The morning mist clung to the Wen Clan Mountain, wrapping around the ancient towers like wandering spirits seeking shelter. Sunlight sliced through the fog, casting thin golden beams that illuminated the sprawling training courtyard below. I stood at the edge of the field, feeling the pulse of energy in the air—the sounds of fists cracking against flesh, feet slamming into the ground, and the rhythmic movements of my fellow disciples. It was a symphony of discipline, but today, the music felt different for me.
I watched them all with a mix of admiration and envy, the frustration simmering inside me like a pot left too long on the stove. My heart ached with a familiar question: Why am I always the weakest?
I looked down at my hands, slender and unremarkable, knowing that my Mortal Root, my talent grade, was the lowest of the low. It felt like a chain binding me to mediocrity, no matter how hard I practiced. My qi never seemed to flow right. My body resisted any attempts at improvement.
Disappointment colored my father's voice, Wen Jian, the clan's patriarch. "You'll never amount to anything if you don't shape up," he would say, and I could hear the disdain lacing his words. Then there was my older brother, Wen Hao, who relished in reminding me of my failures. "The weakling of the Wen Clan," he would taunt with a laugh that echoed like a mocking bell.
But today felt different.
There was a tingling sensation dancing across my skin, a whisper brushing against my thoughts, urging me to look deeper. I squeezed my eyes shut, focused, and drew in a deep breath. I wanted to shut out the world's expectations, to concentrate on that strange energy swirling around me.
"Oi, Wen Chen!" The sharp voice broke my concentration.
Wen Ming strutted over, his golden eyes gleaming with arrogance. "A Mortal Root like you shouldn't stand so close. You'll only mess up the atmosphere for everyone else."
I didn't respond. Instead, I inhaled slowly, calming the bitter ache in my chest. My fight wasn't with him; it was internal, a quiet battle I couldn't yet lose.
Amidst the chaos of training, I saw something, a tiny glimmer emerging from the crowd,a spot of golden light, smaller than a firefly.
My breath hitched in my throat. No one else reacted. No one else… saw it.
That glowing orb floated gently toward me, warmth radiating from it as if it were a friend reaching out. It felt as though it recognized me, beckoning me closer with a pulse that filled me with anticipation.
Is this really happening?
I stepped forward, heart racing, hands trembling. The orb brightened with each step I took, almost teasing me to reach out.
Then
Touch.
A brilliant flash overwhelmed my vision, and a soft chime rang in my ears like the welcoming sound of a sacred bell.
And then…
A panel of glowing text unfolded before me, hanging in the air like a dream.
**[Floating Golden System Panel]**
Name: Wen Chen
Cultivation: Body Tempering – Stage 1
Talent Grade: Mortal Root
Talent Progress: 0%
Luck Points: 1 → 6
System Function:
Luck Points can upgrade Talent.
Luck Orbs appear only during cultivation activities.
Only the host can see or absorb them.
My eyes widened, disbelief washing over me like a cascade of warm water.
This can't be real.
A warmth exploded inside me, alive with the promise of change.
But then something even stranger happened. As I tried to process the panel in front of me, I noticed more lights flickering above the other disciples. Green orbs glimmered over those dedicated to pushing their bodies, blue orbs shone above focused practitioners honing their skills, red orbs erupted from sparring matches, and white orbs blossomed during moments of clarity.
It felt surreal, no one else seemed to notice these ethereal lights. Only I could see them.
And they were drifting toward me.
"What are you staring at?" Wen Ming snapped, but I was beyond his taunts, lost in my newfound reality.
Without a second thought, I reached out to touch it.
The first orb dissolved, a rush of energy flowing through me like a tidal wave.
[Luck +5 → 11]
A smile began to bloom on my lips, surprise and excitement mixing into something euphoric.
For the first time in my life, I felt like the world was acknowledging me. It wasn't just indifferent; it was responding.
Suddenly, a violent crash disrupted my thoughts. Two older disciples clashed fiercely, their qi exploding with ferocity, and a massive red orb surged upwards from their struggle, bubbling with raw energy.
I could feel my pulse quicken.
Without a second thought, I dashed forward—dodging a spinning kick here, leaping over a swinging staff there—with every instinct in me screaming to reach that orb.
Just one more touch!
The moment my hand met the orb, golden light engulfed me once more.
**[Floating Golden System Panel]**
Talent Progress: 0% → 5%
Luck Points: 11 → 36
"What, cwhat is he doing?!" Wen Ming's voice trembled in disbelief.
To everyone else, I probably looked like a child running around, flailing at invisible air. But to me, each orb I touched sent waves of vitality through me. I could feel the energy igniting something deep within.
With every orb I absorbed, my heart raced faster, my lungs strained with exhilaration, and that inner spark grew brighter.
Hope. Real hope blossomed within me, something I thought had long slipped through my fingers.
Dozens of orbs drifted just within my reach, shimmering like stars. One by one, I consumed them, feeling warmth radiate from my core, until I was glowing from the inside out.
By midday, the sun bore down with a fierce intensity, sweat trickling down my face, but my eyes shone brighter than ever before.
As my fingers brushed against a last, fading orb, I whispered words that felt new yet familiar. "I will surpass them. Slowly, quietly, one orb at a time."
The wind picked up around me, stirring the leaves and swirling dust into whimsical patterns. A faint golden ripple raced across the sky,subtle, silent, unseen by anyone but me.
Reaching for another orb, I felt the golden light dance just out of reach.
My journey had only just begun.