Chapter 5: New Beginnings  

The morning sunlight streamed through the thin paper windows, casting a soft golden glow across Lin Yulan's room. She opened her eyes, her mind already focused on the tasks ahead. Today marked an important step not just for her disciple, but for her as a master.

After freshening up and donning her robes, Lin Yulan activated the system interface with a flick of her wrist.

"System, do you have any storage rings available in the store?" she asked.

**"Yes,"** the system replied. **"Pricing is determined by the amount of space contained within the storage ring, with each 100 cubic meters increasing the cost proportionally."**

Lin Yulan nodded thoughtfully. The system's explanation was clear larger rings had more storage space and therefore carried a higher price. It made sense; the more resources one could carry, the more costly the ring would be. For a disciple like Lian Yaling, a smaller storage ring would suffice for now, but she would purchase a larger one for herself. It would allow her to store more resources, such as manuals and beast cores, for their ongoing cultivation.

Opening the store interface, she quickly purchased two rings: one with a capacity of 300 square meters for herself and another with 100 square meters for her disciple.

**"Reminder: Each ring must be bound with a drop of blood to the intended user,"** the system prompted after her purchase.

Lin Yulan picked up the larger ring and pricked her finger with a small needle. As a single drop of blood touched the ring, it glowed faintly before the light faded. Satisfied, she began transferring her most valuable possessions into it cultivation manuals, beast cores, spirit stones, and other essentials.

Once she was done, Lin Yulan prepared a simple breakfast. After eating, she packed a few items for the day's training and set out to meet her disciple.

In a modest house nearby, Lian Yaling awoke to the cheerful sound of birds chirping outside. His heart raced with excitement as he recalled his master's promise to begin his training today. For years, he had been dismissed as worthless, but now, he finally had the chance to prove himself.

His body moved on autopilot as he prepared breakfast, but his mind wandered, lost in the painful memories that never seemed to fade. The cruelty of the past weighed heavily on him—the laughter and jeers of his clan, the pitying glances, the whispers that followed him wherever he went.

He could still hear the harsh words of his family and clan members as they labeled him talentless, a failure. His mother, who had once been revered for her beauty and grace, was now blamed for his poor spiritual root, as though her very bloodline had been the cause of their misfortune. The shame of being born into a family of such low potential was too much for some to bear.

Lian Yaling's father had been a genius a cultivator who could have risen to the Nascent Soul stage. But when he was killed by enemies of the clan, it left a gaping wound in their pride. And in the absence of his brilliance, Lian Yaling and his sister were only reminders of their family's fall from grace.

The clan elders, the people who once praised his father, now viewed Lian Yaling with contempt. They blamed his mother, accusing her of failing to pass on the same talent. His very existence became a stain on their reputation. They cast him aside, and with it, the promise of any future for him or his sister. 

His fists clenched tightly, the memory of his father's death and the cruelty of the clan twisting his heart. "I'm not a failure," he thought fiercely. "I will show them all that I am not talentless. I'll make them regret their scorn."

It wasn't just about proving his worth to the clan it was about proving it to himself. He had been told his whole life that he was nothing, that he would amount to nothing. But today, his journey would begin. No longer would he allow his fate to be dictated by others.

"I'll show them all. I'll make my name known again. And I'll bring my mother and sister out of this shame."

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a gentle voice calling out from the courtyard.

"Good morning, Yaling."

He turned sharply, startled, and immediately bowed. "Good morning, Master."

Lin Yulan studied him closely, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she sensed the inner turmoil that still clung to him. There was a fire in his eyes—a mixture of pain, anger, and determination. He was determined to rise, but the shadows of his past still loomed large.

"What's troubling you?" she asked gently. "If you're willing to share, it may help to unburden yourself. A clear mind is essential for cultivation."

Lian Yaling hesitated. His first instinct was to remain silent to bury his feelings deep inside, as he had always done. But there was something about Lin Yulan's presence that made him feel like he could trust her. She wasn't like the others who had cast him aside. She had offered him a chance, a path forward.

After a long silence, Lian Yaling spoke, his voice low but steady. "My father was a genius cultivator in our clan," he began, his voice tight with emotion. "When he was killed by the clan's enemies, everything changed. My mother, my little sister, and I... we were cast aside. They mocked us, called me a waste who could never live up to my father's name."

He paused, his fists trembling at his sides as his emotions surged to the surface. "I swore that one day, I would return. I'll show them that I'm not a failure. I'll bring my mother and sister here, where they can live in peace. Where they won't be ashamed of me."

Lin Yulan listened quietly, her gaze never leaving his face. The raw emotion in his words spoke volumes, but it was the quiet resolve in his eyes that struck her the most.

"How strong is the most powerful cultivator in your clan?" she asked after a pause, her voice calm.

Lian Yaling's gaze hardened, his eyes narrowing. "An elder at the third stage of the Nascent Soul realm," he replied bitterly. "It's impossible for someone like me to reach that level. The clan has already decided my fate. They think I'm talentless because of my poor spiritual root."

Lin Yulan's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the Nascent Soul realm. For most clans, producing a cultivator of that level was unheard of. Loose cultivators, like herself, rarely reached such heights. The thought of his clan being led by someone at that level made her realize the depth of the challenge Lian Yaling faced.

For a moment, doubt crept into her mind. How could someone with so little talent, according to the clan, even begin to challenge such a powerful force? But Lin Yulan quickly suppressed it. *With the system, we have the resources to bridge this gap. We will make him stronger than anyone believes.*

"Enough," she said aloud, her voice firm yet kind. "Your path will be challenging, but together, we will overcome it."

Lian Yaling looked up at her, surprise and hope shining in his eyes. "Master, you mean…"

She raised a hand to stop him, her gaze steady. Reaching into her robes, she retrieved the smaller storage ring. "Take this," she instructed, handing it to him. "Bind it with a drop of your blood. It will store your resources as you progress."

He accepted the ring reverently, his fingers trembling slightly as he pricked his finger. The ring glowed faintly before the light faded, signifying that the binding was complete.

Lian Yaling looked up at Lin Yulan, his determination stronger than ever. "Thank you, Master. I'll prove myself to you. To everyone."

As the morning sun climbed higher into the sky, Lin Yulan gestured for him to follow. "Today, we begin your training. Prepare yourself."

With a deep bow, Lian Yaling followed her, his heart burning with the fire of determination. His first steps toward redemption and power had begun.