Deep beneath the quiet forest, the hidden ruin remained silent.
Dust-covered pillars surrounded the ancient chamber, and faint carvings covered the stone walls. The air was heavy with spiritual energy, much denser than the world above.
At the center of the chamber, Lin Tian sat cross-legged on the stone platform.
In his hands was the ancient book he had just discovered.
The leather cover felt old but strangely intact, as if protected by an invisible force for many years. The strange characters engraved on the front glowed faintly under the dim light that filtered through cracks in the ceiling.
Lin Tian slowly opened the book again.
His eyes carefully scanned the first page.
"This writing style… it is extremely ancient," he murmured softly.
Although he had lived through countless battles and seen many civilizations in his previous life, even he needed a moment to understand the language.
Fortunately, many cultivation symbols were universal.
After reading for a few minutes, Lin Tian finally understood the title written on the first page.
"Heavenly Origin Breathing Technique."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"A breathing cultivation method?"
Breathing techniques were one of the most basic cultivation methods in the universe. They allowed cultivators to absorb spiritual energy from the environment and refine it inside their bodies.
However, the quality of these techniques varied greatly.
Some were weak and inefficient.
Others were powerful enough to allow cultivators to dominate entire galaxies.
Lin Tian flipped to the next page.
The book described how to gather spiritual energy from the surrounding world and circulate it through specific meridians in the body.
It also explained how to strengthen the body while purifying impurities.
As he continued reading, Lin Tian slowly nodded.
"This technique is simple… but very stable."
Compared to the legendary cultivation techniques he had mastered in his previous life, this one was extremely basic.
But for Earth?
It was priceless.
Most people on Earth did not even know spiritual energy existed.
If someone learned this technique, they could step onto the path of cultivation.
Lin Tian turned several more pages.
Each section described a different stage of the breathing technique.
The diagrams showed how spiritual energy should flow through the body's meridians.
However, many pages were damaged.
Parts of the technique were missing.
Lin Tian frowned slightly.
"This book must have been damaged over time."
The ruin itself looked extremely ancient. It was not surprising that parts of the book had deteriorated.
Still, most of the core instructions remained intact.
Lin Tian closed his eyes for a moment.
Memories from his previous life surfaced in his mind.
He had studied countless cultivation methods across the universe.
Even though this technique was incomplete, he could easily fill in the missing sections using his own knowledge.
"This will be useful."
Especially in the early stages of cultivation.
Right now, his current body was still weak.
He needed a stable technique to strengthen his foundation.
Lin Tian looked at the spirit crystal lying beside him.
The crystal glowed faintly, filled with condensed spiritual energy.
He picked it up slowly.
"This will help accelerate my cultivation."
Normally, absorbing spiritual energy from the environment was slow.
But spirit crystals contained pure energy that could be absorbed much faster.
Lin Tian placed the ancient book beside him.
Then he closed his eyes and began following the breathing technique described in the text.
Slowly… steadily… he inhaled.
The air around him seemed to shift slightly.
Invisible threads of spiritual energy began gathering around his body.
At first, the energy was weak.
But as his breathing became deeper and more controlled, the flow of energy increased.
The spiritual energy entered his body through his pores.
Then it traveled through his meridians, following the paths described in the ancient diagrams.
Lin Tian focused carefully.
Any mistake during cultivation could damage the body.
But his experience from his previous life allowed him to control the process perfectly.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
The chamber grew colder as spiritual energy gathered around him.
The spirit crystal in his hand began glowing brighter.
A thin stream of pure energy flowed from the crystal into his body.
Lin Tian's breathing slowed.
His mind became calm and focused.
Inside his body, the spiritual energy circulated through his meridians again and again.
Each cycle strengthened his body slightly.
Impurities were slowly pushed out.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
His muscles trembled slightly as the energy refined his bones and organs.
But Lin Tian remained calm.
Pain was a normal part of cultivation.
Compared to the brutal training he endured in his previous life, this level of discomfort was nothing.
Suddenly—
A warm sensation spread through his chest.
Lin Tian's eyes opened slightly.
"The energy flow has stabilized."
He could clearly feel it now.
The spiritual energy inside his body had formed a small circulating current.
This was the basic sign of successful cultivation.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Good."
The Heavenly Origin Breathing Technique was working.
Even though it was simple, it was perfectly suited for the current environment on Earth.
Lin Tian continued cultivating.
More spiritual energy entered his body.
The spirit crystal slowly shrank as its energy was absorbed.
Hours passed in complete silence.
Finally—
The crystal in his hand cracked.
A soft sound echoed in the chamber.
The crystal shattered into small fragments.
All of its energy had been absorbed.
Lin Tian slowly opened his eyes.
A faint glow surrounded his body for a moment before fading away.
He exhaled deeply.
The air around him felt different now.
Lighter.
Clearer.
He stood up slowly and stretched his arms.
His bones made soft cracking sounds.
A wave of strength flowed through his muscles.
His senses had also become sharper.
He could hear distant drops of water falling somewhere deep inside the ruin.
Even the faint movement of insects above the ground reached his ears.
Lin Tian looked down at his hands.
"Much better."
Although he had not advanced to the next stage of cultivation yet, his foundation had improved significantly.
His body was stronger.
His control over spiritual energy was more stable.
Most importantly—
He now possessed a reliable cultivation technique.
Lin Tian picked up the ancient book again.
"This ruin may contain more secrets."
If one cultivation technique existed here, there might be other treasures hidden inside the ruin.
Weapons.
Spirit herbs.
Or even ancient artifacts.
Lin Tian walked slowly around the chamber, examining the walls more carefully.
Many carvings depicted ancient cultivators practicing martial techniques.
Others showed strange creatures and symbols.
One particular carving caught his attention.
It showed a group of cultivators standing beneath a sky filled with glowing stars.
Above them floated a massive gate made of light.
Lin Tian's expression became serious.
"That symbol…"
The gate looked familiar.
Very familiar.
In his previous life, he had seen something similar on ancient cosmic ruins.
Those gates were often connected to spatial pathways.
Portals that allowed travel between distant locations.
Lin Tian stared at the carving thoughtfully.
"If Earth once possessed such technology…"
Then the history of this planet was far more mysterious than anyone realized.
Lin Tian stepped back and looked around the chamber again.
For now, he had achieved his main goal.
He had recovered a cultivation technique and strengthened his body.
But this ruin clearly held many more secrets.
Secrets that might change everything he thought he knew about Earth.
Lin Tian placed the ancient book safely inside his jacket.
Then he looked toward the dark tunnel leading back to the surface.
"It's time to leave for now."
Morning would arrive soon.
If anyone discovered the hidden entrance, it could cause trouble.
But Lin Tian knew one thing for certain.
He would return.
Because this ancient ruin was only the beginning.
And somewhere in the vast universe—
Forces were already moving.
Forces that might one day reach Earth again.
When that day came…
Lin Tian intended to be ready. 🌌⚔️