Chapter 28: Ye Chen, the Emperor Star of the Big Dipper

After hearing Zhao Dafu’s introduction, Li Tianyuan felt confident.

Both parents dead, poor talent, low strength, reduced to a chore-performing disciple who suffers bullying and has to swallow his pride! Eventually, he encounters an opportunity, rises to power, turns the tables, suppresses those who once humiliated him, and tramples them underfoot!

Excellent! This is exactly the right flavor. It is the textbook definition of a protagonist template.

Li Tianyuan looked at Ye Chen with a smile on his lips, and the young man’s attribute panel appeared before his eyes.

【Name: Ye Chen】
【Cultivation: First Level of Qi Refining】
【Aptitude: D】
【Comprehension: Mediocre】
【Talent: Diligence Makes Up for Lack of Talent】
【Fortune: Ordinary】
【Physique: Celestial Star Divine Physique (Inactive)】
【Fate: Big Dipper Imperial Star, Born with Supreme Constellation Destiny, Possesses Great Potential】
【Summary: Destined to rule the world, an emperor descending upon the heavens. Lacking an opportunity, he remains obscure. If he can rise, he will surely become a Heavenly Emperor of his generation, sweeping across the eight wildernesses and six unions, looking down upon the nine heavens!】

"Haha, it truly is a case of 'finding what one is looking for without even trying'!"

Seeing this information, the curve of Li Tianyuan’s smile deepened. As expected, this little fellow possessed a grand destiny. Although Ye Chen’s aptitude, fortune, and comprehension were extremely average—no different from an ordinary person—he possessed a heaven-defying talent: "Diligence Makes Up for Lack of Talent."

What does it matter if your aptitude is superior? I have diligence! What does it matter if your comprehension is high? I have diligence! What does it matter if your fortune is strong? I have diligence! In short, as long as Ye Chen is willing to work hard, it means he can compensate for all his shortcomings through relentless effort.

Most importantly, Ye Chen possessed the "Big Dipper Imperial Star" fate and a born supreme constellation destiny; he was destined to become a Heavenly Emperor. Since the boy lacked the opportunity to rise, he would be the one to provide it! Such a golden thigh... no, such a promising seedling—it would be a waste of nature not to take him in!

【Ding-dong!】
【If the host takes Ye Chen as a disciple, you will receive an additional reward: Supreme Immortal Arts—"Celestial Star Technique" and "Big Dipper Divine Fist"!】

At this moment, the system’s voice entered Li Tianyuan’s ears, bringing him another wave of joy. There was no need to guess; the System Bro was handing out another massive gift package. This "Celestial Star Technique" was surely the cultivation method to activate Ye Chen’s Celestial Star Divine Physique, while the "Big Dipper Divine Fist" was likely an extra bonus from the system.

System Bro is very considerate. Very good!

Li Tianyuan retracted his focus and gave an order to Zhao Dafu. "Steward Zhao, go call that Ye Chen over. This child and I are fated, and I intend to take him back to Lingyun Sword Peak!"

Zhao Dafu was stunned. He had assumed Li Tianyuan was at the Chore Peak for some official business; he never expected it was for a lowly chore disciple. He found it hard to believe, as the aptitude of chore disciples was generally low and their foundations too weak to be worth the time and effort of training.

"What? Is Steward Zhao unwilling to release him?" Li Tianyuan’s tone turned cold as he saw Zhao Dafu standing there motionless.

"The Headmaster misunderstands! How would this lowly one dare to refuse? I will go call Ye Chen immediately!" Terrified, Zhao Dafu shivered and rushed off in the direction of Ye Chen.

Before long, Zhao Dafu brought a hurried Ye Chen over. He first bowed to Li Tianyuan before pulling Ye Chen forward to introduce him. "Ye Chen, you’ve struck gold! This is our Lingxiao Holy Land’s Headmaster Li! Bow at once!" Zhao Dafu urged urgently.

Ye Chen’s mind was blank; he stared at Li Tianyuan with a dazed expression, unable to grasp what Zhao Dafu meant by "striking gold." Before he could process the situation, Zhao Dafu was already pulling him down to respectfully pay his respects to Li Tianyuan.

"Hmm." Li Tianyuan nodded and gestured for Zhao Dafu to withdraw. He then sipped his tea slowly, waiting for the boy’s reaction.

Once Zhao Dafu left, Ye Chen looked up at the handsome young man sitting by the stone table, his eyes flickering. He could sense the intense pressure emanating from the man’s every movement—a presence like a flood or a wild beast, pressing down upon him. Although Ye Chen’s cultivation was extremely low, he could judge that this Headmaster Li was likely an immensely powerful expert; otherwise, he would not radiate such terrifying pressure.

Noticing Ye Chen staring, Li Tianyuan took a sip of tea and asked, "You are the Chore Peak disciple, Ye Chen?"

Ye Chen reacted quickly, nodding with a mix of humility and dignity. "Yes!"

"Do you know why I have called you here?" Li Tianyuan asked with profound meaning.

"This disciple does not know." Ye Chen shook his head, looking bewildered. However, he wasn't a fool; he knew there must be a reason for such a high-ranking figure to come to the Chore Peak and specifically have the steward bring him over. A spark of expectation rose in his heart—he hoped that Headmaster Li would grant him a chance to change his fate! Even becoming a mere outer disciple under this man would suffice. Only then could he change his destiny and gain the strength to rise.

Li Tianyuan smiled faintly, set down his tea cup, and said slowly, "I am Li Tianyuan, Head of Lingyun Sword Peak at the Lingxiao Holy Land. I came to the Chore Peak today because you and I share a bond. I intend to take you as my disciple—are you willing?"

Huh? Take him as a disciple? Ye Chen was stunned, unable to believe what he was hearing. Was this a dream? Becoming the personal disciple of a Peak Head was something countless cultivators dreamed of! And now, it had fallen upon him! His chance to change his fate had arrived. No wonder Steward Zhao said he had struck gold!

His heart hammered in his chest, filled with uncontrollable excitement. He fell to his knees, kowtowed three times, and said respectfully, "Disciple Ye Chen, greetings to Master!"

【Ding-dong!】
【The host has accepted a second disciple, completing the mission. Reward: Supreme Comprehension.】

Hearing the system’s notification arrive right on cue, Li Tianyuan’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

"Good! From this moment on, you are my second personal disciple." Li Tianyuan happily helped Ye Chen up and handed him an identity token. "Remember, you are now part of Lingyun Sword Peak. If anyone dares to bully you, tell your master, and I will seek justice for you."

After receiving the token, Ye Chen was overwhelmed with excitement. "Thank you, Master!"

At this moment, he still felt as if he were dreaming. He had previously thought that just becoming an inner disciple of the Lingxiao Holy Land would be good enough—how could he have dared to hope for more? But now, as if a pie had fallen from the sky, he had ascended to the heavens, becoming the disciple of a Peak Head. Could he be anything but excited? With this opportunity, as long as he worked hard, he could not only solve his family’s crisis but also retrieve the things stolen from his parents!

"Let’s go. Follow me back to Lingyun Sword Peak." Li Tianyuan waved his hand and led Ye Chen away.

Watching the two figures drift away, all the disciples on the Chore Peak looked on with envy.

"Ye Chen’s luck is just too good! To be taken as a personal disciple by Headmaster Li!"
"Sigh... when will we ever have such good fate?"
"It hurts; I want to cry. Why wasn't it me who was chosen?"

The many chore disciples whispered among themselves, envying Ye Chen’s luck while feeling a secret jealousy. Just yesterday, Ye Chen had been a chore disciple like them; today, he had leaped over the dragon gate and soared into the sky.

With Ye Chen and Li Tianyuan gone, the Chore Peak returned to its usual calm, and everyone went back to their tasks.

...

It was nearly dusk by the time they returned to Lingyun Sword Peak.

"This is Lingyun Sword Peak. From now on, treat this place as your home; there is no need to be formal."

"Understood, Master!" Ye Chen nodded. He looked at the spiritual energy swirling around the peak and felt nothing but shock. The spiritual density here was vastly superior to the Chore Peak—it was like comparing the heavens to the earth. They were simply not on the same level. The palace at the very center, shimmering with spiritual essence, was particularly dazzling, and he couldn't help but linger his gaze upon it.

After surveying the peak, Ye Chen followed Li Tianyuan into the great hall.

"Disciple, I currently have two disciples. Besides you, there is a senior sister of yours, but she is currently cultivating in a secret realm and likely won't return for some time."

After sitting down, Li Tianyuan poured a cup of Enlightenment Tea, sipped it slowly, and continued, "When you eventually meet, I hope you will support each other and avoid discord. Also, I will explain the rules of Lingyun Sword Peak to you."

Li Tianyuan briefly described the situation of the peak. Ye Chen nodded respectfully, indicating he understood. Li Tianyuan then said, "Disciple, you must be aware that your aptitude is mediocre, so you must work hard. Only then will you not waste my expectations of you!"

Li Tianyuan’s words were resonant and profound, causing Ye Chen’s expression to turn serious as he made a solemn, word-for-word promise.

"Please rest assured, Master. In terms of talent and comprehension, I may not compare to others, but when it comes to diligence and perseverance, I will never lose to anyone."

He knew his own aptitude; it was poor to the extreme, which was why he had been reduced to a chore disciple. But he had always believed that heaven rewards diligence; through hard work and relentless practice, he would one day transcend everyone and stand at the pinnacle of the Immortal path, looking down upon the firmament.

Hearing Ye Chen’s firm words, Li Tianyuan felt quite gratified and laughed, "As expected of the person I chose. It is good to have such spirit."

On the path of cultivation, one must possess this tenacious spirit to climb to the heights—only then can one go further. Li Tianyuan was satisfied, feeling he had chosen the right person and that the boy was worth cultivating.

"Disciple, you need not worry about your aptitude. Although your talent is average, you possess something that ordinary people do not!" Li Tianyuan shifted the topic.

"I possess something others don't?" Ye Chen was stunned, looking puzzled. Had his master seen through his hidden potential, which was why he had accepted him?

"Correct!" Li Tianyuan smiled faintly and said, "It does not matter that your aptitude is poor, for you possess a special physique: the Celestial Star Divine Physique. This is a supreme physique, one in a billion, ranked within the top ten of the three thousand physiques in the Ziwei Star Domain!"

Ye Chen was completely bewildered. So many surprises had been heaped upon him today that he felt dizzy, as if in a dream. First, he had become the disciple of a Peak Head, and now his master was telling him he possessed a special physique—the Celestial Star Divine Physique, a one-in-a-billion supreme body! This was something only peerless geniuses could possess; how could he have it?

"M-Master, are you... are you mistaken?" Ye Chen still found it hard to believe. "Why have I never felt that I possessed the Celestial Star Divine Physique?"

"Haha, disciple, your physique has not been activated, so naturally, you cannot feel its existence," Li Tianyuan laughed heartily.

"I see!" Ye Chen realized. But how could this special physique be activated? If it remained inactive, he was no different from an ordinary person. Thinking of this, he woke up from his initial excitement and felt a sense of apprehension.

Seeing Ye Chen’s look of disappointment, Li Tianyuan smiled and said, "Disciple, do not worry. Since I have pointed out that you possess the Celestial Star Divine Physique, I naturally have a way to help you activate it!"

Before Ye Chen could react, Li Tianyuan flicked his palm and produced two palm-sized, glowing jade slips, handing them over.

"Master, these are?" Faintly, Ye Chen seemed to see scenes within the jade—a vast, starry universe with countless twinkling stars, dazzling and resplendent.

"Inside are two Supreme Immortal Arts. One is called the 'Celestial Star Technique.' As long as you cultivate this, you will activate your Celestial Star Divine Physique and walk the path of the invincible."

"The second is the 'Big Dipper Divine Fist.' With a single punch, you can draw upon the power of the stars in the heavens; it is fierce, tyrannical, and terrifyingly powerful!"

Ye Chen’s heart hammered, his excitement reaching a peak until his breathing nearly stopped. Supreme Immortal Arts. The most top-tier cultivation methods in the world!