As the sun sank in the west, the afterglow of dusk spilled over Nanqiu City. Its towering walls were carpeted with moss at the corners, while commoners, merchants, carts, and horses lined up before the gates to enter. The streets within crisscrossed in all directions, filled with inns, shops, and willow-lined lanes. Children frolicked in the alleys, commoners hawked their wares by the roadside, and wandering martial heroes beat gongs and drums to draw crowds for their performances. Wisps of cooking smoke rose from every household courtyard, veiling the dusk in haze.
Sixteen-year-old Fang Wang stepped through the gates of Dukedom Manor. Dressed in fitted white robes, he was strikingly handsome, possessing both a scholar's refinement and a young prodigy's spirited vigor. The gatekeepers all smiled and greeted him, and he nodded back without any airs.
"Shadowless Steps truly lives up to its name. From now on, even within five steps, no one will be able to harm me."
A smile filled Fang Wang's face. His internal strength had reached the legendary realm of martial myth, and he was proficient in the era's first-rate swordsmanship, palm techniques, and footwork. He felt that he was already invincible.
After all, he was only sixteen!
Sixteen years had passed since his reincarnation, yet he had already reached the pinnacle of the mortal world. From now on, he could properly enjoy life.
As Fang Wang dreamed of the future and walked onward, every servant he passed greeted him as the Thirteenth Young Master.
Fang Wang's grandfather, Fang Meng, was a founding hero of the Great Qi Dynasty and held the Principal Second Rank title of Duke. His father, Fang Yin, was Fang Meng's youngest son. Among the third generation of grandchildren, Fang Wang ranked thirteenth by age, which was why he was called the Thirteenth Young Master.
In this dynasty, which resembled ancient times, the atmosphere within Duke Fang's Estate was harmonious. There was not much scheming and intrigue, perhaps because Fang Meng still held authority.
Leveraging Dukedom Manor's connections and prestige, Fang Wang had begun collecting peerless martial arts manuals at the age of twelve. After four years of training, he could release his inner force outward as protective force and possessed the strength of an elephant. Yet no one knew this. Everyone merely thought he was a young master of Fang Manor who yearned for the martial world.
As he entered a garden, Fang Wang saw a group of maidservants gathered together, chatting with great enthusiasm. His hearing was exceptional; even from ten zhang away, he could clearly make out what they were saying.
"Zhou Xue has gone mad. Today, she's been telling everyone that Fang Manor will be wiped out."
"I heard it too. She's got some nerve. She visited every young master in the manor, and now her father, Fourth Young Master, has locked her in her room."
"Who would dare destroy Fang Manor? Even the current Emperor wouldn't dare!"
"Shh, you can't say that."
"Fourth Young Master dotes on his adopted daughter Zhou Xue so much that he'll probably let her out after a few days. But did you hear? She claims she was reborn. Isn't that ridiculous?"
When Fang Wang heard the words "reborn," his heart skipped a beat.
A reborn person?
If Fang Wang did not possess memories of his previous life, he would surely have taken it as a joke. But he himself had undergone the unimaginable experience of reincarnation. He could not help wondering—what if it was true?
Fang Manor would be wiped out?
Fang Wang listened for a while, then headed toward Zhou Xue's courtyard.
Fourth Uncle Fang Zhen had joined the army in his youth and nearly died on the battlefield. Zhou Xue's father had saved him by sacrificing himself. Even so, Fang Zhen was left with a lifelong disability that could not be cured. After leaving the military, he brought his benefactor's ashes back to his benefactor's hometown. By then, Zhou Xue's mother had already been bedridden with illness. Upon hearing the news, all hope died within her, and she passed away that very day. Fang Zhen had no choice but to bring the infant Zhou Xue back to Fang Manor, where he adopted her as his daughter.
Zhou Xue was withdrawn by nature and rarely left her family's courtyard. From childhood until now, Fang Wang had only seen her a few times. In his impression, she had been a shy little girl about his age, rather delicately pretty.
Fourth Uncle had always been fiercely protective of his child. Zhou Xue had never suffered bullying. She should not have suffered a mental breakdown, so could she truly be someone reborn?
Fang Wang's heart sank. What sort of force could wipe out Duke Fang's Estate?
Could it be the Emperor's will?
Dukedom Manor was enormous, occupying one-fifth of Nanqiu City. It was practically a city within a city, with thousands of household guards. At times, Fang Wang even saw his eldest uncle, Fang Xing, drilling those guards in martial arts.
Could such a Fang Manor truly be wiped out?
Fang Wang quickened his pace. He circulated his internal strength, held his breath, focused his mind, and used deceptive footwork to silently arrive outside Zhou Xue's window, where he listened carefully.
The room was quiet, but with Fang Wang's hearing, he could hear Zhou Xue's breathing. It was somewhat hurried; clearly, her emotions had yet to settle.
After a while.
"Alas, I was once an Immortal Venerable in my own right. Yet now that I have returned to my youth, I still cannot reverse my Lineage's fate. Is Heaven deliberately toying with me... If only I had returned another month earlier, it would not have come to this..."
Fang Wang heard Zhou Xue's sigh. It was exceedingly faint; an ordinary person would never have heard it.
Immortal Venerable?
Fang Wang's heart trembled. In all his years since reincarnating, he had heard countless legends of Immortals and gods, but never of rebirth. She spoke with such conviction—could it be true?
He did not dare gamble. Since he himself had been reincarnated, encountering someone reborn was not too strange.
At the thought of Fang Manor being wiped out, his chest tightened. His parents in this life had treated him wonderfully, as had his uncles. He truly liked Fang Manor and did not want to see it destroyed.
After hesitating for a moment, Fang Wang forcibly pulled open the window and leaped inside.
Zhou Xue was not startled by him. She merely sat calmly at the table and looked at him.
She wore green robes and delicate makeup, though her hair was slightly disheveled. Even so, she remained dignified and beautiful, carrying herself with the bearing of a refined young lady.
The two looked at one another, and the room fell silent for a time.
"Your skills are not simple. I did not notice you at all. Who are you?" Zhou Xue broke the silence and asked.
Upon hearing this, Fang Wang quietly clenched his right hand within his sleeve.
Am I really that insignificant in Fang Manor?
Well, he had indeed kept a low profile for the past sixteen years. He was nowhere near as brilliant or arrogant as his older brothers.
Fang Wang said, "You said you are someone reborn. I am willing to try believing you. Since you were an Immortal reborn, you must have immortal arts in your mind. I do not ask you to display them. You can teach me any single move you wish, and I have my own way of testing whether it is real. If it is true, I will believe you and change Fang Manor's fate alongside you. After all, my surname is Fang as well."
Within Fang Wang's mind stood a Heavenly Palace. He had discovered it when he first came into contact with internal cultivation. Once he began cultivating internal strength or martial arts, his consciousness would enter the Heavenly Palace. There, he needed neither food nor drink, and only after training those supreme arts to perfection could his consciousness leave the Heavenly Palace and return to reality.
No matter how long he spent in the Heavenly Palace, only an instant passed in reality.
That was also why he had entered the realm of martial myth at the age of sixteen.
Zhou Xue frowned, staring intently at Fang Wang without speaking at once.
Fang Wang was not in a hurry. He sat down across from her at the table and casually poured himself a cup of tea.
Outside the window, the setting sun slowly descended. The lingering light was blood-red, filling the scene with bleak beauty.
"Very well. I truly cannot let go of Fang Manor. Although I do not remember who you are, judging by your appearance, you should also be a descendant of Fang Manor. You are the only one willing to believe me, so I will teach you the Sword Control Technique. It is an introductory spell for Immortal Cultivators, and also the threshold between cultivation and martial arts."
Zhou Xue spoke softly. Fang Wang nodded slightly, unable to keep himself from growing tense.
He hoped this was true, yet he was also afraid it was true.
If it was true, Fang Manor was facing a calamity.
But if it was true, then cultivating immortality, pursuing the Dao, and seeking longevity would also be real...
If one could cultivate immortality, who would still practice martial arts?
Zhou Xue began reciting the mental formula for the Sword Control Technique, and Fang Wang listened intently.
The Sword Control Technique required spiritual power to leave the body and command a Flying Sword. Fang Wang had once heard a wandering martial hero say that a Sword Saint from a hundred years ago could achieve such a feat. Could that person have been an Immortal Cultivator?
As Zhou Xue spoke, she observed Fang Wang's expression.
She sighed inwardly.
What am I doing, trusting a mere youth? Looking at him, he probably came only out of curiosity. But he managed to reach the window of my chamber without a sound, which means his martial arts are not weak. Forget it. No one believes me anyway...
That was what Zhou Xue thought. The reason she was doing this was also to vent the bitterness in her heart.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Zhou Xue had explained every essential point of the Sword Control Technique.
The moment her voice fell, Fang Wang's mind exploded. His consciousness instantly arrived within a majestic, resplendent palace.
This was his Heavenly Palace!
When he had first arrived, he had stood outside the Heavenly Palace and seen the plaque bearing the words "Heavenly Palace." Ever since then, he had appeared directly within it.
The Heavenly Palace was vast, but after exploring it, Fang Wang had found that it contained only this one hall. The eighteen kinds of weapons were placed along both sides of the hall. He could also imagine weapons and training equipment into existence, creating things at will. He could even change the hall's environment with a single thought.
"It's real... It's real..."
Fang Wang could barely contain his excitement. As Zhou Xue explained the Sword Control Technique, he had already found it profound. Entering the Heavenly Palace now proved that the Sword Control Technique was real. Such a supreme art had to be an immortal cultivation technique.
Most importantly, even with an immortal cultivation method, he could still enter the Heavenly Palace!
What did that mean?
In the future, when he cultivated immortality, he would bypass the process of cultivating techniques and spells. This would be his greatest advantage!
Fang Wang could not help cheering, ecstatic beyond measure.
Since childhood, he had dreamed of roaming the world. He had originally planned to travel the land after turning eighteen, living a carefree life on the strength of his martial arts. Now that he knew immortal cultivation existed, his desire to wander grew even fiercer.
After calming himself, Fang Wang remembered that Fang Manor would be wiped out and immediately began cultivating the Sword Control Technique.
Cultivating within the Heavenly Palace was tedious. It had taken him nearly twenty years to bring his internal cultivation to Grand Perfection. Together with his other supreme martial arts, he looked sixteen, but had in truth already lived through seventy or eighty years. Fortunately, the Heavenly Palace did not affect his body's lifespan.
Fang Wang was proficient in a first-rate sword technique of the current era and already had insight into swordsmanship, so the Sword Control Technique was not difficult for him to comprehend. However, the Sword Control Technique used the spiritual power of Immortal Cultivators, while he possessed the True Qi of a martial artist. He did not know whether True Qi could control a sword.
A full ten years passed before Fang Wang painstakingly trained the Sword Control Technique to Grand Perfection.
Grand Perfection was the highest realm of that supreme art. It was far more than simply mastering it.
The instant he achieved Grand Perfection, his consciousness returned to reality.
After explaining the Sword Control Technique, Zhou Xue stared at Fang Wang, wanting to see his reaction. Yet Fang Wang's expression did not change, leaving her somewhat disappointed.
She immediately asked, "Now then, do you believe me or not?"
A glint flashed through Fang Wang's eyes. The corners of his lips rose, and the spirited pride of youth appeared on his face.
"I believe you! Such a supreme art is not something an ordinary person could know. From this day onward, I will change Fang Manor's fate alongside you!" Fang Wang declared with resounding force, suppressing the wild excitement in his heart.
Zhou Xue froze, looking at Fang Wang with a strange expression.
She could not tell whether she felt comforted, moved, helpless, or amused.
Outside the window, the setting sun sank lower and lower, as though telling her that time was running out. She could only trust the youth before her, just as he had trusted her.
Before you continue