Trash

Wang Dong was stunned by the sudden turn of events. After gathering his wits, he shouted, "What are you laughing at? Are you looking down on me?"

"Heh, that wasn't what I meant. I just thought it was a little funny hearing those words come from you," Tian Chen said, lowering his hand and turning around.

Wang Dong was puzzled, and hearing Tian Chen's answer only deepened his confusion. His brows knitted tightly as he tried to work out the meaning behind those words. He could not tell whether Tian Chen was mocking him or genuinely found it funny, and that attitude left him bewildered and somewhat angry.

But Tian Chen's next words made Wang Dong explode with rage. Tian Chen gave a cold smile. "It's quite a surprise to hear those words from a piece of trash like you who doesn't even know how to work hard."

"You... who are you calling trash? (╬◣ω◢)" Wang Dong pointed at Tian Chen and roared. As the young sect master of the Clear Sky Sect, he was pampered and adored wherever he went. He had grown up surrounded by praise, naturally coming to believe that he stood among the best of his peers. Yet now Tian Chen had bluntly called him trash. It was like a hammer blow to his pride. How could he not fly into a rage?

Watching Wang Dong bristle like an angry kitten, Tian Chen said calmly, "Am I wrong? With that attitude toward cultivation, what else could you be? The Bright Goddess Butterfly is indeed an extremely powerful Martial Soul. It hasn't appeared often throughout history, but every time it did, its wielder became a world-renowned genius. Historical records put the average innate Soul Power of those with this Martial Soul at no lower than rank nine." His words were filled with disdain and certainty, as though he were stating the simplest of facts.

"With your innate spirit power and powerful martial soul, you should at least be a Spirit Elder by now. But judging by the spirit power fluctuations you just displayed, you've only recently broken through rank twenty at best. I doubt you've done much cultivating since awakening your martial soul. Otherwise, even if you'd only cultivated for half of each year, you wouldn't still be at this rank. Having talent without knowing how to use it makes you no different from a beggar who stumbles upon a treasure," Tian Chen sneered.

"Even someone with innate spirit power of rank five or six could reach your level without much difficulty through hard work. Some people with innate spirit power similar to yours are already Spirit Elders. And while a thousand-year second spirit ring is rare, you're not the only one who has one. Some geniuses train their bodies from childhood, then use natural treasures that enhance their physical strength. Most of them can manage it too. You're just one person among countless others. What do you have to be so proud of?"

"You, you—" Wang Dong clenched his teeth but could not get a single word out, because everything Tian Chen had said was true. He tried to argue, but every word seemed to catch in his throat. The problems Tian Chen had pointed out—his lax cultivation and misguided understanding of his talent—were undeniable.

"It seems you've realized just how incompetent you are! A cultivator's innate starting point certainly plays a crucial role, but without hard work to support it, even the finest talent is nothing more than a castle in the air. A genius who doesn't know how to cultivate is no different from trash! What makes a true genius strong has never been his talent, but his heart." Tian Chen slowly walked back into the dormitory without sparing Wang Dong another glance.

Although his system was called the Goddess System, Tian Chen was not driven by lust to mindlessly collect women. Taking the current Wang Dong as an example, he had no intention of indulging her arrogance, rudeness, or princess-like entitlement.

His rule for building a harem was that if he had approached someone and she was interested in him too, he would definitely take her in. Otherwise, he would be shirking his responsibility toward her.

After Tian Chen left, Wang Dong sat alone on the ground, replaying Tian Chen's words over and over in his mind. A jumble of emotions filled his heart, and he began to wonder whether he really had been too lazy about cultivating.

"That child was right. You really ought to reflect on yourself." Just then, an aged voice came from beside him.

"Why?" Wang Dong turned toward Mu En and said, "I may have been a little lax about cultivating before, but I'm still a genius with full innate Soul Power and a thousand-year second Soul Ring. Surely that doesn't make me trash."

"Talent matters, of course, but without effort to support it, it amounts to nothing more than a fleeting bloom. Your innate advantages may open a door for you, but only through continued effort and tempering can you truly forge your own path. Do you know why those seemingly unreachable powerhouses stand at the summit? It isn't merely because of talent. It's because they know how to draw strength from every setback and find a breakthrough in every failure," Mu En said slowly, fixing Wang Dong with a piercing gaze.

"That child's words were a little harsh, but they were true. You have good talent. Unfortunately, you've put it to the wrong use. Arrogance and complacency will only cost you more opportunities. Humility and hard work, on the other hand, will take you further. It isn't too late to change now."

Mu En's words stirred waves in Wang Dong's heart. He realized that there might indeed have been problems with his behavior all along. Especially when faced with an opponent as calm and powerful as Tian Chen, his shortcomings had been magnified beyond measure.

Wang Dong stood stunned for a moment. Then he bowed deeply to the old man. "Grandpa, thank you for opening my eyes." Only after saying that did he stride toward the dormitory.

As soon as Wang Dong entered, he saw that Tian Chen had already made his bed and was sitting on it, wholly focused on cultivating.

Wang Dong did not disturb Tian Chen. Instead, he watched him quietly, though a storm raged in his heart. He began to reassess the seemingly calm yet unfathomable boy before him.

Looking back on his life, Wang Dong realized that he had relied too heavily on his innate advantages and neglected the hard work that should have followed. Although he was the young sect master of the Clear Sky Sect and possessed twin Martial Souls and a thousand-year Soul Ring, those things had seemed insignificant in his clash with Tian Chen. Tian Chen had not only overwhelmed him with absolute strength but also laid bare his fundamental problems with words.

At that moment, Wang Dong was filled with conflict and inner turmoil. On one hand, he felt ashamed that someone he had only just met had pointed out his laziness to his face. On the other, he felt a long-absent sense of danger—something he had never experienced, having always lived amid praise and adoration.

"It looks like I really do need to change," Wang Dong murmured, his gaze settling on Tian Chen with a trace of complicated emotion.

With this fresh understanding of himself, Wang Dong also sat on his bed and began meditating to cultivate.

Once Wang Dong entered his cultivation state, Tian Chen immediately began communicating with the system.

"System, show my status panel."

As soon as he spoke, a translucent blue panel appeared in his mind:

[Host]: Tian Chen

[Rank]: 40 (Without a spirit ring; actual strength at the peak of rank 45.)

[Martial souls]: Emperor-Slaying Ghost Blood Blade, blood emperor body

[Soul Ring]: Black, black, black

[Cultivation art]: Taiyi Soul Art

[Goddesses checked in]: Snow Empress (SSR), Ice Empress (SSR), Jiang Nannan (SR), Wang Dong'er (SSR)

[Harem]: None

[Soul Bones]: Million-Year Heavenly Phoenix Wing External Spirit Bone (Not fused)

[Items owned]: Three Thousand Thunder Movement, a bed-sized piece of Life Gold

"System, absorb the Million-Year Heavenly Phoenix Wing External Spirit Bone."

"Confirmed. Absorbing system rewards will place no strain on you. Please rest assured, Host!"

Three minutes later, a warm, comfortable sensation spread across Tian Chen's back. Another wave of pleasure followed, as though his bones had been strengthened.

At the same time, this Million-Year Soul Bone actually came with four spirit skills.

[Heavenly Phoenix Sacred Image]: Summons a gigantic Heavenly Phoenix Sacred Image that completely blocks any attack three times. After those three blocks, defense increases by 200%, attack power increases by 100%, and beast-type Martial Souls are suppressed by 50%.

[Heavenly Phoenix Bell]: Forms a gigantic bell around the enemy upon activation. It can also be used for self-defense, combining immense defensive power with continuous sonic attacks. The sound waves within the bell can destroy all life within a hundred li.

[Heavenly Phoenix: Nirvana]: Grants one chance to be reborn through nirvana, clearing all negative statuses and restoring Soul Power to its peak. After revival, grants ten seconds of invincibility. Cooldown: two months.

[Heavenly Phoenix Feather]: Transforms into a sky full of phoenix feathers that can explode or cut.