The storm tore through Azure Willow Village with relentless fury. Raindrops hammered against wooden roofs, and the howling wind carried away loose debris from the narrow, muddy streets. Inside a small, dilapidated hut on the outskirts of the village, Li Feng sat by a dying flame, its light flickering against the shadows that filled the room.
His mother lay on a thin straw mattress, her breath shallow and labored. Her face, once vibrant and full of life, had grown pale and gaunt. Her hands, roughened by years of hard work, trembled as she reached out toward him.
"Feng'er…" Her voice was barely a whisper, and Li Feng had to lean in to hear her. "Do not… blame the heavens for our fate. This world… is cruel. But you… must endure."
Li Feng gritted his teeth, holding back the tears threatening to spill. "Mother, save your strength. I'll find a way to help you. Just hold on a little longer!" His voice cracked, betraying the desperation in his heart.
He had tried everything—wild herbs from the forest, remedies from the village healer, even prayer to the distant heavens. But nothing worked. Disease, starvation, and the relentless oppression of the Wu Clan had taken their toll on her body. And now, he was watching the only family he had left slip away before his eyes.
"Your father… he always believed in you," she murmured, her eyes unfocused as if staring at something far away. "He said… you would rise above this… that you… were destined for more."
Her words cut deeper than any blade. Destined for more? How could someone like him—an orphan with no spirit root, no talent for cultivation—ever hope to rise above anything? His father had died believing in that dream, and now his mother was leaving him, too. What did "destiny" matter when he was powerless to save the people he loved?
Li Feng's hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms. The helplessness, the anger, the grief—all of it churned inside him like a storm. He stared down at his mother's frail form, his vision blurred by tears.
"Mother, I—"
Her hand fell limp, and her chest rose no more.
The world seemed to stop.
For a long moment, Li Feng sat frozen, unable to move, unable to think. The storm outside raged on, its thunder echoing like the shattering of his heart.
When he finally moved, it was slow and mechanical. He reached out to close her eyes, his hands trembling. "Rest now, Mother," he whispered. "I'll… I'll find a way to make you proud. I promise."
But as the words left his lips, an unfamiliar sensation surged through him—a strange, electric current that made the hairs on his body stand on end.
Ding!
The sound was sharp and clear, cutting through the storm and the silence in his mind. Li Feng flinched, looking around the room in alarm.
"What… what was that?" he muttered.
The sound came again, but this time it wasn't alone. A strange warmth bloomed in his chest, spreading outward like fire. His mind buzzed, and then… it appeared.
A translucent screen of golden light hovered before him, its text glowing faintly in the dim room.
Heavenly Legacy System Activated
Host: Li FengCondition Detected: Bloodline Legacy at Risk of Extinction.Inheritance Protocol Initialized.Li Feng's heart pounded. "Heavenly… Legacy System?" he whispered.
As if responding to his voice, the screen shifted, displaying new lines of text.
Core Functionality Unlocked:
Cultivation Enhancements – Gain rewards through the growth and achievements of your descendants.
Bloodline Empowerment – Strengthen yourself through the cultivation progress of your family.
Legacy Accumulation – Establish a legacy that spans generations.The words blurred in his mind as he tried to comprehend them. Rewards? Bloodline? Descendants? Was this… some kind of divine gift?
Before he could think further, a surge of knowledge flooded his mind. His eyes widened as he saw vivid images of diagrams detailing Body Tempering techniques, instructions for breathing exercises, and pathways to channel qi through the body. It was like a door to a world he had never known had been thrown open.
He gasped, clutching his head as the flood of information subsided. When he finally caught his breath, he realized something had changed. He could feel it—something faint, like a spark deep within him.
For the first time in his life, he sensed qi.
Li Feng staggered to his feet, his heart racing. Was this the system's doing? Was it granting him the chance to cultivate, despite his lack of a spirit root?
He stepped outside the hut, the rain immediately drenching him to the bone. But he didn't care. He looked up at the stormy sky, his fists clenched at his sides.
"All my life, I've been nothing but a powerless mortal," he said, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and determination. "I've been crushed under the heels of those stronger than me, forced to watch as the people I love suffer and die. But no more."
The thunder roared, but it no longer felt oppressive. It felt like a challenge.
"This system… whatever it is… if it can give me the strength to change my fate, then I'll embrace it. I'll build a family so strong that no one will dare trample on us again. I'll create a legacy that will echo across the heavens!"
The words came from a place deep within him, a fire that had always been there but had never found fuel. Now, it burned brighter than ever.
Taking a deep breath, Li Feng closed his eyes and began the first breathing technique the system had shown him. He could feel the qi in the air around him, faint but present, like whispers in the storm. Slowly, he guided it into his body, following the pathways outlined in his mind.
At first, it was like trying to scoop water with his bare hands—slippery and elusive. But he persisted, his teeth gritted against the cold and the fatigue weighing on him. He had no other choice.
Minutes passed, then hours. The storm began to wane, but Li Feng didn't stop. Sweat mixed with rain as he pushed his body and mind to their limits. And then, as the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, he felt it—a spark of qi settling into his dantian.
His eyes snapped open, and for the first time in his life, he felt… alive.
"This is just the beginning," he murmured, his voice filled with quiet resolve. "I'll temper this body, awaken my spirit, and rise above this world of suffering. For my mother. For my father. And for the family I will one day build."
As the sun rose over Azure Willow Village, its light cutting through the remnants of the storm, Li Feng stood tall. His journey had begun.