C1 I Want to Break Through

The crisp autumn wind rustled through the trees, sending a cascade of leaves tumbling down the mountainside. Amidst the mountain's expanse, spirit animals roamed, their distant roars echoing through the air. A slender figure dashed along the mountain's flank, feet crunching on the fallen leaves.

Ning Gao, at eighteen, charged through the forest with a commanding presence, his muscles glinting with a bronze hue. Yet, this very physique was the source of his deepest frustration. Still a Two-star Apprentice at his age, his first-level talent placed him at the bottom of the Ning family in Vuiburgh.

"Damn it! Why can't I just break through?" Ning Gao's fist struck a tree trunk, leaving behind a faint imprint.

On the continent, one could begin their cultivation journey at six. That year, however, Ning Gao was publicly revealed to possess first-level talent in the Ning family's plaza. Talent ranged across ten levels, with the tenth being the strongest, a testament to unparalleled genius, while the first...

It was akin to being the most insignificant existence by the roadside, no more consequential than an ant.

If Ning Gao had come from an ordinary background, his lowly talent might have been overlooked. But his father, Ning Le, was the reigning patriarch of the Ning family. As one of the three great families in Vuiburgh, and with Ning Le being a preeminent figure at the apex of the city's hierarchy, his only son's minimal talent was a stark contrast, a proverbial tiger father with a dog son, striking a blow to Ning Le's reputation.

Despite this, Ning Le cherished Ning Gao, and the family had poured substantial resources into his development, with others biting their tongues out of respect for Ning Le. But a few years ago, Ning Le vanished under mysterious circumstances. With the head of the family gone, a new patriarch was chosen, and all the privileges Ning Gao had enjoyed were stripped away. He was reduced to doing menial tasks within the Ning household to scrape by—a fall from grace that felt like plummeting from heaven into hell.

The long-simmering resentment among the Ning family disciples finally boiled over, plunging Ning Gao into a life of constant turmoil. Just a few days prior, Vuiburgh held its annual family competition. Ning Gao's lackluster abilities relegated him to last place among the three great families, earning him the mockery of the other two, who labeled him the foremost of Vuiburgh in name only. This ridicule left the Ning family's younger generation struggling to hold their heads high.

On that fateful day in the arena, Lee Fei of the Lee family fought with a brutal ferocity, leaving Ning Gao with severe injuries that had yet to heal.

Atop the mountain, under the shade of a large tree, Ning Gao was taking a well-deserved rest, sipping water from a cup he always carried with him. A day of intense cultivation had left him both physically and mentally exhausted.

Staring down at his hands, Ning Gao's resentment surged, and he gripped his fists tightly.

"I must achieve a breakthrough—and soon!"

Suddenly, a stone whistled through the air, striking Ning Gao's left shoulder with precision.

"Ah!"

The pain elicited a sharp cry from Ning Gao as his water cup toppled to the ground.

"Who's there?"

Bearing the pain, Ning Gao scanned his surroundings. It didn't take long for him to spot a figure lurking in a nearby tree.

"Lee Fei!"

It was the same person who had inflicted those wounds upon him in the arena days earlier.

"Well, if it isn't the esteemed young master of the Ning family? Oh, my apologies, you're the former young master. What's your title now... a mere underling, isn't it? Hahaha!" Lee Fei approached Ning Gao with a mocking sneer, hands casually tucked behind his back.

"Lee Fei! The Redmire Mountains are under the Ning family's jurisdiction!" Ning Gao retorted furiously.

For Lee Fei to trespass without the Ning family's consent was an outright insult to their honor.

"Hahaha, Ning Gao, your father has truly spoiled you into foolishness. If I eliminate you, who would ever know I was here? Am I right?"