Chapter 1

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Chapter 1: Unwilling

In the eastern part of the Jin Kingdom near the Endless Sea, a sword light shot up like a steep peak piercing through the clouds. The gentle silver sword arc emitted a fierce aura that blanketed the land for a thousand miles.

This was the foremost immortal cultivation sect of the Jin Kingdom – the Heavenly Sword Sect!

Three years ago, twelve-year-old Ye Yun left his hometown and became a servant disciple after passing rigorous trials.

Even in the mortal world, servant disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect commanded respect from Jin Kingdom’s officials and warriors.

Yet within the sect itself, servant disciples like Ye Yun were as common as ants. Nearly a thousand served in this medicinal valley alone, treated as the lowest servants.

But any servant disciple who passed the examination to become an outer disciple would soar like a dragon ascending to greatness.

In the outer courtyard, servant disciples hurried about with anxious faces, endless tasks awaiting them daily.

"Only one month remains before this year’s outer disciple exam. With my current cultivation level…" Ye Yun stood on a stone, staring at distant cloud-shrouded towers only accessible to full sect members.

Crack!

A whip snapped against Ye Yun’s back.

"Ye Yun! You’re slacking instead of gathering the hundred Feather Transformation Herbs?" Liu Daolie sneered behind him, cloud-patterned robes fluttering as he brandished his whip.

Ye Yun gritted his teeth against the burning pain.

This mediocre cultivator managed the valley’s thousand servant disciples. Though Liu Daolie’s talent paled compared to most disciples, his early enrollment and cousin Liu Yu’s status as a Tian Zhu Peak outer disciple (who produced mid-grade pills) kept him in power.

Ye Yun endured constant harassment for his cultivation dreams.

When Ye Yun stayed silent, Liu Daolie struck again. "Must I repeat myself?"

The whip cut across Ye Yun’s brow, drawing blood. A hair’s breadth lower would have blinded him.

"Eighteen left." Ye Yun kept his head lowered, fists clenched until nails drew blood.

"Eighteen? And you idle here?" Liu Daolie chuckled. "Seems you want to forfeit this month’s spirit stones… or visit the Beast Training Tower?"

The Beast Training Tower used servant disciples and prisoners as live bait for demonic beasts. Few survived.

"Shishu, the deadline’s month-end. Eighteen in twelve days is feasible." Ye Yun’s voice shook with suppressed rage.

"Deadline changed to tonight." Liu Daolie’s eyes glinted. "Tian Zhu Peak demands all herbs by dusk."

"Three hours? Impossible!" Ye Yun shouted, forgetting caution.

"Three hours suffice for loyal disciples. But perhaps you’d prefer beast training?" Liu Daolie left laughing.

Ye Yun trembled, watching the retreating figure. Gathering eighty-two herbs had taken weeks. Finding eighteen more in three hours?

This was no coincidence – Liu Daolie had waited years for this chance to destroy him.

"Liu Daolie!" Ye Yun’s nails drew blood. "I swear – when I surpass you, you’ll pay tenfold!"

His chest burned with each breath. Survival came first.

…

The Heavenly Sword Sect occupied the Cloud Dragon Mountains – a thousand-mile stretch of jagged peaks teeming with beasts and unusual flowers. Over centuries, the sect pushed demons into the Demonic Beast Valley depths to protect herb-gathering disciples.

However, the Heavenly Sword Sect didn’t herd all demonic beasts together. Instead, they separated them by rank using restrictions and arrays to block high-level beasts from emerging from mountain depths. This turned the Demonic Beast Valley into a trial ground where disciples could enter zones matching their cultivation level.

Feather Transformation Herbs grew throughout the valley. For outer disciples, the first two layers held weak beasts easily slain. But for servant disciples lacking proper cultivation methods, even the outermost layer proved dangerous.

"I’ve scoured the outer layer for half a month – nearly all herbs are gone. My only chance is risking the second layer."

Twenty miles east of the outer sect stood a towering ancient tree marking a valley entrance. Crossing it meant entering the Demonic Beast Valley.

Sweat-drenched Ye Yun paused beneath the massive tree. After frowning at the path ahead, he stepped forward.

The scenery shifted instantly as he crossed the threshold. Clear skies vanished, white clouds disappeared, and darkness enveloped the land. Beastly roars echoed around him, some sounding frighteningly close.

This was the Heavenly Sword Sect’s training ground.

Ye Yun tapped the air. Soft light rose from his body, illuminating thirty meters around him – the Glimmering Light Technique all servant disciples learned. Outer disciples used better techniques lighting entire kilometers, but this dim glow was Ye Yun’s only defense against the gloom.

For fifteen days, this faint light had helped him gather eighty-two herbs through relentless searching and sheer luck. Though the outer layer lacked powerful beasts, swarms of low-level ones could still kill unprepared disciples.

With under three hours left, finding eighteen more herbs seemed impossible unless he braved the second layer. More herbs grew there, untouched since servant disciples feared entering and outer disciples disdained such lowly herbs. But the second layer held rank two beasts at minimum, with rank three prowling about – deadly threats to Ye Yun’s Third Level marrow cleansing stage cultivation.

A blood-glowing stone tablet materialized before him – the second layer’s boundary marker.

Ye Yun inhaled deeply and leaped past it.

The protective light flickered like candle flame in wind, its illumination shrinking to ten meters. Beyond lay impenetrable darkness.

"No wonder outer disciples need better techniques," Ye Yun muttered, face tightening. This limited vision would make herb-hunting difficult.

Crouching low, he advanced carefully. Since few ventured here, he hoped to find undisturbed herbs.

His hopes proved right. Within minutes, blue-stemmed Feather Transformation Herbs started appearing – one every few steps. An hour yielded eight specimens.

"Liu Daolie never expected this luck!" Ye Yun thought viciously upon spotting the ninth herb. "Just wait until I-"

He froze. Why so many herbs clustered together? Cold dread washed over him – these cold-natured herbs attracted rank three ice beasts seeking to enhance their powers…

HISS!

A blue energy streak shot toward his back. Ye Yun threw himself forward, the attack slicing off his fluttering hem.

Two Ice Soul Snow Snakes coiled ten meters away, white scales gleaming faintly as their crimson tongues flicked. Rank three demons!