The weight contained in those seven words—World-Destroying Eye, ranked fourth—was enough to stun any expert.

According to ancient records, this eye had appeared only once, 120,000 years ago. It was an incredibly brilliant era when kings rose and heroes contended for supremacy. The owner of that eye used it to overcome all obstacles and suppress every hero, eventually becoming the most powerful person in the world and etching his legend into history.

"He only broke the first seal and yet awakened a Heavenly Eye, and one ranked fourth—the World-Destroying Eye (Zhu Tianxia). His potential is truly astounding," Lian Cangqiong murmured, slightly shocked. He was a True Immortal, and for him to be shocked showed just how incredible Ling Xian's talent and potential truly were.

"Thank you for your kindness, Master," Ling Xian said, excitement surging through him. He could clearly feel the immense power contained within those eyes. Although he could not unleash its full potential now, he knew that one day, the World-Destroying Eye would shine with dazzling light.

"Very well, your Master is extremely weak and needs to rest. You have broken one seal, which is enough for you to cultivate up to the Core Formation stage. As for the other three seals, we will address them later." The Pill Immortal looked tired.

"Yes, Master, please rest well," Ling Xian replied, filled with gratitude. He asked with genuine concern, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"It is enough that you have the intention, but you are still too weak to help me much," the Pill Immortal smiled kindly and waved his hand. "Go. The Nine Immortals Diagram has entered your sea of consciousness. The spiritual energy here is abundant—more than three times stronger than outside. You may come whenever you wish."

Having said this, his ethereal figure drifted away, landing on a majestic mountain peak where he instantly fell into a deep slumber. Around this peak stood eight other mountains of varying heights and shapes, interconnected and weaving together a hazy, dreamlike aura.

"This halo seems to nourish the soul. Then, are eight other True Immortals truly slumbering on each of these peaks?" Ling Xian muttered to himself. Then, with a thought, he vanished from the Nine Immortals Diagram and reappeared outside, standing in front of the Treasure Pavilion.

Looking at the three characters of the "Qizhen Pavilion," Ling Xian was filled with emotion. Just an hour ago, he was an ordinary person, struggling for his dreams, contemplating gambling his entire fortune on an Eye-Opening Pill as a last-ditch effort. But now, he had not only become the disciple of the Pill Immortal but had successfully embarked on the path of cultivation, awakening the World-Destroying Eye. He was finally free to soar like a fish in the vast sea and a bird in the boundless sky.

It must be said that life is truly unpredictable.

"Now that I can cultivate, I should first go to the family's scripture library to obtain a cultivation technique." With this thought, Ling Xian turned and walked toward the Ling family's scripture library.

Qingcheng is located in the northernmost part of the Great Qin Dynasty, a remote, small city. In addition to the City Lord's Mansion, which holds the greatest power, three major cultivation families dominate the area: the Ling family, the Qi family, and the Fang family.

Ling Xian was a collateral descendant of the Ling family. Because he was unable to cultivate, the family had never provided him with any cultivation resources. The only house he possessed, which provided shelter from the wind and rain, had been left to him by his parents, who passed away shortly after his birth. Therefore, he had very little affection for his family; all that remained in his memory was endless indifference and humiliation.

The Scripture Repository

The Sutra Repository, located at the very back of the Ling Manor, was a magnificent three-story wooden pavilion. The afternoon sun shone down, illuminating the red-tiled roofs on all four sides, creating large patches of shimmering light. This place was the most important location for the Ling family besides the forbidden area. It stored the cultivation techniques and secret arts collected by the Ling family over the past hundred years for the family members to practice. Those below the third level of Qi Refining could choose from the first floor, those with the fourth to eighth levels could go to the second floor, and the third level was only accessible to the Clan Leader and Elders.

The library had no door, only a water-ripple-shaped barrier that prevented non-Ling family members from entering.

Ling Xian took out a bronze token representing his identity and placed it within the barrier. The restriction immediately rippled with a halo of light, drawing him into the library.

A strong, ancient fragrance wafted over him. Ling Xian looked around and saw that the first floor was not very large. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with slightly yellowed books. Without hesitation, he went straight to the bookshelf labeled with cultivation techniques, searching for the method he desired.

"The Sitting in Oblivion Technique, the Marrow Cleansing Classic, the Enlightenment Technique..."

The variety of techniques dazzled Ling Xian, and his gaze moved slowly until it finally settled on a book with an antique cover:

The Three Flowers Classic

It had a strange name, and the cover was covered in dust, clearly indicating that no one had touched this manual in a long time. But the moment he picked it up, a voice seemed to whisper in his heart, "This is it, this is it."

Ling Xian frowned, unable to pinpoint the source of this strange feeling, but after some hesitation, he still chose this somewhat eerie technique.

"Little one, do you want to choose this Three Flowers Classic?"

A ghostly figure suddenly appeared beside him. It was an old man with a white beard. Time had etched countless lines on his face, making him look exceptionally ancient.

"Yes, Elder." Ling Xian's expression was calm. He had long since noticed the old man's presence and knew his identity as the elder guarding the library.

The old man narrowed his eyes and offered a reminder, "Judging from your bone age, you are only fourteen, but you already have the cultivation level of the third stage of Qi Refining. Your talent is not weak. If you choose this uncultivable technique, it will waste a lot of time. I advise you to choose another one."

Unable to cultivate?

A hint of curiosity flashed in Ling Xian's eyes. After a moment's thought, he said, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder. But my mind is made up. Just because others cannot cultivate it does not mean I cannot. I want to give it a try."

"Well said: 'Just because others can't doesn't mean I can't.' That's spirited." The elder showed a hint of admiration and smiled. "If you find you truly cannot cultivate it, do not force yourself. You can come and change it at any time."

"Yes, thank you, Elder." Ling Xian put the Three Flowers Classic into his storage bag, turned, and left the Scripture Pavilion, heading back home.

 Settling Old Scores

Suddenly, a mocking laugh filled with contempt and provocation rang out.

"Hey, isn't this the good-for-nothing Ling Xian? You're still alive?" A black-robed youth walked toward him. He was short, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face, and a truly disgusting smirk on his face.

"It's you, Ling Yu." Ling Xian's face darkened. This man was a member of the same collateral branch as him. Relying on his Qi Refining Level One cultivation, he often picked fights with Ling Xian for no reason. Ling Xian had tolerated it before because he couldn't cultivate, but now, he was going to reclaim all the humiliation he had suffered!

"Not bad, what's wrong? Are you scared now that you've seen me?" Ling Yu chuckled. Because he was ugly and had mediocre talent, he was extremely jealous of those who were talented and good-looking. However, the only person he could bully in the entire Ling family was Ling Xian, who had been unable to cultivate. Thus, Ling Xian was often the target of Ling Yu's malice.

Ling Xian was furious, but he said calmly, "Yes, I'm very scared."

"Then obediently kowtow three times to me, and crawl between my legs, and I'll spare your life today," Ling Yu spread his legs and laughed arrogantly.

"Your suggestion is good; I've requisitioned it. Now hurry up and kowtow to me!" Ling Xian sneered.

"What did you say?" Ling Yu was stunned, then grinned maliciously. "I see, Ling Xian. It's one thing that you can't cultivate, but your brain is also broken. How dare you talk to me like that? It seems the lesson I gave you last time wasn't enough."

"You want to make a move?" A hint of murderous intent flashed in Ling Xian's eyes.

"So what if I fight? You piece of trash, I'm going to teach you a lesson today!" Ling Yu's face was ferocious as he walked step by step toward Ling Xian.

"Go ahead and try," Ling Xian remained calm and composed. He was already at the third level of Qi Refining, so even if he stood still and let Ling Yu hit him, he wouldn't be able to hurt him.

"Remember, you'll have to kneel before me from now on!" Ling Yu smiled coldly, using all his magical power to slam a palm down on Ling Xian! The palm strike was fierce and arrived instantly!

Ling Xian neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, he swung his right hand, instantly unleashing a fierce wind as he poured out the full power of his third-level Qi Refining cultivation—a raging torrent of overwhelming might!

Snap!

The two palms collided, and the powerful magical force of the third level of Qi Refining surged forth, overwhelming Ling Yu and sending him flying several meters away like a kite with a broken string. He collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood.

One-hit kill!

"How is this possible? How can you have magic power?" Ling Yu looked utterly shocked, his eyes filled with disbelief. He truly couldn't understand how that usually useless person could suddenly become so powerful.

"Ling Yu, I am no longer the Ling Xian I used to be. If you want to humiliate me, then you should be prepared to die at any time." Ling Xian smiled coldly, stepping onto Ling Yu's chest, making it even more difficult for him to breathe. The blood he coughed up was a vivid red.

"Cough cough... This is impossible! You piece of trash, how could you defeat me?" Ling Yu still couldn't believe it was real, coughing up blood as he shouted.

"Nothing is impossible. You keep calling me trash, but who's the trash now?" Ling Xian slapped him across the face, knocking out several teeth mixed with blood.

Ling Yu let out a shriek, pointing a trembling finger at Ling Xian and cursing, "You're dead! If you dare touch me, I'll kill you!"

"You're stubborn as a mule." Ling Xian's eyes turned cold, and he struck with lightning speed, forcefully breaking off Ling Yu's outstretched index finger.

"Ah!" Ling Yu's face turned pale with pain. He finally grasped the situation and begged for mercy, "I was wrong, Ling Xian, I was wrong, please let me go."

"Remember, if there's a next time, I'll kill you." Ling Xian glanced at him indifferently and withdrew his foot from his chest.

After saying that, he ignored Ling Yu, who was lying like a dead dog, and walked straight toward his home.

With his anger subsided and his past grievances avenged, he felt much lighter. The resentment that had been building up in his heart for fourteen years finally dissipated completely, as if he were waving goodbye to the past.

From then on, he was Ling Xian, reborn from the ashes.