Night slowly covered the city.
The bright lights from tall buildings and streets filled the urban sky with a soft glow, but far above those lights, countless stars still shimmered quietly in the darkness.
Lin Tian stood on the rooftop of his apartment building.
The cool night wind brushed against his face as he looked up at the sky.
From this height, the sounds of the city were softer. The noise of cars and people faded into a distant hum, leaving behind a calm atmosphere that Lin Tian appreciated.
He preferred places like this.
Quiet.
Open.
Close to the sky.
Because that was where he could feel it best.
The faint cosmic energy hidden among the stars.
Lin Tian slowly walked to the center of the rooftop and sat down cross-legged on the cool concrete floor.
His back straightened naturally.
His breathing slowed.
His eyes closed.
The world around him gradually faded away.
This was the first technique every cultivator learned.
Meditation.
But Lin Tian's meditation was far more advanced than what most people could imagine.
In his previous life, he had mastered powerful cultivation techniques capable of drawing energy from distant stars and cosmic currents.
Even though his current body was weak, his knowledge remained.
And knowledge was the greatest advantage he possessed.
Lin Tian inhaled slowly.
Then exhaled.
His breathing followed a steady rhythm.
Inside his body, the faint strands of spiritual energy began circulating through his meridians.
The energy was small.
Very small.
But it was pure.
As his mind entered a deeper state of focus, his senses expanded outward.
He could feel the cool wind.
The faint warmth of the rooftop beneath him.
The distant sounds of the city.
And above all…
The vast night sky.
Lin Tian concentrated on the stars.
Each one glowed faintly like a tiny beacon of energy.
In cultivation worlds, stars were powerful sources of cosmic power. Many ancient techniques allowed cultivators to absorb starlight and refine it into spiritual energy.
Earth's spiritual environment was weak.
But the stars remained unchanged.
Their energy still flowed through the universe.
The challenge was learning how to receive it.
Lin Tian raised his hands slowly and formed a small hand seal.
A cultivation technique from his previous life.
The Stellar Breathing Method.
As the technique activated, his breathing changed slightly.
Each inhale drew in faint cosmic energy.
Each exhale refined it within his body.
At first, nothing happened.
The rooftop remained silent.
The stars looked distant and untouchable.
But Lin Tian remained patient.
Cultivation required time.
Minutes passed.
Then something changed.
A faint cool sensation appeared around him.
It was extremely subtle.
So faint that an ordinary person would never notice it.
But Lin Tian's senses immediately recognized it.
Cosmic energy.
Tiny threads of pale silver light slowly gathered above him.
They were almost invisible.
But they existed.
Lin Tian guided them carefully.
The energy drifted downward like soft mist.
Then it entered his body through his breathing.
The moment it touched his meridians, Lin Tian felt a gentle vibration.
His body absorbed the energy eagerly.
The process was slow.
But steady.
Within minutes, the small flow of cosmic energy began circulating through his body.
It moved along his meridian pathways, strengthening them little by little.
Lin Tian remained completely still.
His mind was calm.
Focused.
Every movement of energy inside his body was under his control.
Time passed quietly.
The stars above seemed to shine brighter.
As the night deepened, the connection between Lin Tian and the sky grew stronger.
More strands of cosmic energy descended.
They gathered around him like faint silver threads.
From a distance, it almost looked as if he were sitting inside a thin halo of starlight.
Inside his body, the energy flow grew stronger.
His muscles tightened slightly.
His bones felt warmer.
Even his heartbeat became steadier.
The purification of his body continued.
Every cultivator had to go through this stage.
Before gaining great power, the body must become a suitable vessel.
For Lin Tian, this process was happening faster than expected.
Because the cosmic energy he absorbed was extremely pure.
But purification was never comfortable.
Soon, a sharp pain spread through his meridians.
Lin Tian's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Sweat appeared on his forehead.
The energy moving through his body felt like tiny needles piercing his flesh.
Yet he did not stop.
Pain was normal.
In fact, it meant the technique was working.
His body was adapting.
Transforming.
Strengthening.
Lin Tian continued guiding the energy through each pathway.
One circulation.
Then another.
Slowly, the pain faded.
In its place came a feeling of lightness.
His body felt stronger.
Lighter.
More responsive.
Lin Tian opened his eyes.
The night sky stretched above him, filled with countless stars.
For a moment, he simply looked at them.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Just as I expected…"
Even on Earth, the power of the stars still existed.
He clenched his fist slowly.
His strength had increased again.
Not dramatically.
But enough to notice.
The cosmic energy inside him continued circulating naturally.
This meant his cultivation foundation was stabilizing.
Soon, he would reach the First Stage of Energy Gathering.
The true beginning of a cultivator's path.
Lin Tian stood up slowly.
The rooftop felt different now.
His senses were sharper.
He could hear distant sounds more clearly.
Even the movement of the wind felt more vivid.
But suddenly—
His expression changed.
Lin Tian looked toward the distant mountains outside the city.
The mysterious energy he had sensed earlier appeared again.
But this time…
It was stronger.
Much stronger.
A faint pulse of spiritual energy spread across the night air.
Lin Tian narrowed his eyes.
"That place again…"
It was definitely not natural.
Something hidden in that direction was releasing spiritual energy.
Perhaps an ancient ruin.
Perhaps a natural energy node.
Or perhaps something even more valuable.
Lin Tian looked back at the sky.
The stars shimmered quietly.
Then he looked toward the distant mountains once more.
A determined expression appeared on his face.
"It seems my next step is clear."
Tomorrow night…
He would investigate that place.
Because if spiritual energy truly existed there, it might become his first cultivation ground on Earth.
Lin Tian took one final look at the stars.
Then he quietly left the rooftop.
But high above the city, the endless night sky continued shining.
And somewhere beyond the distant mountains…
A hidden secret was waiting to be discovered. ✨📖