Immortal Tribulation

Chapter 001: Not surnamed Dragon, named Tianfan Many people yearn to be born in a holy land of martial arts, endowed with immense power and abundant resources from birth. But for Tianfan, he actually yearned to be born in an ordinary family, living an ordinary life, free and unrestrained. However, he was born into the imperial family, in the Dragon Soaring Dynasty, one of the seven martial arts holy lands, as the seventh prince of the current dynasty. "Your Highness Seven, His Majesty summons you. The Royal Master has returned and wishes for your attendance at the ceremony." A guard dressed in livery stood outside the door, calling in without a trace of respect in his demeanor. "I understand. You may leave," came a faint voice from within the room. The guard shrugged and left nonchalantly. In the center of the room, a young man dressed in a purple robe stood quietly. He wasn't particularly robust, with a somewhat frail demeanor, but his handsome face exuded a refined charm. His thick, flowing hair cascaded gently down his back. He was Tianfan, the seventh prince of the Dragon Soaring Dynasty. For twenty years, he had endured the cold and disdainful gazes within the dynasty. Tianfan was reading a book in the room when he heard the guard's words. He furrowed his brows slightly, set down the book titled "On the Dao," and then headed towards the door. When he arrived at the main hall, the middle-aged emperor, Long Aotian, was conversing with an elderly man dressed in golden dragon robes. Three youths dressed in purple and gold robes were already present in the hall. They were all agile and spirited, with gleaming eyes. Surprisingly, two of them had reached the initial stage of the Cloud Realm in cultivation. Although they were only in the early stages, their talent was remarkable. Cultivation realms in the Divine Martial Continent were divided into five major stages: Foundation Building, Spirit Condensation, Cloud Realm, Yuan Fusion, and Immortal Return. Long Aotian had already reached the pinnacle of the Yuan Fusion stage. "Greetings, Father Emperor! Greetings, Royal Master!" Tianfan entered the hall and paid his respects to the two men with a calm tone. Long Aotian's gaze swept over him without any indication. Two of the princes showed obvious disdain, while one of them smirked mischievously at Tianfan. "Alright, I've called you all here today for two reasons: to meet the Royal Master and to prepare for the upcoming ancestral sacrifice ceremony in a few days. Make sure you're ready within these few days. Understand?" Long Aotian said. "Yes, Father Emperor! But there's something I must bring up. I don't think it's necessary to bring someone along. I believe it's disrespectful to our ancestors!" Several princes immediately responded respectfully. Among them, the eldest prince, Long Batian, glanced at Tianfan with disdain, while the second prince, Long Youtian, also sneered at Tianfan. "No, Father Emperor, how can we not let Seventh Brother go? I disagree. Eldest Brother, Second Brother, we are siblings. Don't speak like that!" The youngest prince, Long Yuyun, objected upon hearing the words of the two elder princes. "Little Eighth, don't compare that waste with us. It's embarrassing!" Long Batian said. "Yeah, Little Eighth, do you know why he's called Tianfan instead of Long Tianfan? Because he's not worthy of the surname 'Long'!" Long Youtian mocked disdainfully. "You!" The youngest prince wanted to say something more but was stopped by someone. Tianfan smiled faintly at him, indicating that he shouldn't argue with the two. Although born into the Dragon Soaring Dynasty, Tianfan was unable to cultivate from birth, so he was destined not to bear the surname "Long." Instead, he faced many constraints. Not to mention the half-siblings from different mothers, even his own father, Long Aotian, looked down on him. "Tianfan" was a name he chose for himself. It reflected his desire to live in an ordinary family. That's why he didn't use the surname "Long," only calling himself "Tianfan." He glanced at the two princes indifferently. If he could cultivate, he would surely teach them a lesson! "Enough said, let's do as I said," Long Aotian interrupted. In his eyes, that person had always been non-existent. Three days later, five golden iron chariots rose into the sky from within the Dragon Soaring Dynasty. "Farewell to His Majesty, farewell to the Royal Master, farewell to the princess! Dragon Soaring Dynasty is invincible!!!" The ground trembled with the deafening roar of thousands of cavalrymen, brandishing their swords and spears. "Boom..." The five chariots emitted dazzling light, too bright to behold. They shot into the sky towards the horizon, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Tianfan thought, if only he could leave forever, it would be a very good thing for him. As the chariots descended, a strange feeling arose in Tianfan's heart. Every time he came here, he would inexplicably feel something related to him in the mist-covered forest ahead. Ahead stood a towering altar, with a giant statue erected atop it. It depicted a majestic middle-aged man wielding a square sky halberd, his gaze forward. Though just a statue, it exuded an aura of dominance and supremacy. Long Aotian led a few people to kneel respectfully beneath the altar, paying homage with utmost reverence. The old Royal Master did not kneel before the statue, but his demeanor was solemn as he bowed deeply to the statue. He held deep respect for the mighty man depicted in the statue, who, in a dark and turbulent era, had created such a vast martial arts sanctuary through his own strength and unparalleled wisdom. "Yin and yang give birth, accompanying the heavens, immortals without a soul sect, tai chi with a calm heart, the gate of rebirth, extreme bliss in the six paths, transcending the mundane..." In front of the altar, several people sat cross-legged, their expressions solemn as they recited an inexplicable scripture, and a sacred and tranquil aura permeated the surroundings, purifying the soul. Eventually, all fell silent, the scriptures vanished from the sky, and Long Aotian rose to his full height, bowing deeply once again to the stone statue holding the square sky halberd. The princes also slowly stood up. This place was different from others; even the usually mischievous princess, Long Yueying, stood quietly by the side. "This scripture is quite extraordinary..." The old Royal Master observed quietly from the side. After witnessing everything, he spoke solemnly. "Do you wish to comprehend it, Royal Master? I will pass it to you." Long Aotian was taken aback. He had always considered it a mere formality, and so did the previous emperors. But he hadn't expected this inscrutable Royal Master to give such praise to the scripture. Perhaps he should take some time to comprehend this Soul Crossing Scripture. "No need. It's of no use to me," the old Royal Master said indifferently, his gaze passing over the altar to the primal forest shrouded in mist