016 : The Dawn of a Tyrant.

The wind howled through the ancient forest, carrying the scent of death. The ground was littered with lifeless bodies, the once-elite assassins of the Nightshade Pavilion now reduced to nothing more than husks—their qi completely drained.

Lin Tian stood among them, his golden eyes glowing softly in the darkness.

The leader of the assassins, the woman with silver eyes, lay at his feet. Her once-powerful aura had been stripped away, her body cold and motionless.

Lin Tian crouched down, studying her with quiet amusement. "They really thought sending assassins would work?"

He reached forward, grabbing a small jade talisman from her belt. A communication artifact—used to send messages back to the Pavilion.

Perfect.

Lin Tian infused his qi into the jade, activating it. A faint blue light flickered as the connection formed.

A voice, deep and composed, echoed from the talisman.

"Shadow Captain, what is your status?"

Lin Tian smirked. They had no idea she was already dead.

He brought the jade closer to his lips. His voice was calm, but every word carried a chilling weight.

"Your people are dead."

Silence.

Then—"Who is this?" The voice was sharper now, cautious.

Lin Tian chuckled. "The one you tried to kill. Lin Tian."

The silence stretched longer this time.

Then, the voice spoke again, slower this time.

"…I see. You survived."

Lin Tian leaned against a tree, twirling the jade between his fingers. "No, you misunderstand. I didn't just survive. I killed every last one of them. And now, I have a message for you."

He crushed the jade between his fingers.

"Come at me again," he whispered. "And I'll erase your entire Pavilion."

The talisman shattered.

The glowing blue light flickered out, leaving only darkness behind.

Lin Tian smiled.

He wanted them to come.

Because next time, he wouldn't just kill their assassins—he would devour the Pavilion itself.

Meanwhile, in the grand halls of Celestial Dao Palace, the most powerful sect leaders had gathered.

The air was thick with tension. Elders, clan heads, and ancient cultivators sat in a vast chamber, their expressions grim.

For the first time in centuries, the great sects had put aside their rivalries and come together.

Because Lin Tian had become a problem none of them could ignore.

"He has killed our disciples, crippled our elders, and now he openly mocks us," one sect leader growled. "We cannot let this continue!"

Another elder, his face pale, shook his head. "This is no longer a simple rogue cultivator. Lin Tian has defied the heavens themselves. If we do not act now… he may become something even we cannot stop."

The Sect Master of Heaven's Gate stood, his voice carrying an air of authority.

"We must act as one," he declared. "Lin Tian is too powerful for any single sect to handle. We will form an alliance."

A murmur of agreement spread through the chamber.

The strongest sects in the cultivation world would unite for one purpose—to destroy Lin Tian.

They would send their top elders, their greatest disciples, their hidden masters.

And this time…

They would make sure Lin Tian did not walk away.

Lin Tian had no interest in the petty schemes of the sects.

He had already set his sights beyond them.

Standing at the edge of the world he once knew, he gazed at the vast Forbidden Lands.

An ancient, untouched region where the most dangerous beasts, lost legacies, and divine artifacts remained hidden. A place where even Nascent Soul cultivators feared to tread.

But Lin Tian?

He welcomed the challenge.

If he was going to surpass the limitations of cultivation, he needed more than just stolen qi. He needed something greater.

And he had a feeling the Forbidden Lands would provide exactly what he was looking for.

Taking a single step forward, Lin Tian vanished into the mist.

Let the sects chase him.

By the time they caught up…

He would be far beyond their reach.

The moment Lin Tian entered the Forbidden Lands, he felt it.

The air was thick with ancient qi, denser and purer than anything he had ever encountered. The very ground pulsed with power, whispering of forgotten legacies and long-dead gods.

But there was something else.

Something watching him.

Lin Tian's lips curled. "You can come out now."

A deep growl rumbled through the air.

From the shadows of the mist, a colossal beast emerged.

It was a Void Devouring Serpent, a spirit beast that had long since ascended beyond mortal realms. Its scales shimmered with dark energy, its eyes gleaming with ancient intelligence.

A normal cultivator would have turned and fled.

Lin Tian?

He smiled.

"Perfect. Let's see how much I can take from you."

The serpent struck first.

Faster than lightning, its massive body blurred as it lunged toward Lin Tian, its fangs dripping with poison strong enough to melt steel.

Lin Tian did not move.

At the very last moment—he raised a single hand.

The serpent's body froze mid-air.

Its eyes widened in shock as its qi began to drain.

SHHHHHHHH!

The creature screeched, thrashing violently, but it was too late. Its power, refined over thousands of years, was already flowing into Lin Tian's dantian.

For the first time, he felt his core tremble.

This beast's energy was far beyond anything he had ever consumed.

It was ancient. Primordial.

His entire body burned with raw power, his meridians expanding, evolving.

Something inside him was changing.

BOOOOM!

A powerful shockwave erupted from Lin Tian's body.

His golden eyes blazed brighter than ever.

And deep within his soul—a new power awakened.

The battle was over.

And Lin Tian?

He was no longer just a devourer of qi.

He was becoming something else entirely.

Something beyond human.

Something the heavens could no longer control.

And soon…

The world would realize that.

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