Steady Cultivation: Starting With the Perk 'Work Hard, Rest Hard' - Chapter 58: Competing for Three Peaks Valley

Every hero starts with power. He started with dust.One moment, the classroom buzzed with teenage chatter. The next, silence fell. Students blinked—and opened their eyes in an ancient hall carved from gold and marble. The air shimmered with divine magic. And at its center stood a goddess—flawless, proud, unbelievably beautiful and wrapped in flowing white.It was a divine summoning performed by a divine goddess.Among them was Vritra… and his stunningly beautiful mother.While others received blessings, powerful physiques and grand titles, Vritra was given a skill so pathetic it made even the goddess wrinkle her nose. An ability—so pitifully weak that it drew laughter, scorn, and even disgust. But that wasn't the worst part.Betrayed and cornered inside the labyrinth, Vritra had two choices: die… or fall into the death trap.A death canopy with no exit and no chance of survival, the only option was to slaughter the demons endlessly for months.Finally!! He forced his dormant skill to awaken, after killing thousands and hundreds of thousands demons and devouring them, becoming a broken ability.******White robes. Cold arroganceA sinful revenge.White robes can stain. And in the dark, even divinity can moan.And then there was his mo— guilt in her breath, shame in her eyes, whispering apologies between gasps in her son's ear, doing what had to be done… for both their sakes.

When he first crossed over, Chen Liguo did not want to accept it.

Qiu Qiu was born into a scholarly family. He possessed great looks and a kind heart. His outstanding grades were just as praiseworthy as the cute dimple he exposed each time he laughed. His melodic singing moved the hearts of all, and his guitar-playing skills were down-right godly. It wasn’t long before the overbearing president, Fu Ruien, fell for him, hard.

Fu Ruien: Qiuqiu, I would like to ‘support’ you.

Qiu Qiu: Oh, so you’re going to support me financially?! Like a scholarship?! Yay, that’s great!

And so, the two happily made arrangements, utterly oblivious to the fact that they both weren’t on the same page…

…..Three months later.

Fu Ruien: Are you a numbskull?! If you’re not being ‘kept’ by me, then why the hell would you call me ‘Daddy’?!

Qiu Qiu: In my defense, I saw that you were a 40-year-old uncle who still hadn’t been married, so I just wanted you to actually experience the warmth of a family!

Fu Ruien: …???

Qiu Qiu: But even if you don’t have a partner, at least you have this bright, talented and handsome eldest son who’s there for you. I mean, just where in the world would you be able to find such a perfect son like him!

- Description from Novelupdates

Leon Vale’s world stopped when the chamber labeled him F-Rank, no spark, just Empty Core.One dozen sparks in a sea of a thousand chances. A near-miracle of failure, somehow flopped harder than flatlining.In Neo-Veridia, strength rules the game, no exceptions. Those who are tough get hailed as champions; others? They're stuck cleaning up messes. Might makes right here, plain and simple.Leon ended up on the ground. That’s where he landed, no surprise there.Later, the red moon climbed into view. Right after, creatures smashed past the shield. His siblings stood near death yet deep in his Empty Core, an old force stirred awake.[ SHADOW EXTRACTION SYSTEM ACTIVATED ]Leon takes energy from whatever he defeats. Each time a creature falls, he gains more strength. As shadows vanish into him, he drifts toward a mystery - something waits in a space beyond places: a seat atop no land, while a voiceless headpiece calls out to him through empty dark.Yet taking what’s not yours brings trouble.On top of everything else, the Evernight Alliance caught wind. Not just vampires - werewolves too. Old creatures that oughta be myths are poking at the city’s walls, messing up dungeon cores, chasing whatever’s pumping out that dark energy signal.Hunting for him.Leon’s stuck in a risky move, quietly getting stronger so he can shield his folks, hitting school while sneaking around to pull out shadows, acting powerless even though some old, grim force now names him successor.That F-Rank tag? Total fake. His Empty Core isn't broken, it fights. Each darkness he swallows drags him nearer to a reality he can’t face yetNot every seat of power fits a hero.Some crowns come from shadows, built on bones.Some kids just inherit stuff whether they like it or not.The Crimson Moon marked the start. What’s coming next? Things are about to heat up.