My name is Lin Qing, he told himself.
It sounded small in the dim room, like it belonged to someone else—a college dropout, not a messiah in stolen robes. But it was the only solid thing he had, so he held onto it.
A soft knock echoed against the wooden door.
Lin Qing sat on the straw mattress, staring at the brazier's lazy smoke. He still hadn't decided if he'd survived a ritual, died again, or just respawned in someone's fever dream.
"Enter," he said finally.
The door opened, and a young man stepped inside—nervous eyes, tidy robes, tray balanced with both hands. Behind the tray, two scrolls were tucked beneath his arm.
"The Heir's meal," he said, bowing so deeply his forehead nearly brushed the floor. "And these scrolls—Elder Hei ordered that you study them."
He placed the tray down carefully. Gray porridge steamed beside a thin black-bound book and a rolled parchment sealed with crimson wax.
Lin Qing lifted an eyebrow. "Homework already?"
The boy straightened immediately. "This disciple is Li Chun, of the Outer Halls. The sealed scroll describes the structure of our world—the realms, the powers, the age we live in. The stitched text is the Sect Foundation Manual, used to open the Mortal Veins. Should the Heir wish for higher scripture, he may visit the Scripture Hall."
"Scripture Hall," Lin Qing echoed. "That sounds safe."
Li Chun looked confused, but nodded vigorously. "It is said every technique recorded there carries the blood-mark of the Moon itself."
So—library with cursed books. Great.
"Leave it there," Lin Qing said, waving a hand. "And go polish something."
"Yes, Heir." Li Chun bowed again before backing out of the room as if escaping a divine beast.
---
When silence returned, Lin Qing unrolled the crimson-sealed parchment. The wax cracked like old bone.
Elegant calligraphy swept across the page, ink glimmering faintly silver in the torchlight.
On the lands beneath Heaven: The mortal world lies upon the Azure Heaven Continent, a domain of seven great regions and uncountable kingdoms. Beyond the Endless Sea rests the Vast Origin Continent, home of the Immortal Clans, while to the far south lies the Ashen Desolation, where demons and spirits reign.
Across these lands, countless sects rise and fall—but only a few stand eternal.
The righteous call themselves the Nine Great Holy Lands; the ambitious serve the Four Imperial Dynasties.
Opposite them stand the Four Forbidden Pillars—ancient demon sects whose power rivals the heavens themselves.
Of those Four, the Blood Moon Demon Sect is third, keeper of shadow and silence. When the Blood Moon rises, kingdoms collapse, and even the Immortal Clans close their gates.
Lin Qing paused halfway through and exhaled slowly. So it wasn't just a cult—it was the cult, a top-tier world-ender with marketing.
He skimmed onward.
The First Pillar, the Abyssal Flame Sect, burns worlds to purify them.The Second, the Thousand Serpent Cult, poisons fate itself.The Third, our Blood Moon Demon Sect, governs slaughter and silence.The Fourth, the Hollow Night Palace, walks between life and death.
Together they balance the arrogance of the heavens.
Lin Qing rubbed his forehead. "Fantastic. I woke up in the villains' team and it's the championship match."
He read on.
In this age, cultivation follows the Path of Ascension: Mortal Vein → Spirit Sea → True King → Saint → Divine Origin → Emperor → Immortal Ascension.
Each realm bears nine layers, each layer a battle against one's own limits.
Those born in the Dust Realm awaken their Mortal Veins, the twelve gates of the body that link flesh to spirit.
When the Mortal Veins flow, one steps into the Spirit Sea Realm, where essence condenses into liquid qi.
At the True King Realm, one commands their qi as law, forming a domain that bends heaven itself.
Saints transcend the mortal shell; Divine Origin cultivators create inner worlds; Emperors rewrite the laws of Heaven. And above them, those who Ascend shed mortality entirely.
The script shimmered faintly, as though alive. The parchment even smelled faintly of iron and rain.
He rolled it up again and set it aside. "Alright. World's terrifying. Check."
No wonder everyone bowed when he sneezed.
Next came the black-stitched book. Its first page was titled:
Blood Moon Breathing Method – Foundational Technique for Mortal Vein Cultivation.
It looked simple—diagrams of the human body, twelve lines looping like rivers, symbols marking points along each path. It reminded him of a yoga manual designed by someone who hated peace.
He began reading aloud softly.
"Inhale the world, exhale impurity. Let the breath trace the twelve mortal veins, clearing dust and shadow…"
The air shifted.
Thin lines of light unfurled before his eyes—silver veins of energy moving through his body exactly as the text described. His pupils shimmered faintly, mirroring those glowing diagrams.
A pulse of quiet energy hummed in his skull.
[Heavenly Insight Divine Body Activated]
Comprehension: 23% → 57% → 100%.
The lines dissolved into mist. Every instruction, every breath pattern, every meridian—it all made sense instantly, as if he had trained it for years.
He inhaled once. The air thickened. The brazier flame bent toward him.
From outside the door, Li Chun gasped. "The Heir's aura… it's rising!"
Qi poured into the room, invisible but heavy. Warmth raced through Lin Qing's body, each vein flaring open one by one until all twelve sang in harmony. Then silence—pure and steady.
[Mortal Vein Stage – First Layer Achieved]
Lin Qing opened his eyes slowly. The world felt different—sharper, lighter, alive. He flexed his hands, feeling power hum under his skin.
Li Chun had already fallen to his knees. "The Heir has stepped into the Mortal Vein Realm in seconds! Even a Saint could not teach such perfection!"
"Let's not get dramatic," Lin Qing said quietly. "It's just breathing."
Li Chun trembled. "The prophecy was true. The Blood Moon Heir possesses the Heavenly Insight Divine Body! The body once owned by the Mirror Emperor himself!"
"The what?" Lin Qing asked, blankly.
"The divine body of absolute comprehension!" Li Chun explained, voice shaking with awe. "Able to see the truth of any technique with a single glance!"
Lin Qing rubbed his forehead. "Right. Sure. Let's… go with that."
Outside, somewhere deep beneath the sect, a low bell tolled. A ripple of qi spread through the mountain like a heartbeat.
Li Chun's face drained of color. "The Elders have felt your awakening."
Lin Qing sighed. "Great. Round two of pretending to be divine."
To Li Chun, the Heir's calm sounded godlike. The young man pressed his forehead to the floor. "The Heir truly walks the path of Heaven."
"More like stumbles up it," Lin Qing muttered.
Still, as he looked down at his glowing hands, the warmth didn't fade. For the first time since waking, he felt something real—something alive.
Far above the cavern, the Blood Moon shimmered faintly in the sky, its crimson surface rippling like an opened eye.