The Silent Valley sect, one of the two major sects which inhabit Falling Leaves city. It was located in the upper district, built into the side of one of the few surrounding mountains, called Mount Wusheng.

Unlike the Martial Fist sect which is most proficient in more aggressive, brutal arts that hold immense power; the Silent Valley sect prides themselves on the subtle arts of poison, stealth, hidden weapons and assassination.

Like most sects, it was built like a pyramid with the weakest at the bottom and the strongest most privileged at the top.

At the base of the mountain, there were thousands of small huts and buildings where the servants and outer disciples lived. Their daily lives focused around completing missions, obtaining reward points and spending them on resources helpful to their cultivations.

The middle of the mountain is where those who have truly entered the sect live, mostly inner disciples and the elders who teach them. It is here where the talented are groomed.

The large palaces located near the top of the mountain housed the ancestors, high elders and a few select core disciples with godly talent. The core disciples have the privilege of being personally taught by the ancestors themselves.

...

A young man around 18 years of age hovered several feet off the ground. His eyes were closed and his brows were furrowed in deep concentration.

He was extremely handsome with a straight nose, dragon like eyebrows and a strong sharp jaw. His long black hair draped down his shoulders like a waterfall and his pearl white robes fluttered ever so slightly from the mist that surrounded him.

He was in a dark room made from pale stone, the only source of light was from several burning sconces on the walls. Below him was a large purple formation engraved with mysterious runes. The formation seemed to be gathering dense spiritual Qi from the surroundings and pouring it into the young man like a river.

A knocking came from the large door in front of the young man.

"Young Master Mu, I've brought Miss Ying." A old voice sounded from outside.

Dong Mu's eyes slowly opened, with a wave of his hand the Qi around him surged before completely disappearing into his dantian.

As he floated back down to the floor he said in a soft voice. "Come in."

The door opened and a young woman and a middle aged man walked in.

The middle aged man wore a green robe with a snake symbol on it. His face was pallid and wrinkles sprouted from the corners of his brown eyes.

The young woman beside him was a peerless beauty around 5'6. She had big black eyes that shone with innocence, hair silky jet black hair was tied up into two buns that had the excess hair cascade down her back, the buns had two butterfly pins holding them together.

Her face was soft and oval with a small button nose, pouty down turned lips that glistened red and thin, slightly curved eyebrows. Her bosom was plentiful and shapely, her figure like a perfect hourglass. The dress she wore was bright red with long sleeves that hid her hands, it was embroidered with flowers and mystical birds.

The middle age man stepped closer and said. "The headmaster is curious, will you be attending the martial competition today?"

"Yes, I'm interested in seeing the young talents the Martial Fist sect has to offer." Dong Mu replied rather lazily.

The middle aged man nodded in agreement. "There has been a rising star in the Martial Fist sect called Sun Xi."

"Sun Xi? Sounds familiar.. " Dong Mu remarked with a thoughtful look.

"He's a descendant from the fallen Sun family, the one your Dong Family had a hand in replacing." The middle aged man replied with a hint of vigilance in his voice. He was wary of this Sun Xi.

"Oh really?" Dong Mu muttered in surprise. "From the fallen Sun family? I thought we wiped them all out?"

"There were a few unimportant stragglers that were deemed not important enough so they were left alone." The middle aged man replied.

"Careless.. " Dong Mu remarked.

"Yes I agree young master Mu, there's also something else. His techniques are rather peculiar from what I've heard." The middle aged man added.

"Peculiar?" Dong Mu repeated curiously.

"Yes, it's possible that they originate from the upper realms. It seems he had a lucky encounter, many have tried to find out his secrets but he's currently under the protection from the Martial Fist headmaster himself." The middle aged man replied.

"Interesting." Dong Mu cupped his chin in thought, after a while his gaze landed upon the beautiful girl.

The young girl's body was slightly shivering. Her eyes were red as if she had been recently crying, and her expression showed a deep emptiness as if she had given up on life..

"To think I would find someone with the Heavenly Moon physique in this little town." Dong Mu muttered as his eyes flashed with a hint of desire.

"Young Master Mu?" The middle aged man said with confusion in his eyes.

"Ahem." Dong Mu cleared his throat. "Leave us."

"Yes Young Master Mu." The middle aged man bowed before leaving, closing the door on his way out.

Dong Mu walked up to the shivering girl and thoroughly inspected her body. The more he looked, the happier he felt. "This girl is truly a beauty, this must be heaven's luck! She was almost married to some wealthy villager.. Humph! He's lucky I didn't pinch him to death."

The young girl shook even more as she felt Dong Mu's gaze wash over her body, the feeling it gave her made her heart feel an endless resentment and disgust.

Dong Mu stopped his invasive inspection of the girl. Noticing her distress, he clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. He looked directly into her eyes and asked. "Am I not superior to that commoner you were to marry Ying'er?"

Jiang Ying crossed her arms and turned her head away and replied in a cold voice. "You're not even comparable to big brother's fingernail.. "

Dong Mu chuckled, but his sharp gaze noticed something. His expression turned dark as he grabbed Jiang Ying's wrist.

"Ah!" Jiang Ying cried out in surprise.

Pulling back her sleeves he noticed several cut marks close to her veins, just a little deeper and she would have severed them.

"Stupid girl!" He shouted in anger causing Jiang Ying to shrink back in fear, his eyes gleamed with venom. "Don't even think about killing yourself! Anymore of this silly behavior and I'll kill that trash you think so fondly of!"

"You wouldn't!!" Jiang Ying Panicked as she gripped Dong Mu's robe, tears began to leave her beautiful eyes.

Dong Mu snorted as he replied. "Don't test me Ying'er, you belong to me now!" He grabbed her plentiful breast and massaged it. "When our marriage concludes next week, I'll finally bed you and make you forget all about him."

Jiang Ying tried to escape his grasp but he was far too strong. Tears drenched her cheeks, closing her eyes she grit her teeth so much that it caused cracking sounds and resigned herself as despair overwhelmed her.

Dong Mu enjoyed the soft supple sensation in his hand and felt a heat in his loins. "When I take her pure yin, my cultivation will soar!" He thought.

After a his forceful groping stopped, she slumped to the floor with a gaze void of emotion.

Looking down at her with a little pity, Dong Mu eventually he sighed and said in a calming tone. "Don't be too distraught Ying'er. To be my wife is an enormous opportunity! You'll have all the resources of the Silent Valley at your fingertips and your ascension into the upper realms would be but a breeze.. My background is not as simple as just being the first son of the Dong family and the young master of the Silent Valley sect.. "

Jiang Ying looked up at Dong Mu with an intense glare, a bottomless hatred swelled within the depths of her rich black eyes.

Dong Mu smirked, his eyes flashed and changed to a glowing yellow color. An aura of darkness shrouded his body.

At this sight, Jiang Ying cried out in surprise. There was a flash of fear in her eyes. She pointed at Dong Mu with a trembling finger as she muttered. "You-you're a-"

An invisible force closed her lips frightening her.

Dong Mu's eyes went back to normal and the dark aura dissipated. He turned around and walked towards the door.

"Come along Ying'er, the martial competition is about to begin."

...

The morning breeze fluttered gently through the gardens of Jiang Manor, it stood tall and imposing amongst the rather plain neighboring manors that surrounded it. Clearly it had been recently renovated with expensive materials not available to the common people.

Standing at the large metal gate were Rong Xiaoman and Qin Zhenzhen, both of whom were arguing with the guards.

"I demand to see the manor lord Jiang." Rong Xiaoman glared at the haughty guards.

"Look kid, you should leave before you get beaten. Master Jiang has no time to listen to you." One of guards wearing a feathered cap replied as he crossed his arms and shook his head.

Another guard nodded his head in agreement commenting. "It would be wise of you to leave boy, young miss Jiang doesn't like you anymore so don't bother her again."

Rong Xiaoman's eyes flared in anger, as she was about to raise her hand and knock the gate down, Qin Zhenzhen interrupted her.

"Little brother let me. These problems, i'll wipe them all away." Qin Zhenzhen grinned before cracking her knuckles.

The guard with the feathered cap muttered. "Problems?" With a look of confusion.

A guard beside him elbowed him and replied with a laugh. "She means us captain haha, we're the problems."

The guard with the feathered cap sneered and pointed at Qin Zhenzhen. "Little girl stop playing around and go back to the kitchen were you belong."

"Ahaha good one captain!"

The guards laughed with tears in their eyes.

Qin Zhenzhen's eyebrow twitched. A strained smile appeared on her beautiful face. Raising her lithe hand, a drop of water gathered at the tip of her finger.

One of the guards noticed this and pointed with a smile. "Little girl, are you gonna serve us a drink? You're gonna need more than that."

Qin Zhenzhen harrumphed and retorted. "This is all you need, don't choke on it." With a flick of her finger, the drop of water bolted towards the laughing guards behind the gate.

When the drop of water clashed with the gate it exploded into a massive wave of water which crushed the gate under it's immense weight.

"Agh!?" Shock and fear appeared on the guards faces as their screams were drowned out by the wall of water bearing down on them. When the wave of water dispersed, all that was left was soggy devastation. The guards laid sprawled about with their eyes rolled backwards and the front courtyard was an absolute mess.

Qin Zhenzhen clapped her hands as if removing dust from them. She turned towards Rong Xiaoman and put her hands on her hips and with a smug expression she asked proudly. "Your big sis is strong right?"

Rong Xiaoman nodded and replied. "Very strong."

"Hehe." Qin Zhenzhen laughed in satisfaction.

"Who is it that disturbs Jiang manor!!" A roar of anger came from deeper within.

Rong Xiaoman frowned, she watched as thirteen figures jumped out from distant manor. Like shadows they appeared fifteen feet in front of her. The power radiating from them were telling of their significant cultivations.

Qin Zhenzhen eyed her brother and whispered. "Little brother.. I'm no match for twelve of them, they may be peak innate realm cultivators. Only the one in the middle I can easily beat."

She gulped nervously and suggested. "I think we should go back home and bring reinforcements."

Rong Xiaoman shook her head and replied calmly. "I can handle it, just watch."

Qin Zhenzhen looked at her little brother with bafflement. "He's only at the peak of foundation realm, where's his confidence coming from?"

Rong Xiaoman's steely gaze landed upon the group in front of her. Twelve of them wore green robes with various sinister looking snakes embroidered on them, the man in the middle only had on a simple grey robe. His face was lined with a few wrinkles and he sported a short well trimmed beard. He was Jiang Ying's father, Jiang Jie.

Jiang Jie observed Rong Xiaoman with a hint of disdain in his brown eyes. "Qin brat.. you should have gotten the letter. Why have you come here?"

Rong Xiaoman glared at Jiang Jie and replied. "Why have I come? I came to see my fiance.. Where is she?"

Jiang Jie snorted and replied. "She doesn't have time for you boy. My daughter has a new, far better fiance now, one with far greater prospects than you can hardly imagine.. It'd be best if you forget her for you are not worthy, just a mere nobody."

Rong Xiaoman's glare had become scathing as her eyes narrowed further. "Tell me old man, did she decide this or did you decide for her?"

"Humph.. That little girl knows nothing! I know what is best for her for I am her father! She just needs to do what she is told!!" Jiang Jie snapped as frustration appeared on his face.

Rong Xiaoman took a deep breath. "I see..."

One of the green robed men scoffed and said. "Jiang Jie, why are you entertaining these brats.. let's just hurry up and get rid of them."

Another green robed man with a scar on his face licked his thick lips lustfully as he replied. "Leave the girl.. It would be a shame to kill such a beautiful flower, she would be far more useful as my bedwarmer!"

"You'll take all the benefits for yourself?! Gu Chong you dog! Not under my watch!" A thin green robed man beside the scar faced man remarked scornfully.

Hearing the green robed men, Qin Zhenzhen was absolutely fuming with fire spitting from her eyes.

While the green robed men were in heated discussion over who would take possession of Qin Zhenzhen, Rong Xiaoman was recalling her conversation with her mistress about her incarnation's future path to power.

...

Many years ago, Rong Xiaoman's courtyard at Qin Manor.

"Gravity, magnetism, heat?" Rong Xiaoman repeated in confusion. "Mistress, what are these concepts you speak about?"

"Yes Gravity, magnetism and heat or you could call it energy, either one would suffice. These my cute little Xiaoman will be the foundation of my incarnation's strength!" Rong Xiaoman heard Ariels reply in her head.

"Are they supreme magical techniques? or godly cultivation scriptures?" Rong Xiaoman replied in excitement as various thoughts and imaginations were flying through her mind.

"Uh..um.. not really." Ariel responded albeit, briefly.

Rong Xiaoman showed a confused expression as her golden brows knitted. "What could they be then mistress?"

"Tell me Xiaoman, how is the path to power structured in your realm of existence? A quick explanation, no need to go into details." Ariel asked a question in reply.

Rong Xiaoman opened her mouth wide in speechlessness. "Forgive me mistress for asking but...shouldn't miss Qin Fei have taught you that?"

"Hehe..I wasn't listening." Ariel replied with a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

Truthfully, her overwhelming pride and arrogance demanded she not listen. "An ant dares teach me! An almighty omnipotent goddess?! She's lucky I don't wipe her from the face of reality...humph!" Were her precise thoughts at the time.

"Well mistress...let's start at the beginning." Rong Xiaoman collected her thoughts and explained.

"The beginning stages of cultivation first start with the body tempering realm with the goal of refining the body, next is the resonance realm which is unlocking the 12 meridians through resonance and lastly foundation building where you take what you cultivated in the two previous realms and temper them through Qi training. After enough tempering, the Qi sea can be safely created and filled."

Rong Xiaoman licked her dry lips and continued. "What is said to be the true start to the journey of cultivation is the next realm which is labelled as the innate realm. A dao fruit will be cultivated and give tremendous power when it blooms. Next is the nascent soul, depending on how many dao fruits were cultivated previously one may have several nascent souls increasing strength exponentially."

A soft snoring sound could be heard within Rong Xiaoman's mind causing her to stop speaking.

After Rong Xiaoman paused she asked. "Mistress are you still listening?"

"Ah!" A startled gasp resounded in her mind.

There was an awkward silence before she heard her mistress say. "Uhh..continue.."

Black lines appeared on Rong Xiaoman's forehead, she shook her head and continued explaining in a duller less vibrant tone. "Next is the pearl formation realm, the more pearls, the more power. After that is the dawn realm where you fuse all the pearls you cultivated into a core, 2 or more pearls are required for the ignition of the core to enter the next realm which is called the nova realm."

"The realms beyond the nova realm are the highest powers in the heaven realms. They are respectively, avatar formation, paragon and half-step celestial; the last realm I cultivated before my death." Rong Xiaoman said seriously with a hint of anger and sadness flashing in her eyes. Within her mind she was recalling some painful memories. She collected herself and finished by saying. "Beyond that are the celestial realms which I have no knowledge about."

"What does all of this tell you Xiaoman?" Ariel asked.

Rong Xiaoman put her finger to her lip in thought before replying in a serious voice. "These are the steps to godhood mistress?"

"...pfft ahaha!" Ariel's cackle resounded in her mind.

Rong Xiaoman frowned with a red ting appearing on her cheeks.

"No silly girl. It's bothersome isn't it? Too hard, too long, too much work." Ariel replied in amusement.

"But that's just how it is mistress...if you don't put in the time or effort you'll be just another weakling to be exploited by the strong." Rong Xiaoman solemnly replied.

"Bah! That's true for others but not for you my cute Xiaoman, you have something others don't! Hehehe."

"What is that mistress?" Rong Xiaoman asked curiously.

"You got me!" Ariel said proudly.

Rong Xiaoman sighed with a wry smile. She could just imagine her mistress arrogantly pointing her nose skyward like a haughty young miss.

"Okay, now listen carefully Xiaoman. I'm about to tell you on how to gain unimaginable power with just a few steps. Complete the instructions exactly how I say them."

Rong Xiaoman nodded eagerly with her ears perked. "Yes mistress."

"Oh, and what I'm about to tell you will only work once and only for you so don't think about trying it again because it won't work." Ariel said with a hint of knowing in her voice.

"Why mistress?" Rong Xiaoman asked.

"Because I said so, now first complete these simple movements." Ariel replied briefly.

Rong Xiaoman got ready as she heard the first instructions.

"Up!"

Rong Xiaoman thought for a bit before jumping up three feet.

"Up!"

She jumped again. Her cheeks were turning red from embarrassment.

"Down!"

Rong Xiaoman crouched before standing again.

"Down!"

She repeated what she did before only with a redder face.

"Left!"

She stepped to her left. Various thoughts were filling her mind on how absolutely embarrassed she was, she hoped nobody was watching her.

"Right!"

She stepped to the right, back to her original standing position.

"Left!"

She repeated her previous movement, quickly stepping to the left.

"Right!"

Once again, Rong Xiaoman was standing at her original position.

"Now repeat after me." Ariel said seriously with focus in her voice.

Rong Xiaoman gulped and mentally nodded.

"Say B!"

"B!" Rong Xiaoman repeated the foreign letter aloud, her voice a little weak from the embarrassment she was feeling.

"Say A!"

"A!" The moment Rong Xiaoman repeated the letter, her body was bathed in a blinding light as a mysterious but boundless power filled her body.

After the light disappeared, Rong Xiaoman collapsed onto the ground. She dizzily sat up in a lotus position and asked. "Mistress! What was that?"

"Hehe just a cheat. Now close your eyes, there should now be three pillars in your consciousness."

Rong Xiaoman nodded slowly before closing her eyes. As she entered her conscious realm she discovered three large marble pillars with the words 'Gravity, Magnetism and Energy' carved on them. Below those words was the number zero.

"What are these mistress?" Rong Xiaoman asked.

"These pillars will give you godly powers, Gravity to crush your opponents to death, infuse your fists with the weight of stars or warp space and time. Magnetism to tear apart the structure of your enemies bodies or lift, pull or push mountains and even worlds. Energy to accelerate your body with speed that none can match and fire beams of power strong enough to disintegrate the very continent you stand on!" Ariel said excitedly.

Rong Xiaoman's eyes began to sparkle as she listened to her mistress's explanation. "Mistress! How do I obtain these powers? I don't feel that much different."

"Simple, gather Qi and send it into a pillar to level it up. The stronger your cultivation, the faster the pillars of power will gain levels." Ariel replied.

"But mistress, don't I still need to cultivate? I thought you said it was hard work?" Rong Xiaoman asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Cultivate? Peh! My incarnation is already easy mode my little naive Xiaoman, you could just breathe and your realm would increase automatically. My pillars of power essentially replace any techniques, or other special methods you would usually train. You just need to level the pillars up and you got instant power! Try it and you'll see."

Rong Xiaoman skeptically sent Qi into the Energy pillar and after ten minutes it had reached level one.

"Now point your finger at the artificial mountain in the center of your courtyard while drawing on the power of the Energy pillar." Ariel instructed.

Rong Xiaoman pointed her finger at the small 4 meter mountain. Her finger glowed with an orange light radiating an immense heat. A two inch beam shot forth from her finger at the speed of light hitting the center of the small mountain in an instant. As soon as the beam came into contact with it, the small mountain exploded into a large fireball sending rocks and dust everywhere.

Rong Xiaoman gasped in shock! That attack was powerful enough to threaten a peak foundation realm cultivator and that was only the first level of the Energy pillar!

"You understand now right. There are no limits to how much you can use the pillars, you could shoot those little beams till the end of time and you still wouldn't run out of power." Ariel remarked.

Rong Xiaoman gulped as she stared blankly at her finger.

...

Present time, Jiang Manor.

Within Rong Xiaoman's consciousness, there lay 3 pillars standing silently. On the pillar with the word carved 'Gravity', the number was 18. For the Magnetism pillar the number was 13 and lastly, the energy pillar had the largest number at 25.

Rong Xiaoman stared at the green robed men as if they were already dead. "Are you ready?"

The green robed men stopped their discussion and stared at Rong Xiaoman curiously. "Ready for what kid?"

"How dare these vulgar beasts talk about big sister like that!" Rong Xiaoman cracked a viscous smile. "Ready for your deaths!"

The green robed men seemed supprised by the answer and began roaring in laughter.

"Our deaths?! Ahaha what a damn comedian!"

"I know, he's little joker alright."

"Foolish rascal. You're the one who will die." One of the more serious green robed men shook his head as if Rong Xiaoman's fate was already decided.

Rong Xiaoman narrowed her golden eyes and reached out her hand toward one of the green robed men who was laughing. Suddenly he stopped and a look of shock appeared on his face. The green robed men surrounding him noticed and their attention turned towards him.

The closest green robed man asked. "Are you okay?" While tapping his shoulder.

The green robed man screamed in pain while collapsing in on himself like a sandcastle until all that was left was a spherical marble of flesh. Those surrounding him gasped in fear.

Jiang Jie who had originally noticed Rong Xiaoman's hand pointing at the man who had just turned into a small ball of flesh was shaking fearfully.

The scar faced green robed man call Gu Chong pointed at Rong Xiaoman and screamed. "W-w-what did you do!? There was no Qi fluctuations!!"

Qin Zhenzhen looked at her little brother in shock. "Just what kind of power is that?"

Rong Xiaoman laughed and replied. "I killed him."

Gu Chong gritted his teeth in anger.

"And you're next!" Rong Xiaoman focused and reached out her hand again.

Gu Chong shouted. "No!" Before fleeing as fast as he could. He had almost reached Jiang Manor before he suddenly halted. His body floated up and flew backwards faster than he escaped, right towards Rong Xiaoman.

"Ahhhh!" The scar faced man screamed as he reached Rong Xiaoman.

Rong Xiaoman punched outwards with her other hand towards Gu Chong, space itself was distorting around her fist.

"AH!" As soon as her fist touched Gu Chong, he exploded into a mist of blood.

"Run!"

Seeing this, the remaining green robed men panicked and escaped in every direction.

Rong Xiaoman raised her finger which glowed red. Ten small beams of light shot from her finger towards the ten remaining green robed men.

"Ahh!"

"Noo!"

"Gah!"

The green robed men were pierced by the red beams and burst into fire before exploding.

Qin Zhenzhen eyes sparkled in wonder as she stared at her little brother. The only thought resounding through her mind was a resounding. "Wow!"

Hidden nearby, Qin Fei was watching in wonder. Her expression full of worship. "The young master is so powerful!"

All that was left remaining was Jiang Jie who was shaking fearfully, urine dripping from his lower robes.

Walking up to Jiange Jie who backed up and tripped over. "W-what d-d-do you want!?" He whispered with tears falling from his eyes.

Rong Xiaoman looked down on him in disdain and asked. "Tell me, where is Jiang Ying. Where is my fiance!"