The sun had risen fully over Qingyu Village, casting long shadows across the cottages and fields. The villagers were busy tending crops, fetching water, and preparing for the day, unaware that one of their own, a mortal boy named Feng Yan, had begun walking a path that would eventually defy heaven itself.
The events of yesterday—the forest trial, the beast encounter, the rival's observation—were still fresh in his mind. His body ached, bruises had formed along his arms and legs, yet his mind burned brighter than ever. He had survived by the narrowest of margins, but he had survived nonetheless. Survival, he realized, was the first step toward true power.
Weakness is temporary. Observation, cunning, and the Pearl will carry me forward… until there is no one left to oppose me, he thought, flexing his fingers and feeling the faint pulse of the Heaven Devouring Pearl beneath his skin.
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The Pearl's Whisper
The Pearl's chaotic energy pulsed stronger today, reacting to Feng Yan's growing confidence. Its voice, barely audible at first, now whispered in his mind:
"Survive. Learn. Bend the world to your perception. Weakness is natural… but it is also correctable. Observe the flow of life. Absorb the energy around you. Awaken your first path."
Feng Yan closed his eyes, allowing the Pearl's subtle energy to flow into him. Unlike ordinary cultivation, which relied on physical training, techniques, and strict guidance, the Pearl demanded intuition, thought, and clever application. He could feel the energy streaming through him, following his mental commands, responding to his observations.
"First path… Observation Method," he murmured aloud, recalling the technique formed during yesterday's forest trial. "Not strength… but foresight. Not brute force… but calculation. Weakness can be overcome."
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The Village Ally
Feng Yan returned to the village cautiously. The scars and bruises marked him as fragile, yet someone noticed more than that.
From the nearby well, a boy slightly older than Feng Yan approached. His name was Jin Wei, a clever and curious boy who had long admired Feng Yan's intelligence. Unlike the other villagers, he had always sensed something different about Feng Yan—a presence, a subtle aura, a quiet confidence that seemed to whisper of a destiny far beyond mortal life.
"Feng Yan," Jin Wei said, voice low and careful, "I saw you yesterday. That… forest trial… the wolf… you survived. No one else could have. What is happening to you?"
Feng Yan looked at him. For the first time, he considered that sharing knowledge with someone else could serve his goals. He needed allies, even if only a few. "I am… learning," he said. "One day, I will surpass everyone. You can watch, or you can try to walk alongside me. But be warned… I will not wait for those who falter."
Jin Wei nodded. "Then I will follow you… if only to see the world you are meant to carve."
Thus, Feng Yan gained his first mortal ally, someone who would witness his rise and later serve as a pillar in his early development.
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The First Formal Trial
That afternoon, Feng Yan returned to the forest, guided by the Pearl. It had sensed something new: a residual energy lingering in a clearing near the northern ridge, a remnant of another cultivator who had once passed through the forest years ago.
As he approached, the Pearl whispered: "This is your first formal trial. Weakness will be tested. Learn from every mistake. Your mind and instincts are your weapons."
In the clearing stood a minor spirit beast, smaller than yesterday's wolf, but more cunning. Its eyes glowed faintly with residual chaos energy, sensing the Pearl's presence. It circled, testing Feng Yan, its movements deliberate and unpredictable.
Feng Yan's heart raced. He was still mortal, still weak, and the Pearl's power had limits. A single mistake could cost him his life. Yet he had grown in intelligence and perception since yesterday. He analyzed the creature's patterns, predicting each movement with painstaking care.
When the beast lunged, he ducked, rolled, and redirected it toward a fallen tree. It crashed against the log, stunned but not defeated. His body shook with exhaustion, but his mind remained sharp.
For the first time, he realized the true purpose of this "trial": not to test strength, but survival. Weakness can be a teacher… if one observes, adapts, and applies knowledge.
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The Rival's Second Observation
The shadowed boy from yesterday appeared again, unseen. His cultivator aura had grown faintly stronger, and he watched with narrowed eyes.
"The mortal is learning… too fast. He is weak, yes, but he adapts, he thinks… and he survives. This is… unnatural. He will be a problem."
Even now, the rivalry grew, subtle but dangerous.
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Gaining Insight
After defeating the minor spirit beast through wit rather than strength, Feng Yan sat by the stream again, meditating under the guidance of the Pearl. He began cataloging energy flows, noting weak points in creatures, observing patterns in natural energy.
The Pearl whispered: "Every observation is a path. Every pattern is a lesson. Learn, and you will rise. One day, you will no longer be weak. One day, you will command the stars and bend the heavens."
Feng Yan felt a thrill of anticipation. This was more than cultivation; it was a blueprint for survival and eventual supremacy. Though mortal, though weak, he now had a plan: to grow methodically, step by step, until he surpassed every cultivator, every immortal, and every god.
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Foreshadowing the Future
High above, in the hidden heavenly realms, Lian Mei drifted among the clouds, her eyes glimmering with faint amusement. "The mortal boy grows… and already, he learns faster than expected. He will walk all paths, defy fate, and one day… perhaps even challenge heaven itself."
And somewhere in the shadows, the rival cultivator plotted silently. "I will watch… I will challenge… and I will surpass him."
The stage for the mortal boy's first true journey of cultivation, rivalry, and eventual defiance of the heavens was set.
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Closing Resolve
Feng Yan returned to his village as dusk fell. His body ached, bruises darkened, yet his mind was alive with insight. He was still weak, still mortal, but the Pearl and his intelligence had begun to turn weakness into power.
"Every step counts," he whispered. "Every trial teaches. I am mortal… but I will no longer be weak. And soon… the world will tremble before me."
And so, the first steps of the Heavenless Immortal's journey were complete, weak yet learning, mortal yet destined for a path that would one day devour the heavens themselves.