[Scene: Forest Edge – Just before Dawn]
The morning dew hadn't yet faded. Max sat beside a large stone, his back resting against the cool bark of a thick-rooted tree. He had barely slept. His veins still ached, his meridians tingled, and his mind — clouded, yet buzzing with something new.
The lotus mark on his chest pulsed with a soft violet hue.
He drew a long breath, allowing the morning air to steady him.
And then — a voice.
Soft. Mechanical. Neither male nor female.
[You have initiated the Path. System is awakening…]
[Initializing Status Recognition Protocol…]
His breath caught.
"What… is this…?"
And then — across his mind, as if painted in pure light — appeared words.
Not before his eyes, but within his mind's inner perception.
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🜲 STATUS WINDOW — MAX 🜲
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#Name: Max
#Age: 16
#Race: Human
#Origin: Kaliyun Village, Mortal World
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#Cultivation Realm:
– Realm Category: Mortal Realm
– Major Realm: Qi Initiation
– Minor Realm: First Petal Awakening
– Level: 6 (Intermediate Stage)
– Lotus Flame Seed Progress: 12% Germination
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#Constitution: Lotus Spiral Vessel
– Description: A unique spiritual vessel capable of refining cosmic and chaotic Qi into structured elemental forms.
– Grade: Unknown (Beyond Mortal Tier)
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#Physique:
– Base Body: Human
– Awakened Trait: Qi Adaptive Meridians
– Qi Flow Efficiency: 67% (Growing)
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#Spiritual Core:
– Formation Stage: Not yet formed
– Alignment: Spatial & Temporal Law resonance detected (Unstable)
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#Skills & Techniques:
– Breath of Stillness [Basic Qi Circulation]
– Lotus Flame Seed Breathing [Unique — Soul-bound]
– Void Fan Technique – Level 0 [Locked]
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#Affinity Detected:
– Primary: Fire (Chaotic Flame Subtype)
– Secondary: Space (Unrefined)
– Tertiary: Time (Dormant)
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#Lifespan: ~102 years (Mortal Limit)
#Current Path Status: Initiated
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[Note: Path has been initialized through Natural Awakening. Lotus Spiral recognized. Passive Resonance with the Eternal Origin Pathline has been recorded.]
[System will evolve as User ascends each Realm Category.]
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[Scene Resumes – Forest Edge]
Max sat still. Not even his heartbeat echoed.
"This… this is my soul?" he murmured.
It wasn't simply numbers. It wasn't a game. It felt more like a reflection of his essence — a cosmic map of who he was and what he could become.
"Qi Adaptive Meridians… Fire, Space… Time?"
His fingers twitched. He looked down at his palm, and as if summoned by instinct, a faint violet flame flickered into life — no heat, just form.
"I really did change…"
He blinked, and the flame vanished.
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[Scene: Deep Forest – Daylight Breaks]
Old Wu reappeared, pushing aside hanging vines.
"You didn't sleep."
Max: "I couldn't. I saw… something. A status. A system. It called itself the Path."
Old Wu's brow tightened. He said nothing at first. Then he crouched beside Max and whispered:
"A divine cultivator once said that when destiny calls, it does not shout. It whispers through the soul. The fact that it spoke to you… confirms everything."
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Max asked, voice nearly trembling.
Old Wu smiled faintly.
"Grow. Until even the gods must kneel to read your name."
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[Scene Shift: Underground – Unknown Location]
Deep beneath a ruined sect city, a cloaked figure with golden eyes sat before an obsidian mirror. The mirror pulsed once.
"The Lotus Spiral has reappeared. And it has chosen… him."
Another voice, deeper, rasping, echoed from the dark.
"Then we prepare. The Origin must not awaken. If it does — all realms shall unravel."
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[Scene: Hilltop – Sunset]
Max stood atop the hill again, the wind brushing through his now unbound black hair. His eyes shimmered faintly violet.
He looked toward the distant horizon, where a single star flickered — brighter than the rest.
"My journey has begun," he said quietly.
"And I will reach the Origin."
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[End of Chapter 3]