The small dormitory room felt strangely heavy as Lin Xuanji stepped inside. Tian Wen sat on the edge of the bed, stiff as a soldier awaiting orders. His hands were clenched so tightly his knuckles were pale.
Lin Xuanji took a breath.
Gentle. Calm. Wise. Like a real sect master.
"Tian Wen," he said softly, "I want to help you begin cultivation."
The boy looked up—shocked, hopeful, and terrified all at once.
"…But I can't," he whispered. "My spiritual root is gone."
Lin Xuanji nodded. "Yes. But Heavenly Peak doesn't care about that."
Tian Wen flinched. "That sounds… impossible."
"It should be," Lin Xuanji admitted, "but this mountain is… very stubborn."
(Host. Proceed with the awakening sequence.)
No advice?!
No explanation?!
What sequence?!
(Host will figure it out.)
Lin Xuanji wanted to scream.
Tian Wen blinked in concern. "Sect Master? Are you… alright?"
"YES. Perfectly fine. Couldn't be better. Never better."
He cleared his throat. "Anyway. Sit cross-legged."
Tian Wen obeyed.
Lin Xuanji sat across from him, trying to look sage-like instead of panicked.
Ruolan peeked through the door crack.
Feng Xiao leaned over him to get a better look.
Wei Tian stood guard outside, rigid as a statue.
Ling Xueyin sat quietly at the corner, supervising without interfering.
Lin Xuanji placed his hand over Tian Wen's sternum—over the place where a spiritual root should have been but wasn't.
The boy stiffened.
"This won't hurt?" he asked quietly.
Lin Xuanji gave the gentlest smile he could.
"You've hurt enough."
Tian Wen lowered his gaze.
"…Thank you."
Lin Xuanji exhaled slowly and whispered in his mind:
System, HELP ME.
(Host. Channel your qi into him.)
WHAT QI?! I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!
(Your body does.)
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M AFRAID OF—
But it was too late.
His hand moved on its own.
His breath slowed.
His heartbeat steadied.
Something ancient, buried deep within his bones, awakened.
Lin Xuanji felt warmth—
a soft, steady current inside him, like a river that had been frozen for ages and was now flowing again.
Tian Wen gasped, eyes widening.
A faint silver glow emerged between them.
Ruolan clapped his hands over his mouth.
Feng Xiao's eyes widened.
Wei Tian tightened his grip on his spear.
Ling Xueyin's gaze softened with recognition.
Lin Xuanji's qi—
the qi he didn't even know he could control—
poured into Tian Wen's chest.
It did not search for a spiritual root.
It did not try to build one.
It simply spread—
—like a thin thread weaving through broken spaces.
Tian Wen trembled.
"S-Sect Master… something's moving—"
"Don't fight it," Lin Xuanji said, forcing calm into his voice. "Just breathe."
The silver light split—
two currents branching inside Tian Wen's chest
like a seed sprouting roots in empty soil.
Ling Xueyin spoke softly.
"The seed path… rare, but not lost."
Lin Xuanji blinked. "Seed path?!"
Tian Wen's breath hitched.
"…I can feel warmth… for the first time in years…"
His eyes glossed with emotion he wouldn't allow to fall as tears.
The System chimed:
(Host. Compatibility confirmed. Tian Wen will develop the "Seedless Root" physique.)
What does that even MEAN?!
(Unique path. Independent cultivation. Does not require spiritual root.)
Lin Xuanji nearly fell over. That's… insane.
But Tian Wen's expression—
raw, trembling, hopeful—
pulled him back.
The glow slowly faded.
Tian Wen gasped sharply, as if waking from a long sleep.
He clutched his chest.
"I… I can breathe. I can FEEL qi… even if faint…"
Ruolan burst into a smile. "That's amazing!"
Feng Xiao nodded. "Welcome to the path of cultivation."
Wei Tian struck his spear against the ground. "Your suffering ends here."
Tian Wen lowered his head, shaking.
"…Thank you, Sect Master… thank you…"
Lin Xuanji's eyes softened.
"Don't thank me," he said quietly. "Thank the mountain."
Tian Wen nodded weakly.
Then Ruolan whispered to Feng Xiao, "How long before he gets stronger?"
Ling Xueyin answered calmly, "Soon enough."
And Lin Xuanji barely heard the System's final whisper:
(Host. Tian Wen's enemies have detected the awakening.)
Lin Xuanji froze.
Enemies?
(Yes. The stepmother and her clan felt the qi shift.)
Lin Xuanji stood up abruptly.
"Oh no. Not AGAIN."
Ruolan squeaked.
Feng Xiao lit sparks.
Wei Tian snapped to attention.
Tian Wen's eyes hardened instantly.
Lin Xuanji rubbed his temples.
"He just got here… and now we have trouble coming."
Tian Wen raised his head slowly—
and for the first time, his voice held fire:
"Let them come."
The mountain hummed in agreement.
And Lin Xuanji sighed deeply.
"…I miss when my biggest problem was a running herb."