finally cultivated the Azure Nether Body Tempering Art to form an aura. Now, I am only one step away from the Shaman realm!”
Ye Xu knew very well in his heart that among the Ye Clan disciples, he was the only one whose parents had died early, without any background or foundation whatsoever. Although he bore the title of a martial arts genius and had gained the attention of Clan Head Ye Si Dao, to him, that was merely fleeting clouds.
The Ye Clan, after all, was a Witch-Wilds family in the Miao Frontier. Only by becoming a shaman could one truly gain the clan’s regard, becoming a key focus for cultivation. Moreover, after becoming a shaman, one’s status and position would multiply, granting immense power and the authority over life and death!
The martial path had a total of ten realms. Cultivating to the Xiantian martial path was already the peak for mortals.
But for shamans, the Xiantian martial path was merely the beginning. The shaman realm was even more vast; the Xiantian martial path could not compare!
Ye Feng stepped forward from the crowd, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, “Seventh Brother, congratulations! You’ve achieved Xiantian at fourteen. You are the first person in our Ye Clan to do so in three hundred years!” In his complimentary gaze, there was also a hint of jealousy. He was nearly two years older than Ye Xu, ranked sixth, and his talent was excellent. He had already cultivated the Azure Nether Body Tempering Art to the seventh level. Within the Ye Clan, he was also considered an outstanding figure.
However, compared to Ye Xu, his achievements were utterly insignificant.
Ye Xu made him feel as if a great mountain was pressing down on him, leaving him breathless.
Ye Feng strove to cultivate, striving to catch up, but what made him despair was that the gap between him and Ye Xu not only didn't shrink but, on the contrary, grew wider and wider.
It wasn't just him; it was likely that all the Ye family disciples standing here felt the same way.
“Sixth Brother, you flatter me,” Ye Xu said with a smile, noting his expression but not taking it to heart.
The other Ye family disciples also rushed over, congratulating him incessantly and pushing Ye Feng completely to one side.
Ye Xu acknowledged each of them, knowing in his heart that these Ye family disciples were so respectful, even somewhat fawning, primarily because he had entered the Xiantian martial path. He was almost certain to become a Wushi, and from then on, his status in the Ye family would soar, which was why they were flattering him.
“Alright, alright, everyone, clear out and go back to your martial arts training!”
Ye Sizhen shooed everyone away and smiled at Ye Xu, saying: “Shaobao, now that you have achieved Xiantian martial arts, we must go to the Wu Bei Ge. As long as you pass the test of the Wu Bei Ge, you will be the youngest Wushi of the Ye Manor in a hundred years!”
Ye Xu nodded and followed him to the Wu Bei Ge.
The Ye family's Wu Bei Ge possessed a secret method to awaken the primordial spirit. Any Ye family disciple under thirty years old whose cultivation had reached the Xiantian realm was qualified to enter the Wu Bei Ge to awaken their primordial spirit and obtain the demonic path inheritance to become a Wushi.
The so-called primordial spirit was, in fact, the essence soul.
Anyone, from the moment of birth, would be imbued with the essence souls of all things. The types of essence souls included flying birds and leaping fish, flowers and birds, insects and fish, and even spirit monsters, demonic beasts, and the souls of stars….
When humans are born, their primordial spirits are weak; only by cultivating martial arts to the Xiantian realm can the primordial spirit reach the strength to connect with the myriad heavens and obtain the inheritance of the Heavenly Dao. Therefore, everyone in the Ye family, even the household servants, cultivated martial arts and honed their martial skills.
The strength of the primordial spirit represented a Wushi's innate talent. Ye Xu was now a Xiantian martial arts master. His primordial spirit was also strong enough, making becoming a Wushi almost a certainty.
Outside the Wu Bei Ge, Ye Xu looked up at the myriad-shaped tower, filled with emotion: “Cultivating to the Xiantian realm, for ordinary people, is already an unattainable dream. But for a Wushi, it’s not even considered the beginning. Although I have cultivated the Azure Nether Body Tempering Art to the tenth level, condensing qi into steel, if I were to fight a Wushi, even a first-level Wushi, I wouldn't have any chance of winning!”
No matter how high one's martial cultivation, they are ultimately still a mortal. A Wushi, however, connects their primordial spirit to the myriad heavens and obtains the inheritance of the Heavenly Dao, leaping beyond the realm of mortals and possessing all sorts of incredible abilities.
And now, he was finally about to become a Wushi; his excitement was palpable.
“Don't lose focus, hurry and go in!” Ye Sizhen said.
Ye Xu composed himself slightly and stepped into the pavilion.
At this moment, he didn't know how much his condensing qi into steel and achieving Xiantian had shaken the upper echelons of the Ye family!
As soon as he stepped into the pavilion, four figures immediately appeared before the entrance of the Wu Bei Ge, and the Manor Lord, Ye Sidao, was among them!
The other three were also the highest authorities of the Ye family, renowned shamans of Liuzhou City. This showed how much importance the high-ranking members of the Ye family placed on Ye Xu becoming a shaman.
Ye Sizhen's status was far inferior to those four; he could only stand to the side.
The middle-aged man in a purple robe named Ye Simin slowly said, "Young Master, cultivating the Cangming Body Tempering Art at seven, reaching the fourth level at nine, he is a genius rarely seen in a thousand years. I didn't expect him to be even more astonishing now. At fourteen, he could cultivate the Cangming Body Tempering Art to the tenth level!"
The old man in a gray robe nodded and said, "My Ye family has been established for three hundred years, and many have cultivated to the Xiantian realm. But at fourteen, to achieve Xiantian martial dao, he is the only one. To call him a genius might even be an understatement!"
"Manor Lord, this heaven-defying prodigy is truly a blessing for my Ye family. I suggest we nurture Ye Xu with all our might."
Ye Sidao's expression was stern, and he said in a deep voice, "Ye Xu is indeed a heaven-defying prodigy, there's no denying that. However, whether we heavily rely on him depends on whether he becomes a shaman first. All matters, let's discuss them after he comes out!"
The Manor Lord spoke, and the other three quickly fell silent, standing quietly before the entrance of the Martial Armory Pavilion.