The training grounds buzzed with early morning energy.
Young cultivators in simple robes practiced Qi techniques under the stern eyes of their masters. Lian Ren stood apart, his gaze distant, mind swirling with confusion.
He had spent the past day trying to grasp the flow of Qi, just like the others, but every attempt ended in failure.
Where others could feel the warm pulse of energy within, he felt... nothing. Or worse, a strange heaviness in his chest.
"Lian Ren, focus!" barked Master Zhou from across the field. His eyes narrowed. "You're wasting time! Qi is the foundation of cultivation. Without it, you are nothing but a burden."
Lian Ren clenched his fists. The humiliation was not new—ever since his birth into the low-status Li clan, he had been seen as weak and useless. Yet deep inside, something stirred.
Not Qi. Something else.
He closed his eyes and let the world fade away. The sunlight filtered through the swaying trees, and in that silence, a faint pulse echoed inside him—a rhythm not of this world.
His body tingled as invisible threads of energy, unlike Qi, began to weave through him. It was dark yet luminous, heavy yet invigorating. He opened his eyes, heart pounding.
"Could it be... Karma?"
The cultivation world revered Qi as the sole path to strength, but whispers of Karma cultivation existed—ancient, forbidden, and feared. The elders spoke of it as a double-edged sword, capable of both immense power and tragic ruin.
Lian Ren reached out with his senses and found an unseen current flowing beneath the surface of the mortal realm. It responded to him, embracing his soul with faint familiarity.
Suddenly, a system interface flickered before his vision:
[Divine Echo Interface Initialized]
Soul Status: Fragmented (46%)
Energy Type: Karma
Passive Skill Unlocked: Echo of Wisdom
Slows time during crisis — 1 use per day
Confused yet amazed, Lian Ren tested the passive instinctively during a sparring match. As his opponent launched a swift strike, time around him seemed to falter. The world slowed, his reflexes sharp, and he dodged with ease.
The crowd gasped.
"Impossible... He's faster than a normal cultivator," whispered one of the students.
Lian Ren's heart swelled—not with pride, but a flicker of hope. This was the beginning. A different path, broken but bound to something greater.
Lian Ren's unusual reaction caused murmurs to ripple through the training grounds. Some eyes held curiosity, others suspicion.
Master Zhou narrowed his eyes, stepping forward. "Show me again. Let's see if it's just luck."
The senior cultivator launched a precise Qi blast—a glowing orb of energy aimed directly at Lian Ren. The crowd held their breath.
Lian Ren focused, tapping deeper into the strange Karma current flowing inside him. The orb slowed mid-air, as if caught in invisible chains. Time seemed to bend.
With a swift motion, Lian Ren sidestepped and struck, sending a pulse of dark energy that was neither Qi nor spirit energy, but something else entirely. The orb shattered before it could reach him.
Silence fell.
"Divine interference?" whispered an older disciple.
Master Zhou's face paled. He recovered quickly, scowling. "You're cheating," he snarled. "That's not cultivation—it's sorcery, forbidden by our sect."
Lian Ren's heart sank. The path he was starting to walk was alien, dangerous, and likely to bring him enemies.
Yet the taste of power was undeniable.
Later that day, Lian Ren sought solitude beneath an ancient willow tree. The whispering leaves seemed to beckon him, soothing the turmoil inside.
A soft glow emanated from his palm as the Divine Echo Interface updated:
New Quest: Understand Karma Cultivation (0.0%)
Unlock Divine Soul Fragments to restore power.
As if sensing his resolve, a faint vision flickered behind his eyes—a glimpse of a vast, celestial battlefield, divine armies clashing under a crimson sky.
He saw himself—a towering god with radiant armor, wielding power beyond mortal comprehension.
"Lian Ren…" a voice echoed in his mind, both a warning and a promise.
"Your path is shattered, but not ended. The divine trial has begun."
His soul trembled.
The mortal world was harsh and unforgiving, but somewhere buried deep in the layers of his fragmented existence was a power waiting to awaken.
A power that could reclaim the heavens.
Days passed, and Lian Ren's unusual cultivation method attracted more attention—mostly hostile.
He was summoned before the sect elders, who questioned his "dark energy" with suspicion and fear.
"This Karma power is forbidden," one elder warned. "It corrupts the soul and defies Heaven's will."
But Lian Ren knew better. The divine realm had fallen to betrayal and cruelty—not to purity or rigid rules.
That night, beneath the stars, he meditated deeply. His vision expanded beyond the mortal plane. He felt the flow of Karma—threads of cause and effect binding all living things, twisting fate like a tapestry.
His Divine Echo Interface pulsed again:
Passive Unlocked: Echo of Wisdom
Slows time during crisis (1/day)
A surge of confidence filled him. The path of Karma cultivation was dangerous but unique.
Unlike others who chased brute Qi strength, he would master the very essence of balance—intent, cause, and consequence.
Yet the price was high. Each use of divine techniques risked corruption, loss of lifespan, or worse.
As dawn broke, Lian Ren stood atop the training hill, eyes burning with quiet determination.
He would walk this broken path alone if needed.
Because the forgotten deity within him refused to fade.