Three months had passed since my "unfortunate" birth into a family of geniuses. I was currently lying in a crib made of Thousand-Year Spirit Wood, staring at the ceiling and meticulously suppressing my Qi.
In my past life, I managed billion-dollar mergers; managing my own meridians should have been easy. I had figured out a trick: if I redirected my spiritual energy into my "hidden" nodes, I could make my Heaven-Grade Root look like a standard, boring Triple Element Root.
Just a little more pressure... there, I thought, satisfied. Now, even a True Immortal like my father would only see a mediocre prince. I can almost taste the retirement already.
Suddenly, the heavy doors of the nursery creaked open.
"Is the Savior awake?" a voice whispered.
I didn't move. Six shadows loomed over my crib. My siblings had arrived.
There was Lu Tianhao, the eldest, looking calm and commanding, already giving off the aura of a man who should be leading armies. Beside him was Lu Jianfeng, the sword genius, who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. Then came Lu Yueran, my third sister, whose eyes sparkled with a medical curiosity that made my skin crawl.
"Look at him," whispered Lu Chenyi, the fourth prince. "The 'Jade Phoenix' star. The talent that made Father cry. He's perfect."
"Too perfect," the fifth brother, Lu Mingyuan, muttered. "I've already prepared a list of legendary mentors. I'll make sure Father sees it. If we can get Xian-er into the Core Formation Realm by age ten, he'll be the undisputed heir."
"I've already secured three Spirit Mines in the Western Border," the sixth sister, Lu Lingshu, added gently. "I'll 'accidentally' leave the deeds in his nursery when he turns one. He needs the resources to grow strong. Strong enough to take the Crown."
I felt a cold sweat. They aren't here to love me; they're here to draft me!
"Wait," Yueran, the doctor, leaned in. Her eyes turned a milky white—a high-level diagnostic technique. "Something is wrong. His Qi... it's sluggish. It looks like a common Triple Root."
"What?!" Tianhao hissed, his "doting brother" act slipping into pure panic. "Did Father misread it? No, that's impossible. Xian-er, don't you dare be average! I have a vacation to the Endless Sea planned for the next century! You must be the Emperor!"
Suddenly, Tianhao reached into his robes and pulled out a glowing, pulsating fruit. My eyes nearly popped. That was a Nirvana Peach. A treasure that could force a breakthrough in even a rock!
"Eat it, little brother," Tianhao whispered, trying to shove the legendary fruit into my tiny mouth. "Become a genius. For the family. For my freedom!"
"Brother, he's a baby! He can't chew!" Chenyi slapped Tianhao's hand away. "Use the Spirit-Refining Marrow instead. I'll pour it into his bathwater tomorrow. He'll be a Body Tempering expert before he can walk."
I stared at them in horror. They were literally trying to spoon-feed me "Fate-Changing Opportunities" like they were Gerber baby food.
"I won't allow his talent to be suppressed," Yueran said, her voice turning cold as she pulled out a silver needle that glowed with a terrifying green light. "If it's a meridian blockage, I'll clear it. Even if I have to re-stitch his soul!"
Oh, hell no. I did the only thing I could: I started crying. Loudly.