Chapter 1: What can one do when someone uses force?

Rain suddenly poured down.

The roaring thunder echoed across the sky.

At the foot of the mountain, a figure dashed past swiftly.

The person was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, his features delicate and refined.

At this moment, he clutched his bleeding abdomen, gasping for breath, his gaze repeatedly flickering backward.

“He shouldn’t catch up so soon.”

The man, named Chen Yuyang, was a cultivator.

Now, he had reached the Nascent Soul realm.

Though somewhat famous in the cultivation world, he was now being relentlessly pursued by a Tribulation-Transcending cultivator.

The cause of this was very simple.

That Tribulation-Transcending cultivator’s beloved disciple had once pursued Chen Yuyang, but was rejected by him.

Affection is always a mutual matter; Chen Yuyang had no feelings for that woman, so refusal was natural.

Yet, for some unknown reason, this matter became the disciple’s heart demon, causing her to lose focus during her breakthrough.

She failed to withstand the lightning tribulation, and her cultivation was completely destroyed.

Failure in breaking through is common.

For some reason, the Tribulation-Transcending cultivator insisted that Chen Yuyang was to blame and swore to kill him in revenge for his disciple.

In this life, as a solitary cultivator only at the Nascent Soul stage, how could Chen Yuyang withstand the wrath of such a powerful enemy?

He had no choice but to flee overnight.

Still, Chen Yuyang was caught.

After gritting his teeth and exchanging several blows, he managed to open a spatial escape using a ninth-grade immortal artifact.

Now, seriously wounded, and considering his pursuer’s means, it would only take one or two days at most for them to catch up again.

Chen Yuyang’s eyes traced upward along the stone steps.

Mist and vapor blurred the pavilions on the mountain.

He did not know which sect or clan this place belonged to.

But now, there was no time to care.

He would complete this final cycle of “Returning to the Infant” here!

The Hundred Refinements of Condensed Yang Technique was the unique method Chen Yuyang practiced.

Its essence lay in, after breaking into the Nascent Soul realm, dispersing all cultivation to return to one’s original state as a newborn infant.

Although the cultivation was scattered, the reborn infant body could contain all the pure yang essence previously condensed.

Through hundreds of lifetimes of refinement, one could ultimately achieve the Primordial Sacred Body.

This unique technique was discovered by Chen Yuyang many years ago when he hit a bottleneck and accidentally found a hidden cave.

Hundreds of refinements meant dispersing at least a Nascent Soul-level cultivation each time, then refining anew from infancy.

Honestly, this was extremely risky and uncertain.

However, the cultivation world had long seen no one ascend to immortality, shrouded in an invisible haze of despair.

All cultivators felt lost on their path to enlightenment.

Coupled with Chen Yuyang’s originally mediocre talent, reaching Nascent Soul had felt like the limit of his potential.

Therefore, he had resolutely practiced the Hundred Refinements of Condensed Yang.

In the first ten lifetimes, he performed infantile rebirth at the Nascent Soul stage.

But with repeated refinement of pure yang essence, each rebirth raised his innate talent further.

From then on, in every lifetime, Chen Yuyang would cultivate until near the end of his lifespan before performing infantile rebirth.

In recent lives, he had even reached half-step True Immortal before his lifespan ended.

If he wished, ascension seemed within reach.

Yet he still gritted his teeth to complete all hundred refinements.

One hundred lifetimes of rebirth meant facing a hundred times the tribulations of ordinary cultivators.

To better withstand the lightning tribulations, Chen Yuyang had studied everything possible over these lifetimes.

This life specialized in pills.

The next in talismans.

The next in refining artifacts.

Any skill or technique he could learn, he learned.

Now, this was the ninety-ninth lifetime.

Originally, he planned to cultivate to half-step True Immortal this time, further improving his beast-taming skills before completing the last infantile rebirth.

But unexpectedly, for some unknown reason, he provoked that Tribulation-Transcending cultivator, who severely wounded him.

Now only one final transformation remained to achieve the Primordial Sacred Body.

But his wounds were too severe, and the enemy could arrive at any moment.

Time allowed no hesitation.

Though he did not know which sect this mountain belonged to, to have established a sect here meant it was likely a righteous faction.

Even if he transformed into a powerless infant and collapsed here, it wouldn’t be too dangerous.

Moreover, after this infantile rebirth, he would be the Primordial Sacred Body.

With that alone, regardless of this sect’s identity, he would become their prime candidate for cultivation.

Resolving this in his heart, Chen Yuyang immediately sat cross-legged and began reciting the infantile rebirth method of the Hundred Refinements of Condensed Yang.

At the same time, flames erupted from his body, burning away his clothes and the bloodstains on the ground to erase any trace that the Tribulation-Transcending cultivator could track.

Only a jade pendant engraved with his name was left behind.

A warmth surged from his cold body.

That feeling was very familiar to Chen Yuyang.

Come, this hundred-lifetime refinement was all for this moment.

Though it might lack some perfection for himself, it no longer mattered.

The hundred lifetimes of refinement would surely help him break through the clouds and ascend to the heavens, attaining the path of immortality and eternal life!

The Nascent Soul slumbering in his sea of qi slowly opened its eyes.

Chen Yuyang’s spiritual energy began to disperse.

But the pure yang essence he had refined now poured entirely into the Nascent Soul.

Its size gradually expanded, from less than a thumb to the size of a fist.

His original body withered quickly as spiritual energy dissipated and essence was condensed.

Finally, the withered shell shattered completely, and the last remnant scattered with the wind.

Left behind on the spot was a tender infant with reddish skin.

Cold raindrops fell but parted around the infant’s body, scattering elsewhere.

So sleepy…

Thoughts grew difficult to focus…

Though transformed into an infant, retaining his memories, his body was still uncontrollable, showing the characteristics and temperament of a child.

He slowly closed his eyes.

No one knew how much time passed.

Only that the clouds dispersed and the sky cleared.

“Master, look! There’s an infant here!”

A melodious female voice sounded.

“Oh? Who left this infant at our sect?” The one called Master spoke with a voice equally young but more steady than the female’s.

“I don’t know. Miss?”

Hearing this, Chen Yuyang squinted and recognized the visitors’ faces.

A high nose bridge, rosy lips and white teeth, a face still slightly youthful yet elegant and beautiful.

Fair and delicate, as if it could be pierced by a breath.

Long black hair flowed like a waterfall over her shoulders, her collar low to her chest, exuding grace and charm.

“Oh, it’s a boy.”

The young woman said in surprise, frowning slightly.

“A boy, huh… Then there’s no choice. Our sect doesn’t accept males.” The Master sighed softly. “Send him to a nearby family.”

Chen Yuyang saw that the Master was also a stunning mature woman.

So this was a female sect.

His dazed mind was a little surprised.

But this shock only lasted a moment.

Finding someone to take him in was fine.

After all, with a century of accumulated cultivation methods, even if he started as a commoner, it would only slow his progress a bit.

“Hmm, this child’s constitution…”

Just as they turned to leave, the Master suddenly noticed something.

Her eyes widened, her face pale with shock.

“Pure Yang Supreme Constitution!”

“In that case, why was this child abandoned here?” the young woman asked in astonishment.

“I don’t know the reason. But since it’s a Pure Yang Supreme Constitution…” The Master pursed her lips, then decided: “Chunshuang, fate has brought us together. Take this child in your arms.”

“Yes, Master!” Chunshuang replied briskly and immediately picked up the infant Chen Yuyang.

They valued his talent enough to break sect rules?

But he was the Primordial Sacred Body, many levels above Pure Yang Supreme Constitution…

Well, a small sect’s ignorance was understandable.

Besides, Pure Yang Supreme Constitution was already incredibly rare and astonishing.

Cradled in that soft, jade-scented embrace, Chen Yuyang felt comfortable but also a growing drowsiness.

That was the nature of infants.

But before falling asleep, he wanted at least to see which sect this was.

With this resolve, Chen Yuyang fought to keep his eyelids open.

The two slowly ascended the mountain.

Chen Yuyang strained his neck to look at the stone stele before the sect’s entrance.

On the stone was engraved three golden characters: Hehuan Sect.