King Beixuan's Mansion, dungeon!
In one of the cells, a young man was pierced through all four limbs by chains, tightly shackled to the wall, his entire body bathed in blood, having suffered unspeakable cruel torments.
"You three beasts, even if I become a ghost, I will never let you off!"
Xu Yang let out a bloodcurdling roar, glaring furiously at the trio before him.
Zheng Ming, the Fourth Lady, Mr. Wang!
He was the seventh young master of the royal mansion, yet because he was an illegitimate child, he endured endless humiliation.
Before his mother passed, she merged her own Spirit Bone seed into his body.
He dared not reveal it, suffering in silence, secretly seizing resources to nurture the Spirit Bone.
Until three days ago, when at last the Spirit Bone was fully formed.
Sixteen years old, Innate Realm, bearing the Spirit Bone!
Looking across the entire Northern Territory, he was an unprecedented prodigy.
All that was left was to wait for the experts from Daqian's sacred cultivation ground, Wuhou Hall, to arrive, pass the tests, and finally leave behind all these dire straits.
But he never expected that the Spirit Bone would be discovered by the Sixth Young Master Zheng Ming and his mother, who, along with the retainer Wang Feng, threw him into the dungeon and dug out his Spirit Bone.
Zheng Ming slowly lifted his head, his aura surging as, in that instant, he stepped into the Innate Realm, laughing in elation.
"Xu Yang, thanks for your Spirit Bone!"
"From today on, I am the true number one prodigy in the Northern Territory, bearer of the Spirit Bone, unmatched on the martial path, and the future Marquis Wu! And you are nothing more than my stepping stone!"
Beside them, Wang Feng fawned and congratulated them effusively: "Congratulations, Sixth Young Master, congratulations, Fourth Lady! The Fourth Young Master is already at Wuhou Hall, soon to become Marquis Wu; and now the Sixth Young Master has obtained the Spirit Bone. Two young masters as Marquis Wu candidates—what joyous news!"
The Fourth Lady beamed so much the smile nearly blossomed off her face. She glanced scornfully at Xu Yang and sneered, "This waste really hid it deep enough. But actually, that's a good thing: no one knows he had the Spirit Bone. Even if the rumor spread, nobody would believe it!"
"What right does a bastard have to possess a Spirit Bone?"
"Mother, this waste can't be killed yet. Father kept him for a reason—useless as he is, he might still be of some use to us in the future!" Zheng Ming suddenly frowned.
The Fourth Lady's eyes flickered, and she sneered coldly: "Simple enough. Xu Yang colluded with a prisoner, tried to help him escape, but was caught by Ming'Er—heinous crime! Lock him in the Sky Prison and wait for the Prince to return for judgment!"
"Not only have you stolen my Spirit Bone, now you want to pin false charges on me. You shameless beasts!" Xu Yang howled in rage, his heart full of sorrow and pain.
This world reveres strength; the weak are prey for the strong.
But with his Spirit Bone gouged out, his martial path was crippled. How could he talk of revenge? How could he hope to change his fate?
Sixteen years of endurance—he thought he could change his destiny, but in the end he only paved the road for his most hated enemy, Zheng Ming!
Xu Yang choked on a mouthful of blood, stuck in his throat so he could hardly breathe.
As for justice?
In this whole mansion, justice was just a joke.
When he first met his biological father, Zheng Xuan, the words the man uttered still echoed in his mind:
"A useless man should recognize his place as trash!"
"Keeping you here is just making use of rubbish. Some day, if needed, sending out some trash can only do good for the mansion!"
"Don't even think of rebelling, you don't have the right. Even if you refuse to admit it, you bear my blood. Can an ant turn the heavens over?"
...
Even if Zheng Xuan was in the mansion himself, he'd never stand up for him!
He never once saw Zheng Xuan as a father. In his heart was only one obsession: to make Zheng Xuan kneel before his mother's grave and confess his sins!
But now, no matter the unwillingness, no matter the regret, nothing could change this fate.
"Tell me—how did you find out?"
Xu Yang raised his head, growling through gritted teeth.
The Spirit Bone, it could be taken!
He'd known long ago, which was why he never dared reveal a hint.
As a bastard, he possessed no status at all in this mansion!
The moment his secret was exposed, only a cruel fate awaited him.
Zheng Ming grinned and called into the distance: "Come out, Qingxue!"
At the sound of 'Qingxue,' Xu Yang shuddered all over, as if struck by lightning!
"It really was her!"
He'd suspected it all along, just couldn't accept it. Because the matter of the Spirit Bone, he'd told only one person—Ye Qingxue.
A beautiful figure slowly emerged.
Delicate features, snow-white skin, a slender and graceful body.
Ye Qingxue walked up to Zheng Ming, wrapped her arms shyly around his, then lifted her swan-like white neck and looked at Xu Yang with undisguised disgust: "Of course I was the one who told the Sixth Young Master."
"You are worthless, a waste. What could you ever give me?"
"I've long wanted to leave you!"
That ruthless confession—every word like a thunderclap striking Xu Yang's heart.
Pfft!
Xu Yang spat out a large mouthful of blood, staring at the cold, heartless Ye Qingxue, only to feel she was a total stranger.
"When your parents were murdered by bandits, I happened to pass by and saved your life!"
"When others tried to humiliate you, I fought to the death to protect you!"
"You wanted beautiful clothes and jewelry—I bought them for you with resources earned by risking my life."
"I treated you as my only love. When the Spirit Bone was fully nurtured, my only thought was to share my joy with you…"
"Why did you betray me?"
Ye Qingxue snorted derisively: "Because you're a bastard, and you'll never change that. I, Ye Qingxue, have no desire to stay with a bastard like you!"
"The man I want is someone like the Sixth Young Master."
"Hahahahaha!"
Zheng Ming laughed triumphantly, pulling Ye Qingxue into his arms. Looking at Xu Yang as if he was an idiot: "Xu Yang, I should thank you for raising Qingxue so fair and lovely. Her first time was all mine—the taste was absolutely unforgettable!"
"Stop it!" Ye Qingxue wasn't angry at all, only twisting bashfully in his arms.
Seeing this, Xu Yang's heart was sliced by knives. He let out a bitter, angry laugh: "I must have been blind—to think I saved a bitch like you!"
Ye Qingxue's pretty face turned cold. She stepped forward and slapped Xu Yang across the face.
"How dare you curse me?"
"Let me tell you, from today on, you're nothing but a dog at my feet—not even worthy to bark!"
"I'll kill you, you bitch!" Xu Yang's eyes blazed with fury as he struggled madly.
"Courting death!"
Wang Feng darted forward like an arrow and struck Xu Yang with his palm.
Xu Yang spouted blood, the world spinning, his vision darkening.
"I refuse to accept this fate!"
With endless resentment and unwillingness, Xu Yang finally fainted dead away.
The Fourth Lady frowned at the sight: "Take him down, but don't kill him."
"Yes, Madam."
Wang Feng accepted the order respectfully.
"Mother, Qingxue, let's go."
The three left the dungeon.
"Worthless scum!" After taking Xu Yang down, Wang Feng spat on him spitefully, then quickly followed.
Lying in the cell, Xu Yang suddenly glimmered with a faint ghostly light.
The tiny tripod pendant around his neck vanished into thin air!
Boom!
In endless nothingness, nine pitch-black chains hung down, thick as pythons!
Nine in total, firmly locking down a massive black cauldron!
Dark energy roiled, sending forth a terrifying ancient aura that made all the void tremble in fear.
Even gods and demons would submit!
A figure appeared out of nowhere in this void space.
"Where is this?"
Xu Yang stared at it all in a daze.
When he saw the giant cauldron, his whole body shook.
"Isn't this the pendant my mother left behind?" Xu Yang stared in shock. The scene, that dreadful aura, utterly beyond his comprehension.
That pendant—he'd never really known what it was, and all these years, it had behaved nothing out of the ordinary.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh~~
A tremendous rumble filled the air.
The nine chains began to thrash wildly.
In the next instant, under Xu Yang's terrified gaze, all nine chains sprang from the cauldron and transformed into colossal black pythons, surging into Xu Yang's body like bolts of lightning.
Xu Yang convulsed in agony, unable to scream, his whole body about to explode!
When all nine chains had fully merged with him, the mysterious giant cauldron also shot toward him.
A torrent of vast, obscure knowledge exploded into Xu Yang's mind, splitting his head with pain.
No idea how much time passed—suddenly, Xu Yang jerked upright, dazed, eyes filling with disbelief and wild joy.
"Celestial Refining Divine Scripture, refine the heavens and earth, refine the Nine Netherworld, refine the cycle of Dao, refine the river of time… my god!"
Xu Yang was utterly stunned.
That astonishing vision—a supreme inheritor's legacy, left in the void!
The Tripod was the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod, able to refine essence into qi, and transmutes all beings of heaven and earth!
The nine chains comprised an extremely extraordinary and defiant battle art: the Heaven-locking Seal!
And there was one more cultivation technique: the Celestial Refining Divine Scripture, which usurped the good fortune of heaven and earth, refining the cosmos into the body!
Once cultivated, True Qi would surge as mighty as the earth, meridians vast as rivers, impervious to all the filth of the world, able to withstand and suppress forces ten thousandfold!
Heaven-defying to the extreme!
"With this Divine Tripod and Divine Scripture, even without the Spirit Bone, I can return to the peak—and my potential and power will surpass what they were, tenfold!"
After his shock, Xu Yang was beside himself with excitement.
A blessing in disguise—is this not fortune in calamity!
After losing his Spirit Bone, he instead gained an even greater blessing!
"Next, all I have to do is refine essence into qi with the Divine Tripod!"
Xu Yang clenched his fists, endless murderous hate shining in his eyes: "Ye Qingxue, Zheng Ming… I'll make every one of you pay in blood!"
"Want to become famous in the Northern Territory using my Spirit Bone?"
"You're dreaming your goddamned spring and autumn dreams!"