The sun had barely crested over the horizon when Lin Feng opened his eyes.
His room remained cloaked in morning shadow, the early light just beginning to creep across the bamboo floor. Outside, birds began to chirp in the trees that lined the sect's outer compound. A soft breeze carried the scent of dew and pine through the paper-thin windows.
He did not stir.
Not yet.
His entire body thrummed with a power on the edge of eruption.
Today, he would ascend.
[System Notification – Hidden Realm Detected: Internal Meridian Spiral Reconfiguration Imminent]
Warning: Breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Realm will initiate a full internal reformation. All active cultivation channels will collapse and rebuild. Host must prepare mentally and physically.
System will enter Dormant Assistance Mode for the duration of the breakthrough. Estimated Duration: 6 hours.
Begin process?
Lin Feng slowly exhaled, his breath condensing into visible mist.
Six hours without system guidance.
A full-body breakdown and reconstruction.
If he failed, the backlash could cripple him—or worse.
But hesitation was no longer in his vocabulary.
"Begin."
Within the Mind Sea – The Collapse
As soon as the words left his mouth, the world shattered.
Lin Feng gasped as an invisible force yanked him inward—deep into the ocean of consciousness. His physical body slumped into a seated meditation pose, unmoving, even as his mind was thrown into a vortex of howling wind and lightning.
The qi channels within him began to crackle and splinter.
He felt each one tear open, felt the screaming energy writhe through him like fire.
Veins bulged across his skin. Blood leaked from the corners of his eyes, his ears, his mouth.
His heartbeat slowed.
Then stopped.
For an instant, Lin Feng hovered between death and transcendence.
Buried Memory
In the chaos, something stirred.
Not from the system. Not from cultivation.
But from within.
A memory, long buried, surfaced in his mind's eye—vivid and sharp.
A mountain.
A voice.
His father's voice.
"True strength, my son, lies not in power alone. It lies in the choice of how that power is used. You may be weak now, but your heart burns brighter than any flame I've seen."
Lin Feng, no older than five, had stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley. His father, a strong, scarred man with warm eyes, had stood beside him, hand on his shoulder.
"One day," his father had said, "you will reach heights I could never dream of. But never forget who you are. Or why you climb."
The image faded.
The pain returned.
But now… he endured.
The Core Awakens
With a silent boom, all of Lin Feng's meridians collapsed simultaneously.
A heartbeat passed.
Then a second.
And in that stillness, deep in his dantian, a new structure began to take shape.
A radiant Foundation Core—not the crude stone-type formed by most cultivators, but a translucent crystal lattice, threaded with starlight.
Astral Core: Type Unknown
Its very existence bent the natural laws of cultivation.
The qi within him surged inward, drawn to the forming core like water to a sinkhole. Spiritual energy, cosmic energy—even trace remnants of void essence—were sucked into the nexus of his being.
The process began to stabilize.
[System Rebooting… New Realm Detected: Foundation Establishment (Early Stage)]
Astral Core Formed – Unique Variation. Cultivation Speed: 1000x Baseline. System Synchronization: 87% Complete.
All Stats Increased. New Skill Tree Unlocked. New Abilities Available.
Lin Feng opened his eyes.
The world looked different.
Sharper. Slower.
As if time itself had slowed, granting him clarity.
Outside His Quarters – Uninvited Guests
Just as Lin Feng began to rise, he felt it: killing intent.
Faint. Hidden. But real.
It came from just beyond the threshold of his door.
Three signatures. All masked. All radiating peak Qi Condensation.
And one more in the distance. Watching. Measuring.
Assassins.
He moved instantly.
With a burst of qi-enhanced speed, he flickered across the room and kicked the door open.
The first masked man reacted fast—drawing twin daggers laced with poison—but not fast enough.
Lin Feng's palm struck him in the chest, unleashing a ripple of force.
Wave-Pulse Palm – Tier 2 Martial Art (Modified)
The man was thrown ten meters back, his chest caved in.
The second assassin lunged in low, blade aimed at Lin Feng's thigh.
He twisted and vanished—reappearing behind him.
A flash of silver light.
Blood sprayed as the second attacker crumpled, throat severed.
The third managed to shout a warning—only to be silenced by a beam of blue energy that erupted from Lin Feng's fingertip.
[Skill Activated – Astral Needle (Single-Target, Tier 1 Spiritual Technique)]
In mere seconds, it was over.
Only the distant watcher remained.
Hidden behind a veil technique.
Lin Feng stared directly at him.
And smirked.
"Tell your master I'm not so easily killed."
The hidden figure paused for a heartbeat—then disappeared.
That Evening – Elder Bai's Office
Elder Bai stared down at the corpses now laid out in front of him.
His expression unreadable.
"You killed them all?"
Lin Feng nodded.
Bai's eyes scanned the remains. "They were all late-stage Qi Condensation. Some among our top-ranked initiates."
"They tried to kill me," Lin Feng replied calmly. "Should I have invited them for tea?"
A bark of laughter escaped the elder.
"No. But I am curious who sent them."
"So am I."
Elder Bai leaned back. "You know what this means, don't you?"
Lin Feng nodded. "The Summit Trials won't be fair."
"They never were. But now, everyone will be watching you. Your enemies won't hold back."
"I don't want them to," Lin Feng said, stepping toward the door. "Let them all come."
Bai's eyes narrowed. "Don't get cocky, Lin Feng."
"I'm not." He paused at the door. "I'm ready."
And with that, he left.
[System Notification – Quest Update]
Prepare for the Summit Trials (4 Days Remaining)
✅ Defeat at least 3 seeded Inner Sect opponents
🔒 Impress senior elders
🔒 Survive attempted sabotage
Bonus Objectives Unlocked:
– Survive assassination attempt ✅
– Break through to Foundation Realm before Trials ✅
– Unlock Astral Core (Hidden Objective) ✅
Reward Pending – Distributed after Trial Completion.