In the underground city of the Li Family, backyard.
“The first time I picked up a hammer, I felt as if I could wield it like a god.”
Little Li, with his long sword at his waist, was enthusiastically swinging a forging hammer, lost in his own little world.
The Li Family had built its reputation on blacksmithing, and since childhood, Li Mo had exhibited a natural talent for the craft. After learning from the masters in the shop for less than a year, he was already beyond what the best blacksmith in the family could teach him.
As he got into the rhythm of the hammering, he drew out his sword.
His family’s swordsmanship was not too shabby, but it was still a far cry from his hammer technique.
However, when it came to enjoyment, practicing swordsmanship was where Li Mo found the most joy.
He practiced until the sun dipped below the horizon.
As night fell, the large Li Mansion was ablaze with lights, the brightest spot being the forging courtyard, where flames lit up the dark night.
The moon quietly climbed high in the sky, bright and pure, like a beautiful dream.
After sheathing his sword and wiping his sweat, he heard a servant calling him for dinner.
He trotted to the central courtyard, where the whole family was gathered around a round table, with the family head in the main seat, making it feel like he was back in Ziyang Mansion.
The Li Family members weren’t born from thin air; they came from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, projections from various eras.
This head of the Li Family could be said to resemble Old Li.
“You’ve had exceptional martial talent since childhood, but you’ve never listened to anyone. Now that you’re almost an adult, it’s high time you learned some manners.”
“Can I just postpone the coming-of-age ceremony for a while?”
Li Mo buried his head in the food, feeling a headache creeping in.
He thought he was fundamentally not cut out to be family head, what with having to serve the elite of the City of Heaven while playing mind games with other clans.
“How can you postpone this?”
“I know you’re eager to go out and venture, but even if you want to go to the Human City to slay demons, you still need to be strong yourself.”
Clang—
A hammer slipped from his sleeve and clattered to the ground.
Li Mo coughed lightly, “Just finished practicing, forgot to put it away.”
“……”
Old Li gave him a helpless look, “I know you’re rather skilled with that hammer, and the sun has blessed you with strength, but even so, you’re no different from those ordinary martial artists; you haven’t truly mastered your power.”
“And what is true power?”
“It comes from the Celestial Race.”
Whoosh—
As he spoke, the wind surged, and the fallen leaves in the courtyard were swept up by an invisible force, then coalesced in Old Li’s hand, shrinking down to a point.
He plucked a leaf from it and flicked it with his finger.
Ding—
Suddenly, sparks flew from a nearby statue, pierced by the leaf.
“Do you see now? This is the power given by the Celestial Race, which commands the winds of heaven and earth.”
“The upper families of the City of Heaven stand behind us—not just as nominal supporters. Without this power, no matter how well-trained you are, you’re just a rootless weed.”
“And any martial arts, when imbued with this power, become extraordinary.”
Outside the Jiangshan Yizhi Map.
“That head of the Li family looks like he’s in the Internal Breathing Realm, but how can he unleash attacks at the level of internal scenery?”
Huang Donglai was quite puzzled by the earlier move.
If he looked like he belonged to the Internal Breathing Realm but struck like he was beyond that, how would an opponent react in surprise?
“This is the method from Da Shang.”
Shang Qin Qing casually spat out a sunflower seed and commented, “Back then, the Observation Realm was quite literal, imitating the deities, and under the right conditions, sharing a bit of their power. Internal scenery isn’t built by oneself; it’s a materialization of that shared strength.”
“And what if Clan Leader Shang received the power you granted?”
“If you’re unlucky, you might be able to traverse the void.”
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“Then what if luck is on your side?”
Huang Donglai’s eyes widened; if the worst outcome was already this wild, what would the best be—a skyward leap?
“Do you know about the eyebrow-and-eye sword… never mind, it’s pointless to mention that.”
“Because you’re no longer a deity, right?”
“That’s secondary. The main thing is I feel you’re a lot like Zhong Zhenyue; knowing too much isn’t necessarily useful.”
“???”
…..
In the Jiangshan Yizhi Map.
Time flew by; after a long and loving lecture from his father, Ke Mo reluctantly agreed to the coming-of-age ceremony.
Young talents from various families gathered this day at the entrance leading from the underground city to the City of Heaven.
Not because they all turned adults on the same day, mind you.
The time was set by the Celestial Race; all youths coming of age had to be here.
With the next heavenly disaster looming, not just families came, quite a few strong Celestial Race members showed up too.
“This one is Lei Ze, who wields the power of thunder; that one is Chun Mang, who oversees all living things; and there’s Yan Rong, master of all fires.”
“Oh, and remember that one well—she’s Feng Zhi. Our family owes her existence today.”
Listening to his father’s introductions, Ke Mo looked up.
Amid the extraordinary beings of the City of Heaven, he saw a tall, powerful-looking woman with sun-kissed skin and hair flowing like a gentle breeze. She appeared to be a wild queen at first glance.
Her aura was incredibly strong.
If she picked up a little whip, it would probably suit her perfectly…
“Lady Feng Zhi, aside from Jiang Di, she’s probably among the strongest Celestial beings. Just a reminder, watch your behavior later; don’t go causing trouble. I’m counting on you to eventually take over my position.”
Old Li wasn’t joking; he looked very serious.
“No problem. Pretending to be an adult? I’m a pro at it.”
Ke Mo plastered a blank expression, utterly unsure how he had gotten so good at sounding aloof.
He then asked, “By the way, Dad, doesn’t Jiang Di have a successor? I heard the Celestial Race possesses a divine sword; doesn’t that power over swords belong entirely to him?”
“Exactly. Jiang Di seems to have no plans regarding that. What a pity; he’s the strongest among the Celestials…”
“Wait, the strongest Celestial is actually…”
“Ah, yes, I know what you’re getting at.”
Old Li, seeing him open his mouth, instantly knew what he was going to say.
“All young folks from the underground city, step forward.”
The Celestial Race had a tradition of bestowing power upon the younger generation of the underground city.
However, under Jiang Yu’s rule, the City of Heaven tightened its management of the underground city.
For stability’s sake, power was no longer granted solely to the most gifted but rather to the most suitable individuals from each family, not commonly known outside.
As for the extraordinarily talented, they might attract attention from multiple Celestials.
This meant being able to master multiple powers, which also meant not just having one Celestial behind them.
Ke Mo, unsurprisingly, awaited his turn to receive a gift from Feng Zhi.
“Why is there a Celestial who governs fire but none who govern forging? This craft is surely worthy of recognition!”
“If my forging skills were good enough, could I then master the art of forging?”
As he waited, Ke Mo’s mind raced with thoughts.
Before long, he finally felt the weight of many extraordinary gazes upon him, especially that wild queen-like woman, whose eyes were particularly intense, making him feel almost self-conscious.
Her gaze seemed filled with shock and disbelief.
“Sis… brother-in-law?”
“???”
