A young man was intently working the fields, his hoe in hand.
This youth was named Li Xuan, fifteen years of age. His features were rather regular, though he appeared somewhat thin and small in stature. Despite this, his physique surpassed that of an ordinary person. His skin bore a youthful tenderness, yet it held the healthy hue common among those who toiled in the fields. Beneath that delicate exterior lay muscles brimming with explosive power—a testament to years of labor under the sun.
"Immortals! Look! They're immortals!"
A sudden cry cut through the rhythm of work in the fields. Heads that had been bowed low shot up in unison, gazing skyward.
There, soaring through the air, were several figures clad in flowing white robes, their demeanor extraordinary as they rode upon swords. Their expressions were solemn and dignified, their eyes cool and focused straight ahead. Their hands, held before their chests, formed mysterious seals. The immortal swords beneath their feet emitted a faint, rumbling hum, their blades inscribed with intricate runes that glowed softly with an otherworldly light, radiating an aura of profound spirituality.
Li Xuan and the others watched, mesmerized, by these beings they called immortals. It seemed as though an enigmatic, elusive mist of light enveloped the immortals, captivating onlookers and stirring a deep desire to draw closer—yet no matter how they yearned, they could not bridge the gap.
Only when the figures had shrunk to distant specks on the horizon did the field workers snap out of their awe.
"Truly, they are immortals! Just a single glance leaves one feeling refreshed and free of all weariness!"
"Indeed! If I could become an immortal, wouldn't the girls at Cuixian Tower all fall at my feet?"
"Look at you—you're nothing special to behold, yet you dream so grand! If becoming an immortal were that easy, would we still be stuck here, clinging to this land for survival?"
"Honestly though, the girls at Cuixian Tower really are each more stunning than the last! Remember little Hong's soft waist, her fair and tender thighs? Tsk, tsk—just thinking about it makes me lose myself."
...
The immortals' unintended passage had made the rough, laboring men forget their unfinished work. They gathered in small groups, animatedly discussing the spectacle.
Li Xuan cast a disdainful glance at the others. How provincial, he thought to himself. Mere immortals—these country bumpkins are so easily impressed. My foster father is far more powerful than those sword-riding figures!
Leaning on his hoe, he lifted his head to the sky. The scorching sun blazed fiercely, its glare so intense that he quickly lowered his gaze again.
It was nearly noon. Li Xuan tossed his hoe aside and plopped down under a large tree nearby, using his straw hat to fan himself.
Though not tall, Li Xuan's body was stronger than most. Under his youthful skin lay muscles coiled with explosive energy—honed through years of labor in the fields.
After sitting for a while, he found the lumpy earth beneath him uncomfortable. Shifting slightly did little to help, so he sprawled out unabashedly under the tree, placed the straw hat over his face, and decided to take a short nap.
Within a dozen breaths, thunderous snores erupted. Li Xuan's belly rose and fell in rhythm with his breathing.
In his drowsiness, it seemed he began to dream.
"Little Xuan! I'm back!"
A voice brimming with joy and excitement sounded from outside the door. Li Xuan's thin hands trembled visibly. Stumbling in his haste, he rushed out of the house.
"Foster Father, it's really you!" Tears streamed down Li Xuan's face as he gazed, sniffling, at the man he had longed to see.
In stark contrast to Li Xuan, his adoptive father Li Ye stood tall and imposing, with a commanding presence that radiated natural grace as he moved. His fair, clean-cut face bore sharp, chiseled features, exuding a cold handsomeness, while his brows carried an air of heroic vigor. His finely sculpted facial features were exceptionally handsome, prompting anyone who saw him to praise him as a true gentleman.
"Xiao Xuan, don't get too worked up. Look who I've brought back," Li Ye said with a smile in his eyes, wiping the tears from Li Xuan's face and gesturing for him to look behind him.
Choking back sobs, Li Xuan's vision was blurred, but he could make out a figure emerging through the mist, dressed in snow-white robes that seemed untouched by worldly dust. She moved with the ethereal grace of a celestial being, her steps light and elegant as she approached him.
For a moment, he forgot to breathe, staring blankly at the figure before him. Her slender, willow-like waist and alluring curves stirred his imagination, while the gentle sway of her steps caused a fleeting glimpse of fair skin at her collar, sending his heart racing.
Smack!
Just as he strained to see the woman's face clearly, a sharp slap landed squarely on him, jolting him out of his dreamlike trance.
Interrupted from his reverie, Li Xuan flushed with anger and glared, eager to see who had the audacity to ruin such a beautiful moment.
"What, are you blaming me for disturbing your sleep?" The newcomer looked down at Li Xuan with disdain.
"Well, if it isn't Chief Constable Li! What brings you here?" Recognizing the visitor as Li Hong, the locally renowned constable, Li Xuan's bravado deflated like a punctured balloon, replaced by an ingratiating smile.
After all, if he dared to confront Li Hong head-on, he'd be lucky to escape with his life.
It was said that Li Hong had once been a rough man, making a living as a butcher in the city. But after single-handedly braving the mountains to slay a demonic tiger that had been terrorizing the locals, he was exceptionally recruited into the constabulary. Relying on his brute strength, he quickly intimidated his colleagues into submission and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the chief constable—second only to one person and commanding hundreds of men.
And so, this former butcher had transformed into the chief constable. His muscular build alone was intimidating, not to mention the authority his title carried, making him someone few dared to cross.
"Chief Constable, you know me—I'm just a simple farmer who sticks to the rules. I wouldn't dare break the law even if you gave me ten thousand chances!"
Finally snapping out of his daze, Li Xuan recalled that wherever there was trouble, Li Hong was never far behind. Now that the chief constable had come alone to find him, something serious must have happened.
"Look how scared you are! Don't worry, I'm not here to arrest you. I just have a message for you."
The foul odor from Li Xuan's breath wafted into Li Hong's nostrils, prompting the latter to hold his breath and step back in disgust, stopping a few meters away.
"Oh? What's the good news?"
Li Xuan paid no mind to Li Hong's reaction. He scratched his head with his fingernails, sending a flurry of dandruff dancing wildly in the air.
"The higher-ups heard that your adoptive father, Li Ye, has been accepted into the Tianshi Manor. This is rare good news for our Jinling City, so they sent me specifically to deliver a reward to you."
"Reward? What reward?" Li Xuan's eyes gleamed with avarice upon hearing there was a benefit. He eagerly leaned closer to Li Hong, wearing an expression of desperate anticipation.
"Don't rush. You'll find out when you return." Seeing him draw uncomfortably near, Li Hong left these words before hastily retreating.
After he departed, Li Xuan chuckled softly a few times and plopped back down beneath the large tree.
Recalling the scene from his dream just moments before—the graceful woman swaying her figure, every movement brimming with captivating charm—he felt a wave of heat wash over his body. A restless fire ignited in his lower abdomen, and a sudden surge of desire caused the thing between his legs to stand erect, stiff and unyielding, as if threatening to tear through his trousers.
Although Li Xuan was only fifteen, that part of him was unusually large, even surpassing that of men in their prime.
Ah, what a pity for this iron rod. If only there were a woman by my side, I would surely make her ecstatic and bring her to climax!
Li Xuan sighed, resigned to pulling out a small illustrated booklet to indulge his fantasies. He had spent a considerable sum to acquire it back in the day, and it contained every position imaginable. Though he had no practical experience, he had memorized the techniques to perfection.
But that dream was truly strange. My foster father has been away cultivating immortality for years—how could he suddenly return, and with such a stunningly beautiful woman at that? He shook his head, trying to dispel the chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind.
In truth, Li Xuan was not Li Ye's biological son. He was an orphan with no one to rely on. When he was ten, while gathering wild fruits in the mountains, he came across Li Ye, who was severely injured and unconscious, nearly on the brink of death. Li Xuan dragged him to a cave and fed him one of the wild fruits he had picked. Unbeknownst to him, the fruit possessed powerful healing properties, and thus, Li Ye was saved.
Li Xuan diligently cared for Li Ye for about half a month until his injuries healed completely. Li Ye even discovered that his innate talents had strengthened. Upon inquiry, he learned that Li Xuan had given him an unknown fruit to eat.
Deeply grateful, Li Ye agreed when Li Xuan expressed a desire to learn cultivation. However, Li Xuan had no talent for it whatsoever. Unable to bear turning him away, Li Ye took him in as his foster son and brought him back to his hometown in Jinling City.
Since there were no other relatives in Li Ye's household, the two lived together as father and son. Li Xuan was sensible and respectful toward Li Ye, who, in turn, was very fond of him and treated him as his own flesh and blood.
Later, by a twist of fate, Li Ye was accepted as a disciple by a master from the Celestial Master Manor and left to cultivate at a sect a thousand miles away. That was five years ago, and there had been no news from him since.
On this Mysterious Mechanism Continent, various immortal cultivation sects were scattered about. Among them, the Celestial Master Manor, the Mysterious Pivot Pavilion, and the Hundred Flowers Sect were the three great sects with the deepest foundations and most stable positions. Outsiders knew nothing of their origins or depth, only that every generation had heard of them since they could remember.
In addition, there was the Sacred Heaven Imperial Clan of Sacred Heaven City. Though not as mysterious as the three great sects, they controlled all the political, economic, military, and cultural lifelines of the Mysterious Mechanism Continent, making them undoubtedly a crouching lion poised to strike on this continent.
Moreover, every emperor of the Holy Celestial Dynasty has ascended the throne through rigorous selection. Not only are they virtuous, talented, courageous, and strategic, but they also carry the world's suffering in their hearts—worrying before the world worries and rejoicing only after the world rejoices. Each one can be called a wise ruler.
This has earned the Holy Celestial Dynasty the deep affection of the people, securing the hearts of all under heaven and making its position unshakable. Even the three major sects show deference to the imperial family.
Now, let's talk about the Mysterious Mechanism Continent. It is named "Mysterious Mechanism" because this land is filled with bizarre and fantastical phenomena, brimming with countless opportunities. It's no longer surprising to hear of someone accidentally falling off a cliff, discovering a hidden treasure, and rising to prominence overnight. Similarly, tales of people stumbling into caves and receiving guidance from deceased masters occur almost regularly.
To put it simply, if your luck is exceptionally good, fortune might just land on your head one day, transforming you from a lowly sparrow into a majestic phoenix.
As these rumors spread, some began to entertain opportunistic ideas, abandoning the righteous path of cultivation in favor of shortcuts. Some wait by cliffs hoping for a chance encounter, others venture into desolate deserts seeking true teachings, and some idly daydream about blessings falling from the sky.
This has led to a rather absurd scene: one might pass by a cliff and see delusional individuals clenching their teeth, shutting their eyes tightly, and leaping down. However, only two outcomes await them: either they end up maimed or become a pile of mangled flesh at the bottom of the cliff.
Luck never descends upon anyone without reason. Only those with exceptional talent, relentless effort, and thorough preparation can truly grasp it.
Fortunately, the cultivation atmosphere on the Mysterious Mechanism Continent is vibrant. Many gifted youths show remarkable promise from a young age and are selected by various sects, embarking on the path of immortal cultivation.
Speaking of immortal cultivation, it is exceptionally complex and is divided into two main branches: Immortal Arts and Soul Spirit. Immortal Arts encompass various methods such as swordsmanship, formation arrays, artifact forging, pill refining, body tempering, and beast summoning—each with its own unique techniques and approaches.
Swordsmanship focuses on training with the sword, establishing a connection between the practitioner's consciousness and the immortal sword. The sword moves as the heart wills, and when the heart stirs, the sword strikes. Those who master it to the highest level can even merge their body with the sword, becoming one and greatly amplifying their power.
What Li Xuan and others witnessed earlier—sword flight—is merely an elementary technique within swordsmanship.
Formation arrays, as the name implies, involve cultivators dedicating their energy to researching talismanic formations. Each formation can unleash unexpected attacks on enemies. However, formations are also ranked by quality. The lowest-grade formations last only moments and have limited offensive power, while high-grade formations can trigger heavenly thunder tribulations, cause mountains and seas to roar, and a single formation can overturn an entire city.
As for artifact forging, pill refining, body tempering, and beast summoning, these cultivation methods respectively focus on immortal artifacts, spiritual pills and elixirs, physical bodies, and auxiliary demon beasts as the mediums for cultivation.
Regardless of the cultivation method, there are distinctions in strength and proficiency. Cultivators are ranked by their power into nine major realms: Innate Qi Refinement, Yellow Court Foundation Establishment, Essence Consolidation and Qi Coagulation, Immortal Qi Converging to the Origin, Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit, Yin-Yang Convergence, Auspicious Transformation and Spiritual Tranquility, Dao Following Nature, and Ascension to Immortality. Each major realm is further divided into three minor stages: early, middle, and late.
Breaking through each minor realm requires a cultivator to exert immense effort. They must refine the absorbed spiritual energy, retaining its essence while discarding impurities, then gather and compress it within their heart-sea. Only after countless cycles of circulation and purification, achieving absolute purity, can they hope to break through bottlenecks and ascend to a new realm.
Major realm breakthroughs are even more challenging, with countless individuals stuck at the peak, unable to advance even a fraction further.
As for the soul, it is even more mysterious. It depends not only on the innate sensitivity and strength of a cultivator's soul but also on the soul cultivation techniques they practice later in life.
It is no exaggeration to say that even if one is born with a soul stronger than others, without a sufficiently powerful soul technique to match, the end result will be mediocrity.
Conversely, a talentless individual practicing the most advanced soul technique would be like playing the lute to a cow—utterly useless.
In short, the two complement each other, and neither can be neglected.
The path of cultivation is fraught with countless challenges. The most fundamental and crucial step is whether one possesses the talent for cultivation. Only those with extraordinary constitutions and inherently exceptional bone structures can even glimpse the threshold of cultivation.
In the Mysterious Continent, spiritual intelligence is the criterion for determining a person's suitability for cultivation. It is divided into nine levels, from low to high. Those with exceptional talent, blessed with ninth-level spiritual intelligence, are born at the pinnacle. Their monstrous cultivation talent makes them highly sought after by top-tier sects, who spare no expense in using the world's rarest treasures to nurture them into the continent's supreme rulers.
However, such prodigious geniuses are rare, appearing only once in nearly a thousand years. Generally, possessing mid-level spiritual intelligence of around fifth or sixth level is already considered remarkable.
Li Xuan's adoptive father, Li Ye, was once recognized for his sixth-level mid-tier spiritual intelligence, which caught the attention of a master from the Celestial Master Manor, who took him in as a disciple.
Those born with spiritual intelligence are exceedingly rare. Ordinary people make up over 70% of the Mysterious Continent's population, confined to labor, agriculture, commerce, and other trades, spending their lives toiling for sustenance.
In contrast, cultivators, who comprise only 30% of the population, enjoy 70% of the continent's resources. They live carefree lives of luxury, never worrying about survival. This is why ordinary people like Li Xuan gaze upon cultivators with such admiration and reverence.
"Ah, I suppose I'm destined to spend my life guarding this patch of yellow earth," Li Xuan sighed deeply, shaking his head vigorously to dispel those unrealistic thoughts from his mind.
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Hello guys! This is the new book with the touch of fantasy with your FANTASY. In the starting chapters i'll introduce the characters and all the things needed to be described in a fantasy novel but i'll take 2-3 chapters in between the story to not spoil your fun.So if you like this story then please comment .
Thank you for reading.