He could feel that the black broken sword was constantly changing, but the process was just far too slow. Yet, even dripping water can wear through stone—after ten years, the moment of transformation was finally approaching!

It would be in these next few days!

This hope supported him through the blazing sun, the scorching heat that could burn his backside, the endless monotony of meditation—constantly cultivating, cultivating, cultivating, to feed the insatiable appetite of the black broken sword in his dantian.

Except for mealtimes, Henry Dawson sat on the rock cultivating the entire time. If it weren’t for the fact that his cultivation method was the Blazing Sun Art, which could convert the heat, he would have been roasted into a dried corpse by now!

A few more hours passed. As the sun set, Henry Dawson staggered to his feet and walked toward his dwelling.

“Trying to leave? Crawl under me first!” A young man suddenly blocked Henry Dawson’s path, arms crossed and a proud smile on his face. Beside him stood four other youths, watching the scene unfold.

Chapter 2: Turning Point

The youth blocking the way was named Eric Dawson, the same age as Henry Dawson, also seventeen. However, his cultivation was much higher than Henry Dawson’s—he was already at the sixth level of Body Refinement, just one step away from reaching the Bone Refinement stage!

Eric Dawson’s father was named James Dawson, who was also quite talented. Unfortunately, he had the misfortune of being born in the same generation as a genius like David Dawson! Under the brilliance of David Dawson, James Dawson naturally faded into the background, always the tragic supporting character.

Because of this, James Dawson hated David Dawson to the core. Sadly, no matter how hard he tried, he could never catch up to David Dawson—even though David Dawson spent most of his time searching for spiritual herbs for Henry Dawson.

What comforted him was that his son had inherited his talent, reaching the sixth level of Body Refinement early on—a level that Henry Dawson could only look up to.

With James Dawson’s secret encouragement, Eric Dawson had always made life difficult for Henry Dawson. Situations like this had happened countless times.

“Big loser, what, are you deaf?” Eric Dawson jeered, laughing. What had started as his father’s orders had now become a habit; it seemed he couldn’t go a day without bullying Henry Dawson.

Henry Dawson stared coldly at him. This guy dared to be so arrogant because his grandfather was also an elder of the clan!

According to the Zhou family’s rules, anyone who reached the Blood Refinement stage could become an elder, regardless of age or seniority. Once you became an elder, you entered the power center of the Zhou family, wielding far more authority than the symbolic family head!

Eric Dawson’s grandfather, John Dawson, was at the twelfth level of Body Refinement—the Zhou family’s top expert and the highest-ranking elder, holding great power! On top of that, since David Dawson was often away searching for “cures” for Henry Dawson, James Dawson dared to instruct his son to bully Henry Dawson.

“Get lost!” Henry Dawson said coolly, trying to walk around.

—The other party could only show off with words; he wouldn’t dare actually lay a hand on him. After all, Henry Dawson wasn’t some pitiful orphan without a father!

“Big loser, your good days are coming to an end!” Eric Dawson shifted his feet and blocked Henry Dawson again. “In just over three months, it’ll be the year-end celebration. The family rules state that anyone who’s eighteen and hasn’t reached the Flesh Refinement stage will be removed from the family register, forbidden from further cultivation, and forced to go into business to earn profits for the family!”

“From now on, when you see me, remember to call me ‘sir’!”

“And as for this crotch, whether you want to or not, you’ll have to crawl through it! Ha, ha ha ha!”

Eric Dawson laughed loudly, full of pride.

Henry Dawson frowned. It was true—the family did have such a rule.

Although the Zhou family was the only martial clan in Yuanshi Town, ruling over more than two thousand people, their income was high but so were their expenses, especially when it came to supporting martial artists’ cultivation!

Martial cultivation meant extracting energy from food and converting it into true essence. As a result, martial artists had enormous appetites—eating five or six, even eight or nine meals a day was not unusual, and each meal could equal what an ordinary family of three ate in a whole day!

That was enough to bankrupt a moderately well-off household!

The Zhou family had nearly four hundred members. If everyone cultivated, even the Zhou family’s resources couldn’t support it. So, the family had this rule: those with poor talent or unsuited for martial arts would go into business instead, supporting the family’s martial artists.

Such sacrifice was necessary!

Without powerful martial strength, how could the Zhou family protect its legacy? Enforcing equality would only lead to the family’s decline!

Although doing business was also a contribution to the family, this world revered strength above all. Once you became a merchant, you didn’t even qualify to remain in the family register—only a little better than a servant.

Henry Dawson was only at the first level of Body Refinement, and just the early stage at that. To break through to the Flesh Refinement stage in just over three months? That was pure wishful thinking!

No wonder Eric Dawson was so smug. If Henry Dawson was forced into business, what face would David Dawson have left?

Looking at the petty, villainous expression on the other’s face, Henry Dawson couldn’t help but clench his fists tightly, wishing he could punch him right now!

But he held back.

The gap between them was too great. He wouldn’t even be able to land a hit, and would only give Eric Dawson an excuse to strike back. If he got beaten, it would still be his own fault—after all, the other’s elder-grandfather was no figurehead.

Endure!

One day, he would repay this humiliation a hundredfold!