The seven-colored light of the Heavenly Dao Baptism was a silent storm, a holy proclamation visible from every corner of the Azure Dragon Clan's vast domain. In the sky above the central palace peak, more than a dozen figures now hovered, their powerful auras warping the air. These were the clan's reclusive Grand Elders, ancient beings who hadn't left their secluded meditation for decades, now drawn out by a phenomenon they thought they would only ever read about in mythical records.
Their faces, weathered by centuries of cultivation, were a mixture of profound shock and incredulous joy.
"A Heavenly Dao Baptism… for the Qi Gathering Realm?" one elder whispered, his voice trembling. "This is not just a prodigy; this is a monster. A child blessed by the Dao itself!"
Patriarch Jian Tianlong stood before them all, his imposing figure shielding the view of his son's chambers. His heart hammered against his ribs with a force that could shatter mountains, but his face was an unreadable mask of calm authority. He knew what this meant. A foundation that could earn the approval of the Heavenly Dao at its very inception was a matter that transcended mere clan genius; it was an event that could alter the destiny of the entire Empyrean Realm.
Inside the room, the holy light slowly receded, coalescing back into Jian Feng's small body. He sat serenely, feeling the miraculous changes. The single, colorless strand of Origin Qi in his dantian was minuscule, yet its potency was terrifying. It released waves of pure, primordial energy that surged through him, not just carving out his meridians but fundamentally reforging them, strengthening them with a pearlescent, jade-like luster. His bones grew denser, his flesh tougher. This was not the simple expansion of a cultivator's body; it was a qualitative evolution. He had taken one step into the Qi Gathering Realm, yet the benefits already surpassed what most achieved upon its completion.
The door slid open silently. His father entered first, followed closely by his mother, her face pale with worry. The sheer primordial purity of the aura inside the room made even the mighty Patriarch pause for a breath. It was like stepping into the world at the dawn of creation.
Jian Tianlong's eyes, burning with an intense light, locked onto his son. "Jian Feng," he began, his voice tight with suppressed emotion. "Explain."
Jian Feng looked up from his meditative pose. He had anticipated this interrogation. With the Star-Chart, he could perceive the roiling emotions and immense power of the elders waiting outside. Honesty, filtered through a veil of prodigious innocence, was the only viable path.
"Father, Mother," he said, his voice calm and clear. "You gave me the Primordial Scripture. It spoke of a theoretical 'Primordial Chaos Qi' as the source of all energy. I thought… if I wanted to build the strongest foundation… if I wanted a truly blank canvas… I should start with the source."
He watched as his father processed the information. He was leveraging the Patriarch's own gift against him, framing his unprecedented actions as the logical conclusion of the lesson he'd been given.
A low chuckle escaped Jian Tianlong's lips, a sound of pure, unadulterated pride. "The source… Hah! For ten thousand years, countless ancestors have studied that text. They all dismissed that passage as a myth, an ideal impossible to achieve. But you… you read it and simply decided to do it." He looked at Su Liena. "Our son's ambition is greater than the heavens."
Just then, the Grand Elder, a man with a beard as white as snow, entered the room, unable to wait any longer. "Patriarch, this child…"
Jian Tianlong raised a hand, silencing him instantly. His gaze swept over the other elders who had gathered at the door, his expression shifting from paternal pride to the absolute authority of a clan leader.
"What occurred in this room tonight is now the Azure Dragon Clan's most sacrosanct secret," he declared, his voice imbued with spiritual power, making the words a binding oath. "No word of the Heavenly Dao Baptism or the nature of Jian Feng's foundation is to leave this peak. The Young Lord has simply shown great promise in his initial cultivation. Is that understood?"
The elders, seeing the deadly seriousness in his eyes, all bowed their heads in unison. "As the Patriarch decrees."
"Good," Jian Tianlong continued, his mind moving with swift, decisive clarity. "From this day forward, the central palace peak is sealed. No one enters or leaves without my direct permission. The Young Lord's cultivation is a matter of paramount importance."
He turned his gaze back to his son. "Jian Feng, you will have unlimited access to all of the clan's resources. Spirit stones, celestial herbs, ancient formations—you need only ask. I will personally oversee your training. You are to be disturbed by no one."
It was a series of decrees that shook the elders to their core. The Patriarch was putting the full, undivided might of the clan behind a five-year-old's first step in cultivation.
After the elders departed, a heavy silence filling the air, Su Liena rushed to her son's side, embracing him tightly. "Just be safe, Feng'er. That is all I ask."
Jian Feng returned his mother's hug, feeling the genuine warmth of her love. It was a stark contrast to the cold, lonely path he had chosen for himself.
Left alone at last, he sat by the window, looking out at the vast, glowing domain of his clan. The strategist in him took over. The baptism was a double-edged sword: it had granted him a divine-level starting point but had also placed him on the Heavenly Dao's radar. His cultivation method, relying on filtering for rare Origin Qi, would be painstakingly slow. While other prodigies were rushing through the layers of the Qi Gathering Realm, he would spend months, perhaps years, just perfecting the first.
To the outside world, it would look like he was stagnating. They would whisper that the early prodigy had reached his limit. This was good. It would provide him with a cloak of mediocrity under which he could build his flawless, heaven-defying foundation in peace. Let them underestimate him. Let his fated rivals, the Children of Destiny his father worried about, rise to prominence and draw the world's attention.
He focused inward, observing the single, perfect strand of Origin Qi glowing in his dantian. It was small, solitary, yet it held the promise of infinite potential. He had laid the first brick, and the cosmos had trembled. Now, the real work began: to build a foundation so absolute, so powerful, that when he finally chose to reveal it, it would be strong enough to support the weight of an Empyrean throne.