The story of struggling with the sky

“This honored Daoist master, I beg you, please take me into your sect. I was once from a wealthy and prominent family, but we were cruelly slaughtered by villains. My entire family—300 people—all perished under their swords. Only my younger sister and I were left, wandering the world in misery. Admiring the great reputation of the Daoist sects, I’ve begged my way here, just hoping to become a disciple, learn the Dao, and dedicate myself to cultivation. If you take me in, I swear I will…” In the Chu Feng Dynasty of the Southern Continent, at the foot of the Taihang Mountains—one of the nine great spiritual veins of the world—a long line of hundreds of young people stood outside the gates of the Qingyun Daoist Sect, waiting to be questioned by a rotund Daoist at the entrance. At the front of the line was a boy around ten years old, his face streaked with tears as he cried out in desperation. Though his face was dirty, his eyes were exceptionally bright, and his pitiful pleas stirred sympathy in the hearts of those who heard. The fat Daoist glanced at the boy impatiently, tilting his eyes as he asked, “Do you have a letter of recommendation?” “No…” the boy answered awkwardly. “Do you have any treasures to offer?” “No…” “Do you possess a rare physique?” “No…” The fat Daoist questioned the boy, and within moments, three questions had passed. The fat Daoist glared at him, kicking the boy with a single blow, sending him rolling twice. He cursed, “No letter of recommendation? Then you're just a lowborn! No treasures to offer? You're a beggar! No rare physique? You’re a useless piece of trash! How dare a beggar like you even dream of becoming a disciple of Qingyun Sect? Open your eyes and look closely—this is not a charity house!” The long line of people behind him burst into laughter at this scene. Everyone found the boy utterly ridiculous. How could someone so penniless think of becoming a disciple of the Qingyun Daoist Sect? It was well known that the Qingyun Daoist Sect was the most prestigious sect in the Chu Kingdom, with a legacy spanning three thousand years. Its status was unmatched, and its foundation ran deep. Any random disciple of the sect would be a top-tier expert. Take a recent event, for example: in the northwest region of Chu, a group of bandits had been running rampant, causing havoc far and wide, and not even the authorities could deal with them. When Xiao Jianming, a true disciple of the Qingyun Daoist Sect, heard of this, he took his sword, charged into their lair, Ghost Smoke Valley, and single-handedly killed nine out of the ten infamous bandits who had terrorized the region. Only one escaped, and Xiao Jianming’s name instantly spread across the Chu Kingdom。 It was precisely because of this recent event that the reputation of Qingyun Daoist Sect had surged even more among the common people of the Chu Kingdom. With the sect’s once-in-a-decade disciple recruitment ceremony approaching, countless high-ranking officials and nobles were eager to send their children to the sect for cultivation. They pulled every string they could, offering rare treasures and using all their connections, yet most were still unable to secure a spot. And here was this boy, with nothing but empty hands, looking like a beggar, dreaming of becoming a disciple—it was truly absurd. The young boy, after taking a kick, didn’t utter a word. He silently moved ten paces back, but then suddenly jumped up and cursed loudly: “You filthy, festering fat pig with sores on your head and pus oozing from your feet! With that short, stubby body and pig nose of yours, you dare to call me poor? I came to your Qingyun Sect out of respect, but you don’t even recognize greatness when it’s in front of you! One day, I’ll burn your lousy temple to the ground!” “You little brat, how dare you insult me!” The fat Daoist was enraged. Grabbing a long sword by his side, he charged at the boy. But the child, seeing this, darted off, weaving through the crowd with nimble movements. The fat Daoist, unable to catch him, stood there, sword in hand, shouting insults and waving his sword angrily. What was meant to be a solemn and dignified disciple recruitment ceremony at Qingyun Daoist Sect suddenly turned into a scene of amusement, causing the crowd to burst into laughter. “You should feel honored that someone as talented as me even considered apprenticing at your Qingyun Sect. You better take me in obediently, or else I’ll go to another sect, master some divine abilities, and I’ll make sure to beat you Daoists until you're crying for your ancestors!” Seeing that the fat Daoist couldn’t catch him, the boy became even more brazen, boasting loudly and taunting the Daoist. The fat Daoist, now boiling with rage, was fuming from every orifice. He wanted to give chase, but there were simply too many people around. His own bulk prevented him from easily pushing through the crowd. Then, his eyes flickered with a sudden idea, and he called out loudly, “Whoever helps me catch this brat, I’ll let them register first!” Upon hearing this, the young boy was shocked and immediately tried to flee. However, the others waiting in line to register had overheard as well, and many rushed forward to capture him. These people had been waiting for hours in a line that barely moved, with thousands vying for a spot on the narrow mountain path. Hearing the fat Daoist’s offer, they couldn’t resist the temptation to skip the queue by helping catch the slippery little troublemaker. Some even thought that skipping the wait was a small matter compared to the chance of currying favor with a disciple of the sect. That was the real opportunity. The young boy, however, was unexpectedly nimble. Even four or five youths trying to catch him couldn’t lay a hand on him. Dodging here and darting there, he was just about to slip free from the surrounding crowd when suddenly, a slender, pale-faced young man with a cold, piercing gaze stepped forward. With a sneer, he said, “So, you’ve got some skills, but not nearly enough!” Reaching out, he grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck and effortlessly lifted him into the air. The boy struggled with all his might, but in the hands of this young man, he couldn’t escape, much like a snake caught by the neck. “Ah, thank you, brother! May I ask your name?” the fat Daoist called out, clearly pleased. The fat Daoist, panting heavily, rushed over and was overjoyed at the sight. He hurriedly thanked the young man. “Greetings, Senior Brother. I am Hou Qing. It was nothing more than catching a little monkey for you, hardly worth mentioning,” the young man said respectfully, bowing courteously to the fat Daoist. “Well said, well said! Let me first teach this little rascal a lesson, then I’ll personally escort you to the front to register,” the fat Daoist replied with a grin. His eyes shifted toward the boy, and a cruel glint appeared. “I’m an outer disciple of the Qingyun Sect, and you, a filthy little beggar, dare insult me? I won’t kill you today, but I’ll make sure you learn a lesson!” With that, he stepped forward, cracking his knuckles, a wicked grin spreading across his face. Though, being a disciple of a Daoist sect, he couldn’t truly harm anyone recklessly, even a beggar. At most, he’d give the boy a few slaps to leave him with a lesson. “Don’t… don’t hurt my young master…” Suddenly, a small girl emerged from the crowd and stepped in front of the fat Daoist, blocking his path. She was just as dirty as the little boy, appearing to be only seven or eight years old. She was thin, but her features were very delicate, with a pair of bright, expressive eyes. The most striking thing about her was that her ears were somewhat pointed, almost like a fox's, and her eyes gleamed with a faint green hue, giving her an unusual, almost eerie look. She did not seem to be fully human, but rather a half-blood barbarian. "Stupid little savage, why did you come out? Didn’t I tell you to hide?" The little boy was still being held in midair, but upon seeing her, he immediately began scolding. "Young master, if I didn't come out, he was going to hit you..." The barbarian maid said in an aggrieved tone, still stubbornly stretching out her small hands to block the fat Taoist. "I’m very capable! You think I need you to stand up for me? Get out of the way, quick!" The little boy flailed his arms and legs, his defiant attitude making one want to laugh. Though he wasn’t very skilled, his bravado was certainly large. "A little beggar like him, with a barbarian girl as a maid?" The fat Taoist clicked his tongue in astonishment. He looked at the maid's delicate appearance, and a hint of greedy desire flickered in his eyes. In this world, such people were referred to as "barbarians," the lowest caste among all races. The demon race did not recognize them, and the human race looked down on them even more. Even when one kept a few around, they were either treated as favored concubines or lowly servants. However, even lowly servants were not something ordinary families could afford. It was rare to see a little boy, looking like a beggar, accompanied by a barbarian servant. "Hmph, filthy lowborn scum..." The man holding the little boy, Hou Qing, sneered coldly. His eyes flashed with cruelty as he lifted his leg and kicked the little girl, sending her flying. "Bastard! How dare you bully my Xiao Man! I’ll kill you for this..." The little boy screamed furiously, flailing his arms and legs, teeth bared. The barbarian maid was kicked by Hou Qing and flew dozens of feet, crashing into a tree. Although the young man hadn’t used his full strength to kill her, she still fell with blood pouring from her head, lying motionless on the ground. The crowd watching was stunned into silence, but no one stepped forward to criticize or help. After all, she was just a little half-demon barbarian, considered an insignificant life even in the mortal world. Whether she lived or died, no one would care. "I always despised demons and barbarians, forgive me for the embarrassing display, Senior Brother..." Ah, the blood of that little demon barbarian girl... what’s happening?" Suddenly, someone muttered in a low voice. The crowd turned to look, and they saw the fresh blood flowing from the little demon barbarian's forehead seeping into the wild grass around her. To their astonishment, the withered grass, which had been yellow and dry due to the harsh autumn and winter seasons, began to revive. New green shoots slowly emerged, vibrant and full of life, with leaves so lush and green they seemed like emeralds, almost ready to drip with dew. It was an astonishing sight. "Wood Spirit Bloodline... This little girl actually possesses the rare Wood Spirit Bloodline!" Among the crowd, most of whom were either wealthy or of noble background, someone quickly recognized it and shouted in surprise. The crowd instantly buzzed with excitement. Some were in awe, some disdainful, and others filled with envy. Not long after, the crowd's discussion attracted attention from inside the Daoist sect, and soon a prominent figure from within the sect was alerted. In about half an hour, a cold and elegant woman dressed in white appeared, riding a massive white crane through the sky. The crane was easily over ten meters long, and with each flap of its wings, it whipped up a gale so powerful it nearly caused a hurricane at the mountain gate. Clearly, this was a tamed demonic bird. Behind her, standing on the crane's back, were two young girls with small horns on their heads. "Ah, Outer Sect Disciple Yu Sanliang, greets Senior Sister Ling Yun..." The fat Taoist quickly dropped to his knees, performing a grand bow in reverence. The young men waiting to join the sect, though unfamiliar with the woman, hurriedly followed suit, bowing and addressing her as "Senior Sister." However, this woman named Ling Yun seemed to pay no attention to them. Her gaze swept across the scene and quickly landed on the fallen barbarian maid lying in the grass by the roadside. She gestured for the crane to descend. Upon reaching the little maid's side, she plucked a blade of grass nearby, examined it, and then gently dipped her finger into the maid's blood. Bringing it close to her nose, she lightly sniffed, then nodded with a smile, as if confirming something. "Include her as one of the candidates for this round of disciples!" Senior Sister Ling Yun glanced at him and said indifferently, "From today onward, she is no longer your servant." As she spoke, she waved her hand and tossed over a small piece of jade porcelain. The porcelain was purple, exquisitely crafted. "Innate Purple Qi Pill..." The fat Taoist cried out in shock, unable to help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. To free a mere demon barbarian maid from her servant status, she had actually given out such a precious pill? The onlookers, especially those waiting to join the sect, stared in awe. Many of their eyes gleamed with feverish desire, as if they wished to devour the little boy whole. An Innate Purple Qi Pill, a treasure known for cleansing the body and marrow! And yet, it was casually given to a little beggar? At that moment, countless people had the same thought: the urge to snatch it away crossed their minds. I... I don't want the pill..." The little boy, mustering up all his courage, stammered, "Unless... unless you take me into the sect..." At first, the people waiting to be accepted into the sect were silently blaming the boy for being so ungrateful, but they suddenly understood—this boy had been waiting for this opportunity all along. Even Senior Sister Ling Yun was momentarily taken aback, but then she chuckled, a trace of disdain in her smile as she addressed the fat Taoist. "Very well, include him too. Though from what I can tell, his talent is mediocre at best, and his temperament is quite wild. Assign him to the herb fields for some hard training." "Ah, as you command, Senior Sister..."