Chapter 14: Visions in the Void

Darkness.

Not the kind that came with the closing of one's eyes or the arrival of nightfall—but an endless, oppressive abyss, deeper than any cave, darker than the void between stars.

Lin Feng floated in it, untethered. He couldn't feel his body. He couldn't feel time. Only the whisper of something vast and ancient brushing against the edges of his soul.

Then, a voice—distorted, layered, as if a chorus of thousands were speaking at once.

"You are the Fifth. The final bearer. Do not fail as the others did."

Lin Feng tried to speak, but no sound came out. He had no mouth. No form.

"You are chosen not because you are strong, but because you were broken. Only through fracture may light seep in. Only through weakness may strength be born."

Images flashed before him.

A battlefield drenched in blood and flame. Corpses of cultivators strewn across shattered mountains. A sky cracked open like glass, revealing swirling cosmic storms. A colossal shadow loomed above it all, half-man, half-machine, eyes glowing with eerie golden light.

Then, a boy knelt amidst the carnage—young, battered, weeping. The image blurred, and the boy's face became Lin Feng's own.

The shadow extended a hand. The boy took it.

"And thus began the fourth's descent into madness..."

The image shattered like porcelain.

More flashes.

A figure in white robes, holding the system's interface like a glowing orb in his palm, standing atop a tower of skulls, laughing maniacally as lightning danced around him. Another, a girl with silver eyes, her face twisted in horror as the system melted into her skin like living flame. Then a third, slumped against a throne of stone, whispering prayers to a dead god, system flickering before him like a dying candle.

Each vision ended the same way: failure.

Collapse.

Death.

Lin Feng's thoughts trembled. Were these… past users of the system?

"The System is not a gift," the voice intoned. "It is a prison. A forge. You are not its master. You are its blade."

He tried to scream. Tried to move. Anything.

Then, light.

A single star ignited in the void above. Then another. And another. A constellation formed—a strange pattern, like a sigil or seal, burning with celestial fire.

"You are the last," the voice whispered, softer now. "We will be watching. We will be waiting. Find the sealed vault. Learn the true name of the System. Or be consumed."

And with a thunderclap that cracked his very soul, the darkness shattered—

—

Lin Feng shot upright, gasping. His body was drenched in sweat, his heart racing like a drumbeat of war. For a moment, he didn't recognize his surroundings. His quarters. The tiny, single-room hut on the edge of the sect's outer disciple area.

He scrambled to his feet and stumbled outside, barely managing to stand as the cool dawn wind hit his face.

He leaned against the bamboo railing and took long, deep breaths. The vision clung to his mind like cobwebs—fading yet refusing to disappear.

What was that? he thought. A dream? A system warning? Or something else entirely?

The system's interface pinged silently in the corner of his vision.

[System Notification: You have accessed a Sealed Memory Fragment.]

[Note: These fragments are echoes of the past, buried deep in the system's core.]

[Warning: Continued synchronization may reveal hidden protocols.]

Lin Feng read the message, a deep chill crawling up his spine.

It wasn't just a dream.

There had been others before him.

And they had failed.

He looked up at the rising sun. A new day had begun. In less than a day, the dueling platform would open for challenges. If even one outer disciple wanted to block his path to the Inner Trials, they would have their chance.

And Lin Feng wasn't arrogant enough to believe there wouldn't be challengers.

But the vision had changed something in him. The stakes were larger than he'd ever imagined. The system was more than a tool—it had a past. A legacy of destruction. He had to uncover the truth, or he would become just another forgotten name.

He clenched his fists and turned back inside. There was no time to waste.

He had to advance.

—

Lin Feng sat cross-legged on his mat, cultivating with quiet intensity. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of spiritual energy being drawn in from the surrounding environment. His breathing slowed, his pulse leveled out, and his consciousness began to sink inward.

[System Boost Active: Cultivation Speed x1000]

His dantian pulsed with light as spiritual essence flooded it, expanding and refining with each breath. The energy swirled like a vortex, compressed under immense pressure, then condensed into pure Qi.

One hour passed.

Two.

His body trembled slightly. Then a sound like a chime echoed within him—a spiritual resonance.

Qi Condensation Stage Four—Achieved.

But Lin Feng didn't stop.

He kept going, stabilizing the new stage, allowing his meridians to adjust, his Qi to settle. With the system accelerating everything, he could break through quickly—but without careful attention, he risked damaging his foundation.

The vision had made that clear.

The previous users were powerful, yes. But power without wisdom was a curse.

[New System Alert: Milestone Achieved – Qi Condensation Stage 4 within 24 hours.]

Reward: Passive Skill – "Astral Perception" (Level 1)

Effect: Allows user to faintly perceive astral energy signatures, even those hidden from mortal senses.

Lin Feng's eyes opened, and everything looked… different.

The world shimmered with hidden layers. He could see faint lines of energy curling through the air like threads of moonlight. His own body glowed with internal light, his meridians like rivers of molten gold.

He looked down at his hands, stunned. This… this was beyond cultivation. This was the edge of something else.

Something deeper.

A knock on the door broke the trance.

He rose and opened it.

To his surprise, it was not a fellow outer disciple—but Xu Qingling, one of the sect's Inner Disciples. She wore a light blue robe with flowing sleeves, her long hair tied back into a silver band. Her expression was neutral, but her eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"You're Lin Feng?" she asked.

He bowed respectfully. "Yes."

She studied him for a long moment.

"I heard Elder Jian allowed you to enter the Inner Disciple Trials. And that you accepted all challengers for tomorrow."

Lin Feng nodded. "That's correct."

Her lips curved into the barest trace of a smile. "Interesting. Most outer disciples wouldn't dare. Especially after seeing the challenge board."

Lin Feng frowned. "What do you mean?"

She pulled a jade slip from her sleeve and tossed it to him. "Take a look."

He infused the slip with Qi, and a list unfurled within his mind.

Challenge Board – Outer Ring Dueling Platform

Zhou Wei – Qi Condensation 5 Han Rong – Qi Condensation 6 Mu Jian – Qi Condensation 4 Li Ru – Qi Condensation 5

... Jin Taro – Foundation Establishment 1 (Honorary Entry)

Fourteen names.

All stronger than him.

His gut twisted, but he forced himself to stay calm. This wasn't unexpected. He had made waves. Now the tide was returning.

"Do you know why they want to fight you?" Xu Qingling asked.

"Jealousy," Lin Feng said. "Maybe fear."

She shook her head. "Because you're rising too fast. That scares people more than strength—momentum. Especially with no known background."

She stepped back. "Be careful tomorrow. Not everyone plays fair."

With that, she turned and vanished into the trees, leaving Lin Feng staring after her.

The sun had begun to set.

Tomorrow, the first true test of his path would begin.

And he would face it head-on.

No matter who stood in his way.