The wind howled through the ruins, carrying with it the distant echoes of Heaven's decree. Lian Yu sat cross-legged, his breathing steady despite the sharp pain coursing through his body. His cultivation was gone, yet his will remained unshaken.
Before him, the mysterious power flickered—a force untouched by Heaven's will.
He reached out with his mind, trying to grasp it. The moment he did, his vision blurred, and he found himself standing in that endless void again.
An eternal abyss. No Qi. No divine laws. Only emptiness—and the lone flickering light.
Lian Yu took a step forward.
The light pulsed in response.
A flood of understanding surged into his mind. Unlike Qi, which flowed from the world into a cultivator, this power had no external source. It did not follow meridians, nor did it rely on the dantian. Instead, it existed within him, bound to his very existence.
He focused. The moment he willed it, the flickering light expanded, surging into his veins. A new force spread through his body—foreign yet familiar, like it had always belonged to him.
Power flooded his limbs. The injuries that had left him barely able to stand began to mend. His shattered foundation… was reconstructing itself.
Not through Qi. Not through Heaven's blessings.
But through his own will.
A sharp pain lanced through his chest. Lian Yu gritted his teeth. His body trembled as the power surged violently. Unlike Qi, which followed structured paths, this force was raw, untamed. It threatened to tear him apart just as easily as it could rebuild him.
This was his first trial.
To wield a power that defied Heaven—he had to prove he could survive it.
His fingers dug into the earth, sweat dripping from his brow. He would not break. He would not falter.
He would seize this power.
Minutes passed. Then hours.
When Lian Yu finally opened his eyes, a strange calm settled over him. The pain had faded. His body still bore wounds, but he no longer felt weak. The rejection of the world still pressed against him, but he could withstand it.
For the first time since his erasure, he felt alive.
His new path had begun.