The palace library was silent, ancient, and filled with enough dusty scrolls and books to give any scholar a lifetime allergy. By midnight, only Yue Zihan remained — seated by a moonlit window, one hand flipping through a scroll on the Dao of Fire.
[System:] You've been reading for five hours.
Neural activity suggests 60% comprehension, 40% disdain.
"Correction," Zihan murmured. "Eighty percent comprehension, twenty percent pity."
[Define 'pity.']
"For the authors. Imagine spending your life studying fire, only to realize your Dao could be extinguished by a sneeze.
He looked outside, rolling his shoulders.
He exhaled slowly — not from fatigue but from trying to catch a glimpse of understanding of the Dao of fire. He might not be able to wield but understanding it may come with it's advantages. Better to know your competitors' even those that are weak might be helpful in the long run.
[Assimilation Complete.]
Fire Dao Fragment understanding: 2%
Potential Ability: Thermal Reversal (Locked).
Zihan smiled faintly. "Thermal Reversal? Sounds fancy for 'I can freeze fire.'"
[New System Feature Unlocked:]
REWARD FUNCTION
> Achievements and anomalies now generate Chaos Points (CP). Points may be used to evolve the Primordial Body or modify System function.
A translucent panel flickered before his mind's eye, elegant yet irreverent:
[System: Primordial Chaos Body 0.3 %]
Current Stage: Body Forging (Stage 1)
Chaos Stability: 21%
Madness:1
Sin points: 15
Integrated Daos: 1 (Fire Fragment) still understanding
Soul Resonance: Dormant
Title: Defier of order
Potent ability: Thermal reversal ( locked)
Reward Function: Active
[Chaos Points: 20 CP]
[Achievements]
"Mocked a Fire Prodigy Without Dying" +5 CP
"Tried to understand the Fire Dao Fragment (while under a roof)" +10 CP
"Maintained Parental Approval for 24 Hours" +5 CP
Zihan blinked. "…Maintained parental approval? That's a reward?"
[Yes.]Statistically rare among hosts.
"Touché."
He scrolled mentally through the options.
[Reward Exchange Options:]
1. +1% Chaos Stability (10 CP)
2. Random Dao Fragment Analysis (15 CP)
3. Unlock System Subroutine: "Observation: Emotion"
4. ??? (Hidden)
```
He raised an eyebrow. "You added gambling mechanics to cultivation?"
[Human motivation studies suggest unpredictability increases engagement.]
"So my System is a manipulative game developer."
[Affirmative]
He picked Option 2.
[Initiating Random Dao Fragment Analysis…]
> Result: Ash Dao Fragment (Corruption Type)
> Description: The Dao of Endings. The memory of fire — what remains after destruction.
Zihan tilted his head. "Poetic."
[Risk:] Ash Dao has 70% corruption potential.
[Zihan:]In other words, it's perfect for me.
Zihan could see the advantage to understanding the other daos. Gaining a small understanding of fire had given him a good surprise, he wondered what would happen if he had a full understanding. Will chaos swallow the Dao or will they integrate to form a coexist or a new form of power. He could not contain his anticipation.
He heard footsteps approached — the faint, familiar rhythm of his father.
He didn't turn around when Emperor Yue arrived by his table, but he smiled softly.
" Not asleep," the Emperor said, voice deep with warmth. "You've always preferred silence to sleep."
"Sleep is overrated," Zihan said lightly. "You see more of the world when you don't close your eyes."
The Emperor chuckled, unaware of the double meaning behind that statement.
"Your aura… it feels strange, Zihan. Peaceful, yet vast. Have you begun cultivating again?"
Zihan hesitated, then nodded. "Something like that. A… new method."
"Then take care. The world hungers for geniuses — and devours them just as fast."
[System:] Emotional resonance detected. +2 CP for "Parental Bond Strengthened."
[Zihan:] …Did you just reward me for talking to my dad?
System:]Progress is progress.
" Father," zihan started," I May need something from the royal treasury."
His father looked at and said," what do you need if it's in the treasury you can take anything but if not we can search for it as long as it exist."
" Thank you," zihan said both happy and melancholic he really has the best of life," it's for forging my body . I want phoenix blood better ifs it's the heart blood, it's feathers ,core foundation beast blood, a level ten glass spirit grass…"
His father looked at him with surprised at his increasingly absurd request," your body will not be able to survive, you will burst it's too dangerous, I have never heard of this method." His father looked at him with worry
" Don't worry I will have Ruo Jin looking out for me." He said with a smile hoping to reassure his father.
[ System] Emotional resonance detected +5CP for " parental bond strengthening."
After his father left, Zihan sat back down, gazing at the fireflies moving outside in the night.
"So this is the mortal world's structure… a hierarchy of borrowed light."
He chuckled quietly.
He looked at his palm.
The runes present moving.
"Chaos doesn't shine. It remakes the dark."
The System hummed softly in agreement.
[Achievement Unlocked:]
"Villain Philosophy Formulated" +10 CP
Title Earned: "Philosopher of the Fractured Dawn"
He smiled, faintly amused.
"Now that's a title with style."
The candles around him dimmed one by one, as if bowing to something unseen.
Outside, the moonlight rippled over the lake like liquid mercury.
Yue Zihan rose, whispering to himself:
"The sun may rise for the righteous… but chaos never sets."
And with that, he left the library yet somehow, everything glowed.