Dawn broke across the Lin Family estate with festive noise echoing through every courtyard. Today was the Talent Awakening Ceremony—the day when every child aged twelve would have their innate talent revealed before the clan.
For most, it was a day of pride.
For others, a day of humiliation.
And in Lin Xuan's previous life?
It had been the day his fate shattered.
His "talent" had been revealed as Inferior, making him the laughingstock of the clan. His poisoning-withered meridians had made the test useless. Lin Feng had smirked arrogantly from behind him as if he already owned the world.
But today…
Lin Xuan walked with steady steps, every movement controlled and precise.
His meridians were clear.
His foundation strengthened.
His Sword Dao awakened.
His systems humming quietly within him.
He was ready.
Arrival of the Clan Elders
The awakening hall buzzed with nervous whispers as parents and children gathered. Crystal lanterns glowed, illuminating the massive stone platform in the center.
Three elders stood on the raised stage:
Elder Jian, the stern man in silver robes
Elder Mei, graceful and sharp-eyed
Grand Elder Tian, an old man with a long white beard, known for strictness
Behind them, the Talent Appraisal Stone floated with a gentle pulse of Qi energy.
Dozens of disciples lined up in rows.
Lin Feng stood at the front, arms folded confidently, surrounded by friends and minor clan members flattering him.
A fake smile curled on his lips as he spotted Lin Xuan.
"Oh? Little brother," he said loudly, "let's hope you don't faint this time."
Some nearby children snickered.
One whispered, "Didn't he test as trash last year?"
Another added, "His talent is probably worse than farm animals."
Lin Feng chuckled. "Well, trash remains trash."
Lin Xuan walked past them silently.
His lack of reaction was unsettling.
Children expected anger or fear or tears.
They didn't expect a silence that cut sharper than steel.
Lin Feng's smile twitched.
Why wasn't he reacting?
The Ceremony Begins
Elder Jian raised his hand, and the hall fell silent.
"Today, the children of our Lin Family shall awaken their innate cultivation talent. May the heavens bestow fortune on those worthy."
One by one, children stepped forward, placing their hands on the glowing stone.
A soft voice echoed with each test.
"Yellow Rank: Low Grade."
"Yellow Rank: High Grade."
"Yellow Rank: Mid Grade."
"Yellow Rank: High Grade."
The crowd applauded politely.
Talent was rare.
Genius was rarer.
The Lin Family had not produced a true prodigy in years.
When Lin Feng stepped forward, the audience grew louder.
"This will be it!"
"Senior Brother Feng will surely get Yellow Rank High again!"
"Maybe even Earth Rank!"
Lin Feng placed his hand on the stone.
It glowed bright gold.
Elder Mei smiled slightly. "Yellow Rank: High Grade. Excellent."
The crowd erupted in praise.
But Lin Xuan watched calmly.
Yellow Rank High Grade?
Lin Feng had talent—but his power had always come from schemes, manipulation, and resources.
Power without discipline was fragile.
Power without Dao was meaningless.
Lin Feng basked in the attention, smirking widely.
Then the murmurs began.
"Next is Lin Xuan, right?"
"The weak brother?"
"Hahaha, poor boy."
Lin Feng tapped his shoulder patronizingly as he passed by.
"Little brother, don't embarrass the family."
Lin Xuan walked onto the stage.
Every eye focused on him—some curious, some mocking, some indifferent.
But the elders?
Two of them looked already disappointed.
Grand Elder Tian even sighed.
"Let us finish this quickly," he muttered.
Lin Xuan Places His Hand on the Stone
The Talent Appraisal Stone pulsed faintly.
Lin Xuan closed his eyes.
He didn't circulate Qi.
He didn't force anything.
He simply let his natural state flow.
Clean meridians.
Strengthened foundation.
Raw talent boosted by the system.
And within his soul, the glimmer of Sword Intent.
The stone vibrated.
Faintly at first.
Then violently.
BOOM—
A shockwave exploded outward, rattling the hall.
Children screamed.
Adults gasped.
Lanterns flickered.
Elder Jian's face froze.
Elder Mei's eyes widened.
Grand Elder Tian stumbled back half a step, his beard shaking.
The Appraisal Stone glowed—
not yellow.
But white.
A blinding, pure, radiant white.
Whispers Turn Into Chaos
"What rank is that?"
"Is it broken?"
"No… no! That's the sign of—!"
Elder Mei inhaled sharply.
"A color beyond the Yellow Rank… this is the mark of awakened affinity."
She pressed her hand against the stone.
Her Qi trembled.
"This child… has awakened a latent Dao physique!"
The hall shook with uproar.
A Dao physique?
Impossible.
Unheard of.
But the glow intensified—
The white light twisted into a faint silvery hue, sharp like a sword's edge, slicing through the air.
Elder Jian's voice cracked:
"This is… Silver Rank Talent?!"
The hall went dead silent.
Silver Rank.
A talent only geniuses of the great sects possessed.
A talent stronger than anything the Lin Family had seen in decades.
Grand Elder Tian stumbled forward, hands trembling.
"S-Silver Rank… Sword Affinity… My heavens…"
Lin Feng's knees almost buckled.
Silver Rank?!
Lin Xuan?!
The boy who couldn't even circulate Qi last year?!
How?!
His mind screamed.
His throat constricted.
Fear burned through his chest like poison.
"No… No… This must be a mistake!"
He rushed forward.
"This stone—this test—something's wrong!"
But the Appraisal Stone glowed again, responding only to Lin Xuan.
A soft voice echoed:
[Sword Affinity: Confirmed]
[Innate Physique Grade: Silver]
[Potential Assessment: Boundless]
Gasps echoed through the hall.
Children stared with open mouths.
Parents exchanged frantic whispers.
Elders looked as though the heavens had just opened before them.
Lin Xuan lowered his hand and stepped back quietly.
He didn't smile.
He didn't boast.
He simply descended the stairs with silent calmness.
But his silence now felt like the quiet of a blade hidden in its sheath.
Every step made hearts tremble.
The Elders Move Immediately
Grand Elder Tian rushed to him.
"Young Xuan! Do you feel discomfort? Pain? Qi imbalance?"
Elder Mei followed.
"Do not worry, child. With a physique like yours, your future is limitless!"
Even Elder Jian—cold, stern, emotionless—gave a rare nod of approval.
And the crowd?
They stared with eyes full of awe.
Lin Xuan.
The silent boy.
The weak one.
The trash.
Now the clan's brightest star.
Lin Feng's Reaction
Lin Feng stood frozen.
His breath shallow.
His fists trembling violently.
His pupils shrank to pinpoints.
"This isn't real… this isn't REAL!"
Because for the first time…
His younger brother overshadowed him.
Stole the limelight.
Crushed every achievement he was praised for.
Every eye that once admired Lin Feng now looked past him.
And every gaze that once pitied Lin Xuan
now saw him as a rising genius.
A threat.
A nightmare.
Lin Feng's heart filled with poison.
"You… how are you doing this…?"
Lin Xuan met his eyes for a brief moment.
A single glance.
Calm.
Indifferent.
Deadly.
Lin Feng felt his blood turn cold.
The System Chimes Softly
Inside Lin Xuan's mind, the mechanical voice whispered:
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Shocking the Clan]
Reward: +100 System Points]
Bonus Reward: +1 Sword Dao Point]
A subtle warmth coursed through him.
His Sword Dao deepened.
His foundation strengthened again.
And his path to vengeance became clearer.
Let the clan celebrate.
Let Lin Feng tremble.
This is only the beginning.