Pausing, Penny then continued, "Furthermore, most cultivators who gained enlightenment don't necessarily have the disposition to fully flourish. It takes great talent for anyone to even reach the Four Earls' level of mastery.

"Therefore, my family is nothing more than a tool for the Griffins to continue their lineage, and Lady Griffin herself has never shown us any respect. In fact, the reason I gained enlightenment when I was sixteen was because someone from the Griffin came to us, scouting for girls of marriageable age. He discovered that I had reached the Dark Realm and immediately reported it to the governor.

"The governor was shocked, too, since he had never met anyone who had reached the Dark Realm at sixteen before me, and he promptly reported the matter to Lady Griffin. It just so happened that she had been actively searching for individuals with the talent to gain enlightenment, or talented individuals who had already achieved enlightenment. She'd then recruit them to the Qi