The Fang Family

"Alright, stop staring. Big Sister's talent isn't something we can compare to. We're both named Fang, but why's the gap between people so huge? We're still messing around in the Technique Realm, and she's already at the sixth level of the fleshly body, the Inner Breath Realm." Fang Hong slung an arm around Fang Xuan's shoulder, envy dripping from his voice.

The third level of the fleshly body was the Technique Realm, where one honed body coordination through practicing all kinds of techniques. The sixth level, the Inner Breath Realm, involved cultivating one's inner breath, granting unmatched divine strength—a thousand jin of power, strength like a galloping horse.

In the Myriad Phenomena Garden, over thirty Fang family disciples were training, both male and female, scattered in pairs or trios across open spaces. But at the very center of the Martial Arts Practice Field stood Fang Qingxue in white robes, with no one daring to approach.

Partly out of self-shame, and partly because they simply didn't dare.

Fang Qingxue, dressed in white, looked extremely delicate, but as she practiced the Pine Crane Longevity Fist, her clothes snapped and billowed fiercely. Her body moved like a swimming fish, like a dragon in form. Especially during the move "Crane Dance in the Sky," her fist compressed the surrounding air, creating a brief vacuum. The blue stone pavement beneath her three-inch lotus feet cracked into a spiderweb pattern spreading outward.

If such a punch landed on a person, it was unimaginable. Fang Xuan suspected it could blow him apart.

Fang Xuan slapped Fang Hong's arm off his shoulder, his face full of disgust. "You're drenched in sweat. Get away from me."

"Tch, like you're any different. Come on, I'm done training. My whole body aches. I'm heading back to wash up and grab some food. I heard the Star Plucking Pavilion got a new chef who's best at fish. Want to give it a try?" Fang Hong said.

"Not going. My mom called me home for dinner." Fang Xuan shook his head.

"Alright, I'll head off then."

"Mm."

Fang Hong left, and Fang Xuan wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel. He glanced once more at Fang Qingxue, still training meticulously in the center of the practice field, his eyes full of emotion.

Fang Qingxue—the Reincarnation of Lightning Mother!

Eternal Life was an immensely vast world, with countless realms scattered like stars across the heavens.

The Immortal Realm stood high above, the origin of all realms, the world countless cultivators desperately sought to enter.

Below it were many great worlds: the God Realm, Buddha Realm, Dragon Realm, Ghost Realm, Treasure Realm, Law Realm, Martial Realm, Book Realm, and others.

And among them sat Immortal Kings, though that was in the ancient era.

In ancient times, Immortal Kings emerged in droves: Creation Immortal King, Origin Immortal King, Truth Immortal King of the Immortal Realm.

World Free King Buddha of the Buddha Realm.

Progenitor Saint King of the God Realm.

Primordial Ancestral Dragon of the Dragon Realm.

Primal Demon Lord of the Demon Realm.

And other hidden Immortal Kings.

These Immortal Kings stood supreme, undying and indestructible. Even if heaven and earth returned to chaos, it would only add a year to their age.

Just thinking about it was thrilling.

But that was getting too far ahead. Right now, Fang Xuan was just a small fry at the third level of the fleshly body, the Technique Realm. Even that was thanks to a regimen of deer antler and ginseng every two days, black-boned chicken every three, and all sorts of tonics that had honed his physical foundation.

Thank goodness he'd transmigrated into the Fang family, the top clan in Dragon Abyss Province of the Great Li Dynasty. If he'd been born an ordinary commoner, forget martial arts cultivation techniques—he couldn't even afford these tonics.

"Poor scholars, rich martial artists" wasn't just empty talk.

Shaking his head, he stepped out of the Myriad Phenomena Garden. Along the way, servants he passed all stopped, bowed, and dared not step out of line, only resuming their work after he'd walked by.

Oh, the evils of the old society!

"Giddyup!"

A crisp voice rang out. Around the corner, Fang Qingwei rode a snow-white tall horse, followed by a retinue of servants.

On the white horse, Fang Qingwei's demeanor was cold and noble. Her exposed swan-like neck was strikingly pale, but her eyes were set a bit too high—practically on top of her head.

Should've taken a different path, Fang Xuan silently grumbled.

Then he bowed and said, "Greetings, Second Sister."

Fang Qingwei didn't dismount. Looking down at Fang Xuan from above, she tucked her golden horsewhip and said, "Thirteenth Brother, just back from the Myriad Phenomena Garden?"

Thirteenth my ass. Your whole family's thirteen.

"Second Sister's Wisdom Eye sees all. I was just heading back to wash up," Fang Xuan said.

Fang Qingwei frowned slightly. "No wonder you reek of sweat. Train hard from now on. Don't bring shame to the Fang family's name."

"Second Sister's lesson is well taken."

"Go on, then."

"I take my leave."

With that, he stepped aside to let Fang Qingwei ride past.

Fang Xuan held no resentment. After all, she was the Fang family's Second Miss, deeply favored by the clan, and had excellent cultivation talent. She'd already reached the peak of the fourth level, the Suppleness Realm, just a step away from the Divine Strength Realm.

If she reached the Divine Strength Realm, she'd gain a thousand jin of power, strength like a galloping horse.

No comparison. No comparison.

But thinking of Fang Qingwei's future fate, Fang Xuan couldn't help but sigh at the unpredictability of destiny. She'd had a perfect opening hand and played it into utter ruin.

That was Fang Han—cheater Fang Han, the reincarnation of the Gate of Eternal Life's artifact spirit, the world's favored son. No, not the son—the father. Or maybe the mother. Hell, he was the daddy of this whole world.

If Fang Qingwei had actually married Fang Han, she'd have coasted to victory!

What a pity. What a waste.

"I'll find a chance to get in touch with Fang Han again, see if I can do him a favor—this is a real big shot, and a particularly thick one at that." Fang Xuan muttered to himself.

Compared to other Old Devils, Old Devil Fang, though he devoured people, followed the principle of repaying every meal and avenging every slight with interest.

Every opponent of his would be consumed, and every follower of his would reap enormous benefits.

If he managed to build a good relationship with Fang Han, the Old Devil, he couldn't say for sure about a Celestial King, but a Heavenly Monarch was a solid bet.

A Heavenly Monarch!

A being that shattered all order and rules of heaven, earth, and the cosmos—even if the universe collapsed back into chaos, they would survive.

At that thought, Fang Xuan felt an urge to rush over and grovel at the Old Devil's feet. Why toil away at cultivation here when he could just lie back and coast?

"But hey, I've got a Golden Finger too!" Fang Xuan thought to himself.

Feeling the countless Bright Points, big and small, in his sea of consciousness, Fang Xuan's heart burned with excitement.

When he first transmigrated, Fang Xuan had genuinely wanted to latch onto a powerful backer, but after understanding his own Golden Finger, ambition slowly took root.

If they could go there, so could I.

Eternal life! Maybe I can achieve it too.

"Mother, I'm back." Fang Xuan called out loudly.

With that, he headed straight for the kitchen with practiced ease. Sure enough, amid the cooking smoke, a woman who looked to be in her thirties was busy at the stove.

"Greetings, young master." The maidservant tending the fire and chopping vegetables quickly rose to bow.

Fang Xuan waved his hand and leaned toward the stove, his right hand reaching for the Silver Qiao Fish already fried in the basin beside him.

Slap!

As the chopsticks smacked against the back of his hand, Zhao Xuemei scolded, "No manners."

Zhao Xuemei, the mother of this body he now inhabited, had originally been just a maidservant. After a night of drunken passion with the family head, she was elevated to the position of concubine.

Gentle by nature, she never fought or competed for anything, and her greatest joy each day was preparing all kinds of delicious food for Fang Xuan.