At Li Qingchen's request, more and more challengers stepped onto the stage.
Each of them was swiftly defeated.
And each defeat left the crowd more stunned than before.
Boom!
When the final opponent — a cultivator at the Seventh Layer of the True Origin Realm — fell to his knees, a wave of gasps rippled through the arena.
Hiss… hiss… hiss…
The sound spread like wind through a forest.
"Unbelievable!"
"What kind of monster is this?"
"He's a demon! A true demon!"
"The Li family… really lives up to its name!"
Amid the clamour, the Fifth Patriarch's smile deepened.
After the fierce battle, Li Qingchen could feel his cultivation edging toward chaos — the kind that could no longer be restrained.
A thunderous roar burst inside his body. His blood surged, golden light radiating from his skin.
Five years of buried strength finally erupted.
The Fifth Patriarch's pupils shrank. "No way…" he murmured, watching the energy ripple from Li Qingchen's body. He had expected a breakthrough — but not this soon.
Li Qingchen's roar echoed through the sky as his aura exploded outward.
Fetal Origin Realm — First Layer.
Second Layer.
Third Layer.
On and on it climbed.
Ninth Layer.
And still — it didn't stop.
True Origin Realm — First Layer.
Second Layer.
Third Layer.
...
Ninth Layer!
Golden light wrapped around him like a second dawn.
His spiritual power transformed; his body felt reborn. Every inch of him thrummed with a strength severalfold greater than before.
For a long moment, the entire arena stood silent.
Then, slowly, someone whispered, "He's only five years old…"
The words broke the spell.
"Five years old, and already at the True Origin Realm's peak!"
"Could he be… the Divine Child of the Li family?"
"Wait—five years ago, wasn't there a huge uproar across the Immortal Domain? It must've been him!"
The Fifth Patriarch didn't even hear the noise. His thoughts were already racing. Such talent was a beacon — and beacons drew storms.
Without another word, he took Li Qingchen's arm and vanished from the arena.
When they reappeared at the gates of the Li family estate, disciples were already whispering his name. Their eyes followed him with awe and a touch of reverence. Some of the younger girls even chanted his name softly under their breath.
His fame was spreading like wildfire.
By the time he entered the main hall, Li Qingchen's name had already reached every corner of the Immortal Domain. Even before he was officially appointed Divine Child, his reputation already rivalled that of senior disciples.
Later that evening, when the crowd dispersed, Li Qingchen sat quietly, deep in thought.
He had the Li family's resources — vast and endless — but the rewards granted by his mysterious system were rarer, and somehow greater.
The problem was, they didn't always come.
Luck mattered. And patience.
He glanced at a few servants cleaning the courtyard and suddenly thought — this might not be such a bad idea.
If he could stay close to the system and live among simplicity for a while, perhaps he'd gain insight others could never touch.
"Fifth Grandpa," Li Qingchen said solemnly, "I want to experience life at the grassroots level."
"Grassroots?" The Fifth Patriarch blinked. "What kind of cultivation technique is that?"
Li Qingchen hesitated. "Uh… I mean, servant life."
"What? Absolutely not!" The Fifth Patriarch's beard trembled with outrage. "You'll be the Divine Child of the Li family. How can you do the work of a servant? If the other ancestors heard of this, they'd skin me alive! If outsiders heard—our family would be the laughingstock of the entire domain!"
Li Qingchen lowered his head. He had expected resistance, but not this much.
After a pause, he lifted his gaze again. "Then… what if I only sweep the floor?"
"Sweep?" The Fifth Patriarch's brows furrowed even deeper.
Li Qingchen quickly continued before he could explode again:
"Grandpa Fifth Ancestor, cultivation isn't just about meditation. It's about perception. Some saints found enlightenment through a single act — chopping wood, carrying water… even sweeping. Isn't that also a form of perception?"
He smiled faintly. "Perhaps, by sweeping this palace, I'll understand the rhythm of heaven itself."
The Fifth Patriarch stared at him for a long time — the golden light from the hall reflecting in his tired eyes.
For a five-year-old to say such words…
He finally sighed and nodded. "Fine. Only within this palace. Not a step further."
"Yeah!" Li Qingchen leapt forward and kissed the old man's cheek.
The Fifth Patriarch froze for a second — then burst into laughter.
That night, Li Qingchen lay awake beneath the moonlight, eyes bright with restless joy.
He couldn't wait for dawn — to pick up that broom, and begin his path of sweeping cultivation.
In his mind, a whisper echoed —
"Sometimes, the dust you sweep away isn't on the floor… it's in your heart."