A new day dawned in the Yu Clan.
After the electrifying buzz of the tournament, everything had returned to normal — or as normal as it got in a clan full of cultivators.
Outside, male disciples lined up beneath the early light, basking in their daily dose of vitamin Y (Yang energy), absorbing the warmth like sunflowers in field.
Birds chirped overhead, their melodies weaving through the trees, while fish swam valiantly upstream, possibly training for their own cultivation breakthrough.
Inside his room, Yu Xuan sat cross-legged... reading a very suspicious book.
He immediately stuffed it under his pillow the reason? Unknown and highly classified.
[A/N: I am trying new things, surprise at last.]
Today, he had woken from a surprisingly exhausting sleep.
His body ached slightly, but his mind felt refreshed — sharper, lighter. As he gazed out at the peaceful morning scenery, he sighed with contentment.
’I could get used to this,’ he thought.
The air was clean. The water was pristine.
There was no smog trying to kill him slowly, no city honking in his ears. This world, for all its dangers, had a kind of raw purity to it. Untouched. Primal. Alive.
Sure, there were things like man-eating plants, random tribulations, and the occasional demonic beast raid... but at least he wasn’t breathing in secondhand car exhaust.
Air filled his lungs, and for a moment, he wondered if this was what immortality smelled like.
At first, gaining fine control over his body had been uncomfortable. Every breath, every twitch of muscle became magnified. His senses went into overdrive.
For a brief moment, he thought his system had secretly installed ’Spider-Sense’.
But no — this was simply the result of countless hours of training, herbal baths, and his own growing awareness.
Being in control of his body — every breath, every muscle fiber — was empowering.
He stretched, spine cracking, and muttered, "Ah, bliss."
Then he remembered the tournament.
"...Truly, the elders of this world are shameless."
He hadn’t even asked to join the tournament. He went there to spectate, and somehow ended up fighting till the semi-finals.
’And now I can’t even pick my own mentor,’ he thought with a scowl. ’The demon known as my father got me first.’
Not that Yu Changming had given him much choice.
The man trained him like he was preparing to fight a Heavenly Calamity... next week.
Still, some good things had come from the tournament.
He’d made a friend named Ming Tianmei.
She was elegant, strong, and slightly terrifying.
Especially after she shamelessly requested to train under his mother — the Matriarch Huan Lianhua herself. Her mother was not even of the Yu Clan.
Yu Xuan still wasn’t sure what had possessed her to do that.
’She’s definitely a little crazy,’ he thought seriously. ’I’ve read enough stories to know that a beautiful girl can always be mentally unstable in some way.’
Still, he didn’t mind. Crazy or not, she was fun to talk to. And she didn’t treat him like some aloof young master.
Straightening his back, Yu Xuan rose from the bed.
He was a system user.
Possibly with a hidden protagonist... or worse, one with a villain template.
Either way, he couldn’t afford to slack off.
Letting fate run its course?
And he would not cheat fate before fate cheated him.
If everything is normal they will have a mutual relationship. Probably?
With determination in his eyes, he headed toward his father’s training hall.
And just like that...
Seven more years passed in the blink of an eye.
[A/N: Should I keep this. Let me know. This is a thing I wanted to try for some time.]
Xuan’s chronicles: A Noble Deed.
"I feel very good today," I declared with the confidence of someone who had absolute idea what the day held. Yes, me too.
I would go to the Grand Library and continue my deep studies of ancient history.
Specifically... ’Tales of the Spirit Chicken.’
An epic saga of adventure and cultivation.
The protagonist was a chicken, but spiritually awakened. And it told the story of that chicken ,evolving into the legendary phoenix and then ascending to immortality.
It was deep. Philosophical. Potentially life-changing.
"Anyway, I’m nearly four," I said to myself with wisdom far beyond my years. "It’s time I developed a proper hobby."
With grand aspirations in my heart, I headed toward the Grand Library.
That cursed yet deceptively melodic voice struck my ears.
"Xuan’er! Let’s go! Today I’ll teach you fishing!" came the cheerful call of my elder sister, Lingluo.
Before I could even object, she grabbed me like a sack of potatoes.
Consent? What’s that?
Despite my internal screaming, I ended up spending the entire morning playing with her.
...I’ll admit it was fun.
I will have my revenge one day.
As soon as we finished, I dashed off to the Grand Library.
The elder at the desk saw me and chuckled. "Little Yu, reading again?"
"Yes, old man," I said with pride. "Can I take one book home today?"
He waved his hand. "Alright, but not from the important sections."
Nodding solemnly, I made my way toward the ’Tales of the Spirit Chicken’ shelf... but something unusual caught my eye.
A book I’d never seen before.
Naturally, I picked it up.
But when I opened it — instead of words...
And not just any pictures.
Pictures that I, a righteous young cultivator and a child, cannot speak of.
This... this is illegal! Which demon kept such book here!!!
I looked around. No one was watching me.
In that moment, I made a noble decision.
"For the sake of future generations... I must confiscate this unholy thing."
So, with great determination...
Like a true unsung hero, never to be mentioned in history books