The orphanage, "Havenwood," was a sprawling but worn stone building nestled on the outskirts of a bustling town within the Spirit Empire. Its high walls were covered in patches of ivy, and the large oak doors leading inside always creaked a weary groan. Inside, the hall Lue walked through was long and narrow, lit only by flickering oil lamps set in iron brackets along the rough stone walls. Shadows danced like shy spirits across the uneven floorboards, damaged smooth by generations of small, hurried feet. The air smelled faintly of dust, old wood, and the hearty vegetable stew served daily in the communal dining hall.
Two guards in simple, dark blue tunics approached him. Their boots thudded softly on the worn floor.
"Lue, are you going to the library again?" the taller guard asked, a friendly grin crinkling the corners of his eyes. He knew the answer.
"Yes," Lue replied softly, his small head nodding. He barely reached the guard's waist.
"Haha, I figured so!" the guard chuckled. "Then how about you start reading about… hmm… famous spirit beasts of the Southern Continent next? Might be useful knowledge!" he suggested, nudging his companion who nodded in agreement.
Lue gave another quiet nod, his serious expression unchanged. He slipped past them, his bare feet making almost no sound on the cool stone.
He turned down a smaller, quieter corridor. Sunlight streamed weakly through a high, arched window at the far end, catching motes of dust swirling in the air. This corridor led to the orphanage's pride – the library. It wasn't grand like the imperial libraries Lue read about, but it was their sanctuary of knowledge. Pushing open the heavy, slightly warped wooden door, Lue stepped inside.
The library was a single, cozy room, perhaps no bigger than the orphanage's kitchen. Tall, slightly crooked wooden bookshelves lined the walls, crammed tight with books. A small, sturdy table sat in the center, surrounded by three mismatched chairs. Light came from two windows facing the orphanage's inner courtyard, where the sounds of older children playing tag drifted faintly inside.
The air here was thick with the unique scent of old paper, dry leather bindings, and the faint tang of ink. Most of the books showed their age – spines cracked, pages yellowed and softened by countless hands. Lue had carefully read nearly all sixty volumes, some of them twice or thrice. He knew exactly where the book on Southern Continent spirit beasts would be – on the middle shelf near the window, squeezed between a history of the Empire's founding and a basic guide to medicinal herbs.
He found it, a slim volume with a faded picture of a scaled creature on its cover. Sitting at the table, sunlight warming the worn wood, Lue opened the book. Outside, the shouts and laughter of playing children continued, but inside the quiet library, only the soft rustle of turning pages broke the silence.
These books, and the patient answers he'd coaxed from visiting merchants or kind-hearted guards, had taught him where he was: the Spirit Empire, ruling the vast Southern Continent. Its aging King, revered for his dedication, had seven children, each rumored to be a prodigy in the martial arts that defined their world.
Three years passed in this rhythm. While other children chased balls, wrestled, or played make-believe battles in the dusty courtyard, Lue cultivated. His cultivation wasn't flashy. It was slow, steady work woven into his everyday life: breathing deeply and evenly while eating his meals, Lue said
"Status," Lue whispered one afternoon under the willow tree, its long, trailing branches creating a dappled green sanctuary.
---------------------[STATUS]--------------------
[System coins]: 1560
[Character]: Liu Ming
[Age]: 6-year-old
[Cultivation Base]: Self-Tempering Realm (4th Stage).
[Body]: Heavenly Refined Body
[Blood Line]: Primordial Bloodline
[Talent]: God Level
[Spiritual Root]: 7 Elements Root (Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, Metal, Yin, Yang)
[Cultivation Method]: Five Divine Paths Yin-Yang Cultivation Method
'The pills... they barely help,' Lue thought, a tiny frown creasing his forehead. 'It feels like pushing against thick mud.'
[System Alert: Consumption of Basic Energy Pill imposes a 1.5x cultivation slowdown for one month per pill.]
He sighed softly. The pills the orphanage could afford were crude and inefficient, especially for a body as profound as his Heavenly Refined Body. They almost did more harm than good. Soon, the yearly competition loomed. In the Spirit Empire, every child turned seven had to participate.
It was a massive event held in the capital, a test of raw potential, basic cultivation, and spirit awakening. Your score decided everything – which prestigious cultivation academy you could enter, the resources you'd receive, and ultimately, your path in the Empire. It was the first, crucial step for any aspiring cultivator.
When Lue turned six, like every orphanage child, he had been given a basic cultivation manual – the "Earth Root Breathing Technique," a common, sturdy method designed to build a slow but stable foundation. Holding the simple pamphlet now, he felt its limitations.
'System, I have this cultivation method. Should I try practicing it? Maybe it would be safer?' Lue asked internally, seeking guidance from the mysterious presence only he could perceive.
[Analysis Complete: Earth Root Breathing Technique. Grade: Low Mortal]
[Compatibility with Host Physiology: Extremely Poor.]
[Recommendation: Discard. The Five Divine Paths Yin-Yang Cultivation Method is Supreme Grade. No alternative is required or beneficial.]
'Then I suppose there is no need,' ]he murmured.
'Now,' he thought, settling back against the rough bark of the willow, closing his eyes, 'at least I can cultivate openly with the Five Divine Paths Yin-Yang Cultivation Method.'
He focused on his breathing, drawing in the world's Qi energy, feeling the complex within him, slowly, painstakingly tempering his body for the trials to come. The dappled sunlight warmed his face, the distant shouts of playing children faded, and the immense, quiet potential within the small boy hummed, waiting for its time to shine. He had one year left.