2. My uncle Lin Shin

As Lin Tian mentally reviewed the intricate details of the technique, a knock echoed from the door, pulling him out of his thoughts.

A brief pause, then the door creaked open, revealing a man in his early thirties with a relaxed expression and sharp eyes.

"Lin Tian? How are you feeling?" the man asked warmly.

In the muddled tapestry of overlapping memories, it took Lin Tian a second to place him—but the moment he did, recognition sparked.

Lin Shi—his uncle.

Before Lin Tian could even form a proper greeting, Lin Shi's eyes lit up with surprise. He took a step forward, his gaze sharpening.

"Wait… is that spiritual energy I sense from you?" A grin broke across his face, almost boyish in its enthusiasm. "Don't tell me—you opened your Dantian? Hah! You really did it!"

His laughter burst out, hearty and unrestrained. "This calls for a celebration! What do you say? Want to grab a drink?"

Lin Tian blinked, caught off guard. The storm of memories swirling within him had blurred the lines between past and present, and the weight of nearly a millennium of life sat heavy on his soul. He felt like a stranger in his own skin. What would the original Lin Tian have said?

"…Sure?" he replied, a beat too slow, his tone uncertain.

Idiot. He mentally winced. After all the experiences he'd lived through, that was the best he could do?

Lin Shi raised a brow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Are you asking me or telling me?"

"No, no," Lin Tian quickly corrected, forcing a small smile. "Sorry, Uncle. I'm just… still a bit dazed from the breakthrough. Guess it hasn't fully sunk in yet."

Lin Shi gave him a long, unreadable look before chuckling. "You're acting strange today, kid—but in a good way. I'm just glad you finally pulled it off. You have no idea how satisfying it'll be to see the looks on those smug elders' faces when they find out."

He stretched lazily and smirked. "I'd almost go tell them now just to watch their jaws drop. But no… let's wait. We'll make a show of it later—more fun that way."

Lin Tian forced another polite smile, but his mind was elsewhere. For the first time, he focused on the aura Lin Shi gave off—faint, but unmistakable. His eyes narrowed.

It's a beast cultivator aura.

A chill ran down Lin Tian's spine. In all his memories of this life, not once had anyone mentioned the path of the beast.

"Uncle, can I ask you something?" Lin Tian said quietly, eyes calm but focused.

Lin Shi glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "Of course. What's on your mind?"

"I've started sensing different kinds of auras since unlocking my Dantian… but yours feels different. Wilder, more… primal."

Lin Shi chuckled softly. "Ah. Don't worry about that. Your uncle simply cultivates a different path than most in the clan."

"I see…" Lin Tian nodded, but his curiosity didn't fade. "Different how?"

There was a flicker of caution in Lin Shi's eyes. "Why the sudden interest?"

"It's just…" Lin Tian hesitated, then pushed forward. "Your aura feels more… feral. Like something not entirely human."

Lin Shi's smile remained, but there was a sharpness beneath it now. "Focus on your own cultivation. You've only just opened your Dantian—worrying about others' techniques will only distract you."

Lin Tian sighed dramatically, throwing in just the right amount of frustration. "With my talent, I'll be lucky to reach Qi Gathering III before I'm forty. I doubt I'll ever amount to much."

It was a calculated move—he knew his uncle had always been soft toward him, protective even. Lin Tian didn't know why he avoided the topic of Beast Cultivation, but it was clearly something he was hiding. And if the aura he sensed was any indication, Lin Shi wasn't just any cultivator—he could have joined a much stronger sect than this declining clan. So why stay?

Lin Shi rubbed his face and exhaled. "I get it. But believe me, this is the right path for you. You just don't see it yet."

"But isn't there another path?" Lin Tian pressed, his voice lowering. "One you've walked... but never talked about?"

Lin Shi's gaze lingered on him for a moment—longer than necessary. Then, as if conceding, he let out a long breath.

"You've always wondered why your father and I came back to this clan, haven't you?"

Lin Tian nodded. In his childhood memories, he vaguely remembered a different place, colder, harsher. A place they had left behind.

"We left the clan when we were young, following your grandfather," Lin Shi said slowly. "We went north… farther than you could imagine."

The north.

Lin Tian's heart stirred. In this life, all he knew of the north was what the stories told—frozen lands, wild people, and powerful but savage sects. Then he realise, deep within that cold wilderness must be where the sect of the Beast Cultivators should be.

"When your grandfather died, things changed. We had to flee, and we ended up back here. Your father… he didn't survive much longer. He asked me to protect you—and I have."

Lin Shi gave a quiet, rueful smile.

"So, the technique you use… it comes from the north?" Lin Tian asked. "It's stronger, isn't it?"

"Stronger? Depends on how you define strength," Lin Shi said. "It's not part of the orthodox Dao. It's… a different path entirely."

"Then why never teach me? Or even tell me about it?" Lin Tian's voice grew firmer.

Lin Shi's expression dimmed. "Because your father didn't want that path for you. He had something else in mind. A different future."

"One where I spend my life as a mortal?" Lin Tian said, voice tinged with frustration. He leaned into the act now, pushing harder. "You call that a future?"

"Of course not," Lin Shi snapped, then softened, glancing toward the window. "But we didn't count on you having such... pitiful talent."

That caught Lin Tian off guard. He blinked, momentarily speechless.

"Can I at least know what the plan was?" he asked after a beat.

"The idea was simple. You'd reach Foundation Establishment here, safely. Once you broke through, I'd bring you to a sect suited for the path we laid out."

Lin Tian frowned. "But almost no one here even reaches that realm. And you know it."

"That's because they're incompetent," Lin Shi said flatly. "If the plan had gone right, you'd have reached it the moment you hit Qi Gathering VI. We had our methods."

That grabbed Lin Tian's attention. Methods? He had suspected his uncle held some secrets, but this confirmed it.

"So… why not let me try your technique?" he asked, carefully. "Maybe I wasn't meant for the orthodox path. Maybe I'd do better walking yours."

Lin Shi scoffed, a sarcastic grin curling on his lips. "Listen to you, acting like you know what you're talking about… brat."

"But if I can't reach Foundation Establishment the way you planned… then what choice do I have?" Lin Tian leaned forward, his tone turning sharp. "Is my only future to stay weak, or throw away the path my father and dear uncle prepared for me?"

There was a long silence between them.

Lin Shi narrowed his eyes, the usual glint of humor gone. "Don't try to manipulate me with that clever talk. I know exactly what you're doing, and I won't just hand over the technique because you begged."

Finally, Lin Shi muttered, almost to himself, "You're really your father's son…"

He paused, then added with a sigh, "That said... it's true. None of our plans will matter if you can't reach Foundation Establishment."

A heavy silence settled between them. Lin Shi's gaze turned distant, clearly torn. Lin Tian didn't press. He knew better than to rush this moment.

At last, Lin Shi looked up and met his eyes, his expression hardening.

"You win, brat," he said. "I'll teach you my cultivation technique… but only on one condition."

His tone had shifted—gone was the warmth and teasing. What remained was steel.

"Anything," Lin Tian said quickly. "Name it."

"I'll give you only the first part of the technique," Lin Shi said firmly. "If you can't cultivate it—if your body rejects it or your will isn't strong enough—you drop it. No complaints. You go back to the orthodox path and follow the original plan. I'll personally make sure you reach Foundation Establishment, even if I have to drag you there myself."

Lin Tian nodded without hesitation. "Understood."

Lin Shin settled comfortably in front of Lin Tian.

"First, we need to cover the different methods of cultivation."

Of course, Lin Tian already knew everything his uncle was about to say thanks to his past life, but he simply nodded.

"Broadly speaking, cultivation systems can be divided into three main branches: energy, soul, and body cultivation."

"As I said, that's a very broad classification, since many techniques combine two—or even all three—branches. Still, most cultivators stick to just one. That's because, as you progress through the realms, your body starts adapting to the techniques you use, and the transformations differ depending on the path. In many cases, pursuing more than one becomes incompatible."

Lin Tian understood this well. It was precisely why he couldn't cultivate both the Eternal Blooming Dao and the Nine Tribulations Wolf Demon Codex, no matter how much he wanted to.

"But don't worry. Even if you only cultivate energy, your body and soul will still be refined—just to a lesser degree than if you followed a purely body- or soul-based technique."

"Now, let's focus on what I can offer you. I'm what's known as a Beast Cultivator. That means I follow a body cultivation path that emulates the way beasts cultivate."

"In this region, it's not very common. It requires a lot of resources, and since there are so few cultivators on this path, it's difficult to find the materials we need."

"That's why we wanted you to follow the energy path instead. But maybe, if you reach Foundation Establishment, we can steer you back toward it like we originally planned."

Lin Tian smiled. "Let's get to Foundation Establishment first—then we can talk about the next step."

Lin Shin looked at him fondly.

"Look at you. The same kid who cried because he couldn't even open his Dantian is now talking about Foundation Establishment like it's a done deal."

"That's because I've got you, Uncle."

"You sweet-talker," Lin Shin laughed. "Anyway, moving on—I'll teach you the [Heavenly Devouring Panther technique]. It's a body cultivation method that mimics the abilities of a beast called the Heavenly Panther. I'll only give you the first half of the technique, up to Foundation Establishment. If you manage to reach that level and your energy cultivation has caught up, I'll give you the rest."

With a wave of his right hand, a jade slip appeared. Lin Tian was stunned—his uncle had a spatial ring.

Lin Shin closed his eyes and infused the jade slip with spiritual energy for a few seconds, then opened his eyes and tossed it to Lin Tian.

"To be honest, it doesn't matter much at the start. First, we'll see if your body is even compatible with this technique. But eventually, you'll want to study alchemy to refine pills and elixirs. Don't worry—everything's in there. To read it, just infuse your spiritual energy into the jade slip. The information will enter your mind naturally."

Lin Tian didn't hesitate and poured his energy into the jade slip. Instantly, all the knowledge of the Heavenly Devouring Panther technique flooded his mind. As expected, it didn't include anything beyond Foundation Establishment, but it described how to channel spiritual energy to refine the body—starting with the skin, then the flesh, followed by the organs, muscles, and finally the bones. Each stage corresponded to one of the minor realms within Qi Gathering.

Lin Tian smiled inwardly. The Nine Tribulations Wolf Demon Codex was far more advanced, of course—but that made sense. He had found it in an ancient hidden ruin, and few techniques could compare.

Thanks to his uncle, he could now cultivate his body without hiding it. On the surface, it would look like he was practicing the Heavenly Devouring Panther, when in reality, he would be cultivating the Nine Tribulations Wolf Demon Codex. His uncle wouldn't notice, at least not at the early levels—both techniques were very similar in the beginning. Only at Foundation Establishment, when he gained the ability for demonic transformation, would the difference be obvious—his form would resemble a wolf more than a panther. But that was a problem for later. No need to worry about it now.

"Remember our deal, kid," Lin Shin said. "If you're not able to cultivate this, you go back to using the clan's Qi Gathering manual. Once you reach level six, I'll get you something better."

Lin Tian nodded. "One more thing, Uncle—I know you've been giving me resources for years to help my cultivation, but… do you have anything more specific for body cultivators?"

Lin Shin gave him a strange look.

"Kid, focus on cultivating the first level first. Then I'll consider giving you the blood of a high-tier beast. And brace yourself—it might surprise you, but with this technique, you'll have to drink blood."

Lin Tian already knew that, but he feigned surprise.

"Blood?"

"Exactly. So either get used to the idea—or drop it now and go back to what you were doing."

"Alright, alright. Just let me give it a shot first."

"Well, and here I was, planning to invite you for a drink…" Lin Shin said, feigning disappointment. "But it looks like you're about to dive into that technique like a madman."

"Sorry, Uncle. I promise I'll go out for a drink with you another day."

The excitement in Lin Tian's eyes was impossible to miss.

Lin Shin stood up and walked toward the door.

"Don't get too obsessed. Let your body decide whether you can cultivate it or not. I'll come check on you in a few days."

With that, he left the room, leaving Lin Tian alone—still completely absorbed in the jade slip.

A genuine smile spread across Lin Tian's face.

"With this, I have the perfect excuse…" he chuckled.

"Let the beast's path begin."