CHAPTER 2: REBIRTH UNDER THE STARS
Sovereign of the Celestial Ascent
CHAPTER 2: REBIRTH UNDER THE STARS
The night sky stretched endlessly above him, shimmering with countless stars. Yet, none shone as brightly as the golden radiance surging within his body.
Li Tianming lay on the cold ground, his breath slow and steady. His body, once battered and broken, now pulsed with an unfamiliar yet overwhelming strength.
The Celestial Jade of Primordial Chaos had changed him.
He clenched his fist.
What was once a mere vessel for spiritual energy was now something far greater. His dantian—no, it was no longer just a dantian—had become a limitless well of primordial power, unlike anything he had ever felt before.
"What... am I now?"
His breathing was steady, but within him, energy roared like a divine tempest.
The sect had abandoned him.
His father had cast him aside.
His brother had stolen everything from him.
But now, he was something new.
Tianming sat up slowly, flexing his fingers. The pain that had once wracked his body was gone. Not only gone—he felt stronger than ever before.
His golden eyes burned with determination.
"This is not the end. This is the beginning."
He stood, his movements fluid, effortless. His balance was sharper, his senses keener. It was as if the world around him had slowed while he had become something beyond mortal limits.
Then—he heard them.
Footsteps. Multiple.
Coming straight toward him.
Tianming turned toward the sound. Shadows flickered beyond the trees, their figures barely visible under the moonlight.
Sect disciples.
A familiar voice rang through the night.
"Well, well. If it isn't our former genius, Li Tianming."
Tianming's gaze sharpened as Li Feng, one of Li Yunxian's loyal lackeys, stepped into view. Behind him were four other disciples, each carrying swords at their waists.
They weren't here by chance. They had been sent to finish him.
Li Feng smirked, his hand resting lazily on the hilt of his weapon. "We heard what happened to you. It's truly tragic. A cripple, abandoned by his own family."
The other disciples chuckled.
"But don't worry," Li Feng continued, stepping forward, "we've come to help. After all, a useless cripple has no place in this world, don't you agree?"
Tianming stared at him, silent.
The old Tianming would have felt anger, despair, fear.
The new Tianming?
He smiled.
The smirk caught Li Feng off guard for a moment, but he quickly masked it with a sneer. "What's so funny, trash?"
Tianming took a step forward. The air itself seemed to shift.
Li Feng frowned. Something felt… different.
Tianming wasn't afraid. He wasn't pleading.
Instead, his golden eyes glowed faintly under the moonlight, filled with something cold. Something powerful.
"I was just thinking," Tianming said calmly. "You were always pathetic, Li Feng. Hiding behind Yunxian like a dog."
The smile vanished from Li Feng's face.
"You—"
Before he could react, Tianming moved.
Faster than thought.
One second he stood before them—the next, he was upon them.
Li Feng barely had time to raise his sword. A palm struck his chest with explosive force.
CRACK!
He flew backward, slamming into a tree. His body convulsed as he spat out blood.
The other disciples froze.
"What just happened?!"
Tianming exhaled slowly, feeling the energy in his veins hum with satisfaction.
It had been effortless.
The power from the Celestial Jade of Primordial Chaos was more than just a restoration—it had rebuilt him into something else.
Something greater.
The remaining disciples hesitated, fear creeping into their expressions.
Tianming stepped forward. "Leave. Or I break you."
Three of them immediately fled into the forest, vanishing into the night.
The last disciple hesitated, torn between fear and duty. But when Tianming's gaze locked onto him, he crumbled and ran.
Now, only Li Feng remained, groaning on the ground.
Tianming stood over him, watching as he coughed up blood.
Li Feng's eyes were wild with disbelief.
"You… this isn't possible. You were crippled. Your dantian was destroyed!"
Tianming crouched down, gripping Li Feng's collar. He leaned in close, his golden eyes burning.
"I was broken." His voice was low, cold. "But now? I am something you could never hope to understand."
Li Feng trembled. For the first time in his life, he felt true fear.
Tianming released him with a shove.
"Tell Yunxian," Tianming said as he turned away, "that I'll be coming for him soon."
Li Feng gasped, struggling to stand. He wanted to argue, to spit another insult—but he didn't dare.
Instead, he stumbled into the forest, vanishing into the darkness.
Tianming exhaled, staring at the night sky.
This was only the beginning.
The moon hung high above, casting its pale light over the silent forest.
Tianming's body still hummed with energy. But deep inside, he knew this wasn't enough.
He had power. But power alone was not enough to take back what was stolen.
He needed knowledge. He needed allies.
And most of all…
He needed vengeance.
His lips curled into a smirk.
His road to ascension had begun.
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What Comes Next?
- Tianming leaves the sect grounds, setting off on a journey to grow stronger.
- The sect is thrown into turmoil—rumors spread of his survival.
- A hidden force begins watching him.
- Mu Qingfeng, Tianming's future rival, takes notice.
Tianming is no longer just a fallen genius.
He is the Sovereign of the Celestial Ascent.