Chapter 12

The illusion garden inside the Palace of Ninefold Pleasure was a peaceful escape, where time seemed to follow the rhythm set by its creators. Delicate cherry blossoms floated gently upward, their soft pink petals swirling in warm breezes filled with a mystical energy that seemed to defy gravity. Above, the twin moons—one silver and one gold—bathed the garden in a beautiful light, even in the middle of the day. This glow highlighted rivers that sparkled like liquid stars, winding their way between pavilions made of translucent jade.

As spirit butterflies danced through the air, their wings sparkled with brilliant colours reminiscent of faraway galaxies. Tiny illusory phoenixes flitted about, singing sweet songs that brought calm and renewed energy to anyone who listened.

In the centre of this magical paradise, a one-year-old child awakened from his peaceful nap, surrounded by this enchanting beauty. The illusion garden inside the Palace of Ninefold Pleasure was a peaceful retreat, a magical place where time felt like it could slow down or even stop. Soft pink cherry blossoms floated upward, swirling gently in the air as if caught in a playful dance, their petals drifting against the pull of gravity. Above, the twin moons—one silver and the other gold—bathed the garden in a soft, dreamlike light, even during the day. This light sparkled on rivers that shimmered like liquid starlight, winding their way between pavilions made of translucent green jade.

Delicate spirit butterflies flitted through the air, their wings sparkling with colours that seemed borrowed from faraway galaxies. Tiny, illusory phoenixes filled the space with sweet melodies, their songs bringing a sense of calm and energy to everyone who heard them.

In the centre of this enchanting paradise, a one-year-old child began to wake from a peaceful afternoon nap, surrounded by the beauty and magic of the garden.

Li Wei slowly blinked his golden-black eyes open, feeling the softness of the phoenix-feather cushion beneath him. The air was filled with the sweet scent of peach nectar, and he could still feel the warmth from the hugs and kisses of his three senior sisters. Just moments ago, he had fallen asleep in their loving embrace, enjoying their gentle caresses and playful attention. Ling Meier had been stroking his soft curls, Huo Linger had playfully blown raspberries on his tiny belly, and Xue Qingyue had tenderly massaged his little feet. It had all been overwhelming, lulling him into a cosy sleep.

Now, as he sat up on his chubby arms and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, he noticed something strange.

The garden was quiet and empty. The colourful flowers danced in the breeze, and the cheerful phoenixes sang, but there were no senior sisters cooing over him, no elders peeking from behind hidden spells to catch a glimpse of the sect's precious little treasure. The comforting auras of his parents, Bai Yuelou with his silver moonlight presence and Huo Qinghong with her warm crimson flame, were also missing. It felt as if everyone had vanished in an instant.

Li Wei's toddler face scrunched up in confusion, but his adult mind raced to understand. Something must have happened. The garden's protective barriers were still humming softly, so it wasn't in danger. Maybe they were all busy or caught up in a meeting.

With determination, he pushed himself to his feet, his short silver tail wagging for balance as he took a few wobbly steps. To his delight, the garden seemed to respond to him: the lotuses bloomed even brighter, and a gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of starlight peaches towards him. But there was no one around to pick him up or fuss over him.

“Well,” the adult Li Wei thought with a mental shrug, “I might as well enjoy some alone time. It’s rare to have this place to myself.”

For the first time since he was reborn, Li Wei was truly alone in the beautiful inner palace garden. He began to waddle along the winding paths made of soft moss, which felt like walking on clouds beneath his tiny feet. The garden was enormous, a magical place filled with wonders that would make the wealthiest people on his old Earth envious. Floating lanterns glowed softly like fireflies, casting colourful light over beds of flowers that never wilted. Nearby, a small waterfall spilled pure qi into a pond where koi fish with shimmering jade scales swam lazily in circles.

As he wandered, Li Wei's thoughts wandered too, deepening into ideas and reflections that were far beyond those of an ordinary one-year-old.

A few days ago, Li Wei had broached the topic of qi cultivation with his parents, not as a child, but with the intent and calculation of someone who already understood the stakes. He had chosen the moment carefully: the ritual of morning lazing, which the Bai-Huo household treated as sacred. At that hour, the world was washed with the softest light, and even a sect master and a dragon empress could be persuaded to set aside their cosmic responsibilities to simply be a family.

They were all nestled together on a large, soft mattress made from phoenix silk, which felt like a cosy island surrounded by a sea of fluffy cushions and floating flower petals. In the distance, windchimes rang gently, blending with the cheerful laughter of the three senior sisters who were busy preparing breakfast in a nearby pavilion. Bai Yuelou lay on her side, her nine fluffy, snowy tails forming a protective crescent around both her child and her wife. Huo Qinghong relaxed on her back, her arms stretched behind her head, one golden eye barely open as she enjoyed the warmth of her son, Li Wei, who was snuggled against her side.

In this peaceful moment, Li Wei broke the calm with an innocent question, “Can Wei’er cultivate like Mama and Daddy now?”

The simple question changed the mood in an instant. The three senior sisters stopped talking, their ears perked up to listen. Bai Yuelou’s tails became still, and Huo Qinghong’s fingers paused in their gentle scratch on Li Wei’s head.

Bai Yuelou turned to look at her son, her expression a mix of love, understanding, and a deep, cosmic loneliness that Li Wei could sense. There was a sadness in her beauty, like someone who had lived far longer than any star, pouring all her warmth into this one fragile child.

“My little treasure, you’re too young,” she replied gently, her voice soft as smooth silk but filled with the weight of a final decision. “The qi of the Eternal Sky Realm is not the same as in other worlds. Here, the air is thick and heavy, like a powerful river that struggles to be contained for those who are still small.”

Huo Qinghong, known for her straightforwardness, pulled Li Wei into a one-armed hug. “You’ll break if you try to swim in that strong current, son,” she said, playfully nuzzling his hair, although her smirk couldn’t hide her concern. “Fifteen is the magic age. That’s when your energy channels will be fully developed, your body will be strong enough, and your soul... well, your soul is already surprisingly mature, but let’s not push our luck. Until then, just absorb the qi from the world like a sponge. Let your dual cores grow plump and content. There’s no rush. promise, okay?”

Li Wei could feel the truth in their words, but he also sensed a familiar pang of disappointment, echoing from his past life on Earth. A feeling of being excluded from something exciting. He longed to grow up faster, to rise above being just a spoiled little treasure. Yet, as he listened to his mother’s firm and gentle refusal, he understood. It reminded him of times when he had tried to skip essential steps and ended up paying for it with scars.

He paused at the foot of a peach tree, captivated by a spirit butterfly that danced close to his nose. This delicate creature glowed like a thousand stars, shimmering in the soft light, yet it felt weightless in the air around him. Li Wei reached out with a finger, and to his surprise, the butterfly gently landed on it, a display of trust that filled him with warmth. He recalled a passage from one of the sect’s forbidden books, where he had read that these butterflies represented the souls of failed cultivators. They had been given another chance at life, transformed into beautiful beings, no longer chasing unattainable ambitions.

A smile crept onto his face as he reflected on the bittersweet irony of their existence.

The garden around him exuded a serene calm, wrapping him in a peaceful embrace. He settled down cross-legged beneath the cherry tree, his gaze fixed on the pond nearby. There, he observed the illusory koi fish swimming beneath the surface, their movements creating gentle ripples that distorted their shimmering forms. The air was filled with the soft rustle of bamboo in the wind and the distant, cheerful voices of his sisters. They were playfully debating how best to cut a peach for him, their laughter floating through the warm air.

Li Wei took a deep breath, savouring the thick, sweet scent that surrounded him. As he exhaled, he allowed his mind to wander. It was not a mindless drifting, like that of a bored child, but a deep and intentional pause—a practice he had mastered long ago, learning to find stillness long before he learned to walk again.

Li Wei had pouted but promised. What else could he do? Throw a tantrum? He was a twenty-five-year-old in a toddler's body; he had dignity, damn it.

Fourteen more years, he grumbled internally, plopping down on a soft patch of grass beside a pond. A spirit koi swam up curiously, its scales glowing as it nudged his finger. He patted it absentmindedly. In novel terms, that's like skipping the newbie village and starting in endgame content. But waiting sucks. At least I have cheats, and these dual cores are OP as hell. Perfect balance, impossible coexistence... yeah, that's my ticket to invincibility.

He leaned back, staring at the artificial sky dome above the palace, enchanted to mimic the Eternal Sky's starry vastness. But is that all? In those web novels I read back on Earth, protagonists always have more. Like systems, golden fingers, grandpa mentors in rings... Wonder if I got anything else tucked away.

A mischievous grin spread across his chubby face. He glanced around, and no one was close enough to hear. The servant sisters were chatting softly by a blossom tree, giving him space.

"System!" he called out jokingly, half-whispering in his baby voice. Might as well try. What's the worst that—

[Yes, user?]

An emotionless, mechanical voice echoed in his mind, flat and bored, like a customer service AI on its last shift.

Li Wei froze.

His golden-black eyes went wide as saucers.

Then, in a burst of pure, unfiltered shock from his previous life's habits, he yelled out loud in English:

"WAT THE FUCK!!!"

The shout echoed across the garden, high-pitched and toddler-cute, but the words were hilariously out of place. The spirit koi scattered in panic. The servant sisters whipped around, faces paling.

"Little Master! Are you hurt?"

"Did you fall?"

"Wei'er, come to big sister!"

Li Wei waved them off frantically, forcing a giggle. "Wei'er okay! Saw bug! Big scary bug! Gone now!"

The sisters cooed and relaxed, one even conjuring an illusory butterfly to "chase away" any lingering pests. They bought it; toddlers were weird, after all.

Internally, Li Wei was having a meltdown. Holy shit, a system? Like, a real, actual system from those novels? This is insane!

He sat cross-legged, pretending to meditate like he'd seen the elders do, to buy privacy. Okay, calm down. Test it.

"System, you're real?" he thought-directed, heart pounding.

[Yes, I'm real.]

The voice was still flat, no enthusiasm whatsoever.

"How long have you been with me?"

[Since birth.]

Li Wei's tiny fists clenched. Shock turned to anger. Since birth? And you didn't say anything? I could've been using you this whole time!

"Why didn't you say anything!?" he demanded mentally, voice rising in his head.

[You never called.]

That simple, infuriating response hit like a face-slap. Li Wei wanted to choke the invisible entity right then. Never called? What am I supposed to guess? This is bullshit! In novels, systems pop up with fanfare and tutorials!

He took a deep breath—toddler lungs, short but effective. Calm. Information first. Strangle later.

"What kind of system are you?"

[Assistant.]

"Assistant with what?"

[......Stuff.]

"Stuff?"

[Stuff…..]

A long, awkward silence stretched in his mind.

".........."

[..........]

"........."

[......bye.]

The voice cut off abruptly, as if it had hung up on him.

Li Wei's eye twitched. What the hell? A lazy system? This is the laziest, most useless golden finger ever! 'Stuff'? And it just... leaves?

He wasn't done. "System! Come back! Can you at least show some kind of status window?"

A long pause. Then, a reluctant [........sigh] echoed in his head, like an exasperated employee.

Suddenly, a holographic screen materialized in front of his eyes, visible only to him, translucent blue with glowing text, like a high-tech HUD from a sci-fi game.

User Status:

• Name: Li Wei

• Age: 1 year, 6 months (Physical); 26 years (Mental)

• Level: 0 (Note: Useless fat dumpling. Spends days waddling and getting cheek-pinched. Upgrade soon or remain toddler trash.)

• Cultivation Paths: None (Dual Heavenly Yin-Yang Cores dormant. Wasted potential. Lazy host.)

• Bloodline: Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox (Pure, Maternal); Half-Primordial Chaos Dragon (Paternal, Inactive); Human Base.

• Skills:

  • Perfect Primordial Disguise (Passive/Active, Max Level)

  • Innate Charm (Passive: Makes everyone adore you. Cheater aura for babies.)

• Stats:

  • Strength: 1 (Baby arms. Can't even lift a spirit fruit without help.)

  • Agility: 2 (Wobbly toddler speed. Trips over own tail.)

  • Vitality: 5 (Chubby health. Infinite regeneration from doting parents.)

  • Intelligence: 100 (Reincarnated smarts. Wasted on games.)

  • Luck: ??? (Heaven-defying? Or just plot armour?)

• Inventory: Empty (What, you expect freebies? Earn it.)

• Quests: None (Call me when you're not napping.)

Li Wei stared, mouth agape. The insults stung, but he couldn't deny the accuracy. Level 0? Useless fat dumpling? This system has attitude!

Then his eyes locked on the skill: Perfect Primordial Disguise.

"System, what is this Perfect Primordial Disguise skill?"

[.....I don't know 😒]

The emoji appeared in text form in his mind, complete with the deadpan vibe. Li Wei facepalmed—toddler style, with a soft plap. You don't know? You're the system!

Frustrated, he mentally "pressed" the skill name on the hologram, like tapping a touchscreen.

A summary popped up:

Perfect Primordial Disguise (God-Tier Skill): An innate ability granted by [Redacted] origins. Allows the user to transform into anything imaginable—races, genders, beasts, objects, even abstract concepts if mastery deepens. Transformations are flawless: fully undetected by any scan, divine sense, or heavenly tribulation. No energy cost, no cooldown, unlimited uses. Physical, spiritual, and conceptual changes are real during activation. Deactivate at will. (Note: Abuse at your own risk—being a rock forever is boring.)

Li Wei's chubby face split into a massive grin. Holy OP! Transform into anything? Undetected? This is broken! I could be a dragon, a girl, a sword, a god-damned teacup if I wanted! With this and the dual cores... I'm set for life!

He bounced on the soft grass, his giggles filling the air with joy. From a distance, the servant sisters watched him with warm smiles, thinking he was just playing around. Although the system often seemed lazy, he felt like he had found a hidden advantage that was truly amazing. “Stuff,” he thought with a grin, enjoying the moment.

A troubling sight quickly overshadowed his happiness. A large fleet of dark, ominous void ships was slowly approaching his sect, and he was completely unaware of it. The ships glided silently through the void space, their presence looming like a storm on the horizon.