“Waaah...waaah...”
Aloudcrypiercedtheair—wasthatmeg?Justmomentsago,Ihademergedfromdarkness.
Amanwalkedtowardmewithnervoussteps,whilealycradledme.Themaninwhiterobeswhoheldmebeamedwithjoy.
“gratutions,Master!It’saboy,justasexpected!”
Themanaddressedas"Master"showedvisibleemotion.
“Ialreadychoseaianyan,mythirdchild!”
Timeflewby,andnowIamthreeyearsold.AcctoFather,thebestagetobegincultivatioweeoday,hetookmetothefamily''''''''stestingchamber.There,IsawastoneknownastheTalentStone.Bypgmyhandonit,itwouldassessmyiitude,rankingfromgray,red,e,yellow,green,blue,indigo,violet,uptobck—bckbeingthehighest.
Theresultappeared:ashadebetweengrayandred.Ohelowestpossible.
BothFatherandIfellsilent.Iwasthefirsttospeak.
“Father...mytalent...isreallythatlht?”
Myfather’sianlon,rankedseongtheFourDivis—Xuanwu,Qinglong,Baihu,andZhuque.
Heistalnddignified,andthoughaging,hisbodyremainsfirmandupright,exudingthemajestyon.Hisbrowsaresharplikeswords,hiseyesdarkahafaintgreenglowthatseemstopiercethesoul.Hisskinispalebuthealthy,hisbckhairtihandimmacutelygroomed.Hecarriesacoldbutnotdistantaura—calmandposed.Myelderbrothercloselyresembleshim.
Iamthethirdchildinthefamily.Inmygeion,namesarebasedontheFiveElemeh,Metal,Fire,Wood,andWater.MyelderbrotherisTianyao,myeldersisterTianling,andIamTianyan.Ialsohavetwinsisters,stilllearningtospeak,ianmuandTianmiao.
Fathersighed.
“Well,nothingbedonenow.Startcultivatingfirst.Whenyht,I’lltakeyoutoseekthehelpofAsura.”
AsuraisadeityworshipedthroughoutXiatyandmostofAwakenia.
Lookingatme,Fathersaid,
“Thepathofcultivationsistsofninemajorrealms:QiRefi,Foundatioablishment,GoldenCore,Soul,SoulMovement,SpiritSeparation,Fusion,TributionCrossing,andfinally,GreatAssion.
EachrealmisdividedintoEarlyStage,MidStage,LateStage,aage.FromGoldenCoreonward,there''''''''salsoalevelknownasGreatpletion.”
IopehebooktitledQiRefiManual,memorizingeveryword,afraidtomissevenasiail.
Thiswasmyfirststepintothepathofcultivation.Idarednotsckoff.Sittingcross-legged,IfollowedtheCultivatiohod,adjustingmybreathingandslowlyguidingmybreathintomydantiahodcimedthatqienergywouldnaturallygatheriian—butdespitesittingforalongtime,nothingstirredaroundme,asiftherewasnoqiintheworldatall.
AsidefromWater-BlueStar’sthinspiritualenergy,themainreasonmustliewithiIrefusedtogiveup.Wipingthesweatfrommyforehead,Iyeyesandresumedbreathiion.
Timepassedslowly.Mylegswerenumb,andmybacksoakedi.Still,mydantianremainedsilent,likeadesert—voidofanyqi.
Doubtcreptin.
“AmIreallyhopeless?”
No—Irefusedtobelievethat!
Noonereachestheheavensinoneleap.Iftalentisg,thenI’llmakeupforitwitheffort.Takingadeepbreath,Isteadiedmymindandfocusedmyspiritevenmore.
Idon''''''''tknowhowlonghadpassed.Theskyoutsidehaddarkened,andmybodywasnumb,mymindgroggy.JustasIwasabouttogiveup,aslightripplestirreddeepinmydantian—likeastillponddisturbedbyafainttouch.Ittickled.
“Q
Aloudcrypiercedtheair—wasthatmeg?Justmomentsago,Ihademergedfromdarkness.
Amanwalkedtowardmewithnervoussteps,whilealycradledme.Themaninwhiterobeswhoheldmebeamedwithjoy.
“gratutions,Master!It’saboy,justasexpected!”
Themanaddressedas"Master"showedvisibleemotion.
“Ialreadychoseaianyan,mythirdchild!”
Timeflewby,andnowIamthreeyearsold.AcctoFather,thebestagetobegincultivatioweeoday,hetookmetothefamily''''''''stestingchamber.There,IsawastoneknownastheTalentStone.Bypgmyhandonit,itwouldassessmyiitude,rankingfromgray,red,e,yellow,green,blue,indigo,violet,uptobck—bckbeingthehighest.
Theresultappeared:ashadebetweengrayandred.Ohelowestpossible.
BothFatherandIfellsilent.Iwasthefirsttospeak.
“Father...mytalent...isreallythatlht?”
Myfather’sianlon,rankedseongtheFourDivis—Xuanwu,Qinglong,Baihu,andZhuque.
Heistalnddignified,andthoughaging,hisbodyremainsfirmandupright,exudingthemajestyon.Hisbrowsaresharplikeswords,hiseyesdarkahafaintgreenglowthatseemstopiercethesoul.Hisskinispalebuthealthy,hisbckhairtihandimmacutelygroomed.Hecarriesacoldbutnotdistantaura—calmandposed.Myelderbrothercloselyresembleshim.
Iamthethirdchildinthefamily.Inmygeion,namesarebasedontheFiveElemeh,Metal,Fire,Wood,andWater.MyelderbrotherisTianyao,myeldersisterTianling,andIamTianyan.Ialsohavetwinsisters,stilllearningtospeak,ianmuandTianmiao.
Fathersighed.
“Well,nothingbedonenow.Startcultivatingfirst.Whenyht,I’lltakeyoutoseekthehelpofAsura.”
AsuraisadeityworshipedthroughoutXiatyandmostofAwakenia.
Lookingatme,Fathersaid,
“Thepathofcultivationsistsofninemajorrealms:QiRefi,Foundatioablishment,GoldenCore,Soul,SoulMovement,SpiritSeparation,Fusion,TributionCrossing,andfinally,GreatAssion.
EachrealmisdividedintoEarlyStage,MidStage,LateStage,aage.FromGoldenCoreonward,there''''''''salsoalevelknownasGreatpletion.”
IopehebooktitledQiRefiManual,memorizingeveryword,afraidtomissevenasiail.
Thiswasmyfirststepintothepathofcultivation.Idarednotsckoff.Sittingcross-legged,IfollowedtheCultivatiohod,adjustingmybreathingandslowlyguidingmybreathintomydantiahodcimedthatqienergywouldnaturallygatheriian—butdespitesittingforalongtime,nothingstirredaroundme,asiftherewasnoqiintheworldatall.
AsidefromWater-BlueStar’sthinspiritualenergy,themainreasonmustliewithiIrefusedtogiveup.Wipingthesweatfrommyforehead,Iyeyesandresumedbreathiion.
Timepassedslowly.Mylegswerenumb,andmybacksoakedi.Still,mydantianremainedsilent,likeadesert—voidofanyqi.
Doubtcreptin.
“AmIreallyhopeless?”
No—Irefusedtobelievethat!
Noonereachestheheavensinoneleap.Iftalentisg,thenI’llmakeupforitwitheffort.Takingadeepbreath,Isteadiedmymindandfocusedmyspiritevenmore.
Idon''''''''tknowhowlonghadpassed.Theskyoutsidehaddarkened,andmybodywasnumb,mymindgroggy.JustasIwasabouttogiveup,aslightripplestirreddeepinmydantian—likeastillponddisturbedbyafainttouch.Ittickled.
“Q