Chapter One: The Eighteen Forts of Lianyun

  Snail's fantasy transformation work, it was a bit uncomfortable at the beginning, but it got more and more wonderful later on. This is absolutely a unique fantasy book!

  In the 8329th year of the Western Wu calendar, it was a chaotic era where human life was as cheap as grass and mustard. The vassal kings were in control, and heroes rose up together. Emperor Mingwu ascended to the throne, suppressing the rebellion of the three major vassal kingdoms, killing people until they filled the fields, and bringing peace to the world.

  In the central part of the Xīwǔ Empire, in the eastern part of Lín County, deep within the Lián Yún mountain range, towering trees stretch towards the sky, and steep cliffs rise sharply. In the depths of a secluded forest, eighteen fortresses made of stone are situated. These fortresses stand majestically, it is unknown how much effort was spent by previous generations to transport massive stones from outside and construct these magnificent buildings.

  Eighteen castles, each inhabited by a group of people with the same surname and clan, known as Lianyun Eighteen Fortresses, are a force to be reckoned with in Donglin County.

  Ye Family Martial Arts Arena.

  The morning sunlight shines through the gap between the two mountains in the distance and projects into the room. The sky has just dawned, and here is already bustling with people.

  "Martial arts is a way, diligence can make up for clumsiness. At dawn when the sun rises, it's the time of day when one's energy is most vibrant and vigorous. If one practices diligently at this time, they can achieve twice the result with half the effort." A robust middle-aged man was teaching a group of young boys martial arts. The Ye family village was home to thousands of people from the Ye family, including over 200-300 boys aged between 10 to 18 who were suitable for practicing martial arts.

  These young men stood in a square formation, practicing their boxing skills, with crisp and neat punches and kicks that were uniform and synchronized.

  "Still as a mountain, moving like a thunderbolt. The way to defeat the enemy and win is first and foremost one word: speed. Under the heavens, all martial arts are invincible only with speed. Our Ye family's martial skills emphasize this very word: speed!"

  That middle-aged man practiced a set of fist techniques, vigorous and powerful, with a hint of thunderous sound when punching out, that was the Ye family's Thunder Fist technique, a unique fist technique paired with the Ye family's cultivated inner energy, known for its overbearing and fierce reputation.

  The loud thunder and strong gusts of wind generated by the internal force, made these young men's cheeks ache, as if they were cut by a knife, and one by one they retreated two zhang away.

  "Third Uncle is so formidable!"

  "That's natural, Third Uncle is now the third person in the Ye family, with strength second only to the head of the house and the master of the Law Enforcement Hall." They all cast reverent glances at the middle-aged man.

  This middle-aged man is named Ye Zhanxiong, who is specially responsible for teaching and guiding the younger generation of the family, with a very high reputation within the clan.

  The boys on the field burst into applause one after another, and Ye Zhanxiong's brilliant boxing skills left all the boys dazed.

  About a hundred feet away from the bustling crowd, a young man sat cross-legged on a stone in the corner of the martial arts arena. He closed his eyes and sat still, like a Buddha statue. The morning sunlight shone on him, but it couldn't penetrate into his heart.

  He looked only seventeen or eighteen years old, with a tall and slender figure, his facial features were as sharp as if carved by a knife, his long eyebrows like swords, his nose like a hanging gallbladder, and his spirit was vigorous. However, the expression between his eyebrows had a hint of stability and focus that did not match his age. The young man's name was Ye Chen.

  It was already the nth time, every time he breathed in and out according to Lei Meng's internal energy method, the gathered Xuan Qi would quickly disappear completely in his broken meridians, his body couldn't accumulate any Xuan Qi at all.

  Two young men from a neighboring family walked by and saw Ye Chen sitting still, revealing contemptuous and disdainful expressions.

  His meridians are all severed and it's impossible for him to condense his vital energy anymore. Yet he still pretends to be something here every day.

  "It's a waste that he has to use up so many elixirs every day. If those elixirs were given to others, I don't know how many family masters could be cultivated. Giving them to him is like feeding them to a dog's belly. If it were me, I would have jumped into the river and ended my life long ago, where would I still have the face to live?"

  "Speak softly, after all he is the son of the tribal chief."

  "What's so special about the son of the clan head? We, the Ye family, have always treated our juniors and seniors equally, why should he be any more precious than others?"

  Those two family juniors deliberately spoke loudly, falling into Ye Chen's ears. Ye Chen closed his eyes and ignored them, forcing himself to endure it. He sneered at himself in his heart, thinking that if he were his former self, he would definitely rush up and fight with them. However, now he had learned to be patient. Now, he was just a useless person, not even a match for those two people.

  Ye Chen, at the age of twelve, reached the fifth stage of Xuan Qi, and at thirteen, he reached the sixth stage. At fourteen, he reached the peak of the sixth stage, making him the undisputed number one among the younger generation in Ye Jia Fortress, earning him the reputation as a once-in-a-century genius. Later, during a family mission, Ye Chen followed five young high-ranking members of the family into the depths of Lianyun Mountain to hunt down demonic beasts. They were ambushed, and all five young high-ranking members were killed. The enemies seemed to have intentionally targeted Ye Chen, destroying his meridians and rendering him useless. Although he was rescued by his clan, from then on, Ye Chen became a useless person.

  In the Seibu Empire, strength is revered, and those without it can only be bullied. If not for the morning's abundant energy being most suitable for recovering his meridians, he wouldn't have come to this crowded place either.

  "It's been three years already, I'm afraid my meridians will never recover." Ye Chen had a deep sense of unwillingness in his heart, he was unwilling to become a useless person.

  Ye Chen continued to try and condense the Xuan Qi, but undoubtedly, he failed once again. The shattered meridians within his body were like withered wood that had been hollowed out by insects, devoid of any vitality.

  He sat cross-legged on the stone, like an old monk entering meditation, and sank his thoughts into the sea of consciousness. In the sea of consciousness, a shadowy image of a flying knife emerged, this flying knife was blood red all over, thin as a cicada's wing, crystal clear and translucent. It was because of the existence of this flying knife that there were still some hopes in his heart that had not been completely destroyed.

  Ye Chen was just an ordinary person, who unintentionally found this flying dagger and crossed over into this world.

  So far, he still doesn't know what the purpose of this flying knife is. Every time his thoughts sink into the sea of consciousness, he finds it quietly suspended in his consciousness. No matter what method Ye Chen uses, he can't touch it.

  Three years have passed, from the peak to the bottom of the valley. Ordinary people can't bear such a drop, but Ye Chen still relied on his strong personality, in the ridicule of countless people, and survived. In these three years, Ye Chen ground off the edges of his body, and his temperament became much more calm.

  Ye Chen activated the rumbling internal energy, and a thread of warmth spread from his lower abdomen. A strand of mysterious energy condensed and slowly circulated along the meridians. However, every time it reached the damaged parts of the meridians, the energy would quickly dissipate. Before long, the hard-earned condensed energy vanished into thin air.

  "Damn it, why can't I still get it together!" Ye Chen clenched his fist and slammed it into the stone, fresh red blood seeping from his knuckles. Only intense pain could alleviate the repression and suffering in his heart. Was he destined to be a useless person for the rest of his life?

  In the past when his strength was at its peak, he broke through one boundary after another with an astonishing speed. His body was like a whirlpool, frantically absorbing the external spiritual energy and rapidly converting it into Xuan Qi. At the peak of 6th stage, the intensity of his Xuan Qi could even rival that of a 7th-stage expert. Now, however, it had become extremely difficult for his body to retain even a single thread of Xuan Qi.

  Ye Chen took a long time to calm down his depressed emotions. He had no way out, if he gave up, he would be a useless person for the rest of his life!

  As usual, calm down and continue to condense the vital energy. About the time it takes to burn an incense stick, there is a slight sensation of qi at the broken meridian, but it's extremely subtle and will dissipate at any moment.

  Ye Chen exerted himself, and a thread of sweat seeped out on his forehead. Finally, those air masses slowly condensed into a gentle stream, with the lower abdomen's energy sea as the center, surging upwards. However, every time it moved a small distance, some of these mysterious airs would dissipate, and just as they were about to disperse completely...

  Failure is not an option!

  The barely condensed Xuan Qi was about to collapse, Ye Chen seemed to have felt a strange call, his heart suddenly calmed down, entering a strange state, as if a clear breeze had blown through his heart, empty and clear, without any distracting thoughts.

  Ye Chen's mind once again conjured up the image of that flying dagger, its cicada-like blade suddenly emitting a strange humming noise.

  This flying knife contains a strange power that makes Ye Chen want to investigate. It brought him to this world, but he doesn't know what secrets the flying knife holds.

  Recently, flying knives have been vibrating regularly with a very high frequency.

  Ye Chen stretched out his mind desperately, wanting to touch that flying knife, wanting to try and see if he could move the flying knife.

  Suddenly, a loud hum echoed in his mind, Ye Chen's eardrums trembled non-stop, as if something was exploding in his brain. A shocking and powerful force poured out from the flying knife, like a raging flood, rushing along the broken meridians, and Ye Chen's hard-earned Xuan Qi was instantly dispersed.

  Ye Chen was horrified to discover that this power was completely out of control, and he quickly withdrew his own thoughts. The power disappeared instantly, as if it had never appeared before.

  "What's going on?"

  Ye Chen opened his eyes, his body felt weak and limp, without any strength, he was panting heavily, checking his body, the broken meridians still showed no signs of improvement.

  The flying knife hung quietly in his mind, the power just now was somewhat similar to Xuan Qi, but seemed even stronger, giving a mysterious and unpredictable feeling.

  Ye Chen suddenly felt a slight itch on his hands, and when he looked down, he was shocked to discover that a thin layer of scaly skin covered the surface of both hands. Brushing off the scales, he found that his hands had transformed, becoming crystal clear, bright red, and tender, like those of a newborn baby.

  "Who would have thought that merely triggering the flying dagger's power would have such an effect."

  Ye Chen's heart was slightly chilled. This flying knife was indeed extraordinary. He wanted to continue exploring it further, but after some thought, he decided to wait until the dead of night before doing so.

  After instructing the young family members, Ye Zhanxiong stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the group of youngsters who had resumed their morning training, and landed on Ye Chen in the corner of the martial arts arena. He couldn't help but let out a sigh of regret, his expression extremely sorrowful. If Ye Chen hadn't been ambushed, his current cultivation might have already surpassed his own, becoming the number one prodigy among the younger generation of the family, and would have been able to take on the heavy responsibility of protecting the family in the future. Unfortunately, heaven is jealous of exceptional talent.

  Actually, Ye Chen's personality is still very likable. In the past few years, he was a bit flighty, but in these three years, his personality has become much more stable. If it weren't for his meridians being severed, he would definitely become a great talent in the future. It's just that fate is always difficult to grasp.

  After a moment of silence, Ye Zhan Xiong walked towards Ye Chen.