John was too weak to summon a battle spirit. But he wasn't too weak to observe.
So he did what he had seen Yue Li do countless times, meditate. Even in his infant state, his mind was far sharper than his body.
He focused inward. And for the first time, he saw it clearly.His core, Transparent, Crystalline and almost empty.
It pulsed faintly like a second heart, circulating thin streams of Qi through delicate meridians like blood through arteries.
Weak.
But functional.
Then...He noticed it.
A faint golden shimmer coating the surface of his core.Not inside it.Around it.
Like a protective membrane.
("What is that…?")
Without thinking,and as reckless as ever. John guided a minuscule strand of Qi toward the golden sheen.The moment it touched...
Agony.
Not pain.
Agony.
His body convulsed. Had he possessed teeth, he would have shattered them. His meridians felt as if molten metal was being forced through them.
Heat surged.
His tiny fingers clenched.
On his hands and forearms, faint golden scales emerged , subtle, translucent, yet undeniably real. Sharp claws formed briefly at the tips of his fingers. His golden eyes rolled back. And darkness swallowed him.
Yue Li felt it instantly.
Something was wrong.
She vanished from the balcony, appearing in her chambers in a blur of crimson silk.
John's body burned with fever in her arms.
Her aura exploded outward, a murderous pressure that made the servants outside collapse to their knees.
She slipped a hand into the dimensional storage ring on her finger and retrieved a small yellow pill of high grade quality. Crushing it effortlessly, she condensed a bead of water in her palm and dissolved the powdered medicine before letting it drip into John's mouth.
"My child… what happened? Who dares–"
Her killing intent surged. But then...John stirred. His golden eyes opened. They were clear, lucid.
He grabbed her finger weakly.
The murderous aura vanished instantly.
"You're alright… aren't you? Tell me immediately. Did someone harm you?"
Servants rushed in, trembling.
The old nurse maid, Fah Li, knelt low.
"My Lady… I believe the young master may have… fully awakened."
The room fell silent.
"It was only a matter of time," she continued shakily. "But to do so at three and a half months… no record in history speaks of such a thing. This is a cause for celebration."
"The other Generals… the Seven Regional Lords… even His Majesty the Emperor may take notice."
Yue Li's crimson eyes narrowed.Then softened.
"You are correct. Send word to my husband. Inform the elders immediately."
Her aura withdrew completely.
She cradled John gently, cooing as if she had never thought of slaughtering the members of staff moments earlier.
The staff silently vowed never to incur the wrath of mother or son.
Meanwhile...Inside John's mind.
(Why do I feel like my bones were cracked and reassembled?)
His skin still tingled, as if something beneath it wanted to surface again.
(Was that… what Rank One felt like?"
He flexed his fingers weakly. He did feel stronger, Denser. Heavier. But...What were those golden scales?" And where was his battle spirit? Shouldn't he see it now?
Or…Was his body still incapable of forming it? Or worse...Did that golden membrane have something to do with it?)
He yawned mid-thought.
Exhaustion overtook him like a tidal wave.
Before sleep claimed him, one final thought surfaced
"That golden layer…It doesn't feel like protection, It felt like something sealed and dangerous like a hungry beast."