CHAPTER 1 THE DISCARDED HEIR
The first rays of dawn spilled across the towering walls of the Rizz Clan.
Nestled within the Emerald Wind City of the Human Realm, the clan had stood for centuries, producing countless cultivators whose names were remembered long after their deaths.
Strength was respected.
Talent was worshipped.
The weak...
Were forgotten.
The sound of fists striking wooden training posts echoed across the spacious training grounds.
Young disciples shouted as they practiced their martial techniques, drawing Spirit Qi into their bodies under the watchful eyes of stern instructors.
"Good!"
"Again!"
"Feel the Spirit Qi flowing through your meridians!"
Praises and encouragement filled the air.
Yet, in a forgotten corner of the training grounds, one young man trained alone.
Sweat soaked his simple grey robes.
His fists were bruised.
His breathing was uneven.
Even so, he threw another punch.
Then another.
And another.
Each strike was stronger than the last.
His name was...
Rizz Raizen.
The heir of the Rizz Clan.
Or at least...
He was supposed to be.
"Look over there."
A young disciple pointed toward the lonely figure.
"The clan's disgrace is at it again."
"Hahaha!"
"Does he really think hard work can replace talent?"
"I heard he hasn't even made much progress despite training every day."
The surrounding disciples burst into laughter.
Raizen heard every word.
He simply continued punching the training post.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
His knuckles split open.
Blood stained the rough wood.
Only then did he stop.
Slowly exhaling, he looked at his trembling hands.
"Still not enough..."
Three years.
Three whole years of relentless cultivation.
While others advanced one realm after another, his progress crawled like a crippled snail.
No matter how hard he trained...
The results never matched his effort.
"Sigh..."
"Brother Raizen is hopeless."
"Even ordinary disciples have surpassed him."
"What a waste of the title of heir."
Raizen lowered his eyes.
He had long grown accustomed to these words.
Painful though they were...
They no longer shook his resolve.
He believed something his late mother had once told him.
"Talent may open the first door, but only perseverance decides who reaches the end."
Those words had become the pillar supporting his heart.
Just then...
A sharp voice echoed across the training grounds.
"Raizen!"
A broad-shouldered youth stepped forward with several followers behind him.
His expensive robes immediately revealed his status.
Rizz Kaden.
One of the clan's most talented younger disciples.
He stopped only a few steps away from Raizen.
"So..."
"You still haven't given up pretending to be the clan's heir?"
Laughter erupted around them.
Raizen calmly picked up the cloth lying beside him and wrapped it around his bleeding hand.
"I have no interest in arguing."
Kaden sneered.
"Of course you don't."
"You'd lose even if you tried."
His followers laughed even louder.
One deliberately kicked over Raizen's water flask.
Water spilled across the dusty ground.
"Oops."
"My foot slipped."
Another burst into exaggerated laughter.
Raizen looked at the broken flask.
His expression remained calm.
He neither shouted...
Nor attacked.
Instead, he bent down and quietly picked up the pieces.
That simple action caused several elders watching from a nearby pavilion to exchange glances.
"Hm."
"He has remarkable patience."
"But patience alone cannot save a cultivator."
Another elder shook his head.
"What a pity."
"If only his talent matched his determination."
Hidden among them sat an elderly man dressed in plain robes.
Unlike the others, his gaze never left Raizen.
His cloudy eyes narrowed slightly.
"Strange..."
"Why does that boy's aura feel... incomplete?"
Before he could think further, Kaden spoke again.
"Listen carefully."
"The Clan Assessment is only a few days away."
"When everyone sees your pathetic cultivation..."
"You'll finally lose your position as heir."
Raizen slowly stood.
His dark eyes met Kaden's.
For a brief moment...
The noisy training grounds fell silent.
"I don't cultivate to satisfy you."
"I cultivate to become stronger than I was yesterday."
His calm voice carried no anger.
Only conviction.
Kaden frowned.
For some reason...
Those simple words irritated him more than any insult.
"Hmph."
"We'll see how long your pride lasts."
With a wave of his sleeve, he turned and walked away.
His followers hurried after him.
Soon, the training grounds became lively once more.
No one noticed the elderly man still watching Raizen.
Nor did anyone notice the ancient jade pendant hidden beneath Raizen's robes.
For the briefest instant...
A faint silver light flickered across its surface.
Then disappeared.
Raizen left the training grounds as the sun climbed higher into the sky.
Ignoring the curious stares around him, he made his way toward a lonely hill behind the clan.
It was quiet there.
Peaceful.
His favorite place to cultivate.
He sat beneath an ancient tree and closed his eyes.
Spirit Qi drifted toward him.
Slowly...
Patiently...
He guided it through his meridians.
Minutes became hours.
Hours became evening.
Yet the familiar barrier remained.
No matter how hard he tried...
He simply couldn't break through.
Frustration flashed across his face.
For the first time that day...
He clenched his fists.
"Why?"
"What am I missing?"
The wind whispered through the leaves.
No one answered.
Night gradually descended upon the Rizz Clan.
Stars illuminated the endless sky.
Even then...
Raizen refused to stop.
His body trembled from exhaustion.
His breathing became ragged.
His vision blurred.
Still...
He continued cultivating.
"I won't give up..."
"I refuse..."
Moments later...
His consciousness faded.
His exhausted body collapsed onto the cold ground.
Silence filled the hill.
Then...
The ancient jade pendant resting against his chest suddenly shone with a blinding silver radiance.
The surrounding Spirit Qi froze.
The wind stopped.
Even the chirping insects fell silent.
It was as though time itself had paused.
A deep, ancient voice echoed within the darkness.
"Compatibility confirmed."
"Bloodline verified."
"Primordial Legacy detected."
A golden light engulfed Raizen's unconscious body.
The voice spoke once more.
"Origin System..."
"...Awakening."
