Chapter Sixteen: Tian Xuanzi

Inside the hall, Tian Xuanzi, looking dissatisfied, retrieved the abdominal sash of the Tianlang Armor. He tossed a hemp rope to Shen Wan, telling him to make do with it. Shen Wan pursed his lips in frustration, feeling the old man was stingy. But there was nothing he could do—the item belonged to Tian Xuanzi, and it wasn’t his place to complain.

The tower had been climbed, the rewards claimed. Nearly ten hours had passed since the start of the sect competition. Surely, few people remained inside the tower. Shen Wan thought his journey was over and was ready to leave. Yet unexpectedly, Tian Xuanzi called the three of them back again.

The old man seemed hesitant, as if something weighed on his mind—words hovering at his lips, unable to spill forth. Shen Wan shifted his shoulder; the black blade behind him, though not heavy, still strained his shoulder. Standing there, waiting for the old man to speak, unsettled him.

At last, Shen Wan could no longer hold back and asked, “Teacher-ancestor, if there’s something you need from us, just say it. For the sake of this handsome black blade behind me, I’ll do my best for you.”

After all, this old man was only a manifestation of his Dao—he likely couldn’t even leave the tower. The most important thing now was to get out quickly. If he and his companions were the last to exit, with so many eyes watching, there would be nowhere to hide.

While Shen Wan thought thus, Tian Xuanzi heard him and was a bit moved. Yet looking at Shen Wan, he still found him disagreeable.

“Ah, forget it. In my lifetime, I’ve never asked anyone for help. My true self has perished, my Dao is no longer Dao—so I’ll tell you my story.”

Tian Xuanzi shook his robe, finally deciding to speak to the three.

The story was simple. Over two thousand years ago, Tian Xuanzi was a young man, full of vigor. His innate talent was extraordinary, and his path of cultivation was smooth. In just over a hundred years, he broke through to the Golden Core realm—a genius unseen for millennia.

His rise caused a sensation throughout the Valley Continent, and people believed he was chosen by destiny. With time, cultivators in the Valley stopped using his real name and called him Tian Xuanzi instead.

Though not born into a noble family, Tian Xuanzi was courted by the great clans and powerful houses of the Valley Continent. For over a century, he was the center of attention.

Eventually, he encountered a bottleneck. The known secret realms in the Valley could no longer satisfy his quest, so he decided to seek fortune in Pingchuan Continent or Fengyun Continent. Through many trials, he finally left the Valley and set foot on the road to Fengyun.

Tian Xuanzi spoke with fervor, his voice animated, recalling those bygone days when he was idolized by the masses—a past now long gone. He sighed, a hint of regret for his former self.

The two beside him listened, eyes shining, but Shen Wan felt something was off and interrupted, “Teacher-ancestor, what’s the point?”

Tian Xuanzi glared at him, “Don’t interrupt!”

“Oh, right!” Shen Wan quickly shut up, listening as the old man rambled—or rather, reminisced.

Upon arriving at Fengyun Continent, Tian Xuanzi wandered aimlessly. Unfamiliar with the land, he traversed deep mountains hoping to find a great opportunity or secret realm. Without realizing it, he entered the most dangerous place there—Soul-devouring Valley, said to be formed from an ancient soul beast.

This beast, the Undying Divine Turtle, was massive—its head at the southern border, its tail at the northern cliffs. Soul-devouring Valley alone occupied nearly a tenth of Fengyun Continent’s area.

Locals rarely ventured there, only great families could organize expeditions under the protection of high-level cultivators. Tian Xuanzi, unaware of all this, nearly lost his life when he entered alone. Perhaps fate spared him, for he was rescued by the second daughter of the Shen family, the foremost clan of Fengyun.

“What? My surname is Shen too,” Shen Wan interjected.

Tian Xuanzi, interrupted, burped several times, retorting angrily, “Not the same Shen! Can’t you stop talking?”

Shen Wan sighed, “Please, you’ve been talking for over an hour—what’s the matter you want to discuss?”

He was supposed to ask for help, but instead had turned the moment into a storytelling session. Shen Wan, already anxious, found the tale less exciting than the novels he’d read in his youth.

Shen Wan felt helpless, but Lin Bufan and Zhu Qianqing beside him were different—they listened, solemn and absorbed, as if transported to another realm. For them, such stories were a spiritual journey.

Tian Xuanzi shot another glare at Shen Wan, warning him to keep quiet or be thrown out. Shen Wan fell silent, and Tian Xuanzi continued.

Within Soul-devouring Valley, Tian Xuanzi was nearly torn apart by countless indestructible soul spirits. After being rescued, he lapsed into unconsciousness. When he awoke, he found himself in the Shen family’s mansion.

After more than half a year of recuperation, his body had recovered. If not for the copious healing pills provided by the second daughter, his injuries would have taken years to heal.

Through frequent interaction, the two grew close and eventually fell in love. With a red silk wedding ribbon, Tian Xuanzi became a son-in-law of the Shen family.

His talent played a large part—he was unmatched among his peers. A young man with such cultivation was regarded as a marvel, and the Shen family took pride in their new son-in-law. He was never ostracized; instead, he was revered throughout the household.

Strength spoke for itself.

But beneath the surface, a great conspiracy slowly enveloped him.

The Shen family patriarch, Shen Tianba, stood at the pinnacle of the Soul Pill realm, a step away from ascension. He had qualified for ascension long ago but suppressed his cultivation, unwilling to break through.

As the dominant force in Fengyun Continent, the Shen family’s power rested on his presence; other families and sects dared not defy them. If Shen Tianba ascended to the outer realms, the family’s centuries-old legacy would crumble. The lack of successors was their fatal flaw.

Therefore, Shen Tianba devised a plan: he would create a puppet equal to himself to assist his heir, his eldest son Shen Xia. Though Shen Xia was talented, after centuries of cultivation, he had just reached the early Golden Core stage—his longevity did not surpass his father’s.

To achieve his goal, Shen Tianba racked his brain, and Tian Xuanzi’s arrival was the perfect opportunity. If Tian Xuanzi could be made into a puppet, he would be the ultimate one.

From then on, Shen Tianba treated Tian Xuanzi as his own son, sometimes even provoking Shen Xia’s jealousy. Supported without reservation, Tian Xuanzi’s cultivation soared, breaking through to the Soul Pill realm—a speed that amazed even Shen Tianba.

Yet, the moment Tian Xuanzi reached the Soul Pill realm, Shen Tianba’s true intentions surfaced. A three-hundred-year-long plot unfolded—a surprise assassination Tian Xuanzi never saw coming. But as with all schemes, there was a flaw: Shen Xia’s second daughter, Tian Xuanzi’s wife Shen Shuang, discovered the truth by accident.

Though Shen Shuang was a member of the Shen family, she loved Tian Xuanzi deeply. She made her choice, siding with her husband over her family.

Upon learning this, Tian Xuanzi planned to flee with Shen Shuang, but it was already too late. That night, a great battle erupted above the Shen family mansion in Fengyun Continent.

With a long sigh, Tian Xuanzi paused, gazing at a string of beads hanging by the bedside. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened, reflecting untold sorrow and helplessness.

Shen Wan watched the old man intently, feeling the story had just become exciting—why had it stopped? His lips moved, but Tian Xuanzi caught him with a glance, silencing him instantly.

Returning to his thoughts, Tian Xuanzi continued.

The battle raged for three days and nights, from the mansion to the wilds. Though exceptionally gifted, Tian Xuanzi had only just entered the Soul Pill realm, while Shen Tianba had dwelled at its peak for centuries.

The outcome was inevitable—Tian Xuanzi, nearly exhausted, barely held out for three days and nights.

He expected to perish, but once again, his wife Shen Shuang saved him—trading her life for his. It was her final act of desperation.

Shen Tianba’s hands shook; Shen Shuang was pregnant, bearing Tian Xuanzi’s child. Though the child was Tian Xuanzi’s, it also carried Shen family blood. With no other choice, Shen Tianba relented before Shen Shuang.

Tian Xuanzi escaped, while Shen Shuang remained in the Shen family.

Fleeing back to Valley Continent, Tian Xuanzi hid himself, beginning to heal. His spirit was shattered, his golden core destroyed, meridians severed—aside from his skin, nothing in his body remained whole.

His cultivation plummeted. He sealed himself thousands of meters underground, consuming the last of his lifespan to slowly repair his wounds—this process lasted one hundred and thirty years.

When he emerged, his injuries had healed, but his cultivation remained at the early Soul Pill stage. With such power, revenge was impossible.

Thus, Tian Xuanzi founded the Owe Xuan Sect in place, its sole purpose: the Shen family owed Tian Xuanzi a life, and when his power grew, he would destroy the Shen family.

The vow was grand, but his strength fell short.

The great battle had damaged Tian Xuanzi’s foundation; it took him over a thousand years to reach the peak of Soul Pill. By then, it was too late—Shen Tianba had ascended to the outer realms a century before Tian Xuanzi emerged.

Unable to avenge his grievance, Tian Xuanzi’s Dao heart shattered. In his rage, he expended the last of his lifespan, dying with regret twelve hundred years after founding his sect.