⚔️
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Fang Yun's breaths were shallow. His body trembled. His veins glowed dimly like veins of obsidian pulsing with power. And floating before his vision...
> [ ROOTLESS DAO SYSTEM ]
[ Version: Forbidden ]
● Spiritual Root: None
● Meridians: Locked
● Root Points: 0.1
● Dao Trait: Envy Devourer
● Abilities Unlocked:
– Devour (Rank F): Absorb root essence of lifeforms
– Mirror Pulse (Locked)
– Heavenbreaker (Locked)
Note: You are Rootless. You do not belong to the Heaven's Order. You are not supposed to exist.
Fang Yun stared at the text in his mind.
> "System?" he whispered. "Is this… a gift? Or another curse?"
No one answered. But he could feel it—the emptiness inside him was now a weapon.
He touched the ground. Insects crawled around him. He reached out again, focusing.
One by one, the insects disintegrated into smoke and vanished into his body.
[ +0.01 Root Points ]
[ +0.01 Root Points ]
[ +0.02 Root Points – Small Qi Worm Detected ]
He gasped.
> "I can grow stronger… by devouring others?"
His heart thundered in his chest. Not with fear. Not with pain.
But with something he hadn't felt in years.
> Hope.
---
Return of the Dog
By dawn, Fang Yun stood at the edge of the Ironroot Sect. His robe was tattered. His eyes were hollow. But behind them—fire burned.
He returned without fanfare. No one noticed. Not even the guards. He was the Rootless Trash.
Back in the servant quarters, he lay silently under his straw mat, watching the ceiling.
He could feel it.
The Rootless Dao now flowed through him like a black river.
He tried focusing.
> [ Devour Ready – Low Essence Target Nearby ]
Target: Worm Nest under floorboards
Result: +0.1 Root Points
He activated the skill.
The worms beneath his bed vanished into smoke.
> And his body felt… warmer.
He clenched his fists.
> "Soon… I'll devour more than worms."
---
First Blood
Three days passed.
Fang Yun remained quiet, obedient, invisible. But inside, he was building strength.
He devoured insects. Rats. Even old spiritual herbs tossed out as trash by Inner Disciples. Every scrap of life fed him.
And then… it happened.
Chen Gui returned.
The same senior who mocked him before.
And this time, he brought an audience.
"Look, everyone," Chen Gui smirked. "The Rootless Dog lives."
Behind him were disciples from three clans—sons of Elders, proud and arrogant.
"I wonder," he said, drawing a wooden practice blade, "can a rootless dog bleed like the rest of us?"
The crowd laughed.
Fang Yun rose slowly.
"I'm not your dog," he said, voice cold.
Chen Gui's eyes narrowed. "Did the worm grow a tongue?"
He swung the blade—
But Fang Yun caught it.
Gasps rang out.
"You dare—!?" Chen Gui yelled.
Fang Yun's hand pulsed black. The Devour ability activated subconsciously.
Chen Gui's blade arm froze. Then shook violently.
> [ Target Locked: Chen Gui ]
[ Stealing Root Essence… Partial success ]
[ +0.3 Root Points ]
[ Minor Qi Detected: Sword Path Fragment absorbed ]
Chen Gui screamed, collapsing to one knee.
The crowd went silent.
Fang Yun stepped forward, eyes like the abyss.
> "You call me rootless trash… But I just took a piece of your root."
He walked away—leaving Chen Gui trembling.
That night, rumors spread like wildfire.
> "Fang Yun crippled Chen Gui!"
"He's awakened something evil…"
"He's cursed!"
"No, he's… dangerous."
---
A New Threat Emerges
Far above, in the Elder Halls, Sect Elder Bai Xun sat in meditation.
He opened his eyes.
> "A forbidden presence… has awakened."
He sent out talismans.
Messages to the other sects.
> "Rootless Dao has resurfaced. The threat must be eliminated before it grows."
---
: Envy Burns
As Fang Yun trained, he felt something changing.
Wherever he walked now, people looked at him differently.
Before: they ignored him.
Now: they envied him.
Even weak disciples who mocked him began whispering:
> "How did he hurt Chen Gui?"
"He doesn't even have a root…"
"Why does he get power? I trained for years!"
And that's when the second Dao Trait activated.
> [ You are Envied ]
[ Trait Activated: Envy Flames (Passive) ]
[ Nearby envy feeds your Dao. Root Points increase by 0.01/hour. ]
He laughed in disbelief.
> "Their hate… makes me stronger."
---
✅ Coming next
Fang Yun enters his first life-or-death duel
His Devour power evolves
He meets a mysterious girl with a hidden background
A major sect elder sends assassins
Fang Yun's first kill