The moon hung high over Glory City, bathing the Holy Orchid Institute in silver-blue light. The day's noise had faded, replaced by the quiet rustle of wind through trees and the soft hum of distant spirit beasts prowling outside the city walls.
Ling Tian stood alone in a secluded courtyard — one abandoned years ago due to unstable spiritual veins. But tonight, those faint streams of energy were enough for what he needed.
He drew a breath, calm and steady.
Time to begin.
From his storage ring, he pulled out a worn notebook — its pages filled with the cultivation insights of top-tier experts, pieced together over a decade of reading, watching, and analyzing the manhua in his past life. With this knowledge, even a cripple could defy heaven.
He dropped into a seated posture, back straight, palms resting on his knees. Slowly, he activated the Heavenly Void Circulation Technique — a long-lost method from a secret realm that Nie Li would only uncover months from now.
The spiritual energy around him responded. Slowly at first, then in a sudden surge, drawn to him like moths to flame. It twisted around his form — not just absorbing into his dantian, but weaving through his meridians in reverse flow.
Pain lanced through his body.
He clenched his teeth, enduring. His muscles tensed, bones creaked, sweat poured down his back.
Keep going, he told himself. This technique reforges the foundation. No pain, no progress.
Hours passed.
When he finally opened his eyes, the first light of dawn broke over the courtyard wall. His soul force had jumped — from Yellow 1-star to Yellow 3-star in one night. But more importantly, his spiritual sea had widened, allowing him to store more essence than cultivators three realms higher.
He exhaled sharply. "One step closer."
Unbeknownst to him, someone had been watching.
From a nearby rooftop, Xiao Ning'er crouched low, eyes narrowed, breath still. She had followed him, suspecting he was hiding something — but what she saw now defied belief.
"That technique…" she whispered. "It doesn't belong to any known clan."
She had never seen energy flow that violently through a person and survive — let alone advance in realm overnight.
Just who are you, Ling Tian?
She watched as he rose, calm and composed, tucking the notebook away.
He paused — then turned slightly, as if sensing her presence.
But after a moment, he walked off into the morning mist.
She remained in place, heart racing.
Whatever secrets he held… they were worth uncovering.
And maybe… protecting.