The oddities and anecdotes column at the bottom of the official gazette.
"In the Azure Cloud Sect's mortal settlement, a female cultivator at the Qi Condensation Third Layer gave birth to a son at the hour of the rabbit. He was born with innate knowledge and grew at incredible speed, reaching seven feet tall in just half an hour. His Spiritual Root fully took shape, and the instant it did, the surrounding spiritual energy fell into turmoil. A Core Formation True Person from the Azure Cloud Sect went to investigate. Suspecting he had a Heavenly Spiritual Root, they took him back to the sect.
"Supposedly, before anyone had even taught him Qi Condensation techniques, he suddenly felt a calling and began cultivating on the spot, making astonishing progress. Half an hour to reach Qi Condensation, another hour to Foundation Establishment, then two more hours to Core Formation...
"Yet as soon as the hour of the monkey passed, his vitality rapidly waned, and his body began to age.
"By the hour of the rooster, he had withered all over, looking like a baby.
"Then he lost all vitality and died, his path to immortality extinguished!
"Some suspected it was a farce staged by the Azure Cloud Sect, but the sect firmly denied it.
"They claimed they had encountered a God-favored One..."
After reading the whole account, Li Ji'an wore a strange expression.
"Born in the morning, dies in the evening... dazzling in its brief splendor... a fleeting bloom..."
Wasn't that a curse? How could it be a "divine favor"?
Who would want to be blessed by the gods like that?
"Surprised by that God-favored One?" Yan Qingwan asked with a smile, noticing Li Ji'an's expression.
Li Ji'an came back to himself. "Is... is this true?"
Yan Qingwan shook her head, then