Yan Tianyang tightly gripped the broom with his small hands while glancing toward the training grounds from the corner of his eye. The morning sun illuminated the stone courtyard as the young members of the Xiao Clan stood in neat rows, learning the foundations of Dou Qi. An instructor stood before them, his authoritative voice echoing as he explained techniques and corrected each child's posture one by one. The children ranged from four to ten years old all of them true heirs carrying the blood of the Xiao Clan. Their clean robes, orderly appearances, and confident expressions revealed their privileged status without question.
Meanwhile, Yan Tianyang stood at the edge of the same courtyard, silently sweeping the dusty stone floor. His simple, worn out clothes fluttered slightly in the breeze, and with every stroke of the broom, the sense of humiliation inside him grew heavier. He was the same age as them… some were even younger. Yet while they learned to sense and cultivate Dou Qi, he was left to clean the dirt beneath their feet.
He gritted his teeth inwardly.
"Damn this fate… Others transmigrate into this world and are instantly blessed with systems, unparalleled talents, or sacred bloodlines. But what about me?"
He pressed the broom down harder. The harsh scraping sound against the stone could not silence the injustice boiling in his heart.
"Is all I get a broom? A life of servitude?"
The daily meals he received barely filled his stomach. There were no special techniques, no support, no guiding master no glimmer of hope. If things continued this way, he would grow old as nothing more than a nameless servant in this world, forgotten by everyone.
While sweeping the ground, Yan Tianyang's ears unconsciously focused on the conversations taking place in the training yard. Between the rhythmic scraping of the broom against the stone floor, the instructor's powerful and excited voice rang out clearly.
"Young Master Xiao Yan," the instructor declared loudly, his gaze filled with pride as it fell upon the small boy, "has already reached the Two-Star stage of the Dou Zhi Qi Realm despite being only four years old! If he continues at this speed, he may very well become the youngest Dou Zhe in the clan's entire history!"
A soft murmur spread across the courtyard. In the eyes of the other children, admiration and envy intertwined. Xiao Yan stood calmly, yet despite his small frame, he exuded a confident aura. Even the elders standing behind him could not hide their satisfaction.
The instructor raised his hand and continued,
"All of you should take Young Master Xiao Yan as your example! His talent, determination, and diligence are the pride of the Xiao Clan!"
Yan Tianyang's hands paused slightly on the broom. Four years old… Two-Star Dou Zhi Qi… That was truly the speed of a genius. At that age, merely sensing Dou Qi was considered extraordinary, yet Xiao Yan had already reached the second stage.
Tianyang lowered his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the ground. A strange feeling stirred within him was it envy, admiration, or simply silent resentment toward the unfairness of fate?
They were born under the same sky. They stood within the same clan courtyard.
Yet one was rising toward the heavens.
While the other swept the dust beneath his feet.
At that very moment, a cold, metallic voice echoed within Yan Tianyang's mind.
Beep.
["Host has detected extreme resentment and a profound sense of injustice toward the heavens. System activating… Please wait."]
Yan Tianyang's heart nearly stopped. His fingers loosened, and the broom almost slipped from his grasp. However, he was standing at the edge of the training yard any unusual movement would immediately attract attention. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the broom and continued sweeping as if nothing had happened. On the surface, he remained calm. But within his mind, a storm was raging.
Beep.
[One Time Gamble System Activated]
A translucent panel with a faint golden glow materialized before his consciousness. The text was sharp and cold, like a contract prepared to rewrite his fate.
Suppressing his excitement, Yan Tianyang asked silently,
"What is your function?"
There was a brief pause before the system responded.
[Host, this system possesses two primary functions.]
[First function: Display the host's current statistics.]
[Second function: A one time gamble opportunity. This allows the host to randomly but drastically alter innate talents, bloodline, or overall potential.]
Yan Tianyang's pupils slightly contracted.
Change his inborn traits…?
This was no ordinary system.
This was a gamble against destiny itself.
And for a powerless servant's son in this world… there was hardly anything left to lose.
The mechanical voice echoed in his mind once more.
[Host, before making your final decision, I am obligated to inform you. This is a gamble. There is a possibility that the result may be worse than your current innate attributes.]
Yan Tianyang's heart tightened for a moment. The hand holding the broom subconsciously stiffened. Worse…? When he already possessed almost nothing, how much worse could it truly be?
But he quickly steadied himself.
No. Before gambling recklessly, he needed to know the truth.
What were his innate traits? Did he have potential? Or was he truly below even ordinary standards?
He was the son of a servant. The Xiao Clan did not permit servants to cultivate. They feared the theft of valuable techniques or the possibility of servants growing strong enough to escape control. Because of that, Tianyang had never once been allowed to test his talent, even at five years old. Perhaps there was a spark within him… but no one had ever allowed it to be revealed.
Taking a slow breath, he spoke clearly within his mind:
"System, show me my status panel."
There was a brief pause.
Beep.
[Status Panel Initializing…]
Before his consciousness, a translucent screen glowing with faint golden light slowly began to materialize.
The golden panel fully solidified, and the lines became crystal clear one by one.
Beep.
[STATUS PANEL]
[Name: Yan Tianyang]
[Title: None]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 5]
[Physique: None]
[Bloodline: None]
[Soul Level: Early Mid Mortal Stage]
(Equivalent to a Tier 2 Alchemist's soul strength)
[Cultivation: None]
[Attribute: Weak Wood Element]
[Cultivation Talent: Weak]
(Estimated Maximum Potential: Dou Zhi Qi – 7 Star)
[Comprehension Talent: Average]
(If fortunate, may master a Mid-Level Huang Class technique in 10 years)
[Charm: 56]
(Evaluation: Ordinary)
[Cultivation Technique: None]
[Fighting Techniques: None]
Yan Tianyang read through each line carefully.
No physique.
No bloodline.
No cultivation.
No techniques.
This was truly a start beneath even ordinary standards. A weak Wood attribute… one of the most unimpressive elements in terms of combat potential. His cultivation talent suggested he would likely be stuck at the Seventh Star of Dou Zhi Qi at best perhaps never even reaching the Dou Zhe realm in his lifetime.
But…
One line caught his attention.
Soul Level: Early Mid Mortal Stage (Equivalent to a Tier 2 Alchemist).
That was abnormal.
For a five year old child, such soul strength was unusually high. Even among ordinary mortals, that level of spiritual power was rare. Tianyang narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Is this… because I transmigrated?"
Two lifetimes of memories. Two consciousnesses merged into one.
Perhaps that was the reason his soul was so strong.