Three Years Later.
The day of the Grand Clan Assessment arrived with the roar of dragons.
Huge drums, skinned from thunder-beasts, beat a rhythm that shook the floating continent of the Xie Clan. Today was the day the ten-year-old scions of the Direct and Branch lineages would be tested. Those who passed would be given resources and titles. Those who failed would be sent to the Lower Domains to manage shops and mines.
The Heavenly Ascension Plaza was packed. Over ten thousand clan members watched from the tiered stands.
In the VIP box, the Elders sat on floating thrones.
Xie Canghe, the Patriarch, sat in the center. His expression was unreadable, but his fingers tapped rhythmically on his armrest.
Today was the day of reckoning for his "Saint Rank" son.
"Patriarch," the Third Elder smiled, stroking his beard. "My grandson, Xie Yu, has recently broken through to the Spirit Ocean Realm. A twelve-year-old Spirit Ocean cultivator! A rare sight in the last century."
Xie Canghe glanced at him coolly. "Talent is good. But the Xie Clan values survival. Let us see."
Below, on the arena floor, the atmosphere was tense.
"Next! Xie Yu!"
A figure exploded from the waiting area.
Xie Yu was now twelve. He stood six feet tall, his muscles rippling under a sleeveless combat robe. His skin had a strange, dark-gold sheen. He didn't walk; he stomped, cracking the floor tiles with every step.
He stood before the Combat Puppet—a mechanical construct made of Star-Iron, set to the strength of the Mid-Spirit Ocean Realm.
"Begin!"
Xie Yu didn't use a weapon. He roared, a sound like tearing metal.
Bronze Skin Art: Indestructible Gold Form.
BANG!
He took the puppet's blade directly to his chest. The blade shattered.
The crowd gasped.
Before the puppet could reset, Xie Yu punched. It was a simple straight punch, but the air around his fist distorted.
CRACK!
The Star-Iron puppet exploded. Metal shrapnel rained down on the protective barriers.
"He... he destroyed a Mid-Spirit Ocean puppet with pure physical strength?"
"Monstrous! A Golden Lion!"
The Third Elder stood up, laughing. "Good! Good! This is the demeanor of an Ancient Clan!"
Xie Yu stood amidst the wreckage, breathing steam. He raised his arms, basking in the cheers. But for a split second, his eyes flicked toward the shadowed entrance of the tunnel, offering a subtle, imperceptible nod.
I did as you ordered, Master, Xie Yu thought. I am the shield.
"Next!" The Elder in charge of the test shouted, his voice trembling slightly. "The Young Master... Xie Feng!"
The cheering died instantly.
A hush fell over the stadium.
From the tunnel, a wheelchair did not emerge.
Instead, a slender boy walked out. He wore white scholar robes that looked too big for him. He held a simple paper fan in his hand. He walked slowly, using a cane made of black wood. Every step looked like a struggle against gravity.
Xie Feng was ten years old. His face was hauntingly beautiful, but pale as a corpse. His eyes were dark, calm, and seemingly devoid of spirit fire.
"He can walk?" someone whispered.
"Barely. Look at his legs. They are trembling."
Xie Feng stopped before the Spirit Aptitude Stone. He didn't look at the crowd. He didn't look at his father.
He looked at the stone.
Ten years, Xie Feng thought.
In the past three years, under the cover of the 'sickly invalid,' I have broken through to the Void Treading Realm (Stage 1).
I am stronger than any Elder present, except maybe the Patriarch.
But if I show that, the Heavens will drop a tribulation lightning on my head right now.
He reached out a pale hand.
"Test," the Elder commanded.
Xie Feng placed his hand on the stone.
Nameless Tablet: Activate. Simulation Mode.
He poured a specific frequency of Qi into the stone. He didn't simulate "Power." He simulated "Quality."
Buzz...
The stone didn't glow brightly. Instead, it turned pitch black.
A strange, suffocating pressure radiated from the stone. The space around the arena began to twist. The light of the suns seemed to bend away from Xie Feng.
Attribute: Void / Space.
Grade: Saint Rank.
The VIP box erupted.
"Space Attribute! The rarest element!"
"And it's Saint Rank purity! Look at how the light bends!"
But then, Xie Feng coughed.
He coughed violently, blood spraying onto the black stone. The pressure vanished instantly. Xie Feng collapsed, catching himself with his cane.
"A pity," Xie Feng whispered, loud enough for the microphone array to catch. "My soul is wide, but my body is narrow."
The Physicians rushed forward. The Head Physician checked his pulse (which Xie Feng had altered using the Corpse-Locking Art).
"Patriarch!" The Physician yelled up at the throne. "Young Master Feng's soul talent is peerless! Saint Rank Space Affinity! But... his meridians are naturally withered. They cannot handle the output. Every time he uses Qi, it damages his organs!"
The crowd murmured.
The Heaven's Jealousy. A genius soul born in a trash body. A tragedy.
Xie Canghe sat on his throne. He looked at his son.
Disappointment? Yes.
But also... utility.
A Saint Rank Space user, even a crippled one, was incredibly valuable. He could be a Formation Master. He could maintain the Clan's sealing arrays. He could be the brain, while Xie Yu was the sword.
"He passes," Xie Canghe announced, his voice echoing across the plaza.
"Xie Feng shall be granted the title of Pavilion Master of the Hidden Scriptures. He will focus on Formation and Theory. He is excused from combat duties."
Xie Feng, still kneeling on the ground and wiping blood from his lips, lowered his head.
"Thank you, Father."
He hid his smile behind his bloodstained sleeve.
Pavilion Master of the Hidden Scriptures?
You just gave me the keys to the forbidden section of the library, unlimited access to ancient lore, and an excuse to never leave the house to fight meaningless wars.
Perfect.
Later that evening.
The celebration banquet was in full swing. Xie Yu was being toasted by hundreds of disciples. He was the star.
Xie Feng sat alone in his new quarters—a secluded tower on the edge of the continent, overlooking the sea of clouds.
"Young Master," a shadow materialized in the corner of the room.
It was Ghost One, the leader of the Hall of Silence, the intelligence network Xie Feng had built. He was a rogue cultivator Xie Feng had saved and cured of poison two years ago.
"Speak," Xie Feng said, sipping tea. His frailty was gone. His eyes were sharp.
"The target, Lin Tian, has found the Ring of the Old Sovereign in the Lower Domain," Ghost One reported. "His cultivation has skyrocketed to the Spirit Ocean Realm. He is planning to enter the Upper Realm Trialsnext month."
Xie Feng tapped his fan on the table.
"The Ring of the Old Sovereign... It contains the soul of an ancient Alchemist. Classic startup capital for a Hero."
"Should we kill him and take the ring?" Ghost One asked.
"No," Xie Feng said. "If we kill him now, the ring might self-destruct. Or worse, the Luck will jump to someone else I don't know."
Xie Feng stood up and walked to the balcony.
"Let him come up. He needs resources to repair the ring. I have resources."
"Send a message to the Flowing Cloud Sect in the Lower Domain. Tell them the Ancient Xie Clan is looking for... 'servants with potential'. Have them send Lin Tian here as a labor disciple."
Ghost One hesitated. "You want to bring the Son of Destiny into our clan?"
"Keep your friends close," Xie Feng smiled, the moonlight reflecting in his dark eyes. "Keep your harvest closer."
"When he arrives, assign him to my Spirit Herb Garden. I need someone with 'Main Character Luck' to tend to my plants. They grow better when he is around."
"As you command." Ghost One vanished.
Xie Feng opened his fan.
The board was set.
He had the position (Pavilion Master).
He had the shield (Xie Yu).
He had the livestock (Lin Tian).
"Now," Xie Feng whispered to the wind. "It is time to wake up the Ancestor."