Chapter 2 What is this thing_1
The levels of Phantom Power cultivation include: Phantom Warrior, Phantom Master, Great Phantom Master, Phantom King, Phantom Ancestor, Phantom Emperor, Phantom Venerable. The respective colors for these levels are red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple. Each level is further divided into nine minor levels. The marker for a major Phantom Power level is a Phantom Moon; one Phantom Moon is added with each major level achieved. The marker for the minor levels, on the other hand, is a Phantom Star, with one star per minor level. When you use Phantom Power, your Phantom Moons and Phantom Stars will be manifest, allowing others to deduce your level of Phantom Power by your color and celestial markers.
The levels of Sword Qi cultivation include: Swordsman, Sword Master, Great Sword Master, Sword King, Sword Ancestor, Sword Emperor, Sword Venerable. The corresponding colors for Sword Qi are also red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple. Each level is also divided into nine minor levels. The major level marker of Sword Qi is a blade, while the minor level marker is a small sword.
Phantom Power allows for long-range attacks, while Sword Qi requires close combat. Additionally, once a person cultivates Phantom Power to the level of Phantom Master, they can form contracts with Phantom Beasts, which is why the status of a Phantom Master is higher than that of a Sword Master.
Thinking of Phantom Beasts, a hint of curiosity sparkled in Dugu Qianye's eyes. The Phantom Beasts on Xuanyue Continent differ from the animals on Earth, as they are innately capable of attack. When cultivated to become a Spiritual Beast, they will awaken Spiritual Intelligence, and once they do, they can contract with a Phantom Master. A Phantom Beast cultivated to the level of a Holy Beast gains the ability to speak human language and mimic other forms, while a Super Divine Beast can transform into human shape. Each level has nine minor divisions. A first-level Spiritual Beast is marked by a single triangle star, and a second-level by two triangle stars, and so on; a first-level Holy Beast is marked by a four-point star, a Divine Beast by a five-point star, and a Super Divine Beast by a six-point star. Phantom Beasts have a Demon Crystal on their heads, equivalent to their neural center, which has to be tamed prior to contracting. Moreover, Demon Crystals can also be used in Alchemy and Artifact Refining, thus they are highly sought after. Because Phantom Beasts are difficult to hunt, Demon Crystals are very expensive.
The Cangmang Mountains are known to be inhabited by Phantom Beasts. Many people enjoy venturing into the mountains for the experience and to capture Phantom Beasts. Qifeng City is a small county near the outer edge of the mountains, but as it's the city closest to the Cangmang Mountains, it sees a lot of foot traffic and frequent trade, making it quite prosperous.
In each of the four cardinal directions of Qifeng City are the Mo Family, Qiu Family, Li Family, and Ji Family, four powerful clans that monopolize the economic lifeline of the city.
The Qiu, Li, and Ji Families all developed over hundreds of years from local residents, but the leading Mo Family is from elsewhere, and the Mo Family in this place is just a branch of the main lineage.
The Mo Family in the capital of the Mors Empire has a history of over a thousand years. Being a Phantom Family, they hold a prestigious position within the Mors Empire. A so-called Phantom Family is one in which most members, due to blood relations, have a source of Phantom Power and are capable of cultivating it. Those unable to cultivate Phantom Power or Sword Qi are considered of low status and are assigned to manage the family's remote businesses. However, such individuals are quite rare.
Unfortunately, the protagonist in question is famously known as the good-for-nothing of the Mo Family. Her mother was once the youngest daughter of the former patriarch who, due to her exceptional talent, was everyone's favorite. However, she met her father during an externship, promised herself to him for life, refused a marriage arranged by her family, and left the Mo Family. A few years later, she returned with three-year-old Little Qianye and then disappeared. The father, Dugu Yixuan, has an unknown identity and whereabouts. As for Little Qianye, she was born prematurely, was physically weak, lacked a Phantom Power source, and had blockages between her meridians and cyclones, making it impossible for her to cultivate Sword Qi. At the age of five, during the family's aptitude test, she was diagnosed with a defective constitution and was dismissed with a flick of the patriarch's hand, ending up in Qifeng City for ten years.
In Qifeng City, the name Dugu Qianye was known to all. You might not know the name of the City Lord of Qifeng, but you'd surely know the renowned Dugu Qianye, who, because she was ranked ninth, was called the Useless Ninth by everyone.
Throughout those ten years, Little Qianye was constantly bullied and humiliated. Although she was of the direct Mo lineage, she lacked even the fundamental guarantees of life. At 15, she still looked like a 12 or 13-year-old child, pale and thin, the very picture of malnutrition. Moreover, the disciples of the Mo Family would often beat her for bringing shame to the Mo name. This time, it was the Mo Family's disciples of Qifeng City's Fifth Master, her two cousins Mo Lian and Mo Ju, who came into her courtyard, beat her severely, and left her for dead.