Chapter 2 — The Forgotten Deity’s First Breath
{Rebirth}
Lian Ren's first breath was harsh, ragged, and drenched in pain.
Cold air filled his tiny lungs, each gasp a brutal reminder that he was no longer in the divine realm. Gone were the endless skies, the cosmic throne, the thunderous power that had once coursed through his veins.
Now, he lay swaddled in a crude woven basket, nestled among rough hands and weathered faces in a small mountain village forgotten by the empires and cultivation sects.
His newborn eyes barely made out the flickering candlelight, but deep within his soul, faint whispers stirred—echoes from a forgotten past.
Outside, the wind howled through towering pines, carrying the scent of damp earth and frost. The village—Jade Hollow—was poor and humble. Its people lived hard lives, toiling the rocky soil under an indifferent sky.
The clan into which he was born—the Liangs—were simple farmers, their lives shaped by seasons and toil, not divine power or legendary lineage.
His father muttered, voice heavy with worry, "A weak child… born in the season of decay. What hope is there?"
His mother's trembling fingers brushed the baby's hand. "May the heavens smile upon you, little one."
But the heavens, it seemed, had other plans.
[Years Later]
As Lian Ren grew, the frailty that had marked his birth shadowed him.
Other children played and trained, their bodies alive with the faint glow of elemental Qi that shimmered along their veins.
But Lian Ren's veins pulsed with only a pale gray haze—no blaze of elemental energy, no spark of power to call his own.
The village elders shook their heads with quiet resignation. "This boy lacks the blood of greatness. He is cursed to remain weak."
At school, the other children jeered with cruel voices.
"Lian Ren the weakling! Can't even break a branch!"
"Why bother? He's nothing but a shadow."
But in the still moments—when the sun sank behind the mountains and silence wrapped the world—Lian Ren felt something else. A faint, muted rhythm beneath his ribs, like a distant drumbeat calling to him, strange yet compelling.
One bitter winter day, as frost crusted the edges of a frozen stream, Lian Ren sat alone, hands pressed against the ice.
The cold bit sharply—yet instead of pain, warmth blossomed in his palm.
Then, in his mind, a voice echoed softly for the first time:
[Divine Echo Interface Initialized]
[Welcome, Soul of the Forgotten Deity. Your cultivation path diverges from mortals.]
[Primary Cultivation Method: Karma Absorption. Qi Absorption Disabled.]
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Echo of Wisdom — Time slows during crisis (1/day).]
His heart thundered in his chest. The winter world blurred around him as a faint golden thread curled and wrapped softly around his soul.
But the villagers saw only a fragile boy.
His father's voice was heavy with despair. "No Qi… no future."
His mother whispered prayers to the cold skies.
Lian Ren clenched his fists, a seed of defiance taking root deep within.
I will not be weak.
At seven, Lian Ren was brought to the village training grounds for his first formal cultivation lesson.
Master Wei, the village elder, was a stern man with eyes sharp as a hawk's and a voice like gravel.
"Today, children, you will learn to sense Qi within your bodies."
The children closed their eyes and reached deep inside.
Golden light shimmered along their arms and legs.
But Lian Ren found no light. Only a faint vibration, a subtle hum beneath reality's surface.
Master Wei shook his head slowly.
"This boy is different. Perhaps the gods have abandoned him."
That night, beneath a canopy of stars, Lian Ren sat cross-legged deep in the woods, calling upon the mysterious system.
[Karma Pulse Detected: Beginner Level]
[Begin Karma Absorption Exercise: Focus on Intent and Balance.]
He breathed slowly, not chasing power, but following the unseen flow of cause and effect—the invisible threads binding action to consequence.
The air shimmered faintly as he absorbed the intangible Karma energy that hummed in the world.
A tiny golden spark ignited in his palm.
Days later, near the village edge, Lian Ren found a small fox trapped in a hunter's cruel snare.
Without hesitation, he freed it.
As the fox limped away, a warmth surged inside him—a flicker of light blossomed within his soul.
[Karmic Resonance +1]
[Hidden Quest Unlocked: Mend the Will of the Heavens — Progress: 0.05%]
The path was unclear, but one truth glowed bright—his cultivation was shaped not by brute strength, but by choices.
A Moment of Defiance
One evening, village children gathered by the fire, boasting.
"My Qi is strong enough to ignite flames already!" bragged Jin, a burly boy.
Lian Ren clutched a small wooden stick, quiet, feeling the silent pulse of unseen forces beneath his fingertips.
Suddenly, a wild boar crashed through the fence, charging toward the frightened villagers.
Panic erupted.
Weapons were drawn; children scattered.
Jin sneered, "Watch the weakling fail."
His system pinged urgently:
[Danger detected — activate Echo of Wisdom? (1/1)]
Time slowed.
Lian Ren's mind cleared. Moving with unnatural grace, he leapt into the boar's path, palm extended.
A shockwave of invisible force burst from his strike.
The beast stumbled and fled.
Silence fell.
Master Wei stared, eyes wide.
"What… was that?"
[Skill Unlocked: Whisper of the Karma Pulse]
[Cooldown: 3 days]
That night, beneath the stars, Lian Ren felt the weight of his new power.
Yet questions churned.
Why Karma, and not Qi?
What did the cryptic words mean—"rise without cruelty"?
Who cursed him to this mortal shell?
At dawn, his mother approached with a worn pendant.
"This belonged to your great-grandfather," she whispered. "It protects souls from dark fate."
Lian Ren clutched it.
Warmth pulsed gently, like a heartbeat.
The Divine Echo Interface shimmered before his eyes:
Name: Lian Ren
Status: Mortal Vessel
Cultivation Path: Karma Absorption
Passive Skill: Echo of Wisdom (1 use/day)
Quests: Mend the Will of the Heavens (0.05%)
A calm voice filled his mind:
"You are bound to Karma, the unseen thread connecting all deeds. Your path diverges from mortals. Your power grows through choices, not strength."
His eyes blazed with determination.
Weeks later, an old man with hawk-like eyes arrived in Jade Hollow.
"I seek the child with the radiant soul," he declared.
Whispers spread like wildfire that day.
The man's gaze lingered on a few children then locked on Lian Ren.
"You have been chosen by fate to walk a perilous path."
Lian Ren bowed.
"I am ready."
That night, as the village slept, a shadow watched from the darkness.
A sinister smile touched the lips beneath a black hood.
Not all who noticed the forgotten deity's rebirth wished him well.
The divine realm was watching.