Lin Yuan's bitter smile gradually faded as the room grew into heavy silence.His dark eyes swept across every familiar corner the worn wooden bed, the simple bookshelf standing against the wall, the bronze mirror resting atop an old table, and the faint scent of sandalwood drifting in from the incense burner near the window. Everything was exactly as he remembered it being in his past life.He slowly lowered his gaze to his hands. They were young, strong, yet lacking the calluses earned from thousands of years of wielding the sword. He flexed his fingers. "So... it wasn't an illusion."Almost instinctively, his hand moved to his chest, his fingertips pressing against the spot where the Soul-Sealing Dagger had pierced through his heart. There was no wound, yet he could still remember the unbearable pain as vividly as if it had happened only moments ago.Mu Xue's gentle smile. The warmth of her embrace. Then the cold blade sinking into his heart.His breathing grew uneven. For a brief m

A strange silence settled over the Awakening Square as thousands of eyes drifted toward the ash-gray scripture above Lin Yuan's head. It was unlike any cultivation technique they had ever seen in the entire history of the cultivation world, showing no dazzling light, no elemental aura. It simply hovered in the air, weathered and unremarkable, as though it had existed for countless ages.The Grand Elder frowned deeply. "Bring it here."With a wave of his sleeve, a strand of spiritual energy wrapped around the scripture and drew it toward the elders' platform. The scripture offered no resistance, floating quietly before the Grand Elder, his brows furrowing even further."No spiritual fluctuations..." He reached out and gently touched its worn cover, but nothing happened. The book remained as lifeless as an ordinary piece of parchment.One elder rose from his seat. "Allow me." He examined the scripture carefully, injecting a stream of spiritual energy into it. Several breaths passed, but

The moon hung high above the Lin Clan, silver light spilling across Spirit Mountain, bathing the trees and stone paths in a quiet glow.Most of the clan had long since fallen asleep, only the chirping of insects and the occasional rustling of leaves disturbing the silence.Inside his courtyard, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged beneath a willow tree. The Origin Scripture floated quietly before him, its ash-gray cover returned to its ordinary appearance, concealing every trace of the miracle that had occurred moments earlier.With each breath he took, countless strands of Heavenly Qi drifted past him, and he ignored every one of them. Instead, his spiritual sense reached beyond the familiar energy of Heaven, finding deep beneath it faint strands of pale gray Origin Qi, like tiny streams hidden beneath a mighty river. Slowly and patiently he guided them into his body, the gray strands flowing through his meridians before gathering within his dantian. Each strand compressed upon itself, becoming

Lin Yuan walked along the narrow mountain path with steady steps, his expression remaining calm, but his sharp eyes constantly swept across the surrounding landscape."In my previous life... this mountain changed my destiny."Back then, he had arrived only after the mysterious tremor had shaken the entire Lin Clan. By the time he reached Spirit Mountain, the inheritance had already vanished, leaving behind nothing but countless regrets.This life would be different.Stopping beneath a pine tree, Lin Yuan closed his eyes and focused on his dantian, and a single strand of pale gray Origin Qi quietly circulated through his meridians. He nodded slightly. First Layer of Qi Gathering.Although his cultivation was only at the first layer, he wasn't discouraged. Ordinary cultivators absorbed Heavenly Qi directly into their dantians, causing their spiritual energy to increase rapidly. Lin Yuan, however, refined every strand of Heavenly Qi into Origin Qi before storing it. The process was far s

The underground hall fell silent as Lin Yuan stared at the old man kneeling before him, while the spirit remained motionless, his head bowed in respect. The only sound was the faint hum of the Origin Scripture floating above the black altar. After a long moment, Lin Yuan finally spoke. "You said... they are coming." His eyes remained fixed on the spirit. "Who are they?" Guardian Mo Chen slowly rose to his feet, his weathered face calm, but with a trace of solemnity in his eyes. "You are not ready to know." Lin Yuan frowned. "I was once a Heavenly Emperor." Mo Chen shook his head. "In this era, that title commands respect. But in the eyes of those beings, it is merely the beginning." Lin Yuan's heart trembled. In his previous life, he had believed that the Heavenly Emperor Realm stood at the absolute peak of cultivation. Countless geniuses had spent their entire lives chasing that realm, yet none had ever surpassed it. Now, the guardian before him spoke of it as though it were in