Night slowly covered the city.
The streets that were once crowded during the day had grown quiet. Lights from tall buildings shone like stars beneath the dark sky. Most people had already returned to their homes, unaware that the world around them was slowly changing.
Inside his small apartment, Lin Tian sat cross-legged on the floor.
The curtains were slightly open, allowing the silver moonlight to enter the room.
The air was calm.
Completely silent.
But inside Lin Tian's body, energy was moving like a powerful river.
Reflecting on the Past Days
Lin Tian slowly opened his eyes.
His expression was thoughtful.
Over the past few days, many things had happened.
First, he had sensed the appearance of a dimensional beast.
Then he had killed it easily.
After that, the government began investigating the strange event.
And now, a secret organization had already started watching him.
Lin Tian sighed softly.
"Earth is more complicated than I expected."
When he was first reborn, he believed Earth was a peaceful, low-energy world.
A place where cultivation had long disappeared.
But now he was beginning to realize something important.
The spiritual energy on Earth was weak…
But it still existed.
And there were hidden forces quietly observing everything.
Lin Tian looked up at the night sky through the window.
"In my previous life, I reached the peak of cosmic cultivation."
"But now I have to start again from the beginning."
However, something inside him remained calm.
Because unlike other cultivators…
He still possessed all the knowledge from his past life.
Preparing for Breakthrough
Lin Tian slowly stood up.
Tonight, he had decided to attempt a breakthrough.
Currently, his cultivation had only reached the First Stage of Energy Gathering.
In the vast cultivation universe, this level was extremely low.
Even the weakest cultivators could reach this stage easily.
But on Earth…
It was already extraordinary.
Still, Lin Tian knew he needed to become stronger.
If dimensional monsters could appear once…
They could appear again.
And next time, the creature might not be so weak.
He walked to the center of the room and sat down again.
His breathing became steady.
Slow.
Controlled.
Then he closed his eyes.
The Flow of Energy
Lin Tian began circulating the Cosmic Swallowing Technique, the powerful cultivation method he had mastered in his previous life.
The moment the technique activated, the energy in the surrounding air began moving.
Invisible spiritual particles slowly gathered around him.
At first, the energy was faint.
Earth simply did not possess strong spiritual energy.
But Lin Tian's technique was different.
Instead of only absorbing nearby energy…
It also drew power from the sky above.
From the stars.
From the faint cosmic radiation that existed everywhere in the universe.
Gradually, a thin stream of energy began entering his body.
It flowed through his meridians like warm water.
The energy gathered in his dantian.
Then it circulated again.
Round after round.
Each cycle made the energy slightly stronger.
Pain of Cultivation
But cultivation was never easy.
Even for Lin Tian.
As more energy entered his body, the pressure inside his meridians increased.
His muscles tensed.
Sweat slowly appeared on his forehead.
The energy inside him was becoming unstable.
Like a river during a storm.
If he lost control…
The energy could damage his body.
But Lin Tian remained calm.
His mind was perfectly focused.
In his previous life, he had experienced cultivation breakthroughs thousands of times.
Compared to those dangers…
This was nothing.
Still, the pain grew stronger.
The energy continued expanding inside his body.
His bones felt as if they were being compressed.
His muscles trembled.
But Lin Tian continued circulating the energy.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The Barrier Appears
After nearly an hour of meditation, Lin Tian felt something familiar.
A barrier.
It was the invisible wall separating the First Stage from the Second Stage of Energy Gathering.
For ordinary cultivators, breaking through such a barrier could take months or even years.
But Lin Tian had something they did not.
Experience.
He carefully guided the energy toward the barrier.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
The spiritual energy inside his body began compressing.
It formed a small swirling vortex inside his dantian.
The pressure grew stronger.
Lin Tian clenched his fists slightly.
"Almost there."
The vortex spun faster.
More energy gathered.
The barrier trembled.
But it did not break.
Cosmic Energy Descends
At that moment, something unexpected happened.
High above the city, beyond the clouds, the stars seemed to shine slightly brighter.
A faint stream of cosmic energy descended from the sky.
Normally, such energy would be too weak to notice.
But Lin Tian's technique detected it immediately.
The cosmic energy entered his body like a sudden burst of power.
The vortex inside his dantian exploded with strength.
The pressure on the barrier increased dramatically.
Lin Tian's eyes opened suddenly.
"Now!"
He directed all the energy forward.
The vortex slammed against the barrier.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then—
CRACK.
A faint sound echoed inside his body.
The barrier shattered.
The Breakthrough
A powerful surge of energy spread through Lin Tian's entire body.
His muscles relaxed instantly.
The pain disappeared.
Instead, a refreshing feeling filled every part of him.
It was like breathing fresh air after being underwater.
His senses expanded.
He could hear distant sounds outside the building.
Cars driving several streets away.
Wind moving through trees.
Even the faint vibrations of insects at night.
His physical strength had also increased.
His body felt lighter.
Faster.
Stronger.
Lin Tian slowly exhaled.
"I've reached the Second Stage."
Although this level was still low compared to his former power…
It was a good beginning.
At this rate, his cultivation speed would soon surpass ordinary limits.
Unexpected Change
But something else had also changed.
Lin Tian suddenly noticed a strange sensation inside his dantian.
The energy vortex was still spinning.
But now, at its center, a tiny spark of silver light had appeared.
It looked like a miniature star.
Lin Tian's eyes widened slightly.
"A cosmic seed?"
This was extremely rare.
In his previous life, very few cultivators could form such a core during the early stages of cultivation.
The cosmic seed would slowly absorb energy from the universe.
And in the future…
It could grow into an extremely powerful source of cosmic power.
Lin Tian smiled slightly.
It seemed that his rebirth had given him more advantages than expected.
Outside Observers
However, Lin Tian did not realize something else was happening.
Across the street, on the roof of another building…
Two members of the secret organization were observing his apartment.
They had returned after losing him earlier that day.
Special equipment was scanning the area for unusual energy signals.
Suddenly, one of the devices began beeping rapidly.
The agent looked shocked.
"Energy spike detected!"
His partner quickly checked the readings.
"This level of energy…"
"It's coming from the apartment building."
They both looked toward Lin Tian's window.
The lights inside the room flickered slightly as energy waves spread through the area.
The agents stared at the screen in disbelief.
"This is not normal human activity."
A New Stage Begins
Inside the apartment, Lin Tian slowly stood up.
His breakthrough had been successful.
He walked to the window and looked at the night sky.
The stars seemed brighter than before.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"My cultivation is finally progressing."
But deep inside his mind, he also understood something important.
The world around him was changing.
Monsters from other dimensions had already appeared.
A secret organization was watching him.
And hidden forces might still exist on Earth.
Lin Tian's eyes became serious.
"If Earth is going to become a battlefield…"
"Then I must grow stronger."
Far stronger.
Because this was only the beginning of his journey.
And the universe held far greater dangers waiting ahead. 🌌