In the vast world known as Boundless Spirit, at its very center lies the Jade Heaven Continent, a land where the civilization of cultivators flourishes and where spiritual energy is the most abundant in the world. At the southernmost end of Jade Heaven Continent stands one of the greatest sacred grounds, known as the Sacred Land of the Immortal Stream.
This place is filled with dense spiritual energy, adorned with breathtaking natural landscapes, and serves as a gathering place for the strongest cultivators of the era. Within this sacred land, there are ten towering peaks, each home to one of the ten Grandmasters who form the foundation of this sacred ground.
Among these ten peaks is Pure Radiance Peak. Outwardly, it appears to be just another ordinary mountain with nothing particularly remarkable. However, beneath its seemingly unassuming exterior, it conceals an unfathomable and terrifying power. Massive energy currents swirl continuously, and fierce gales roar as if the world itself is about to collapse.
Boom!
Suddenly, everything fell into silence. Amidst the stillness, a lone young man emerged. His appearance was utterly unremarkable an ordinary face, black hair, black eyes, and clad in simple white robes. However, upon closer inspection, an extraordinary presence surrounded him, something that set him apart from ordinary cultivators.
The young man opened his eyes, and within them flickered a radiant white light of satisfaction. He murmured to himself,
"It's finally done... I have now attained the Emperor-Tier Radiant Body."
He spoke while gazing at his own palm. A faint glow emanated from his body, as if he was absorbing the essence of light itself.
He remained silent for a moment before exhaling softly and speaking once more.
"Twenty years... That was a close call."
His words carried a mix of emotions relief and bitterness entwined together.
This young man was Han Ming. In his previous life, he had been a brilliant scientist, yet he met an unjust end. Falsely accused and scapegoated for the failure of a top-secret experiment, he was executed without even being given a chance to defend himself all to cover up the truth.
But fate played a cruel joke on him. He was reborn into this world, the world known as Boundless Spirit.
This world was unlike his previous one. Here, people could cultivate and extend their lifespans indefinitely, soar through the skies, shatter mountains with a single palm strike, and even part the seas with a mere gaze. Anything was possible through cultivation.
Han Ming was reborn into an ordinary cultivation clan not among the strongest, yet not particularly weak either. However, what set him apart from others was his unique physique. He was born with the Sacred Radiant Body.
In this world, special physiques were categorized into five ranks:
Common Rank
Mysterious Rank
Earth Rank
Heaven Rank
Sacred Rank
Emperor Rank
With his Sacred Radiant Body, Han Ming should have been treasured and nurtured by his family with great care and affection. Yet, reality was far from kind.
Instead of being cherished, he was raised with false warmth and smiles nothing more than a vessel, a mere container for the ancestral spirit of his family.
Upon discovering his grim fate, Han Ming knew that once the time came, his own family would kill him to complete their plans. Determined to escape this cruel destiny, he devised an elaborate scheme to fake his own death. He carefully staged the scene, making it appear as though he had been slain by rival clans who harbored enmity against his own.
At that time, Han Ming was only twelve years old. His cultivation level was at the Qi Control Realm.
The cultivation system in this world was divided into thirteen major realms:
Qi Control
Foundation Establishment
Golden Core
Nascent Soul
Spirit Formation
Body Integration
Nirvana
Heavenly Cavern
Saint
Saint King
Saint Emperor
Half-Emperor
Great Emperor
Each major realm was further divided into nine sub-stages. To reach the pinnacle of cultivation, one required not only talent and determination but also a stroke of fortune.
After successfully escaping from his family, Han Ming wandered from place to place. It wasn't until he turned fourteen that he joined the Sacred Land of the Immortal Stream, a turning point that would change his life forever.
The Sacred Land of the Immortal Stream was one of the most powerful factions on the Jade Heaven Continent, ranking fifth in strength across the entire land. In fact, it was considered the fifth strongest force in the Boundless Spirit World itself, as this world consisted of five major continents, excluding the vast seas and smaller, distant lands.
The Jade Heaven Continent was undeniably the most powerful of them all, standing far above the others in terms of strength and influence. Its sheer size was immense, and the intense competition within it was nothing short of brutal. Conflict, bloodshed, and death were a constant reality for those striving to claim the highest position in this ruthless land.
When Han Ming joined the Sacred Land of the Immortal Stream at the age of fourteen, he had only reached Qi Control Realm, Level 9. In contrast, those born with Sacred-Tier physiques and backed by the full support of their families had already advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm or even beyond. By comparison, he was severely lagging behind.
Upon entering the Sacred Land, while his Sacred Radiant Body was not exceptional enough to draw the attention of the Ten Grandmasters of the Peaks, it was still sufficient for him to be accepted as an Outer Disciple of the sect.
However, Han Ming refused to accept his fate. He relied on his unwavering determination and exceptional ability to learn and adapt, pushing himself forward despite lacking abundant resources or a dedicated mentor. With sharp intellect and sheer perseverance, he steadily forged his own path.
Starting as an Outer Disciple, Han Ming climbed step by step, eventually rising to the rank of Inner Disciple, and then advancing to Core Disciple. As a Core Disciple, he was given a choice he could either join one of the Ten Peaks, where he would receive guidance from a master and gain access to more resources, or he could remain independent, cultivating on his own. Han Ming chose to join Pure Radiance Peak.
After joining Pure Radiance Peak, Han Ming chose to relentlessly push forward, continuously climbing the ranks until he was finally recognized as a True Disciple of the Sacred Land.
As a True Disciple, his status was second only to a few individuals Principal Elders, Holy Sons and Holy Daughters, Peak Masters, Grand Elders, Guardian Elders, the Leader of the Sacred Land, and the Ancestral Patriarchs.
Although there were still many figures far above him, at the same time, Han Ming had already surpassed millions of cultivators within the Sacred Land.
However, a year ago, while Han Ming was in seclusion, focusing on his cultivation, a rumor spread across the continent the inheritance of a Great Emperor had appeared.
Upon hearing this news, the Peak Master of Pure Radiance led a large group of disciples on an expedition to seek out this inheritance. Among them were the top ten True Disciples of Pure Radiance Peak. The only exceptions were Han Ming and a few others who were still in seclusion and therefore did not take part in the expedition.
But what transpired next was beyond anyone's imagination.
The so-called Great Emperor's Inheritance that everyone sought after was nothing more than a massive death trap.
It was a carefully orchestrated slaughter, designed to lure in power-hungry cultivators and annihilate them. Those who ventured inside were met with an inescapable catastrophe, one from which few could hope to survive. Countless cultivators perished that day not only from the Sacred Land of the Immortal Stream but also from other continents. All of them were devoured by the spirit of the so-called Great Emperor.
During this incident, nearly every Sacred Land on the Jade Heaven Continent suffered devastating losses. Each of them lost at least one Half-Emperor, while some even lost as many as five. This tragedy became one of the greatest disasters of the era.
In the end, the crisis was resolved only when the Ancestral Patriarch of the Blood Moon Sacred Land, the second-ranked Sacred Land of the Jade Heaven Continent, revived a Great Emperor-level ancestor, who personally descended to slay the spirit of the Great Emperor responsible for the massacre.
However, that did not change the horrifying outcome.
Pure Radiance Peak, along with many other Sacred Lands, suffered irreversible losses.
Every disciple of Pure Radiance Peak who had participated in the expedition, including the Peak Master and countless Elders, perished in that disaster. The only survivors were Han Ming, who had remained in seclusion, and a handful of Core Disciples who had not taken part in the journey.
As a result, Han Ming was appointed as the new Peak Master of Pure Radiance Peak, a decision approved by the Leader of the Sacred Land, the Grand Elders, and the Masters of the Nine Other Peaks.
Although some Principal Elders opposed the decision, they were unable to challenge it. Han Ming was already the strongest cultivator within the Nascent Soul Realm on Pure Radiance Peak. Under the current circumstances, he was the most logical and fitting candidate to assume leadership.