The rain had just stopped over Azure Vast Sect.
Clouds still covered half the sky. Mist drifted between the mountain peaks like pale silk. The sect stood on seven connected ridges, each ridge serving a different purpose. The highest ridge held the Inner Court. The lowest housed outer disciples.
Between the ridges flowed spirit streams. Stone bridges crossed over them.
Wind bells hung from wooden eaves and made soft sounds whenever the mountain breeze passed.
Xu Yuan stood under the eaves of the Outer Court hall.He looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar world before him.
He had died once.
In another life, he was just an ordinary reader. He liked long eastern fantasy novels. One night, after reading too late, he lost consciousness.
When he woke up again, he was here.
Inside a novel.
Worse.
Inside the body of a minor villain.
Xu Yuan.
In the story, Xu Yuan was jealous of the protagonist. He tried to suppress him. He bullied him once. Later, he offended someone powerful and died quietly in a mountain mission.
No glory
No revenge
Just a footnote
When Xu Yuan first remembered everything, his heart was cold.
He did not fear death.
He feared meaningless death.
He did not want to become a stepping stone.
So he made one decision.
He would not fight the protagonist openly.
He would not provoke him blindly.
He would grow stronger first.
Step by step.
The sect bell rang three times.
Outer disciples gathered in the square.
Around three hundred young men and women stood in lines. All wore gray robes. Some looked proud. Some nervous. Some bored.
On the platform stood Elder Mo.
He was thin and sharp-eyed. His voice carried easily across the square.
Three days later,Lower Medicinal Valley trial.
Collect herbs. Avoid west cliff. Do not act beyond your strength.
His gaze swept across the crowd.
For a brief second, it paused on someone.
Lin Tian.
The protagonist of this world.
Xu Yuan also looked.
Lin Tian stood near the front row. His face was calm. His clothes were slightly worn. His eyes were steady and deep.
In the novel, this was where Lin Tian began to rise.
In the Medicinal Valley, he would accidentally fall into a hidden cave. There he would obtain an ancient inheritance and begin his path of legend.
Xu Yuan lowered his gaze.
He felt pressure.
This was the first turning point.
If he interfered too much, fate might retaliate.
If he did nothing, Lin Tian would grow far ahead.
He needed balance.
Behind him, someone whispered.
"Xu Yuan is staring again."
It was Wei Han.
Tall, Broad soulders and Proud expression
In the original story, Wei Han later became one of Lin Tian's rivals, then eventually his supporter after being defeated.
For now, Wei Han disliked Xu Yuan.
Not because of past grudges.
But because Xu Yuan used to show off and look down on others.
Even though this Xu Yuan had changed inside, reputation did not change overnight.
After the gathering ended, disciples dispersed.
Xu Yuan walked toward the training field.
He carried a spear.
Most outer disciples used swords.
Spear required stronger body control and foundation. It was harder at early stage but more powerful later.
Xu Yuan chose it deliberately.
In the novel, few strong characters used spear. That meant fewer direct comparisons and fewer predetermined story paths.
He began practicing basic thrust.
One step forward.
Breath steady.
Waist turn.
Spear thrust straight.
He repeated it again and again.
His body was not strong yet.
His cultivation was only at Body Tempering Third Layer.
In this world, cultivation had two main paths.
Qi cultivation and Body tempering.
Most disciples focused on Qi first.
Body tempering was painful and slow.
But Xu Yuan knew something.
In later chapters of the novel, many strong experts had terrifying bodies. They could endure lightning tribulation and survive deadly poison.
He did not want a fragile foundation.
So he trained both.
Slowly
After one hundred thrusts, his arms trembled.
Sweat soaked his robe.
A few disciples watched from distance.
One of them was Qiao Liang.
He used to admire Lin Tian. Now he also noticed Xu Yuan's change.
"Why is he training so seriously?" Qiao Liang muttered.
Not far away, Lin Tian was also training.
But Lin Tian practiced breathing method.
His movements were natural.
Wind around him seemed slightly different.
Even before obtaining inheritance, Lin Tian already had better luck than others.
Xu Yuan felt it
The air around Lin Tian seemed to favor him.
He stopped training and sat cross-legged.
From his sleeve, he took out three low-grade spirit stones.
He pressed one against his forehead.
A faint warmth spread.
His cheat activated
Heavenly Insight
Information appeared in his mind like faint script
Spirit Stone – Low Grade. Contains impure Qi. Suitable for Third Layer absorption.
Hidden use: Can stabilize minor meridian damage when crushed into powder and applied with water.
Xu Yuan opened his eyes.
So even spirit stones had hidden uses.
Heavenly Insight consumed spirit stones to analyze.
The deeper the analysis, the more stones needed.
Some objects even required special conditions.
He had tested it yesterday.
He tried analyzing Elder Mo.But,It failed.
He almost fainted.
Heavenly Insight warned him: Insufficient spiritual strength.
He understood one thing clearly.
This ability was not omnipotent.
It was a tool.
A costly one
Night fell slowly
Lanterns lit along the stone paths.
In a small room of outer disciple residence, Lin Tian sat quietly.
He looked at his rough hands.
He remembered his childhood in small village. His parents worked fields. They borrowed money to send him to sect.
He could not afford failure.
He felt pressure too.
But unlike Xu Yuan, he did not know future.
He only knew he must become strong.
Outside his room, footsteps paused.
Wei Han stood there briefly.
He wanted to talk to Lin Tian.
But pride stopped him.
He turned away.
In another room, Xu Yuan lay on wooden bed.
He stared at ceiling beams.
He calculated.
Three days until valley trial.
He would not rush to steal inheritance.
That would be suicide.
Instead, he would observe
Prepare
If chance appeared, he would take it.
If not, he would not force it.
He clenched his fist slowly.
"I will not be a stepping stone."
Wind outside carried faint smell of rain.
Above Azure Vast Sect, clouds slowly dispersed.
The stars appeared
Fate had begun to move
And this time, one extra variable existed.