Chapter 1

A sudden breeze stirred, ruffling the once-calm surface of the lake into shimmering ripples. It rustled through the trees, setting branches swaying and sending a flurry of leaves dancing through the air.

A leaf drifted slowly onto the shoulder of a woman in white robes. Her brow slightly furrowed as she gazed straight ahead, she suddenly tapped her feet lightly against a branch. Like a gentle breeze, she drifted away, a white butterfly fleeting through the forest.

Deep within the woods stood a music workshop, the distant sounds of strings and bamboo flutes audible from afar. The woman, Ling Ziye, stopped before its gate. Her form transformed into mist and vanished, reappearing instantly on the second floor. Through the door, she could hear the people inside enjoying music and wine, utterly carefree.

She intended to break the door down, but encountered a barrier before it. Instantly transforming into a spirit butterfly, she attempted to force her way in, only to be met with a powerful backlash of spiritual energy.

Inside, a group of young men sat in a circle. Dressed in simple, elegant brocade robes, they swayed their heads appreciatively to the beautiful music. The musicians, positioned on a cloud platform, swept across konghou zithers and played jade flutes, producing a melody without fixed tune.

Only the man in the center was different, with hair loosely flowing and clad in a brand-new, azure robe patterned with water ripples, which made his pale, sun-deprived skin appear even fairer. His fingers curled slightly as he held a book, tapping it rhythmically up and down to the zither's music.

It was as if all things in the world had nothing to do with him; with just his wine, he formed his own solitary realm.

The spirit butterfly that was Ling Ziye fluttered its wings, rising upward and slipping into a crevice in the eaves. Seizing the moment, she carefully merged into the entire barrier formation. Her methods were exquisite; she had integrated over half of herself without causing the slightest ripple in the spiritual energy.

Yet, she was ultimately detected by the man. His eyes snapped open in an instant, and everything reflected within them gradually turned into a void-like state. Ling Ziye instantly raised all her defensive power. She knew well that with just a blink, anything his gaze fell upon could shatter into nothingness—including herself, hidden within the roof.

In that brief moment, she made her decision: no longer concealing her life aura, she would force her way in directly and decisively.

As she released her spiritual presence, the man, conversely, withdrew his offensive pressure and began gradually drawing the spiritual energy dispersed around him back into his body.

However, the high-crowned man beside him suddenly erupted into action. Snatching a small drum from the cloud platform, he struck it. A burst of yellow spiritual force rapidly swept out, swirling above the central man's head with an air of suppression.

Faced with his friend's attack, the man remained composed. Closing his eyes, he not only offered no resistance but instead accelerated the retraction of his spiritual energy, swiftly clearing all the ambient spiritual qi from the surroundings.

Only then could the white butterfly break through the spiritual boundary. It landed on the cloud platform within the room and resumed human form. As the mist on the platform dispersed, the high-crowned man, seeing the woman on the platform was safe, finally withdrew his suppression of the central figure.

The woman's gaze shifted, and she clasped her hands, bowing toward the high-crowned man. "Many thanks for your assistance, Elder Brother."

A slight smile played on her lips, yet an immense pressure erupted from her body. The musicians beside her trembled in fear. Sensing this keenly, she instantly retracted her imposing aura, returning to a state of calm.

Several men seated to the side were extremely astonished by the speed of her retraction, silently marveling that her cultivation seemed to have reached yet another level.

Seeing that the person she sought did not seem to be in the room, the woman frowned and looked toward the man in the center who had exchanged blows with her. "Xuan Yi-jun, where is A'Bing?"

Jiang Xuanfeng, hearing this, was momentarily stunned. He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment before finally shaking his head to indicate he didn't know. The woman sighed in deep frustration, then raised a hand to gently massage her temple before speaking again. "Is that the Mystic Sound Zither by your side?" Xuanfeng glanced over and, understanding, affirmed it was.

"The Mystic Sound Zither once entered the immortal registry; its value is extraordinary. All I have left that's somewhat decent is this Snow Gourd. Do you want it?" As she spoke, Ling Ziye pulled from her bosom a jade gourd as white as snow.

"As you wish." Xuanfeng replied with a smile and a nod. With a slight lift of his left shoulder, the lacquered box suddenly floated before Ling Ziye. She caught it, then cupped her fists towards the others with a smile. "My apologies for the intrusion. I hope I haven't spoiled your drinking mood."

Everyone waved their hands to indicate it was no trouble. Seeing this, Ziye withdrew her arms, straightened her sleeves, and let the box hover beside her. "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. Perhaps when I have time, I'll brew you all a pot of Hundred Flowers Spring Wine."

The tall-capped man standing beside Jiang Xuanfeng was named Ting Zhongtong. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and extremely proper features. His hair was tied up high, and he wore plain yellow brocade, looking most solemn. Yet, with one glance at his trouser legs haphazardly stuffed into his boots, Ziye knew his carelessness remained unchanged.

He joked, "That would be wonderful. But since you rushed here in such a hurry, does that mean Xiaoxue is returning today?"

"Yes, that little girl is finally willing to come back." Ziye shook her head helplessly.

Zhongtong understood all too well the hardships of being an elder brother or sister. He hurriedly said, "In that case, you should hurry over. Don't delay, lest she blames us later."

The others chimed in agreement. Ziye smiled sheepishly, offered her thanks, and was about to turn and leave when she suddenly looked back. With a laugh, she said:

"Brother, please tell A'Bing for me: if he doesn't return those stolen goods, one of these days I'll invite Grandpa Qin for a drink and a discussion on the Dao. If I happen to say something I shouldn't, he can't blame me." Having said that, she left excitedly with the zither case.

The moment Ling Ziye stepped out the door, a man who had been hiding behind the curtain for a long time jumped out into the room. His clothes were disheveled, his whole person was flustered and hurried, and his complexion was very poor.

Now understanding the reason, those present deliberately teased him. The older blue-robed man seated on the right joked, "Qin Bing, your courage grows by the day, daring to steal even Ziye's things. What? Think your life isn't short enough, looking for a beating?"

Qin Bing gave an embarrassed laugh. He slowly walked to his seat, took a cup of wine, downed it in one gulp, and took a deep breath. Only then did he speak. "How was I supposed to know it was her? If I'd known the buyer was her, I wouldn't have dared touch that stuff even if beaten to death. When it comes down to it, it's all the fault of that Myriad Saints Workshop for being so underhanded. Luckily Xuanfeng was here today, otherwise she might have really beaten my soul right out of me. Thanks, brothers, for covering for me today." As he spoke, he bowed once more to the group.

Ting Zhongtong waved his hand, dismissing all the musicians. Jiang Xuanfeng suddenly stood up, gave Qin Bing a helpless look, and shook the Snow Gourd in his hand. "Then this belongs to me. Consider it thanks for saving you today."

Qin Bing panicked upon hearing this. "Ah! Hey, hey, hey, don't!" But Xuanfeng paid him no mind and simply walked away.

Ting Zhongtong and the others watched Qin Bing with schadenfreude, thinking to themselves, "Serves you right."

The music had ceased, and the crowd quietly dispersed. A thick green vine coiled around the eaves that slanted into the clouds, and small white flowers suddenly bloomed upon it.

Jiang Xuanfeng stood atop it, hands clasped behind his back, looking down through the layers of clouds. Below lay an ancient, tranquil city. A dark plaque hung above its gate, inscribed with the two characters 'Dongyang' in archaic script.

Cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao—was it a dream or an illusion? Legend spoke of ancient deities who created all living things in the world. After the Post-Deity Clan perished, heaven and earth were born, divided into six realms: Deity, Immortal, Human, Netherworld, Demon, and Monster. Yet the Divine Realm remained unknowable. The Immortal Realm, having shed its impurities and retained its purity, rose above the other four realms. From it were born the Asura and Hungry Ghost realms, restoring the number to six.

But since then, traces of the Immortal Realm have become exceedingly difficult to find among the six realms.

It is also said that the beings of the Immortal Realm share the same lifespan as heaven and earth, presiding over the six realms, free from form, limits, and suffering, living with unrestrained ease—a state coveted by all six realms. Yet, the path of cultivating immortality is rugged and arduous, beyond the description of ten thousand words.

However, there exists one clan, born with the innate ability to cultivate. They carry the bloodline of the ancient deities within them. Though they bear human form, they are distinct from the human race, lacking souls and the cycle of reincarnation. Scattered across the Human Realm, the various races refer to them as the Post-Deity Clan.

Among them, the four families—Ling, Jiang, Qin, and Ting—are one such force entrenched in the Eastern Divine Land. This stems from thousands of years ago when these four closely related families, all fond of using musical instruments as their spiritual tools, united as one. Over millennia of thriving in the Eastern Divine Land, they gradually grew into a city of their own, named Dongyang.

Key Relationship Chart of Dongyang:

The Four Major Surnames of Dongyang: Ling, Ting, Jiang, Qin

Ling Family Patriarch: Ling Tianyou - Son: Ling Yuqi, Daughter-in-law: Sun Xiunian - Granddaughters (Sisters): Ling Ziye (Protagonist One), Ling Xiaoxue (Protagonist Three)

Qin Family Patriarch: Qin Dehong - Son: Qin Yu - Grandsons (Brothers): Qin Yao, Qin Bing (Protagonist Seven)

Nephews: Qin Tian, Qin Feng - Grandniece: Qin Silian

Ting Family Patriarch: Ting Yinglun - Son: Ting Fangjian - Grandsons: Ting Zhongtong (Protagonist Four), Ting Zhongqi - Granddaughter: Ting Yangxin (Protagonist Six)

Jiang Family Patriarch: Jiang Ducheng - Grandchildren (Biological Siblings): Jiang Xuanfeng (Protagonist Two), Jiang Yushan (Protagonist Five)

Protagonist Six: Fang Jue (Disciple of Jiang Xuanfeng)