SSS-Rank 10x Reward System: Accepting Disciples to Live Forever-Chapter 191: Tragedy (I)

Ni Lua was momentarily entranced by the flood of knowledge that had poured into his mind. The rune Wang Chen had passed to him was not something ordinary; it carried layers upon layers of profound insight, subtle patterns intertwining like invisible threads beneath the surface of reality.

For a brief second, Ni Lua felt as though the world around him had thinned, as if the very air was whispering secrets to him.

The urge to immediately sit down and cultivate surged through his small body. His fingers twitched, and his breathing unconsciously grew deeper as fragments of comprehension began to arrange themselves inside his mind.

Yet he forcefully suppressed the impulse.

Instead of closing his eyes to digest the inheritance, Ni Lua lifted his head and slowly scanned his surroundings. His expression turned vigilant, sharp in a way that did not belong to a child his age. His gaze swept across the chrysanthemum garden, examining every shadow beneath the stone benches, every sway of the flower stalks, every subtle disturbance in the leaves rustling in the wind.

The garden was quiet, bathed in the soft golden glow of the afternoon sun. Chrysanthemum petals drifted lazily through the air, their faint fragrance mixing with the earthy scent of soil. It looked peaceful, almost too peaceful.

Hmm... Little Brother Rin likes to come here to play every so often. What if that old man had some shady intentions?

A trace of concern surfaced on Ni Lua’s tender face. It was not fear for himself, nor greed for the inheritance he had just received. It was worry—simple and sincere.

If anyone else were to overhear the thoughts running through his mind, they would likely be stunned. In this ruthless cultivation world, even grown cultivators struggled to keep their Dao hearts untainted. Jealousy, resentment, comparison—those emotions often sprouted the moment one sibling outshone another.

Yet Ni Lua felt none of it.

Whenever he heard people praising Rin, his first reaction was not bitterness but pride. His chest would puff ever so slightly, warmth spreading through him as if the praise were directed at him as well.

That feeling intensified on days when he walked through the sect grounds and overheard whispers.

"Look at him, he is the elder brother of Young Master Rin."

Those words would reach his ears, and instead of feeling diminished, he would feel... oddly content.

Sometimes, he even felt grateful.

Rin’s brilliance had drawn the spotlight entirely onto himself. The sect elders hovered around Rin, disciples flocked to watch him train, and the outer sect buzzed with talk of his heaven-defying comprehension. Amidst that shining radiance, Ni Lua was allowed something rare in a cultivation world—peace.

Because of Rin’s presence, very few bothered him.

If it wasn’t for Younger Brother Rin’s existence, I can’t even imagine myself being surrounded by people all day...

The thought lingered gently in his heart, not with envy but quiet appreciation. Gratitude rose within him like a soft tide.

Rin’s reputation had already spread far beyond the Purple Lotus Sect. Talent like that rarely went unnoticed, and in a world where opportunities were scarce and resources limited, the appearance of a prodigy could stir both admiration and malice.

Some people with darker intentions might not welcome such brilliance.

That possibility was precisely why Ni Lua remained cautious.

He walked slowly along the edge of the garden, peering behind clusters of chrysanthemums, pausing near the low stone wall, and even glancing toward the distant rooftops where shadows gathered. Only after carefully confirming that no hidden figure lurked nearby did his shoulders relax slightly.

Satisfied that no one was watching, he finally stepped away.

High above, unseen and unheard, Wang Chen observed everything with a faint gleam in his eyes.

Good... good.

Ni Lua’s caution was not born of paranoia but of awareness. Even before fully stepping onto the cultivation path, he understood that strength attracted both opportunity and danger. That instinct alone was worth more than many so-called heaven-defying talents.

Wang Chen felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.

Although the Garden of Eternity was his own world, governed by his will, it was not static. It was alive, evolving with every breath he took, every breakthrough he achieved. Countless variables shifted beneath the surface like currents in a vast ocean. No one—not even him—could predict every ripple.

Plans that seemed perfect today could dissolve tomorrow.

But if Ni Lua continued walking with this kind of steady vigilance, if he kept this untainted Dao heart and this careful temperament, then perhaps he would endure whatever storms lay ahead.

And in this ever-changing world, endurance was often more valuable than brilliance.

Just like this, time flowed onward without pause. The seasons turned over the Purple Lotus Sect; spring petals gave way to summer heat, autumn winds rustled through the training grounds, and winter frost quietly settled on the tiled rooftops.

Rin stood at the center of it all.

With every passing day, his name spread farther across the Purple Glow Kingdom. His cultivation rose at a pace that left even the most experienced elders speechless. His comprehension of techniques seemed almost unnatural; where others struggled for weeks, he required hours, sometimes mere moments.

Within a single year, Rin stepped into the peak of the Qi Refining Realm.

The breakthrough shook not just the Purple Lotus Sect, but the entire kingdom. Messengers came and went. Envoys from neighboring factions inquired about the so-called once-in-a-thousand-year genius. Even wandering cultivators passing through the region made detours just to catch a glimpse of the prodigy.

"Such talent at this age..." "Heaven has truly favored the Purple Lotus Sect..."

The news spread like wildfire carried by a dry wind.

Rin, for his part, did not hide his excitement. His robes fluttered as he practiced in the training grounds, disciples surrounding him with admiration in their eyes. Every breakthrough, every refined technique, every display of sword intent earned cheers and praise.

He basked in the spotlight.

Yet in the quiet corners of the sect, away from the commotion, another figure advanced just as steadily.

Ni Lua.

He did not train in crowded arenas nor draw attention with dazzling displays. Instead, he spent his days in silence, seated beneath trees, in empty pavilions, or within the secluded chrysanthemum garden. The rune of knowledge Wang Chen had passed down floated endlessly within his consciousness, its structure unfolding layer by layer.

While Rin refined Qi, Ni Lua refined understanding.