~1 hour later~
A sudden piece of news shook the city of Tianjin.
It surprised everyone, from ordinary citizens to prominent families like the Lin family.
The news spread quickly:
Jian Ning, the prodigy of the Jian family at just 14 years old, is breaking through the realm of Qi Gathering.
This information caused quite a stir in the city; almost everyone is talking about it.
"Have you heard? They say Jian Ning, the genius of the Jian family, is breaking through the Qi Gathering realm at only 14 years old!"
"Yes!! I heard his breakthrough is comparable to those rare individuals who break through the Innate realm."
"I heard he's amid his breakthrough, and even after an hour, he hasn't succeeded yet."
"Yes! When it comes to a genius, it can take time, but Jian Ning has already surpassed the previous record of 15 minutes."
"It looks like the Jian family is rising."
Rumors and discussions filled the streets of Tianjin.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the fourth elder's residence in the Jian family,
Under a large tree, sat a magnificent adolescent with long, silky black hair and divine features,
Two men and two women surrounded him.
The men were Jian Ning's father and adopted brother, while the two women were his mother and adopted sister.
Unlike Jian Ning, Jian Shi had rather ordinary traits and a forgettable appearance, although his deep jet-black eyes made his temperament more mysterious.
In fact, until a few days ago, Jian Shi had not exhibited such behavior.
He had gone from being timid to becoming arrogant, bold, and shameless.
This personality change coincided with his sudden ability to cultivate, with the most shocking aspect being his current cultivation level at rank 6 in "Tempering Body".
Each child in the Jian family begins cultivation at the age of 10. Jian Ning, the "genius," took 4 years to break through to the Qi Gathering realm. This demonstrates an extraordinarily unnatural increase in his cultivation.
Clan members believed he must have encountered a great opportunity outside the clan, which resolved his previous inability to cultivate and simultaneously elevated his cultivation level.
He currently watched Jian Ning with a scrutinizing and grateful gaze,
because he knew Jian Ning had always been there to help him when he was bullied.
Jian Ning's adoptive mother had delicate and melodic features, with hair the same color as Jian Ning's and large green eyes.
At that moment, she looked at Jian Ning with a gaze filled with maternal love.
Jian Mei, Jian Ning's sister, shared the same features as her mother, albeit less mature. Unlike her mother's loving gaze, she regarded Jian Ning with a hint of jealousy.
She envied his cultivation speed!
Despite not being the most talented, she had always been recognized as a genius within the Jian family. But she knew she couldn't compare to Jian Ning.
She didn't care much about this comparison because Jian Shi was considered a complete waste with no hope of cultivating. Moreover, Jian Ning wasn't her biological brother, so she didn't need to feel ashamed. Even though she wasn't as brilliant as others, she didn't consider herself a disgrace either.
To satisfy her inferiority complex, she drew closer to Jian Shi, though this quickly turned into genuine sibling love for her real brother, putting her relationship with Jian Ning to the test once again.
— — —
The small group silently watched Jian Ning's silhouette, each lost in their thoughts.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for completing your breakthrough. You are now at rank one of the Qi Gathering realm. Your white energy gain has increased from 2 to 4 per minute.]
[Ding, while the host was completing the breakthrough, I removed notifications to avoid disturbing. Do you want to see your notifications?]
"Of course, show them to me!" Jian Ning thought eagerly.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for earning admiration from Jian Shi, the fortunate son, and for receiving 100 luck points and 1,000 units of white energy.]
[Ding, congratulations to the host for inspiring admiration, fear, and jealousy in 225 members of the Jian family, resulting in 6,200 units of white energy.]
[Ding, congratulations to the host for inspiring admiration, fear, and jealousy in 6,225 residents of Tianjin, resulting in 13,000 units of white energy.]
—
[Ding, due to the host's breakthrough, Ling has acquired a new skill, 'Heaven's Eye', allowing the host to see the status of anyone within three realms of their own, or those lacking sufficient treasures to counter this skill.]
Upon hearing these notifications, Jian Ning felt an inexplicable joy in his heart.
With such abundant white energy, even if he couldn't enhance his innate talent, he could deepen his understanding of martial techniques and cultivation methods.
Jian Ning was also confident that improving his cultivation technique would passively increase his white energy acquisition rate.
As Jian Ning prepared to check his status and plan his next moves,
he heard, "Xiao Ning, how did your breakthrough go? No complications, I hope?" As soon as Jian Ning finished, his mother bombarded him with questions.
"Don't worry, Mom, I'm fine!" reassured Jian Ning.
"Then why didn't you get up immediately after your breakthrough?" his mother persisted.
"..."
Jian Ning wasn't sure how to respond.
He couldn't reveal, "Mom, I just reviewed notifications from 'something' called Ling, who's been in my head lately but has actually been with me since birth. I also discovered that my brother is the fortunate son, and I've inadvertently affected his luck." He feared his mother might misunderstand.
Seeing Jian Ning's hesitation, his mother quickly asked, "What's wrong, my son? Is there a problem with your breakthrough?"
*cough*
"Nothing serious, Mom. I'm just a bit fatigued after the breakthrough, so I took a little longer to get up. It's nothing to worry about," Jian Ning quickly concocted an explanation.
Though not accustomed to deception, Jian Ning found it surprisingly easy to fabricate a plausible excuse.
*oof*
"Congratulations, son, for achieving the Qi Gathering realm at such a young age. That's remarkable," his mother praised warmly.
"Congratulations, brother."
"Congratulations, brother," echoed both siblings in unison.
"Thank you for your blessings!" Jian Ning responded gratefully.
"Now that we're all together, let's dine together."
"Absolutely," they all agreed, smiling warmly