The Yan estate was quiet in the early morning, the gardens glistening with dew as spiritual qi flowed in gentle currents along the carefully laid formations. Kuangshen sat cross-legged atop a marble platform, eyes closed, but his mind already racing a thousand steps ahead.
"Kuangshen," Yan Tianhuo's voice boomed, even through the silence. "Today we begin your formal cultivation. You will learn the principles of energy manipulation, meridian refinement, and the true mastery of the Primordial Chaos Physique. Remember: power is meaningless without understanding."
Kuangshen's abyssal eyes opened, glinting like twin voids. "I understand, Father. But I must also learn through action. Theory alone cannot refine me fully. Strength is proven only in combat, in the clash of wills and techniques."
Yan Tianhuo smiled faintly. "The child's mind is… astonishing."
---
The first lesson was meridian refinement. Kuangshen's body, though that of a toddler, contained the rarest constitution in centuries: meridians wider than rivers, capable of channeling energy that could collapse mountains. Even Yan Tianhuo had to suppress a shiver as he watched his son sit calmly while golden qi flowed freely through every channel.
"Excellent," Yan Tianhuo said. "Most cultivators spend decades just opening their meridians safely. You… do this naturally."
Kuangshen's small hands moved in intricate patterns, guiding the energy through his body. He visualized it as water rushing through a vast, infinite reservoir, filling every corner of his dantian, expanding the very limits of his Primordial Chaos Physique.
"This is…" Mei Xueling murmured, frost flowers blooming faintly in the air. "Beyond comprehension. Even the strongest Saint Kings struggle with this stage, and he… he is a child."
---
By mid-morning, Kuangshen's attention shifted. "Father, Mother… I wish to test my newfound understanding."
Yan Tianhuo raised an eyebrow. "You have barely begun formal cultivation. Testing your limits now is… risky."
"I am aware," Kuangshen replied, voice calm yet commanding. "But caution alone does not breed strength. I must provoke the world to show me its secrets."
Before his parents could protest further, Kuangshen's form flickered and vanished—a simple shift in space, yet the air seemed to bend unnaturally where he had stood. Within seconds, he had appeared in the outer forest bordering the estate, where residual traces of Shadow Moon Sect assassins lingered.
---
The first encounter came swiftly. A lone cultivator, an elite scout from the Shadow Moon Sect, had been monitoring the Yan estate, unaware that their prey had already detected them. The scout's cultivation was formidable for a mere Saint King—poisoned qi, shadow-form techniques, and concealed talismans designed to bypass ordinary defenses.
Kuangshen approached slowly, observing. "You hide in the shadows, believing your skills surpass mine," he said. "Curious. I have always wondered what a Saint King fears most."
The scout lunged, a flurry of blades and shadowed talismans converging toward Kuangshen. Yet each strike passed harmlessly. The Primordial Chaos Physique was not merely defensive—it redefined reality itself around him. Spatial folds shifted subtly, energy flows redirected, and the scout's techniques unraveled as though the world itself opposed them.
Within moments, Kuangshen had neutralized the assault, absorbing the scout's talisman energy and reinforcing his own reservoir of qi. He could feel the man's training, the painstakingly refined techniques cultivated over decades, and yet they now belonged, in essence, to him.
The scout collapsed, unconscious yet alive, his techniques irreversibly perfected by absorption into Kuangshen's body.
"Even in death, power must be refined," Kuangshen mused.
---
Returning to the estate, his parents awaited. Yan Tianhuo's expression was a mixture of pride and worry. "Kuangshen… you cannot constantly challenge yourself against live threats. The world is not so forgiving."
"I am aware, Father," Kuangshen said calmly. "But understanding comes only through exposure. Strength, experience, strategy… all are meaningless if untested. Marcus Chen learned this in his last life. I will not repeat his mistakes."
Mei Xueling knelt beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You are extraordinary, my son. Yet do not forget… even a dragon must respect the sky that contains it."
Kuangshen smiled faintly, abyssal eyes glittering. "I respect nothing that cannot challenge me. The sky… the heavens… even death itself… all will bow to those who prove worthy."
---
By evening, he returned to his meditation platform, the forest quiet except for the faint rustling of qi in the wind. Kuangshen sat, closed his eyes, and let his consciousness drift beyond the estate, scanning for the faintest disturbances, the subtle currents of cultivation power from neighboring clans and distant sects.
"The Shadow Moon Sect will strike again," he thought. "And they will send more powerful assassins, more intricate formations. But I am ready. Every attack, every ambush, every secret… I will learn, adapt, and surpass it. There is no ceiling, no end. Only evolution."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, a crimson moon rose, casting a soft blood-red glow across the Yan estate. Somewhere far beyond, eyes watched Kuangshen's movements, calculating, planning, and trembling at the implications of a child who was no longer merely a child—but a force that could reshape the world.
And Kuangshen smiled faintly, knowing that this was only the beginning.
"Let them come," he whispered to the winds. "Every challenge, every battle, every enemy… I will rise beyond them all. And the world will know the name of the Primordial Chaos Heir."