Chapter One: The Young Zihan

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Divine Illusion Continent, Mortal Realm.

At the southernmost tip of the Mortal Realm stood a magnificent and imposing mansion, towering like a mountain, exuding an aura of unwavering solidity.

The estate sprawled far and wide, with winding corridors and countless chambers and halls. Terraces rose in layers, pavilions soared with crimson eaves, and pillars and beams were adorned with intricate carvings and paintings. Such grand luxury rivaled even the royal palaces. This was the residence of the Ye family—one of the five great clans of the Mortal Realm.

At this moment, faint sounds of quarrelling drifted from a small courtyard within the mansion.

Focusing within, the courtyard, though modest in size, was meticulously clean. Paths crisscrossed through lush green lawns. There were no rare flowers or fruit-laden trees, yet the place emanated a tranquil serenity.

“Ye Xiang, don’t push me too far!”

On the verdant grass, a youth in a simple linen jacket wore a frosty expression, his fists clenched so tightly that the grass beneath his feet was flattened, reflecting the fury burning in his heart.

“So what if I do?” Opposite him, Ye Xiang stood with his arms crossed over his chest, dressed in white, chin slightly raised, gaze filled with disdain as he looked down upon the youth. His face brimmed with contempt.

“I have no quarrel with you, nor have I ever wronged you. Why do you persist in tormenting me?”

“Because I can’t stand the sight of you.” Ye Xiang’s tone was laced with scorn and disgust. “As a scion of the Ye family, you possess not even a trace of the Five Elemental Source Qi. All the reputation and honor our family has built over generations, you’ve utterly ruined! To have a useless wretch like you in the Ye clan is nothing but a disgrace!”

At these words, the youth trembled uncontrollably. He bit his lip hard, but could offer no retort.

The Five Elemental Source Qi was an innate attribute within every person, divided into metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. When the Source Qi flowed, it gave rise to strength. Those with abundant Source Qi could embark upon the path of cultivation, earning respect as practitioners of the Five Elements.

The Ye family had always excelled in cultivation. Since their rise, there had never been a single member unable to cultivate, let alone one born without the Source Qi entirely.

Yet fate played its cruel tricks. He had been born devoid of the Source Qi, unable to practice the arts of the Five Elements, becoming the subject of mockery and derision, tarnishing his family’s name, a laughingstock for rival powers.

But how could he be blamed? It was not by choice, but by birth—how could this be his fault?

“Ye Zihan, born a worthless cripple, bearing the name of a failure—your entire life is destined to be one of oppression and humiliation!”

“By people like you?” Ye Zihan’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Fellow clan member you may be, but does bullying someone without Source Qi truly amuse you?”

Ye Xiang burst out in arrogant laughter. “Exactly! When I’m in a foul mood, a waste like you makes for a perfect punching bag!”

“A tool…” Ye Zihan muttered, his body tensing. With a sudden stomp, he charged at Ye Xiang in a fit of rage!

“Overestimating yourself!” Ye Xiang snorted. A cripple without Source Qi dared attack him? courting death!

He sidestepped swiftly, and as Ye Zihan approached, swung a fist hard toward Zihan’s abdomen.

Ye Zihan’s expression remained unchanged. He twisted his waist, evading Ye Xiang’s sharp punch.

When he had learned, at just five years old, that he was born without Source Qi, Ye Zihan had not given in to despair. Instead, he quietly changed his plans, pouring all his efforts into physical training.

Unable to become a practitioner of the Five Elements, he could at least hone his body to be sturdy and resilient; otherwise, things would only be worse.

With this belief, for seven years Ye Zihan had persevered tirelessly—running mountains to train his legs, holding horse stances to strengthen his waist, pressing his hands to build his arms—by every means possible, day and night, forging his physique. After seven years, his body, both in toughness and agility, was the equal—or even the superior—of any of his age who could cultivate.

Seeing Ye Zihan evade his punch so nimbly, Ye Xiang couldn’t help but let out a surprised grunt. This “waste” seemed more agile than before.

But he gave it little thought. In his eyes, Ye Zihan was eternally a good-for-nothing, never a worthy opponent.

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Dodging the punch, Ye Zihan wasted no time in retaliating, steadying his stance and swinging his right leg in a fierce kick at Ye Xiang.

Lacking Source Qi, Ye Zihan had never learned any proper martial techniques—not even the lowest grade. He had only picked up a few rudimentary brawler’s moves, crude and unrefined. In close combat with a true practitioner—such as a Shadow Warrior—he’d be defeated within ten rounds.

However, Ye Xiang was a Summoner, a class known for being the weakest in close-quarters combat among Five Element practitioners. Though his cultivation had reached the formidable Two Forms realm, his hand-to-hand combat skills were lacking. For this reason, Ye Zihan dared to close the distance, using his wild, undisciplined, almost rogue-like attacks to entangle Ye Xiang.

“Damn!” Blocking a punch aimed at his groin and dodging a slap to the face, Ye Xiang grew both angry and frustrated with Ye Zihan’s lawless, even shameless, fighting style. Most vexing was that this thuggish approach was proving highly effective against someone as poor at close combat as he was!

“Get lost!”

Seeing another punch fly toward him, Ye Xiang, enraged, also balled his hand into a fist and swung it hard at Ye Zihan.

“Bang!”

Their fists collided, force meeting force. The impact sent both of them stumbling backward. Yet, upon closer inspection, it was Ye Xiang who stepped back half a pace more than Ye Zihan!

To have been forced back farther in a clash of strength with the “waste” Ye Zihan—Ye Xiang’s fury flared. Ignoring the throbbing pain in his hand, he reached inside his robe and pulled out a summoning scroll.

Though he’d taken a small loss in the exchange, Ye Xiang was no fool. He knew well enough to avoid his weaknesses and exploit his strengths. As a Summoner, his true power lay in calling forth beasts to fight for him.

Across from him, Ye Zihan’s face paled as he saw the scroll. At once, he dashed toward Ye Xiang.

He knew too well—Ye Xiang’s greatest reliance was that summoning scroll. If he allowed it to be opened, unleashing a battle-hardened beast, he would have no chance of victory.

With that thought, Ye Zihan quickened his pace, raising his fist to strike at Ye Xiang’s face.

But he was a step too late. As his fist lashed out, Ye Xiang tore open the scroll, summoning his beast in the nick of time.

“Wind… Wind Hound?!”

His fist struck something soft. Ye Zihan saw clearly—the blow was blocked by a Tier Two Wind Hound!

“To bring out a Tier Two beast against me, Ye Xiang, you must think very highly of this ‘waste,’” Ye Zihan sneered, swiftly retreating from his blocked attack.

Only then did Ye Xiang realize, in his anger, he’d unconsciously summoned his strongest beast against the clan’s weakest member—a blow to his pride. Yet, refusing to admit defeat, he said, “A wise man submits to fate, Ye Zihan. If you concede now, kneel and apologize, I’ll let you off. What do you say?”

“Surrender? Ridiculous!” Ye Zihan scoffed. Intimidation alone would not force him to his knees. A true man does not bow to force; to give up so easily would be a disgrace to one’s very height!

With his unyielding nature, Ye Zihan readied himself for battle, fists raised, body low.

“Courting death!” Ye Xiang could see from Zihan’s stance that no surrender was coming and flew into a rage. With a wave of his hand, he commanded the Wind Hound to attack.

The beast lunged with blinding speed. Ye Zihan barely registered the blur before the Tier Two Wind Hound was upon him.

Panic surged through him. He knew he was no match for the hound’s speed.

But the Wind Hound had no intention of letting him go. With a powerful kick of its hind legs, it launched itself straight at Ye Zihan.

In his widening eyes, the image of the hound grew rapidly. With no time to evade, he could only cross his arms before his chest, desperately shielding his heart.

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“Thud!”

With a dull thud, Ye Zihan was tackled to the ground by the Wind Hound.

Pinned beneath the beast’s paws, its mouth yawned open, sharp fangs glistening with foul-smelling saliva, threatening to drip down. Ye Zihan hurriedly turned his head away in disgust.

“If you don’t admit defeat, the pain won’t end with just your flesh and bones,” Ye Xiang strode over, looking down with a mocking smile.

Ye Zihan’s expression was grim. He refused to answer, using all his strength to resist the Wind Hound’s pressure, attempting to shove it off.

“A trapped beast’s struggle,” Ye Xiang sneered, watching Ye Zihan’s persistent efforts.

“Get off!”

Through clenched teeth, Ye Zihan bellowed, mustering all his strength to push the hound’s paws up. At the same time, he bent his knee and kicked at the Wind Hound’s belly.

“What harm is there in playing with you a little longer?” Ye Xiang, full of smugness, felt secure with his Summoned Beast at hand. He ordered the Wind Hound to release Ye Zihan and leap aside.

Ye Zihan sprang to his feet at once, changing direction. Ignoring the hound, he charged straight at Ye Xiang.

He knew he could never win against the Wind Hound; to fight it was to be tormented. In that case, he might as well go after Ye Xiang himself, whose close combat skills were lacking.

“What!” Seeing Ye Zihan abandon the hound and rush him, Ye Xiang panicked, retreating while commanding the hound to give chase.

The Wind Hound closed in from behind, its razor-sharp claws slicing through the air, slashing down at the back of Ye Zihan’s head.

Hearing the whistle of the wind, Ye Zihan had no time to care. If he was caught by the hound, his fate would be even worse.

He forced his body to swerve left. The claws grazed past his ear, landing instead on his shoulder, tearing flesh and drawing blood.

“Hiss—”

Biting back the pain, Ye Zihan’s steps did not falter as he reached for Ye Xiang.

Ye Xiang stood his ground, making no move to dodge. Confident that the Wind Hound would pounce in time, he believed Ye Zihan would never reach him.

But what he thought impossible, happened.

Struck from behind by the hound, Ye Zihan pitched forward. Yet, before he hit the ground, his hand seized Ye Xiang’s robe, dragging him down as well.

“Bastard, let go!” Unexpectedly pulled down, Ye Xiang cursed, frantically directing the Wind Hound to attack Ye Zihan.

Ignoring the beast’s frenzied assault, enduring the pain from every corner of his body, Ye Zihan suddenly gave a wicked grin. He leaned in and sank his teeth savagely into Ye Xiang’s pale neck.

“Aaah!”

The taste of blood filled his mouth as Ye Xiang’s agonized scream rang in his ears. Ye Zihan was just about to bite again when, all at once, his back exploded with searing pain. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness.