chapter 2 ===

Crossing the courtyard, amidst the well-arranged buildings, one layer after another, the Xu family held a respectable position in Canglan City. They were one of the four major families, and though their heritage might not match the other three, it was still formidable. Silvianus Xu had long reached the pinnacle of the Soul washing, making him one of the top ten experts in Canglan City. The house was in complete disarray, a foul smell permeated the air, dirty clothes piled up in the corners, and a couple of smelly socks were tossed aside. "Interesting, he's already married to the young Lady of the Xu family and still lives in this rundown courtyard." Verdantius Liu rubbed his nose. The wedding feast yesterday was not grand. It only invited a few elders from the family, hastily conducted, and as for the bridal chamber? Forget about the bridal chamber; he hadn't even entered it. He was thrown out before seeing his wife's face. In a fit of anger, he went to the brothel with some friends. Opening the wardrobe, he found a set of azure robes, put them on, and left the room. Passing through the hall, he entered the inner hall where the head of the Xu family resided—a place ordinary people couldn't enter. In the main hall, three people sat at a table: Silvianus Xu, the father-in-law; Sleeth Yang, the mother-in-law; and his wife, Valerrie Xu. Valerrie Xu was stunning, breathtakingly beautiful, emitting a quiet and noble aura. Long eyelashes, a high nose bridge, rosy and charming lips, a well-proportioned figure with alluring curves – a perfect embodiment of charm. Verdantius Liu, as an immortal emperor who had lived for thousands of years, had seen countless beauties. Most memorable was Violet, the number one beauty in the immortal realm. Compared to her, Valerrie Xu was not inferior. "This woman is my wife?" With such looks and temperament, she could easily captivate the mortal world. Calling her a calamity to men wouldn't be an exaggeration. How could a woman like her marry such a waste? Valerrie Xu glanced at him, her brows slightly furrowed, but she quickly regained her expressionless demeanor. Last night's events had a significant impact on the Xu family, and her cold gaze no longer fell on him. This disappointment was as deep as a dead heart. Reflecting on it, Verdantius Liu sighed internally, moving his gaze away from Valerrie Xu and stepping into the main hall. Verdantius Liu didn't sit down but stood aside. Sleeth Yang's expression was unpleasant, almost wishing to kick him out. Silvianus Xu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger. "Can you explain what happened last night?" Silvianus Xu spoke first, a hint of questioning in his tone. Verdantius Liu had grown up under his care, treated like a son. Despite his recent indulgence, Silvianus Xu had endured it. However, last night's scene filled him with righteous indignation, and he needed an explanation. "There's nothing to explain. It happened, and explanations are unnecessary." Verdantius Liu calmly replied, further infuriating Silvianus Xu. He raised his hand but quickly put it down. If Verdantius Liu had admitted fault, it would have been easier to accept. However, Verdantius Liu's response made any explanation seem redundant. Unaware that Verdantius Liu had already met his demise last night, Silvianus Xu's appearance made him feel the concern of family. In his past life, he had been alone, relying on a blood-stained blade to rise step by step. Now that he had a family, an inexplicable urge to protect them welled up within him. As for the events of yesterday, he would investigate and find out who wanted to kill him. "Brother Liu, a person of great stature, how could he have such a useless son? Truly disgracing the face of the Liu family. What you did yesterday was worse than a beast." Sleeth Yang stood up, exploding with anger. This incident had brought shame to the Xu family throughout Canglan City and even the entire Yan Empire. They would have to bow their heads in disgrace in the future. Verdantius Liu didn't retort. Memories of his parents in his previous life were already blurred, his parents disappeared mysteriously when he was young. "This has nothing to do with my parents. It's my fault, and I will bear the consequences." Verdantius Liu frowned slightly. Except for Silvianus Xu, the rest of the Xu family had never treated him well. As for Valerrie Xu, she had always been aloof, despite growing up together. "Bear the consequences? What can you bear? People outside are saying that our Xu family failed to discipline you, and they want you handed over to be beaten to death." Sleeth Yang sneered. If it weren't for her husband still having some status, could he stand here intact now? He would have been beaten to death long ago. All sorts of derogatory words poured out from her mouth, but Verdantius Liu remained unmoved, quietly listening. Over the years, he owed too much to the Xu family. A few curses wouldn't harm him. "Enough!" Silvianus Xu interrupted Sleeth Yang. Continuing like this would be undignified. Despite Verdantius Liu's shortcomings, he was the only son of Brother Liu. Without Brother Liu, the Xu family would have perished long ago. He remembered this favor deeply. "Father-in-law, mother-in-law, if there's nothing else, I'll leave." Verdantius Liu bowed respectfully, regardless of their response. After speaking, he walked out of the main hall, displaying calmness throughout. Normally, when scolded by Sleeth Yang, he would occasionally retort or joke back. Today's attitude seemed unusual. Could it be that yesterday's events had dealt him a severe blow? "If there's nothing urgent, don't go out. Stay at home honestly and cultivate." As Verdantius Liu was about to leave the hall, Silvianus Xu's voice came through, warming his heart. He paused for a moment, nodded slightly, and returned to his residence. After cleaning the room, washing the dirty clothes, he sat cross-legged and was about to examine the mysterious characters appearing in his mind when his consciousness entered his soul sea. "This is the long-lost Tai Huang script." Verdantius Liu was astonished. The Tai Huang script had long disappeared. In the mortal realm, no one would recognize it, and even in the immortal realm, there were no more than five individuals familiar with it, and he was one of them. The Tai Huang World, born at the beginning of the universe, had long perished, fading into the river of history. After spending the time it takes to burn an incense stick, he organized all the Tai Huang scripts. Every word was precious, leading to the core of the Dao. The most terrifying part was the last paragraph: "Everything in the world, nothing it does not devour, nothing it does not refine, nothing it does not transform." "The God Swallow formula of Tai Huang!" Large characters floated in front of him, majestic and profound, emanating a primitive aura that burst forth from his body. "Such a formidable technique! Compared to the Primordial Immortality formula I cultivated in my past life; they are not in the same league." The Primordial Immortality formula was undoubtedly one of the top techniques in the fairyland. In his past life, he reached the Immortal Emperor realm through this technique. Could this The God Swallow formula of Tai Huang break through the shackles of heaven and earth and reach a higher level? Verdantius Liu dared not think further. What would come after the Immortal Emperor? No one knew. "I hope the God Swallow formula of Tai Huang is not like other immortal realm techniques, impossible for mortals to cultivate." He muttered to himself. Having just tried several cultivation techniques, none of them worked. Feeling uneasy, he followed the guidance of the God Swallow formula of Tai Huang and began cultivating. At the moment of activation, the entire courtyard became extremely restless. Spiritual energy floating in the void made a sizzling sound, rushing in madly through the cracks in the door and entering his body. A large amount of spiritual energy turned into a liquid, entering his dantian, absorbed by the God Swallow tripod, causing Verdantius Liu to be even more amazed. "Self-absorption of spiritual energy?" Regardless, the fact that he could cultivate the God Swallow formula of Tai Huang was a good thing. As for the God Swallow tripod absorbing most of it, he didn't mind much. Confirming that cultivation was possible, he opened up completely, fully activating the God Swallow formula of Tai Huang. The terrifying spiritual energy formed a liquid that surged through his meridians. Nurtured by spiritual energy, the frail meridians emitted a faint luster. A large amount of black impurities overflowed from his pores, filling the entire room with a foul smell. Activating the technique, he repelled the foul odor, revealing new, smooth skin. His entire body exuded a breath of rebirth, like a newborn baby. "Pulp washing!" In just the time it took for a joss stick to burn, more than half of the impurities in his body were cleared. If he continued cultivating, the benefits would be even greater. The body was the foundation, and the more solid it was, the higher his future achievements would be. Verdantius Liu was well aware of this and wouldn't hesitate to extract excess spiritual energy to temper his physical body. For now, he wasn't in a hurry to break through realms. An hour quietly passed... Opening his eyes, a cold light shot out, forming two sharp auras. "Not bad. Cultivating for an hour, the The God Swallow tripod produced ten drops of mysterious liquid." Pouring out the liquid, it flowed into his body, continuing the transformation. A powerful vortex brewed around him, and his meridians emitted a drumming sound, like a galloping herd of horses. The Second Stage of acquired! The Third Stage of acquired! The Fourth Stage of acquired! In just a few breaths of time, from a waste in the First Stage of acquired, he continuously broke through several realms, reaching the Fourth Stage of acquired before slowly stopping. Exhaling a turbid breath, he felt comfortable all over. His entire being seemed to have been reborn after bathing in blood. His skin exuded a dusty aura. Stepping out of the room, standing under the banyan tree, he lowered his head in contemplation. "Cultivation cannot do without financial support. If I want to quickly advance realms, I need a substantial amount of money. Relying solely on the God Swallow formula of Tai Huang won't be enough. The top priority is to refine the Prolonging Elixir, purchase materials to refine Body-Tempering Liquid, and repeatedly forge the body in the Stage of acquired." Touching his smooth chin, he muttered silently. Taking out paper and pen, he wrote down the materials needed to refine the Prolonging Elixir. After hesitating for a moment, he wrote down a prescription, folded it, and put it in his chest. It was already late morning, and the entire Xu family was bustling with activity. Closing the courtyard door, walking through the corridor, he encountered several Xu family servants on the way, looking disdainful, never having had a favorable impression of this young master. "Shameful, utterly disgraceful. Our Xu family will find it hard to lift our heads in Canglan City in the future." As Verdantius Liu had not left yet, there were whispers behind him. A few maids were pointing fingers and gossiping about him. "The most heartbroken should be the young Lady. On her first day of marriage, this waste actually went to visit a brothel. Fine, if he wanted to visit, he could have, but he even behaved shamefully. Now, the whole Canglan City knows. It's common knowledge."