The Li Family Courtyard, Back Garden.

"The first time I picked up a hammer, it felt like I was born to wield it."

Young Li Mo, with a longsword hanging at his waist, was swinging a forging hammer with astonishing mastery.

The Li family had built their fortune on a weaponsmithing business. From childhood, Li Mo possessed extraordinary strength and trained under the family’s master smiths. In less than a year, even the most skilled blacksmith in the household had nothing left to teach him.

After warming up with hammer techniques, he drew his sword.

His family’s swordplay was decent, though far inferior to his hammer skills. Still, Li Mo found the most joy in practicing the sword.

He trained until the sun dipped below the horizon.

As night fell, the vast Li estate was illuminated by countless lanterns, with the brightest spot being the forging yard, its fires lighting up the darkness.

The moon quietly rose to the sky’s zenith, radiant and dreamlike.

Li Mo sheathed his sword and wiped his sweat when a servant summoned him for dinner.

Entering the central courtyard, he found the entire family gathered around a round table, with the Li family patriarch seated at the head—so imposing it almost felt like stepping back into the Purple Sun Mansion.

In the Heavenly Phoenix Domain, people were not born naturally but were projections from various eras across the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

This patriarch was essentially Old Li.

"You’ve had exceptional martial talent since childhood, but you’ve always been unruly. Now that you’re nearing adulthood, it’s time to grow up."

"Can I delay the coming-of-age ceremony for a while?"

Li Mo shoveled food into his mouth, feeling a headache coming on.

He didn’t think he was cut out to be a family head—constantly appeasing the offerings of the Sky City’s noble clans while scheming against other aristocratic families.

"How can you delay something like this?!"

"I know you’ve always wanted to venture out, but even if you plan to slay demons in the human cities, you still need to temper yourself first."

Clang!

A hammer slipped from his sleeve and clattered onto the floor.

Li Mo coughed lightly. "Forgot to put it away after training."

"..."

Old Li gave him a resigned look. "I know you’re skilled with the hammer, born with abundant yang energy and immense strength. But even so, you’re no different from ordinary martial artists—you haven’t truly grasped real power."

"Then what is real power?"

"Naturally, it comes from the Sky Clan."

Whoosh—

As he spoke, a fierce wind surged, lifting fallen leaves in the courtyard before condensing them into a single point in Old Li’s palm.

He plucked one leaf between his fingers and flicked it lightly.

Ting!

Sparks burst from a bronze statue nearby as the leaf pierced clean through it.

"Did you see that? This is the power granted by the Sky Clan—specifically, the one who commands all winds under heaven."

"The Sky City’s noble clans stand behind us not just in name. Without this power, no matter how skilled you are in martial arts, you’re just rootless driftwood."

"And no matter what martial art you practice, once infused with this power, it becomes something transcendent."

---

Beyond the Scroll of Mountains and Rivers.

"That Li patriarch seems to be at the Internal Breath realm, yet he unleashed an attack at the Internal Landscape level?"

Huang Donglai was deeply intrigued by that move.

If someone appeared to be at Internal Breath but struck with Internal Landscape force, how could an opponent react in time?

"That’s a technique from the Great Shang era."

Shang Qinqing spat out a melon seed and remarked casually, "Back then, the Divine Contemplation realm was exactly what it sounded like—imitating deities and, with their permission, borrowing a sliver of their power. The Internal Landscape wasn’t self-constructed but a manifestation of that borrowed strength."

"Then, Clan Leader Shang, what if someone received power granted by you?"

"If luck is bad, you might be able to traverse the void."

"And if luck is good?"

Huang Donglai’s eyes widened. If bad luck granted that, good luck must be incredible!

"Do you know of the Flirting Swordplay...? Never mind, it’s pointless to explain."

"Because you’re no longer a deity?"

"That’s secondary. Mostly, I feel you and Zhong Zhenyue are about the same—knowing too much won’t help."

"???"

---

Inside the Scroll of Mountains and Rivers.

Time passed swiftly, and soon it was a bright, sunny morning. After being earnestly persuaded by his father, Li Mo finally agreed to attend the coming-of-age ceremony.

On this day, the young elites of Earth City’s aristocratic families gathered at the entrance leading to Sky City.

This wasn’t because they all happened to come of age on the same day.

The Sky Clan had set the date—all who reached adulthood this year were to assemble here.

With the next celestial calamity approaching, not only had every family arrived, but many Sky Clan members were present as well—all of them formidable figures.

"This one is Lei Ze, master of thunder; that one is Chun Mang, ruler of all growth; and there’s Yan Rong, lord of flames."

"Oh, and that one—remember her well. She is Feng Zhi. Our Li family owes everything to her."

Listening to Old Li’s introductions, Li Mo looked up.

Among the extraordinary, awe-inspiring Sky Clan nobles stood a woman with a slender yet powerful build, sun-kissed skin, and hair like flowing wind—exuding the presence of a wild queen.

Her aura was overwhelming.

She’d probably look perfect wielding a whip...

"Feng Zhi is likely one of the strongest Sky Clan members, second only to Emperor Jiang. Later, you must restrain yourself. No mischief. I’m counting on you to inherit my role as her proxy."

Old Li was dead serious today, no trace of his usual levity.

"No problem. Playing the dignified noble? I’ve got that down."

Li Mo’s face settled into an icy mask, as if he’d mastered the art of aloofness long ago.

He then asked,

"By the way, Father, doesn’t Emperor Jiang have a proxy? I heard the Sky Clan possesses a divine sword—does that mean all sword-related power belongs to him?"

"Correct. But Emperor Jiang has never shown interest in appointing one. A shame—he’s the strongest of the Sky Clan..."

"Well, actually, the strongest is—"

"Right, right, I know already."

Old Li cut him off before he could finish.

"Young ones of Earth City, step forward."

Traditionally, the Sky Clan bestowed power upon Earth City’s youth.

But under Jiang Yu’s rule, Sky City had tightened its grip on Earth City.

For stability, power was no longer granted to the most talented but to the most suitable candidates from aristocratic families—no longer distributed among commoners.

Of course, if someone’s talent was truly exceptional, multiple Sky Clan members might take interest.

This meant wielding multiple powers—and answering to multiple patrons.

Unsurprisingly, Li Mo was destined to receive Feng Zhi’s blessing.

"Why is there a Sky Clan lord of fire but none for forging? The craft clearly exists."

"If my smithing reaches perfection, could I command the path of forging myself?"

As he waited, these thoughts churned in Li Mo’s mind.

Soon, it was his turn. He felt countless transcendent gazes fix upon him—especially the wild queen-like woman, whose stare was so intense it was unsettling.

Her eyes seemed filled with shock and disbelief.

"Brother... brother-in-law?"

"???"