### Chapter 1: The Fallen Prince

### Chapter 1: The Fallen Prince

At the dawn of creation, the earth was dark and icy cold.

Years later, nine radiant suns emerged into the sky, hanging high above, illuminating the vast land and nurturing the birth of Nine Yang Spirit Energy.

Over millions of years, this spirit energy nourished all living things, forming the mystical Nine Yang Land.

No one knows exactly when humans first appeared on the Nine Yang Land. They deciphered the ways of heaven, glimpsed its secrets, created profound cultivation techniques, absorbed Nine Yang Spirit Energy to strengthen their bodies and minds, and cultivated powers that defied nature, becoming the masters of all living beings in the Nine Yang Land...

In the Tian Qin Empire, within the Imperial City's palace.

At night, the palace was ablaze with light, fireworks exploding in the sky, dazzling and brilliant, enveloping countless pavilions and palaces. This celebration was for the newly appointed Crown Prince.

In the southern part of the palace, amidst quiet and dilapidated buildings.

On the roof of a small building, a young boy frowned slightly, gazing at the beautiful fireworks in the night sky. His determined eyes flickered, as if recalling past events...

The boy's name was Qin Yun, fifteen years old. His father was the Emperor of Tian Qin, and his mother was the Empress, who had passed away many years ago.

He was once the Crown Prince, but five years ago, he was deposed due to a conspiracy!

Five years ago, it was discovered that the Crown Prince's tutor practiced demonic arts, a forbidden technique among the dark paths.

This revelation caused an uproar throughout the nation!

To protect himself, the tutor fled the palace, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Subsequently, the senior ministers jointly petitioned the Emperor of Tian Qin, demanding the Crown Prince be deposed, arguing that since he had been tutored by the tutor from a young age, he might have secretly practiced demonic arts. They also urged the Emperor to appoint a new Empress and Crown Prince to restore the empire's prestige.

Under pressure from the ministers, the Emperor had no choice but to comply, thus stripping Qin Yun of his position as Crown Prince.

However, the ministers were still not satisfied. They feared that Qin Yun, harboring resentment, might secretly practice demonic arts and seek revenge in the future.

So they took matters into their own hands, forcibly extracting four out of his five spirit meridians when he was only ten years old.

Qin Yun was born with five spirit meridians, a rare gift in martial arts. After losing four, he was left with only one.

From a prodigious Crown Prince, he became an ordinary prince overnight!

In cultivating martial arts, spirit meridians are crucial!

The more spirit meridians one has, the more spirit energy one can sense and absorb, accelerating cultivation.

Qin Yun originally had Five Sun Spirit Meridians, allowing him to sense the spirit energy of five suns. After being brutally deprived of four meridians, he could only sense the spirit energy of one sun, making it nearly impossible for him to become a powerful warrior despite any effort.

"You conspired against me and Elder Sister Taishi, not only depriving me of my position as Crown Prince but also destroying my spirit meridians and cutting off my foundation in martial arts. Such a deep grudge cannot be forgotten! When I achieve mastery, I will uproot your forces!" Qin Yun silently vowed, knowing that his current predicament was due to those treacherous ministers.

"Empress, Crown Prince, don't think I don't know you were involved! Losing my position is fine, but destroying my spirit meridians and cutting off my path in martial arts is a grudge I will settle slowly!"

Qin Yun, with his five spirit meridians and status as Crown Prince, would have become a formidable martial artist, exploring the vast and mystical Nine Yang Nine Wastes world. Titles like Crown Prince or Emperor meant nothing to him; strength was everything!

After jumping down from the roof, he put on specially designed weighted gear and began his evening training.

The various weighted gears on his body totaled over five hundred pounds. With only one ordinary spirit meridian, he could no longer quickly absorb spirit energy to refine his body, so he had to endure this arduous method to build strength.

"I must become stronger, and I must control my own destiny!" Wearing hundreds of pounds of weighted gear, he practiced the "Spirit Tiger Fist."

This set of punches was a basic technique he bought with all his savings. Though low-level, it allowed him to absorb spirit energy while refining his body.

For five years, Qin Yun trained tirelessly day and night, enduring hardships to gain strength and preserve his dignity...

The fireworks celebrating the new Crown Prince continued until late into the night, leaving the palace skies shrouded in smoke and a strong smell of gunpowder.

Qin Yun was exhausted, but the relentless training, though grueling, made him feel his strength growing, fueling his determination!

"Today was exhausting, but it must have been effective. Time to rest."

He went to the well to draw water for a bath when an elderly man suddenly approached.

This elderly man was the palace's chief steward.

"Chief Steward Wang, what is it?" Qin Yun asked upon seeing him.

"Fifth Prince!" Chief Steward Wang said sternly.

Seeing Chief Steward Wang's serious demeanor, Qin Yun also grew serious. "Yes!"

"The Emperor has decreed that any prince who fails to reach the Fourth Level of Martial Body Realm within ten days must join the army and fight against the Beast Army on the border." Chief Steward Wang spoke solemnly, a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

Hearing this, Qin Yun's face changed abruptly, his body trembling, and he clenched his fists, causing a cracking sound.

A prince who failed to reach the Fourth Level of Martial Body Realm by the age of fifteen was considered to have no affinity for martial arts...

Maintaining numerous princes was resource-intensive. Sending them to the military not only gained favor with the people and soldiers but also enhanced the empire's reputation among the populace, a longstanding tradition in the Tian Qin Empire.

Martial Body Realm has nine levels, with the first three focusing primarily on cultivating spirit energy. If one's spirit meridians are too weak, it becomes difficult to sense the spirit energy of the suns, greatly hindering cultivation.

With only one spirit meridian, Qin Yun could only sense the spirit energy of one sun, which was the main reason for his slow progress! Anyone else would have given up, but he persisted through sheer determination!

"If anyone flees, they will be captured and executed brutally..."

Qin Yun did not hear Chief Steward Wang's subsequent words, nor did he notice when he left.

He stood by the well, his mind blank, feeling as if he had fallen into a cold, dark well, struggling helplessly, overwhelmed by despair...

When he was ten, still a child, he was stripped of four spirit meridians by treacherous ministers and a venomous concubine, with no one to help him.

Since then, he had sworn to become strong, no matter how much hardship he endured!

Only by becoming stronger can one avoid being oppressed, having everything taken away, and facing despair in times of hardship!

Once again, he finds himself in a desperate situation, consumed by despair, as if he has been transported back to that agonizing moment five years ago when his spirit vein was extracted...

Over the past five years, he has endured countless taunts and faced numerous difficulties within the palace, yet none of it has made him give up on cultivating martial arts!

After enduring arduous training, he finally sees a glimmer of hope!

He has finally reached the Second Stage of the Martial Body Realm!

At that moment, tears well up in his eyes—his arduous cultivation has finally paid off!

Since then, he believes even more firmly that with unwavering effort, he will one day become a powerful martial artist and change his fate!

But now, he is to be forcibly conscripted to fight against the brutal beasts, which is undoubtedly a death sentence, ending his path in martial arts forever!