If Heaven hadn't given birth to me, I would be arrogant.

That hero was Zong Ze's grandfather, Zong Xiaozhang.

Zong, born into a commoner family, inexplicably obtained a martial arts cultivation manual called "Slaughtering the World" when he was very young. However, even after practicing it until he joined the army at the age of 20, his strength remained at the level of a first-level martial artist. He had never advanced.

It wasn't until the great war with the Dragon Empire began that Zong Xiaozhang finally understood that the "Slaughtering the World" technique could only be cultivated through constant battles. Thus, in countless life-or-death battles with his enemies, Zong Xiaozhang's strength advanced by leaps and bounds. The war lasted fifteen years, and by then, the thirty-five-year-old Zong Xiaozhang had reached the level of a first-level Martial Saint.

"Slaughtering the World" is definitely a shortcut to unparalleled cultivation. My grandfather, for example, used it to break through to the Martial Saint realm and reach the legendary Martial God realm before the new year. It's said that the number of Martial Gods in the entire Holy Word Continent can be counted on one hand. However, this cultivation method seems to have some side effects: it makes one increasingly frenzied through constant slaughter!

At that time, Zongze's grandfather, in his increasingly arrogant state, led a detachment of his men in a mutiny. They killed the foolish and ignorant legion commander, who only knew how to retreat, and his equally incompetent noble generals. Then, he proclaimed himself legion commander and led the entire legion in a counterattack against the army of the Dragon Empire.

A legion commander with the strength of a martial saint led a legion composed of commoners in a desperate battle. How could an ordinary army possibly defeat such a fighting force? Just as the capital was in chaos, and several civil officials were preparing to flee with the newly enthroned emperor while also preparing for surrender if the escape failed, Zong Xiaozhang's legion's victory report flew into the capital.

The capital was shocked. The new emperor seized the opportunity to arrest and execute several civil and military officials who had tried to sideline him. He then defied public opinion and appointed his grandfather, who had changed his name to Zong Xiaozhang, as the Grand General of the Empire, commanding troops from all over the country and private armies of nobles to resist the army of the Dragon Empire.

Zong Xiaozhang lived up to expectations. Using the military manual appended to "Slaughtering the World," he actually drove the Dragon Soaring Empire's army out of the Luen Empire's territory step by step. Finally, Zong Xiaozhang, now a second-level Martial Saint, suddenly launched a solo night raid on the enemy camp, killing the Dragon Soaring Empire's marshal. The Dragon Soaring Empire was forced to agree to negotiate with Zong Xiaozhang, ceding all the land they had already occupied.

With his own strength and the appeal of a commoner, coupled with his fighting spirit of always taking the lead in every battle, Zong Xiaozhang gained the recognition of all the soldiers and generals of the empire, as well as the recognition and trust of the new emperor of the Rune Empire. Moreover, Zong Xiaozhang also gained the greatest wealth of his life in this war, which was the eldest princess of the Jade Kingdom, Zong Ze's grandmother!

At that time, on the border between the Luen Empire and the Longteng Empire, there was a historically significant duchy—the Jade Kingdom. Although this duchy was small, neither of the two great empires had any intention of conquering it. Later, Zong Xiaozhang learned that the Jade Kingdom was very mysterious, so mysterious that the royal families and ducal houses of the three great empires and twelve duchies of the Holy Word Continent all had a dying injunction: "Never attack the Jade Kingdom!"

However, Zong Xiaozhang, who came from a commoner background, was unaware of the secrets known only to the leadership of these noble families. The negotiations were taking place in the Duchy of Jade. During the negotiations, Zong Xiaozhang saw a woman on the street who captivated him—Zong Ze's grandmother—the eldest daughter of the Jade family!

It has to be said that Zong Xiaozhang is really ruthless; he somehow managed to seduce the eldest daughter of the Yu family.