The morning at the Ling Clan felt entirely different to Ling Tian. The energy flowing through his meridians—no longer the thin Qi of the Seven-Heaven Realm, but the dense, rumbling Primordial Chaos energy—made him feel inherently superior just by standing.
He hadn't slept. Instead, he spent the night studying the first fragments of the Absolute Immortal Lineage, the Reverse Star Breathing Technique. This technique far surpassed the ancient cultivation methods of their clan; it was a method for squeezing the potential out of the cosmos itself.
By sunrise, Ling Tian had broken through to the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation. His progress already exceeded Ling Yuan's total six years of cultivation.
Stepping out of his shabby room, he crossed paths in the main corridor with Ling Yuan, the cousin who had always been the source of his ridicule. Ling Yuan was in a good mood, brandishing his newly acquired Spirit Sword.
"Oh, look who's awake," Ling Yuan sneered, his eyes radiating contempt. "I heard you spent another night lamenting your 'trash' Spirit Root. You should know your place and just become a servant, Tian. At least you could clean the mud off a true cultivator's shoes."
In the past, this insult would have made Ling Tian's Dantian tremble with frustration.
Today, Ling Tian simply stopped. He wasn't angry. He merely stared at Ling Yuan as if observing an overly noisy insect.
"I used to be weak," Ling Tian replied, his voice low and cold, devoid of any emotion. "Now, you are merely a noisy ant."
Ling Yuan's expression froze. He had never heard that tone from Ling Tian—not pain, not anger, but utter contempt.
"What did you say?" Ling Yuan laughed, an uncertain sound. "Third Layer, and you dare call me an ant? I'm at the Ninth Layer! Have you gone insane, trash?"
"Ninth Layer?" Ling Tian shrugged, his casual demeanor further enraging Ling Yuan. "A pathetic level. Is this what you boast about? Don't worry. After today, the gap between us will be an abyss you can never cross."
Ling Yuan, his pride wounded, lost control. "You're courting death!"
He lunged forward, his Spirit Sword raised, issuing a faint spiritual Qi, aiming to land a humiliating blow on Ling Tian's shoulder.
Swoosh!
The attack was swift, but to Ling Tian, the world moved in slow motion. His new Primordial Chaos energy made his senses a thousand times sharper. He didn't even bother utilizing a technique.
As the sword tip was about to strike him, Ling Tian simply raised his palm.
Bang!
He caught the sharp edge of the Spirit Sword with two bare fingers—his thumb and forefinger—as if it were merely a fragile twig.
Everyone nearby—a few servants and passing clan Elders—gasped and froze in place. Ling Yuan, who put all his force into the strike, was shocked to find his sword didn't move an inch.
"That's... impossible!" Ling Yuan screamed, his face flushing with shame and terror.
Ling Tian smirked—a cold, arrogant smirk filled with absolute authority.
"You are too slow, and too weak," he whispered. With a slight rotation of his fingers, he used not spiritual energy, but just the physical strength purified by the Primordial Chaos.
Crrraaaack!
The Low-Grade Spirit Sword shattered into fragments as if it were made of glass, its pieces scattering across the floor.
Ling Yuan staggered backward, his eyes filled with pure terror as he looked at the standing, unharmed Ling Tian, whose aura suddenly felt suffocating.
Ling Tian at the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation had just destroyed a Ninth Layer cultivator's weapon with only two fingers.
"This is the first showing of his new arrogance," muttered one of the servants, trembling.
Ling Tian tossed the sword fragments from his hand, as if they were mere dirt. He looked at Ling Yuan, who was now shrinking like a mouse.
"I will give you one final piece of advice," Ling Tian said, his voice now sounding like a command from the heavens. "Never stand in my way again. You are not worthy."
Without waiting for a reply, Ling Tian turned and walked away, leaving Ling Yuan paralyzed with shock and shame, and the clan Elders staring at him with a mix of disbelief and dread.
Ling Tian's true power—the power derived from the Star Emperor's Inheritance—had begun to seep out, and its impact was far greater than he had anticipated.