The heart of Star Dou Forest was brimming with life.
Sunlight filtered through ancient trees,
and soft spiritual mist wrapped the clearing where Tang Yan and Tang San babbled and rolled around like clumsy kittens.
---
Inside Tang Yan's mind, however,
the battle between chaos and progress was raging once more.
---
✨ Inside Tang Yan's Mind: Refining the Spiritual Technique
Tang Yan sat cross-legged in his spiritual space,
the crude spiritual technique he previously created spinning awkwardly.
The threads wobbled, leaked energy wildly,
barely holding together by sheer stubbornness.
---
The System, perched like a demonic cat on a fake throne, announced:
> [ Host! Status: Current Spiritual Technique—Crude Potato Level! Energy Loss: 79%! Efficiency: Congratulations, you suck! ]
Tang Yan's spiritual forehead twitched violently.
Ignoring the sarcasm, he refocused.
---
This time, he visualized the flow like rivers:
steady, twisting gently, not forcing against the current.
Slowly—painfully slowly—the leaking stabilized slightly.
The waste dropped to 70%.
---
The System fake-clapped:
> [ Bravo! Host is now a leaky teapot instead of a broken faucet! Progress! ]
Tang Yan gritted his baby spiritual teeth.
Again.
He willed the loops tighter, smoother.
Again.
And again.
Each refinement shaved tiny fragments off the waste.
From 70% loss... to 65%... then 60%.
Hours of grueling work inside his fragile soul.
---
Finally, the System whistled sharply:
> [ Host! Alert: Crude Spiritual Technique upgraded! New Rating: "Barely Acceptable Baby Level!" Waste: 58%! ]
Tang Yan collapsed inside, gasping like a fish.
---
> [ Note: If Host successfully refines to 50% or lower before 1st birthday, secret prize packages will be unlocked! ]
Tang Yan's soul burned with determination.
Birthday was coming.
He couldn't slack now!
---
✨ Outside World: Birthday Preparations in Full Swing
Meanwhile, outside in the real world—
The entire Star Dou Core Area was in cheerful chaos.
---
Bi Ji fluttered around joyfully,
directing smaller spirit beasts to weave grass crowns and flower necklaces.
Di Tian, after much grumbling, was personally carving baby-sized thrones from ancient silverwood.
Three-headed Dog Mastiff was trying (and failing) to bake a "cake" using compressed spirit herbs—
ending in explosions of green smoke.
Even the aloof Gu Yuena was seen crafting delicate silk ribbons from her own spiritual energy.
---
Tang Hao, holding Tang San, laughed dryly:
> "This... is far more lively than any sect celebration I've ever seen."
Ah Yin smiled warmly, gently rocking Tang Yan in her arms:
> "Our children deserve it.
After everything... they deserve a beginning full of love and hope."
---
As the beasts worked tirelessly,
the forest hummed with rare, light-hearted energy.
No politics.
No battles.
Just a shared moment of happiness for the twins born from heaven and earth.
---
✨ Inside Tang Yan's Mind: The Trolling Never Ends
Of course, peace inside Tang Yan's mind was forbidden.
The System started flashing fake advertising banners:
> [ "SPIRITUAL TECHNIQUE UPGRADES!" Sponsored by: Your Local Suffering! ]
> [ "Birthday Bash Incoming: Host's First Public Humiliation Event!" Tickets still available! ]
Tang Yan wept spiritually.
> [ Host, would you like to pre-order Sparkly Baby Emperor Robes for the party? Complete with Glitter Aura Effects? ]
Tang Yan screamed internally.
---
Yet deep down,
as he refined his crude technique inch by inch,
and heard faint laughter outside—
Tang Yan smiled.
There was warmth.
There was growth.
And even though he grumbled and raged at the System daily,
this life... was shaping up to be the one he never had before.
A life truly worth living.
---
🌑 To be continued...