The night was cold and moonless, yet the sky glittered with countless stars. Jingxuan's body, however, still burned from the wine he had downed earlier. His father's inheritance—or at least a fragment of it, a rank 1 Mingji—was hidden near the academy, within the Zhou clan's savage beast garden. Of course, it was only a portion; his father would never have been foolish enough to leave all of his treasures in such a public place.
The riddle left behind was simple yet profound:
"For the Zhou, it's a place of aspiring might.
For me, it's the dawn that defeated my night.
Find where these two truths unite."
The Zhou clan's beast garden served as the training ground for new Mingji wielders. It even had a spectator stand, where children under fifteen could watch the battles and dream of one day becoming wielders themselves. But this privilege was reserved for clan members alone.
Within the Zhou clan's territory lived many mortals and slaves of different surnames, yet only those who bore the surname Zhou were permitted to walk the path of a Mingji wielder. Even something as simple as watching from the stands was forbidden to outsiders. Without clan backing, mortals without the Zhou name would never even awaken their potential. Talents might be buried forever, their gifts unknown until the day they died.
This was one of the reasons Si Fanghu Town stood out. In the Western Jungle, bloodlines mattered a lot. It was not uncommon for clans to gather and form villages or towns, but true cooperation—an alliance as harmonious as this—was almost unheard of.
The first line of the riddle spoke of a place where the Zhou clan's youths sought their aspirations and dreams. Yet such places were many—training grounds, schools, and gardens—all nurturing ambition. It was not enough to pinpoint just one.
The second line, however, unraveled the mystery: "it's the dawn that defeated my night."
To Jingxuan, the meaning was clear. It was where his father had first met his mother—a memory so private and awkward that only the three of them knew of it.
But that was a matter for the past. What mattered now was the inheritance that awaited him.
After a short walk, Jingxuan reached the Zhou clan's beast garden. Within its high walls, savage beasts were bred and raised, serving as opponents for young Mingji wielders in training.
No one dared send novices into the wilderness for their first encounter. Wild beasts were far too fierce, their instincts honed by constant struggle for survival. Their raw hunting power could easily overwhelm an untested student. Here, in the controlled environment of the garden, every youth fought their first beast under supervision.
After the Mingji selection, this became the next stage in the academy's training.
In front of the gate, a guard was sleeping in his chair. He was a rank-one wielder, stationed there to respond if anything happened. But since a formation was set up and the beasts were securely locked away, disturbances were rare. The guard's main duty was simply to watch over the beasts.
Jingxuan slipped past the guard from behind and entered the garden.Trees and bushes filled Jingxuan's vision. The environment was calm, but he knew there were savage beasts hidden within this peaceful setting. Though the beasts here were not as aggressive as those in the wild, it was still not completely safe inside. Jingxuan moved forward cautiously. He wasn't overly worried that the beasts would attack him, but it was better to stay alert. After all, he had already drunk the sweet lily wine.
The beasts here were only half-tamed—docile enough to manage, yet still carrying their savage instincts. To keep them under control, the wielders had conditioned them to fear a certain smell. Whenever they sensed it, they would shrink back rather than approach.
This method was born out of necessity. The garden demanded constant, grueling labor—feeding, cleaning, repairing. Such tasks naturally fell to mortal slaves and low-ranked Mingji wielders. By imprinting fear into the beasts, the clan ensured their workers could perform these duties without being torn apart.
This was another reason why he drank this wine. But reasons aside, he loved sweet lily wine. He would drink it even without any reason.
After some time, Jingxuan reached the northern part of the garden. Ahead of him stood a wall about ten feet tall, and before it bloomed a field of sweet lilies. Behind him stretched an open space without trees or bushes—the area where students faced savage beasts for the first time.
Beyond the wall on the other side, a raised platform and stairway awaited. From there, the clan's younger children would crowd together, eyes alight with excitement as they watched the extraordinariness of a Mingji wielder.
Jingxuan stood at the center of the formation. In front of him were lilies, serving as a minor deterrent to the beasts, added for extra safety.
He stepped forward. A small tree, barely two feet tall, its appearance like a beautifully nurtured Japanese bonsai, stood in the middle of the flowers. Jingxuan moved around, checking his surroundings. There was no one nearby. The formation appeared inactive.
This was the main core of the formation. In an emergency, Mingji wielders could leap from the wall and activate it. At the moment, however, it gave off no sign of being active.
He stepped forward and softly touched the leaves. Then he bit his thumb, letting blood flow. Placing his bloodied hand on the tree, he began channeling his primordial essence into it.
After some time, on the right side of the tree, a small plant grew. It bore a single flower, unusual in shape: interlinked rings forming its petals. Seeing this, Jingxuan's eyes shone with joy.
After a week, the day of the Mingji selection arrived.
In the classroom, everyone was seated, buzzing with excitement and curiosity about the Mingji they were about to receive. They chatted nonstop.
"What kind of Mingji will you choose?"
"I'll pick one related to fire. It's cool."
Another group of kids was discussing Mingji used for non-combat purposes.
"I'll take a Mingji related to metalworking. I want to continue my father's blade shop."
"I don't like combat either. I'll pick a Mingji tied to construction."
The students debated all kinds of Mingji they wanted to choose. Unlike this group, most of the other students were focused on combat-related Mingji.
Mingji—these mysterious creatures—come in all sizes and shapes, taking the forms of beasts, objects, or almost anything. Often, they are tiny in size. Even if one takes the shape of an elephant, it could still be no bigger than a pinky finger.
Each Mingji contains two main elements: Law (the third Miracle of the Great Miracle) and Life (the last Miracle of the Great Miracle). They hold the essence of Law and possess a mysterious variety of abilities. But Mingji are extremely difficult to obtain. They can turn into illusions if one tries to catch them with bare hands. Only by using primordial essence can they be touched, even in their illusory state.
Even when captured, they are fragile. Special methods must be employed to ensure the Mingji suffers no damage.
For new Mingji wielders, who had no ability to catch a wild Mingji, receiving even a rank-one Mingji was a blessing. It was natural that students were excited. Even Zhiwei and Haoyu could hardly contain their enthusiasm, let alone the others.
But Jingxuan remained calm. He had once been a divine-rank wielder and had seen many Mingji in his life. Not to mention, the inheritance had already granted him a very rare Mingji—rank one and non-combat type, but still extraordinary.
The main instructor, Zhou Long, was in charge of today's selection. He entered the classroom with dark circles under his eyes. From his appearance, it was clear he had put tremendous effort into preparing for this event.
He spoke solemnly, "Students, today you will choose your first Mingji, which will serve as your core Mingji. This is a very important step that will determine the future path of your cultivation. I advise you to think carefully and select only a Mingji suitable for you."
"Now, follow me to the Mingji storehouse, one by one, in a queue."
All the students followed the main instructor. Zhiwei was at the front, Haoyu came second, Jingxuan was third, and Wenjing stood sixth in line. The group silently descended the stairs to the school's basement.
The basement was spacious—about a quarter the size of a football field. In front of the students stood a door, guarded by a soldier. He greeted the instructor respectfully before opening it.
The instructor announced, "Students, you will now enter the storage room one by one, according to the results of the assignment, and select the Mingji you desire."
Zhou Long added, "Inside, you'll find boards detailing the traits of each Mingji. Read them carefully and choose wisely. Remember—you have only fifteen minutes to make your decision."
The class responded with a silent nod, their excitement tempered by the weight of Zhou Long's words.
First, Zhiwei stepped forward confidently. After about five minutes, he came out, his face glowing with satisfaction.
Now it was Haoyu's turn. This lad had a scholarly appearance and an eager expression, ready to get his hands on a Mingji. He was a grade-one talent, far better than Jingxuan's third-grade talent. The only thing holding him back was his weak scholarly body. With a Mingji in his hands, his talent would shine.
Haoyu thought as he stepped inside the storehouse: The only thing holding a first-grade talent like me back is not having a Mingji. What's the use of a strong body in the world of Mingji cultivation? Even if someone is born with a strong body, they can at best reach Rank One Upper Stage. But Mingji wielders have the power to soar like dragons in the vast sea, unhindered, overturning mountains and rivers. Zhiwei, Jingxuan—just wait. I'll show how great I am and make the clan and Grandpa acknowledge me.
Actually, Haoyu was not wrong in saying that once he got a Mingji, he would surpass Jingxuan. He had already reached the peak of Mid Stage with six rings—this was the talent of a first-grade. Meanwhile, Jingxuan was only at Rank One Mid Stage with four rings. Two rings might not seem like much, but the gap was significant. Jingxuan had consumed a great number of Genesis Stones just to break through to Mid Stage. In fact, he was the only third-grade student who had managed to reach Mid Stage at all.
[Rank of Haoyu = Rank one - Mid stage - six rings , on the verge of breaking into upper stage]
[Rank of Jingxuan = Rank one - Mid stage - four rings, barely able to achieve it ]
Moreover, the path of cultivation grew steeper with every step forward. The more rings one possessed, the harder it became to condense the next. In the same way, advancing to higher ranks demanded exponentially greater effort. Forming a fourth ring from the initial three was far easier than forming a sixth ring while already at Rank One Mid Stage with five rings.
This guy took the full fifteen minutes before finally returning from choosing the Mingji he wanted. He walked out arrogantly and shot a threatening look at both Zhiwei and Jingxuan. But the two of them ignored him as if he didn't even exist. Growing even angrier, he muttered inwardly, "Zhiwei, Jingxuan… from today onward, your luck has turned bad. Hahaha!"
The main instructor called out, "Jingxuan."