My first cultivation session lasted nearly seven hours. It was two in the afternoon by the time I stepped out of my room and made my way to the garden. There, I found Grandma Zhang tending to the flowerbeds along the boundary.
Even at fifty-two, her active lifestyle gave her the vigor of someone in her late forties. Now that the first phase of our plan was complete, I could finally help her. I had the Red Vitality Petal ready to help her revert her age then I can her awaken her magic. I'd hesitated before; the petal would revert her physical condition to that of a twenty-five-year-old. In a place like Bo City, where everyone knew her, such a drastic change would have drawn dangerous attention. But things were different now. With our new base in Shanghai, she could cultivate in peace, far from prying eyes.
"Grandma Zhang, how are you?" I called out, shaking off my wandering thoughts.
She paused her work and looked back, a warm smile touching her face. "Little Yun! What were you doing in your room all this time? You didn't even come out for lunch," she asked, wiping her hands as we sat together on a nearby bench.
Since my magic had only been unsealed this morning, I hadn't told a soul. Grandma Zhang was going to be the first.
"Well, I stayed in because... this morning, I suddenly awakened my magic."
The moment the words registered, she froze. Her eyes widened, and a heavy silence fell between us. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand, her face etched with maternal worry.
"Yuzi! You awakened? Why didn't you tell me or your brothers immediately?" Her voice was hurried, borderline panicked. "You know awakening early can cause permanent damage to your foundation!"
Seeing her fear for me made a wave of warmth wash through my chest. Even though she wasn't a mage, she understood the risks. In any normal case, she'd be right—if not for the System's intervention two years ago, I might not have survived the process, let alone been able to cultivate.
"Don't worry, Grandma," I said quickly, trying to soothe her. "I've already checked. I'm completely fine—better than fine, actually. I can cultivate at an astonishing speed."
It took ten minutes of careful explaining and constant reassurance before the tension left her shoulders. Once she was finally convinced I wasn't in danger, her worry blossomed into pure joy. We chatted for a while longer, basking in the news, before I finally steered the conversation toward the real reason I had sought her out.
I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against the cool, pulsing energy of the petal. "Grandma, I didn't just come here to tell you my news. I have something for you."
I pulled my hand out, revealing a box I opened it and inside was a shimmering, crimson petal that seemed to glow with its own inner light. It looked less like a plant and more like a carved ruby, radiating a gentle warmth that made the surrounding garden flowers seem dull by comparison.
Grandma Zhang leaned in, her eyes reflecting the red glow. "Little Yun... what is this? I've never seen a flower like this in all my years of gardening."
"It's a Red Vitality Petal," I said, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Now that we're moving to Shanghai, you don't have to just be the person who looks after us. You can have your own strength. This petal will help you revert your age and then we can awaken your magic, Grandma. It will wash away the years and give you a fresh start."
She pulled back slightly, her hands trembling. "Awaken? Me? Yun, I'm an old woman. Magic is for the young, for people like your brothers. I'm content just watching you all grow."
I took her slightly weathered hands in mine, feeling the callouses from years of looking after our me. "You've spent your all these years taking care of me in Bo City. In Shanghai, things will be different. This isn't just about magic—it's about life. This petal will return your body to its prime. You'll be twenty-five again, with the talent to match."
The silence in the garden grew heavy. I could see the conflict in her eyes—the fear of the unknown clashing with a spark of hope she hadn't allowed herself to feel in decades.
"Twenty-five..." she breathed, looking down at her hands. "But the neighbors... the brothers..."
"The brothers already know we need to be strong," I reassured her, giving her hand a firm squeeze. "And in the city, no one knows Grandma Zhang. They'll only know a powerful, young mage who stands by my side. Will you trust me?"
For a long moment, she just looked at me, searching my face. Then, a resolute smile finally broke through. "You've always been a strange one, Little Yun. Ever since that fever two years ago... you've had the eyes of someone who sees too much." She reached out and took the petal. "If it means I can stay with you all for another hundred years, then I'll take it."
"Here, Grandma Zhang," I said, handing her the item. "Keep this safe for now. Tomorrow, we head to Shanghai. You can use it there, and then... we'll go for your awakening."
She nodded, her eyes shimmering with a mix of disbelief and hope. After a few more lighthearted words, I stepped out into the cool air. My destination: the Li family training grounds—a place hidden from the prying eyes of the other forces in Bo City.
After returning from the Qinling Mountains, I had made a tactical decision with my remaining Super-level Summoning Card. I shattered it, trading one peak powerhouse for a foundation: 30 Intermediate-level and 700 Primary-level mages.
Quantity has a quality of its own.
In the eighteen months since that summoning, the growth had been explosive. My investment had paid off: nine of those Intermediate mages had successfully broken through to the High-level, while three hundred of the Primary mages had ascended to the Intermediate rank.
Currently, Bo City served as a secondary stronghold. Stationed here were one hundred Primary mages and thirty Intermediate mages, all overseen by Su Yun, one of my newly minted High-level commanders. The rest of my forces remained embedded in our main Shanghai base, a silent army waiting for the world to notice them.
....
The transition from the bustling streets of Bo City to the Li family's secret training grounds was seamless—a testament to our growing influence. I slipped through a series of nondescript alleyways before reaching a heavy, reinforced steel gate disguised as a weathered warehouse entrance.
As the doors hissed open, the air changed instantly.
It was denser here, heavy with the metallic tang of lightning and the dry heat of concentrated fire. The atmosphere was saturated with the faint, buzzing resonance of elemental energy, a byproduct of hundreds of mages honing their Stars.
In the center of the hall stood Su Yun. Even from a distance, the aura of a High-level mage was unmistakable—stable, oppressive, and sharp. She turned as I approached, her eyes flickering with the recognition of her master. Around her, the synchronized chanting of my mages created a low hum that vibrated in my very bones. This wasn't just a training ground; it was a forge.
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