Chapter One: The Immortal Bone of Creation

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“A month ago, Qingxuan City was struck by a massive ghost tide, suspected appearance of a Ghost King. All immortal sects, exercise caution!”

“Shocking news! Lu Shiqi, the chief disciple of Shuimoon Sect, has broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, becoming the youngest Nascent Soul cultivator on Qingxuan Continent!”

“Two months from now, the triennial Immortal Sect Entrance Examination will commence!”

Chaoxian Sect, Disciples’ Pavilion.

Clad in azure robes, Chu Tiange stared at the Cultivation Weekly in his hand and exhaled heavily, his eyes bloodshot.

The weekly’s date: Year 1563 of the Qingxuan calendar.

“This isn’t a dream. It seems I have been reborn.”

Twenty years from now, calamity will descend, and this world will meet its end!

The Qingxuan Continent will be invaded by the Nether Army. The population of ten billion will drop to nine hundred million in just a year!

The Nether Army tramples every inch of Qingxuan, ruthlessly slaughtering; countless sects and clans are wiped out.

Fortunately, at the brink of destruction, heaven and earth return favor, and top cultivators emerge one after another, fighting desperately for all beings, carving out a patch of pure land.

Yet, that pure land endured only three hundred years. After three centuries, Qingxuan was utterly overrun by nether ghosts; all the top cultivators perished in battle, and the last to fight was Chu Tiange.

“Though I obtained the Heaven’s Fortune Pearl in my previous life, allowing me to reach the Crossing-God stage in three hundred years and become one of Qingxuan’s strongest, right now—I am nothing but a worthless mortal.”

“The seven realms of cultivation: Mortal Bone, Spirit Gathering, Divine Pill, Nascent Soul, Returning Truth, Forgetting Sorrow, Crossing God. Currently, I am at Mortal Bone… Even with memories of my past life, two months is far too short to prevent the turning point of history…”

The turning point comes in two months, at the Immortal Sect Entrance Exam! Then, the Qingxuan Secret Realm will open, and candidates will enter.

Yet no one knows this secret realm will become a tomb for its disciples.

Within, a fiend above the Crossing-God stage is sealed. The seal will be broken, unleashing the fiend, and everyone in the secret realm will perish.

Among them is his childhood companion, Zhao Yiren. This is Chu Tiange’s lifelong wound. Back then, lacking talent, he despaired and missed the exam, surviving by chance.

That day was also Qingxuan’s agony. The fiend was too terrifying; before the sects could react, many strong cultivators fell. Several Crossing-God experts sacrificed themselves to reseal it.

From then on, Qingxuan was severely weakened and never recovered.

“This time, I will enter the Qingxuan Secret Realm!” Chu Tiange gripped the weekly tightly, his voice hoarse, “Ning Wuque, since you succumbed to the Nether’s temptation and released the ghost god’s seal, in this life, I will kill you!”

____

Chaoxian Sect, Chaoyang Hall.

“Look! It’s Ning Wuque!”

“No way… Wait… It really is him!”

“He disappeared three years ago, then his soul extinguished. The sect was thrown into turmoil; everyone believed he was dead.”

“It’s him… My master said Ning Wuque was devoured by the Burial God Abyss. That’s a place of certain death; even the sect leader grieved long for him. He was the greatest prodigy in a century, reaching late Spirit Gathering stage at only eighteen!”

“Burial God Abyss—no one returns, not even immortals dare enter… How did he come out? Is he a ghost?”

“He can’t be a ghost. Chaoxian Sect has a ghost-banishing array. If he were, how could he step inside? Besides, look—he has a shadow, and pure yang energy fluctuates from him. That’s precisely the sect’s dao technique.”

As a tall, cold-faced man in azure robes entered from outside Chaoyang Hall, the hall erupted in noise.

Chu Tiange, amidst the crowd, watched the man approach, hands clenched so tightly his nails pierced his flesh, crimson seeping out.

A traitor to humanity! A criminal! From the moment Ning Wuque stepped out of the Burial God Abyss, he was no longer human.

“Tiange brother.”

Chu Tiange’s vision dimmed; he felt a soft fragrance, his body trembling uncontrollably, tears blurring his sight.

Though his eyes were covered, he knew the person behind him—his only attachment—was Zhao Yiren.

“Yiren…”

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“Tiange brother, why are you crying?” Zhao Yiren hopped to Chu Tiange’s side, puzzled.

“I’m not crying; your fingernail poked my eye.” Chu Tiange took a deep breath and replied.

The girl before him was breathtakingly beautiful. A tear-shaped mole at her eye’s corner made her even more enchanting. She stood before him, yet seemed shrouded in mist, untouchable, like a dream.

“So that's it, sorry, Tiange brother.” Zhao Yiren was full of guilt.

With Zhao Yiren’s arrival, the crowd grew restless again.

“It’s Zhao Yiren!”

“I really don’t get it—how could a prodigy like Zhao Yiren stick so close to that useless Chu Tiange? I wish she’d call me ‘brother’ instead.”

“Hush! Quiet down, do you want to die? Zhao Yiren is infamous for defending her brother. Anyone who insults Chu Tiange guarantees a beating.”

“Haha, coward! I dare say Chu Tiange is trash, worse than dung. What can Zhao Yiren do to me? Ignore the sect rules?”

“Hush, Zhao Yiren is the chief disciple of the main peak. Not scared? Sure, she can’t act inside the sect, but don’t you do sect missions? I heard last time someone badmouthed Chu Tiange, Zhao Yiren chased him for three days and nights during a mission, finally hanging him from a tree. He was only found days later.”

“…..” The disciple shut up at once.

Zhao Yiren was exceptionally gifted. At sixteen, she entered Spirit Gathering, featured in the Immortal Sect Weekly, said to rival Lu Shiqi of Shuimoon Sect.

Yet such a peerless prodigy showed her gentle side only to one useless person, inspiring envy among Chaoxian disciples.

Chu Tiange listened to the rumors without anger, instead smiling from his heart.

How many years had it been? He had walked alone in darkness, tasted solitude. Now, with life revived before him, even these insults sounded like music.

Zhao Yiren glanced around at the chatter, frowned slightly, and smiled, “Tiange brother, don’t worry. Anyone who badmouths you, I’ll beat them all up.”

Looking at the girl before him, Chu Tiange felt warmth fill his heart.

In his past life, Zhao Yiren always protected him inside Chaoxian Sect. In this life, he would be the one to protect her.

“It’s fine, let them talk. Honestly, they’re not wrong. From now on, I’ll cultivate diligently, so no one can talk about us.”

“Zhao Yiren?” Ning Wuque stopped and turned to the stunning girl, lips curling, “Interesting. Junior sister, may I get to know you?”

“Ning Wuque is known for his conquests—his horsemanship is legendary!”

The disciples’ whispers flared anew.

“Interesting, Ning Wuque has never failed with a woman he fancies. That useless one will lose Zhao Yiren soon.”

Zhao Yiren’s brows knit, she stepped forward, took the arm of the person beside her, and looked at Ning Wuque coldly, “Who are you? Not interested!”

“Interesting.” Ning Wuque smiled, staring into Zhao Yiren’s eyes. A hint of crimson flashed and vanished in his pupils as he said softly, “Second Watch, I’ll wait for you in my room.”

“You’re insane! Tiange brother, let’s go.”

The two left together, their backs drawing countless envious gazes.

“Childhood sweethearts, innocent companions—the end will come tonight.” Ning Wuque’s eyes flickered, another trace of crimson barely visible.

“Tiange brother, shall we go riding? My horsemanship is truly the best.” Zhao Yiren grinned mischievously.

“…..” Chu Tiange coughed.

“The town has some fine new horses!” Zhao Yiren continued cheerfully.

“I’ll go with you next time. Today I must cultivate—I’m close to breaking through.” Chu Tiange affectionately tapped her nose.

In the cultivation world, strength is everything! Time is precious; he couldn’t waste a moment.

“About to break through?” Zhao Yiren’s eyes lit up, quickly producing several bottles of pills. As a prodigy and Chaoxian’s darling, she lacked nothing in elixirs.

Toward Chu Tiange, Zhao Yiren never held back. She wished to give him everything.

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Warmth surged in Chu Tiange’s heart, and he vowed to remember all this.

……

Chu Tiange sat on his bed, eyes closed, breathing steadily. A faint green aura radiated from him, immense vitality gathering at his fingertips.

Mortal Bone has four stages: Tempering Skin, Fusing Flesh, Rebirth, Bone Transformation. Each stage demands formidable mental strength.

After Bone Transformation, there are four grades: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, Yellow, with Heavenly Bone the highest.

“Taking Yiren’s pills let me reach the Bone Transformation stage. In my previous life, poor foundation meant it took three hundred years to reach Crossing-God even with the Heaven’s Fortune Pearl. I could not claim invincibility. Now, with a second chance, I must forge the Heavenly Bone! Only then can I hope to condense the innate Dao Spirit!”

“This life, I, Chu Tiange, will protect those around me!” Chu Tiange’s eyes hardened, his fingertips became sharp as blades, stabbing toward his brow.

Blood slowly stained his skin. The Bone Transformation stage is perilous—one wrong move and all is lost. Yet Chu Tiange felt no fear. With the Heavenly Bone, he would stand unrivaled!

Bone Transformation means using vital blood to draw runes within the bones. Chaoxian Sect’s rune techniques can only imprint Earth Bone, considered first-rate, but even so, few in the entire sect can draw Earth Bone throughout the body. Only those of great will and wisdom succeed.

Chu Tiange would not use Chaoxian’s bone carving method; instead, he followed his past life’s memories to carve the Heaven’s Fortune Bone!

Sweat as large as beans poured down as Chu Tiange drew each stroke, blood flowing, pain piercing to the core.

He forgot the pain, immersed completely in forging the Heavenly Bone, his face twisted, even as vision blurred, he kept carving.

Gradually, blood soaked the bed, vision fading, darkness closing in.

“I must not give up!” Chu Tiange bit his tongue to stay awake.

Only success is permitted! Failure is not!

The Heavenly Bone was incredibly hard to carve; every stroke felt like a thousand arrows through his heart. With his current spirit and energy, he could barely endure, soon to faint.

As darkness threatened to engulf him—

Buzz—

Suddenly, a soft sound. A crack appeared at Chu Tiange’s brow. A drop of crimson blood shot out.

The blood transformed swiftly, vaguely forming a blood-red moon, swirling above him with overwhelming might.

“Heaven-Swallowing Fortune Divine Method!”

In that instant, Chu Tiange was startled awake.

He stood beneath the vast starry sky, bathed in blood light.

Chu Tiange looked up and saw an unforgettable scene!

In the cosmic river, gods and demons fell, celestial clans perished, the stars stained with blood!

A towering figure manifested countless laws!

That figure looked down upon all gods, ruling everything!

Chu Tiange felt an ancient, desolate, and domineering will.

It was a peerless Divine Emperor, gazing over the entire cosmos.

“Fortune Immortal Bone!”

A voice rang out. At that moment, Chu Tiange seemed to become the Divine Emperor, evolving infinite laws, carving immortal bones.

He was utterly absorbed; wondrous rules coursed through his body, the complete immortal bone formed from pure fortune immortal energy, filled with endless mystery.

At that moment, the patterns of stars and heavens seemed to imprint themselves upon his bones, resonating with all things, as if he were a god incarnate.