"The Ugly Sovereign: Ascending Beyond Mortal Scorn"

The Forest's Call

A week after the shed incident, Luo Feng sneaked into the forest at dawn. The amulet buzzed in his pocket like a trapped bee. He followed its pull, ducking under thorny bushes and hopping over mossy rocks.

The Stone Shrine:

Behind a waterfall, he found a crumbling stone shrine covered in vines. Moss grew over a statue of a warrior with a serpent coiled around his arm. The statue's face was scarred, just like Luo Feng's.

The Scroll:

Under the statue's foot lay a dusty bamboo scroll. Luo Feng unrolled it carefully. The title read: "Basic Qi Gathering Technique – For the Unbroken Spirit."

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First Attempt at Cultivation

Luo Feng sat cross-legged on the damp shrine floor, mimicking the poses drawn on the scroll.

The Instructions:

1. "Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth."

2. "Feel the Qi of heaven and earth flow into your dantian."

The Pain:

His twisted spine made sitting upright agony.

When he tried to breathe deeply, his ribs pinched like knives.

The amulet glowed, pushing a wisp of energy into his chest.

Failure:

He coughed violently, black blood splattering the scroll. The energy leaked out like water from a cracked jar.

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Granny Wen's Discovery

That evening, Granny Wen noticed the bloodstains on his robe. "What have you done, child?!"

The Truth:

Luo Feng showed her the scroll. Her hands trembled. "This is cultivation… but your body isn't ready!"

Herbal Bath:

She boiled bitter herbs—Dragon's Claw Root and Silver Moon Petals—in a wooden tub. "Soak. This will ease your pain."

Stinging Relief:

The water burned his cuts, but his muscles relaxed. For the first time, he slept without nightmares.

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Yan Mo's Spying

Yan Mo had followed Luo Feng to the shrine. He stole the scroll but couldn't read the ancient symbols.

Mockery:

The next day, Yan Mo tossed the scroll into a mud puddle. "Cultivation? You're too ugly to be human, let alone a cultivator!"

Luo Feng's Defiance:

He fished out the scroll, wiped it clean, and glared. Yan Mo flinched—for a second, the boy's good eye glinted gold.

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The Serpent's Whisper

That night, the amulet glowed brighter. The golden serpent's voice hissed:

"Patience… your body is a seed… it needs time… to grow."

New Vision:

Luo Feng dreamed of the scarred warrior from the shrine. The man pointed to his own twisted leg and roared, "Weakness is the first step… to strength!"