Immortal Among Mortals

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the lingering rays of dusk over South Hill City. Moss clung to the corners of the city's towering stone walls. Before the main gates, civilians, merchants, and carriages lined up to enter. Inside, the streets branched out in every direction, lined with bustling inns, shops, and willow-shaded alleys. Children played in the side streets while street vendors hawked their delicacies along the walkways. A few martial artists beat gongs and drums, gathering crowds for their performances. Cooking smoke curled upward from the courtyards, gently blurring the twilight.

​Sixteen-year-old Fang Wang stepped through the grand entrance of the Duke of Fang’s Manor. Clad in a tailored white robe, he possessed a refined and spirited aura—combining the sharp intellect of a scholar with the heroic vigor of a young warrior. The gatekeepers beamed as they greeted him, and without a hint of arrogance, he nodded in return.

​"The 'Shadow Step' truly is extraordinary—not a single soul can touch me within five paces," he muttered with a faint smile. His Internal Power had already reached the legendary heights of martial lore, and he was a master of the world's finest sword, palm, and movement techniques. He felt utterly invincible.

After all, he was only sixteen!

​Sixteen years since his reincarnation, he had already reached the absolute peak of mortal potential. Now, he could finally enjoy life to the fullest.

​As Fang Wang pondered his future, passing servants bowed and greeted him, calling him the Thirteenth Young Master.

​Fang Wang’s grandfather, Fang Meng, was a founding hero of the Grand Qi Dynasty who held the distinguished title of a second-rank Duke. His father, Fang Yin, was Fang Meng’s youngest son. Being the thirteenth oldest among the third generation of grandchildren, Fang Wang naturally earned the title of Thirteenth Young Master.

In a place reminiscent of an ancient dynasty, the atmosphere within the Duke of Fang’s Manor was remarkably harmonious, free from the usual schemings and deceit—likely because Duke Fang Meng still held absolute authority.

​Leveraging the connections and influence of the Duke's Manor, Fang Wang had begun collecting peerless martial arts secrets since the age of twelve. Four years into his grueling training, he could unleash internal force capable of exerting the strength of a hundred elephants. Yet, no one knew of this—they merely saw him as a noble scion of the Fang Residence who longed for the life of a martial artist.

​Entering the garden, Fang Wang noticed a group of maidservants gathered together, whispering and gossiping about the affairs of the Fang Residence. His sharp hearing allowed him to catch their conversation effortlessly, even from ten yards away.

​"Zhou Xue has truly gone mad—today she went around telling every young master that the Fang Residence will soon be annihilated."

​"I heard it too! She's certainly bold, visiting all the masters residing here. Now her father has locked her in her quarters."

​"Who would dare annihilate our Fang Residence? Even the current Emperor wouldn't dare!"

​"Shh, keep your voice down! You can't say such things out loud."

​"Considering how much her adoptive father dotes on her, she'll probably be released in a few days anyway."

At the word "annihilation," Fang Wang’s heart skipped a beat.

​The Fang Residence... will be annihilated?

​After listening for a moment longer to weigh his thoughts, he decided to check it out himself, as he had nothing better to do. There had to be a reason behind Zhou Xue's abnormal behavior.

​With that, Fang Wang made his way toward Zhou Xue’s courtyard.

​His grand-uncle, Fang Zhen, had been a soldier in his youth and nearly sacrificed his life on the battlefield. Fortunately, Zhou Xue’s biological father had saved him, though Fang Zhen was still left with a lifelong disability. After leaving the army, he brought the ashes of his savior back to his homeland. At that time, Zhou Xue’s mother was bedridden with illness; upon hearing the tragic news, she lost all hope and passed away shortly after. Left with no choice, Fang Zhen brought the infant Zhou Xue back to the Fang Residence and raised her as his own adopted daughter.

​Zhou Xue had always been reclusive, rarely leaving her courtyard. Since childhood, Fang Wang had only seen her a handful of times, remembering her as an awkward girl his age with a delicate face.

​Usually well-protected by her adoptive father, it was highly unlikely for Zhou Xue to suddenly suffer a mental breakdown. Was there truly a threat of annihilation looming over them?

​A heavy feeling weighed upon Fang Wang’s chest. What kind of faction possessed the power to threaten a Duke's Manor?

​Could this be the Emperor's intention?

​The Duke's Manor was vast, occupying a fifth of South Hill City—essentially a city within a city. The household servants numbered in the thousands, and occasionally, Fang Wang would see his eldest uncle, Fang Xing, training the guard servants in martial arts.

​Could a place like this truly face destruction?

​Fang Wang quickened his pace. Circulating his Internal Power, he focused his breathing with the 'Condensation' technique and silently glided forward using the 'Bewildering Step' to eavesdrop from outside Zhou Xue's window.

​The room was silent, yet Fang Wang could discern Zhou Xue’s hurried breathing; her emotions were clearly unsettled.

​After a long pause.

​"Sigh... To think that I, once a Venerable Immortal, have returned to my youth, yet remain powerless to alter my family's fate. Is heaven playing a cruel joke on me? If only I had returned a month earlier, none of this would have happened..."

​Fang Wang caught Zhou Xue’s soft lament, a murmur imperceptible to ordinary ears.

​Returned to her youth?

​Rebirth?

​And... a Venerable Immortal?

​Fang Wang’s heart shuddered. In all his years since reincarnating into this world, he had heard countless legends of immortals, but never of rebirth. Zhou Xue spoke with such absolute conviction—could it be true?

​He didn't dare gamble on the alternative. After all, he himself was a reincarnated soul. Meeting another individual who had experienced rebirth was hardly impossible.

​The thought of the Fang Residence facing total destruction made him feel suffocated. His parents in this life treated him dearly, as did his uncles. He loved the Fang Residence and could not stand by and watch it be destroyed.

​There were no further words from Zhou Xue, and the room fell back into silence. After a moment of hesitation, Fang Wang pushed open the window and lightly vaulted inside.

​Zhou Xue showed no signs of panic. She simply sat calmly at a table, looking up at him.

​She wore a simple blue dress with delicate makeup. Although her hair was slightly disheveled, she still appeared elegant and beautiful, maintaining the dignified demeanor of a noble lady.

​They locked eyes, and for a moment, silence filled the room.

​"Your movement technique is remarkable—I didn't sense your presence at all. Who are you?" Zhou Xue broke the silence with a question.

​Upon hearing this, Fang Wang clenched his right fist, hiding it inside his sleeve.

​'Am I really that obscure within the Fang Residence? Fine, I admit I’ve kept a low profile for the past sixteen years, which pales in comparison to the abundant talents and arrogance of my brothers,' Fang Wang thought to himself.

Fang Wang said, "I am Fang Wang, and my father is Fang Yin."

​Zhou Xue narrowed her eyes and asked coldly, "How long have you been standing out there?"

​"After hearing about your visits to my uncles and your warning that the Fang Residence faces complete annihilation, I came here with the mindset that it's better to believe it than ignore it. However, this matter is of grave importance, and I didn’t dare trust it completely," Fang Wang replied, smoothly bypassing her question and directing the conversation toward the imminent crisis facing their family.

​Zhou Xue frowned. She had initially intended to drive him away, but remembering his movement skills—which were surprisingly high—she realized he might prove to be a significant help.

​Though she had been a Venerable Immortal in her past life, she was now reborn into a body weaker than an ordinary mortal. With only seven days left, she lacked the strength to alter her family's doomed fate on her own.

​"Did you hear anything earlier?" Zhou Xue fixed her gaze on Fang Wang, realizing she had been careless. She could only blame herself; first, for knowing too little about the experts within the Fang Residence in her previous life, and second, for her own unsettled mind following her rebirth.

​In her past life, the Fang Residence had been slaughtered overnight, leaving only her and a fortunate few to escape. Consequently, she had unconsciously assumed that the Fang Residence possessed no true experts, leading her to speak her innermost thoughts aloud in her room.

Fang Wang paused for a moment before deciding to lay all his cards on the table, as the survival of the Fang Residence was at stake. "You claimed you were reborn, and I am willing to try and believe you. Since you are the rebirth of an Immortal, your mind must contain Immortal Laws. I'm not asking you to prove them all to me—just teach me a single move at random. I have a way to verify its authenticity. If it is genuine, then I will gladly trust your words and join you in reversing the fate of the Fang Residence. After all, I carry the surname Fang as well."

​Deep within his mind lay the Heavenly Palace—a space he had discovered when he first cultivated Internal Power. Whenever he began practicing his Internal Power or martial arts, his consciousness would enter the Heavenly Palace, where he could remain without needing to eat or drink until he cultivated the skill to absolute perfection. Only then could his consciousness leave the Heavenly Palace and return to the real world.

​No matter how many years he spent inside the Heavenly Palace, only an instant passed in reality.

​This was the sole reason he had reached the legendary realm of martial arts at the mere age of sixteen.

​Zhou Xue’s eyebrows knitted together as she glared sharply at Fang Wang, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. She did not speak right away.

​Fang Wang was in no hurry either. Sitting down at the table across from her, he patiently awaited her response.

​Truthfully, he had hoped to quietly master his martial arts before traveling the world to live a free and uncontained life. He never expected to encounter a catastrophe like this.

Although Fang Wang felt troubled, his current mastery of martial arts allowed him to remain composure and calm on the surface.

​Outside the window, the sun gradually sank beneath the horizon. The lingering twilight glowed like fresh blood, painting a scene that was both tragic and beautiful.

​Zhou Xue broke the silence, asking, "Why do I need your trust? You are merely a third-generation scion with no authority in family affairs."

​Fang Wang replied calmly, "Because right now, you have no other choice. If you gain my trust, I will back you with everything I have. The words of a single junior of the Fang Family might be dismissed as a joke, but what about two? At the very least, I can convince my father. If it means saving our family's survival, and if what you say is true, then please trust me."

​Hearing this, Zhou Xue felt there was logic in his words. Indeed, she had no alternative; the Fang Residence had to be warned.

​"Very well. I cannot simply watch the Fang Residence fall. Since you are the only one willing to try and believe me, I will teach you the Sword Control Technique. The Sword Control Technique is the introductory spell for an Immortal cultivator and serves as the threshold between martial arts and true Cultivation," Zhou Xue said softly. Hearing this, Fang Wang gave a slight nod, feeling secretly tense inside.

​He hoped it was real, yet he feared it was real.

​If it was real, then the Fang Residence truly faced an unimaginable catastrophe.

​But if it was real, the pursuit of eternal life through Cultivation was also real...

​If one could cultivate to become an immortal, who would bother practicing ordinary martial arts?

​Zhou Xue began reciting the mnemonic formula for the Sword Control Technique, and Fang Wang listened attentively.

​The Sword Control Technique emphasized emitting Spiritual Energy to manipulate a Flying Sword. Fang Wang had once heard from a wandering knight that a legendary Sword Master a century ago could accomplish such feats. Could that person have been a Cultivator?

​Zhou Xue spoke while closely observing her opponent's expressions.

​Her cultivation level from her previous life was entirely gone, and even her mental state was now akin to that of an ordinary mortal, lacking the divine consciousness she had cultivated in the Upper Realm. All of this made her feel as though she were trapped in a dream.

What made her feel truly helpless was that seven days was simply too short; there was no time to start cultivating from scratch. Furthermore, her status was low, and no one believed her—except for the young man before her, who was willing to give her a chance.

​After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhou Xue finished imparting all the crucial points of the Sword Control Technique.

​The moment her words ceased, Fang Wang’s mind exploded with a roar, and his consciousness instantly arrived inside a magnificent, resplendent palace.

​This was his Heavenly Palace!

​When he first arrived years ago, he had stood outside the Heavenly Palace where he saw a plaque inscribed with the words 'Heavenly Palace'. Ever since, he would appear directly inside the main hall.

​The interior of the Heavenly Palace was vast, yet through his past explorations, this single hall was all that existed. On both sides of the hall stood eighteen types of weapons. He could visualize martial weapons and gear, creating anything at will. He could even alter the environment inside the hall with a mere thought.

​"It's real... It's actually real..."

​Fang Wang could barely contain his excitement. When Zhou Xue was explaining the Sword Control Technique, he had already found it remarkably profound. Now that he had entered the Heavenly Palace and confirmed that the Sword Control Technique was genuine, such a supreme technique was undoubtedly an authentic Cultivation Law!

​Most importantly, even if it was a Cultivation Law, he could still enter the Heavenly Palace!

​What did this mean?

​It meant that in the future, his cultivation would require no real-world time to master Cultivation Laws and Spells. This would be his greatest advantage!

​Fang Wang couldn't help but cheer aloud, entirely consumed by joy.

Since childhood, he had dreamed of roaming to the ends of the earth. He had planned to travel the world after turning eighteen, living a carefree life with his martial arts. Now that he knew Cultivation truly existed, the fire in his soul burned brighter than ever.

​After calming his emotions, Fang Wang remembered the dire fate threatening the Fang Residence and immediately began practicing the Sword Control Technique.

​Cultivating inside the Heavenly Palace was a lonely ordeal; it had taken him nearly twenty years to reach Great Perfection in his Internal Power. Combined with his other peerless martial arts, he appeared sixteen on the outside, but his soul had already lived for seventy to eighty years. Fortunately, the Heavenly Palace did not affect his physical lifespan in the real world.

​Fang Wang was proficient in first-rate sword techniques of his era and possessed his own unique understanding of swordsmanship. Practicing the Sword Control Technique was not difficult for him to comprehend conceptually, but the spell required a Cultivator's Spiritual Energy, whereas his body only contained a Martial Artist's True Qi. He wondered whether True Qi could manipulate a sword.

​Ten full years passed inside the palace before Fang Wang painstakingly achieved Great Perfection in the Sword Control Technique.

​Great Perfection was the absolute pinnacle of a supreme technique, far surpassing mere mastery.

​The moment he attained Great Perfection, his consciousness returned to the real world.

After Zhou Xue finished explaining the Sword Control Technique, she kept her eyes fixed on Fang Wang, eager to see what kind of reaction he would show. However, there was no change in his expression, which left her feeling slightly disappointed.

​She immediately asked, "Well? Do you believe me now, or not?"

​A brilliant light flashed in Fang Wang’s eyes, and a bright smile broke across his face, radiating the vibrant spirit of youth.

​"I believe you! A technique as extraordinary as this could never be concocted by ordinary folk. From this moment on, I will stand by your side to rewrite the destiny of the Fang Residence!" Fang Wang declared firmly, doing his best to suppress the surging excitement in his heart.

​Zhou Xue was taken aback, staring at Fang Wang with a strange expression.

​In her heart, she couldn't quite tell whether she felt relieved, moved, helpless, or simply amused.

​Outside the window, the twilight sun sank deeper below the horizon, as if reminding her that time was rapidly running out. She had no choice but to place her trust in the young man before her—just as he had chosen to trust her.