The training yard behind the outpost was silent, except for the faint chirping of distant birds hidden deep in the forest. The cracked stone tiles beneath their feet were overgrown with stubborn weeds that wriggled through every crevice. A forgotten place, forsaken by time—and yet, for now, it was exactly where they needed to be.
Li Yiran stood in the center of the yard, her posture rigid, arms at her sides as she fought to mask the tightness in her fingers. Her chest rose and fell unevenly, betraying the storm beneath her calm exterior. Across from her, Jin Mu watched quietly, arms folded, his sharp eyes unblinking.
"You said we're starting today," she said, voice low but steady, eyes locked on his. "So… what now?"
Jin Mu nodded once, stepping forward with a measured pace. "Hold still."
She didn't flinch—but every muscle in her body seemed to coil like a spring.
Two fingers glowed faintly with a cold, silver-blue light as he pressed them gently to the center of her forehead.
"Skill: Thousand Meridian Insight — Activated"
His vision shifted. The world around him dulled, the colors muted into soft grays as the system filtered through layers of flesh and bone. He saw her meridians, the invisible network threading through her spirit and body—empty. No roots. No elemental affinity. No budding core.
Nothing.
Just a hollow, desolate shell.
A flicker of disbelief flashed in his eyes. '…She really is trash.'
He withdrew his hand slowly, stepping back. His face settled into an unreadable mask.
Li Yiran's pale face tightened, her voice barely above a whisper. "What did you see?"
Jin Mu didn't answer right away.
He muttered under his breath, more to himself than her, "Back on Earth, characters with tragic backgrounds were always secretly monstrous geniuses. Special bloodlines. Hidden artifacts. A seal, maybe…"
But there was nothing.
No dormant spark. No hidden treasure buried inside her soul.
Just an ordinary girl—broken, weak, and discarded by the world.
He looked at her again, and this time, he smiled.
"Doesn't matter."
Her eyes blinked, confused.
"What?"
"You have no roots. No talent. No hope for cultivation," he said flatly. "You're worse than trash."
Her lip trembled.
"But that," he said, voice low and fierce, "makes this all the more fun."
Suddenly, a prompt flickered in his mind:
"System Quest Triggered!"
"The First Flame"
Implant your ki into the disciple's meridians and forcefully awaken her foundation.
Warning: This process is forbidden in most cultivation schools.
Success Rate: 3% (Without System Assistance)
System Support Engaged.
Mission Reward:
Aura: Ruthless Immortal Presence
Item: Primordial Chaotic Root (Bound)
1000 System Points
Jin Mu's eyes narrowed at the words. "Primordial Chaotic Root?" he murmured.
A root that hadn't appeared on any continent in millions of years—a seed of ancient deities. To have it offered now... it was no minor gift.
He glanced at Li Yiran.
"She's not worth it," he said quietly.
And yet you chose her.
"Yeah," he muttered, voice rough but resolute. "I did."
"Sit down."
She hesitated, eyes wide and wary.
"What are you going to do?"
"Something reckless," Jin Mu said with a crooked grin. "And stupid. Which means it'll probably work."
Reluctantly, she sank down cross-legged onto the cracked stones. Jin Mu sat behind her, eyes narrowing with focus.
"I'm going to inject my ki directly into your meridians," he explained quietly. "If your body rejects it… you'll probably die."
Her breath caught sharply.
"That's illegal."
"In most places," he agreed.
"No teacher gives their personal ki to a stranger—"
"Exactly." Jin Mu's grin widened. "No one does. So let's make history."
She glanced back at him, eyes searching.
"Why... would you do this?"
He leaned close, voice low and fierce. "Because if you bloom from trash, the world that mocked you won't be able to look away. And because I want to see it burn when you rise."
She stared for a long moment, then nodded.
"I'm ready."
Jin Mu's hand glowed softly as he pressed it against her back, over the heart.
His ki surged forth—a silver wave crackling with flickers of black lightning, alive with raw energy. The moment it touched her spirit gates, her body arched violently—and she screamed.
Veins bulged, meridians twisted, threatening to rupture under the strain—and then began to absorb.
"System Override Engaged"
Guiding internal flow… Strengthening container… Awakening rootbed…
Inside her, something impossible took form.
Where once there had been emptiness, now bloomed fire—raw, chaotic energy knitting itself into her soul, creating a spark: weak, flickering, but unmistakably alive.
She gasped as the pain eased, sweat soaking her tattered clothes.
"Awakening Complete"
New Root Type: None → Bound (Shared Origin)
Compatibility: 92%
Affinity: ??? (Undiscovered)
Li Yiran collapsed forward, panting, a flicker of awe in her eyes.
"I… I can feel… something."
Jin Mu's smile was faint but genuine as the glow faded from his hand.
"You're no longer trash."
Mission Complete!
You have obtained: Primordial Chaotic Root (Bound)
Passive Aura Gained: Ruthless Immortal Presence
+1000 System Points
An oppressive, ageless presence wrapped itself around Jin Mu's soul like a heavy cloak. Reality seemed to flinch, as if bowing before something unseen. But outside, his face showed nothing—yet.
He stood and offered her a steady hand.
"Come on, Disciple. Time to prove them wrong."