Wu Yong

In a hidden valley stood countless buildings.

Busy figures hurried back and forth among them. A towering city wall encircled the valley's perimeter, enclosing the entire place, and within the walls lurked numerous obscure yet powerful auras.

This was a human settlement home to several hundred thousand people.

At a certain moment.

"Ha!"

Beneath a large tree, a young man with determined eyes held a longsword, thrusting earnestly at the trunk again and again. Every movement was impeccably standard, carrying the ease of familiarity, as though it had been tempered through thousands upon thousands of repetitions.

"Whew..."

After delivering his final thrust, the young man suddenly dejectedly tossed the longsword at his feet. He slumped down, staring blankly ahead as a suppressed agony flashed through his eyes. "Why? Why did this happen?!"

"Is my dantian truly ruined? Can I really never become a cultivator again, condemned to live an ordinary, mediocre life forever... Why did this happen? Heavens, was I wrong to save someone? Why are you playing such a cruel joke on me?!"

The youth was not very old, appearing to be only in his teens by ordinary human standards, his features still somewhat immature.

In truth, the young man's talent had not been poor. It could even be called outstanding. Among the younger generation of the entire settlement, he had ranked near the top. While those his age were still struggling at the fourth or fifth level of Mortal Shedding, he had already entered the Late Mortal Shedding Stage and earned the right to launch an assault upon the Immortal Vortex.

However, twenty years ago, during an attack by the alien races, Wu Yong had shielded his companions and was unfortunately struck by a dying enemy's desperate counterattack, suffering devastating damage to his dantian. His Late Mortal Shedding