Chapter 4: The Ancient Aristocratic Jiang Clan

"Hiss!"

Even Li Tianyuan could not help but gasp after reading the information about Jiang Yueli.

"This girl possesses the destiny of an Empress, a Supreme Linglong Heart, and an unparalleled aptitude for enlightenment. She is truly a rare, primordial piece of unpolished jade!"

Li Tianyuan’s heart hammered in his chest.

"But what does it mean that her fortune has been stolen and her constitution dug out?" Li Tianyuan furrowed his brows and asked the system in confusion.

[Ding!]

[This indicates that at the moment of her birth, someone used forbidden techniques to forcibly strip away her fortune and constitution, grafting them onto another person!]

Li Tianyuan had a sudden realization.

So, her heart was gouged out at birth. Whoever did this was truly cruel. According to his memories, a constitution is a gift from the heavens; to have it forcibly stripped away would cause excruciating agony and would likely result in death on the spot. The probability of survival was infinitesimal. The fact that this girl had survived despite having her Supreme Linglong Heart ripped out was nothing short of a miracle.

[If the host successfully takes this girl as a disciple, you will receive special rewards: a Pill of Reversing Vitality, a Phoenix Essence, and Supreme True Phoenix Blood.]

"Hm?"

"Can these items help this girl defy the heavens, change her fate, and mend her defects?" Li Tianyuan asked instinctively upon hearing the additional special rewards.

[Correct! The Pill of Reversing Vitality can restore one's fortune. The Phoenix Essence and Supreme True Phoenix Blood can allow one to be reborn from the ashes, repairing her constitution and even elevating it to a higher level!]

[And as the host helps the disciple defy the heavens and change her fate, the host will also receive corresponding benefits!]

Hearing this, Li Tianyuan’s eyes lit up.

It seemed this disciple was a must-have. If he were to collect these heaven-defying items himself, he didn't know how long it would take, but with the system providing them, it was incredibly convenient.

He was not the only one with such thoughts. When Jiang Yueli's aptitude was revealed, the nine masters of the Upper Nine Peaks on the fifth-floor viewing platform were all stirred, including the leader of the Lingxiao Sacred Land, Grandmaster Taixuan.

"Immortal-grade aptitude, a once-in-ten-thousand-years occurrence!"

"With such manifestations, she is truly a heaven-favored prodigy."

Following a flurry of exclamations, the nine masters and Grandmaster Taixuan flew toward the plaza.

"This disciple is mine; no one is allowed to snatch her from me!"

"On what grounds? I saw her first."

"So what if you saw her first? She doesn't share your surname! Stop your wishful thinking."

"Old man, you’ve already taken in several excellent disciples today; isn't it a bit unkind to try and snatch another?"

"Unkind my foot! Who wouldn't want a once-in-ten-thousand-years prodigy? Don't give me that nonsense."

...

As the nine masters landed around Jiang Yueli, they immediately began to argue. They were usually figures of immense authority, yet now they were bickering like shrews.

This spectacle left the surrounding participants envious. These were the nine masters of the Lingxiao Sacred Land, top-tier figures even within the entire Li Province, whose mere appearance would usually command awe. Yet now, they were fighting over a young girl, which was truly astonishing.

"Hmph!"

Finally, it was Grandmaster Taixuan who spoke up.

"Enough! Bickering over a disciple—what kind of decorum is this?"

"The Grandmaster is right; we were impulsive."

The nine masters instantly fell silent and bowed respectfully.

Taixuan waved his hand and looked at Jiang Yueli on the testing platform, his eyes flashing with an unreadable light.

"Is your name Jiang Yueli?"

"Yes."

The girl nodded, her tone neither servile nor overbearing, showing no sign of nervousness despite the fact that she was speaking to the head of the Sacred Land.

"Very good! Come here and let me take a look."

Taixuan’s expression softened, and he beckoned kindly. Jiang Yueli hesitated for a moment before walking over, and Taixuan enveloped her body in a vast, golden light.

"Eh! Something is wrong!"

A moment later, Taixuan looked surprised, his expression shifting.

"Grandmaster, what is it?"

"Could there be an issue with her aptitude?"

The nine masters sensed something amiss and frowned.

"She indeed possesses the once-in-ten-thousand-years Immortal-grade aptitude, but... unfortunately, she is born with a physical defect. Her blood essence is depleted, her foundation is shallow, and I fear she will have little progress on the path of cultivation," Taixuan sighed, clearly feeling regret.

"What!"

The expressions of the other nine masters changed drastically, and they quickly turned to examine Jiang Yueli closely. Indeed, as Taixuan said, while her talent was astonishing, her body was flawed, her blood essence was severely depleted, and her vitality was so fragile that she seemed like she would shatter at a touch, unable to support the consumption of spiritual power.

They felt a wave of pity. No wonder, despite having Immortal-grade talent, her cultivation was only at the third level of Qi Refining.

As masters of the cultivation world, they had seen countless prodigies, but this was a first. It was truly ironic: a genius with such monstrous talent, yet cursed with a bloodline injury and a short lifespan, making her entirely unsuitable for cultivation.

Seeing this, Jiang Yueli turned pale and stepped back.

"Do you still wish to take her as a disciple?" Taixuan asked with a faint smile.

"This..."

"Sigh, forget it. Born with a defect and little time to live; her path is blocked. No matter how good the aptitude, it is useless."

"I have already taken in many excellent disciples today, so I won't fight you brothers for this one."

"Me too. I have had a fruitful day, so I won't join in. If you want her, take her!"

The nine masters who had been scrambling for her now shook their heads like rattles, all declining.

A born defect was like a severed foundation; unless one found heaven-defying treasures to mend it, there was no chance for her to rise. But such treasures were rare in this world.

In an instant, Jiang Yueli, who had been the center of attention, became a useless waste that no one wanted. They felt a sense of regret, but no mercy—in this world of survival of the fittest, strength was everything.

Jiang Yueli remained calm, showing a stoicism beyond her years, as if she had expected this outcome. Only deep in her eyes did a glimmer of sadness flicker—a mix of unwillingness and sorrow.

Just as the crowd fell silent, a figure flew in from the distance, accompanied by a hearty laugh.

"Since none of the masters wish to take this girl as a disciple, I happen to quite like her. I shall take her in, then."

Everyone looked toward the sound; it was Li Tianyuan. He landed gracefully, his toes barely touching the air as he descended.

Eh?

The nine masters stared at Li Tianyuan with confusion. Even Grandmaster Taixuan’s eyes flickered. He knew who Li Tianyuan was—a disciple of the Sword Daoist and the new master of the Lingyun Sword Peak. But he didn't understand why anyone would want to take in a girl who was clearly a cripple.

"Greetings, Grandmaster!"

Ignoring the strange looks, Li Tianyuan bowed to Taixuan and walked straight toward Jiang Yueli. He had been worried he wouldn't be able to compete for her earlier, but now that the others had abandoned her, he couldn't let this opportunity slip.

As the man, looking like an immortal descending to the mortal realm, walked toward her, Jiang Yueli’s dim eyes suddenly sparked with light. She bit her lip, staring at him intensely, as if expecting something.

"I am Li Tianyuan, master of the Lingyun Sword Peak of the thirty-six peaks of the Lingxiao Sacred Land. Are you willing to be my disciple?"

His voice was like a melody from the heavens. Jiang Yueli’s body trembled. She looked up at him and spoke, word by word.

"I... am willing!"

Without hesitation, she knelt, kowtowing with excitement.

"Good, in that case..."

Li Tianyuan nodded in satisfaction, just about to finalize the apprenticeship, when a thunderous voice suddenly echoed from outside the Sacred Land's gate, resonating with overwhelming pressure throughout the entire mountain.

"Wait!"

"Jiang Yueli is a descendant of the ancient Jiang family; she cannot join the Lingxiao Sacred Land..."