Blades of Brotherhood
They left for the ancient ruins of the Liang family. To outsiders, the Yue and the Liang were sworn enemies, but beneath the surface, the truth was far from what it seemed. Long ago, the ancestors of both clans were stepbrothers—bound not only by affection but by a sacred oath. A powerful curse had been laid: should either clan betray the other, thunder would strike the guilty party to death. The curse had claimed lives before, serving as a brutal reminder of its power. As such, loyalty ran deep within the true lineage, though very few outside the families knew of this bond.
Despite being tied to the feared Snake Tribe, known for their mastery in arrays, the Liang family held respect within the Yue household. Their bloodlines intertwined with ancient elemental secrets.
As Yue Ling wandered through the ruins, her eyes caught sight of a glimmer—a scale, shimmering like polished silver. Curiosity pulled at her. She reached for it.
"Don't touch it! Or you won't even know what caused your death," Grandfather Yue warned, his voice sharp.
Unbeknownst to Yue Ling, the scale belonged to a serpent that had just taken on human form. The scale required refinement to awaken the snake's bloodline. Until then, it emitted an eruptive venom so potent that even a slight touch could be fatal without proper spiritual defenses.
Yue Ling pulled her hand back just in time.
"Are you truly following my instructions? You should always study anything before you touch it. I did not regret bringing you, but don't make me start to," Grandfather Yue said firmly.
A third voice joined them, light but with an edge of familiarity.
"Old man Yue? So you're here. Huh, what's with that disguised face? If I hadn't recognized your aura, I would've mistaken you for someone else. And who's this little potato?"
As the stranger reached to touch Yue Ling's hair, she instinctively released a burst of her aura. Though it was far weaker than the man's, it made him pause.
"Yue... since when did you remarry and have a child without telling me? We are no longer friends. Never!"
Grandfather Yue's brow twitched. "You'll get remarried in the name of your ancestors, idiot fool. You never change."
And just like that, the air cracked with energy.
The two old men leapt into a friendly but fierce battle. And just like that, the atmosphere shifted.
With a sharp flick, Grandfather Yue summoned his saber, its edge humming with aged energy. The blade shimmered under the ruined light of the old Liang grounds, a mirror of his steady yet stern aura.
Old Man Hu responded instantly, unsheathing his long sword with a smirk. His steps were light, almost teasing, but the sharpness in his stance betrayed years of honed experience.
"You still fight like a stubborn ox," Old Man Hu taunted.
"And you still talk like a parrot with no nest," Grandfather Yue retorted.
Then, they clashed.
Steel met steel. Sparks flew.
The saber carved clean, direct arcs through the air—Grandfather Yue's style was full of strength and discipline, each movement grounded and sharp like a mountain's edge.
Old Man Hu, in contrast, moved like flowing water—his swordplay quick and unpredictable, circling, dodging, striking from angles impossible to predict.
They moved around Yue Ling like a storm of blades and old bones, yet never once touching her. Though it was a spar, their energies roared—Qi crackled between them, sending gusts of wind swirling around the ancient ruin.
Neither wanted to back down.
Neither wanted to truly win.
It was a battle of pride.
A battle of brothers.
Yue Ling watched, caught between awe and curiosity. But something deeper stirred.
As the qi from the battle swirled violently, it began to resonate with her body. Each strike released an elemental wave—fire, wind, water—echoing through the ground and the sky. She took a step back, closed her eyes, and aligned her breath with the clash of energy.
A strange warmth surged through her dantian.
"This… this isn't just a fight," Yue Ling whispered to herself. "It's a lesson."
She sat cross-legged, body rooted like a mountain. This fight was pushing her toward a breakthrough.
In the realm, cultivation was divided into five sacred stages, each one climbing closer to enlightenment:
1. Essence Vein Opening Phase: Sub-stages: Vein Sensing, Vein Stabilizing,Core Channeling, Vein Completion (The stage where one senses and opens their spiritual veins to draw in Qi)
2. Body Refinement Phase: Sub-stages: Bone Tempering, Muscle Weaving, Skin Fortification, Marrow Cleansing. (The cultivator strengthens their physical vessel to contain more spiritual energy)
3. Elemental Convergence Phase: Sub-stages: Element Recognition, Element Binding, Elemental Infusion, Spirit Element Unity, (Spiritual energy harmonizes with one's natural elemental affinity)4. Soul Awakening Phase: Sub-stages: Soul Perception, Soul Expansion, Soul Projection, Soul Domain Foundation. (Where consciousness becomes spiritual power and cultivators begin soul techniques).
5. Heaven Ascension Phase: Sub-stages: Earth Severing, Star Channeling, Celestial Gaze, Void Crossing, Divine Spark Awakening. (The final mortal Phase. Few ever reach it. Each stage is like transcending life itself)
Each stage had four substages. Yue Ling, currently in the Body Refinement Phase , had been stuck at the fourth substage—Marrow Cleansing—for what felt like forever. The Yue family's refined arts required not just knowledge but raw experience. And now, the wild qi from the duel was giving her just that.
She focused.
Saber to sword, thunder to wind.
Her veins trembled, then widened. A thin veil of elemental light circled her—glimmers of fire, water, metal, wood, and earth coiling in sync.
"She's cultivating? In the middle of our fight?" Old Man Hu said with wide eyes.
Grandfather Yue chuckled mid-strike. "Hmph, maybe the little duckling isn't so useless after all."
Old Man Hu grinned. "She's got guts. I like her."
Their weapons clashed again—this time with more vigor.
Unaware of it, Yue Ling's body had already begun to change. Her qi core pulsed with a new rhythm.
She wasn't just watching anymore.
She was ascending.