You ever watch those martial arts movies where the hero goes through years of training in the mountains, enduring hardship, and barely scraping by? Yeah, that wasn't going to be me. I had a cheat system, doting parents, and the most OP martial family in the world backing me up.
Did I mention I was barely one year old? Life was good.
---
The morning after my first "training session" with my father, Liu Rong, I sat in my crib, staring at the wooden sword he gave me. It was heavier than it looked, but I could feel the raw power flowing through me whenever I touched it. My father hadn't been kidding about martial training, though. He'd already set up daily sessions for me. Not that I was complaining—this was my chance to start becoming a martial god before I could even walk.
As I flailed my tiny arms and held the sword with all the dignity a toddler could muster, the system chimed in with a *ding*.
**[Daily Quest: Complete Sword Training with Father Liu Rong. Reward: Basic Sword Mastery (Tier 1)]**
"Oh, so now you're giving me quests?" I muttered. "This better not involve diaper changes."
**[No promises.]**
---
Later that day, my father, towering over me like a god, smiled as he picked me up and placed me on a small training mat outside. The sun shone brightly, casting long shadows of our family's sprawling compound. It was a place filled with aura-infused trees, sparring grounds, and—more importantly—cultivation zones. This place had everything you'd need to become a powerhouse.
"Liu, we'll start with the basics," my father said, crouching down to my level. His voice was gentle, but I could sense the raw power he held back with every word. "You may be young, but I can feel a strong spirit within you. Let's see what you've got."
"Yeah, just a super strong spirit that's secretly been reborn," I thought, trying to keep a straight face. Well, baby straight face.
He handed me the small sword again, and as I grasped it, I could feel the Qi around me stirring. My father raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Focus, son. Balance your breath, feel the flow of Qi. Even at your age, control is everything."
And that's when it hit me—this was a cultivation world. They weren't going to go easy on me just because I was a baby. In fact, if anything, being born into the Liu Clan meant there were *expectations*. I needed to show that I wasn't just a cute little kid.
So, I focused. I tried to feel the energy around me, just like the system's techniques had taught me. And slowly, I began to absorb it, channeling it into my tiny limbs.
**[Progress: Sword Training 10% Complete]**
"Come on, system, I'm working here!" I grumbled in my head.
My father watched intently, his eyes sharp. "Good. You have natural talent, Liu. The Qi flows easily into you. That's a rare gift."
I grinned inwardly. If only he knew how much of a cheat I had up my sleeve.
**[Sword Training 50% Complete]**
As I swung the sword in my clumsy baby way, I could feel my muscles becoming stronger, my body beginning to adapt to the cultivation path. The system didn't lie—the absorption of Qi was working, and it was working fast. I just needed to push harder.
And then…
**[Quest Complete: Basic Sword Mastery (Tier 1) Acquired!]**
I blinked as the knowledge of swordsmanship flooded my brain. It wasn't much—just basic stances and movements—but it was enough to give me a serious edge over a normal one-year-old.
My father looked pleased, but I could see the gears turning in his mind. "You learn fast," he said with a smirk. "Perhaps too fast."
Before I could even blink, he gently flicked his hand, and a wave of Qi burst from his palm, creating a small gust of wind that knocked me off balance.
I tumbled backward, landing in a heap. "Hey!" I cried out, trying to right myself. "That wasn't fair!"
He chuckled. "Cultivation is never fair, my son. You must learn to adapt to any challenge, even ones you don't see coming."
I rubbed my baby head. Great. *Dad's a natural-born sensei*. He was one of the strongest martial cultivators in the world for a reason, after all. But it was clear he wasn't going to make this easy for me, even if I had the advantage of a previous life's worth of sarcasm and experience.
"Alright, Liu, that's enough for today." He patted me on the head, his expression softening. "You'll grow stronger in time. But remember, strength is only part of the path."
As he walked away, I sighed, staring at the wooden sword in my hand. "Only part of the path, huh?" I mumbled.
---
The next few weeks flew by in a blur of training sessions, baby naps, and Qi absorption. My mother, Liu Lihua, had started teaching me more about the spiritual side of cultivation—how to use my inner Qi to strengthen my body and mind. While my father focused on the physical aspects of swordsmanship, my mother was a master of balance. She could harmonize her Qi and unleash devastating techniques that could take down entire squads of enemies.
And now, she was teaching me to do the same.
"You're progressing fast, Liu," she said one afternoon as she sat beside me in the garden. Her long black hair fluttered in the breeze, and her eyes—sharp like a hawk's—watched me closely. "But don't get cocky. Cultivation is not just about strength; it's about control."
"I know, I know," I mumbled, trying to balance the Qi she was helping me direct. "Control and strength. Got it."
But in the back of my mind, all I could think was: *I'm just a baby, give me a break!*
**[Daily Quest Complete: Spiritual Cultivation with Mother Liu Lihua. Reward: Basic Qi Control (Tier 1)]**
As the system awarded me with another skill, I felt a slight surge of power ripple through me. It wasn't much, but I could already tell I was growing stronger. If I kept this up, I'd surpass the expectations of everyone in this family in no time.
---
That night, as I lay in my crib, staring up at the ceiling, the system dinged again.
**[New Quest Unlocked: Surpass the Liu Clan's Expectations. Reward: Hidden Martial Technique.]**
"Surpass their expectations, huh?" I thought, smirking. "That's already the plan."
I wasn't just going to surpass them—I was going to leave them in the dust. After all, with the system by my side, this world was mine for the taking.