Darkness was not silent.
It observed.
It pressed in from all directions, heavy and ancient, carrying the weight of annihilation. There was no up or down, no before or after—only an endless void where even concepts decayed.
Yet within that void, consciousness remained.
So… I was not erased.
Lin Tian's awareness was cold, sharp, unshaken.
He remembered everything.
The Immortal Court kneeling beneath him.
The heavens trembling when he spoke.
The ten thousand Dao converging into his palm.
And then—
The betrayal.
The altar carved from Origin Laws.
The disciples he had personally uplifted, now standing in judgment.
The woman who had shared his bed for ten thousand years, smiling gently as her blade pierced straight through his Dao Heart.
The Heavenly Dao descending, roaring in satisfaction.
Origin Sovereign Realm… one step from transcendence.
And they feared me.
There was no regret.
No anger.
Only certainty.
If I live again… heaven will not be spared.
A ripple passed through the void.
Then—
[Annihilation failed.]
[Soul integrity confirmed.]
[Dao Imprint detected.]
[Initiating rebirth sequence.]
[Triggering — Infinite Dominion Meta System.]
The void shattered.
Light.
Sound.
Pain.
Lin Tian inhaled sharply as air flooded into lungs that felt impossibly small, impossibly weak. His chest convulsed. A thin, fragile cry tore from his throat.
"Waaah—!"
The sound startled him.
This body…
Infant.
His vision blurred, then slowly focused.
A cracked wooden ceiling. Mud walls. A single flickering oil lamp. The scent of damp straw and poverty filled the air.
A woman sobbed nearby, clutching him to her chest.
"He's breathing… he's alive… thank the heavens…"
Her heartbeat thudded against him—fast, anxious, real.
Mother, he concluded instantly.
Foreign memories surfaced—shallow, weak, insignificant. A nameless village. Mortal parents. No cultivation. No protection.
Lin Tian accepted them without resistance.
Low origin. No backing.
Perfect.
[Rebirth Complete.]
[Host: Lin Tian]
[Age: 0]
[Cultivation: None]
[Body Status: Mortal Infant]
[Soul Rank: Dao-Grade (Sealed)]
[System Fusion: Absolute]
The system's presence was vast, cold, and unquestionable.
Not servile.
Not emotional.
Good, Lin Tian thought. A system that understands hierarchy.
Then—
The air beside him distorted.
Not violently.
Not dramatically.
Reality simply… made room.
A barefoot figure stepped out of nothingness.
Silver hair flowed down her back like liquid starlight, unmoved by gravity. She wore simple, ethereal robes that seemed woven from light itself. Her feet hovered a finger's breadth above the ground.
Her eyes were calm.
Too calm.
Within them, streams of data flowed alongside rotating Dao runes—laws being calculated, rewritten, discarded.
Her lips curved faintly.
Amused.
She looked at Lin Tian.
And bowed.
Dominion Spirit: "Infinite Dominion Meta System — AI Spirit manifestation complete."
Dominion Spirit: "Designation acknowledged."
Dominion Spirit: "Master."
Lin Tian did not react outwardly.
Inside, however—
Materialized AI Spirit… beyond expectation.
And she kneels.
Excellent.
[Dominion Spirit Authority: Absolute]
[Visibility: Host Only]
[Detection: Impossible]
[Combat Permission: Locked (Early Phase)]
The woman holding him shivered suddenly.
"Did you feel that…?" she whispered.
Her husband shook his head. "Probably the cold."
They could not see her.
They never would.
The Dominion Spirit straightened, then glanced around the hut with mild curiosity, as though observing an ant colony.
Dominion Spirit: "Primitive environment confirmed."
Dominion Spirit: "Heavenly Dao influence: weak."
Dominion Spirit: "Erasure probability: negligible."
Her gaze returned to Lin Tian, eyes glinting faintly.
Dominion Spirit: "Rebirth outcome optimal."
Lin Tian closed his eyes.
System status.
[INFINITE DOMINION META SYSTEM]
[Host: Lin Tian]
[Realm: Mortal]
[Auto-Cultivation: Available (Passive Only)]
[Infinite Resources: Active]
[Guaranteed Success: Active]
[Amplification: Dormant]
[Sign-In System: Initializing]
[Level-Up Module: Locked]
[Library Access: Limited]
Library.
The Dominion Spirit raised a hand.
Reality folded.
Lin Tian's consciousness was pulled into an endless expanse.
Shelves upon shelves stretched beyond infinity, filled with glowing scriptures, spinning sigils, sealed bloodlines, forbidden techniques, professions, laws, and concepts that should not exist.
Most were sealed.
Waiting.
Dominion Spirit: "Library of Absolute Origin."
Dominion Spirit: "All cultivation paths, past and future."
Dominion Spirit: "Including those that heaven has not yet conceived."
A single scripture floated forward.
[Recommended Manual: Body-Origin Tempering Scripture (Perfected)]
Dominion Spirit: "Customized for your soul."
Dominion Spirit: "Failure probability: zero."
Lin Tian accepted.
Begin.
[Auto-Cultivation Engaged.]
[Mode: Passive Soul Nourishment.]
No aura erupted.
No energy surged.
Yet something fundamental changed.
His soul—vast, ancient, immeasurable—folded inward, nourishing the infant body without strain. Bones strengthened. Blood refined. Organs stabilized.
Perfect concealment.
Even heaven did not stir.
Dominion Spirit watched silently, faint amusement deepening.
Dominion Spirit: "Your existence contradicts this world."
Dominion Spirit: "I find that… pleasing."
Three Months Later
Qinghe Village remained poor.
Yet whispers began.
Lin Tian's parents no longer fell ill.
Their fatigue vanished faster.
Their strength subtly increased.
Each change triggered the system.
[Sign-In Triggered.]
[Related Individual: Mother]
[Health Improved.]
[Reward: Foundation Stability +2]
[Sign-In Triggered.]
[Related Individual: Father]
[Physical Strength Improved.]
[Reward: Body Tempering Progress +4]
Growth without limit, Lin Tian observed calmly.
Once I gather followers…
This world will cultivate for me.
One Year Later
Lin Tian stood.
Not crawled.
Not staggered.
Stood.
At one year old.
His parents froze in disbelief.
"T-Tian'er…?" his father whispered.
Lin Tian looked at them.
Then spoke.
Clearly.
"Father."
"Mother."
Silence exploded.
The Dominion Spirit appeared beside him, arms folded, silver hair cascading like moonlight.
Dominion Spirit: "Early intelligence exposure detected."
Dominion Spirit: "Risk acceptable."
She glanced at Lin Tian, eyes gleaming with faint amusement.
Dominion Spirit: "Fear often precedes reverence."
Lin Tian's gaze sharpened.
Begin Phase One.
[Phase One Activated.]
[Unlocking: Level-Up Module.]
[Unlocking: Kill Rewards.]
[Unlocking: Quest System.]
Far above the mortal world, the Heavenly Dao stirred.
Just slightly.
Not enough to notice.
Yet.
Lin Tian closed his eyes.
This life…
I will not climb heaven.
I will replace it.