“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