At the very bottom of the collapsed canyon…
Ye Chen stood alone on the ancient stone platform.Before him, the Spirit Source Core floated in silence—radiating star-like light, spinning slowly, emitting deep, distant hums like echoes of the cosmos.
He sat cross-legged, placed two fingers on the core—and in the blink of an eye—
His consciousness was pulled away.
…
The world around him shifted.
No longer the canyon depths, he now stood within a vast and boundless spiritual realm.
Endless light rippled through the air. Stars hung low in the heavens. The entire space was woven from pure spiritual essence, sacred and divine.
At the center of this realm hovered a shadowy figure seated in midair.
Behind the figure floated nine spirit swords. Surrounding it were arrays, pill furnaces, ancient books, and glowing runes.
"Welcome, successor."
The figure opened its eyes.
Its voice was ethereal—dignified, but not hostile.
Ye Chen instinctively bowed. "Senior… who are you?"
"I am the final remnant of the ancient cultivation lineage. This Spirit Core holds my sealed consciousness. All who reach it… may glimpse my will and inherit my path."
Ye Chen's heart surged.
"So this is a legacy from the true cultivators of the old world?"
The shadow nodded slightly.
"You rebuilt the path of cultivation in a world starved of essence. You are worthy of the title—foundation of the Dao."
"Now, I shall grant you three arts"
Soul-Controlled Flying SwordSpirit Form ProjectionFive-Element Formation Evolution
"Do you accept?"
Ye Chen didn't hesitate. He bowed deeply.
"I do."
The shadow raised its hand.
The nine spirit swords behind it rang out, then transformed into streaks of golden light that pierced into Ye Chen's soul.
"To master these arts, you must nourish the sword with soul, evolve formation with spirit, and guide body through will."
"Unite the three—and one day, you may ascend to Nascent Soul and shatter the limits of this world."
Ye Chen's mind exploded with power.
His soul trembled as torrents of techniques, diagrams, mantras, and real combat memories flooded into him—searing themselves into his consciousness.
The transmission lasted over a quarter of an hour.
When he finally opened his eyes again, his aura had transformed.
This—was no longer the breath of a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This was the true path of a cultivator.
…
Meanwhile, outside the realm—
The collapse had stopped—but something even more terrifying had taken its place.
The sky darkened. A thundercloud formed silently over the shattered horizon.
Lightning had yet to fall, but every spiritual master present shuddered.
"…That's tribulation energy."
"Someone inside the realm has triggered the prelude… of a Heavenly Tribulation!"
At the royal viewing platform, elders stood in shock.
"That's not a battle aura breakthrough. Nor is it magical overflow. That is… the Dao responding to a cultivator."
"That Ye Chen—what has he become?!"
A robed emissary from one of the great sects clenched his fists.
"If he truly walks the ancient path… then he cannot be allowed to grow unchecked."
"This boy—must not be allowed to live."
…
Back at the Spirit Core—
Ye Chen opened his eyes.
He had not yet reached the Nascent Soul stage—but far above, in the skies beyond this world, he could feel it—
The storm was watching him.
The Tribulation had noticed.
He smiled faintly.
"I knew this day would come the moment I chose this path."
"I welcome it."