The moment Lin Feng's fingers brushed the jade tablet, reality ceased to exist.
Knowledge exploded into his mind—not gently, not gradually, but like a tidal wave shattering against a cliff face. A hundred thousand years of memories, techniques, battles, victories, betrayals, loves, losses, all compressed into a single instant of consciousness that should have obliterated his mortal mind.
He screamed.
The sound echoed through the chamber, raw and primal, as the jade tablet dissolved into streams of silver light that poured into his body through every pore. His veins ignited with pain beyond description, as if liquid fire had replaced his blood.
The Void Emperor's voice thundered through his skull: "The First Trial: Endure. Your body must be unmade before it can be remade. Your weakness must be destroyed before strength can take root. Seven days and seven nights of agony await you. Most would die in the first hour. Prove you are worthy."
Lin Feng collapsed onto the jade dais, his body convulsing. The ancient formations carved into the chamber floor blazed to life, creating a cocoon of energy around him. The air shimmered, warped, as space itself bent to accommodate what was about to occur.
From the skeleton's robes, objects began to float free, drifting toward Lin Feng's prone form as if drawn by invisible strings.
A crystal vial materialized first, hovering above his chest. Inside, a single pill glowed with such intense divine radiance that it seemed to contain a captured star. The Divine Rebirth Pill—a treasure so valuable that wars had been fought over lesser versions. This one was of the highest possible grade, crafted by the Void Emperor himself in his final days.
"Consume it," the voice commanded. "Let it unmake you."
Through the haze of pain, Lin Feng's trembling hand reached up and grasped the vial. The crystal shattered at his touch, and the pill fell into his palm. It was warm—no, hot—burning his skin with purifying fire.
He brought it to his lips and swallowed.
The effect was instantaneous and apocalyptic.
DAY ONE: DESTRUCTION
Pain had always been a constant in Lin Feng's life, but this transcended anything he'd known. This was pain that existed on a fundamental level, attacking not just his body but his very essence.
The pill dissolved in his stomach and immediately began its work. The Divine Rebirth Pill was designed for one purpose: to completely reconstruct a cultivator's foundation by first tearing down everything that existed.
Lin Feng's fractured meridians—the twisted, broken channels that had defined his entire life—began to dissolve. Not break, not shatter, but dissolve, as if they were ice under the desert sun. The sensation was of losing parts of himself, of fundamental structures that had always been there simply ceasing to exist.
He wanted to die. In that moment, death seemed like mercy.
But the formations wouldn't let him. The ancient arrays kept his heart beating, kept his lungs breathing, kept his consciousness anchored to his disintegrating body no matter how much he wished to flee into oblivion.
"Please," he gasped to the empty air. "Please, I can't—"
"You can," the Void Emperor's voice responded, gentler now. "I endured this same trial. I know the depths of this suffering. But I also know that on the other side lies freedom. True freedom. The freedom to decide your own fate."
The words meant nothing against the reality of his bones beginning to crack. The Divine Rebirth Pill was restructuring his entire skeleton, breaking and reforming each bone to create a perfect foundation for cultivation. His ribs splintered and regrew. His spine realigned vertebra by agonizing vertebra. His skull—even his skull—shifted and reformed.
Lin Feng lost track of time. There was only pain and the desperate, animal need to survive.
Somewhere in the darkness behind his eyes, he felt the Void Emperor's memories beginning to integrate with his own. Flashes of another life, another time:
A young boy, no more than eight, lying in a gutter while cultivators stepped over him like he was refuse.
"Look at the broken thing. Can't even form a proper Qi channel. Pathetic."
The boy's eyes—hollow, empty, accepting his fate.
Lin Feng recognized those eyes. He'd seen them in his own reflection countless times.
But then the vision shifted:
The same boy, decades later, standing atop a mountain of corpses. His eyes blazed with power that could tear reality itself. Around him, the void itself bent to his will.
"They called me broken," the boy—now a man, now an emperor—said. "They were right. I WAS broken. But from those shattered pieces, I forged something the heavens themselves had never seen."
The vision faded, but the message remained: Broken things, properly remade, become unbreakable.
DAY TWO: PURIFICATION
When Lin Feng regained consciousness—had he been unconscious? Time had lost all meaning—he found his body covered in a thick, black substance. It oozed from every pore, stinking of rot and corruption. This was the impurity being purged from his system, decades of accumulated toxins, weaknesses, flaws.
The Divine Rebirth Pill showed no mercy in its work.
His organs were next. Lin Feng felt each one being systematically refined—liver, kidneys, heart, lungs. The pill's energy scoured through them like divine fire through dross, burning away weakness and rebuilding perfection.
His heart stopped three times. Each time, the formations forcibly restarted it, more painful than any defibrillation.
Through tear-blurred vision, he saw more artifacts emerging from the Void Emperor's storage:
A ring of dark metal floated before his face—the Emperor's Spatial Ring. Even dormant, he could sense the vast space contained within it, like a pocket dimension folded into a simple band. Inside were resources that could bankrupt kingdoms: spirit stones, pills, techniques, treasures accumulated over a hundred millennia.
A sword materialized next, hanging in the air as if suspended by invisible hands. The Void-Rending Sword was beautiful in its simplicity—a blade of midnight blue metal that seemed to drink in light rather than reflect it. Along its length, silver runes pulsed with the same energy as the chamber's formations. The crossguard was formed from two curved pieces of dark jade that resembled a crescent moon.
"My blade," the Void Emperor's voice murmured with fondness. "She has been asleep for so long. But she will wake for you, in time. Her name is Yue Ling, and she is... particular about who may wield her."
The sword pulsed once, as if responding to the mention of its name, then went still.
More artifacts followed:
A robe that shimmered like captured starlight—the Robe of Thousand Stars, capable of concealing his cultivation and changing form at will.
A pendant shaped like two intertwined souls—the Twin Soul Pendant, its purpose mysterious but its power undeniable.
An ancient grimoire bound in scales—the Tome of Forgotten Formations, containing formation knowledge lost to time.
Each artifact positioned itself around the jade dais, forming a protective array as Lin Feng's transformation continued.
The black impurities covering his body began to flake off, revealing skin beneath that seemed to glow with an inner light. His flesh was being remade at a cellular level, each cell reconstructed to hold and channel spiritual energy with perfect efficiency.
DAY THREE: FOUNDATION
On the third day, the true work began.
Lin Feng's dissolved meridians—those twelve broken pathways that had defined his limitation—began to reform. But not as twelve. Not as the standard channels that normal cultivators possessed.
One hundred.
One hundred perfect channels of crystalline energy began to form throughout his body, weaving through muscle and bone like a network of rivers carved from starlight. These were not normal meridians. These were the Channels of the Void—the Inverse Void Dao's answer to conventional cultivation.
Where normal meridians carried Qi from the dantian outward, the Channels of the Void worked in reverse. They drew energy from the void itself—from the space between spaces, the emptiness that existed at the heart of all things—and channeled it inward, creating a foundation built not on accumulated power but on the fundamental force of nothingness itself.
"Do you understand?" the Void Emperor's voice asked. "Normal cultivation builds upward, like a tower. Each rank adds another floor. But the Inverse Void Dao builds inward, like a black hole. Each rank increases the density, the gravity, the inescapable nature of your power. You do not gather energy—you become the void that consumes energy."
Lin Feng couldn't respond. He was too busy experiencing the most profound sensation of his life as his dantian—the core of a cultivator's power, located just below the navel—began to transform.
His dantian had always been malformed, twisted, barely functional. Now it dissolved completely, and in its place, something new formed: the Heart of the Void.
It was not a physical organ but a spiritual construct—a sphere of absolute emptiness that somehow contained infinite potential. Looking at it with his newly awakening spiritual sense was like staring into the depths of space itself, seeing stars being born and dying in the eternal darkness.
The pain reached new heights as the Heart of the Void connected to all one hundred Channels of the Void simultaneously. Energy—or rather, the absence of energy, the void itself—began to flow through his transformed body for the first time.
And with it came understanding. The Void Emperor's cultivation technique, the Inverse Void Dao, flooded into his consciousness:
Manual of the Inverse Void Dao - Foundation Theory:"Where others fill themselves with Qi, we empty ourselves. Where others fear the void, we embrace it. Where others see nothing, we see infinite possibility. The void is not weakness—it is the canvas upon which all creation is painted. Master the void, and you master reality itself."
Technique after technique downloaded into his mind, organized by rank and purpose:
Divine Domain Techniques:
Void Step - Movement through folded space Spatial Rend - Tearing reality to create blades of nothing Domain of Eternal Void - Manifesting a personal reality where the void reigns supreme Dimensional Prison - Trapping targets in pockets of sealed space
Higher Techniques (locked until achieving proper rank):
Transcendence Celestial techniques (blurred, inaccessible) Sovereign Monarch techniques (shadowed, incomprehensible) Immortal Emperor techniques (merely concepts without form) Demi-God techniques (existing beyond current understanding)
But also something unexpected: combat experience. A hundred thousand years of the Void Emperor's battles, strategies, tactics, all compressed and integrated into Lin Feng's mind. He now possessed the theoretical knowledge of how to fight, even if his body hadn't yet practiced the movements.
It was like suddenly having access to a library containing every martial technique ever created, but being unable to read because your body didn't know how to turn the pages.
Practice would change that. Time would change that.
DAY FOUR: ASCENSION
The fourth day brought a change so profound that Lin Feng's consciousness nearly shattered under its weight.
The Divine Rebirth Pill had one final gift: forced ascension.
Normally, breaking through cultivation ranks required careful preparation, accumulation of energy, and passing tribulations sent by the heavens themselves. The process could take years, decades, even centuries depending on the rank.
The pill cared nothing for such limitations.
Lin Feng felt his newly formed Heart of the Void begin to spin, faster and faster, creating a gravitational pull that drew in the residual energy of the ancient chamber. The Void Emperor's lingering power, sealed in this place for a hundred millennia, finally found a purpose.
The ascension bypassed the first five ranks entirely:
Mortal Awakening - skipped, unnecessary Spiritual Foundation - skipped, already perfect Core Condensation - skipped, the Heart of Void transcended simple cores Golden Transformation - skipped, his transformation was already divine Nascent Soul - skipped, his soul was being forged in void fire
And arrived directly at the sixth rank: Divine Domain, Level 1.
The moment the breakthrough occurred, Lin Feng's consciousness expanded.
Suddenly he could feel space itself. Not just the chamber, but the ravine beyond it, the forest around it, even the distant peaks of the sect. He could sense the curvature of reality, the way space folded and bent, the places where it was strong and where it was weak.
This was the Divine Domain—the ability to manifest and control a personal reality that imposed your will on the world.
His domain took form in his mind's eye: an infinite darkness studded with silver stars, a floor of black glass that reflected the cosmos, an absence of sound, an absolute zero temperature. The Eternal Void, his personal domain, born from the essence of nothingness itself.
But with the breakthrough came danger.
The heavens noticed.
Lin Feng's eyes snapped open as he felt something vast and terrible turn its attention toward him. High above, beyond the mountain, beyond the clouds, beyond the mortal realm itself, the Heavenly Dao—the mechanism that governed cultivation and enforced cosmic law—detected an anomaly.
A tribulation should have been forming, lightning gathering to test his worthiness for such power.
But before the tribulation could fully manifest, something activated. From the Void Emperor's skeleton, a talisman burst into existence—paper so old it should have crumbled to dust, covered in formations so complex they hurt to look at.
The Celestial Erasure Talisman.
The paper ignited with silver fire and disintegrated, but not before completing its purpose. The formation it released spread outward in a wave of invisible energy, reaching up to the heavens themselves and... erasing Lin Feng's signature.
As far as the Heavenly Dao was concerned, Lin Feng's breakthrough had never occurred. He simply didn't exist in its records.
The gathering tribulation clouds dispersed, confused, finding no target.
"I prepared this specifically for my heir," the Void Emperor's voice explained. "The heavens would never allow the Inverse Void Dao to rise again without trying to crush it in its infancy. This talisman cost me fifty years of life to create, but it has bought you time. You are invisible to heaven's gaze now—at least until you grow strong enough to challenge it openly."
Lin Feng felt the divine attention slide away, like a searchlight passing over without seeing. He released a breath he hadn't known he was holding.
The crisis passed. But a mark remained—burned into his back between his shoulder blades, invisible to normal sight but clear to spiritual senses. The Seal of Void Heritage, proof that he carried the Void Emperor's legacy.
DAY FIVE: INTEGRATION
The fifth day was quieter, but no less transformative.
With his cultivation base established at Divine Domain Level 1, Lin Feng's body underwent final refinements. His muscles, already reconstructed, now aligned perfectly with his new power. His bones, reinforced to inhuman strength, became conduits for void energy. His senses sharpened to supernatural levels.
But the most significant change was his appearance.
His hair, once simple black, now held streaks of silver that glinted like starlight. The transformation had bleached certain strands completely, creating a pattern that resembled a night sky. It fell longer now, reaching his shoulders, no longer the practical short style of a servant but flowing like a cultivator of true power.
His eyes, when they finally opened, had changed as well. They remained dark, almost black, but within their depths swirled something else—like looking into deep space and seeing galaxies being born and destroyed. Anyone who looked closely would see stars reflected in those eyes, even in complete darkness.
His skin had taken on a subtle luminescence, pale but not sickly. It was the pallor of someone who had touched the void and returned transformed. When light hit him at certain angles, his skin seemed almost translucent, revealing the network of Void Channels pulsing beneath.
On his chest, directly over his heart, a scar had formed during the reconstruction—shaped like a silver star with eight points. The Voidstar Mark, a permanent reminder of his rebirth.
The artifacts that had been floating around him now bonded to his newly perfected body:
The Emperor's Spatial Ring slid onto his right index finger, shrinking to fit perfectly. The moment it touched his skin, he felt a connection establish. Inside the ring was a space of roughly one thousand cubic kilometers—large enough to store a small mountain. And filling that space were the Void Emperor's accumulated treasures:
Resources counted:
100,000,000 Superior Spirit Stones (each stone worth 10,000 regular spirit stones) 500 Emperor-rank Pills (various effects: breakthrough, healing, lifespan extension) 50 Saint-rank Pills (treasures that could cause wars between sects) 12 Emperor-rank Technique Manuals (covering different cultivation aspects) 3 Saint-rank Technique Manuals (forbidden knowledge) Various rare herbs, beast cores, formation materials, and other treasures
The wealth inside the ring could purchase entire continents.
The Robe of Thousand Stars wrapped around him, replacing his tattered servant's garments. The fabric felt like silk and steel simultaneously, comfortable yet protective. With a thought, he could change its appearance—currently it settled into simple dark robes suitable for travel, black with subtle silver embroidery at the hems.
The robe's true function, however, was concealment. It could mask his cultivation level, making him appear as anything from a mortal to a Nascent Soul cultivator. Essential for survival.
The Twin Soul Pendant hung around his neck on a silver chain, resting against his sternum just above the Voidstar Mark. The pendant was warm to the touch, pulsing with a gentle rhythm like a second heartbeat. Its purpose remained mysterious, though the Void Emperor's memories hinted at its function: locating one's destined companion.
The Void-Rending Sword remained floating nearby, not yet bonded. Unlike the other artifacts, the sword required something more than mere contact. It required acknowledgment.
"Yue Ling," the Void Emperor's voice said, addressing the sword, "this is my chosen heir. He carries my legacy, my techniques, my burden. Will you accept him?"
The sword pulsed once. Twice. A third time.
Then, nothing.
"She needs time," the Emperor explained. "Yue Ling served me for eighty thousand years. She watched me die, unable to prevent it. Her spirit sleeps now, wounded by grief and failure. She will wake when she is ready—when you prove yourself worthy in her eyes, not just in mine."
The sword floated into Lin Feng's spatial ring, settling into a specially prepared space where it could rest undisturbed.
Finally, the Tome of Forgotten Formations opened before him. Pages flipped rapidly, downloading formation knowledge directly into his mind. Ancient arrays, defensive barriers, offensive traps, spatial manipulations—thousands of formations that had been lost to time now resided in his memory.
This knowledge would prove invaluable. Formations were the foundation of sect defenses, treasure protection, and cultivation spaces. A formation master was respected everywhere, even in enemy territory.
DAY SIX: AWAKENING
On the sixth day, Lin Feng began to wake.
Not physically—his body remained in the trance-like state required for complete transformation. But mentally, spiritually, he became aware of his surroundings again.
The chamber looked different now. His enhanced spiritual sense revealed layers of reality he'd never perceived before. He could see the ancient formations not as simple glowing runes but as three-dimensional structures of woven energy, impossibly complex, maintaining the seal on this place for a hundred millennia.
He could feel the Void Emperor's residual presence everywhere—like the echo of a great bell that had finished ringing but whose vibration still trembled in the air.
And he could feel his own power, newly awakened, vast and terrifying.
Divine Domain Level 1.
He was now among the top hundred cultivators in the entire Eastern Continent. At twenty-two years old. After being the weakest person in his sect for fourteen years.
The irony was so sharp it could cut.
But with the power came responsibility—and danger. The Void Emperor's memories made that clear. Every major power in the world would want to either recruit him or kill him if they knew what he possessed. The three traitors who had murdered the Void Emperor would stop at nothing to eliminate his heir.
He needed to hide. To prepare. To grow stronger before revealing himself.
The final integration of memories occurred during the sixth day. Lin Feng experienced the Void Emperor's life in fragments:
A childhood of suffering, worse even than his own. Betrayal by family. Abandonment. Years of wandering as a beggar.
The discovery of an ancient cave—so similar to this one—where a previous inheritor of the Void had left their legacy.
The revelation that the Inverse Void Dao was not created by the Void Emperor at all, but passed down through a secret lineage stretching back to the mythical Age of Ancients.
Centuries of cultivation, growing stronger through talent and determination. Making allies. Building a reputation. Rising from nothing to become an Immortal Emperor respected by all.
Meeting three others who shared his vision of reaching the pinnacle: the Eternal Light Lord, the Blood Immortal Empress, and the Inverse Karma Sage. Swearing brotherhood, pledging to support each other unto death.
That oath, broken. The ambush in the Primordial Chaos Realm. Three against one. The Blood Immortal Empress's tears as she drove her blade through his chest: "I loved you. But I love power more."
The final moments. Dragging his broken body back to the mortal realm. Sealing this cave. Preparing the inheritance. The last thought: "I failed. But perhaps my heir will not."
The memories were not just information—they were experience. Lin Feng felt the Emperor's emotions, his regrets, his hopes. In a strange way, they had become one person spanning a hundred thousand years of existence.
"Avenge me if you can," the Emperor's voice whispered, fainter now. "But more importantly: survive. Live the life I could not. Break the chains I never escaped. Become something greater than I ever was."
Lin Feng's eyes opened slowly, truly awake for the first time.
"I will," he said aloud, his voice echoing through the chamber. It sounded different now—deeper, carrying an authority that came from touching the void itself. "I swear it."
DAY SEVEN: REBIRTH COMPLETE
The seventh day brought stillness.
The Divine Rebirth Pill had exhausted its power. The transformations were complete. The integration of the inheritance was finished. What remained was simply... adjustment.
Lin Feng sat up slowly on the jade dais. Every movement felt strange, as if he were wearing someone else's body—which, in a sense, he was. This body bore little resemblance to the malnourished servant who had stumbled into the cave seven days ago.
He stood, testing his balance. Perfect. He clenched his fists, feeling the power coiled in his muscles. Immense. He extended his spiritual sense, feeling the world around him in exquisite detail. Overwhelming.
The Void Emperor's skeleton remained seated in eternal meditation, its bones now dull and lifeless. All of its residual energy had been transferred to Lin Feng. What remained was simply remains—the shell of someone who had once touched godhood.
Lin Feng bowed deeply to the skeleton. "Thank you, Void Emperor Shen Yuan. I will carry your legacy with honor. Your death will be avenged. Your techniques will not be lost. And the path you pioneered will finally be completed."
The bones did not respond. How could they? The Emperor was gone, his consciousness dissipated a hundred millennia ago. Only his inheritance remained, now living in Lin Feng's transformed body.
With reverence, Lin Feng used his newly learned formation knowledge to create a preservation array around the skeleton. The Void Emperor deserved better than to slowly crumble to dust in this forgotten cave. When Lin Feng grew strong enough, he would return and build a proper monument.
But not yet. Now, survival was paramount.
He walked to the chamber's exit, each step steady despite his body being completely transformed. At the entrance, he paused and looked back one final time.
Everything has changed. I have changed. But the world outside remains the same—still cruel, still harsh, still favoring the strong.
The difference is that now... I AM strong.
A smile touched his lips—not the sad, resigned smile of Lin Feng the servant, but something sharper, more confident.
But they don't know that yet. And that ignorance... that will be my greatest weapon.
He activated the Robe of Thousand Stars's concealment function. Immediately, his cultivation level plummeted in appearance, settling at... Mortal Awakening Level 3. A believable breakthrough for someone who had been stuck at the threshold for years. Just talented enough to avoid suspicion, but not so talented as to attract unwanted attention.
Perfect.
With one last look at the Void Emperor's eternal meditation, Lin Feng stepped through the cave entrance and back into the ravine.
The forest was silent, peaceful. Seven days had passed, but out here, time had moved normally. The Shadow Wolves were gone, probably having found easier prey. His blood on the stones had dried to brown stains.
Looking up at the ravine walls, Lin Feng could see the route he'd fallen down—a chaotic tumble that should have killed him. Would have killed him, if not for incredible luck.
Or was it luck? Or was it fate?
He considered the climb out. With his Divine Domain cultivation, he could simply teleport directly to the top using Void Step. Or create platforms of solidified space to walk on. Or—
No. Not yet.
If anyone from the sect had their spiritual sense extended and detected such blatant use of space manipulation, questions would be asked. He needed to return as Lin Feng the servant who had barely survived, not as a mysterious powerhouse who had appeared from nowhere.
So he climbed. Normally. Using handholds and footholds, pulling himself up through pain that his transformed body barely registered. To any observer, he would appear as an injured mortal struggling to escape.
The climb took an hour. When he finally pulled himself over the edge and collapsed on solid ground, gasping dramatically (though he wasn't actually tired), he allowed himself a moment of satisfaction.
Seven days ago, I fell into that ravine as waste. Today, I climb out as something the world has never seen.
Let the game begin.
The journey back through the forbidden zone should have been terrifying for someone of "Mortal Awakening Level 3," but Lin Feng navigated it with ease. His spiritual sense detected spirit beasts long before they could ambush him. His knowledge of formations allowed him to identify and avoid ancient traps. And on the rare occasion something dangerous approached, a subtle pulse of his true aura—invisible to normal detection—convinced beasts to find somewhere else to be.
Even natural predators recognized an apex predator when they encountered one.
It took six hours to reach the edge of the forbidden zone. By the time he crossed back into sect territory, night had fallen. The moons—three in this world, each a different size—cast silver light through the bamboo forests.
Lin Feng paused at the boundary, considering his story. He'd been gone for seven days. People would have questions. Xiao Ling would have worried. Elder Shen might have reported him missing.
But more importantly, Zhao Kun would be surprised he'd survived.
What would Lin Feng the servant do? How would he explain his absence?
He examined his appearance in a still pond. The Robe of Thousand Stars had shifted to resemble his old servant's garments, though cleaner and less tattered than before. His hair, despite the silver streaks, could be attributed to trauma. His eyes... well, people would see what they expected to see. And what they expected was the same weak, pathetic servant who had left.
His story formed: Got lost in the back mountains. Fell into a cave. Found some old herbs that helped him have a minor breakthrough to Mortal Awakening Level 3. Spent days finding his way back.
Believable. Mundane. Perfect.
He reached into his spatial ring and withdrew a handful of the Azure Spirit Moss that Elder Shen had requested. The ring contained enough rare herbs to supply the sect's alchemy halls for a century, but he would only show what was expected.
With his story prepared and his appearance adjusted, Lin Feng walked back into the servant's quarters of the Celestial Dawn Sect.
The few servants still awake at this hour stared in shock.
"Lin Feng?!"
"You're alive!"
"We thought the spirit beasts had—"
He raised a hand weakly, playing his role. "I got lost. Fell into a cave. I'm fine, just tired."
They swarmed him with questions, but he deflected them all, claiming exhaustion. The truth was he could have gone another week without sleep, his Divine Domain cultivation making such mortal needs trivial. But Lin Feng the servant would be exhausted, so he would act exhausted.
"Where's Xiao Ling?" he asked.
"She's been searching the outer forests every day looking for you," someone said. "We had to restrain her from going into the forbidden zone herself. She's sleeping now, finally."
Guilt twisted in Lin Feng's chest. His little sister had suffered because of him. That, at least, wasn't an act.
"I'll see her in the morning," he said. "For now... I need to report to Elder Shen."
"At this hour? It's nearly midnight!"
"He was waiting for the herbs. I won't make him wait any longer."
They let him go, and Lin Feng made his way through the darkened sect paths toward Elder Shen's gardens. The old cultivator's cottage had a single light burning—the elder was awake, probably worrying.
Lin Feng knocked softly.
"Enter."
He pushed open the door to find Elder Shen sitting at a low table, a cup of cold tea forgotten beside him. The old cultivator looked up, and his eyes widened.
"Lin Feng." The elder stood slowly, his ancient knees creaking. "Seven days. I thought—" He stopped, composing himself. "You survived."
"Yes, Elder." Lin Feng bowed and withdrew the Azure Spirit Moss. "The herbs you requested."
Elder Shen took them automatically, but his eyes never left Lin Feng's face. "You look... different."
He notices. Of course he notices. He's been stuck at Golden Transformation for three centuries—his perception is sharper than most.
"The back mountains were difficult, Elder. I fell, got lost, had to hide from spirit beasts. It was... transformative."
"Transformative." Elder Shen's eyes narrowed. "Let me see your cultivation."
Lin Feng released a controlled amount of aura—just enough to register as Mortal Awakening Level 3. The elder's eyes widened further.
"You broke through. In the back mountains. While surviving alone for seven days."
"I found a cave with some spiritual herbs. They helped me finally open my meridians properly. I know it's not much, but—"
"Not much?" Elder Shen laughed, a sound somewhere between disbelief and amazement. "Boy, you've been stuck at the threshold for fourteen years. This is a miracle." He paused, studying Lin Feng more carefully. "Show me your meridians."
Dangerous. If he looks too closely—
But Lin Feng couldn't refuse without causing suspicion. He extended his arm, allowing Elder Shen to check his spiritual channels through a basic diagnostic technique.
The elder's face went pale. "Your meridians... they're perfect. Not just healed, but perfect. Better than mine. Better than any I've seen in four hundred years."
"The herbs must have been exceptional quality," Lin Feng said carefully.
"Exceptional." Elder Shen released his arm, staring at him. "Lin Feng... what really happened in those mountains?"
For a moment, Lin Feng considered telling the truth. Elder Shen had always been kind to him. Never mocked, never sneered. If anyone in the sect deserved to know—
No. Not yet. The fewer people who know, the safer everyone is.
"I got lucky, Elder. That's all. Lucky to survive, lucky to break through."
Elder Shen studied him for a long moment, then sighed. "You're lying. Or at least, not telling the full truth. But..." He raised a hand before Lin Feng could protest. "But I'm old enough to recognize when someone has their reasons. Whatever happened in those mountains, it's your secret to keep."
Relief washed through Lin Feng. "Thank you, Elder."
"Don't thank me yet." The elder's expression grew serious. "Your breakthrough will draw attention. Zhao Kun sent you into the forbidden zone hoping you'd die. When he learns you not only survived but broke through... he'll be furious. Jealous. Dangerous."
"I can handle Zhao Kun."
I could obliterate Zhao Kun with a thought. Could tear him apart molecule by molecule using the void. Could trap him in a spatial prison where he'd age a thousand years in an instant.
But Elder Shen didn't need to know that.
"I'm sure you believe that," the elder said. "But be careful. A rabid dog is most dangerous when cornered. And you've just proven you're not the helpless prey he thought you were."
"I'll be careful, Elder. Thank you for your concern."
Elder Shen nodded slowly. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, the sect will want to test your new cultivation level. And..." He hesitated. "The Sacred Disciple returned three days ago. Yun Qingxue. She's been asking about the servant who disappeared into the back mountains."
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. "Why would she care about a servant?"
"I don't know." Elder Shen's expression was puzzled. "But she came here herself, to my gardens, and asked specifically about you. By name. When I told her you'd been sent to the forbidden zone and hadn't returned, she looked... troubled. Then she left without another word."
The Twin Soul Pendant beneath Lin Feng's robe suddenly grew warm against his chest. Not painfully so, but noticeably. A gentle pulse, like a heartbeat that wasn't his own.
The pendant. It's reacting. But to what? To mention of her? Or to her proximity?
"I see," Lin Feng said, keeping his voice neutral despite his racing thoughts. "That's... unexpected."
"Unexpected is an understatement. The Ice Goddess herself, concerned about a Disciple Servant. The sect is buzzing with speculation." Elder Shen fixed him with a meaningful look. "Be careful, boy. Attention from someone at that level—even benign attention—can be as dangerous as enmity. People will notice. People will talk. And people will wonder why."
"I understand, Elder. I'll keep my head down."
"See that you do." The old cultivator moved to his door, opening it in clear dismissal. "Now go. Rest. Tomorrow begins a new chapter of your life, whether you want it to or not."
Lin Feng bowed and stepped out into the night. The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving him alone in the darkened garden.
The Twin Soul Pendant pulsed again, warmer this time.
Yun Qingxue. The Sacred Disciple. The Ice Goddess.
He'd never even seen her in person. In fourteen years at the sect, their paths had never crossed—how could they? She lived in the celestial halls atop the highest peak. He lived in the servant's quarters in the lowest valley. She was a peerless genius who had reached Divine Domain Level 4 at twenty years old. He had been... waste.
But if the pendant is reacting to her...
The Void Emperor's memories stirred, providing context. The Twin Soul Pendant was an artifact of profound rarity, created by a Demi-God cultivator of the Primordial Era who had mastered the Dao of Fate itself. Its purpose was singular: to locate one's destined companion—the person whose soul resonated with yours across the infinite possibilities of existence.
The pendant couldn't be fooled. Couldn't be tricked. It recognized truth that existed beyond mortal comprehension.
If it's reacting to Yun Qingxue, that means...
Lin Feng's hand unconsciously moved to his chest, feeling the pendant's warmth through the fabric of his robe.
Impossible. A Sacred Disciple and a servant? The sect would never allow it. Her family would never allow it. She's engaged to Li Xian—everyone knows that.
But the pendant didn't care about politics or propriety. It only cared about destiny.
"This complicates things," Lin Feng muttered to himself.
A night bird called from somewhere in the bamboo forest. The three moons painted the world in shades of silver and shadow. And Lin Feng stood at the crossroads of his new life, feeling the weight of inheritance, power, and now... destiny.
One problem at a time. First, survive tomorrow. Deal with Zhao Kun's reaction. Establish my new cultivation level without raising too much suspicion. Then...
Then he would worry about why the Ice Goddess had asked about him. And why his pendant recognized her as his destined companion.
DAWN OF THE EIGHTH DAY
Lin Feng hadn't slept. He'd spent the night in his small room in the servants' quarters—a space barely large enough for a sleeping mat and a small chest—pretending to rest while actually meditating on his new cultivation.
The Inverse Void Dao was unlike anything described in the sect's libraries. Normal cultivation involved drawing in spiritual energy from the environment, refining it, and storing it in the dantian. It was accumulation—gathering power like filling a reservoir.
The Inverse Void Dao worked in reverse. Instead of drawing energy in, it drew from the void itself—the fundamental nothingness that existed between all things. His Heart of the Void didn't store energy; it was energy, compressed into a singularity of infinite potential.
The more he practiced, the more he understood why the heavens themselves feared this path. Normal cultivators were subject to natural laws. But someone who mastered the void could ignore those laws entirely. Space, time, matter, energy—all of these were temporary constructs painted on the canvas of nothingness. Master the canvas, and you could erase the painting.
No wonder the Void Emperor was betrayed. Power like this threatens the natural order itself.
A soft knock interrupted his meditation.
"Lin Feng? Are you awake?"
Xiao Ling's voice, trembling with barely contained emotion.
He opened the door to find his "little sister" standing in the dawn light, her eyes red from crying. The moment she saw him, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug.
"You idiot!" she sobbed into his chest. "Seven days! I thought you were dead! I searched every day and they wouldn't let me go into the mountains and I thought—I thought—"
Lin Feng's heart clenched. This, at least, was simple. Pure. One person genuinely caring about another with no politics, no schemes, no hidden motives.
He hugged her back gently. "I'm sorry, Xiao Ling. I didn't mean to worry you."
"Don't ever do that again!" She pulled back, wiping her eyes furiously. "Promise me! No more forbidden zones, no more dangerous missions!"
I can't promise that. My path forward will be nothing but danger.
But he said: "I'll be more careful. I promise."
She seemed to accept that, finally noticing his appearance properly. Her eyes widened. "Your hair! It has silver in it! And your eyes are... different. What happened?"
"I fell into a cave. Found some herbs that helped me break through to Mortal Awakening Level 3. The transformation must have affected my appearance."
"Level 3?" Her mouth fell open. "But that's—that's amazing! After all these years!" She grabbed his hands, beaming. "I told you! I told you that one day you'd show them all!"
Her joy was infectious and genuine. Lin Feng couldn't help but smile back. "It's just a small breakthrough, nothing compared to—"
"Nothing?" She shook her head emphatically. "This is everything! Now you can start training properly! You can take missions! You can—" She paused, her excitement dimming slightly. "You can leave the servant's quarters."
There it was—the unspoken truth. With Mortal Awakening Level 3, he could petition to become an Outer Disciple. He would no longer be stuck as a servant. He would have access to better resources, better training, a path forward.
But he would also enter the world of sect politics. Of competition. Of hierarchies where strength determined everything.
"I don't know if I want to," Lin Feng admitted. "Being a servant... it's simple. Safe."
Safe. As if anything about my existence is safe anymore.
"Safe?!" Xiao Ling looked incredulous. "Lin Feng, people like Zhao Kun treat you like dirt! You deserve better! With your breakthrough, you could—"
"Xiao Ling." He squeezed her hands gently. "Let me think about it, okay? Everything happened so fast. I just need time to adjust."
She bit her lip, clearly wanting to argue more, but finally nodded. "Okay. But promise me you'll at least consider it?"
"I promise."
They were interrupted by the sound of multiple footsteps approaching. Lin Feng's spiritual sense had already detected them—five Elite Disciples, led by Zhao Kun, making their way toward the servants' quarters with clear purpose.
Here we go.
"Xiao Ling," he said quietly. "Go to the kitchens. Now."
"But—"
"Please. Trust me."
Something in his tone made her hesitate, then nod reluctantly. She slipped away just as Zhao Kun and his entourage rounded the corner.
The Elite Disciple looked surprised to see Lin Feng standing there, very much alive. That surprise quickly transformed into poorly concealed fury.
"Well, well," Zhao Kun drawled, his voice dripping with false pleasantry. "The waste returns from the dead. How disappointing—I mean, how wonderful."
The four disciples with him laughed dutifully at their leader's "joke."
Lin Feng bowed respectfully, playing his role. "Senior Brother Zhao. I completed the mission you assigned. The Azure Spirit Moss has been delivered to Elder Shen."
"Is that so?" Zhao Kun stepped closer, his spiritual pressure pressing down—a casual display of dominance that any Nascent Soul cultivator could exert over those beneath them. "Seven days to collect some moss. Most disciples could do it in an afternoon. But I suppose we can't all be competent, can we?"
One thought. One pulse of my true cultivation, and his spiritual pressure would collapse like wet paper. His Nascent Soul would crack. He would be lucky to survive with his cultivation intact.
But Lin Feng simply lowered his head, accepting the implied criticism. "I got lost, Senior Brother. The back mountains are difficult to navigate."
"Lost." Zhao Kun's smile widened. "How typical. Tell me, did you at least manage to—" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing. "Wait. Your cultivation..."
He'd finally noticed. The other Elite Disciples noticed too, their expressions shifting from amusement to surprise.
"You broke through?" Zhao Kun's voice was flat, dangerous. "You... actually broke through?"
"Yes, Senior Brother. I was fortunate to find some spirit herbs in a cave. They helped me finally reach Mortal Awakening Level 3."
The silence that followed was heavy with implications. Zhao Kun's face had gone through several colors—surprise, disbelief, anger, and finally settling on a carefully neutral expression that was somehow more threatening than his earlier fury.
"Level 3," he repeated slowly. "After fourteen years stuck at the threshold, you stumble into a cave and conveniently break through. How... fortunate."
"Yes, Senior Brother. Very fortunate."
"So fortunate that one might almost suspect you'd been hiding your true cultivation all along." Zhao Kun circled him slowly, like a predator examining prey. "After all, it's awfully convenient that you break through immediately after I send you on a dangerous mission."
He's trying to spin this as me faking weakness. Clever. If he can convince others I was deliberately deceiving the sect, I could be punished for it.
"I would never hide my cultivation from the sect, Senior Brother," Lin Feng said carefully. "My meridians were fractured. Everyone knew that. The breakthrough only happened because of the herbs I found."
"Herbs." Zhao Kun's tone made it clear what he thought of that explanation. "And I suppose you have proof of these miraculous herbs?"
"I used them to break through. They were consumed in the process."
"How convenient."
One of the other Elite Disciples—a young man named Chen Wei—stepped forward. "Senior Brother Zhao, perhaps we should take him to the Testing Hall? Let the elders verify his cultivation? If he's telling the truth, the matter is settled. If he's been deceiving the sect..."
The implication hung in the air like a blade.
Zhao Kun's smile returned, sharp as broken glass. "An excellent suggestion, Junior Brother Chen. Lin Feng, you will come with us to the Testing Hall immediately. The elders will examine your cultivation and determine the truth of your... breakthrough."
This could actually work in my favor. An official examination by the elders would legitimize my story. Once they confirm my cultivation is genuine—which it is, just not at the level they think—Zhao Kun will have no ground to stand on.
"Of course, Senior Brother Zhao. I have nothing to hide."
"We'll see about that."
They marched him through the sect grounds like a prisoner being led to judgment. Servants and outer disciples stopped to stare, whispers spreading like wildfire. By the time they reached the Testing Hall—a large pavilion near the center of the sect—a crowd had begun to gather.
News traveled fast in a cultivation sect, especially scandalous news. A Disciple Servant breaking through after fourteen years? Being accused of hiding his cultivation? This was entertainment.
The Testing Hall was overseen by Elder Yuan, a stern woman at the peak of Golden Transformation Realm who served as the sect's chief examiner. She looked up from her desk as the group entered, her sharp eyes taking in Zhao Kun's aggressive posture and Lin Feng's calm demeanor.
"Elder Yuan," Zhao Kun bowed respectfully. "We request an official cultivation examination for this servant. There are... questions about the legitimacy of his recent breakthrough."
Elder Yuan's eyebrows rose fractionally. "Questions from whom?"
"From me, Elder. I sent him on a mission to the back mountains seven days ago. He returns claiming to have broken through to Mortal Awakening Level 3, but the circumstances are suspicious."
"Suspicious how?"
"He claims to have found miraculous herbs in a cave that just happened to heal his fractured meridians and grant him a breakthrough. With no proof and no witnesses." Zhao Kun's voice was smooth, reasonable. "I merely wish to ensure the integrity of the sect's cultivation records."
Clever. He's framing this as concern for the sect rather than personal vendetta.
Elder Yuan turned her attention to Lin Feng. "Is this true? You're claiming a breakthrough to Mortal Awakening Level 3?"
"Yes, Elder Yuan." Lin Feng bowed. "After fourteen years at the threshold, I was finally able to open my meridians properly."
"And the herbs Senior Brother Zhao mentioned?"
"I found them in a cave in the back mountains. They helped heal my fractured meridians. I consumed them during the breakthrough process."
Elder Yuan studied him for a long moment. Unlike Zhao Kun, her scrutiny held no malice—only the careful attention of someone whose job was to separate truth from deception.
"Very well," she said finally. "Step into the Testing Formation."
The Testing Formation was a circular array of jade stones inlaid into the floor, covered in formation runes that glowed with soft golden light. It was designed to analyze a cultivator's spiritual channels, cultivation level, and energy purity without the possibility of deception.
Lin Feng stepped into the circle calmly. The formation activated immediately, golden light rising around him like a gentle fire.
The key is control. The Robe of Thousand Stars is already masking my true cultivation, but the formation is sophisticated. I need to actively suppress my aura to exactly Mortal Awakening Level 3—no more, no less.
The Void Emperor's memories provided the technique. Lin Feng's consciousness split into layers—his true cultivation hidden in the depths like an ocean floor, while only the smallest waves of energy reached the surface.
The formation's light intensified, scanning every aspect of his spiritual presence. The crowd outside pressed closer, trying to see the results.
Elder Yuan watched the formation's readings with professional detachment. After several minutes, the light faded and the formation deactivated.
"Well?" Zhao Kun couldn't quite keep the anticipation out of his voice.
Elder Yuan examined the jade tablets that had recorded the formation's findings. Her expression remained neutral as she read, but Lin Feng's enhanced senses caught the slight widening of her eyes, the subtle shift in her breathing.
She found something. But what?
"The examination is complete," Elder Yuan announced to the gathering crowd. "Lin Feng's cultivation is confirmed at Mortal Awakening Level 3. The breakthrough is genuine."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd—surprise, disbelief, a few scattered laughs at Zhao Kun's expense.
But Elder Yuan continued: "However, there is something unusual about his spiritual channels."
The murmuring stopped. Zhao Kun leaned forward eagerly.
"His meridians are not just healed," Elder Yuan said carefully. "They are... perfect. Flawless. I have never seen spiritual channels of such quality in a cultivator below Core Condensation. Whatever herbs he consumed, they didn't just heal his fractures—they reconstructed his entire foundation."
Damn. I should have made them less perfect. But I couldn't risk any flaws that might cause problems later.
"Perfect meridians?" someone in the crowd whispered. "That's... that's the foundation of a supreme genius!"
"But he's only at Level 3 of Mortal Awakening..."
"Yes, but with that foundation, his future potential..."
The crowd's perception was shifting rapidly. What had seemed like a pathetic servant getting lucky was now looking like the early stages of a hidden dragon. Perfect spiritual channels were something even wealthy young masters from great families couldn't guarantee. Such quality was usually only seen in legendary geniuses or those born with special constitutions.
Zhao Kun's face had gone pale, then red. He'd wanted to humiliate Lin Feng, to prove he was a fraud. Instead, he'd inadvertently revealed that the servant he'd tried to kill possessed jade-level talent.
"Elder Yuan," Zhao Kun said through gritted teeth, "surely such perfect meridians are suspicious? How could random herbs—"
"Are you questioning my examination, Senior Brother Zhao?" Elder Yuan's voice was ice. "Do you believe I am incompetent? Or perhaps complicit in some imagined deception?"
"No, Elder, I merely—"
"The testing formation does not lie. Cannot lie. Unless you're suggesting the sect's most sacred verification array has somehow been compromised?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
Zhao Kun realized he'd stepped into a trap of his own making. Insulting Elder Yuan's competence was insulting the sect's examination system itself. Such accusations required proof—proof he didn't have.
"Of course not, Elder Yuan," he said, bowing deeply. "I was merely surprised by such an unprecedented result."
"As are we all. But unprecedented is not the same as fraudulent." Elder Yuan turned to Lin Feng. "You are dismissed. However, I will need to report this matter to the Patriarch. Perfect spiritual channels are rare enough to warrant his attention."
The Patriarch. That complicates things.
"I understand, Elder Yuan. Thank you for the examination."
As Lin Feng turned to leave, Elder Yuan added: "One more thing. With your breakthrough and meridian quality, you are eligible to petition for Outer Disciple status. I recommend you do so. Remaining as a servant would be... wasteful."
The word hung in the air, heavy with irony. Wasteful. They used to call him "the waste." Now remaining a waste would be wasteful.
"I will consider it, Elder. Thank you."
He walked out of the Testing Hall with his head down, playing the humble servant despite the storm of speculation erupting around him. But inside, his mind raced.
The examination confirmed my story but also made me interesting. People will pay attention now. Zhao Kun will be even more dangerous out of humiliation. And the Patriarch will want to see me.
I need to be very, very careful going forward.
He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the figure watching him from the shadow of a nearby pavilion until she stepped into his path.
She was breathtaking.
That was his first thought—not a cultivator's analytical observation, but a purely human reaction to perfection made manifest. Her robes were white as fresh snow with silver embroidery that caught the morning light like captured frost. Her hair fell in a cascade of midnight silk to her waist, held partially up by jade pins that seemed to glow with inner light. Her face was carved from porcelain, beautiful in a way that seemed almost otherworldly—high cheekbones, delicate features, eyes the color of glacial ice.
But it was her presence that truly stunned him. The aura of power that surrounded her like a visible force, making the very air feel heavier, colder. This was a cultivator at Divine Domain Level 4—power that could reshape landscapes and command the heavens.
And the Twin Soul Pendant against his chest suddenly blazed with heat so intense it felt like a brand.
Yun Qingxue. The Ice Goddess.
She stood perfectly still, regarding him with those glacial eyes. The crowd that had been following him from the Testing Hall suddenly found urgent business elsewhere, scattering like mice before a cat. Even Zhao Kun and his group melted away without a word.
No one wanted to be near when someone of her level took an interest in anything.
For a long moment, they simply stared at each other. Lin Feng's enhanced senses picked up details others would miss—the slight tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers curled slightly as if resisting the urge to reach for something, the almost imperceptible catch in her breathing.
And on her left wrist, partially hidden by her sleeve, a jade bracelet pulsed with the same rhythm as his pendant.
She has one too. An artifact of destiny. And it's reacting to me just as mine reacts to her.
Yun Qingxue was the first to break the silence, her voice like winter wind—cold but somehow not unpleasant:
"You are Lin Feng."
It wasn't a question. Her tone made it a statement of fact, as if she'd been memorizing his name.
"Yes, Sacred Disciple." He bowed respectfully, playing his role. "This servant greets you."
Something flickered in her eyes—annoyance? disappointment?—but her expression remained impassive.
"I heard you were missing in the back mountains. I am glad to see you survived."
Why would you care? Why would a Sacred Disciple concern herself with a servant's survival?
"Thank you for your concern, Sacred Disciple. I was fortunate."
"Fortunate," she repeated, her gaze dropping to his chest—where the Twin Soul Pendant lay hidden beneath his robe. Could she sense it? Could she feel the connection it was screaming about?
The jade bracelet on her wrist pulsed again, brighter this time.
"That artifact you carry," Yun Qingxue said suddenly. "Where did you obtain it?"
She knows. She can sense the pendant. And she knows what it means.
"I found it in a cave during my time in the back mountains," Lin Feng said carefully. "It seemed to call to me, so I kept it."
"Call to you." Her voice had gone even softer, barely above a whisper. "Yes. It would." She looked up, meeting his eyes directly for the first time.
And in that moment, Lin Feng felt it—a connection snapping into place like puzzle pieces finally finding their match. The pendant grew warm. The bracelet glowed. And between them, invisible to everyone else, a thread of golden light manifested in the spiritual realm—thin as spider silk but stronger than any chain.
The Dao Thread. The connection between destined souls.
Yun Qingxue's eyes widened, her perfect composure cracking for just an instant. She'd felt it too.
"This is impossible," she breathed.
"Yet it is happening."
They stood frozen, neither daring to move, as the Dao Thread settled into place. This wasn't something that could be hidden or dismissed. Destiny had made its declaration, and the universe itself acknowledged it.
Finally, Yun Qingxue stepped back, her composure slamming back into place like a door closing.
"We will speak of this later," she said, her voice once again controlled and cold. "Tonight. Meet me at the Lotus Pavilion after moonrise. Tell no one."
Before Lin Feng could respond, she turned and walked away, her white robes billowing behind her like snow caught in wind.
He stood alone in the empty courtyard, the pendant still warm against his chest, and realized that his new life had just become infinitely more complicated.
Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled—marking the hour.
The eighth day had truly begun.
END OF CHAPTER 2
TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 3: THE ICE GODDESS