3.The Path of Power Begins
A Seedha of Power Awakens
Ling Tian sat cross-legged in his dimly lit room, his fingers idly tracing the faint bruises on his arm. Though he had humiliated Ling Tao earlier, he knew today's events were just a small battle in a much larger war.
Right now, he was weak—too weak.
And nothing disgusted him more than powerlessness.
Closing his eyes, he focused inward, searching his dantian. At first, there was nothing but hollow emptiness, a void where power should have been.
Then—
Thump.
A spark. A pulse of something ancient.
Like a sleeping beast roused from its slumber.
Ling Tian furrowed his brows. This wasn't just his past cultivation trying to return. No—this energy was something else. Something deeper. Purer.
It felt like a curse… but also a blessing.
His lips curled.
If fate dares to challenge me, then I shall break fate itself.
But first, he needed a cultivation technique.
And he knew exactly where to find one.
---
The Forbidden Library
The Ling Clan had countless martial arts and cultivation techniques, but they were not freely given—especially not to someone labeled a cripple.
Normally, he would have to earn merit or wait years for the elders to approve his request. But Ling Tian?
Rules were for people who couldn't break them.
Draped in a dark cloak, he moved swiftly under the cover of night. The clan grounds were heavily guarded, with disciples patrolling the perimeter, but compared to the assassins and divine warriors he had faced in his past life, these men were laughable.
With practiced ease, he slipped through the shadows, evading detection as he approached his target:
The Ling Clan's Forbidden Library.
This was where the clan stored its ancient, powerful techniques—some too dangerous to be used, others too valuable to be shared.
And Ling Tian wasn't here to borrow a technique.
He was here to take one.
The massive iron doors were sealed with a spiritual formation, designed to keep out anyone without the required authority. It pulsed with defensive energy, warning all who approached:
Only those deemed worthy may enter.
Ling Tian sneered.
"Just because I don't have cultivation now, you think I can't enter?"
He placed his palm against the formation, his fingers tracing the ancient symbols embedded in the metal. The Ling Clan thought this was an unbreakable seal. But to Ling Tian—who had studied thousands of formations in his past life—it was nothing more than an outdated lock.
His lips moved silently as he whispered an ancient incantation.
Crack.
The formation shattered like fragile glass.
With a quiet push, Ling Tian stepped inside.
---
A Treasure Hidden in Dust
The Forbidden Library was massive. Rows upon rows of ancient tomes, jade slips, and scrolls filled the room, each one radiating its own unique aura. The air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and lingering spiritual energy.
Ling Tian's sharp gaze scanned the countless techniques before him.
He could take any number of high-tier cultivation methods, but he wasn't looking for something common.
He wanted something special.
Then, at the farthest shelf, tucked away in a dark corner, he saw it.
A single dust-covered jade slip.
Frowning, he reached for it. The moment his fingers touched the surface—
BOOM!
A surge of energy blasted into his mind, flooding him with ancient knowledge. His head pounded as visions flashed before his eyes. A voice, deep and filled with boundless might, echoed in his soul:
"He who dares to wield this technique… shall defy the heavens themselves."
Ling Tian's breath hitched. The technique's name appeared before him in golden script:
[Heaven-Defying Nine Tribulations Art].
His eyes gleamed.
This wasn't just any technique—it was an art of absolute domination.
One that had been erased from history.
His fingers clenched around the jade slip. No one in this era had ever practiced this art… but now, it belonged to him.
Then—
A noise outside.
Ling Tian's sharp instincts flared. Someone was coming!
---
An Unwanted Guest
Hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor. A deep voice growled, "Who dares enter the Forbidden Library at this hour?"
Ling Tian quickly stored the jade slip inside his robes. His mind raced. He couldn't get caught.
The heavy doors creaked open. A figure stepped inside—a middle-aged elder with sharp eyes and a flowing gray beard. His aura radiated authority.
Elder Mo, the library's guardian.
Ling Tian remained hidden behind a shelf, his heartbeat steady.
Elder Mo scanned the room, his gaze sweeping over the countless books. His brows furrowed. Something felt off.
Ling Tian smirked inwardly.
In his past life, he had infiltrated celestial fortresses, assassinated divine emperors, and stolen artifacts from gods themselves. A mere elder wouldn't be the one to catch him.
Silently, he pressed his fingers against the wooden shelf beside him, channeling a faint thread of energy.
A second later—
Rustle!
At the far end of the library, a few books suddenly fell from a shelf.
Elder Mo snapped toward the sound. "Who's there?!"
Without hesitation, Ling Tian slipped out the door, his steps so light they left no trace.
By the time Elder Mo reached the fallen books, the intruder was already gone.
The old man's eyes narrowed.
"I must be getting paranoid…"
---
The Dawn of a New Era
Back in his room, Ling Tian finally allowed himself to relax. He pulled out the [Heaven-Defying Nine Tribulations Art], carefully inspecting the jade slip's contents.
The technique was insane.
It did not rely on natural cultivation methods. It did not follow heaven's laws.
Instead… it shattered them.
Most techniques relied on cultivating slowly, step by step. But this technique?
It forcefully absorbed heavenly tribulations—using the very power meant to destroy a cultivator and turning it into an unparalleled source of strength.
Ling Tian chuckled.
"So the heavens curse me, yet gift me the means to defy them?"
His gaze burned with renewed determination.
Let them think he was weak. Let them continue to mock him.
By the time they realized their mistake… it would be too late.
His path to supremacy had begun.
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