Yes, he already knew this, but he didn't feel disheartened at all. He accepted his fate.
Since nothing was going to change, why dwell on it?
Such had been the mentality of this youngster from the very beginning.
Then, he continued reading.
As he continued reading, he learned more about the things he didn't before, such as what the so-called 'Immortal World' was and what was the Second Great Mortal World.
At the peak of the cosmos stood 33 Heavens, also known as the 33 Heavens Divine Realm or simply as the Divine Realm.
There were myths that top existences such as the Heavenly Emperor and even the Heavenly Court were in the Divine Realm.
Even though this was called the Mythical Era, things such as the Heavenly Court were still considered myths more distant than any era, as the Lower Realm and Divine Realm were not existences on the same scale of reality at all.
Below the 33 Heavens were the Nine Great Immortal Worlds, the Upper Realm, and the Upper Realm is second only to the 33 Heavens Divine Realm.
And below the Nine Great Immortal Worlds are the Nine Great Mortal Worlds, located in the Lower Realm, the center of the Lower Realm, to be exact.
Beyond the Nine Great Mortal Worlds was the Outer Void, corresponding to the vast expanse of seemingly infinite space in the Lower Realm, where countless small worlds and stars floated.
The Second Great Mortal World was Second out of the Nine Great Mortal Worlds.
It was mainly because of the power of the living beings in a world, the amount and density of Spirit Qi, the size of the world and many other factors to decide how powerful was a world.
So, the Second Great Mortal World being Second among the Nine Great Mortal Worlds meant something. It was incredibly powerful.
Below the Lower Realm are all the other low level planes that existed in the cosmos, known as the Myriad Worlds.
The "Myriad" here does not refer to simply ten thousand, but a infinite stretch of the vast expanse, with infinite worlds.
If a living being from the Second Great Mortal World ascended, they would directly go to the Second Great Immortal World.
This information was avaliable to basically all direct descendents from prestigious factions in the Second Great Mortal World because it was the Mythical Era.
Prodigies emerged in doves, and the entire world flourished, making knowledge easily accessible.
Had it been any other era, such information would be tightly controlled by the major factions of the world.
Tian Yongheng didn't understand many things that he read, so he simply stopped reading and went back to his room.
...
The seasons continued to change, the mountains and rivers being ever-changing.
12 years swiftly passed by.
*Creak.*
The wooden door of a courtyard residence slowly opened as a young man stepped out.
His appearance was striking enough to draw attention wherever he went. Long black hair flowed behind him like silk, partially bound beneath a jade crown. His crimson eyes swept across the courtyard, carrying a faint trace of anticipation as though searching for someone.
Soon, his gaze stopped.
Not far away, beneath the shade of several ancient spirit trees, a young girl was practicing her swordsmanship.
She appeared to be around sixteen years old. Dressed in a simple white training robe, she moved with graceful precision. Every swing of her sword was smooth and steady, carrying a sharpness that revealed years of hard work.
The moment he saw her, Tian Yongheng's eyes brightened.
"Miss Qin!"
His voice carried undisguised joy.
The girl merely glanced in his direction before turning her attention back to her sword.
The cold response did not seem to bother him.
Without hesitation, Tian Yongheng walked over and stood quietly nearby.
He did not interrupt her training again, instead, he simply watched.
The sound of the sword cutting through the air echoed repeatedly throughout the courtyard.
Time passed little by little as Qin Ningguang continued practicing her techniques with unwavering focus.
An entire hour slipped by.
Only after completing her final movement did she slowly lower her sword.
A thin layer of sweat covered her forehead as she turned toward the young man who had remained standing there the entire time.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, a complicated expression flashed through her gaze.
There was affection, but there was also disappointment.
In the end, all traces of emotion disappeared behind a calm mask.
"Young Master Tian."
Her tone was polite yet distant.
Tian Yongheng immediately returned the greeting.
"Miss Qin."
The smile on his face was somewhat nervous, as though he feared saying the wrong thing.
Anyone with eyes could see the situation between them.
Tian Yongheng clearly cared deeply for Qin Ningguang.
Unfortunately, the feelings between them were far from equal.
Whether it was because of their differing talents or the expectations placed upon them by the cultivation world, a gap had gradually formed between the two.
And that gap only continued to widen.
Qin Ningguang was considered one of the most outstanding young cultivators of her generation.
She possessed Dual-Element Spiritual Roots, a talent that already surpassed the vast majority of cultivators. In addition, she had awakened a special physique known as the False Vermillion Body.
Although the False Vermillion Body could not be considered a heaven defying constitution, it was still far superior to ordinary physiques and provided substantial benefits to cultivation.
At only sixteen years old, she had already reached the Eighth Level of the Acupoint Opening Stage.
If her progress continued at this pace, entering the Qi Condensation Realm before the age of twenty-five would be almost guaranteed.
Such achievements were enough for many elders to praise her as a genius.
Compared to her brilliance, Tian Yongheng seemed painfully ordinary.
His talent was mediocre even among average cultivators, possessing Five-Element Spiritual Roots.
While not completely useless, such a Spiritual Root barely met the minimum qualifications necessary to cultivate.
Cultivation speed was slow, breakthroughs were difficult, and the amount of resources required often exceeded the value of the results.
In the eyes of many people, the difference between Dual-Element Spiritual Roots and Five-Element Spiritual Roots was like the difference between heaven and earth.
Of course, Spiritual Roots were not absolute.
Throughout the cultivation world, there existed countless methods capable of altering one's talent.
Rare heavenly treasures, ancient inheritances, miraculous bloodlines, divine medicines, and other opportunities could improve or even completely replace a cultivator's Spiritual Root.
There were even stories of mortals born without any Spiritual Root obtaining extraordinary talent through heaven defying fortunes.
Because of this, truly powerful sects and ancient families rarely judged a person's future based solely on Spiritual Roots.
Unfortunately, Tian Yongheng possessed nothing else.
No extraordinary bloodline, no powerful constitution, no ancient inheritance, nothing that could justify investing enormous resources into him.
This was the primary reason his family had never placed great expectations upon him; he had never even cultivated because of this reason.
The treasures capable of changing a person's destiny were simply too valuable.
Even for a cultivation family, such resources could not be distributed casually, not to mention most didn't even possess them.
The Tian Family branch to which Tian Yongheng belonged was far from weak by ordinary standards.
Its Family Head and several core elders were all Golden Core Realm cultivators capable of dominating countless cities and territories.
Even Tian Yongheng's grandfather was a legendary Void Refinement Realm expert.
Such a figure could shake the entire Jiangnan Region with a single command.
However, compared to the true Tian Family, they were merely a branch lineage.
The main Tian Family was one of the Four Great Immortal Families of the entire Second Great Mortal World.
Its influence stretched across continents, its foundations had endured since ancient times, and its ancestors had produced countless powerful cultivators, including Immortals, throughout history.
Golden Core Realm experts were countless, Void Refinement Realm cultivators were many, and even Nascent Soul Realm cultivators weren't uncommon.
As for Tian Yongheng's grandfather, he had spent most of the past several thousand years in seclusion before eventually departing for the Central Continent to return to the main family due to a summons.
Such circumstances revealed just how prosperous the current era truly was.
The world was still enjoying the glory of the Mythical Era, in fact, according to ancient legends, it was still in the transitioning period between the early to middle stages of the Mythical Era.
During this Era, the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth had reached unprecedented levels, and the Providence of the Mortal World was abundant beyond imagination.
Powerful cultivators emerged one after another, and Immortals ascended openly among mortals every few thousand years.
In such a magnificent age, countless geniuses appeared every generation, and among those countless geniuses, Qin Ningguang could at least be considered a bright star.
Tian Yongheng, however, was little more than an ordinary grain of sand.
No matter how handsome he was, how elegant his temperament appeared, or how kind and sincere he might be.
The cultivation world had never cared much for such things.
Strength determined status and talent determined potential.
Without either, appearances alone could not change one's destiny.
Standing before Qin Ningguang, Tian Yongheng looked flawless on the surface, but everyone knew that beneath that perfect face lay a future far dimmer than hers.
Perhaps that was why the affection hidden within Qin Ningguang's eyes was always accompanied by disappointment.
Because she could already see the path ahead.
And on that path, the distance between them would only continue to grow.