The world I see before me is tainted with dark colors.


    "You... have no talent."


    I was only two years old when it was discovered that I... had no talent. Not in the sense that I couldn''t cultivate. I was just so insignificant that no talent ranks could match me.


    Did the attitude towards me change? Of course. Suddenly, from a potential heir, I became an outcast. Although no one dared to touch me or make fun of me, I could hear their dirty whispers.


    "Sigh... this child''s talent is insignificant. It''s a shame to our family."


    The talk behind my back became louder and louder every day. Eventually, I grew up and realized what a disgrace I was.


    While my cousins were able to feel Qi at the age of five or six, I felt it only when I was ten.


    And then, as if in the blink of an eye, I turned twelve. And... for some reason, the whispers stopped. I was no longer condemned by the servants but looked at with admiration.


    And the reason was...


    "What the hell am I so handsome!"


    My beauty made even married women ignore their husbands. I gained power that my father never dreamed of... the power of beauty. Which was useless in fights, of course.


    One way or another... I''m very curious.


    Those images in my head, where I stand above the heavens... where I embrace someone''s body... where I smile brightly, despite being betrayed... where I bleed...


    Are they real?


    ***


    "Ugh..."


    Xie Qing groaned in pain as he felt a terrible headache. His sleeping position was ufortable... because he was sleeping on a tree.


    "I shouldn''t have taken the shorter path... there were cities with inns there!" the young man thought in despair.


    There were two main roads to the capital - one long and safe, the other ufortable and dangerous.


    The young man looked down and saw that a crowd of demonic beasts was waiting for him under the tree with "kind smiles." They licked their lips as if they had seen a juicy barbecue.


    "Tsk... what are you looking at, bastards?! Haven''t you ever seen a handsome guy, you motherfuckers?!" Xie Qing angrily shouted. His heart was bleeding at the thought that he would have to lose the opportunity to wake up in bed with the Master for some time.


    So he was angry. And anger needs to be released. So-


    BOOM!


    "Die, bitches!"


    ...I didn''t finish. One way or another, Xie Qing skillfully swung his sword, and with the first blow in flight, he cut off the head of a demonic monster resembling a bear. They were all at the level of a Qi Condensation cultivator, which was a mere joke for the current Xie Qing.


    Although he had to sacrifice efficient leveling for training over the past six months, he had acquired many new techniques during that time.


    [Princess Sword Style] | [Rank: Elite] | [Description: This sword stylebines all the experience of the Sword Princess, which she passed on to you directly into your mouth... eh! Here are over a hundred sword techniques and one movement technique. Mastering this skill to the fullest will allow you to increase its rank. Try it, hehe...]


    "RIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    A piercing sound rang out as Xie Qing cut the body of a demonic monster in the shape of an eagle in half. ck blood sttered on the young man''s face, and he felt his face burning. This was a natural poison.


    "Disgusting... a disgusting smell," he muttered coldly, his face contorted in disgust.


    And when he saw that one demonic monster in the shape of a boar was trying to escape, his foot quickly reacted and crushed its head, making the boar give a final grunt... or something like that.


    Looking at his foot, Xie Qing''s face became gloomy.


    "Why did I have to step on it with my foot... I just bought them yesterday... damn it!" he shouted in despair, and then looked at his appearance and sighed: "All bloody. Although, it must be said that despite the extreme cruelty, this sword technique is terrifying."


    This technique was taught to him by Xu Mei. She was very knowledgeable about the details of this technique, and therefore the young man was able to master it very quickly... in ten seconds.


    Upon learning of this legendary technique, Xie Qing was thrilled.


    The Sword Princess did not bear such a title for anything and was rightfully considered the legitimate owner. Her name was simr to that of the Sword Empress, and the difference in their appearance was only a thousand years.


    They once fought, and the Sword Princess lost with a crash. After that, they traveled together until the Sword Empress disappeared.


    Xie Qing didn''t even ask where Xu Mei got this technique from because ording to the records, the Sword Princess never had disciples. And although he had his suspicions, he understood that it was better not to delve into this topic, but to wait until the Master herself wanted to talk about it.


    ***


    Three damn days. That''s how long it took Xie Qing to reach at least one city.


    "Ugh... I''ll pay for it now. After so many days, I''ve seen nothing but countless beasts, and every morning started not with coffee, but with the stench of rotting corpses!"


    Xie Qing was touched and was about to cry. Although it was fun to kill monsters, it would undoubtedly be much better to spend time over a cup of coffee or hugging the Master.


    ...and it was precisely because of such a thought process that Xu Mei made him go to the capital alone to gain experience.


    Entering the city and not even needing to pay because of his cultivator status, Xie Qing sighed with relief. The air here was normal, there were no dangers, and instead of a crowd of hungry beasts, there were people.


    This made him very happy.


    Ordering a bath service, he washed up a bit and then went to the edge of the city to use the teleportation portal.


    "This will cost only 570,000 Huang, young master," the portal manager said with a ttering smile.


    "My money..."


    Although Xie Qing''s heart was bleeding, he had umted a little stockpile from those visits to Fang Lan, so he quickly paid and stood in the center of the formation. After a few seconds, the formation activated, and he disappeared in a bright sh.


    Traveling through formations was a kind of method of transporting people and goods that was widely used. Although the price was not cheap, it still justified itself.


    After the dizziness, Xie Qing came to his senses and found that he was in a secluded room.


    Beep!


    A beeping sound was heard, and then the door opened, and the crystal above the door lit up green. These were teleportation rooms, which were used when the teleported person was alone.


    "Ugh... teleportation is such a weird thing. I''m gonna puke..."


    The after-effects of teleportation through the formation were amon urrence for those who used them for the first time, so Xie Qing''s reaction was normal.


    ***


    Ancestral Cave. An event that even death does not bypass, because during these days the capital is full of various famous and influential people who havee for power.


    There were also disciples of the main sects. But there was no one among them from the number of heirs, as they had received their inheritance long ago, and you could only enter the Ancestral Cave once.


    Among the important disciples was Huang Jing. Next to him were two more disciples from the Sect of the Resting Eagle.


    "Eh, herees the time for boring things. I''ll have topete again to find a good technique for myself," Huang Jing muttered regretfully.


    "Young master... don''t start. Last time you said the same thing and disappeared. This time you will have to enter the Ancestral Cave," one of the disciples warned with a helpless look on his face.


    "Bah. Bah. Don''t remind me, I''ve already agreed," Huang Jing grumbled, waving his hand.


    However, the other two disciples did not believe him at all. Every time, Huang Jing ran away from the ce to enter the Red Light District, thus adding to their work. This time, the head of the Huang family strictly ordered Huang Jing to enter the Ancestral Cave.


    However, Huang Jing himself did not want to. He was ufortable with the thought of dealing with a bunch of wandering cultivators whose principles were not right.


    Most likely, he would have to kill disciples from other sects to get the best technique for himself. This was a cruel battlefield.


    And so, Huang Jing''s group approached the reserve gates, and there was already a big line there. But as disciples of the main sects, they could pass without a line.


    As Huang Jing passed through the crowds of people, he suddenly remembered a familiar face.


    "Hm? That''s... that guy I met."


    ***


    Xie Qing looked with boredom at the group in front of him. They were cultivators from the Starry Stream Sect, and there were three of them.


    "Listen, guard, we need to understand how your armor works! Sell it to us!"


    "..."


    The people from this sect were famous for being entrics and people obsessed with science. As guards of the capital, they had first-ss armor with formations, which these Core Formation cultivators wanted to study.


    And when their argument dragged on...


    "Hey..."


    Xie Qing couldn''t stand it.


    "Hm?"


    The trio turned and looked puzzled at Xie Qing, whose eyes were cold and full of annoyance.


    "You''re in the way. Either move on or get the hell out," Xie Qing said rudely.


    "What?"


    The trio exchanged nces, and then their faces showed disbelief. They couldn''t believe that they were spoken to so rudely, and they were already ready to curse Xie Qing, but seeing his cloak... they changed their minds.


    "Tsk, a disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect. All the people from there are crazy monsters, they''ll kill you for a crooked look. Let''s go, guys, let''s not get involved with him."


    "..."


    Xie Qing fell silent. Although he was pleased that these bastards finally left, his face contorted at their words.


    "What the hell do you mean? I''m the most rational person! Don''t confuse me with the crowd!"


    The guard, whom they finally left alone, finally sighed with relief. He looked at Xie Qing with gratitude.


    "Thank you, sir! You helped me out!"


    "It''s okay. Good job. If you meet such idiots again, threaten them with the status of a gate guard, and they''ll leave. No one wants to take responsibility for tarnishing the reputation of the sect," Xie Qing said with a smile and, without waiting for the guard''s response, walked through the gates.


    The guard could only think...


    "Brother, you look so cool! But... why did you cut the clothes of those disciples?"


    The Starry Stream Sect disciples walking ahead to the Ancestral Cave suddenly felt a strange lightness and a slight chill. They looked puzzled at their bodies and froze.


    "Hey, why are we naked? And why is our clothing torn?!"


    ***


    "Brother Xu!"


    "Hm?"


    Xie Qing raised his eyebrows in surprise when he heard a familiar voice. He turned and found that it was a smiling Huang Jing.


    "Oh, it''s you, Brother Huang," Xie Qing reacted with a smile.


    Huang Jing finally caught up with Xie Qing with two disciples and thenughed happily.


    "We finally meet! I was hoping you would send me a letter, and I was already disappointed that my Eyes of Destiny were wrong. You turned out to be a person connected to me by destiny!"


    "Um..."


    Xie Qing forced a smile.


    "Brother, stop saying such ambiguous things, or I''ll break your face!"