Imperial Scepter

"Smack..."

The crisp crack of the whip pierced the air and resounded throughout the entire Dongyang County.

Above the clouds.

A figure dressed in white, as pure as snow, strolled through the air, her movements graceful and agile, each step like a lotus blossom.

The strange thing is...

The figure had no head.

With a gentle flick of his whip, he leisurely herded his flock of sheep.

"Baa..."

A herd of pure white four-horned goats galloped through the air, their hooves seemingly supported by invisible clouds.

They trembled at the sound of the whip, letting out mournful cries.

His clear, sheep-like eyes were filled with an unyielding sorrow and despair.

The headless man's whip-wielding posture was like dancing in the air, or like using the heavens and earth as paper and the whip as a brush to paint in the vast sky.

In an instant.

The entire Dongyang County was in an uproar.

All the ordinary people and cultivators in the county looked up at the sky, some frowning in deep thought, others whispering among themselves.

The discussions rose and fell like a tidal wave.

"The headless shepherd in the void comes from the Southern Wilderness Forest!"

"The Southern Wilderness Forest is a top-tier treasure land in the cultivation world, overflowing with rare and precious materials! Unfortunately, it is fraught with danger, with murderous intent at every turn; ordinary cultivators who enter will surely perish!"

"This headless man has appeared in the Eastern Chen Empire for the second time! What is his purpose this time?"

"Those sheep can run through the air without any hesitation! Their cultivation is at least at the King Realm, truly enviable!"

"Tch! You, a mere Bronze-level cultivator, dare to speak ill of those in the King Realm? Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?"

"Hmph! My second and fourth uncles are both genuine Silver-level cultivators!"

"What's silver? My dad's a genuine Gold-level Xuan Master; he could crush you with a flick of his finger!"

"Stop arguing! Didn't you notice? He appeared twice, and both times he headed west!"

"To the west lies Ping'an County... Could there be a tremendous treasure hidden there?"

As soon as he said that, the surrounding chatter suddenly fell silent.

Countless eyes turned towards Ping'an County, their gazes filled with undisguised astonishment and fervor.

……

Ping'an County, Jiuyang Town, Gaojia Village.

In a spacious classroom.

Hundreds of children aged five to nine were listening attentively to the lesson, the air thick with anticipation and trepidation for the future.

On the podium, the female teacher's voice was clear and melodious, like the tinkling of a mountain stream, yet it carried an undeniable penetrating power.

"If a child between the ages of five and nine can develop a Dao seed, he can open his Qi Sea and embark on the path of the Profound One."

"The five realms of Xuanzhe: Bronze Realm, Silver Realm, Gold Realm, Xuan King Realm (King Realm), and Xuan God Realm (Great God Realm)."

"Whether a Dao seed can be born depends on two things: first, the bloodline of the parents. If both parents are Xuan practitioners, the probability of their children being born increases greatly; second, one's own desire for the Xuan path. The more intense the desire, the deeper the opportunity."

The woman changed the subject, her tone becoming serious.

"The difference between mortals and those who have attained profound understanding is not only vast, but also as immense as heaven and earth in terms of lifespan!"

"Ordinary people, without illness or injury, can live at most 120 or 130 years. Bronze-level Xuan practitioners start with a lifespan of 200 years, with each star increase adding 20 years. Silver-level Xuan practitioners start with 500 years, and Gold-level Xuan practitioners possess a lifespan of 800 years..."

The children in the classroom had different expressions.

Some had burning eyes, filled with an infinite longing for the path of the Profound. Others had furrowed brows, a lingering sense of confusion hanging over them. Still others wore a confident smile, their eyes burning with an almost fanatical light…

Only high purity.

She tried her best to maintain her usual calm and composed demeanor.

His back was straight as a pine tree, but his fingertips trembled slightly uncontrollably.

The teacher's words, like an invisible spell, swirled repeatedly in his mind.

Each echo made his heart clench, as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

Today, there are only three days left until his ninth birthday!

"Three more days!" Gao Chun murmured, his voice hoarse as if it had been sanded clean. "If the Dao Seed still cannot be born, I will be stuck as a mortal for the rest of my life!"

The expectation in my father Gao Changhe's eyes, the heavy sighs of my relatives, the whispers of my fellow villagers... all flashed through my mind.

He recalled the old days when his friends would crowd around him, showering him with praise; he remembered the villagers' unanimous acclaim…

But now...

My eyes suddenly felt hot, and my nose felt incredibly sore.

Gao Chun bit his lower lip tightly, clenching his fists so hard that his nails dug deep into his palms. The sharp pain was what kept him barely conscious.

Don't cry!

He is the young village chief of Gaojia Village.

We must never disgrace our father, Gao Changhe!

"Ring ring..."

The long bell rang, breaking the midday silence, and the morning classes finally came to an end.

The female teacher glanced at Gao Chun with a complicated expression, then hurriedly left the classroom.

She had to rush to a meeting.

The ordinary children who used to linger around Gao Chun are now emerging from the classroom in groups of three or five.

No one rushed to Gao Chun as usual to respectfully call him "Young Village Chief".

Gao Chun's eyes reddened.

The resentment and grievances in my heart, like a raging flood breaking through a dam, kept crashing against my heart.

He desperately needed an outlet to vent his pent-up frustration.

Like a caged beast enraged, he rushed out of the classroom and ran wildly toward the quiet grove behind the village.

His staggering and hurried escape attracted the attention of his classmates who were skipping and jumping home.

In a short time.

Whispers rang out like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

"Oh, so you're getting desperate because you failed to cultivate a Dao Seed and become a Profound Realm cultivator?"

"Tsk tsk, a piece of trash like him, does he even deserve to be the young village chief of our Gao Family Village? Bah!"

"You bet! A few years ago I even went out of my way to curry favor with him. Looking back now, I was so blind..."

"Seeing how outstanding he was in his studies and how skilled he was in combat, I really thought he was destined to become a Dao Seed cultivator and achieve profound enlightenment. Turns out he's just a useless good-for-nothing with an empty shell..."

"Shh... Keep your voice down! His father is not only the village chief, but also the number one expert in our Gao Family Village. His sister and brother-in-law are also renowned Silver-ranking cultivators..."

"With their powerful background, even if they don't become a Xuanzhe (a high-ranking cultivator), they're still a high-ranking young village chief. We can't afford to offend them..."

These words.

Like sharp knives coated with deadly poison, they plunged viciously into Gao Chun's heart.

Gao Chun's breathing suddenly stopped, and the tightness in his chest intensified.

They took faster steps.

They ran almost desperately into the depths of the grove, as if a raging flood or ferocious beast was relentlessly pursuing them.

……

Gao Chun plunged headfirst into the dense shade of the grove.

The rough branches grazed his cheeks, leaving several stinging red marks, but he was completely unaware.

"Useless," "All show and no substance," "Unworthy of the young village chief"...

Those sharp and sarcastic words clung to his ears like a persistent boil, echoing wildly in his mind again and again.

"roar……!"

Gao Chun raised his head and let out a suppressed roar.

His clenched fist, brimming with resentment, slammed into the ancient, robust tree trunk beside him.

"Bang!"

A dull thud resounded, causing the tree trunk to sway slightly.

The glory of the past shines like stars in my memory.

In the classroom, his academic performance was always at the top; in the martial arts arena, his fighting skills were always unmatched among his peers...

But now.

He was stuck right before the insurmountable barrier of the birth of the Dao Seed, unable to move forward an inch!

Why should I?!

He is not willing!

"Bang! Bang! Bang..."

He punched the tree trunk again and again.

The dull sound echoed through the silent grove, causing the withered yellow leaves to swirl and fall, just like his shattered hopes at that moment.

The fist slammed into the rough, cracked bark of the tree, and a burning pain instantly spread through the veins to every part of the body.

Crimson blood seeped from between his fingers, quickly staining his fist red, and then gradually seeping into the dark brown tree trunk's veins, spreading into tragic blood flowers.

But the high purity makes it completely undetectable!

All senses had long been swallowed up by the surging despair and resentment!

All he knew was to smash, to keep smashing, as if only in this way could he slightly alleviate the suffocating frustration and pain in his heart.

"Why?!"

He suddenly looked up and roared at the leaden, heavy sky, his voice filled with heart-wrenching fury.

"Why can't I give birth to a Dao Seed?!"

The voice, filled with endless resentment, startled the weary birds in the forest, causing leaves to flutter down.

He needs to yell it out!

Shout out all the frustration, all the pain, all the resentment!

Roar and smash this damned fate!

Roar out and shatter this cruel and unjust way of Heaven!

He was unwilling to spend his whole life as an ordinary, unambitious person!

He was unwilling to be despised and ridiculed by those who had once fawned over him, to be trampled underfoot and crushed into mud!

"Both my parents are renowned mystical practitioners in their respective regions!"

"My sister is a Xuan Master! My brother-in-law is a Xuan Master! Even my nephew, who's two years younger than me, has become a Xuan Master!"

"Why me of all people? Why can't I give birth to the Dao Seed?!"

Gao Chun looked up again, facing the vast and boundless sky, and let out a roar that shook the heavens.

The grief and resentment in his voice almost tore the stagnant air apart and shook the grove of trees to its core!

"Damn you, God! How unfair you have been to me!!"

A sudden gust of wind arose, and the trees in the forest shook violently, as if in response to his roar.

The dark clouds pressed lower and lower, and muffled thunder rumbled faintly across the sky, like a response from the heavens, or a merciless mockery.

Gao Chun gritted his teeth, his scarlet eyes fixed on the sky, burning with an almost insane obsession.

"Damn you, God!"

"If only you could grant me the seed of the Way!"

"I'd gladly shorten my lifespan by a hundred years!"

"I would sacrifice half my life!"

"I wish I had no female partner in this life..."

This roar was his most devout prayer, every word dripping with blood, every sound resounding through the heavens!

This roar was his most heart-wrenching cry of resentment, every word filled with hatred, every sound shaking heaven and earth!

This roar was his most resolute and defiant vow, every word resolute, determined to cleave through destiny!

This roar was his most fervent pursuit of truth, unwavering and resolute, determined to break through all shackles...