Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter Fourteen: Encountering a Beauty in the Imperial Carriage

The breakthrough in cultivation brought an uncontrollable hint of a smile to Wang Jue’s face. Suddenly, a strange odor caught his attention. Looking down, he discovered a thick layer of grayish-red grime covering his skin, and the floor was littered with clumps of blackish-red filth, evidently fallen from his own body, now emitting an unbearably foul stench.

Damn, that’s disgusting—I might throw up! Wang Jue’s mouth twitched involuntarily. Forcing back the wave of nausea, he quickly stood up, opened the bathroom window to let in some air, and turned on the shower.

Warm water cascaded over his head, washing away sweat and impurities, leaving Wang Jue feeling refreshed and invigorated, as though all his meridians had been cleared at once. If someone were to give him a pair of wings now, he felt he could soar straight into the sky.

Exhaling in comfort, Wang Jue relished the thought of having broken through two cultivation levels in a single night—something unthinkable in the past. To have achieved it so easily now left him in excellent spirits. The tension that had been wound tight within him finally relaxed.

After showering, Wang Jue took clean clothes from a small cabinet in the bathroom, dressed, and slipped the now-empty jade box into his pocket. He peeked into the living room—finding no one there, he tiptoed out of the bathroom like a thief and hurried quietly back to his room.

Initially, Wang Jue intended to stash the box under the bed, next to his little sister’s bunny-shaped piggy bank. But after a moment’s thought, he decided instead to place it in the drawer of the bedside cabinet.

He pulled the drawer open, removed the two or three dozen textbooks from various subjects, placed the jade box inside, then put the books back in, leaving the drawer looking as it always had. Satisfied, Wang Jue nodded and closed it.

By chance, his eyes fell upon the clock on his desk; it was nearly four in the morning.

Damn, it’s almost four o’clock! I was so caught up in breaking through that I nearly forgot—today I have to go back to school. I should get some sleep, even if only for a few hours.

He flopped onto the bed, reached for the light switch on the wall by his pillow, and with a click, plunged the room into darkness. Shutting his eyes, he drifted off to sleep.

...

Morning sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, warm and piercing as it landed squarely on Wang Jue’s face.

The sunlight didn’t wake him; instead, it was the persistent ringing of his alarm that finally roused him from his dreams. Still half-awake and slightly irritable, Wang Jue reached out by habit, slapped the alarm clock, and silenced it.

He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight, and after a while, lowered it, staring blankly at the ceiling as if lost in thought.

Suddenly, Wang Jue sat up in bed, memories of the previous night in the bathroom flooding back with vivid clarity, as if branded into his mind. He checked his own cultivation, thinking it must be a dream, but when he brought up his status panel, this is what he saw:

Name: Wang Jue
Cultivation: Body Tempering, Level Three
Talent: Red Grade (Medium), 0/100
Technique: Stellar Soul Manual, Level One (Unknown), 0/1000
Stellar Source: 2

Seeing this, Wang Jue finally felt certain. A heavy weight lifted from his heart, and he exhaled in relief. “So, I wasn’t dreaming. The breakthrough is real.”

For the first time, Wang Jue felt a sense of pride and vindication. He was now at the third level of Body Tempering. Though still at the bottom rung of martial artists, he was no longer trailing behind everyone else.

Previously, he had lagged far behind the main group, but now he could almost see their silhouettes ahead. It wouldn’t be long before he caught up, perhaps even surpassing the leaders.

“Little Jue, get up! Don’t forget you have school today. Even your little sister is up—only you are still in bed.” As Wang Jue indulged in his daydreams, his mother’s voice rang out from outside. She was always punctual, as reliable as the alarm clock on his desk—though the latter Wang Jue could silence easily, the former he did not dare challenge.

Wang Jue’s mother rose early to run her shop, and before leaving, her main interest was probably making sure both her children got out of bed.

“I’m up, Mom! Just getting dressed, I’ll be right out,” he called back, glancing at the clock: it wasn’t even seven yet.

How can it be late if it’s not even seven? Awkward, to say the least.

Not daring to test his mother’s patience, Wang Jue wasted no time. He got up, dressed, opened his bedroom door, and headed straight to the bathroom to wash up before entering the living room.

Breakfast was already set out on the dining table. His mother’s claim that he was always the last to get up wasn’t unfounded—apart from himself, both his parents were already up, and even his little sister, who had just started kindergarten, was sitting ready at the table.

His father, Wang Jianbin, had a habit of watching the morning news on TV every day, and today was no exception. Though merely the owner of a small noodle shop, he cared about current affairs—just as Wang Jue’s mother enjoyed waking her children, his father’s interest was his daily news.

“You’re always the last one up. I let it slide when you were sick, but now that you’re well, you can’t keep slacking off like before. Eat quickly, and after breakfast, get back to school and catch up on the lessons you’ve missed.” Seeing Wang Jue arrive late, his mother began her usual lecture.

Clearly, though she doted on Wang Jue, she never missed an opportunity to correct him.

“Alright, alright, I’ll eat quickly,” Wang Jue replied obediently. The whole family was used to this way of interacting, and so was he.

Neither Wang Jianbin nor little Wang Xiaoyu said a word during the scolding, pretending not to notice and making no effort to divert any of the mother’s “firepower.” The news continued to play, and breakfast proceeded as usual—a textbook example of “everyone minding their own business.”

“I’m done. Off to school now!” Eager to escape his mother’s nagging, Wang Jue finished breakfast quickly, tidied up, and as he was leaving, glanced at the TV—where a familiar-looking middle-aged man’s photo was being shown.

A murder?

Wang Jue paid close attention to news involving martial artists, so as he passed, he paused to watch a little longer.

The man on the screen seemed familiar to Wang Jue, though he couldn’t immediately recall where he’d seen him. But when the scene shifted to a narrow alley, Wang Jue’s heart leapt—he remembered instantly.

Everyone in the room had seen the news, not just Wang Jue.

“If you’re going to school, be careful on the way. Things have been a bit chaotic around here lately. Don’t wander around at night unless you have to,” his mother reminded him as he left. She wanted to say, “Come straight home after school,” but thinking her children were growing up and needed their own space, she held back—otherwise, when would she ever have grandchildren?

After a moment’s hesitation, she said nothing more.

“Got it.” Wang Jue retrieved his backpack, went to the door, and before leaving, called out to the three inside, “Dad, Mom, Xiaoyu, I’m off! Bye!”

He was grateful it was morning—if it had been evening, his mother’s nagging would have been endless.

...

Wang Jue’s family wasn’t well-off; he couldn’t afford a personal hover bike like some kids.

As always, he walked to school, reached the bus stop, boarded the hover bus, took his usual seat at the back row, opened the window, and let the cool breeze blow in.

It was only after settling into this routine that Wang Jue noticed, two seats away, a strikingly beautiful girl with delicate features and an impressive figure. Dressed in the school uniform, she exuded an aura of aloofness, warning strangers to keep their distance.

Wang Jue couldn’t help but wonder—she looked like someone from a wealthy family, so why was she taking the bus? She seemed utterly out of place here.

What puzzled him more was that, despite the bus being fairly crowded, no one chose to sit next to her.

In truth, Wang Jue wasn’t the only one sneaking glances; nearly every male passenger on the bus stole looks at her, though none dared approach.

Some even cast envious looks at Wang Jue, sitting so close—perhaps because of his handsome features and upright posture, they felt unworthy to try.

Having a beauty nearby made Wang Jue’s journey more pleasant, but he wasn’t about to stare—he wasn’t a creep, after all.

As for the girl, she seemed entirely unfazed by the attention, as though she was used to being watched wherever she went.

Indeed, someone like her drew attention no matter where she appeared.