Dawn crept slowly over the shattered horizon, painting the sky in streaks of pale gold. The rain had stopped, but a heavy mist clung to the mountains like a ghost that refused to leave. Every tree dripped, every leaf whispered with droplets of water sliding down their veins.
Lian Fei sat cross-legged beside a small stream, his body trembling as he forced himself to breathe through the pain. His robe was torn, his right arm still burned faintly with lightning scars from the previous night's heavenly strike.
Yet beneath the pain, there was something new.
Power.
A soft golden light flickered around his chest—the rune he had awakened pulsing gently, like a heartbeat.When he closed his eyes, he could feel something vast—like an ocean sleeping within him, calm but endless.
[Heavenly System: Initialization complete.][First Task: Survive until dawn. Reward: Basic Cultivation Art – Heaven's Pulse Method.]
He had survived. Barely. And as the system's voice faded, another message appeared in his mind:
[Secondary Task: Hunt a Rank-1 Beast to test physical potential.][Failure Condition: Death.]
Lian Fei's eyes opened sharply.
"Hunt… a beast? In this state?" he muttered bitterly. "You really are trying to kill me, aren't you?"
The system didn't respond.
He pushed himself to his feet, wincing as his legs protested. The world around him was thick with fog—every step made the earth squelch beneath his bare feet. The forest was alive with faint growls and unseen movements.
His father had once told him stories of the Spirit Beasts—creatures born when animals absorbed fragments of heaven's energy over generations. Some were wise, some were monstrous, but all were deadly.
And now, he was supposed to fight one?
He laughed under his breath. "I can't even light a fire properly…"
Then the system chimed again.
[Host potential detected. Activating temporary body enhancement. Duration: 3 minutes.]
A surge of energy shot through him, sudden and electrifying. His heartbeat roared like thunder in his ears. His senses sharpened—he could feel the faint vibrations of the forest, smell the blood of small animals, and even hear a predator's breath deep within the mist.
Something was coming.
Branches snapped. The mist stirred.
Then it appeared—a Shadowfang Wolf, its eyes glowing red in the fog. Its fur shimmered with faint spiritual energy, and its fangs dripped with venom.
Lian Fei froze. The wolf circled him slowly, muscles tense, ready to strike.
He remembered his mother's words again. Even without light, walk forward.
His hand clenched into a fist. "I won't die here."
The wolf lunged.
Instinct took over. Lian Fei rolled aside, the beast's claws slicing through the air where his chest had been. He felt the rush of wind and countered by slamming his palm against its side—lightning burst faintly from his mark, shocking them both.
The wolf yelped and stumbled. Lian Fei gasped—his hand tingled violently, but he didn't hesitate.He jumped forward, driving his knee into its jaw. The wolf snapped its teeth wildly, missing him by an inch.
[Energy Surge Detected. Processing…][New Skill Unlocked: Lightning Vein (Lv.1) — temporary electric burst amplifies physical strikes.]
He didn't even have time to think. He moved again, his veins glowing faintly with golden arcs of light. Every strike burned with raw power, every movement faster than before. The wolf roared and lunged again—but this time, Lian Fei met it head-on.
He slammed his fist into its chest.
A blinding flash erupted. The wolf was thrown backward, crashing into a tree with a dull crack before it went still.
Lian Fei stood panting, his chest heaving. The mist around him shimmered with faint lightning sparks before fading.
Then silence.
[Beast slain. Rank-1 confirmed. Reward: Heaven's Pulse Cultivation Art acquired.][Physical reinforcement: +2 Strength, +3 Vitality.]
He fell to his knees, half laughing, half crying. "I did it… I actually did it…"
The rune on his chest dimmed, then pulsed once more as a scroll of light appeared before him—ancient, golden, floating just above his palms.
He reached for it, and as his fingers brushed the edge, a wave of information flooded his mind.
He saw visions—monks meditating under falling stars, rivers flowing backward, mountains rising to meet the sky.Every breath felt like a connection to heaven itself.
The Heaven's Pulse Method wasn't just a cultivation technique—it was the foundation of gods.
Lian Fei sat there for a long moment, the world still spinning faintly around him. Then, as the mist began to lift, he looked toward the east—toward the direction of Dawn Village.
He clenched his fists. "If this power is real… then those who called me trash will kneel."
[System Notice: Chapter of Beginnings complete. New Main Quest unlocked — Enter the Spirit Hall Examination.]
The wind picked up again, scattering the mist into ribbons of light. The forest grew quiet once more.
And at its heart, a boy once deemed worthless stood reborn—a flicker of divine thunder still burning within his chest.