The morning sun cast long shadows across Celeste's private training hall, a spacious chamber reserved exclusively for the Azure Clan's most talented disciples. At seventeen, she was the only one in her generation allowed such privileges—a testament to her status as the clan's greatest genius.
Celeste sat in the center of the hall, wind qi circulating through her meridians in complex patterns. Her cultivation at Peak Foundation Establishment was stable, her foundation solid. The Crimson Vale Trial in eleven days would be her opportunity to break through to Core Formation, just like her eldest siblings had done in their time.
But her mind kept wandering, disrupting her concentration.
Darwin.
She opened her eyes with a frustrated sigh. The anomaly of her youngest brother—no, not youngest, Garwin held that position—the trash brother who suddenly wasn't trash anymore. It had been bothering her for two days now, ever since the gathering where she'd first sensed genuine qi from him.
Celeste stood and walked to the window, her silver hair catching the light. She prided herself on understanding things, on being able to analyze and predict. It was part of what made her a genius—not just talent, but intelligence and strategic thinking.
Darwin didn't make sense.
She'd visited him at night, probed his qi, asked careful questions. He claimed Stage 4, but she couldn't verify it. Higher cultivation could normally sense lower cultivation precisely—it was a fundamental truth. Yet with Darwin, there was only… uncertainty. A general sense of strength, but no clear stage.
That shouldn't be possible.
Celeste made a decision. She needed more information.
She left her training hall and made her way through the clan compound toward the library. Servants bowed as she passed, and junior disciples averted their eyes respectfully. The weight of being "the genius" meant constant attention, constant pressure to maintain perfection.
The clan library was housed in a pagoda-style building near the eastern edge of the main compound. Elder Feng, the librarian, looked up as she entered, his weathered face creasing into a respectful smile.
"Young Miss Celeste, how may I assist you today?"
"Elder Feng," Celeste said pleasantly. "I have a question about my brother Darwin. I heard he recently acquired a cultivation manual. Do you know anything about that?"
The old man's expression shifted slightly—a flicker of something. Guilt? Sympathy?
"Ah, yes. Young Master Darwin came by a few days ago. He'd lost his original clan manual, so I… I gave him my personal copy. A Grade 3 technique—the Azure Sky Cultivation Manual. He seemed quite desperate to cultivate, and I thought…" Elder Feng trailed off. "I thought it would do no harm. Even with a manual, his damaged meridians wouldn't allow proper cultivation anyway."
Celeste kept her expression neutral. "Your personal manual? That was kind of you, Elder."
"The boy has had a hard life," Elder Feng said quietly. "Born with damaged spirit roots and meridians. His twin brother excels while he suffers. I thought giving him the manual might at least let him feel like he was trying."
"Born with damaged roots?" Celeste asked, though she already knew the answer. "Not damaged later?"
"From birth, Young Miss. The clan records are clear. Both his spirit root and meridian were malformed from the moment he was born. A tragedy, really. Especially for a twin—one blessed, one cursed."
Celeste thanked the elder and left, her mind working through the implications.
Born damaged. Never talented. Never capable of cultivation.
Yet now he had refined, powerful qi that she couldn't properly read.
The most logical explanation was a fortuitous encounter—some treasure or inheritance that repaired his damaged foundation. Such things happened in cultivation stories, though they were vanishingly rare in reality.
But if Darwin had found something that valuable, something that could repair lifelong damage and grant him rapid cultivation… what else could it do?
Celeste found herself walking toward the eastern section of the compound almost unconsciously. Her spiritual sense, far superior to anyone below Foundation Establishment, could detect qi signatures from a considerable distance.
She expanded her awareness carefully, searching.
There—Darwin's qi signature. Stronger than it had been even yesterday, though still frustratingly unreadable in terms of exact stage. He was moving through the abandoned section, heading toward that collapsed training ground area.
Celeste followed at a distance, keeping her presence concealed. Her cultivation advantage made it easy to avoid detection.
She watched from behind the cover of an overgrown wall as Darwin entered the clearing. He moved differently now—confident, purposeful. Gone was the hunched, defeated posture she'd seen for years. His black hair, strange as it was compared to the family's silver, seemed to shimmer with vitality.
Darwin began practicing a movement technique. Celeste's eyes widened as he blurred across the clearing with incredible speed. That was far beyond what Stage 4 should be capable of. Even Stage 7 or 8 would struggle to move that fast.
And his movements were completely silent. No qi signature during the motion. No disturbance in the air.
That was a high-level technique. Possibly legendary grade.
Celeste withdrew before Darwin could sense her observation. She'd seen enough.
Back in her quarters, she sat at her desk and analyzed what she knew:
1. Darwin had always been damaged from birth
1. He now possessed powerful, refined qi of an indeterminate stage
1. He had access to a high-level movement technique
1. His cultivation speed seemed abnormally fast
1. His qi was somehow hidden from normal sensing techniques
The conclusion was clear: Darwin had encountered something extraordinary. A treasure, an inheritance, or perhaps even a master who'd taken pity on him.
The question was: what should she do about it?
She could inform Father. But the patriarch would likely try to seize whatever Darwin had found, or force him to reveal it. That seemed… wasteful. Darwin was still her brother, however distant they'd become.
She could confront Darwin directly. But he'd already lied to her about being Stage 4. He clearly wanted to keep his secrets.
Or she could wait and watch. The Crimson Vale Trial would reveal Darwin's true capabilities. In a life-or-death environment, he wouldn't be able to hide his strength. She'd see exactly what he was capable of, and then she could make an informed decision.
Celeste smiled slightly. Yes, that was the intelligent approach.
"If you've truly become strong, little brother, the Crimson Vale will reveal it," she murmured. "And if you're still weak despite your fortuitous encounter… well, the trial will solve that problem permanently."
She felt no particular malice toward Darwin. Just curiosity and calculation. In the world of cultivation, the strong survived and the weak perished. It was simply the natural order.
Ten days until the trial. She would prepare herself and watch Darwin carefully until then.
-----
The afternoon sun beat down on the Azure Clan's main training ground, where several Foundation Establishment cultivators were sparring under the supervision of a clan elder. Darvin moved through a sword form, his silver-white hair tied back, his expression focused.
At sixteen and Low Foundation Establishment, he was considered talented—not a genius like Celeste, but certainly above average. He'd broken through to Foundation Establishment six months ago, and his cultivation was progressing steadily.
"Young Master Darvin!" One of his training partners called out. "Did you hear the latest gossip?"
Darvin finished his form before responding. "What gossip?"
"About your twin brother. People are saying he's started cultivating. Some servants claim they've felt qi from him."
Darvin's expression darkened immediately. "Don't waste my time with ridiculous rumors."
"I'm serious!" The other disciple insisted. "Multiple people have mentioned it. And apparently Young Master Garwin has been acting strange—avoiding that section of the compound where Darwin lives."
Another cultivator chimed in. "I heard Darwin's hair turned black somehow. Maybe he found some kind of treasure?"
"Enough." Darvin's voice was cold. "My brother is trash. Born with damaged meridians and spirit roots. He can't cultivate, and no amount of gossip will change that."
He sheathed his sword and walked away from the training ground, his jaw tight with irritation.
Born with damaged meridians and spirit roots.
Darvin had heard that explanation his entire life. From the moment they were born—twins, identical in appearance but completely different in potential—their fates had diverged.
The physicians had examined them as infants and delivered the verdict: Darvin possessed a Mid Spirit Root of Wind and an Intermediate Meridian. Excellent talent. Darwin possessed a Damaged Low Spirit Root of Wind and a Damaged Basic Meridian. Completely worthless.
Darvin remembered his childhood, though he wished he didn't. The constant comparisons. The whispers.
"One twin is blessed, the other cursed."
"How tragic for Young Master Darvin, to have such a brother."
"The shame of being associated with that defect must be unbearable."
And it was. It was unbearable.
Darvin had worked twice as hard as anyone else, driven by the need to distance himself from Darwin's failure. He'd cultivated obsessively, mastered techniques with ruthless efficiency, broken through to Foundation Establishment faster than most.
All to prove he was nothing like his twin.
He'd cut ties with Darwin years ago. Stopped acknowledging him in public. Ignored his existence whenever possible. It was the only way to protect his own reputation—to make people see him as Darvin the talented cultivator, not Darvin the twin of trash.
And he'd never felt guilty about it. Why should he? Darwin was a stain on the family name. An embarrassment. A constant reminder of how cruel fate could be.
Darvin found himself walking toward the family quarters, his mind churning with irritation. These stupid rumors about Darwin cultivating were spreading too far. Someone needed to shut them down definitively.
He'd prove Darwin was still worthless, and these ridiculous stories would stop.
As he walked, Darvin extended his spiritual sense—a basic ability for Foundation Establishment cultivators. He could sense qi signatures within a reasonable radius, identify cultivation levels of those weaker than him.
He searched for Darwin's signature and found it near the eastern section of the compound. And then Darvin froze.
Qi. Genuine qi.
Not much—not comparable to a true cultivator—but it was there. Real, cultivable qi flowing through Darwin's meridians.
Darvin's fists clenched. "Impossible."
Damaged meridians couldn't be healed. Damaged spirit roots couldn't be repaired. It was a fundamental truth of cultivation. Whatever damage existed at birth was permanent.
Yet Darwin had qi. Weak qi, yes, but real nonetheless.
Darvin's mind raced. A fortuitous encounter? Some kind of treasure or pill that temporarily gave him cultivation ability? Or perhaps…
No. It didn't matter how. What mattered was that Darwin—trash, worthless Darwin—had somehow gained the ability to cultivate.
And people were talking about it.
Darvin felt something hot and ugly coil in his chest. It wasn't concern. It wasn't worry.
It was hatred.
Pure, irrational hatred.
For sixteen years, Darvin had built his identity on being the superior twin. The one with talent. The one who mattered. His entire self-worth was constructed on the foundation of being better than Darwin.
And now Darwin could cultivate?
"How dare he," Darvin muttered under his breath. "How dare he suddenly have talent? After making me look bad for sixteen years?"
He tried to sense Darwin's exact cultivation stage, but frustratingly, he couldn't pinpoint it. The qi signature was there, but its stage was unclear. Probably Stage 2 or 3 at most—barely worth mentioning.
But it didn't matter how weak Darwin was. The very fact that he could cultivate at all was a problem.
People would talk. They'd compare them again. They'd say things like "Oh, both twins can cultivate now" or "I heard even the damaged one found a way."
They'd associate him with Darwin again. After all his work to separate himself, they'd link them together.
Unacceptable.
Darvin made a decision. He'd confront Darwin before the trial. He'd test this supposed "cultivation" and prove it was nothing. A fluke. A temporary effect of some pill that would fade.
And if it wasn't temporary… well, accidents happened during training. Especially when a weak Qi Refining cultivator sparred against a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"Let's see if this 'new' Darwin is anything more than trash with a fresh coat of paint," Darvin said coldly.
He turned and walked back toward the main compound, already planning his confrontation. Tomorrow, perhaps. Or the day after. Soon enough.
The natural order needed to be restored. Darwin was trash. He would always be trash.
And Darvin would make sure everyone remembered that.
-----
Evening shadows stretched across Darwin's chambers as he returned from another productive day of training. His muscles ached pleasantly—the result of pushing his Body Refining Stage 6 to its limits—and his qi felt robust and active from hours of cultivation.
He'd spent most of the day at the abandoned training ground, practicing his Emperor Storm Steps and experimenting with combining wind and lightning qi in various combat applications. His control had improved significantly, and he could now maintain the Silent Gale technique for extended periods without strain.
But something had been bothering him since his fight with Garwin.
He needed a weapon.
Darwin sat on his bed and pulled the Damaged Azure Sky Gauntlet from his inventory, examining it carefully. The dark blue metal was tarnished and cracked, but he could still feel faint traces of qi within the formation work.
He activated Appraisal.
[Target: Damaged Azure Sky Gauntlet]
[Grade: Grade 3 (Uncommon) - Damaged]
[Durability: 15/200]
[Description: A combat gauntlet once used by Azure Clan elders. Contains a formation that enhances wind-type techniques. Heavily damaged and requires repair. Current effect: +5% wind technique power.]
Five percent was negligible. But if he could repair it…
Darwin activated Path of Upgrade to see his options.
[Path of Upgrade: Damaged Azure Sky Gauntlet]
[Current State: Grade 3 (Uncommon) - Damaged]
[Upgrade Option 1: Azure Sky Gauntlet (Grade 3 - Uncommon, Repaired)]
[Cost: 1 Upgrade Point]
[Effect: Restores durability to 200/200, increases wind technique power to +15%]
[Upgrade Option 2: Azure Storm Gauntlet (Grade 4 - Rare)]
[Cost: 2 Upgrade Points (must repair first)]
[Effect: Enhances both wind and lightning techniques, +25% wind/lightning technique power, +10% storm technique power, can channel and store lightning qi]
Darwin's eyes lit up. If he used both his daily upgrades tomorrow, he could transform this damaged Grade 3 gauntlet into a Grade 4 weapon specifically suited to his storm element.
A Grade 4 weapon was rare even among Foundation Establishment cultivators. Most clan disciples used Grade 2 or Grade 3 equipment. Having a Grade 4 weapon would give him a significant advantage.
He made his decision. Tomorrow morning when his daily upgrades refreshed, he'd upgrade the gauntlet twice. First to repair it, then to advance it to Grade 4.
Darwin glanced at the time. Nearly midnight. His daily upgrades and gift box would refresh soon. He might as well stay awake and handle everything at once.
He spent the remaining time reviewing his progress mentally. Stage 9 Qi Refining, Stage 6 Body Refining, Earth-Linked Spirit Root of Storm, Elite Meridian, legendary movement technique, Grade 5 cultivation manual.
His foundation was absurd for someone his age. Even Celeste, the clan's genius, had only reached her level through sixteen years of consistent cultivation. Darwin had achieved comparable foundation quality in less than a week.
The system truly was heaven-defying.
As the clock struck midnight, Darwin felt the familiar sensation of his daily resources refreshing.
[Daily Upgrades Refreshed: 2 Available]
[Daily Gift Box Available: 1]
He opened the gift box first, curious what today would bring.
[Ding! Daily Gift Box Opened]
[Reward: Thunderstrike Execution Manual (Tier 3 - Rare)]
[Description: A rare lightning-element offensive technique. Concentrates lightning qi into a devastating strike that can penetrate defenses and cause internal lightning damage. The technique chains lightning through the target's meridians, disrupting qi flow and causing paralysis. Particularly effective against opponents within the same major realm.]
Darwin's breath caught. A Tier 3 reward! And not just any technique—a rare-grade lightning offensive technique perfectly suited to his storm element.
The manual appeared in his hands, bound in dark leather with silver lightning patterns across the cover. He could feel the power contained within even without opening it.
This was exactly what he needed. His movement technique was excellent for speed and evasion, but he lacked a proper offensive technique. Thunderstrike Execution would fill that gap perfectly.
But first, the gauntlet.
Darwin pulled it out again and selected the first upgrade option.
[Daily Upgrade Used]
[Damaged Azure Sky Gauntlet (Grade 3 - Damaged) → Azure Sky Gauntlet (Grade 3 - Uncommon)]
The gauntlet began to glow with soft blue light. Darwin watched as the cracks sealed themselves, the tarnish disappearing to reveal pristine dark blue metal underneath. The formation engravings became clear and distinct, pulsing with wind qi.
[Durability: 15/200 → 200/200]
[Effect: +5% wind technique power → +15% wind technique power]
The gauntlet looked brand new now, but Darwin wasn't finished. He selected the second upgrade.
[Daily Upgrade Used]
[Azure Sky Gauntlet (Grade 3 - Uncommon) → Azure Storm Gauntlet (Grade 4 - Rare)]
This transformation was more dramatic. The blue metal darkened to a deep azure, almost black. Silver engravings spread across the surface like lightning bolts, intricate and beautiful. The gauntlet resized itself slightly, fitting his hand perfectly.
When the light faded, Darwin was holding a masterpiece.
[Azure Storm Gauntlet (Grade 4 - Rare)]
[Durability: 400/400]
[Effects: +25% wind and lightning technique power, +10% storm technique power, enhances storm-element attacks with additional penetration]
[Special Ability: Storm Reservoir - Can channel and store lightning qi for empowered strikes. Maximum storage: 1000 units of lightning qi.]
Darwin slipped the gauntlet onto his right hand. It fit perfectly, the metal cool against his skin. He channeled a small amount of storm qi into it, and the silver engravings lit up with crackling electricity.
The gauntlet responded beautifully to his qi, amplifying it and refining it. He could feel the 25% enhancement immediately—his techniques would be significantly more powerful now.
And the Storm Reservoir ability was incredibly useful. He could store lightning qi in advance, then release it all at once for a devastating empowered attack.
Darwin clenched his fist, admiring the weapon. Combined with his cultivation and techniques, he now had proper combat capability.
He set the gauntlet aside and picked up the Thunderstrike Execution Manual, opening it carefully.
The technique was complex but not beyond his understanding. It required concentrating lightning qi into a single point—usually the palm or fist—then releasing it in a focused strike. The lightning would penetrate the target's defenses and chain through their meridians, causing both physical and internal damage.
The manual emphasized that the technique was particularly effective against opponents within the same major realm because their qi defenses wouldn't be strong enough to fully resist the lightning penetration.
Darwin read through the entire manual twice, absorbing the circulation patterns and strike methods. With his Earth-Linked Spirit Root of Storm granting +30% to lightning technique learning speed, he found the concepts coming easily to him.
He wouldn't master it tonight, but he could begin practicing tomorrow.
Darwin set the manual down and checked his final status.
[Name: Darwin Azure]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 16]
[Spirit Meridian: Elite Meridian]
[Spirit Root: Earth-Linked Spirit Root of Storm]
[Qi Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 9]
[Body Cultivation: Body Refining Stage 6]
[Techniques: Heavenly Azure Storm Manual (Grade 5)]
[Skills: Emperor Storm Steps - First Stage: Silent Gale (Basic), Thunderstrike Execution (Unlearned)]
[Equipment: Azure Storm Gauntlet (Grade 4 - Rare)]
[System Skills: Daily Upgrade, Path of Upgrade, Appraisal]
[Daily Upgrades Available: 0]
[Upgrade Points Available: 0]
[Passive Effects: Wind Qi Absorption (Constant), Lightning Qi Absorption (Constant), +30% Wind Damage Resistance, +30% Lightning Damage Resistance, +30% Wind Attack Power, +30% Lightning Attack Power, +30% Wind/Lightning Technique Learning, +30% Storm Cultivation Speed]
Perfect. In one night, he'd gained a Grade 4 weapon and a rare offensive technique. His combat power had increased substantially.
Ten days remained until the Crimson Vale Trial.
Darwin lay back on his bed, letting his passive qi absorption work while he rested. He could feel himself slowly progressing toward Stage 10—probably just one more day of focused cultivation would push him to Peak Qi Refining.
After that, the real challenge would be breaking through to Foundation Establishment. That was a major realm advancement, far more difficult than progressing between stages within Qi Refining.
But with his system and talent, even that seemed achievable.
Darwin closed his eyes, wind and lightning qi flowing into his body constantly. Tomorrow, he'd practice Thunderstrike Execution and continue pushing toward Stage 10. He'd also need to remain vigilant—both Celeste and potentially others were watching him now.
The attention was unavoidable at this point. He'd changed too much, too quickly. People would notice.
But that was fine. He just needed to be careful about how much he revealed and when.
As sleep claimed him, small arcs of electricity danced across the Azure Storm Gauntlet resting beside his bed, the weapon humming with contained power.
The trash of the Azure Clan had become something else entirely.
And in ten days, the Crimson Vale Trial would prove it to everyone.