The morning after the storm of rumors, the palace was still heavy with tension. The banners outside fluttered in uneasy rhythm, and the marble halls seemed to quiet. Inside the imper Hall, Emperor Yue sat upon the high seat, his face serious. Empress chu sat beside him, calm as a silent support for her husband..
Below them, Yue Zihan kneeled, not in submission, but in ritual respect. His white hair caught the sun filtering through the windows, and his blindfold shimmered faintly with threads of runic light.
"I will handle this matter myself," he said. His voice was soft, but every word carried a finality that silenced the entire chamber. "The assassins may be gone, but their shadow remains. Whoever dared to strike beneath our flag hides deeper than our guards can see."
The king frowned. "You speak as though this were not the court's duty."
Zihan raised his head slightly. "With respect, Father, this is not the court's affair. It is mine. Someone tested me not our dynasty. If I hide behind walls now, they will only test again . This may inevitably affect you. I want respect and to show those in the shadows that there efforts are just child play to me. If I ever need help I will think of you two first.."
The queen stepped forward, voice sharp. "You were nearly killed. Must you rush toward danger again?"
Zihan smiled faintly beneath his blindfold. "Mother, the safest place to stand is often at the heart of the fire. At least there, I can see who else dares to burn."
[System: Dramatic line, 10/10. Would recommend for the autobiography.]
A reluctant chuckle escaped Emperor Yue. "You truly are your father's son," he said, though his eyes betrayed worry. "If you must go, then not alone. The Flame Sovereign Competition begins in twenty five days the perfect cover for your journey. I will send an escort."
Zihan shook his head. "If I arrive with an army, every sect will see the son of a king. I need them to see only a traveler."
[System: Translation-'I'm going to sneak out anyway.' Classic.]
Queen chu sighed, defeated by the quiet resolve in his tone. "Then at least take the imperial seal. If you are cornered, show it. And…" She hesitated, reaching out to adjust his blindfold like she had when he was a child. "…come back, Zihan. Don't let pride keep you from returning home."
"I promise," he said, and for once, the smile that followed was entirely gentle.
Emperor Yue looked into his clothes and took out a token." This contains my will if you meet anything stronger that you cannot win break it it will buy you enough time to run. It has three quarter of my power inside," Zihan took the token with a fond smile. His father was one of the top experts in the continent at Spirit severing late stage he was almost reaching the threshold of breakthrough to Heavenly Ascension . His mother was also at the spirit severing mid stage.
" Thank you this will help," He then looked at his parents again more seriously," I may need your help for something at this moment."
...…..
In an open field beyond the walls of the capital, Zihan sat under the boundless sky, far from the intrigues of court and the prying eyes of the world. Here, amidst the grasses and winds, he chose to break through before embarking on his journey. His parents stood silently beside him, their eyes filled with love and resolve, ready to shield him from the fiercest onslaught of the tribulation.
[System] You really are mummy and daddy's boy can't face the tribulation alone, huh?
Zihan's brow twitched, a faint smile touched his lips. "Well, I'm not into torture," he replied softly, his voice carrying the calm of a cultivator prepared for the storm.
He began to circulate the chaotic Qi around his body, weaving it into a spiraling dance along his meridians which was an ancient, silent call to the heavens, readying himself for the tribulation. His foundation was solid and enough preparation had been made.
Suddenly boom! a thunderous sound erupted from within him, a ripple shattering the stillness as Zihan sank into his Sea of Consciousness. Guiding the chaotic qi he pressed forward, urging it to break through the sealed meridians and release the boundless storm within.
The chaos surged, striking the first meridian like a blade, shattering the ancient seal that guarded his core. Outside, dark clouds gathered with unnatural ferocity more than enough for a mere realm-breaking tribulation. Emperor Yue, watching from afar, noted the anomaly immediately. This was no ordinary test; it was a tribulation befitting a cultivator at the core formation stage, ascending into the nascent realm.
The first tribulation thunder roared a divine assault, crackling with destructive energy. Yet, King Yue made no move to intervene. Instead, he observed with calm indifference, recognizing that the low-grade comprehension carried within this tribulation could serve as a catalyst for Zihan's enlightenment in the Dao. Let the heavens test him.
The lightning struck Zihan's body, the pain negligible compared to the torment he had endured forging his primordial flesh. He had asked his parents for help, seeking their protection from the tribulation's yet he understood that only through enduring could he transcend. It had been more of a precaution if overwhelmed.
Drawing upon the chaotic qi, Zihan directed its force, pushing past the first meridian and shattering the ancient seal that guarded his essence. A surge of relief flooded through him as the chaotic Qi poured into the open meridian, nourishing and strengthening it. With steady focus, he guided the energy onward, toward the next.
Unlike ordinary cultivators who had twelve meridians, Zihan's body had thirty-six, triple the count, each one a conduit for divine power, awaiting awakening. With each breakthrough, the celestial storm within him grew brighter, a testament to his destined path toward the divine.
[ Congratulations on opening a meridians Cp earned +20]
[ congratulations on opening the second meridians Cp earned+20]
[ congratulations on opening the...….. the notifications went on until all the 36 Meridians were opened.
The once silent primordial pool in his body moved swaying as if congratulating him on his achieve. His life force moved from his navel and sank into the Primordial sea absorbing the primordial essence little by little.
…...
Zihan guided his chaotic qi downward, directing it into his bones a stage where the essence of the Dao was carved into flesh and marrow. As the primal energy flowed, ancient scriptures remnants buried in the primordial sea emerged and writhed with the chaotic qi ,dancing along his bones like celestial runes. From the depths of his marrow, a golden radiance erupted, illuminating the darkness as the chaotic energy curved and engraved the divine symbols into his bones.
His bones turned a radiant gold, tougher and more resilient than ordinary, hardened beyond mortal limits. Zihan could feel the weight of this act; it was the true essence of carving the Dao into one's bones. The pain was negligible, as if his senses belonged to a different realm altogether an elevation beyond suffering.
With the carvings complete, Zihan shifted his chaotic Qi into the meridian network, binding them into a cohesive whole, forging a divine connection within his body. The star in his Dantian stirred an ancient, celestial eye rose and settled at the center of his meridians. It revolved gently, casting a faint, otherworldly light that illuminated his internal realm like a guiding lantern.
He gazed into his Dantian, where the remaining chaotic Qi had transformed into a liquid state flowing and swirling around the core, fueling the divine circuit he had begun to forge.
He opened his eyes, looking at the situation outside. The grasses surrounding him had been reduced to ash, scorched by the tribulation . Standing silently beside him, his parents watched with solemnly as the last storm clouds gathered overhead. Zihan could feel it this tribulation's thunder contained a deadly, murderous intent. The heavens, ancient and mighty, could not tolerate this anomaly; the primordial chaos threatening to break the order they upheld.
He looked at his parents, a silent gesture of resolve an unspoken signal that he would try to confront the storm . Before they could intervene, he stepped forward, a defiant stance against the heavens punishment.
The heavenly thunder roared, sharp and piercing, descending with deadly intent. Zihan met it head-on, raising his chaotic Qi to meet the divine fury. The bolt struck him fiercely, yet he endured accepting the pain, the chaos, as he pushed onward. With unwavering resolve, he directed his chaotic energy towards the darkening clouds, sending strands of wild, chaotic Qi upward.
The moment his chaotic Qi touched the thunderclouds, it vanished dissolving into the void as if meeting something terrifying beyond their under The storm trembled, resisting with a ferocity that seemed almost alive, a testament to the primal power of chaos challenging the divine order.
" we should leave," his father said," people are coming to see who created the tribulation."
Zihan nodded.
His father held him and they teleported but to the palace.