Chapter 1: The Eighteen Fortresses of Lianyun

　　In the 8329th year of the Western Wu calendar, the world was in chaos, human life as cheap as grass, feudal lords carving up the land, and heroes rising everywhere. Emperor Mingwu ascended the throne, suppressed the rebellion of the three great feudal lords, slaughtered countless people, and brought a brief peace to the realm.

　　In the central region of the Western Wu Empire, within Donglin County, deep in the Lianyun Mountain Range, the trees towered into the sky, the cliffs were steep and majestic, and hidden within the depths of the dense forest stood eighteen stone fortresses. These fortresses rose grandly, and no one knew how much effort the predecessors had spent to move those massive, square stones here to build such magnificent structures.

　　Each of the eighteen castles housed a clan of the same surname and bloodline, collectively known as the Eighteen Fortresses of Lianyun, a well-known force in Donglin County.

　　Ye Family Fortress, Martial Training Ground.

　　The morning sunlight shone through the gap between two distant mountains. Dawn had just broken, yet the place was already bustling with people.

　　""In the way of martial arts, diligence makes up for lack of talent. When the morning sun rises, it is the time when vital energy is most vigorous and abundant. If you train diligently at this time, you can achieve twice the result with half the effort."" A robust middle-aged man was instructing a group of youths in martial arts. The Ye Family Fortress was home to several thousand members of the Ye clan, and there were two to three hundred youths aged ten to eighteen suitable for martial training.

　　These youths stood in formation, practicing their fist techniques, their movements crisp and sharp, perfectly synchronized.

　　""Unmoving like a mountain, moving like thunder. The key to defeating the enemy is, first and foremost, speed. In all martial arts under heaven, speed is invincible. The martial techniques of our Ye family emphasize, above all, the word 'speed'!""

　　The middle-aged man demonstrated a set of fist techniques, fierce and powerful, his punches accompanied by the faint sound of rolling thunder. This was the Ye family's Thunderclap Fist, a unique technique paired with the Ye clan's cultivation of Thunder Roar Inner Strength, renowned for its domineering and ferocious power.

　　The howling wind generated by the Thunder Roar Inner Strength stung the faces of the youths like knife cuts, forcing them all to retreat more than twenty feet.

　　""Third Uncle is amazing!""

　　""Of course! Third Uncle is now the third strongest in the Ye family, second only to the family head and the head of the Hall of Enforcement."" They all looked at the middle-aged man with admiration.

　　This middle-aged man was named William York, responsible for instructing the younger generation of the clan, and held in high esteem within the family.

　　The youths on the field erupted in wave after wave of cheers, dazzled by William York's brilliant display of martial arts.

　　About a hundred paces away from the noisy crowd, a youth sat cross-legged on a stone at the edge of the training ground. He sat with his eyes closed, like a Buddha statue, the morning sunlight shining on him but unable to penetrate his heart.

　　He looked to be seventeen or eighteen, tall and slender, his features chiseled, long brows like swords, a nose like a hanging gallbladder, exuding heroic spirit. Yet, in his expression there was a steadiness and focus beyond his years. The youth's name was Charles York.

　　He had lost count of how many times it had happened: every time he tried to breathe and circulate energy according to the Thunder Roar Inner Strength method, the gathered mystical energy would quickly dissipate in his shattered meridians. His body simply could not store any mystical energy.

　　Two clan youths walked by, and upon seeing Charles York sitting motionless, showed expressions of disdain and contempt.

　　""His meridians are completely broken. It's impossible for him to gather mystical energy anymore, yet he still puts on a show here every day.""

　　""What a waste, using up so many pills every day. If those pills were given to others, who knows how many family experts could be cultivated. Giving them to him is like feeding them to a dog. If I were him, I'd have jumped into the river long ago. How could I have the face to keep living?""

　　""Keep your voice down. He's still the clan leader's son.""

　　""So what if he's the clan leader's son? Among the Ye family juniors, we've never distinguished between noble and humble. Why should he be any more precious?""

　　The two clan youths deliberately spoke loudly, and their words reached Charles York's ears. Charles York kept his eyes closed, ignoring them, forcing himself to endure it. He smiled wryly to himself; if it had been the old him, he would have rushed up to fight them, but now, he had learned to endure. Now, he was nothing but a cripple, no match for those two at all.

　　In the past, Charles York had reached the fifth level of mystical energy at twelve, the sixth at thirteen, and the peak of the sixth at fourteen. He was the undisputed top talent of the younger generation in Ye Family Fortress, hailed as a genius not seen in a hundred years. Later, during a family mission, Charles York and five other young family experts ventured deep into the Lianyun Mountains to hunt demon beasts, but were ambushed. The five young experts were all killed. The enemies seemed intent on tormenting Charles York, crippling all his meridians. Though he was rescued by his clan, from then on, Charles York became a cripple.

　　In the Western Wu Empire, strength is everything. Those without strength can only be bullied. If it weren't for the fact that the morning's vital energy was most suitable for recovering meridians, he wouldn't have come to such a crowded place.