The sun hadn't even yawned over the mountaintops when Zhao Jin was dragged out of bed by an enthusiastic junior disciple named **Ping Ping**, who was somehow both extremely small and alarmingly strong.
> "Wake up, Brother Zhao! It's Training Day!" she chirped.
> "You're five," Zhao muttered.
> "I'm eight," she said proudly. "And I've broken through to mid-Foundation stage."
> "I hate this place."
Ping Ping skipped out the door, leaving Zhao to stumble after her with bed hair shaped like an ancestral beast.
---
### 🍲 Group Training and Mysterious Soup
In the central courtyard, dozens of disciples were gathered. A giant cauldron bubbled in the middle, spewing purple steam and the occasional rubber sandal.
Elder Tu Fang stood on a rock, arms crossed. "Today, you will drink the **Soup of Sudden Insight.** Then, you will fight."
> "Is that safe?" Zhao whispered.
> "Nothing in this sect is safe," whispered someone next to him. Probably the duck.
Elder Tu Fang continued, "Be warned — the soup's effects are... personalized."
One disciple drank it and began speaking fluent beast-tongue. Another grew wings for exactly twelve seconds. One simply vanished.
Zhao took a deep breath and sipped.
---
### 💥 Soup Vision and Power Awakening
Zhao's vision blurred. The world spun. A choir of ducks sang in the distance.
Suddenly, he was in a vast desert of floating noodles. A giant elder-shaped cloud yelled at him.
> "Stop being useless and discover your unique cultivation path!"
> "I'm trying, cloud-dad!"
Lightning struck his chest. He screamed. Woke up. Still screaming.
> **[You have awakened a unique ability: The Law of Unreasonable Luck.]**
> "That's not even a technique!"
> **[Passive effect: Occasionally succeed when you really, really shouldn't.]**
---
### ⚔️ Chaos Training Begins
Training was simple: "Fight whoever's nearest."
Zhao looked around. Ping Ping looked up at him sweetly. "Ready?"
> "No."
She punched. Zhao dodged. He slipped on a sandal. The sandal flew — hit another disciple — who flew backward — into a pillar — which collapsed — revealing a secret room — with a treasure chest.
Elder Tu Fang blinked. "Congratulations, Zhao Jin. You've discovered our ancient hidden library."
> "I tripped."
> "Exactly."
---
### 📚 Hidden Library and Forbidden Romance Manuals
The elders gathered in shock. Zhao was dragged before them, standing in front of a glowing chest that whispered forbidden knowledge.
Inside were manuals: *"The Art of Coincidental Victory"*, *"Cooking With Qi"*, and *"How to Accidentally Form a Harem Without Dying."*
> "That last one sounds useful," Zhao said, reaching for it.
A small explosion knocked him back. The duck waddled in, grabbed the manual, and sat on it.
> "Fine. Keep your secrets."
Elder Tu Fang scratched his beard. "Zhao Jin... you are clearly cursed with the rarest type of cultivation: **Plot Armor Dao.**"
> "Can I exchange it for something practical?"
> "No. But you might live longer than expected."
---
### 🌠 Day's End
As the sun set, Zhao sat under a crooked peach tree, bruised, sore, and surprisingly satisfied.
> "So I have luck powers, a duck guardian, and possibly a destiny I don't want."
> "Quack," said the duck, as if in agreement.
A breeze rustled the leaves. Somewhere in the distance, a mysterious figure in dark robes watched the sect from the shadows.
> "The next piece has moved," they whispered. "Let the comedy... begin."
---
**Chapter 3 Ends**
✅ Drank mystery soup
✅ Awakened Luck-based powers
✅ Unlocked ancient library by tripping
✅ Foreshadowed bigger forces in the world