In the somber, lamplit halls of a secluded government office, where the air was thick with the scent of old paper and ink, a sudden burst of laughter shattered the respectful silence.
"Hahaha! I can't believe it. Truly, I can't believe it." A middle-aged man laughed uproariously, his shoulders shaking with unrestrained mirth as he clutched a report in his hand. "This is the best news I've received since my ascension!"
This man was the current Prince Yong. After the great purge, nearly ninety percent of the original royal Yong lineage had been wiped out, their names struck from the records. He, an obscure and distant collateral descendant, was the one who had inherited the hollow title, a puppet placed on a vacant seat. In truth, his father had prepared for this very scenario, grooming him since childhood to be the true successor, the one who would carry their cause from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The goal of his faction had always been simple, to reclaim the royal seat they believed was rightfully theirs. The reason the Yong line hadn't been completely erased was just as straightforward. In the five hundred year history of Great Wei, it was tradition to leave a sliver of a rebellious prince's bloodline alive, a gesture of imperial mercy that prevented wider unrest and open rebellion. Even the current emperor didn't dare break that custom completely for fear of triggering another catastrophic Nine Princes' Rebellion, a war that had nearly shattered the empire a generation ago.
A century ago, the throne might have weathered such a storm. But now, Great Wei was frayed and weak, its foundations cracking; a conflict like that would plunge the empire into endless civil war from which it might never recover. Of course, with new powers awakening in the world, the old rules might not hold forever. And so, while Prince Yong publicly played the part of a loyal subordinate under Prince Fu's banner, he privately nurtured his own ambition, building a network of influence in the dark.
His joy today stemmed from one source, the Su family. They had once been intended as a secret pawn for his faction within the imperial court, a well placed knife. It was a pity that Su Bosheng had ultimately slipped from their grasp and pledged his loyalty to the Emperor instead. Yet, in a stunning twist, the Emperor had foolishly annihilated the man and his clan. The move made no sense, even in the worst of political calculations. It was an act of pure, self destructive folly. Now, numerous noble families were growing disillusioned, their loyalties quietly shifting toward Prince Yong's camp, seeing the Emperor as unstable and dangerous.
And then there was the Su family's daughter. That young woman had not only outwitted an army of hundreds of thousands in her escape, vanishing into thin air, but now she had reappeared as a terrifyingly powerful figure, single handedly slaying an elite Heaven ranked squad from the Demon Slaying Division. Rumors swirled about the mysterious, potent pills she possessed, and the even greater secrets that must lie behind her power. He realized one thing with crystal clarity, the Emperor had personally handed him a winning chip. The only pity was that he himself might not live long enough to see the final victory play out.
"If I remember correctly…" Prince Yong mused, narrowing his eyes in thought as he paced the length of his study. "That girl should be around twenty years old now. If I could bring her under my banner, or better yet, if she were to marry my heir and become his formal consort…" He pictured the consolidation of power, the legitimacy her name and strength would bring.
But he quickly shook his head, dismissing the fantasy as the impractical dream it was. "No. If she knew of my existence and trusted me, she would have sought me out immediately after her escape. She did not."
His gaze grew hard and practical. Recruiting her as a vassal or a powerful ally was the most realistic hope. Trying to force a marriage bond would only alienate her completely, turning a potential asset into a certain enemy. He gritted his teeth in frustration. "Based on all the reports, her behavior is completely unconventional. She follows her own rules, nothing like a proper noble daughter. Su Bosheng, just how did you raise your girl? Shouldn't you have taught her to be a dutiful wife and virtuous mother? How did you end up raising this little demon instead?" He let out a short, sharp breath, the sound of a man accepting a difficult reality. "Fine. A partnership will have to do. Whatever the future holds, she is our best hope. I accept her terms. Summon these people at once."
As he spoke, Prince Yong took up a brush and wrote down several names with deliberate, forceful strokes, the ink dark and bold on the paper. With the emergence of cultivators as a real power, he had taken keen notice and had been diligently training his own descendants in secret. Half the names on the list were his own kin, the other half were the children of his most loyal subordinates, their futures pledged to his cause. Without exception, they were all exceptionally talented, the best of their generation.
As the saying went, the poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts. Children from commoner families almost never reached this level, they simply lacked the nutritional foundation and resources to support such growth from an early age. Their bodies were stunted by hardship before they ever had a chance. It was just as Su Min had predicted, none of those selected would be mediocre. They were the products of privilege and careful breeding.
Acting with strict secrecy, Prince Yong dispatched ten youths, all around seventeen or eighteen years of age, to her location. Even without her special pills, these ten would have reached the Body Refining Stage within a decade through their own efforts and resources. But in a stage where one's lifespan remained ordinary and the only real benefit was immunity to common illness, those ten years were incredibly precious, a head start that could define a lifetime. Along with the youths, he sent a large quantity of demon beast materials, exactly what Su Min had requested for her own purposes.
She needed them to temper her flying sword, the core of her Lifebound Spiritual Treasure. Its advancement was unique, it didn't require specific blueprints or forging manuals. It simply devoured resources, consuming them to fuel its growth, and the final form and abilities would manifest upon upgrading, allowing her to adjust them freely. In the game, this was a handy mechanic for adapting to different bosses, a quality of life feature. In this world, it was a terrifyingly powerful advantage, a treasure that could evolve to meet any challenge. Of course, not just any material would do, for now, only the most valuable parts from powerful demon beasts would suffice, their inherent power acting as kindling for the sword's spirit.
When the group arrived, Su Min observed them from a distance, her gaze analytical and cool. "They're all decent children," she noted quietly, more to herself than anyone else. "Distribute these ten pills to them."
She made no move to greet them personally or offer any words of encouragement. Instead, she handed a small pouch containing the ten Body Tempering Pills to the president of the local merchant guild, instructing him to handle the distribution. Then she retreated to a quiet corner, closing her eyes to calm her mind as she prepared to enter a special state of awareness. She had felt it just a few days prior, a distinct shift in her own power, a stirring in her dantian.
[Flame-Wood Transmutation Art — Second Layer]
Clearly, someone of significance had consumed one of her elixirs, the potent energy circulating back to her and propelling her further along her path. Now she needed these ten children, whom she was about to guide into the Body Tempering Stage, to help her ascend to the next level, their collective breakthrough acting as a catalyst for her own growth.
Sure enough, as the pills were swallowed, faint vortexes of spiritual energy began to swirl around the ten youths, the air shimmering around them. The impurities buried deep within their organs and flesh were drawn out through their pores, forming dark, grimy streaks on their skin that smelled of sour decay. It was the unmistakable sign of a successful breakthrough into the Body Refining Realm, the body purifying itself to hold spiritual power.
At that exact moment, a profound change occurred deep within Su Min's soul. It was like a key turning in a long locked door.
A new notification shimmered into existence on her cultivation panel, its script glowing with a gentle, golden light.
[You have entered the Path of Merit]
Suddenly, waves of information, vast and complex, flooded her mind, not as painful intrusions but as gentle revelations. She was pulled once more into that strange, ethereal space between consciousness and dream, the familiar void where her paths manifested. Yet this time, it was not filled with cryptic words or fragments of enlightenment. This time, a creature awaited her, its presence dominating the expanse.
A giant crimson bird, its feathers radiating a blazing, comforting heat that she could feel in her spirit, hovered before her in the void. Its presence was immense and ancient, filled with a noble and fierce grace.
"…A Heaven-bestowed Divine Beast?" Su Min's eyes widened in pure disbelief, her usual composure shattered by the magnitude of the vision.
As she watched, stunned, a single, small flame drifted down from the majestic bird. It floated gently through the void, a piece of living fire, landing in the palm of her outstretched hand without burning her, its warmth a soothing balm. In that instant, a torrent of understanding surged into her mind, not as taught knowledge, but as inherited truth. It was then that she realized what was happening, what she had been given, the legacy now etched into her very being.
"Nanming Lihuo… I've actually obtained the Vermilion Bird's legacy?!"