Chapter 1: The Useless Young Master in the Forbidden Mansion
Nestled deep in the Crimson Cloud Mountains, hidden beyond swirling mist and deadly terrain, stood a massive, ancient mansion. Silent. Sealed. Surrounded by a mysterious formation that made it impossible for anyone to enter… or leave.
Inside this "cage" lived Ayan, an 18-year-old who believed he was the most talentless man alive.
"Why… WHY can't I cultivate!?" he wailed, dramatically sweeping a bamboo broom through the courtyard like a heartbroken martial arts master.
Despite his good looks, toned physique, and flawless skin (all unintentional side effects of high-level body refining pills), Ayan slouched in self-pity. He wore plain robes and a crooked headband that had somehow become his personal symbol of failure.
"Other boys awaken their meridians by 12! I'm 18 and still can't gather a single strand of Qi! Am I cursed!? A loser?! Abandoned by the heavens?!"
Nearby, a fat black-and-white dog snoozed peacefully under the sun. Ayan called him "Barky." In reality, this was Fenrir, once the Wolf Emperor, whose roar shook ten thousand mountains. Now reduced to a lazy mutt who chased butterflies in the garden for "fun."
A pigeon landed on the stone railing nearby and cooed. Ayan smiled and reached out.
"Hey, Little Pidgey. You're always there for me…"
This was Fenghuang, the ancient Primordial Phoenix in disguise. She simply blinked and tilted her head, playing the role of a harmless bird perfectly.
"Even if I'm talentless," Ayan sighed, "at least I have you guys."
Up in the trees, a fire-red crow cawed loudly and puffed its feathers. Not just any crow — this was a Scarlet Hellflame Crow, capable of burning cities to ash.
A turtle sunbathed by the pond. A common turtle, Ayan believed. In truth, this was Gāodi, the Earth Dragon, an ancient guardian of the world's ley lines.
The cat lounging on the roof and flicking its tail? Ayan called her "Meowster." The truth? A Celestial Lightning Tiger who could crush mountains with a yawn.
Then there was the fat tarantula that lived in the garden shed, supposedly just a weird bug Ayan had rescued from a storm. She was, in fact, Queen Arachnea, a Spider Empress who once ruled an entire continent's underground web of spirit beasts.
But to Ayan, they were just ordinary pets. Loyal, weirdly smart, and always following him around like bodyguards.
"Honestly," he said to no one in particular, "I must've just been born lucky to have such cool animals. Not strong, though. Just… cute."
The animals said nothing, of course. They had made a silent vow among themselves long ago:
"If our master wants to live a quiet, ordinary life... we shall follow."
Even when Ayan once sneezed during a nap and accidentally obliterated a Rank 9 formation with spiritual backlash — they acted like it was just a breeze.
Even when he "accidentally" brewed a pill that caused flowers to bloom in a 10-mile radius — they buried it, literally, under a tree.
It was better this way. Their master, after all, seemed happiest when thinking he was the weakest boy in the world.
Unbeknownst to him, Ayan had been trained for five years by a mysterious golden voice only he could hear — the System:
[SYSTEM: Formation Mastery complete.]
[SYSTEM: You have learned to forge Heaven-grade weapons. Proceed to Enlightened Smith tier.]
[SYSTEM: You've accidentally tamed a spatial storm by humming. Congratulations.]
And then, one day, the system just… vanished.
[SYSTEM: You've learned all I have to teach. Live well, young master. Signing off forever.]
Ayan cried for three days straight.
Now, he wandered around his garden, making tea with herbs that could resurrect dead birds (he had no idea), and sighing at clouds.
That peace ended the moment the sky tore open.
Thud!
A girl in torn, blood-soaked robes crashed into the middle of his garden, eyes wild, breathing ragged. She looked around frantically before collapsing into a patch of sacred spirit grass (which Ayan just called "fuzzy weeds").
"…Huh?"
Ayan rushed over. The girl was unconscious, clearly injured. Long black hair, fair skin, robes with the Sky Sect emblem — one of the most powerful sects in the continent!
He blinked. "She… fell from the sky?"
She clutched a jade talisman glowing faintly — a Five Element Herb Locator.
Ayan picked it up curiously. "Wow… this looks fancy. Maybe it's some kind of potato detector?"
The girl murmured weakly, "...brother… Beast Sect… everyone… died..."
Suddenly, the animals around the garden tensed — not visibly, of course. They kept pretending to be dumb animals. But every one of them had already sensed something:
This girl had been chased by the Beast Sect… and something stronger might be following.
Up in the trees, the fire crow flared its wings, ready to burn intruders.
The Earth Dragon Turtle slowly sank into the pond, activating ancient formations beneath the surface.
The Lightning Tiger twitched her ears, scanning for sound.
But Ayan just panicked.
"OH NO! A girl fainted in my garden! I need to make soup!!"
He rushed off, completely missing the high-tier spiritual pressure approaching from the distant mountains.
As he left, the cat let out the softest growl.
From deep underground, old formation lines began to glow — awakening.
To Be Continued...