章 1: Ch 1: The "Trash" of the Feng Clan

Tianlang Continent,

A land as ancient as time itself, sprawling across a world where the natural and the supernatural intertwined. It was a place of breathtaking beauty and overwhelming danger, where the land itself seemed to pulse with life and power.

The continent's landscapes were as varied as they were awe-inspiring: towering mountain peaks that pierced the heavens, dense forests teeming with life both mundane and magical, and deep, yawning chasms that seemed to lead to the very heart of the earth.

Yet, despite its wonders, Tianlang was a harsh and unforgiving place, a world where only the strong could hope to survive.

In Tianlang, the strong ruled with an iron fist, and the weak were nothing more than stepping stones on the path to power. The pursuit of strength, through the accumulation of qi... the very essence of life and power... was the driving force behind every action, every decision.

Cultivators, those who could harness and manipulate qi, were the true rulers of this world. They were beings of unimaginable power, capable of feats that defied the very laws of nature. Some could summon storms with a gesture, others could split mountains with a single strike, and the most powerful among them could even defy death itself, ascending to a state of immortality.

But such power came at a cost. For every cultivator who soared to the heights of the heavens, there were countless others who fell short, unable to break through the barriers that separated mortals from gods.

These unfortunate souls were condemned to live out their days in misery and despair, their dreams of greatness shattered by the cruel realities of a world that had no mercy for the weak.

The continent was divided into four great territories, each ruled by a powerful family whose ancestors had once ascended to immortality.

These families -> Feng, Dan, Jian, and Xian... had stood at the pinnacle of power for centuries, their influence extending far beyond their own borders. Each family was a dynasty, its members bound by blood and tradition, their lives dedicated to the pursuit of power and the preservation of their family's legacy.

The Feng Clan, one of the four great families, was a name that inspired both reverence and fear. Their ancestral home was nestled within the Fengshen Peaks, a mountain range so vast and treacherous that it was said to be impassable by any who did not possess the strength of a cultivator.

The peaks themselves were shrouded in mist, their jagged summits often lost to the clouds, and within these mountains lay the Feng Clan's stronghold... A sprawling fortress of stone and jade, built with the labor of thousands over generations. The very air within the Fengshen Peaks was rich with qi, a blessing from the heavens that had allowed the Feng Clan to rise to power.

Yet, even the mightiest of trees can be felled by time, and the Feng Clan, like the other great families, was facing an unprecedented crisis. The world's qi was in decline, a mysterious phenomenon that had struck fear into the hearts of cultivators across the continent.

No longer could they break through the realms as they once had; no longer could they reach the heights of power that had once been within their grasp. The Feng Clan, once a beacon of strength, was now struggling to maintain its standing amidst this calamity.

And in the midst of this crisis, the clan had convened a meeting... not to find a solution, but to rid itself of what it perceived as a blemish on its honor.

*****

The Great Hall of the Feng Clan was a sight to behold. Massive pillars of jade supported a ceiling painted with the images of legendary battles and heroic deeds.

The walls were adorned with tapestries depicting the clan's greatest triumphs, and the floor was laid with marble so polished that it reflected the light of the torches that lined the room. At the far end of the hall sat the Feng Clan Patriarch, Feng Tianlong.

Feng Tianlong was a man of great power, his very presence exuding an aura of authority that demanded respect. His hair, once as black as night, was now streaked with gray, a testament to the many years he had spent leading the clan. His face, though still handsome, was lined with the marks of age and stress, and his eyes, once bright with the fire of youth, now held a cold, calculating light.

Around him sat the elders and grand elders of the Feng Clan, each one a figure of great importance, their power second only to the patriarch himself. They sat in silence, their faces grim as they awaited the arrival of the one who had been summoned.

Feng Tianlong's voice broke the silence, his tone laced with barely concealed anger.

"Bring the disgrace inside," he ordered, his words echoing through the hall.

The doors at the far end of the hall creaked open, and two guards entered, dragging a young boy between them.

The boy was Feng Chen, the youngest son of Feng Tianlong. His appearance was a stark contrast to the opulence of the hall. His clothes, once fine and tailored, were now dirty and torn. His black hair hung limply around his face, and his dark eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and resignation. His body, though young, was frail and weak, a sign of his inability to cultivate.

The guards brought Feng Chen before the patriarch and forced him to his knees. Despite the pain and humiliation, Feng Chen kept his head bowed, refusing to meet his father's gaze.

"Feng Chen greets the Patriarch," he said, his voice barely audible.

Feng Tianlong's eyes narrowed as he looked down at his son.

"Look at you," he said, his voice cold and unforgiving.

"You are nothing but a disgrace to the Feng Clan. Your siblings... all of them... have brought honor to our family through their cultivation, yet you… you have done nothing but shame us. Never in the history of our clan has there been one who could not cultivate. You are the first, and you will be the last."

Feng Chen's heart pounded in his chest. He had known this day would come, but hearing the words spoken aloud was a different kind of pain. He could feel the weight of his father's disappointment, the scorn of the elders, and the disdain of the entire clan pressing down on him, suffocating him.

"I… I'm sorry, Father," Feng Chen stammered, his voice trembling. He could feel the pressure of his father's qi, a suffocating force that made it difficult to breathe.

"Sorry?" Feng Tianlong's voice was laced with bitterness.

"Do you think 'sorry' will change anything? There is no place for weakness in the Feng Clan. We are a family of warriors, of cultivators destined for greatness. But you… you have no place among us. From this day forth, you are no longer a member of the Feng Clan. I, Feng Tianlong, as the patriarch, hereby sever all ties with you. Now, leave this place and never return."

The words struck Feng Chen like a blow to the chest. He had expected this, had steeled himself for it, but nothing could have prepared him for the pain that came with being cast out by his own father. Yet, he knew there was no point in arguing, no point in pleading. His fate had been sealed the moment he was born without the ability to cultivate.

With great effort, Feng Chen rose to his feet. His legs trembled, but he forced himself to stand tall, to show that he still had some dignity left.

"Thank you for your mercy, Patriarch," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his heart. He bowed deeply to his father, then turned and walked out of the hall, his steps slow and deliberate.

As Feng Chen made his way back to his quarters, he felt the weight of the stares and whispers around him. The members of the Feng Clan watched him with open disdain, their eyes full of contempt. They sneered and whispered to one another, their words cruel and cutting.

"That's the one who couldn't cultivate."

"How shameful. A son of the patriarch, no less."

"What a waste of the Feng bloodline."

Feng Chen kept his head down, refusing to meet their eyes. He had heard it all before, and he knew there was no point in responding. They were right, after all. He was a disgrace, a failure in a family of warriors. But the words still cut deep, each one like a dagger to his heart.

Finally, he reached his quarters... a small, sparsely furnished room that was a far cry from the luxurious accommodations enjoyed by his siblings. The room was cold and dark, the only light coming from a single, flickering candle. Feng Chen stood in the doorway for a moment, taking in the familiar sight. This had been his home for as long as he could remember, but now he was being forced to leave it behind.

He took a deep breath, then began to gather his belongings. There wasn't much to take... a few clothes, a worn-out book of cultivation techniques that he had never been able to use, and a small jade pendant that had been his mother's. He slipped the pendant into his pocket, then turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

As Feng Chen made his way toward the gates of the Feng Clan estate, he passed by the Statue of Feng Han, the progenitor of the Feng Clan. The statue was a towering figure, its features carved with exquisite detail. Feng Han had been one of the most powerful cultivators in history, a man who had not only achieved immortality but had also laid the foundations for the mighty Feng Clan.

The statue depicted him in the midst of a battle, his expression fierce and determined, his sword raised high as if challenging the heavens themselves. To the members of the Feng Clan, this statue was more than just a monument... it was a symbol of their clan's glory, a reminder of the heights they had once reached.

Feng Chen stopped in front of the statue, his eyes fixed on the stone face of the man who had started it all. He could feel the weight of history pressing down on him, the expectations of generations of cultivators who had come before him.

This was the man who had built the clan, who had set the standard for all who came after him. And Feng Chen had failed to live up to that standard.

He knelt before the statue, cupping his hands as he bowed his head low.

"Ancestor Feng Han," he whispered, his voice trembling.

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to carry on your legacy. I'm sorry I brought shame to the clan you built. But… I wish I could have had a chance to prove them wrong. I wish I could have shown them that I wasn't a waste of the Feng bloodline."

For a moment, Feng Chen remained there, kneeling before the statue as if waiting for some kind of response... a sign, a word, anything. But the statue remained silent, its stone gaze fixed on the horizon. With a heavy heart, Feng Chen rose to his feet, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He had nothing left to say, no more apologies to offer. His fate was sealed, and there was no turning back.

As he passed through the gates of the Feng Clan, leaving behind the only home he had ever known, Feng Chen couldn't help but think of his past life. Feng Chen... or rather, the boy who had once been a modern-day high schooler... had been reborn into this world of cultivation.

In his previous life, he had been a lonely, introverted orphan, with no family and no friends. His only solace had been the cultivation mangas he loved to read, tales of heroes who rose from nothing to become legends.

When he first realized that he had been reincarnated into a world like those in his beloved stories, it had felt like a dream come true. He had imagined himself becoming one of those heroes, rising through the ranks of cultivation to achieve power and respect. But the reality had been far harsher.

Born into the prestigious Feng Clan, he had been expected to excel, to prove himself worthy of his lineage. But despite his best efforts, he had failed. He had been unable to cultivate, unable to harness even the smallest trace of qi. And now, he was being cast out, just as he had been cast aside in his previous life.

The irony of it all was not lost on him.

"In both lives, I'm nothing but a nobody," he thought bitterly as he trudged along the road.

"Someone to be looked down upon and discarded."

The days blurred together as Feng Chen wandered aimlessly, his legs burning with pain from the constant walking. His body was weak and exhausted, and hunger gnawed at his insides, but he kept moving. It was sheer willpower that drove him forward, even as his body threatened to collapse under the strain.

By the third day, he found himself deep within a dense forest. The trees here were ancient, their gnarled branches reaching out like twisted fingers. The air was thick with the scent of earth and moss, and the only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of unseen creatures.

Feng Chen's strength was nearly spent, his body teetering on the brink of collapse. Desperately, he reached out to steady himself, placing his hand on the rough bark of a nearby tree.

As soon as his fingers touched the tree, he felt a strange sensation, like a gentle tugging at the edge of his consciousness. Before he could react, the world around him seemed to ripple and distort, as if reality itself was being bent and twisted. The colors around him blurred together, and he felt as though he was being pulled into a void.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the sensation stopped. Feng Chen blinked, trying to clear his vision, and found himself in a place unlike any he had ever seen. The forest was still there, but the trees were different... taller, with thicker trunks and leaves that glowed faintly in the dim light.

The air was rich with qi, so dense that it almost felt like a physical presence pressing against his skin. It was a place brimming with life and energy, a stark contrast to the dying world he had just left.

"What… What is this place?" Feng Chen whispered, his voice trembling with awe and disbelief. He looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings, but there were no answers to be found.

The forest before him was vast and foreboding, an eerie silence hanging in the air. Yet, despite the fear gnawing at the edges of his mind, he knew he could not go back. He was dying, after all... there was nothing left for him but to push forward.

Night had fallen by the time Feng Chen stumbled upon a small cave nestled within the forest. The cave entrance was partially hidden by thick vines, but Feng Chen could see a faint light emanating from within. The sight of the cave filled him with a strange sense of relief, as if it was a sanctuary, a place where he could finally rest.

His legs trembled with exhaustion as he made his way inside the cave, each step a monumental effort. The cave was small but surprisingly warm, the air inside filled with the faint scent of herbs and earth. As he sat down on the cool stone floor, his body finally gave out, and he collapsed, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

For a moment, he lay there, staring up at the rocky ceiling of the cave, his mind drifting in and out of consciousness. He thought of the Feng Clan, of his father's cold eyes, of the statue of Feng Han. He thought of his past life, of the lonely boy who had dreamed of being a hero. And he thought of how everything had gone so terribly wrong.

A sad smile crossed his face as he looked up at the night sky through the cave entrance. The stars were shining brightly, and the full moon hung low on the horizon, its silver light casting long shadows across the forest floor.

"Is this… really how it ends?" he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.

"Another life, wasted…"

But just as he was about to close his eyes, a strange sound reached his ears. It wasn't the rustling of leaves or the call of a night creature... no, it was something different. Something familiar.

"Ding!"

Feng Chen's eyes snapped open, his heart racing as he looked around the cave. At first, he saw nothing, but then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something... a faint, blue light. Slowly, cautiously, he turned his head, and there it was: a blue, translucent window hovering in the air before him.

Words began to appear on the window, glowing softly in the dim light of the cave.

-----

System Notification:-

You have turned 15 years old! Activating Seclusion System!

-----

For a moment, Feng Chen could only stare in stunned silence. His mind was racing, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. A system? In this world? It was something out of the stories he had read in his previous life, tales of video games and fantasy worlds where characters leveled up and gained powers through mysterious systems.

"I… I have a system?" Feng Chen whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and hope. Could this really be happening? After all this time, after all the pain and despair, had he finally been given a chance to change his fate?

His heart pounded in his chest as he waited, his eyes fixed on the glowing window before him. He had no idea what this "Seclusion System" was, or what it could do, but at that moment, it didn't matter. For the first time in a long time, Feng Chen felt a spark of hope, a glimmer of light in the darkness that had consumed his life.

He didn't know what the future held, but one thing was certain... Everything was about to change.