The grand hall of the Eclipse Clan's ancestral palace shimmered under floating spirit orbs that drifted like captured stars. Hundreds of clan members filled the tiered seats—elders in flowing black-and-silver robes, core disciples standing rigidly in formation, and younger children fidgeting with barely contained excitement. At the center stood the Awakening Platform: a massive disc of midnight obsidian inscribed with ancient elemental runes that pulsed faintly whenever someone stepped onto it.
Lian Voss walked forward flanked by two attendants, his small frame draped in ceremonial robes embroidered with silver crescent moons. Every eye followed him. To them, he was merely the third young master—talented enough to enter the clan's inner circle, yet overshadowed by his two older brothers and especially by his cousin Elara Voss, the undisputed genius of the younger generation.
Elara stood near the platform already, fifteen years old and radiating quiet confidence. Her long silver hair caught the light like moonlight on water, and a subtle aura of wind and water elements swirled gently around her. Everyone knew her destiny: dual-element affinity, perfect harmony, destined to enter one of the top immortal sects within two years. Whispers called her "the future pillar of the clan."
Lian's gaze lingered on her for a heartbeat longer than necessary. The system screen flickered in his vision:
**[Target: Elara Voss – Heroine Rank: Gold]
Current Luck Value: 4,872 points
Destined Event: Within three months, she will encounter a reborn protagonist from another continent and form a soul-bound contract.
Recommendation: Initiate subtle Luck Theft during the ceremony to reduce her affinity stability without alerting suspicion.]**
He suppressed a smile. Perfect.
The Grand Elder, a gaunt man whose beard reached his waist and whose eyes glowed with faint starlight, raised his hand. Silence fell instantly.
"Today we awaken the spiritual roots of the new generation. Step forward one by one. Reveal your foundation, and the Eclipse Clan shall guide your path."
Names were called in order of seniority. A boy stepped up first—mediocre earth affinity, nothing special. Then a girl with weak fire sparks. Each time the platform lit up in dull colors, the crowd offered polite applause.
When Elara's name was announced, the atmosphere shifted. She glided onto the platform with practiced grace. The obsidian disc responded immediately: swirling patterns of azure wind and sapphire water rose around her, forming elegant cyclones and rippling waves that danced without touching her robes.
"Dual-element harmony—Wind-Water Root. Exceptional purity," the Grand Elder declared, voice carrying genuine approval. Murmurs of admiration rippled through the hall.
Elara bowed slightly, then stepped down. Her eyes briefly met Lian's—cool, distant, superior. She had never hidden her disdain for her "useless" younger cousin who spent more time playing than cultivating.
Now it was Lian's turn.
He walked up slowly, deliberately letting his steps appear hesitant, childish. A few snickers came from the outer seats. The original Lian had always been nervous during these events.
As his bare feet touched the obsidian, he inwardly commanded:
"Activate Eclipse Aether Root – Partial Manifestation. Hide true nature. Display only faint shadow affinity."
The platform reacted sluggishly at first, then a thin veil of darkness spread outward—like ink dropped in water. It wasn't impressive. It wasn't weak either. Just… average. Shadow element, low purity, nothing noteworthy.
The Grand Elder frowned slightly. "Shadow affinity… middling grade. Suitable for auxiliary techniques, perhaps stealth or illusion paths. Third Young Master will receive standard resources."
Disappointed sighs echoed from the crowd. Elara's lips curved in the faintest smirk before she turned away.
But inside Lian's dantian, something entirely different happened.
The Eclipse Aether Root greedily absorbed the ambient elements released during Elara's awakening—traces of wind and water that lingered in the air. It twisted them, compressed them, and fed them directly into his Spark Ignition stage. A warm current surged through his meridians.
**[Luck Theft Initiated – Minor]
Elara Voss Luck -120 points
Your cultivation progress +0.8% toward Seed Awakening
Hidden effect: Her future dual-element harmony destabilized by 0.3%. Undetectable for at least three years.]**
Lian stepped down from the platform, head bowed as if ashamed. Inside, triumph burned.
As the ceremony continued, he slipped to the side hall where younger children waited. There, leaning against a pillar with arms crossed, stood another figure the system had flagged earlier.
**[Secondary Target Detected: Kairos Vale – Reborn Type]
Previous life: Peak expert from a fallen sect. Reborn into a branch family servant's son. Currently hiding 70% of his talent. Destined to rise rapidly and challenge the main clan in five years.]**
Kairos looked about eleven, thin and unassuming, eyes sharp like a hawk's. When Lian passed, their gazes met for a split second. Kairos's pupils contracted slightly—he sensed something off about the "useless" third young master.
Lian gave him a shy, innocent smile, the kind a six-year-old should give an older boy.
But behind that smile, he whispered to the system:
"Mark Kairos Vale for future reputation ruin. Priority: Make him appear arrogant and treacherous before he gains power."
**[Target marked. Reputation Decay Plan initializing… Estimated time to first fracture: 14 months.]**
Lian returned to his seat just as the last child finished. The Grand Elder concluded the ceremony with a speech about hard work and clan loyalty, but Lian barely listened.
His mind was already racing ahead.
Tonight, he would push through to Seed Awakening.
Tomorrow, he would begin observing Elara's daily routines—find the perfect moment to steal more luck without ever raising a hand in violence.
And somewhere out there, on distant planets or hidden immortal realms, other protagonists were awakening too. Ring-bearers hearing ancient female voices. System users receiving their first quests. Reborn experts plotting their ascensions.
They all thought they were the chosen ones.
Lian Voss would ensure they became cautionary tales instead.
As the crowd dispersed and night fell once more over the Azure Veil Planet, Lian sat cross-legged in his chamber. The blood moon still hung low, bathing everything in crimson.
He closed his eyes.
"Continue cultivation. Element Foundation Realm – Seed Awakening."
Dark aether coiled in his core like a sleeping dragon slowly opening one eye.
The path to sovereignty had truly begun.
(End of Chapter 2)