"Is... is that Yu Han?"
"What is he doing here?"
"The 27th son of Ha Zhan, the one who can't even practice alchemy and is the son of a peasant, dares to show his face here?"
"The audacity!"
The room filled with whispers, judgmental glances shooting toward Yu Han. Yet, none of this seemed to faze him in the slightest.
"W-wait... is that YuXiang Jun behind this failure?"
A voice pierced through the murmurs, shifting all eyes toward the servant who awkwardly tried to hide his blushing face.
"What's wrong, YuXiang Jun? Feeling uncomfortable?"
The servant said nothing, remaining silent as he desperately concealed his flushed expression.
All the while, Ha Zhan, seated on his throne, remained indifferent to the unfolding drama. Propping his head against his hand, he appeared utterly bored by the commotion. Yu Han and YuXiang Jun knelt before him, bowing deeply in a gesture of submission.
"It's the first time I'm seeing my father... or rather, the father of the previous owner of this body," Yu Han thought to himself.
They rose after paying their respects and took their seats, those reserved for them by right, beside Yu Han's numerous half-siblings. Curious and judgmental stares met him at every turn.
"How did this failure manage to get in here?"
"He must've snuck in. It's impossible for someone like him to sit among us."
"I nearly forgot he even existed. He should consider himself lucky to be here."
Yu Han kept his composure despite the scorn, his gaze calm but observant.
Like him, every sibling had their own personal servant:
Gah Boh Tag served Ha Zhou Baok, the 12th son of Ha Zhan and a close blood brother to Xiu Baok.
Fang Min served Zhao Han, the 5th son of Ha Zhan and an alchemy prodigy.
Fang Li served Ha Yu Yan, a rather immature yet overly sentimental daughter.
While some faces were familiar to Yu Han, others were entirely foreign.
"Yu Han, have you completed your awakening?" whispered YooXiang Jun into Yu Han's left ear.
"Hehe..."
A sly and calculating grin spread across Yu Han's face as he turned toward his servant.
"Don't worry. I've done far more than just awaken," he replied confidently.
...
Five Months Earlier—At the Announcement of Xiu Baok
"So, where do we start?" asked an eager Yu Han, turning toward his sister Xiu Baok.
They stood in a dimly lit, decrepit chamber with deep gashes carved into its stone walls. The room was tucked away at the far northeast of the estate, accessible only by descending a creaking wooden staircase. Yu Han had never paid attention to this part of the domain before. The space was entirely isolated—no windows, no beds, no furniture, just a single, battered wooden door.
Xiu Baok remained silent for a few moments, her thoughtful demeanor intensifying the tension in the air.
"You'll meditate here," she finally said.
"Here? For how long?"
"For the entirety of your awakening."
"What?! Why here? I thought I could do it in my room!"
"During the awakening, alchemists struggle to control their spiritual energy. It surges uncontrollably, wreaking havoc on the surroundings," she explained while brushing her hand along one of the walls.
"But this chamber is special. It was designed for us alchemists to meditate safely, without causing destruction."
She pointed toward a corner of the room, where a small sack rested.
"That bag contains nutritional pills to replenish your spiritual energy when you're fatigued."
"But wait," Yu Han interjected, puzzled. "Don't I only need a single soul stone to awaken my trait? Why bring so many?"
"You're correct, but your immense spiritual energy requires far more than one soul stone to support the process. They'll shatter into pieces as you absorb their power," she replied calmly.
Yu Han fell silent, scratching the back of his head with a resigned sigh.
"Fine. Same routine as always, huh?"
Xiu Baok raised an eyebrow, impressed by his composure and rational acceptance. She smiled faintly and turned toward the door.
"Good luck. And don't even think about leaving this room until you've mastered at least one principle, understood? I'll inform everyone of your absence," she said, her tone firm yet caring.
Yu Han nodded as the door closed behind her, leaving him alone in the room.
"Alright, time to get to work," he muttered, stretching his arms. He sat cross-legged on the floor, pulling out a small bag he had brought with him. Emptying its contents onto the ground, he revealed an assortment of soul fragments he had collected from battling demonic beasts in the garden.
Some fragments glimmered green, others blue, and altogether there were 29—a modest number, but sufficient according to Xiu Baok.
"All I need to do is channel my spiritual energy into the fragment. This will extract enough energy to help awaken my core. From there, I can fuse my spirit with my physical body to uncover my true aspect," he thought, placing one fragment two meters ahead of him.
Crossing his legs, Yu Han closed his eyes and began to meditate, his breaths deep and deliberate. Slowly, he focused entirely on the energy within the fragment.
...
After ten long minutes, he sensed the fragment's energy and concentrated entirely on drawing it in. Twenty minutes later, the fragment began to dim, its power weakening.
Then, it shattered.
"What? What just happened?"
Yu Han stared at the broken piece, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"Why did it break?"
He placed a hand over his mouth, pondering the issue. Memories of Xiu Baok's words resurfaced.
"She mentioned that my spiritual energy was too overwhelming for the fragment. That must be why it broke," he concluded.
Taking another fragment, he repeated the process. But like the first, it shattered.
Again and again, the same outcome unfolded, each failure chipping away at his patience and resources.
"If this continues, I'll run out of fragments faster than I can make progress," he muttered, frustrated.
Opting for a brief respite, Yu Han consumed one of the pungent pills from the sack, grimacing at its taste but enduring it out of necessity.
...
After two exhausting weeks, Yu Han was left with a single green soul fragment. He gazed at it with both determination and fatigue.
"This time... it has to work," he told himself.
Crossing his legs one final time, Yu Han began meditating. Slowly but steadily, he channeled his spiritual energy. To his relief, the fragment's energy began to dwindle without shattering.
When it was completely drained, Yu Han opened his eyes, stunned by his success.
"I... I did it!"
Clenching his fist in triumph, he felt a surge of pride.
"Two weeks of struggle, but I've finally succeeded!"
His joy quickly gave way to seriousness.
"But the real challenge begins now," he muttered, staring at the depleted fragment.
"I need to refine my soul core to uncover my true trait... but surely, I've earned a day of rest, right?"
Collapsing onto his back, Yu Han allowed exhaustion to take over.