The command was given without hesitation, a silent proclamation in the theater of his mind. In response, the System's interface flared with a golden light that seemed far more brilliant than a simple notification.
[Opening the Novice Gift Pack...]
[Congratulations, Host. You have received the following rewards:]
[1x Primordial Sovereign's Scripture (Cultivation Technique)]
[1x Eye of the Chancellor (Innate Ability)]
[1x Celestial Shadow Guard Barracks (Seed Item)]
There was no explosion of light, no earth-shattering tremor. The rewards simply appeared in his inventory, listed in elegant, glowing text. Yet, as Ao Shen's strategic mind processed the descriptions that unfolded for each item, he felt a surge of what could only be described as profound satisfaction.
This wasn't just a simple starter pack. This was the cornerstone of an empire.
The [Celestial Shadow Guard Barracks] was a small, intricately carved orb of black crystal. Its description stated that when planted in a territory with sufficient spiritual energy, it would grow into a hidden barracks capable of birthing one thousand loyal, soul-bound shadow assassins. It was a long-term investment, a seed for a future hidden army. Useless for the immediate ceremony, but invaluable for the future. He filed it away in his mind.
The [Eye of the Chancellor] was an innate ability that required his direct confirmation to learn. It was a passive skill that would allow him to see a simplified status panel of any individual he focused on, revealing their potential, loyalty, cultivation, and hidden traits. It wasn't a combat skill, but to a strategist like Ao Shen, it was infinitely more valuable. Knowledge was the ultimate weapon, and this ability turned every living being into an open book.
But it was the first item that held his complete attention.
[Primordial Sovereign's Scripture]
Rank: Transcendent
Description: A cultivation technique that predates the Heavenly Dao. It does not teach one to borrow the laws of the world, but to establish their own. It cultivates Primordial Qi, the origin energy of all creation, allowing the user to command, suppress, and assimilate all other forms of energy. Every realm cultivated with this scripture creates an unshakable foundation for a personal inner kingdom.
It doesn't borrow power... it establishes it. Ao Shen's mind seized on the crucial difference.
Standard cultivators were, in essence, supplicants to the world's laws. They borrowed elemental Qi, comprehended the Heavenly Dao's principles, and worked within the system. This technique was a declaration of independence. It was the path of a true ruler.
"System," he commanded, his decision made. "Learn the Eye of the Chancellor and the Primordial Sovereign's Scripture."
[Acknowledged. Integrating Innate Ability: Eye of the Chancellor.]
A cool, soothing sensation washed over his eyes, lasting only a moment before fading.
[Integration complete.]
[Acknowledged. Would you like to begin cultivating the Primordial Sovereign's Scripture?]
"Yes."
The moment he gave the command, the world fell away. He wasn't assailed by agonizing pain or a violent surge of energy. Instead, a profound silence enveloped him. In his sea of consciousness, a single, infinitesimal speck of golden light appeared. It was the scripture.
It unfurled, not as words on a page, but as a torrent of pure, conceptual knowledge. Golden runes, each one containing a universe of meaning, flowed directly into his soul. He saw the birth of galaxies, the collapse of stars, the fundamental laws of reality being written and unwritten. He felt the boundless, chaotic energy of the primordial void before any laws, before any Dao, ever existed.
It was an energy that did not kneel. It was.
And it recognized a kindred spirit in his soul.
The scripture settled into his mind, and deep within his body, something answered its call. The ten-layered seal on his Azure Dragon God-Body hummed, not breaking, but resonating. His Grade 9 True Dragon bloodline, which had lain dormant, stirred as if greeting its master.
A feedback loop of unimaginable power began. The scripture awakened his bloodline, and the bloodline provided the perfect vessel for the scripture.
Boom.
In the dantian at the base of his spine, a space that should have been empty, the first wisp of Qi was born. It wasn't the cloudy white of a normal cultivator. It was a strand of pure, liquid gold, radiating an aura of absolute command.
This was Primordial Qi.
His body, a vessel that had never been cultivated, underwent a transformation. His bones gained a jade-like luster, his meridians widened into vast rivers, and his flesh and blood became infused with a regal, draconic might.
[Host has successfully begun cultivation.]
[Primordial Sovereign's Scripture has automatically assimilated Host's bloodline and physique.]
[Cultivation has advanced. You have reached the Mortal Body Realm - Level 5!]
In less than a minute, he had crossed four levels that would take ordinary geniuses months, if not years, to traverse. And the foundation he had built was infinitely more profound. He wasn't just stronger; he was fundamentally different.
He clenched his fist, feeling the effortless, controlled power coursing through him. It was a quiet, deep ocean, not a raging river. The arrogance of a typical young master came from a sudden flood of power they couldn't control. His was the calm certainty of a dragon that knew the depths of its own might.
'Status,' he commanded again. The blue screen shimmered before him, its contents drastically changed.
[STATUS]
Name: Ao Shen
Title: The One Who Walks His Own Path
Bloodline: True Dragon (Grade 9 - Awakened)
Physique: Azure Dragon God-Body (Seal Level: 10/10 - Resonating)
Cultivation: Mortal Body Realm - Level 5
Spirit Root: Unranked (Awaiting Awakening)
[EMPIRE DETAILS]
Empire Name: Unnamed (Tier 0)
Mandate Points: 0
Territory: None
Subjects: 1 (Host)
[ABILITIES & TECHNIQUES]
Cultivation: Primordial Sovereign's Scripture (Transcendent)
Innate: Eye of the Chancellor (Passive)
[INVENTORY]
Celestial Shadow Guard Barracks (Seed Item)
Perfect.
He dismissed the screen and took a deep breath, the rich spiritual energy of the world seeming to greet him like a subject bowing to its king. His preparation was complete. It was time.
As he walked from his palace towards the Grand Ancestral Hall, his new senses were on full display. He passed a pair of guards standing at attention. They were both cultivators at the peak of the Mortal Body Realm, radiating strength. He focused his gaze on the one on the right.
[Name: Jin Wei]
[Cultivation: Mortal Body Realm - Level 9]
[Potential: Low (Peak: Spirit Sea Realm)]
[Loyalty: 85 (Loyal to the Ao Clan)]
[Hidden Traits: Unwavering Courage]
The information was concise and brutally efficient. An invaluable tool.
He arrived at the towering obsidian doors of the Ancestral Hall. He could feel the gazes of hundreds of powerful experts inside, all focused on this single moment. He could sense the cunning of the Qilin elder, the pride of the Phoenix prodigy, and the hopes of his own clan.
They were all here to see him tested by a rock. They wanted to measure his destiny.
A faint smile touched Ao Shen's lips as the grand doors swung open.
Let them watch, he thought, stepping across the threshold into the silent, waiting hall.
The ceremony isn't a test of my future.
It's the first public announcement of theirs.