The vast continent, Tianyun Kingdom.
Qingcheng, the Li family's Hall of Punishment.
A dense crowd of Li family disciples surrounded the Hall of Punishment, their gazes all fixed on a young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, in the center.
Four iron chains pierced through the youth's clavicles and legs, anchoring him to a stone pillar. Blood stained his white robes crimson. Despite his pale complexion, the young man stood as straight as a sword's edge.
"I heard Li Xuan trespassed into the ancestral shrine and injured Li Xian, who was on duty. Li Xian is a disciple of the main lineage. Li Xuan has brought grave trouble upon himself."
"Li Xian is the direct grandson of the Great Elder. How dare this brat Li Xuan lay a hand on him."
"..."
The crowd buzzed with gossip, a palpable sense of schadenfreude emanating from them. Besides the main lineage, the Li family had five collateral branches. Since the age of eight, Li Xuan had begun to show his mettle.
Before the age of eight, Li Xuan, having lost his parents, had been bullied relentlessly. However, as his martial cultivation grew, those who had bullied him in his youth were all thoroughly beaten by him. Now that they saw him captured and punished, the onlookers felt an immense sense of relief.
"Li Xuan, a third-generation disciple of a collateral branch. Recently discovered stealing a precious family treasure, he then severely injured a third-generation disciple of our main lineage. After deliberation by the Elder Council, his martial cultivation is hereby abolished, to serve as a warning to others!"
A moment later, an elder appeared, walking into the courtyard. He cast a cold glance at the youth before speaking in a clear voice. The newcomer was the Li family's Great Elder, Li Wentian.
"Heh, that was my parents'遺物 (yíwù -遺物), when did it become a precious family treasure?" Li Xuan let out a light laugh, his eyes filled with disappointment.
"Li Xuan, do you admit to your punishment?" Li Wentian's brow furrowed slightly at the sound, and he barked, "Do you think I won't act if you don't admit it?" Li Xuan sneered.
"Stubborn fool!" Seeing no hint of remorse in Li Xuan's tone, Li Wentian's eyebrows twitched. His aura surged, and the four iron chains vibrated violently. In an instant, Li Xuan's clavicles began to bleed anew.
"Stop!"
Just then, a clear voice echoed from afar. Within moments, a slender figure approached rapidly.
"Yao'er..." A flicker of tenderness crossed Li Xuan's eyes as he looked at the newcomer. Li Wentian, however, frowned slightly and took a step forward, blocking the girl.
"Li Yao? What are you doing here?" Li Wentian asked, his brow furrowed. Li Yao had been chosen by the Cangyun Sect three days ago and should have been waiting at the reception platform for their arrival. He hadn't expected her to run back.
Li Yao ignored Li Wentian, her gaze fixed directly on Li Xuan. Upon seeing the iron chains piercing his clavicles and legs, the coldness in Li Yao's expression intensified. "Great Elder, Xuan ge merely went to retrieve his parents'遺物. Does that also violate clan rules?"
"Li Yao, by seniority, you are not qualified to question me. Even though you have been chosen as a disciple of the Cangyun Sect, do not forget that you are a member of my Li family. A verdict has already been passed on him within the clan, and I am merely acting according to the rules." Li Wentian finished speaking, glanced at Li Xuan, and then with a wave of his hand, a stream of spiritual light shot towards Li Xuan's dantian.
Boom!
"Stop!" Li Yao cried out in fury, but it was too late. Veins bulged on Li Xuan's pale face. He let out a muffled groan and then fainted. The four iron chains, with Li Wentian's action, also vanished instantly.
"Guards, throw this child into the Ice Pool until he reveals the location of the item," Li Wentian said, casting a final glance at Li Yao before turning and walking away with his hands behind his back.
"Xuan ge!" Li Yao's gaze was icy as she watched Li Wentian's retreating figure, then she rushed to support Li Xuan.
"Miss Li Yao, we beg your pardon," two servants stepped forward and said in low voices. They then flanked Li Xuan and began to walk towards the Ice Pool.
"Xuan ge, I will definitely rescue you!" Li Yao's expression was as cold as ice as she watched Li Xuan being taken away. Her only brother in the family had been reduced to this state, and Li Yao's heart was being cut to pieces.
Li Yao remembered how Li Xuan had caught countless fireflies and placed them in her room when she was afraid of the dark as a child. When she was cold, Li Xuan would always warm her bed before letting her sleep. There were countless similar incidents, including when Li Xuan had shielded her from bullies of the same age, enduring seven or eight of them beating him.
"Xuan ge, hold on!" Li Yao murmured to herself before turning and walking out of the hall.
"This Li Xuan is probably finished. Even without injuries, entering the Ice Pool would flay one alive. In his current state, Li Xuan won't last long."
"Who told Li Xuan to offend someone he shouldn't have? He offended the Great Elder's direct grandson, of all people. If you ask me, Li Xuan probably won't make it out alive. Even if he does, he'll likely be crippled."
"..."
After Li Yao left, the crowd erupted into discussion.
The Li family's back mountain, the Ice Pool.
Hiss.
The bone-chilling cold seeped in, startling the unconscious Li Xuan awake. Although the place was extremely frigid, Li Xuan found that his injuries were also being somewhat contained. At least the pain had lessened; it wasn't as unbearable as before, where every movement caused agony.
"Damn old bastard, he actually destroyed my dantian!" Li Xuan examined his body, his eyes blazing with fury.
The dantian was the foundation of martial arts. If his dantian were intact, Li Xuan could still rise again. But now, with his dantian destroyed, Li Xuan would only be able to cultivate his physical body to the peak of the Fetal Respiration realm. The threshold for becoming a Spiritual Master, the Initial Spirit realm, would forever be out of his reach.
It was important to note that Li Xuan had already reached the early stage of the Fetal Respiration realm. Once he reached perfection, he would awaken his spiritual root and enter the Initial Spirit realm, becoming a Spiritual Master. Li Wentian's actions had, in essence, destroyed Li Xuan's future with his own hands.
On the vast continent, Spiritual Masters were revered. Only by cultivating the physical body to the Fetal Respiration realm could one be considered to have laid a solid foundation. Even upon reaching the Fetal Respiration realm, becoming a Spiritual Master was not guaranteed. One had to awaken their spiritual root and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to use as their own to embark on the path of a Spiritual Master.
The cultivation levels for Spiritual Masters were divided into: Body Realm, Mortal Embryo Realm, Fetal Respiration Realm, Initial Spirit Realm, Spirit Soul Realm, Martial King Realm, Martial Emperor Realm, and Martial God Realm. Although a warrior at the Fetal Respiration realm could secure a decent position if they joined the army in Tianyun Country, their life's potential would be limited to that.
"Li Xuan, I bet you never expected to see this day, did you?" Just then, a voice suddenly sounded. Li Xuan looked up and saw Li Xian. Judging by his appearance, he had evidently been healed.
"What, you have the confidence to face me now?" Li Xuan sneered, not bothering to put Li Xian in his eyes. Li Xian looked completely restored, clearly having been given a spiritual medicine by the Great Elder.
"I just can't stand your smug look!" Li Xian stepped forward and threw a punch. Li Xuan's body was sent flying before crashing heavily to the ground. Already severely injured, Li Xuan coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Young Master, the Great Elder ordered not to cause death," an old man behind Li Xian stepped forward and said in a low voice upon seeing Li Xuan vomit blood.
Li Xian pouted and then stepped forward, placing his foot directly on Li Xuan's left hand. He leaned down and whispered, "Let me tell you a secret: your parents were sent out by my grandfather back then. And your parents' distress signals were intercepted by my grandfather. You can only blame your parents and you for being too strong back then. If they were still alive, how could our branch prosper? What do you think? Aren't you furious? Hahahahaha..."
"Sooner or later, I will make you all pay!" Li Xuan's pupils constricted sharply. The rage in his eyes was palpable. From childhood, Li Xuan only knew that his parents had died due to family strife, but he never imagined there was such a hidden truth.
"Pay? Wait until you're alive to leave this place." Li Xian sneered and shivered. This place was truly too cold. Even with Li Xian's current martial cultivation, he felt it. How could Li Xuan possibly survive?
Even if Li Xuan managed to get out alive, without his dantian, what capital would he have for revenge?