"A coming-of-age ceremony? Is it that important to someone like him?" Liu Caixi asked with a frown, puzzled by her sisters' suddenly busy reactions. Zi Lan grinned mischievously, approaching Liu Caixi and rubbing her shoulder teasingly. "Of course, my dear. For Wei Yan, turning sixteen isn't just a number. It's the moment when his Yang essence reaches its full maturity. This coming-of-age ceremony is the absolute recognition of his authority as a grown man who will fully rule over all existence within this Pagoda."
Feng Xiuyi nodded elegantly as she began arranging the rows of essence servants in the distance with graceful hand movements. "Yes, Caixi. At that moment, the final seals on his power will be lifted. We must all appear with the utmost dignity to welcome his transition from youth to mature ruler. This is the 'Grand Event' where the majesty and dignity of a man will be celebrated by all of us under his wing."
Even the usually cool Lan Xiyi chimed in, sheathing her sword with a sharp clang. "On his coming-of-age day, the pressure will be completely different. You must prepare yourself mentally, because a mature man will essentially demand greater loyalty and steadfastness from his woman." Ao Ningyan snorted, but there was a hint of pride in her voice. "Don't make yourself look awkward. We must prepare a coming-of-age celebration worthy of our emperor; from the heavenly banquet to the purification ceremony. This is a sacred transition, and we are part of that honor."
Yao Moli then took a deep breath, looking at Liu Caixi with a deeper, more solemn gaze. "And most importantly, Caixi, this coming-of-age ceremony will conclude with the unsealing of the Heavenly Essence Wine. That wine symbolizes self-opening; by drinking it, we break down all walls of defense and hesitation, allowing our souls to fully open to Wei Yan's presence, with no secrets remaining," the alchemist explained in a gentle yet authoritative tone.
Zi Lan stepped closer, her usually seductive aura now exuding genuine seriousness. "Yes. The culmination of this grand occasion is the Mass Dual Cultivation. However, don't view it simply as a union of bodies. For us, this ritual symbolizes the purest love and devotion. As Wei Yan reaches the peak of his maturity, we offer up our entire life essence to merge with his energy, confirming that our hearts and bodies have completely bonded to one master."
Feng Xiuyi nodded, her elegant aura exuding a regal submission. "In that union, our love is proven through our endurance and willingness to become vessels for his power. Our devotion is tested as his Yang energy floods our meridians; it is the moment when we prove that our loyalty is more than just words. You must prepare yourself, Caixi, because when the ritual begins, you will feel how love and devotion merge in an unbroken flow of essence."
"Don't let your devotion seem half-hearted," Ao Ningyan interjected, her haughty tone now tinged with reverence for the tradition. "That is the night when we offer everything we have as the highest form of love to support his transition into a perfect man. To be Wei Yan's woman means being ready to become a part of his soul, giving everything for the glory of the man we love."
Liu Caixi felt both warmth and the overwhelming weight of responsibility creep into her chest. She realized that this mass dual cultivation ritual was a sacred act of self-surrender—a promise of love and devotion that would bind them all forever. Amidst the bustle of her new sisters' preparations, Liu Caixi begins to understand that within this Pagoda, their love is the foundation for Wei Yan's limitless power.
----
The year 2016 brought a bustling atmosphere to a corner of Yonghe town. The sound of motorcycles and vintage cars passing by on the street in front of the school gates became a familiar soundtrack for Wei Yan. For him, Yonghe wasn't just a dot on a map, but a place where he had to maintain his disguise. With his backpack casually slung over his shoulder and an old-school touchscreen phone in his pants pocket, he stepped into his junior high school. This was the day the ninth-graders came not to study, but to determine their futures with a single piece of paper.
Wei Yan walked through the schoolyard, the asphalt of which was beginning to crack in places, toward the administration office. He saw his classmates busy crowding around, some engrossed in taking photos with their cameras or cell phones, celebrating the end of their teenage years in the colorful year of 2016. Yet, Wei Yan remained on track with a contrasting calm. For him, graduating from junior high was simply an administrative formality that allowed him to maintain his legal status in the real world while he awaited the peak of his spiritual maturity, which was only three days away.
Arriving at the administration counter, he handed over a blue folder containing the required documents. "I would like to collect my high school admission certificate and graduation documents for Wei Yan," he said in a calm, authoritative tone. While waiting for the officer to search for the files among the piles of physical documents that still dominated the school's management at that time, Wei Yan gazed out the window at the clear Yonghe sky. Within him, his yang essence began to stir, as if responding to the ticking time leading up to the sacred ritual within the Pagoda.
"Here's your file, Wei Yan. Your grades remain the best in this year. Your chosen high school has confirmed your acceptance," the administrative officer said, handing him a transparent plastic folder. Wei Yan accepted the file, making sure the acceptance letter for his Yonghe high school was correctly printed. With this document, his "mask" as a normal teenager was secured for the next few years. He turned to leave the room, but stopped in the hallway when his sharp senses caught a small commotion near the gym—a school dynamic in 2016 that he usually ignored, but this time it felt different because of his increasingly sensitive energy pulse.
Wei Yan's steps stopped right in the middle of the schoolyard. Amidst the hustle and bustle of students celebrating graduation, he sensed a vibration of a frequency inaccessible to ordinary human senses. The previously stable atmosphere of Yonghe City suddenly felt heavy, as if space and time were being compressed by an invisible weight.
Wei Yan looked up at the clear blue sky of 2016, but to his transcendent eyes, the scene was far different. From behind the clouds, he saw the Law of Destiny descending in the form of energy fragments shimmering in various colors—fiery red, cool blue, and even mystical purple. The fragments cascaded down like a silent meteor shower, scattering randomly across the earth. To the average person, this might seem like an abstract natural phenomenon, but to Wei Yan, it was the beginning of a shift in the world order.
"This abstractness... is no coincidence," he murmured softly. He realized that the distribution of this destiny energy was too patterned to be random.Ignoring the stares of the other students who might find him strange as he stared fixedly at the sky, Wei Yan closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, then slowly opened his Divine Consciousness fully. A vast wave of spiritual perception radiated from his body, sweeping across the school grounds until it reached every corner of Yonghe City. In his inner vision, the world transformed into a complex energy map. He began scanning every direction the fragments fell, tracking who or what was the target of the Law of Fate that had descended today. He needed to know whether this energy would give birth to a new hero, a threat to his plans, or whether this was a variable deliberately sent by the multiverse to test his maturity, which would soon reach its peak.
Wei Yan withdrew his Divine Awareness, filtering the thousands of flashes of energy that flashed across his inner vision. Amidst the rain of light, he saw thousands of dim fragments of other colors—pale green, gray, and earthy brown—falling in various directions as tiny, insignificant gifts, just enough to change a person's life for the better or the worse. However, Wei Yan's attention remained locked on the primary frequency that carried the weight of the Law of Destiny.
He observed the Red fragments shooting with dual vibrations. As he understood, if this energy merged with a man, it would give birth to a bloodthirsty war god; however, as he saw one of the deep red fragments fall toward a young girl in another corner of the city, its aura turned warm yet firm. The red reflected the intensity of Love, Struggle, and unwavering Loyalty, a promise that its holder would be an anchor for their loved ones through even the darkest storms.
On the other side of the sky, the Purple fragment descends with intimidating grace, bringing with it a strong aura of nobility. This is not simply a matter of mortal noble blood, but rather a dignity of soul unshaken by poverty or suffering; its holder will possess a charisma that makes others instinctively kneel. Meanwhile, the falling Gold fragment carries the frequency of Prosperity, Success, and Inner and Outer Glory. This destiny promises not only abundant material wealth, but also inner peace and spiritual fulfillment that make its owner a beacon of success for those around them.