The Liu Family.
"Hu! Hu!"
In the courtyard, Liu Han was swinging his fists, drenched in sweat.
With every punch he threw, droplets of sweat splattered onto the ground.
"Foolish child, take a break. This isn't good for you. Your body won't be able to handle it."
The old voice from within Liu Han's clothes tried to dissuade him.
"It's fine! The Liu family has physicians! I won't die!"
Liu Han continued his relentless training, completely disregarding his own well-being.
The news of Ye Wangchuan reaching the mid-stage of the first level in just half a day had hit Liu Han hard.
Liu Han felt a mix of shock, envy, jealousy, and admiration.
But more than anything, he wanted to catch up.
Unfortunately, Ye Wangchuan had cheated his way to the top. Catching up to him wouldn't be easy.
Even if Liu Han trained as if his life depended on it, he estimated it would take him a year just to reach the first level.
But what good was the first level?
It only meant being slightly stronger than an ordinary mortal, capable of smashing a two-meter solid stone with a single punch!
Without the ability to use spiritual energy or divine abilities, what was the point?
Only by reaching the second level would one truly begin their journey!
And the second level? That was something ordinary mortals would take ten years to achieve!
"Sigh..."
The old voice sighed and tried to console Liu Han from another angle.
"Foolish child, don't always compare yourself to Ye Wangchuan. He's a once-in-ten-thousand-years prodigy with abundant family resources. It's only natural that his cultivation progresses faster."
"But I can guarantee you, among this year's initiates in Chang'an City, your cultivation is second only to Ye Wangchuan!"
The old voice spoke with confidence, which provided Liu Han with some comfort.
At that moment.
Nearby.
Old Man Liu was lying on the side, sipping tea while keeping an eye on his son's training.
"This is a bit boring. Let's chat with Old Li."
Old Man Liu thought to himself and, with a flick of his mind, sent a spiritual message to the Li family.
After a moment, a spiritual message returned from the Li family.
Li: "Hey, Old Liu. What do you want?"
Liu: "Nothing much. Just a bit bored because my son is training so hard. Sigh~ Sometimes, it's not great when your child is too diligent."
Though Old Man Liu's words were full of complaints, his face was beaming with pride.
Soon, Old Man Li responded.
But it wasn't the frustrated reply Old Man Liu had expected. Instead...
Li: "You can't say that. Hard work is always good. Unlike my Li Luo, who doesn't put in much effort. He's always hanging around Ye Wangchuan, not doing anything productive. They even sit across from me during meals!"
"Hmph! If it weren't for Ye Wangchuan's mysterious dual cultivation technique, which pulled Li Luo up to the mid-stage of the first level, I don't know how far behind Li Luo would be!"
Liu: "..."
"..."
"..."
"What?!!!"
"Li Luo is hanging around Ye Wangchuan? And dual cultivating?! And it boosted Li Luo to the mid-stage of the first level?!!!"
Old Man Liu jumped up in shock.
He ended up shouting the last few sentences out loud instead of using spiritual communication.
"Pfft!"
Meanwhile, Liu Han, who was in the middle of training, spat out a mouthful of blood upon hearing this!
What the hell? Li Luo, with his 97th-tier talent, was already at the mid-stage of the first level, while he, with his 96th-tier talent, hadn't even reached the first level yet?
"Ah! Foolish child! Don't lose control, get too angry, or break your Dao Heart!"
"No, I'm fine. It's just Li Luo breaking through to the first level. I'm not that fragile..."
Liu Han stubbornly got back on his feet.
The old voice, seeing that Liu Han hadn't collapsed, sighed in relief.
"That's right, that's right. Even if you're not as good as Ye Wangchuan or Li Luo, they're only one realm ahead of you!"
At that moment.
On the other side.
Old Man Li, hearing Old Man Liu's reaction, was quite pleased. He continued with a chuckle.
Li: "Yeah, I really don't know what kind of dual cultivation technique it is. It's so powerful that even Ye Wangchuan has reached the early stage of the second level."
Liu: "Ye Wangchuan is at the early stage of the second level?!!!"
Old Man Liu once again shouted this out loud.
"Pfft!!!"
Nearby, Liu Han spat out another mouthful of blood!
He collapsed to the ground, coughing incessantly, feeling as though he couldn't breathe.
Second level?
Ye Wangchuan is at the second level???
He hadn't even reached the first level, and Ye Wangchuan could already use divine abilities???
"Ugh!!!"
At this thought, Liu Han spat out another mouthful of blood, his vision darkened, and he fell to the ground.
The old voice: "..."
"I was just about to comfort this foolish child, telling him he could at least rank third among this year's initiates."
"Uh, surely there won't be a third person reaching the first level within a month, right?"
Nearby.
Old Man Liu, utterly shocked, finally cut off the spiritual communication.
He felt like if he continued, Old Man Li would be the death of him.
"I don't know what's going on with the Li family this year. They've struck gold. Hmph!"
Old Man Liu grumbled, turning to look at Liu Han.
Then, he saw Liu Han lying in a pool of blood.
"Ahhh! My son!!!"
......
......
When Liu Han woke up again, he was in the medical hall.
The physician, seeing Liu Han awake, quickly said,
"Ah, Young Master Liu Han, you're awake? You were so enraged that your heart was under too much pressure, so..."
"I'm fine. Let me go out and calm down."
Liu Han spoke coldly, got out of bed, and walked straight out the door.
The physician couldn't stop him.
Soon, Liu Han arrived at a small river.
He sat on the grass by the riverbank, leaning against a tree.
At the same time, countless memories flashed through his mind.
"Liu Han, this kid, is always so serious whenever he sees a cultivation manual."
"He's the son of the Liu family head. He'll surely be as powerful as his father in the future!"
"Hahaha, Liu Han, you're a genius!"
"Here, Liu Han. This is Ye Wangchuan. You two will be good friends from now on. Make sure to communicate often."
As the river flowed and memories passed by, Liu Han's heart gradually calmed.
"Old Qin. You once told me that you visited a spiritual mountain. In that mountain, there's a mysterious cave heaven, right?"
"Correct. And that cave heaven has a special restriction—only those at the third level or below can enter, and it opens once every thousand years."
The old voice, referred to as Old Qin, explained.
Liu Han took a deep breath and asked,
"Where is it? And when will it open next?"
"Foolish child! That place is incredibly far from here! And the spiritual mountain is filled with dangers. If you go, you might—"
"I'm not afraid of death."
Liu Han interrupted Old Qin, his expression serious as he continued,
"I want to become stronger!"
Old Qin: "..."
"I set up a formation on the spiritual mountain. When the cave heaven opens, it will emit a light."
As soon as he finished speaking.
Boom!
A brilliant blue light shot into the sky from the center of Chang'an City.
Liu Han's eyes reflected the light.
He stood up, his fists clenched.
Old Qin: "Huh? When did the spiritual mountain move to the center of Chang'an City?"