"I, Chu Yang, have finally returned!"

On the Immortal Spirit Continent, in Chi Yun City, a young man dressed in black stood in the middle of an ordinary street.

He looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, with handsome features, especially his eyes - serene and profound, like a deep pool.

If one looked closely, they would also find endless vicissitudes flowing in the depths of his eyes.

The sharp contradiction of being lively yet filled with vicissitude, naive yet mature, were all perfectly embodied in him.

"White clouds and grey dogs, the world is ever-changing!"

"Who could have imagined that I, Chu Yang, would break through the barrier between immortals and ordinary mortals, traversing four thousand years, and finally return today..."

"And who could have fathomed that the flow of time between the immortals and the mortals could be a thousand times different? Four thousand years in the immortal realm is merely four years in the mortal world."

Walking down the streets deeply ingrained in his memory, recalling the scenes from the past, Chu Yang's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

"Only this place can fill the void in my heart..." Chu Yang took a deep breath, his gaze looking into the distance.

Four years ago in the mortal world, he was incapable of cultivating and was looked down upon and mocked.

Despite being born into the Chu family and being the eldest legitimate son, in a world where strength was respected, having no cultivation was akin to being an ant.

Apart from his parents and a few elders, few cared about him.

Among his peers, aside from ridicule, mockery, and oppression, there was little else. One could say that his childhood was not a happy one.

But then, by chance, he met a girl. The girl was remarkably talented, reaching the peak of innate cultivation at just twelve. As soon as she arrived, she drove away those bullies that had been oppressing Chu Yang, leaving a profound imprint in his young heart.

Afterward, Chu Yang often spent time with this girl. As time went on, Chu Yang unexpectedly developed a blurred affection for her.

One day, the girl suddenly mentioned that she wanted to see the Chu family's ancestral power method—The Thunder Mantra. Chu Yang agreed without hesitation.

When he stole the method from the Chu family and handed it over to the girl, she completely changed.

She picked up the skill and turned around to leave, without even bothering to say a word. Chu Yang sensed something wrong. When he demanded the power method, the girl coldly replied, “I've taken care of you for three years, consider this as payment. Stop bothering me, we have nothing to do with each other!"

After the girl left, Chu Yang was despondent. Before long, he was expelled from his family. Leaving home with his sister Xi Yu, they survived by cutting wood.

Unexpectedly, in one woodcutting expedition, he was struck by lightning, and when he woke up, he found himself in the Immortal Realm.

At first, he was excited to have arrived in the Immortal Realm, but soon realized his grave mistake.

He was captured and forced to become a slave, mining with no powers. In the Immortal Realm, even simply surviving was a far-fetched hope.

The rule of survival "the stronger you are, the better your life" was vividly displayed in the Immortal Realm. The strong had everything, power, beauties, and countless training resources, while the weak were treated like ants, oppressed by the strong, and there was always a possibility of being killed.

The Immortal Realm was not the ideal sanctuary for cultivators.

After countless hardships, he finally grew up.

He became the ninth Immortal Emperor, a figure who shook the heavens and earth and suppressed all creatures.

In the Immortal Realm, the Immortal Emperor remained the most supreme existence, capable of eradicating billions of people with just a thought, able to demolish a city with a mere breath.

His era had arrived.

Finally, a thousand years after Chu Yang broke through to become the Immortal Emperor, his cultivation reached its peak. At any moment, he could pass the Nine Heavenly Tribulations and ascend to the Divine Realm.

Just when he had set everything in place and was ready to cross the calamity, a sudden divine intuition in the dark made him sharply alert. He realized that his mental state was not yet perfected. If he rashly attempted to cross the calamity, he would surely fall under the torment of inner demons.

He chose to hold back, and upon further introspection, found that there were certain ties within his heart that he had not yet let go of.

And these ties were all related to the mortal world - his parents, his family line, and his only sister!

Thus, Chu Yang mobilized all his resources, looking for a way to return to the mortal world.

Finally, in a desolate place, he managed to find an ancient treasure cauldron—the Honghuang Cauldron.

Using the treasure cauldron to suppress his physical body, he poured all his cultivation into the Honghuang Cauldron.

The Honghuang Cauldron released a powerful blast and finally broke open the barriers between the immortal and mortal worlds, along with the spatial impediments, bringing Chu Yang back to the mortal realm.

Though he had returned to the mortal realm, the price he had to pay was indeed immensely high.

By the time he found himself once again standing on the streets of Chiyun City in the mortal world, his cultivation had been reduced to only the six-star antenatal realm.

The Antenatal Realm is the entry-level cultivation state, which means he was back to square one.

The Honghuang Cauldron, having exhausted all its energy, transformed into a small incense burner. Even his storage ring, he could not open.

It's known that many priceless treasures he collected in the immortal world were stored in the ring. When he left the immortal realm, he added an array to prevent loss, but who knew that this array would instead become a restraint.

"Would this be considered a self-made trap?"

Chu Yang gave a carefree laugh. To him, the temporary inability to access those treasures was not a big deal. Given time, his strength would recover quickly.

"It's been four years now, I wonder if father and mother have returned?"

"How is the Chu family doing? After all, it was I who stole the cultivation method."

"And what about my adorable little sister—Is Xi Yu well?"

...

Now thinking back to the memories of Chi Yun City, he was somewhat anxious.

He had been unable to cultivate since he was a child, and had been ridiculed by many in his family. His parents left the Chu family in search of a spiritual medicine that could cure his body, never to return.

Then he stole the family's heritage cultivation method and gave it to Qin Xue Ran, which led to a catastrophe and was expelled from the Chu family.

He, along with his 8-year-old sister Xi Yu, struggled to live in Chi Yun City.

If it weren't for the neighbors' assistance, they might have starved to death on the streets.

As scenes from the past reappeared before his eyes, Chu Yang became rather eager to see his family.

Walking through familiar streets, after half an hour, there were fewer and fewer tall buildings on both sides of the road, with sparse pedestrians. This was the slums.

Chu Yang stopped in front of a rundown courtyard.

The gate of the yard was open, and one could see freshly washed clothes. Chu Yang saw this and a smile appeared on his face. He recognized them. Those were Xi'er's clothes. They were a bit large, but there was no mistake in the emblem on them.

"Qin Lie, get out! My house doesn't welcome you!"

At this time, a reprimanding voice rang out from the small courtyard. Chu Yang immediately recognized it as the voice of his little sister, Chu Xi Yu.

"Heh, little girl, it's your blessing that I'm interested in you. Agree or not, you're still coming with me. I've decided to take you as my concubine. Take her away!"

With the sound of chaos ringing out, it is not long before the courtyard gate swings open, revealing a few figures emerging from within. Leading the pack is an elderly man with a ruddy complexion and white beard and hair, strutting about with the vitality of a dragon and the strength of a tiger.

Trailing behind him are two middle-aged brutes, built like iron towers and wielding a fierce aura as they roughly handle a young girl.

This girl is a natural beauty. Despite her young age, she exhibits an ethereal charm that promises to bewitch the world as she matures.

Yet, her sweet face at this moment is streaked with tears, her eyes overflowing with helplessness and her heart filled with despair.

"Brother, where are you? Someone is bullying Xi Yu!"

Suddenly, her eyes freeze. She spots a familiar figure, one that often appears in her dreams.

With her eyes wide open, tears streaming down her face, she whispers, "Brother!"

She calls out tentatively.

"Xi Yu, don't cry. Your brother is here; no one can bully you now," Chu Yang confidently strides towards Xi Yu, completely ignoring the elderly man.

"You damn rascal, you little beast, ruining my plans. Go to hell!"

Being overlooked by Chu Yang, Qin Lie fumes in anger. As he raises his hand, a surge of his spiritual energy targets Chu Yang.

However, Chu Yang's gaze stays on his little sister. With a casual wave of his hand, Qin Lie finds the hand he aims at Chu Yang disappearing from his sight. By the time he reacts, the hand has already reappeared in front of him.

His limited training in the Dao is full of flaws in front of the battle-hardened Chu Yang. Even if Chu Yang's skill level is currently lower than his, dealing with Qin Lie is still a piece of cake for him.

"Smack!"

As anticipated, Qin Lie is sent flying back with a slap from Chu Yang, his blood and broken teeth splayed across the ground.

Upon seeing this, the two burly men who captured Xiyu trembled in fear and instantly released Chu Xiyu.

The little girl immediately rushed into Chu Yang's embrace, crying out, "Brother, Xiyu missed you so much!"

Chu Yang inhaled deeply and gently patted his little sister's head, "Xiyu, my little princess, from today onwards, no one will be able to bully you. Your brother guarantees it!"

"You there, you little bastard! How dare you offend me!", growled Qin Lieremotely, who had just been slapped.

He was holding a long knife, and his eyes were filled with resentment as he glared at Chu Yang. With his status, would he not be laughed at for being attacked by a young lad?

"Xiyu, stand aside. Your brother will help you get revenge."

Chu Yang turns around, a sharp murderous intent could be seen in his eyes. He took large steps toward Qin Lie, his voice was as cold as ice, as if it was from hell, "Qin Lie, for bullying my younger sister, I will make you regret coming to this world."