People on the Eternal Continent start absorbing Original Spirit into their bodies from the age of ten, and after five years of gathering spirits, at the age of fifteen, they undergo the Spirit Awakening Ceremony.
After the Spirit Awakening Ceremony is successful, it determines each person's future Original Spirit profession.
If it is not successful, they must gather spirits for another five years and undergo the Spirit Awakening Ceremony again at the age of twenty, which is also the last chance.
If they fail again and have no connection with the three professions, then they should quickly seize the opportunity to enter a factory...
However, those who pass the Spirit Awakening Ceremony at twenty are considered inferior in terms of talent and are less advanced in cultivation.
But, having it is better than not having it.
"Knock, knock, knock!" The sudden knocking sound interrupted Fang Tianyun's thoughts.
He opened the door and saw, as expected, a spirited Elderly Man standing outside the door, holding a food box in his left hand and wine in his right, smiling at him.
"Grandpa, why aren't you attending the banquet? What are you doing coming here?" Seeing this unkempt Elderly Man, Fang Tianyun found it amusing.
The Elderly Man walked into the room casually, setting up the wine and dishes on his own, saying:
"I'm not used to that kind of scene. It's more comfortable for us, Grandpa and grandson, to have a little drink."
Looking at the beaming Elderly Man, Fang Tianyun's heart felt a rare warmth.
This Elderly Man in front of him was named Fang Yingjie, his biological Grandpa in this world, and the only person in the entire Fang Family who genuinely treated him well.
Fang Tianyun's growth environment in this life was indeed somewhat complex.
His Grandpa and Grandmother were part of a childhood engagement, both from wealthy and powerful great clans, and they had a deep friendship with each other.
The regrettable thing was that during his Grandpa Fang Yingjie's generation, the Fang Family suddenly encountered misfortune, and the family declined.
As the saying goes, the rich have distant relatives in the mountains, while the poor are ignored in the busy market. As soon as they saw the Fang Family rapidly declining, the flourishing Wilson Family wanted to break off the engagement.
But what they didn't expect was that his Grandmother, Lola Wilson, insisted on fulfilling the marriage contract.
After the two got married, Lola brought a lot of resources, which finally pulled the Fang Family back from the brink of ruin.
But taking favors makes one soft-handed, and accepting gifts makes one short-mouthed. Things don't just fall from the sky for no reason; everything comes with a price.
With the woman strong and the man weak, Fang Yingjie's status in the family was comparable to that of a live-in son-in-law, commonly known as "Da Cha Men".
His Madam, Lola, was the undisputed head of the family today.
The couple had two sons. The eldest son was named Fang Zhongxing and had been transferred away from the area for many years. The second son was named Amos Wilson, taking his mother's surname.
This second son was Fang Tianyun's Father.
During Amos's studies, he met a woman, but their families were not of equal status, so Lola naturally wouldn't agree to this marriage.
Moreover, this branch of the family, the younger son's, took the mother's surname, so Lola naturally valued it immensely and had even higher requirements in all aspects.
Amos dared not disobey his Mother's command and naturally chose to break up with the woman, even though the woman was already secretly pregnant, but it still didn't change the situation.
So on a snowy day, an infant was abandoned at the entrance of the Wilson Family home.
Regarding such "disgraceful" matters, Lola directly ordered her subordinates to send the infant to an orphanage, or discard it somewhere out of sight.
In short, out of sight, out of mind was the goal.
But Grandpa was kind-hearted. After all, it was his own grandson. He repeatedly pleaded with his Madam many times before she reluctantly agreed to let the infant stay.
But he was not allowed to use the Wilson surname, so he was named Fang Tianyun, which Grandpa personally chose.
Tianyun is a homophone for "heavenly fortune," and "Yun" also has the meaning of "foundation," showing that Fang Yingjie cared deeply for this grandson.
After this incident, Amos was taken by his Mother Lola for a blind date and marriage just half a year after graduating.
He married a daughter from a prominent family named Lisa. A year after their marriage, they had a pair of twins, a brother Arthur and a sister Eva.
Who were Fang Tianyun's half-siblings.
And due to the awkwardness of his identity, Fang Tianyun was naturally not well-regarded in the family from childhood.
However, Fang Tianyun himself didn't care about these things. After all, within this young body resided a seasoned soul from Blue Star.
After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, Grandpa's tongue was starting to slur, while Fang Tianyun remained indifferent; one who didn't know would have thought he was drinking water.
As soon as a man drinks, his chatterbox usually opens. Grandpa was talking about everything under the sun with a red face, while Fang Tianyun patiently sat there as a listener, occasionally refilling the Elderly Man's glass.
When Grandpa had finished talking to his heart's content, Fang Tianyun said with a smile:
"Grandpa, I'm preparing to leave here."
Clang--
The hazy-eyed Grandpa fell into a daze, not even noticing the wine glass falling from his hand onto the ground.
"You said... what?"
"I said I plan to leave here and go to another city to study."
Although he felt a bit reluctant, Fang Tianyun still stated his intentions frankly and firmly, and picked up the wine glass from the ground.
"Oh..."
In an instant, Grandpa's spirit and energy wilted.
The room fell into a brief silence.
"Leaving here is good too."
As if he had figured something out, Grandpa forced a smile, but the loneliness in his eyes could not be hidden at all.
How could Fang Yingjie not know about his grandson's situation in the family?
But he was powerless.
Back then, when his eldest son was transferred by his Madam to another place, away from the core of the family's power, he was also equally powerless.
"Fang Yingjie, ah Fang Yingjie, you are not heroic at all."
Not caring at all that his junior was nearby, Grandpa let out a helpless self-mockery.
Looking at the desolate Elderly Man, Fang Tianyun didn't know how to offer comfort for a moment.
His Grandpa, in this family, was also another kind of awkward existence.
A live-in son-in-law, not in charge of the household. Even his younger daughter-in-law and those two grandchildren sometimes ignored him.
This family, on the surface, had the Fang surname, but deep down, it had long since taken the Wilson surname.
Fang Tianyun knew that his Grandpa had some bitterness in his heart; otherwise, he wouldn't come to him to drink and complain every now and then.
In fact, in his opinion, although his Grandpa had limited ability, he was truly a kind and warm-hearted good person.
In this cold family, such a person should be cherished, because they are here to accumulate virtue for the family.
"Have you prepared when you will leave? When the time comes, say goodbye to your Father and Grandmother. Although they are prejudiced against you, the necessary procedures must still be followed."
"Don't worry, Grandpa, your grandson knows this. I plan to bid farewell to my Father and Grandmother tomorrow and then leave."
"If the world outside is better, then don't come back."
Grandpa's words were sincere. He was very reluctant to part with this grandson whom he had watched grow up.
But he also knew that perhaps leaving was a beneficial choice for this grandson.
It's just... in this family from now on, there will be no one to secretly drink with him anymore.