C1 The Young Man Who Was Dissecting the Pill.

Miracle Land.

In the Ye Family's backyard.

"Fann, your sister is our family's sole beacon of hope. You must understand what must be done," a resonant voice implored.

Chen Fann's frame quivered. He lifted his gaze to the middle-aged man in the opulent garb before him, his eyes brimming with defiance. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh unnoticed.

"Is there truly no other way?"

"Father?"

Chen Fann's voice, rough with emotion, broke the silence, his face etched with bitterness.

The man standing before him was Ye Xiongtian, the head of the Ye Family and Chen Fann's foster father.

It was he who had sheltered a young Chen Fann, nurturing him into the man he had become.

In Chen Fann's recollections, his foster father had always been kind, yet today he seemed a stranger.

"The Ye Family has been gracious to you; this is the least you owe in return."

Ye Xiongtian regarded Chen Fann coolly. "Without me, you would've perished long ago."

"But..."

Chen Fann's protest was cut short as Ye Xiongtian's palm struck with sudden force.

Thud!

A dull echo filled the air as Chen Fann was sent reeling, steadying himself only to cough up a mouthful of blood.

"Will you do it yourself, or shall I intervene?"

"Your Golden Core must be surrendered today."

Ye Xiongtian's expression was unreadable as he towered over Chen Fann, approaching him with deliberate steps.

A sharp pain pierced Chen Fann's heart. Head bowed, his visage was a battleground of agony and conflict.

Ye Xiongtian had indeed shown him favor, and Chen Fann was no ingrate. Yet the Golden Core was a cultivator's essence; to be deprived of it was to become nothing more than refuse.

Ye Xiongtian, observing Chen Fann's silence, shook his head with a sneer, "The Ye Family has nurtured you for eight years, and you can't even part with your Golden Core for your sister?"

Not willing to part with the Golden Core?

At those words, the bitterness within Chen Fann deepened.

Drawing a deep breath, Chen Fann met Ye Xiongtian's gaze. He knew that today, of all days, he had no alternatives. Resistance would be futile.

This was the domain of the Ye Family.

Weakness was the cardinal sin.

"I, Chen Fann, am not one to forget kindness. If it's my Golden Core you desire, then so be it," he declared, his fists still balled in resolve. As the words left his lips, the anguish in his heart seemed to dissolve, along with the disappointment and resignation.

In that moment, Chen Fann felt an unparalleled lightness of being.

Ye Xiongtian's lips twisted into a smirk as he tossed a dagger at Chen Fann's feet.

Chen Fann picked up the blade, his eyes steady on Ye Xiongtian. "After today, my debt to the Ye Family is settled. Consider this Golden Core the recompense for seven years of care."

With those final words, Chen Fann's hand, gripping the dagger, trembled as he thrust the blade into his abdomen.

Sssht!

The sound of rending flesh echoed as blood gushed forth, staining the earth beneath him a stark crimson.

"Ugh!"

Chen Fann's face contorted in agony as he felt his body threatening to come apart at the seams. The pain was so intense it nearly knocked him unconscious, but with sheer willpower, he stayed alert. His grip tightened on the dagger's hilt, and with a swift thrust followed by an upward flick, he acted.

Sssst!

A golden bead the size of an infant's palm dropped to the ground. The bead was translucent, with what appeared to be divine light coursing through it. It landed silently in the blood-soaked earth, remaining immaculately clean, casting an eerie glow.

Golden Core!

Ye Xiongtian's gaze locked onto the Golden Core, his usually stoic demeanor giving way to a fervent intensity.

Chen Fann's head swam with dizziness. He was acutely aware of each drop of blood falling from his lower abdomen. Fighting through the pain, he stooped to retrieve the Golden Core.

Seven years of arduous cultivation in the Qi Condensation Stage had dissipated in an instant.

Clutching the Golden Core, Chen Fann fixed his eyes on Ye Xiongtian and said, each word deliberate and heavy, "Today..."

But before he could finish, Ye Xiongtian closed the distance, snatching the Golden Core from his grasp. His smile grew broader as he cradled the treasure.

"Haha, so this is the crux of the Purple Saint Body, the Golden Core? Truly remarkable, hahaha." As he felt the residual warmth of the Golden Core, Ye Xiongtian's laughter became increasingly brazen.

Chen Fann, however, was struck dumb by the revelation.

"What did you say? This is the Golden Core of the Purple Saint?" He gaped at the Golden Core as if thunderstruck.

The Purple Saint Body was a rare and coveted gift for cultivators, said to be capable of nurturing the Purple Starlight and corresponding to the 36 Heavenly Stars. Only thirty-six individuals across the entire Miracle Land were blessed with such an extraordinary saintly body.

Those with such a body could progress in their cultivation as smoothly as sailing across the sea, their power growing at an astonishing rate.

For Chen Fann, this revelation was a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

In that moment, Ye Xiongtian pocketed the Golden Core and turned to Chen Fann with a cold sneer. "Now that you've lost the Golden Core and have little time left, I'll grant you the clarity of understanding before you die."

He paused before continuing, "Seven years ago, on my way to the Red Moon Mystic Realm, I passed through Chen Family Village. There, I stumbled upon you, an orphaned beggar at the doorstep, and discovered you were the one-in-a-million Purple Saint Body."

Chen Fann's legs nearly buckled under the weight of the truth.

Ye Xiongtian's sneer deepened. "Back then, you were too young; forcibly extracting the Golden Core might have caused complications. So, I raised you for seven years until the Golden Core was fully matured."

"With this Golden Core, my daughter is set to become the next bearer of the Purple Saint Body," he boasted, pride swelling in his voice.

Chen Fann, seething with rage, shook uncontrollably as a potent desire for vengeance surged within him.

He had been exploited from the very beginning.

The family he had seen as his own had harbored such malevolent intentions!

It was only now that Chen Fann realized his naivety, oblivious to the covetous eyes set upon his Golden Core for seven years.

He now understood that his rapid advancement to the Qi Condensation Stage was not just due to his efforts but also a result of the Purple Saint Body.

"Old dog, I'll fight you with my last breath!"

Chen Fann let out a furious roar, mustering all his strength to stand. But as soon as he rose, a gush of fresh blood spewed from his mouth, and he collapsed heavily to the ground, unconscious.

At that moment, he lacked the strength to even rise, let alone fight.

His Golden Core had been shattered, and his vital energy was rapidly fading away.

"Master, what shall we do with this one?"

The scene was a bloody spectacle, deeply unsettling. Two guards approached and bowed respectfully.

"Xingtian, Qianli, act swiftly. Take him out, dispose of him, and dump his body at the Unmarked Burial Ground!"

Ye Xiongtian dismissed them with a wave, his eyes devoid of any sentiment.

"Yes, Master!"

The guards hoisted Chen Fann between them and headed for the courtyard exit.

It was then that a young girl appeared behind Ye Xiongtian. Her face was as delicate as peach blossoms. She silently watched Chen Fann being carried off, his blood leaving a long, crimson trail.

Ye Xiongtian turned to her, his gaze softening, "Jieyi, have no worries. The Golden Core is in our possession. Once fused, you will awaken the Purple Saint Body."

"In three days, the Blackheaven Sect will be recruiting disciples. It will be your chance to shine."

...

Dragged to the Unmarked Common Graves, Chen Fann remained in a deep slumber, his blood loss severe, his dantian scabbed and as decayed as a chrysanthemum.

Out of nowhere, a faint light streaked across the sky, plunging into Chen Fann's ravaged dantian.

Chen Fann's consciousness was submerged in his spiritual sea, where he glimpsed an enigmatic light pulsing in the murk.

What could this be...?

"Excellent, excellent! I've roamed three thousand worlds, soared across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and at last, I've found the perfect vessel. You are the one!"

A deep, unfamiliar voice resonated, invigorating Chen Fann's spirit as if his prior agony had vanished in an instant.

"Buzz buzz..."

In that moment, a brilliant light burst forth from within Chen Fann's dantian. The golden glow flickered, miraculously mending the wounds at a terrifying pace.

Streams of chaotic energy flooded in, the meridians within his dantian shimmering with a rainbow light, reshaping with a proud and imperious air, exuding an overwhelming presence.

Within mere moments, Chen Fann regained consciousness, his spirit revitalized.

"You... Who are you?" Chen Fann's consciousness probed his dantian, where he stood in the void, hands raised in defense, his voice a mix of wariness and wonder.

"Fear not, young one. I am Taotie!"