Lin Huang was born under a sky veiled by drifting mist.
The Imperial Fox Clan's inner valley was quiet in the early morning, the air carrying a faint herbal scent from the medicinal fields nearby. A thin layer of steam rose from the stone pools carved into the mountainside, where children of the clan were often brought to temper their bodies.
At five years old, Lin Huang sat at the edge of one such pool, his small feet hovering above the warm, jade-colored liquid.
His appearance was ordinary by the standards of the clan.
Soft crimson hair fell loosely over his forehead, the signature trait of the Imperial Fox bloodline. His features were delicate yet well-proportioned, already hinting at a natural handsomeness that would only become more apparent with age. His eyes were clear and calm, carrying a quiet composure that seemed out of place for a child.
"Don't tense your body," his mother said gently. "Let the medicine guide your breathing."
Lin Huang nodded.
He lowered himself into the medicinal bath, the warmth spreading through his limbs. The liquid was infused with refined herbs meant to strengthen the body and cleanse impurities from the blood and marrow. For children of the Imperial Fox Clan, these baths were not luxuries, but necessities — the first step of a long tradition of bodily tempering passed down through generations.
As the medicine seeped into his skin, a dull ache bloomed within his bones.
It was not painful enough to make him cry, but it was far from comfortable.
Lin Huang clenched his fists beneath the water.
He endured in silence.
From the stone platform above, several elders observed in quiet approval. Most children would fidget, complain, or even attempt to climb out of the pool. Lin Huang, however, merely closed his eyes and regulated his breathing as he had been taught.
There was an unusual steadiness to him.
"His temperament is good," one of the elders murmured."He doesn't resist the process. That will matter in the future."
Temperament, resilience, and the ability to endure the forging of the body were traits highly valued by the clan. Though Lin Huang had not yet awakened his Martial Spirit, the elders could already see the faint outline of a suitable vessel being shaped.
Beneath the surface of the medicinal bath, something subtle stirred.
Lin Huang felt it as a fleeting sensation — as if a distant echo had brushed against his consciousness.
Images he could not fully grasp surfaced for an instant.
Foreign landscapes.Unfamiliar cultivation methods.Concepts that did not belong to this world.
They vanished as quickly as they appeared.
Lin Huang opened his eyes, confusion flickering across his face.
"…Did I fall asleep?"
He could not tell.
All he knew was that his heart was beating slightly faster than before, and his mind felt oddly… clear.
Not stronger.
Not sharper.
Just clearer — as if a thin layer of dust had been wiped away.
His mother noticed the change in his expression. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Huang shook his head. "No… It just feels warm."
She smiled and gently pressed his shoulder, guiding him to remain still within the pool.
"Good. Endure it. The body must be tempered before the spirit can carry weight."
Lin Huang nodded again, sinking a little deeper into the bath.
The ache in his bones intensified for a moment, then slowly settled into a steady heat. Though he did not yet understand it, this was the first time his body had begun to respond to true refinement rather than simple nourishment.
Somewhere deep within his bloodline, something ancient and dormant stirred — not awakening, but quietly acknowledging his existence.
The elders exchanged glances.
They could not see it.
They could only sense that the child before them possessed a calmness that did not belong to his age — the kind of stillness that often preceded great upheaval in the future.
And Lin Huang, unaware of any of this, simply focused on his breathing.
Slow.Steady.Enduring the warmth that tempered his bones.
The path before him had not yet opened.
But the first step had already been taken.