Chapter 1

In the Great Song Dynasty, Ningzhou.

Ping'an County is one of the seventy-two counties in Ningzhou, mostly consisting of mountains and hills, with a sparse population. Lotus Island is the only lake island within Ping'an County.

Lotus Island is named for its resemblance to a blooming lotus flower, and many lotus plants are grown on the island.

In the early morning, a bright sun rose from the east, casting its light on Lotus Island, bringing a touch of warmth.

At the center of the island, there is a vast courtyard with pavilions, terraces, and gardens.

In the center of the courtyard, there is an artificial lake, covered by a thick layer of white mist, making it impossible to see what lies beneath.

As time passed, the white mist gradually dissipated.

A large expanse of green lotus flowers grew in the lake, with a lotus-shaped stone platform in the center. On the platform stood a two-story green pavilion. Above the entrance to the pavilion hung a green plaque about a meter long, inscribed with the three golden characters "Qinglian Pavilion."

Inside a room on the second floor of Qinglian Pavilion, a young man in his late teens, dressed in blue, sat cross-legged on a green mat.

The young man had eyebrows like swords, clear and bright eyes, and black hair that fell to his shoulders, giving off a comfortable and pleasant aura.

His eyes were slightly closed, and his breathing was rhythmic. As he inhaled and exhaled, blue light points appeared around him, and a faint blue light enveloped his body.

As time passed, the blue light points gradually entered his body.

The young man opened his eyes, and a sharp light flashed in them.

"Finally, I have advanced to the fifth level of Qi Cultivation."

Wang Changsheng let out a light breath, and a smile appeared on his thin face.

"Uncle Jiugong, breakfast is ready."

A respectful male voice came from outside.

Wang Changsheng smiled slightly and said, "Qiusheng, bring the breakfast in!"

Wang Changsheng opened the door and walked downstairs.

A young man in his twenties, also dressed in blue, entered the room, carrying a green tray.

On the tray were a bowl of white rice, a plate of green vegetables, and a dish of tofu, emitting a fragrant aroma that stimulated the appetite.

"Uncle Jiugong, this is the breakfast Qiu Yue prepared for you. Please see if it meets your taste."

Wang Qiusheng placed the food on the table and stood to one side, his expression extremely respectful.

Wang Changsheng frowned slightly and said, "Didn't I say we should have breakfast together? Why did you only bring my portion?"

"Father has repeatedly instructed that Uncle Jiugong is an elder and must be served with great care. I dare not sit at the same table as Uncle Jiugong. Please understand, Uncle Jiugong."

Wang Qiusheng's face tightened as he explained carefully.

Wang Changsheng sighed lightly, shook his head, and said, "Forget it, go have your breakfast! After you finish, come back to clear the table."

"Grandson understands."

Wang Qiusheng immediately responded, bowed deeply, and backed out of Qinglian Pavilion.

Five hundred years ago, Wang Changsheng's ancestor, Wang Yuangang, brought his family to settle in Changping Prefecture in Ningzhou.

At that time, the Wang family consisted of only seven people, but under the protection of two Foundation Establishment cultivators, the family's population grew by more than ten times in less than a century. Although only a few lucky individuals possessed spiritual roots, this laid the foundation for the Wang family's future.

After several hundred years of development, the Wang family's population continued to grow, and the number of cultivators increased. Currently, the Wang family has 145 cultivators and over ten thousand clan members without spiritual roots.

The Wang family's ancestral home is on Qinglian Mountain in Changping Prefecture, where most clan members with spiritual roots reside.

Qinglian Mountain originally had a first-grade superior spirit vein, but through the efforts of generations of ancestors, it has been cultivated into a second-grade inferior spirit vein, providing sufficient spiritual energy for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The ten thousand clan members without spiritual roots are distributed among the three counties in Changping Prefecture: Ping'an County, Qingyun County, and Qingzhu County.

The current head of the Wang family is Wang Mingyuan, who is also Wang Changsheng's father. Wang Mingyuan has four spiritual roots, and his talent is not very good. However, he is fair and humble, and is thus elected by most clan members to manage the family's affairs.

Wang Yaozong, the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Wang family, rarely appears and spends most of his time in seclusion.

Wang Changsheng's mother, Liu Qing'er, is a wandering cultivator with three spiritual roots, and her talent is slightly better than Wang Mingyuan's.

At the time, Wang Changsheng's grandfather, Wang Yaizu, did not agree to Liu Qing'er joining the family because he planned to have Wang Mingyuan marry the direct daughter of the Zhao family in Guangyang Prefecture to strengthen the relationship between the two families. The Wang and Zhao families were of similar strength, and their Foundation Establishment ancestors were good friends, so this marriage would benefit both sides.

Wang Mingyuan refused, insisting on marrying Liu Qing'er, which infuriated Wang Yaizu, who confined Wang Mingyuan for three years.

Liu Qing'er waited for Wang Mingyuan for three years near Qinglian Mountain, which moved Wang Yaizu, and he finally allowed Liu Qing'er to meet Wang Mingyuan.

Liu Qing'er worked as an apprentice in a forging shop for ten years, and when Wang Yaizu learned of this, he agreed to the marriage.

Wang Changsheng is an only child and ranks ninth among his generation. He has three spiritual roots: metal, water, and earth, with water as his main root. His water root sensitivity reaches sixty, and his talent is only average among his peers. He cultivates the Wang family's ancestral technique, the "Water Cultivation Technique."

This technique is a first-grade human technique, allowing cultivation from the first level of Qi Cultivation to the ninth level. It is known for its stability, with few bottlenecks and easy breakthroughs.

Wang Changsheng entered the lecture hall at the age of five to study and read, receiving cultivation knowledge from the clan elders.

At the age of eight, he began to cultivate, receiving ten pounds of first-grade inferior spirit rice each month.

At the age of thirteen, Wang Changsheng advanced to the fourth level of Qi Cultivation and received three pounds of first-grade medium spirit rice each month.

At the age of sixteen, Wang Changsheng was still at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation. According to clan rules, he did not need to work before the age of eighteen, and the family provided resources for cultivation. If he failed to reach the fifth level of Qi Cultivation by the age of eighteen, he would have to work for the family to earn cultivation resources.

The Wang family is now in financial trouble, and Wang Mingyuan has decided to have the younger generation start working two years earlier to increase income and reduce expenses.

This decision was opposed by some clan elders, who believed that the younger generation is the future of the family and should be allowed to cultivate until the age of eighteen. The elders were willing to contribute their monthly salaries to support the younger generation.

Wang Mingyuan believed this was not a solution to the family's difficulties. To convince the opposing elders, he invited Wang Yaozong to a clan meeting.

As the head of the family, Wang Mingyuan set an example by sending his son to Ping'an County to serve as a Celestial Master for four years.

Ping'an County is the poorest of the three counties controlled by the Wang family. Wang Mingyuan's decision, combined with Wang Yaozong's approval, silenced the opposition.

Because of this, Liu Qing'er privately complained to Wang Mingyuan, saying that he only cared about the Wang family and not their own family.

At the age of sixteen, Wang Changsheng left Qinglian Mountain for Ping'an County, carrying five pounds of spirit cakes that his mother had made overnight, under her loving gaze.

Ping'an County is relatively barren and sparsely populated, with tens of thousands of Wang clan members living in the county and nearby towns.

Wang Changsheng's task is to protect the ordinary people of Ping'an County from evil spirits and demons.

Although the Wang clan members living in the secular world do not have spiritual roots, their ancestors did, so there is a high probability that their descendants will have spiritual roots.

To this end, the Wang family has stationed cultivators in the three counties they control to regularly test for spiritual roots.

Over the past few hundred years, a dozen or so clan members living in the secular world have been found to have spiritual roots. Wang Yaozong's parents were ordinary people who were tested and sent to Qinglian Mountain to cultivate, and they successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage under the family's cultivation.

Because of Wang Yaozong's example, the Wang family places great importance on the clan members living in the secular world. Of course, the Wang family also values other ordinary people, as the probability of ordinary people giving birth to cultivators is low, but the Wang family treats everyone equally. The Wang family regularly sends people to test newborns for spiritual roots to replenish the family's ranks.

The county magistrate of Ping'an County is appointed by the imperial court, and the Wang family does not interfere with the magistrate's administration. If evil spirits or demons cause trouble, the Wang family will send cultivators to handle the situation.

Wang clan members without spiritual roots may engage in business or politics, and the Wang family does not interfere. However, if their descendants have spiritual roots, they must be sent to Qinglian Mountain.

Wang Changsheng has been in Ping'an County for three years and usually lives on Lotus Island, rarely leaving.

Lotus Island does not have a spirit vein, and the spiritual energy is thin, making cultivation very slow. In three years, he has only advanced one minor level, and this was only possible because he consumed many spirit grains. Without the spirit grains, Wang Changsheng might not have advanced to the fifth level of Qi Cultivation in five years.

Spirit pills are expensive, and Wang Changsheng is short on funds, so he chooses to consume spirit grains.

He is now in the middle stage of Qi Cultivation and is suitable for consuming first-grade medium spirit grains, which mature every two to three years and cost about one to two spirit stones.

Serving as a Celestial Master in Ping'an County offers few opportunities for merit. He receives one spirit stone per month as a salary, which buys one pound of spirit grains, and this quickly runs out. With no other choice, he can only consume ordinary food.