Chapter 4: Heaven's Blessing Revealed!

The morning sun cast long shadows across the Wei Clan compound as Clan Head Wei Jian and Madam Liu Mei made their way through the familiar corridors toward their son's chambers. The weight of eighteen years of disappointment hung heavy between them, though neither spoke of it aloud. Today marked Wei Chen's coming of age, yet both parents approached with the resigned expectation of another failed awakening ceremony.

"Perhaps we should postpone the public ceremony," Madam Liu Mei murmured softly, her silk robes rustling against the polished stone floor. "The other clan members, the expectations..."

Wei Jian's weathered face remained stoic, though his eyes betrayed the pain he had carried for so many years. "No, Mei'er. He is our son, and today he officially becomes an adult member of the clan, regardless of his... circumstances. We will not hide him away like some shameful secret."

As they approached Wei Chen's courtyard, both parents steeled themselves for another heartbreaking encounter with their frail, bedridden son. The familiar routine had become second nature—checking his condition, offering gentle encouragement, and pretending that this birthday might somehow be different from all the others.

But as they crossed the threshold into his chambers, both stopped dead in their tracks.

Wei Chen stood beside his bed, no longer the pale, fragile youth who had struggled to sit upright just the night before. His previously emaciated frame had filled out with lean muscle, his sallow complexion now radiated health and vitality, and his dark eyes held a depth and awareness that seemed almost otherworldly. Most shocking of all, he stood completely upright without the slightest tremor of weakness.

"Chen'er?" Madam Liu Mei whispered, her hand flying to her mouth as tears immediately began gathering in her eyes. The shock was so profound she could barely form words.

"Mother, Father," Wei Chen said, bowing respectfully with fluid grace that would have been impossible for his previous frail form. His voice, once weak and strained, now carried a strength and confidence that neither parent had ever heard from him.

Wei Jian felt his legs nearly give way beneath him. In all his years as clan head, through countless battles and political machinations, nothing had prepared him for this moment. "How... how is this possible?" he stammered, his usual composed demeanor completely shattered.

Liu Qin, who had been standing quietly in the corner, stepped forward with her own eyes wide with wonder. "Master, Mistress, the Young Master awakened like this at dawn. I... I can hardly believe it myself."

Wei Chen smiled gently at his parents' shocked expressions, understanding their disbelief completely. After eighteen years of watching their son suffer, this transformation must seem like an impossible dream.

"I know this must be difficult to understand," he said, his voice carrying a maturity that hadn't been there before.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely certain of everything that has happened myself. During the night, something changed within my body. The constant pain in my meridians... it's gone. The weakness that has plagued me for so long has lifted like morning mist."

Madam Liu Mei rushed forward, her hands fluttering over her son's face and arms as if to confirm he was real and not some cruel illusion.

"My son," she whispered, tears streaming freely down her cheeks.

"My precious son, you're truly well?"

"I am, Mother," Wei Chen said softly, gently taking her hands in his. "For the first time in my life, I feel... whole."

The voices in the ring had counseled him carefully on how to handle this moment. The Desire Emperor's ancient wisdom had provided guidance on revealing just enough truth to satisfy his family's questions without exposing the ring's existence or the full scope of his transformation.

Tell them of your body's awakening, the Desire Emperor had advised. Let them discover your physique through their own methods. The shock of your sudden health will overshadow any questions about the specific catalyst.

Wei Jian, his mind racing through possibilities, stepped closer to examine his son. As a experienced cultivator, he could sense the profound changes that had occurred. Where once there had been chaotic, blocked meridians, he now detected smooth spiritual pathways and a cultivation base that seemed impossible.

"Foundation Establishment," he breathed, his eyes widening further. "You've somehow reached Foundation Establishment realm. But how? Your meridians were completely blocked just yesterday."

"I don't fully understand it myself, Father," Wei Chen replied honestly.

"All I know is that something fundamental changed within my body during the night. The conflicts that once tore me apart seem to have... resolved themselves."

Wei Jian's weathered hands trembled as he reached out to place them on his son's shoulders. The solid muscle and vibrant life force he felt there were undeniably real.

"In all my years, I have never seen or heard of such a transformation. Chen'er, I need you to tell me everything you remember from last night."

Wei Chen carefully recounted a version of events that stayed close to the truth while omitting the ring's involvement. He described strange dreams, the pain reaching a crescendo, and then awakening to find himself completely changed. His parents listened with rapt attention, hanging on every word.

"Father,"

Wei Chen said, his voice carrying genuine curiosity, "I was hoping you might have some answers. In all the clan's records, have there ever been cases of sudden awakenings like this? Or perhaps... could there be something about my bloodline that we never discovered?"

The question struck Wei Jian like a lightning bolt. His mind immediately turned to the various testing artifacts they had used over the years, all of which had shown no response to his son's presence. But if Wei Chen's body had somehow undergone such a fundamental transformation...

"The Heavenly Discernment Artifact," he said suddenly, his eyes lighting up with possibility.

"We need to test you again with the clan's treasure. If your constitution has truly changed, it should reveal what we could never detect before."

Madam Liu Mei looked between her husband and son, hope blooming in her chest for the first time in years. "Do you really think...?"

"I don't know what to think anymore," Wei Jian admitted, running a hand through his graying hair. "But I intend to find out. Liu Qin, send word to Elder Song. Tell him to prepare the testing chamber immediately."

As Liu Qin hurried to carry out the order, Wei Chen felt a surge of anticipation mixed with nervousness. The ring's suppression abilities would hide his incubus bloodline, but the Celestial Nine Yang Body would be revealed in all its divine glory. He could only hope his parents were prepared for what they were about to discover.

"I'm actually excited, Father," Wei Chen said, and the genuine joy in his voice brought fresh tears to his mother's eyes. "For the first time in my life, I'm looking forward to my birthday celebration."

"And Lin'er will be returning soon," Madam Liu Mei added, her voice thick with emotion. "She'll be so happy to see you like this. After all these years of worry..."

The mention of his sister brought a complex mix of emotions to Wei Chen's face. He had heard about her adventures in the Savage Lands through clan reports, her growing reputation as a formidable warrior. Part of him wondered how she would react to his sudden transformation after so many years of him being the clan's burden.

Within the hour, the family had made their way to the clan's inner sanctum, where the Heavenly Discernment Artifact was housed. The ancient device stood seven feet tall, carved from a single piece of Heaven-grade spirit stone and inscribed with formation arrays that had taken master craftsmen months to complete. Its surface was smooth as polished mirror, reflecting not light but the spiritual essence of those who approached it.

Elder Song, the clan's foremost expert on bloodline testing, stood beside the artifact with barely concealed excitement. Word of the young master's sudden recovery had spread quickly through the inner circle, and everyone was eager to understand what had occurred.

"Young Master Wei Chen," Elder Song said formally, though his voice carried warmth, "please place your right hand upon the artifact's surface and allow your spiritual energy to flow naturally. Try to remain calm the artifact pull slightly on energies held with and operate with a unique vibration that most would not be able to detect ".

Wei Chen approached the device with steady steps, his heart beating rapidly despite his outward composure. Behind him, his parents watched with bated breath, seventeen years of hope and disappointment culminating in this single moment.

The instant Wei Chen's palm touched the spirit stone surface, the artifact began to vibrate with increasing intensity. A soft golden glow emanated from within the stone, growing brighter with each passing second. The light soon became so intense that everyone in the chamber had to shield their eyes.

"Impossible," Elder Song whispered, his voice barely audible over the artifact's humming.

"This intensity... I've never seen anything like this."

Wei Jian could barely speak, his voice coming out as a hoarse stutter. "Heaven rank... Peak Heaven rank spiritual roots."

The revelation sent shockwaves through everyone present. Heaven rank spiritual roots were the stuff of legends, possessed only by the most blessed individuals in the entire cultivation world. For the Wei Clan's supposedly talentless heir to suddenly manifest such incredible potential was beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

But the artifact wasn't finished. As the golden light began to dim, it was immediately replaced by an intense heat that filled the chamber. The new illumination glowed like molten lava, radiating yang energy so pure and powerful that the very air seemed to shimmer around Wei Chen.

"Yang attribute," Madam Liu Mei breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. "The suppressive nature... the intensity... it's incredible."

The heat continued to build until the artifact projected images outward, nine distinct orbs of yang energy taking shape in the air above Wei Chen's head. Each sphere pulsed with power that seemed to contain the essence of the sun itself, their combined radiance filling the chamber with overwhelming warmth.

Elder Song's legs gave out entirely, and he collapsed to his knees in shock.

"Nine... nine yang spheres," he stammered, his voice filled with reverence and disbelief.

"The Celestial Nine Yang Body. Young Master, you possess one of the legendary divine physiques!"

Wei Jian's mind went completely blank for several heartbeats. The Celestial Nine Yang Body was considered myth by most cultivators, a physique so rare and powerful that only a handful had ever been recorded in the entire history of the cultivation world. Those who possessed it were destined for greatness beyond mortal comprehension.

"Heaven has blessed the Wei Clan," he said, his voice building from a whisper to a boisterous laugh that echoed throughout the chamber. "With this physique, standing at the helm of the cultivation world is not just possible—it's inevitable!"

The realization hit everyone simultaneously. The clan's greatest shame had suddenly become their greatest treasure. The son they had pitied and protected was now revealed as a heaven-sent prodigy whose potential exceeded their wildest imaginations.

Madam Liu Mei rushed forward and embraced Wei Chen tightly, her tears of joy soaking into his robes. "My son," she sobbed, her voice thick with eighteen years of suppressed emotions. "My precious son is not a waste—he's a heavenly prodigy!"

Liu Qin, who had followed them to the testing chamber, stood with tears streaming down her face as she watched the scene unfold. The burden that had pressed on everyone's hearts for so many years had finally been lifted, replaced by hope and joy beyond measure.

"Master," she whispered to Wei Jian, her voice filled with wonder, "the young master's birthday celebration... it will be the most joyous occasion in the clan's history."

Wei Jian nodded, his own eyes wet with unshed tears. Looking at his son—truly seeing him for perhaps the first time—he felt a surge of paternal pride so intense it nearly overwhelmed him.

"Chen'er," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "I owe you an apology. For eighteen years, I failed to see what Heaven had planned for you. Your suffering, your patience, your resilience—it was all preparing you for this moment."

Wei Chen smiled gently at his father, the ring's ancient wisdom helping him understand the deeper currents of emotion flowing through the chamber.

"Father, you and Mother never failed me. You loved me when I had nothing to offer, protected me when I was weak, and never gave up hope. That love is what carried me through the darkness to reach this light."

As the family embraced in the glow of the still-active artifact, Wei Chen felt the two ancient spirits in his ring radiating approval. The first steps of his true journey had begun, and with his family's support and the mysterious powers at his disposal, he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

The birthday celebration that had once filled him with dread now beckoned with promise. For the first time in his eighteen years of life, Wei Chen looked toward the future with genuine excitement and anticipation.