Chapter 4: Going Against Heaven?

Days flowed by slowly as Si Chen practiced the art of "acting like a normal child."

Compared to his experience as a star, where a hundred years could pass in an instant, human time felt stretched to infinity — especially childhood, where every single day was vivid and distinct.

Was it because this period held extraordinary significance for humans?

Si Chen often wondered as much. Perhaps that was why human memory clung so tenderly to childhood.

After the incident at the clan's testing ceremony, the family's protection of him had become airtight.

Third Uncle Si Shuo had become his shadow. The once carefree and boisterous man now regarded everyone with a hint of scrutiny, and his nerves were wound to their absolute limit whenever Si Chen was arranged to interact with children from other noble families.

He was terrified that, in a moment of inattention, his precious nephew would do something astonishing again.

It was also during this outwardly calm period that the clan formally began guiding Si Chen into the world's Cultivation system.

At first, Si Chen had not held great expectations.

He had witnessed far too many civilizations and their ways of harnessing energy. In his view, the essence of "Cultivation" was much the same as everything else he had seen.

That was, until he came across two words in a tome within the clan's Scripture Repository — "Ascension."

Ascension?

Leaving this world? Ascending to a higher dimension or plane of existence?

"Shattering the Void," "Ascending in a Blaze of Light," "Reaching the Upper Realm" — the names varied, but the core meaning was the same: departing this world and entering a more "advanced" domain.

And so, a question arose.

If Ascension meant traveling to a higher dimension, then where did his former existence as a star place him — above this world, or below it?

Once the thought took root, it refused to leave.

This unprecedented curiosity made him, for the very first time, genuinely interested in the clan's Cultivation arrangements.

* * *

From an outsider's perspective, his progress in Cultivation could not be called smooth — it could only be called a miracle.

The Cultivation Techniques housed in the clan's Scripture Repository held no secrets for him whatsoever.

The circulation pathways that others needed to ponder and painstakingly decipher were, to his eyes, no great inconvenience at all.

As he had once said — Spiritual Energy knew where it needed to go.

On this particular day, Si Chen was arranged to enter Closed-Door Cultivation in a private chamber specially prepared for him. Nominally, the purpose was to sense Spiritual Energy, draw it into his body, and consolidate his foundation.

The clan had even solemnly stationed Third Uncle Si Shuo nearby to stand watch — calling it "Guardian" duty.

If outsiders ever learned of this arrangement, jaws would surely drop across the board. Who in the world needed a Guardian during the Qi Refining Stage?!

Inside the chamber, Si Chen sat cross-legged with his eyes gently closed.

The so-called "barriers" and "bottlenecks" that others spoke of simply did not seem to exist for him.

Spiritual Energy surged into his small body like a hundred rivers rushing to the sea, flowing in without the slightest resistance. His cultivation rocketed upward like a shooting star.

Qi Refining, First Layer — achieved as naturally as water finding its course.

Qi Refining, Second Layer — passed in the blink of an eye.

He advanced with unstoppable momentum, all the way to Qi Refining, Ninth Layer.

One more step, and he felt he would brush against the threshold known as "Foundation Establishment."

But at that moment, he recalled his mother's gentle reminder, and the image of what a "normal child" was supposed to look like.

How long would it take a "normal child" to reach Foundation Establishment? Two hours? Four hours? He wasn't entirely sure.

With that thought, Si Chen immediately dispersed the Spiritual Energy still gathering around him and stabilized his cultivation at Qi Refining, Ninth Layer. He figured this was probably the performance of a "fairly outstanding" normal child.

He deliberately lingered in the chamber a while longer, and once he felt enough time had passed for a "respectable" session of Closed-Door Cultivation, he stood up and pushed open the door.

Outside, Third Uncle Si Shuo was leaning against the wall, yawning with utter boredom, the corners of his eyes glistening with tears from the effort.

When he saw Si Chen emerge, he turned his head lazily and mumbled, "Chenchen, why are you out so soon? It's your first time, after all — just sensing the qi is already a success... You're at Qi Refining, First Layer now, right? Work on consolidating it..."

Si Chen tilted his head up and corrected him in his still-babyish yet composed voice: "Third Uncle, it's Qi Refining, Ninth Layer."

Third Uncle nodded absently. "Mm, Ninth Layer isn't bad either... Ninth Layer... how many?!"

His eyes went wide as copper bells. He stared up and down at Si Chen as though trying to find flowers blooming from the boy's body.

He hastily extended his Divine Sense to probe — and there it was. His precious nephew's Spiritual Energy was dense and solid, nearly overflowing, unmistakably at the Qi Refining Peak Perfection, separated from Foundation Establishment by only a hair's breadth!

But how long had it been? One hour! Other children needed three to five days just to draw qi into their bodies, and those with lesser talent counted by the month!

And this kid was... already on the verge of Foundation Establishment?

Every trace of drowsiness vanished from Si Shuo's face in an instant. He felt as though his Dao Heart had cracked.

He spun around and bolted, his strides so frantic that his arms and legs moved out of sync, his figure stumbling as he ran. He left behind only a wail carried away on the wind, laced with the edge of tears:

"Elder Brother! Second Brother! — Something — something huge has happened!!"

That panicked, fleeing silhouette looked exactly like a man being chased by a hundred thousand Demon Beasts.

Si Chen stood in place, watching his Third Uncle's retreating figure disappear, and tilted his head in mild puzzlement.

Something huge?

He had clearly and deliberately slowed himself down, even paused and waited — he had not broken through to Foundation Establishment directly.

Was... was that still not ordinary enough?

* * *

A short while later, the core members of the Si Clan gathered once again in the secret chamber behind the Ancestral Hall.

Father Si Kai, Mother Ye Fu, Second Uncle Si Che, and several clan elders with snow-white hair who rarely showed themselves in public — all had arrived at the fastest possible speed.

After listening to Si Shuo's incoherent report, the chamber fell into a numb, stunned silence.

One session of Closed-Door Cultivation, starting from nothing, reaching Qi Refining Peak Perfection?

They had been shocked so many times that shock itself was beginning to lose its effect.

Si Chen sat in a chair that was slightly too tall for him, his short legs dangling in the air, watching the adults quietly. One after another, gentle threads of Divine Sense descended upon him with great care — probing, confirming, then withdrawing in disbelief.

In the end, everyone was forced to confront the reality before them.

"One day... no, one hour, Qi Refining, Ninth Layer..." one of the clan elders murmured, stroking his snow-white beard so hard he nearly pulled out several strands.

Another elder looked toward Si Kai, his tone grave: "Clan Head, this matter... the fortune and misfortune it brings are impossible to predict. If word spreads, Chenchen could become a target for all!"

Si Kai's brow was deeply furrowed. As a father, he felt both pride and worry in equal measure.

He looked at his son — the little one sat quietly, his eyes clear and bright, seemingly unable to understand at all why the adults around him were so tense.

Ye Fu gripped her son's hand tightly. She cared nothing for how gifted her son was; she cared only for his safety. "We must keep it hidden! At the very least, no one can know Chenchen's true cultivation level."

"But how much do we hide? And how?" Second Uncle Si Che was comparatively calm, raising the practical question. "If we tell the outside world he successfully drew qi in and reached Qi Refining, First Layer — Chenchen's aura, though restrained, is so profoundly deep that anyone who senses it carefully will know it is nothing like a beginner's."

The group debated back and forth, unable to reach a decision. Say three layers in a single day? That was still shocking beyond belief! But if they concealed too much, would it be fair to Si Chen's future development? They couldn't keep him suppressing his cultivation forever, never showing it to the world.

Si Chen listened to the adults' discussion and gradually grasped the core of the problem — they needed a "reasonable" benchmark.

He tugged at his father's sleeve. When Si Kai bent down, Si Chen asked in his clear, slightly puzzled baby voice: "Father, what is the standard for a 'peerless genius'?"

The secret chamber fell instantly silent.

Every eye turned toward the small figure sitting in the chair, his expression utterly earnest.

That's right — a peerless genius!

Why were they tying themselves in knots over what "ordinary" should look like? Their Si Clan's child was simply not someone who could be measured by "ordinary" standards!

Since mediocre standards couldn't cover for him, why not use the standard of the absolute elite as a shield?

A sharp light flashed in Si Kai's eyes. He exchanged glances with the clan elders and saw the same resolve reflected back. He drew a deep breath and spoke in a firm, low voice: "Correct. My son is a peerless talent — why should he be compared to the mediocre? In that case..."

He looked at Si Chen, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness and far more resolve: "Chenchen, I'm sorry to put this on you. From this day forward, the outside world will be told that during your first session of Closed-Door Cultivation, you reached Qi Refining, Third Layer."

One of the clan elders added: "Even so, that will be enough to shake the entire city. But compared to Ninth Layer in one hour... three layers actually sounds plausible."

Si Chen nodded to show he understood.

He still didn't quite grasp why "three layers" was reasonable while "nine layers" was not, but this seemed to be a new "local rule" that needed to be followed.

The decision was made, and the group felt a measure of relief — though the gazes they turned on Si Chen grew ever more complex.

This child would surely stir the winds and clouds in the days to come. They could only hope that the Si Clan's ship would be strong enough to shelter him as he grew.

* * *

Late at night, when all was still, Si Chen recalled another line he had read in the Scripture Repository — that Cultivation was "going against Heaven," requiring one to endure ten thousand tribulations and wrestle one's fate from the heavens themselves.

He thought back to the ages he had spent as a star.

He had shone upon ten thousand living things — when had he ever spared a thought for the joys and sorrows of the dust motes drifting in his light?

He had burned all things with his flames — when had he ever needed to ask the wishes of the tiny creatures below?

Going against Heaven?

But what if Heaven itself... did not mind?

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Edited by Fat Goose