With a single burst of energy, William Nash's spiritual power instantly transformed into a sharp, giant sword, slashing toward the light. Boom! A thunderous roar erupted in his qi sea, as if the world was being split open. The bloodline factor suddenly expanded into the shape of a planet, spinning as it autonomously absorbed nourishing spiritual energy from the outside world.

The bloodline factor completely transformed into a dantian!

"It's done! Back then, just opening my first dantian took me a full three months!"

Seeing the dantian in his qi sea absorbing spiritual energy every minute, strengthening him, William Nash's eyes shone with excitement.

Transforming the bloodline factor into a dantian was now very simple, but the first time had cost him countless resources—spiritual herbs, external help—and it took three whole months to succeed. When activating the bloodline factor, the timing between spiritual energy and mental power had to be perfect; even a slight mistake would lead to failure!

However, for William Nash, who in his previous life had reached the peak of the dantian acupoint realm, these things were nothing.

The transformation into a dantian meant that the spiritual energy in his qi sea could now be nourished by the dantian, and his strength was already equal to his previous life at age sixteen, once again reaching the early stage of the third level, the Qi Nourishing Realm!

Once all the gases in the qi sea were fully refined and nourished, he would reach the peak of the Qi Nourishing Realm, able to distinguish the false from the true and break through to the fourth level, the True Qi Realm!

Cultivators with bloodline factors could have their dantian autonomously refine and nourish spiritual energy, while ordinary martial artists could only rely on their own cultivation—the difference in speed was obvious! After all, no matter how hard someone worked, it's impossible to cultivate twenty-four hours a day without eating or drinking!

As for top royal cultivators like his father Edward Nash back then, their speed was even more terrifying. Seven dantians would simultaneously absorb and refine spiritual energy, the speed was simply astonishing!

"Stop wasting my time. William Nash was disrespectful and, as an outer branch member, offended an inner branch member, violating clan rules. This is the clan's punishment order, delivered personally by the law enforcement disciples. You have three days to hand over ten thousand taels of silver as compensation, or else you'll be expelled from the family and never allowed to return!"

He had only been cultivating for a short while when William Nash heard an arrogant, cold snort from the courtyard, followed by someone striding in as they spoke.

The Nie family, like any ordinary family on the continent, assessed all its members every two years. Based on their talent and strength, they were classified as inner or outer branch. Inner branch members could stay at the family headquarters in the center of Luoshui City, while outer branch members were sent out to various places to manage the family's businesses!

William Nash's Nie Tian branch, when his father was strong, had always lived in the core area of the Nie residence. After his father gave up on himself and could no longer participate in the family competition, combined with being ostracized, they fell to their current state.

Outer branch members were like collateral relatives, while inner branch members were direct descendants—their status and rights within the family were vastly different.

"Ten thousand taels in compensation? Our Nie Tian branch really doesn't have that much money... Could you please report to the clan and ask for some leniency?" his mother's voice sounded.

After his father fell into despair and drank all day, all matters of the Nie Tian branch were handled by his mother alone—she was, in fact, the head of the branch.

"Leniency? Heh, if you can't pay, that's fine too. Doesn't your family have a Luoshui Golden Shield? Hand it over as collateral!" the voice sneered.

"The Luoshui Golden Shield was personally awarded to Edward by the city lord of Luoshui when he won the Luoshui Talents Tournament. It represents the supreme honor of our Nie Tian branch—it absolutely cannot be used as collateral..."

"Honor? Your branch wants honor? You have honor?" the voice was thick with sarcasm and mockery. "You wretched woman, calling you 'aunt' is giving you face. Don't push your luck. I'm telling you, if you can't come up with ten thousand taels, then hand over the Luoshui Golden Shield immediately. If you make me angry, believe it or not, I'll drag William Nash out and beat him again, and still accuse him of offending an inner branch member!"

"Drag me out and beat me again?"

Before the arrogant words were finished, the tightly closed door creaked open, and a calm yet icy voice suddenly echoed through the entire courtyard.

"I really want to ask you... did a donkey kick you in the head or something!"

Chapter 0002: Meridian Bone-Grinding Technique

While in the room, William Nash already knew who had come—it was Charles Nash, the one who had seriously injured him five days ago!

Charles Nash was an inner branch member. Although he had only activated one bloodline factor, with the clan's supply of pills and techniques, his cultivation speed was no slower than William Nash's in his previous life, perhaps even faster. Now, he had already reached the peak of the third level, the Qi Nourishing Realm, several levels higher than William Nash, who was only at the early stage!

However, now that William Nash had fused the memories of two lifetimes, his combat experience was hundreds of times greater than even the Nie family patriarch's. Let alone someone at the peak of the Qi Nourishing Realm—even if someone at the fourth level, the True Qi Realm, came, he'd still beat them to a pulp!

In his previous life, lacking the combat experience he had now, this guy had seriously injured him and then falsely accused him in the clan of attacking an inner branch member, resulting in his branch being punished with a ten-thousand-tael silver compensation!

The Nie Tian branch, poor and destitute, couldn't pay and was finally forced to hand over the Luoshui Golden Shield, the highest honor representing their branch and his father!

Being unable to protect his family's honor was a humiliation for anyone!

Because of this, his father fell gravely ill and nearly died!