The morning sun of the Sky Continent rose with a gentle warmth, spilling its golden light across the Mu Clan Manor in Feather City. Inside the dining hall of the northward courtyard, a quiet domestic scene was unfolding. The air was filled with the savory aroma of congee and roasted spirit-beast meat.
Mu Chen sat at the table, his small legs dangling off the chair, methodically working his way through his breakfast. Beside him, Xiaoyu was swinging her feet, her face buried in a bowl of sweet soy milk.
Mu Xiao, his father, set down his chopsticks and looked at Mu Chen with a serious yet expectant gaze. "Mu Chen," he began, "eat your fill today. Once we are finished here, we need to head to the central training ground. The clan elders and your grandfather will be measuring the talent of all the children who have reached your age."
In the Great Xia Dynasty, and indeed across the entire Sky Continent, the age of five to seven was considered the threshold of destiny. It was the moment a child's latent potential was laid bare before the heavens. When a child reached this age, the clan would measure their innate talent to see if there was anyone "heaven-blessed"—a genius who could be groomed into a pillar of strength for the family.
In a world where a single powerful cultivator could determine the survival of an entire bloodline, the allocation of resources was a cold, calculated affair. Those with high talent were showered with spirit stones and medicinal pills, while those of mediocre potential were destined for the mundane roles of clan management.
Mu Chen paused, a piece of roasted meat halfway to his mouth. He looked at his parents with a tilt of his head, his eyes reflecting a profound confusion.
"Why do people try so hard to cultivate?" Mu Chen asked, his voice clear and innocent. "Can't they just live a normal life?"
Hearing this, Mu Xiao and Liu Yan exchanged a quick look before bursting into soft laughter. To them, it was the adorable question of a child who had yet to see the harshness of the world. Liu Yan reached over, smoothing a stray lock of hair from Mu Chen's forehead.
"It is because people thrive for power and longevity, my dear," she replied gently. "Life is fleeting for those who do not walk the path."
In this world, the limits of mortality were defined by one's rank. When a cultivator broke through the Qi Gathering stage and entered the Foundation realm, their lifespan would immediately jump to two hundred years.
If they were fortunate and talented enough to condense a Golden Core, they could watch five centuries pass like a summer afternoon. A Nascent Soul expert could live for a millennium, and as one's cultivation continued to climb, the years became mere numbers.
Beyond the Ascendant realm lay immortality—the state of becoming a true immortal who could transcend the cycle of life and death entirely.
Mu Xiao nodded in agreement, his expression turning solemn. "The outside world is incredibly vast, Mu Chen. There are cultivators out there so powerful they can topple mountains with a wave of a hand, flip the very seas, or even shatter the fabric of space and time. They command the laws of nature itself. This world is a place where the strong prey upon the weak; without power, one's destiny is never in their own hands."
Though Mu Xiao knew his son was an anomaly—he still felt the need to speak these truths. He wanted to broaden his son's horizons, ensuring that despite his innate power, the boy understood the weight of the world he lived in.
Mu Chen looked at his father, his expression thoughtful. "Father, do you also cultivate for longevity and power? If that is the case, I can grant that to you directly. Why do you need to cultivate so diligently?"
He wasn't lying, nor was he boasting. To Mu Chen, the concepts of immortality, divine power, and high cultivation were things that could be bestowed with a single thought. He could rewrite the laws of his father's body just as easily as he had crushed a spiritual sword as an infant.
The dining hall fell into a sudden, heavy silence. His parents froze, looking at each other with wide eyes. The sheer casualness with which Mu Chen offered "immortality" was enough to make their souls shudder.
After a long moment, Mu Xiao reached out and lightly flicked Mu Chen's forehead.
"I know you can do it," Mu Xiao said, his voice carrying a mix of pride and a strange sort of wisdom. "But the word 'cultivator' itself means to fight against the heavens and cross tribulations. If you were to simply provide it, you would be altering the natural fate of a person's soul. You should respect a cultivator's choice to walk their own path, no matter how difficult it is."
Mu Chen rubbed his forehead, blinking. He didn't quite understand why someone would choose the hard way when the easy way was sitting right in front of them. It seemed unnecessarily complex, but he saw the conviction in his father's eyes.
He gave a small, obedient nod. "I understand."
Breaking the heavy atmosphere, Xiaoyu suddenly piped up, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Father, how strong are you and Grandfather? Can you beat Brother Mu?"
Mu Chen turned his head slowly to look at his sister. His expression was deadpan, silently asking: Why would you even want them to try? Can't you just ask about their levels without trying to start a fight?
Xiaoyu caught his look and immediately stuck her small tongue out, her cheeks dimpling as she gave him a cheeky grin.
Mu Xiao laughed heartily, his chest swelling. "Your grandfather is at the peak of the Foundation realm, and I am currently in the late Foundation stage. Our family is just a branch of the main Mu Clan, which is one of the four major clans of the Great Xia Dynasty. The head of the main clan is a Nascent Soul expert, a true powerhouse."
Xiaoyu giggled, waving her tiny fist in the air. "Hehehe! So no one can beat Brother Mu Chen then! I knew he was the strongest! But wait... I am also in the Foundation realm now. Can I become a clan elder?"
Mu Xiao and Liu Yan shared another laugh at the girl's ambition.
"Little girl," Mu Xiao teased, "first you must grow up, then we will think about it."
Xiaoyu's face immediately fell into a pout. She scrambled onto her chair, standing up tall with her hands on her hips, trying to look as imposing as a four-year-old could. "I am already grown up!"
Mu Xiao got up from his seat, chuckling as he walked over to her. "Yes, yes, our Xiaoyu is very grown. Now, let us go to the training ground." He reached down and scooped her up into his arms, earning a squeal of delight.
Liu Yan also rose, walking over to Mu Chen. "Alright, cutie, we should head out as well."
Before Mu Chen could even process the word "cutie," his mother reached down and plucked him from his chair. Mu Chen's small hands flew up in protest. "I can go myself!"
His mother only laughed, her eyes crinkling with affection. "Yes, I'm sure you can. But not today. You can walk yourself when you are truly grown up."
Mu Chen let out a long, defeated sigh. Realizing he wasn't going to win this battle of wills, he went still in her arms, hugging her neck for stability. However, even in his resignation, his eyes remained sharp; he didn't forget to snag a final piece of roasted meat from his plate before they left the room.
The parents stepped out into the courtyard and summoned their spiritual swords. With a surge of spiritual energy, the blades expanded and hovered above the ground.
Mu Xiao and Liu Yan stepped onto their respective weapons and took to the skies, soaring toward the central training grounds of the manor.
...
The central training ground was a hive of activity. Mu Zhentian, the family head and Mu Chen's grandfather, sat in the high seat, flanked by the various elders of the branch family. Below them, dozens of children were gathered, their faces a mixture of nervousness and excitement, surrounded by their parents and the younger generation of the clan.
"Do you think we will have a genius this time?" one of the elders asked, stroking his beard.
Another shook his head, his voice tinged with a realistic pessimism. "I doubt we are that lucky. Our family is just a branch. Even the major families and the Imperial families only see a true genius once in several decades."
Suddenly, a shout erupted from the younger disciples near the entrance. "Oh, look! Elder Mu Xiao is here!"
"I heard he won the main family tournament this year!"
"Yes, yes, it's true! He's the pride of our branch!"
Mu Xiao and Liu Yan descended from the sky, landing gracefully near the high platform where Mu Zhentian was seated. They both stepped off their swords, clasping their hands and bowing respectfully.
"Father," they greeted in unison.
Mu Chen and Xiaoyu, now standing on their own feet, also bowed. "Grandfather."
Mu Zhentian let out a booming, hearty laugh, his eyes crinkling as he looked at his son. "You reached here just on time!"
He then leaned forward and reached out, pinching Mu Chen's cheek with a mischievous grin.
Mu Chen's face instantly flushed a shade of red that rivalled a ripe tomato. His small hands twitched at his sides. If this man weren't his grandfather, Mu Chen was certain he would have slapped him hard enough to send him into a permanent orbit in outer space.
The "bullying" was becoming unbearable.
After surviving the cheek-pinching, Mu Chen and Xiaoyu turned to greet their uncle, Mu Mang, who was Mu Xiao's elder brother. Standing behind Mu Mang were two children close to Mu Chen's age. They were his cousins: Mu Xia, an eleven-year-old girl with a sharp gaze, and Mu Long, a ten-year-old boy who was currently eyeing Mu Chen with a guarded expression.
Mu Zhentian waved a hand, signalling the start of the ceremony. "Begin the testing!"
In the center of the training ground stood a massive stone, roughly five meters in height. Its surface was jet-black and etched with ancient, swirling runes that pulsed with a faint, dormant light.
Under normal circumstances, it looked like a common monolith. However, when a child placed their hand upon it, the stone would react to their innate talent, glowing in one of four colors: White, Yellow, Green, or Red.
White represented the lowest aptitude, Yellow was mid-tier, Green was considered high talent, and Red was the mark of a true genius.
An elder stood by the stone, calling names one by one. The process was slow. Most children produced a dim White glow, while a few managed to spark a flicker of Yellow. There was little suspense; if finding Green or Red talents were easy, the clan elders wouldn't still be stuck in the Foundation realm after cultivating so long.
Finally, the elder called out: "Mu Chen!"
A hush fell over the crowd. The younger generation began to whisper fervently as Mu Chen stepped onto the platform.
"Hey, what do you think the young master's talent will be?"
"I bet it will be minimum Green. Elder Mu Xiao has a Green aptitude, which is why he reached the late Foundation stage at only forty years old, while others can't even get there after cultivating for eighty to ninety years."
"I heard Mu Xia and Mu Long also had Green talent. This branch is truly rising."
"Look! He's placing his hand on the stone!"
Every eye was fixed on the boy, but none were more intense than those of Mu Long. The ten-year-old was practically vibrating with nervous energy. The previous year, Mu Long had been teasing Xiaoyu until the little girl cried.
Seeing his sister's tears, the then five-year-old Mu Chen had delivered a single slap that made Mu Long see stars in broad daylight. For a second-stage Qi Gathering cultivator to be laid low by a four-year-old child was a humiliation Mu Long could never forget.
He was desperate for revenge, hoping Mu Chen wouldn't get a Red result. As long as Mu Chen stayed at Green, Mu Long believed he still had a chance to surpass him through hard work.
On the stage, Mu Chen stood before the black stone. He could feel the primitive array inside the monolith reaching out to probe his meridians. He let out a small, internal sigh. If he didn't hold back, this stone wouldn't just glow; it would be reduced to microscopic dust.
Moreover, if he let it turn Red, the resulting "genius" status would bring nothing but endless trouble and elders constantly pestering him to "cultivate more."
And then Mu Chen decided.
The stone shuddered, and then a brilliant, vibrant Green light erupted from the runes, illuminating the entire training ground.
The crowd erupted. Mu Zhentian and the elders stood up, their faces glowing with satisfaction.
"Not bad! Not bad at all! Another high talent!"
"As expected of Mu Xiao's son. Our branch's future is secure!"
"Congratulations, Mu Xiao! You have a great son!"
Mu Xiao and Liu Yan stood to the side, maintaining polite, slightly awkward smiles. They were the only ones who knew that "Green" was likely the biggest understatement in the history of the Sky Continent.
Xiaoyu, standing beside her mother, puffed out her chest. She was about to shout that the stone was obviously broken or fake, and that her brother should have turned the whole sky Red, but before the words could escape, Liu Yan's hand clamped firmly over her mouth, silencing her with a warning look.
Mu Long let out a long, shaky breath of relief. Green. He's only Green! I can still beat him!
As Mu Chen stepped down from the platform, his cousin Mu Xia approached him. She was much taller than him, and she immediately reached out, capturing his chubby cheeks between her fingers and giving them a playful squeeze.
"Little guy, you didn't disappoint your big sister!" she teased, her voice full of affection.
Mu Chen felt his soul leaving his body as his cheeks were once again subjected to the indignity of being pinched. He looked up at Mu Xia with a look of pure, unadulterated suffering.
"Big Sister," Mu Chen mumbled through his squished lips, "if you keep doing this, my face is going to be permanently shaped like a steamed bun. Is this how you treat the 'high talent' of the family?"
Mu Xia only laughed harder, giving his cheeks one last tug. "A high-talent steamed bun is still a steamed bun, little brother. Now come on, let's go see if we can find some snacks before the official banquet starts!"
Mu Chen sighed, realizing that in this family, no amount of world-shattering power could protect him from the terrifying "cheek-pinching" techniques.