Going back home, under the setting sun, Wu Tian.

The Wu Clan expanding far in all directions, many feared their ever growing domination.

With a Clan Head rumored to have stepped into the mighty Warrior Realm, no one in a hundred kilometers radius dared to offend them. The anger of a Warrior was not to be trifled with.

Therefore, it was not too surprising that Wu Tian's residence was so far away. Two kilometers away from the clan's main structures.

This tiring walk, especially while being beaten half-dead, was quite the journey. For a child, passing through a few hills would not be difficult, but without food, water or even cultivation, and gasping for life, it entered a new dimension in difficulty.

His head hung low, Wu Tian walked up a hill.

Entering a modest abode, he soon heard a woman's voice.

"Sweety! Come see mommy." Shame painted all over his face, Wu Tian gnashed his teeth in embarrassment.

Would his mother not see his battered flesh? His bruised skin? Or maybe his broken leg?

Wu Xun was quite merciless when it came to mental torture. Knowing full well that Wu Tian would have to walk a long time, he did not hesitate to remove the safety net while hitting his leg. Luckily for Wu Tian, Wu Xun was not in the mood to break both.

"Mother, your child is here." Advancing with determination, he soon received the same look. A look of guilt.

"Sweety, here! I made some biscuits." Her expression trembling, Wu Tian's mother was clearly shaken. But both were used to it. One always came back home with a few bruises at the very least, while the other waited in agony, sorrow and guilt.

Nibbling at the dry biscuits, Wu Tian did not make much noise. He sat by the window, looking outside.

As for his mother, Li Yi, she could not do much more. She had her legs crippled, her cultivation almost wasted and did not even know how to approach her own son.

But what could she say? She was just a random woman picked on the street. She was given a new lease on life and lived happily for a few decades. But at some point, the Clan Head found someone better suited for him. It was not too surprising, the Clan Head had many wives and concubines.

She was already thankful for his care over the years. She had had an accident outside and ended up half-crippled. Her mighty seventh layer Mortal Realm cultivation base gone, she was back to an ordinary woman, but with weak legs. She could not blame the Clan Head, she could only blame herself.

It was not like the Clan Head was despicable and uncaring, but all humans had ambition, and it was not that the man did not even try. But what could he do? Even if he was a Warrior now, the methods to heal a cripple were exclusive to Divine Realm masters. Legend has it that a Divine Realm master could roam the sky and live forever.

Many claimed the opposite, but rumors were rumors. Even if they had the means, would they save her?

Even if the Clan Head met a Divine Realm master and groveled at their feet like a dog begging, everyone knew the outcome. He would be ignored.

So, without a way to cure her, she was exiled to a land of peace. She was grateful, it was already more than expected.

Gossips about other forces inside the region they lived within indicated tragic fates for this exact scenario.

The world did not wait for her, but she could not help herself from feeling indignant when her own flesh and blood was also left behind. Wu Tian was not untalented, he was not to be blamed and was not evil. So why was he treated as such? She could guess why.

Sighing, she felt that the world was unfair.

Waiting for her son to finish eating, she touched a green pendant on her neck.

This was a heirloom of the Wu Clan. It was gifted to her many years ago by the Clan Head. And since he did not intend to retrieve it, she kept it.

Having finished eating, Wu Tian silently drifted to his bedroom.

The morning came and, as usual, Wu Tian left for the Wu Clan's training grounds even with a broken leg.

Passing by lush greenery and a rising sun, Wu Tian felt comforted. This scene always appeased him greatly.

Like usual today, he would simply go for training, and get beaten to the ground like a dog at sunset.

On the way home, his drifting eyes looked high. The starry sky caressed his eyes, calming his mind. He was currently crawling.

It seemed that today, Wu Xun was not merciful and decided to break the other leg. One would be able to incur as much from seeing Wu Tian's legs. One was limp while the other was bent in a very wrong direction. His cheeks were moist and covered with dried blood.

Crawling for a few more hours, he was getting closer.

And after noticing something odd, he flattened the grass in front, hoping to get a better view. A very regretted decision.

"Huh..?" His voice trembling, he convulsed from disbelief. He had not seen wrong, there was indeed a bright light upfront.

After flattening the grass, he could see his humble house. This same house, filled with memories and gentleness but also awkwardness...

...this same house on fire.

His heart clenching tightly, he advanced, crawling faster and faster. Ignoring his broken nails and bloody fingers, he continued.

And a few minutes later, as he got close enough, he could only stop. Tears trickling down his cheeks.

All that could be heard apart from the raging flames of Hades was a distasteful scream.

How could he not recognize this voice? This pain?

"Mother!" His eyes wide open, he could only crawl faster.

And with his fingers broken, unable to continue, he would soon have his heart broken as well.

The door slammed open, a burning figure ran toward him while screaming and tumbling everywhere.

He could not close his eyes, he could not find the strength to focus. His eyes were open, and his mind was shaken.

The burning figure clawing at her own flesh and hair, the figure fell limply on the ground, silenced by the roaring flames.

"Mo...ther..." Disbelief, fear, anger, sorrow along the entire Hell of emotions, Wu Tian's cheeks stopped flowing water. Instead, it became waterfalls of blood.

"Mother!!" Screaming in agony, Wu Tian kept crawling with his elbows to the best of his capabilities. But with how badly damaged they were from Wu Xun, they soon began to lose strength as well.

Losing consciousness, Wu Tian fainted. Before his vision turned dark, he could only see a burnt face stare at his soul with guilt. This face barely a meter away, still clutching onto life. But the flames were merciless.

The world illuminating his vision, Wu Tian awoke.

A beige ceiling greeting his bloodshot eyes, he tried to move.

But trying was not the same as doing. Feeling his limp body, he already knew.

The sounds of footsteps filling his mind, a face suddenly peeked into his fixated field of view.

It was a middle aged man with a small yet lush beard. Both his hair and beard were dark blue in color.

"Young man, seems like little Xun went a bit far last time. But it's not his fault, who asked you to be weak." Laughing without manners, the man noticed Wu Tian's confusion.

"Oh, seems like someone doesn't remember well? Two days ago, you left the training grounds half-dead and headed back home. We received news of an accident, so we arrived a bit late. When we arrived, you were fainted on the grass, while your house was on fire." About to continue, he saw Wu Tian's face contort in pain.

"Ah~, so you do remember! Well, no need to explain right? Don't worry about it, we won't take advantage of you. As the Clan Head, I guarantee that everything Li Yi owned will be inherited by you. Let's start with the jade pendant." Throwing a green jade pendant on Wu Tian's chest, the man laughed even more. Clearly, he did not care about anything in the world.

Seeing Wu Tian struggle to move, the man laughed even louder.

"Nice spirit young man! Maybe one day you'll become a cultivator? Anyway, I've got stuff to do, see ya~!" Leaving Wu Tian alone who-knows-where, the Clan Head left rudely.

How could Wu Tian not recognize the Clan Head?

'Wu Fu!' Gritting his teeth, Wu Tian wanted to tear the man apart this instant, but what could he do? He could barely breathe without help at the moment.

Without the benefits of cultivation, healing from such injuries would take him a couple of years. And that was with Wu Xun out of the equation. If he also interfered, Wu Tian felt that living the rest of his life like this would be a reasonable outcome.

Trying to look down on the pendant, he exhaled his pain.

Not knowing how much time had passed, Guizou was quite bored.

Last time I was picked up by a young man, but his talent was too low, a little Great Warrior after two hundred years, trash!

But since it has come to this, I can't be picky anymore, I doubt anyone at the Meridian Opening Realm would come fetch me now. I truly overestimated the Mortal Land!

Cursing again and again, Guizou soon understood his standards to be too high.

Having decided, he would wait for an opportunity. Preferably, an easily influenced kid without too much of a cultivation. What he required was to ascend back to the Fairy Land, not anyone could do it. Therefore, if one had a high cultivation base, they would not be willing to part with it just to restart everything.

It's hard to be bound, it's hard to be bound... Aiz!

Peeking outside for the fifth time this week, he frowned.

"Hey, young man!"

Startled, Wu Tian looked down to the best of his abilities.

What he saw made him feel the fear of death.

Noticing the look in his eyes, Guizou chuckled.

"Stop looking at me like that, I'm not the grim reaper!" Seeing the young man heave a sigh of relief, Guizou pondered, stroking his fluffy chin.

"Kid, you're called Wu Tian, right? If so, then let me tell you that your amazing luck is unprecedented!"

Hearing Guizou say these infuriating words, Wu Tian felt like vomiting blood, chocking on his saliva while squirming like a dying fish.

Lucky?! I am being sent to death's door every day by Wu Xun since years ago, and my mother just died in agony right in front of me! What luck! Fuck you old man! Fuck you!!

"Aiz~, kid, don't look at me like that, what did I do? I wanted to give you some cultivation methods... but since you don't want..."

Cultivation methods?! Am I hearing correctly? The methods... to cultivate..? Like everyone else?

"Wait!" Shouting, Wu Tian felt lucky nobody else was near, or he would have been shamed as crazy.

"Wait? What 'wait'? This old master won't take advantage of you, since you don't like me, until next time!"

"I agree! Stop!" Desperate, Wu Tian would not let this chance slip by, especially when seeing the old man about to leave.

"Agree? Agree to what?" Smirking, Guizou wondered how desperate this youth was.

"To anything, anything you demand! Just let me cultivate!"

Stroking his beard this time, Guizou nodded solemnly.

"Fine... I'll help you. For now, have fun with this." Pocking Wu Tian's forehead, a gust of spiritual energy flowed freely inside.

Ignoring the shocked face of Wu Tian, Guizou proudly said.

"Why are you staring at me like an idiot? It's just a trivial [Nine Shedding Method]. It's only useful for the Mortal Realm."