Prologue: The City and The Boy.
In a valley at the foot of the imposing St. Ancestral Mountain range lies Glory City, a place of layered history and enduring significance. The peaks are eternally capped with snow, and the chilling cries of Snow Wind beasts echo from the cliffs, a constant reminder of the formidable elemental forces that surround the city. Founded in a natural chokepoint, its three concentric walls rise in formidable tiers—a testament to a civilization perpetually braced for siege. Yet, time and time again, these beasts breached the city's outer walls. Each time, the people stubbornly rebuilt, rising from the ruins to declare the city's unyielding will to persevere.
To survive within the shelter of these mighty walls, the people are divided into two distinct groups: the Cultivators and the Non-Cultivators. However, this should not be mistaken for a simple division between noble and commoner—the political landscape of Glory City is far more complex.
Influence here is not held by bloodline alone; it is taken and kept by power. And nothing speaks power more clearly than cultivation. Beyond nobility, beyond legacy, it is the steady flow of new cultivators that keeps the walls safe. These defenders are starkly divided: the Fighters form the vast bulk of the city's military, the essential rank and file who hold the line with reinforced bodies and sheer grit. In this, they share a crucial common ground with the Non-Cultivators: both are indispensable, yet neither holds any real power.
For if the Fighters are the city's shield, then the Non-Cultivators are its unwavering heart. They are the farmers who work the land, the builders who repair the walls, the clerks and artisans who make everything function. They cannot fight on the front lines, but within the walls, they are the engine that gives the city its breath and heartbeat.
And standing above them all are the Demon Spiritualists—the true power of the city. These elite cultivators possess the rare capacity to fuse with Demon Spirits, granting them unprecedented strength. While Fighters and Non-Cultivators are indispensable to the city's daily life, it is the Demon Spiritualists who ensure its very survival. They are the difference between a repelled attack and a catastrophic breach.
This critical role is defined by a simple, brutal fact: a Fighter must be at least a full rank above a Demon Beast to face it on even terms. A Demon Spiritualist, empowered by their fused spirit, can challenge a beast of equal rank—and with a powerful enough spirit, can even bridge the gap to overcome a stronger foe. This unparalleled combat prowess is why the path of the Demon Spiritualist is the only one that offers a chance to rise to nobility.
But ascending the noble ranks of Glory City is a formidable trial. The system is designed not only to motivate but to constantly replenish the city's strength, replacing the great Families that inevitably die on the walls. The number of lineages that have fallen from grace far exceeds those who have risen, for it is far easier for a Family to lose its last Gold-rank Demon Spiritualist than for a new one to emerge from the masses.
This relentless cycle is the reality of the hierarchy's first and largest tier, a social ring that mirrors the city's own outermost wall. Here, pressed against the city's primary defense, reside the Aristocratic Families—the volatile foundation upon which all else is built. A commoner may freely walk from this outer ring to the innermost citadel, but for a noble family, crossing that same physical distance is a generational journey. They are the stewards of the city's stomach and its medicine, managing the vast farmlands and precious herb fields that supply the Alchemists' elixirs, the commoners' remedies, and serve as a vital, raw cultivation resource for those who cannot afford refined pills.
If the Aristocratic Families are the producers, then the Noble Families are the distributors, the economic engine of Glory City. Rooted in the bustling Middle Ring, they command the city's commerce, owning the major stores and controlling the distribution channels for all resources flowing from the outer lands. This economic stranglehold grants them immense power and wealth, which they leverage to take lesser Aristocratic Families under their protection. This symbiosis ensures a steady flow of goods while further enriching the Noble coffers. However, vast wealth alone cannot buy this station. The principal requirement to establish a Noble Family is the ultimate form of personal power: a Demon Spiritualist who has reached the Black-Gold Rank.
At the core of Glory City, within its innermost and impregnable ring, resides the true power that shapes its destiny. Here, the revered Saint Orchid Institute molds the next generation of cultivators, while the Alchemist Association fuels the city's cultivation progress through its formidable pills. Ultimate authority, however, is consolidated by the three Major Families. Their rank is predicated on a single, brutal metric of power: the ability to field at least three Black-Gold Rank Demon Spiritualists, or to produce the one exception that supersedes all rules—a Legend Rank cultivator. The Snow Wind Family currently sits at the zenith, its status elevated by the city's only known Legend, Ye Mo, even if his frequent absences cast a shadow of uncertainty. The Divine Family secures its seat not through martial dominance but through an unshakeable monopoly on Holy Dark Grass, a resource so vital that their multiple Black-Gold cultivators are perpetually protected by their own economic indispensability. And opposing them is the Sacred Family, a clan of formidable power and shadowed ambition, which meets the traditional strength requirement and constantly vies to tip the balance in its favor.
Yet the survival of Glory City has always been paved by the fallen—common warriors who died for their loved ones, and great families who collapsed into ruin, their names forgotten amidst the very stones they once defended. Among these faded legends is the Heavenly Dragon Family, a clan whose power and prestige once surpassed even that of the Snow Wind Family. Now, it is but a shadow, not even ranked among the lowest noble families.
But history is not shaped by cities or families alone; it is shaped by individuals. And in the struggling remnants of the Heavenly Dragon Family, one such individual is about to take his first step toward changing Glory City forever.
Heavenly Dragon Family Main Mansion
In the hall leading to the Patriarch's study within the main estate, a young boy stood facing a heavy door. His name was Long Tian, and at five years old, the weight of his visit was palpable.
Nervousness shone in his eyes, a deep sea-blue inherited from his mother, a stark contrast to the shock of scarlet hair that fell around his face. His features, however—the sharp, sword-like eyebrows, strong jawline, and perfectly structured face—were all his father's. For now, a soft baby face rounded out these sharp angles—a combination his mother found endlessly charming, and one she loved to pinch to the amusement of her husband.
Long Tian adjusted his neatly crafted robe, a mix of white and black details, took a deep, steadying breath, and whispered in his mind.
"You've delayed this long enough."
He raised a small knuckle and knocked twice against the thick wood.
Knock. Knock.
"Enter." A calm, familiar voice came from the other side.
Pushing the door open, Long Tian stepped across the threshold, bracing himself for the decision that would change the Heavenly Dragon Family and Glory City forever.