Now, I need to analyse which cultivation technique suits me best. The most compatible one is the Heaven Devouring Sutra—extremely powerful, but if I cultivate it, there's a 100% chance that I'll be exposed and the entire cultivation world will hunt me down.
The Blood Immortal Technique is no better. As its name suggests, it requires constant sacrifices of living beings to cultivate, and I'm not keen on becoming a bloodthirsty demon… at least not yet.
The best and safest option I have is the Heavenly Immortal Dao Codex—a peerless cultivation scripture I obtained from the tomb of a Half-Step Immortal Emperor. That tomb drew the attention of countless experts and clans from the upper realms. After the bloodshed and chaos, I barely managed to escape with my life and the codex.
"System, can you suppress any signs of cultivation or unusual energy fluctuations?" Avinash asked cautiously.
[Ding! Yes, Host.]
Soon, a small golden barrier surrounded Avinash, isolating him from the outside world. Now that all preparations were complete, he sat cross-legged on the bed, took out the spirit stones from the system's storage, and placed them around him.
Each spirit stone was slightly larger than a fist, glowing softly with blue light like water pearls. Seeing hundreds of high-grade spirit stones, a smile appeared on Avinash's face.
"These are enough to push me to peak Foundation Realm. With the Heavenly Immortal Dao Codex, I won't even need a Foundation Building Pill."
But his smile faded almost instantly.
"However… what I lack most right now is time. I don't know how far I can cultivate in a single night."
Without further delay, he held one of the spirit stones in his hand, closed his eyes, and began circulating the Heavenly Immortal Dao Codex.
As he activated the technique, he could feel the spiritual energy moving inside his body, flowing like rivers. Following the codex's scripture, he formed two separate energy cycles—one clockwise through the large meridians, rotating 11 times, and one anti-clockwise through the small meridians, rotating 11 times.
His body instantly entered a cultivation state—calm, efficient, like a precise machine running at terrifying speed.
BOOM!
The two energy flows collided, forming a tiny black hole in his dantian. It began sucking in the energy from the surrounding spirit stones at an astonishing rate.
Feeling the massive surge of energy, Avinash panicked.
"What if my body explodes from the overload!?"
But he forced himself to stay calm. "Focus is key… when the transformation of the Heavenly Immortal Dao Codex reaches its peak, my body will evolve."
Crack!
A faint cracking sound echoed inside his body. His dantian suddenly expanded, and immense energy surged through his meridians like a flood. He had broken through—straight to the 9th level of the Refining Realm.
Even Avinash himself hadn't expected such a terrifying result. Just seven hours of cultivation had pushed him to the peak of body refinement. His strength soared, and all the aftereffects of removing his bloodlines had disappeared.
During this process, the immense power condensed into two separate black holes inside him, which slowly merged into a single symbol—a faint seven-coloured infinity mark appeared between his shoulder and neck.
Though it was still pale, the shape had taken form. With just a thought, the mark quivered, and a mighty force gushed out from it.
"Haah…" Avinash exhaled and stopped cultivating. "Laying a strong foundation is important. I should proceed step-by-step, not rush ahead foolishly."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of wooden clappers echoed outside—it was the night patrol passing by.
Avinash opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound. "Already this late… mid night."
He had cultivated the half night, and now it was time to act. He got up, straightened his clothes, and walked toward the window.
A light drizzle was falling. The moon was hidden behind thick, dark clouds. The fresh fragrance of wet soil, trees, and wildflowers filled the air.
The houses around him were built from green bamboo wood, tall and two-storied—typical of the mountain people, designed to endure snow and heavy rain.
Avinash didn't leave through the main door.
Instead, like a shadow, he slid out through the window, stepped onto a wooden pillar, and vanished into the night—his footsteps as silent as the wind.
Nightfall — The Mountain Behind Sumeru City
Crickets chirped in the undergrowth as twilight settled, and the mountain loomed silently in the distance—dark, ancient, and forgotten by most.
Avinash moved swiftly through the trees, his steps silent, his presence barely noticeable. He wore a thin mask—not out of fear, but caution. In a city like Sumeru, eyes were always watching.
"This mountain… it used to be a battlefield in ancient times," he murmured, his eyes glowing faintly in the dark. "Now, it's the place where the children of the city and surrounding villages undergo their talent awakening."
After nearly an hour of hiking, he arrived at a moss-covered stone wall. It was sealed shut, reinforced by several Foundation Realm experts. A sentence was etched across it in ancient script:
"Awakening Ceremony House."
Avinash knew his current strength was nowhere near enough to open a seal placed by cultivators of that level—but he also knew something they didn't: a hidden crack, small and long forgotten.
He began searching meticulously, brushing aside ivy and vines. After half an hour of careful examination, he found it—concealed behind a thick curtain of overgrowth, a narrow crevice, just large enough for a child to squeeze through.
Without hesitation, he slipped inside.
Inside the Cave
The narrow passage opened into a wide, shadowy cavern. Spiritual energy lingered in the air, faint but untouched—for five long years, no one had set foot here. The Awakening Ceremony only took place once every cycle.
"This place... even after seven lifetimes, it still feels eerie."
He placed a palm on the cold stone wall, closing his eyes briefly.
"System, activate the Illusion Formation. Set it to activate during tomorrow's awakening ceremony. Target: me. Illusion Output: 'Poor' talent—just barely enough to cultivate. That way, I'll match my sacrificial lamb... Oh, I mean, my good brother."
[Ding! Affirmative, Host. Illusion Formation deployed. Activation set for sunrise tomorrow.]
A soft hum echoed as thin lines of light spiraled across the cave floor, forming an intricate array. When it finished, the formation vanished, merging seamlessly with the stone.
Avinash exhaled deeply. "Good. That takes care of the first step."
He turned toward the entrance, a cold smile dancing on his lips.
"This is just the beginning. If everything goes as planned, not only will I transform my talent at the right moment, but I'll also harvest a massive amount of Destiny and Villain Points."
He began his descent back down the mountain.
Tip-tip...
Raindrops started falling gently, then intensified as dark clouds loomed overhead. Within moments, the mountain was drenched in a torrential downpour.
But Avinash didn't seek shelter.
Instead, he stood still under the storm, gazing skyward. His Celestial Reincarnation Eyes ignited with seven radiant hues. A cruel smile tugged at his lips.
"Heaven… are you weeping? Don't worry—your fun begins soon."
As he spoke, the rain fell harder, almost as if the heavens had heard him.
"Haha... just wait. The show is about to begin."
His eyes glowed brighter, distorting the space around him—then, in an instant, he vanished, as if he'd never existed at all.
Avinash's Room — Sumeru City
He reappeared in his bedroom, the entire journey having taken less than a millisecond. But the spatial shift took its toll.
He staggered slightly, gasping from the exertion, sweat beading on his forehead. Yet he smiled.
"Celestial Reincarnation Eyes—First Way: The Space."