The hidden ruin beneath the forest remained silent.
Ancient stone pillars stood like forgotten guardians, watching over the underground chamber that had not been disturbed for centuries. Dust floated slowly in the cold air, illuminated by faint beams of moonlight slipping through cracks in the ceiling.
At the center of the chamber, Lin Tian sat cross-legged on the stone platform.
The ancient cultivation book rested beside him, while fragments of the shattered spirit crystal lay scattered on the ground.
For the past several hours, Lin Tian had been cultivating continuously.
His breathing was slow and steady.
With every inhale, invisible streams of spiritual energy flowed from the surrounding environment into his body.
The Heavenly Origin Breathing Technique operated smoothly.
Spiritual energy traveled through his meridians like a flowing river, strengthening his muscles, bones, and organs.
Even though the spirit crystal had already been completely absorbed, the spiritual energy inside the ruin was still far richer than outside.
This allowed Lin Tian to cultivate much faster.
Inside his body, the circulating energy grew stronger with each cycle.
However, Lin Tian did not rush.
His experience from his previous life taught him that building a strong foundation was more important than advancing quickly.
Still—
His cultivation speed was astonishing.
If any ordinary cultivator were present, they would be shocked by the amount of spiritual energy Lin Tian could absorb.
The reason was simple.
His soul had already reached an extremely high level in his previous life.
Although his current body was weak, his soul still possessed powerful control over spiritual energy.
This allowed him to absorb and refine energy far more efficiently than normal people.
Time passed quietly.
One hour.
Two hours.
Three hours.
The air in the chamber slowly began to change.
The spiritual energy surrounding Lin Tian started moving faster.
It gathered around him like a small invisible storm.
A faint glow appeared around his body.
Suddenly—
A sharp pulse of energy spread through the chamber.
Lin Tian's eyes snapped open.
A powerful sensation filled his body.
His meridians vibrated slightly as the spiritual energy inside them condensed.
Lin Tian exhaled slowly.
"I've broken through."
He had successfully advanced to the Second Layer of the First Cultivation Stage.
Although it was still considered an early stage, the increase in strength was significant.
Lin Tian slowly stood up.
His body felt much lighter.
Stronger.
More stable.
He clenched his fist slightly.
A wave of strength surged through his arm.
"Good."
In his previous life, this level of power would have been insignificant.
But on modern Earth?
It was already far beyond ordinary humans.
Lin Tian stepped off the stone platform.
He looked around the chamber thoughtfully.
"If I continue cultivating here for a few days, I might reach the Third Layer."
However, something else had caught his attention.
When he broke through earlier, the spiritual energy inside the ruin reacted strangely.
It gathered toward the center of the chamber as if responding to his cultivation.
Lin Tian slowly walked around the platform.
His sharp eyes carefully examined the ground.
After a moment, he noticed something unusual.
There were faint patterns carved into the stone floor.
They were extremely worn and almost invisible beneath the dust.
Lin Tian crouched down and brushed the dust away with his hand.
The patterns became clearer.
They formed a circular design around the stone platform.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"This is… a cultivation formation."
Cultivation formations were special arrays created by ancient cultivators.
They were designed to gather spiritual energy and concentrate it in one location.
This explained why the energy inside the ruin was stronger than outside.
Even though the formation had been damaged by time, it was still partially active.
Lin Tian stood up slowly.
"If I repair this formation…"
Then the spiritual energy here could become several times stronger.
However, repairing formations required special materials and knowledge.
For now, he could only use it in its current state.
Still, it was already very helpful.
Lin Tian returned to the center of the platform.
Before sitting down again, he decided to test his improved strength.
He raised his right hand slowly.
Spiritual energy gathered in his palm.
A faint stream of energy wrapped around his fist.
Then—
He punched forward.
Boom.
A loud sound echoed in the chamber.
The air in front of his fist compressed, creating a small shockwave.
Dust fell from the nearby pillars.
Lin Tian lowered his arm and nodded slightly.
"My physical strength has increased by at least three times."
His body purification from earlier had already strengthened him significantly.
Now, with the breakthrough in cultivation, his power had grown even more.
Lin Tian walked toward one of the stone pillars.
The pillar was thick and solid, easily weighing several tons.
He placed his hand against it.
Then he pushed gently.
The massive pillar trembled slightly.
Lin Tian smiled faintly.
"Not bad."
For an ordinary human, moving such a pillar would be impossible.
But for a cultivator, it was only the beginning.
Lin Tian stepped back.
His gaze turned serious again.
Strength was important.
But control was equally important.
He needed to master his growing power carefully.
Otherwise, it would attract unnecessary attention.
Especially in a modern world filled with ordinary people.
Lin Tian sat down once more on the stone platform.
This time, instead of focusing on absorbing spiritual energy, he focused on controlling it.
He guided the energy through his meridians slowly.
Each movement was precise and controlled.
This process was known as energy refinement.
It helped stabilize a cultivator's foundation and improve their control.
Minutes passed quietly.
Then something unexpected happened.
As Lin Tian circulated his spiritual energy through the cultivation formation beneath him—
The ancient carvings on the platform began glowing faintly.
A soft humming sound filled the chamber.
Lin Tian's eyes opened immediately.
The formation was reacting to his cultivation again.
This time, the reaction was stronger.
The spiritual energy inside the chamber began gathering toward the platform rapidly.
It flowed into Lin Tian's body like a rushing river.
His eyes widened slightly.
"The formation is activating."
Even though it was damaged, the ancient array was responding to his energy.
Lin Tian quickly adjusted his breathing technique.
If he handled this correctly, he could absorb far more energy than before.
But if he lost control—
His body might not be able to handle the pressure.
Lin Tian closed his eyes again.
He remained calm.
His breathing slowed.
The Heavenly Origin Breathing Technique operated faster.
Spiritual energy poured into his body from all directions.
His meridians glowed faintly as the energy circulated rapidly.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
The pressure inside his body increased.
But Lin Tian maintained perfect control.
Slowly…
Carefully…
He refined the incoming energy.
The process continued for nearly half an hour.
Finally—
The flow of energy slowed down.
The glowing carvings faded again.
The chamber returned to silence.
Lin Tian opened his eyes slowly.
His body felt warm.
Powerful.
Even more stable than before.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"My cultivation speed has increased even more."
With the help of the ancient formation, his progress would be far faster than normal.
However, Lin Tian knew something important.
The sudden activation of the formation meant something else.
It meant the ruin was not completely dead.
Some parts of it were still active.
Which raised an important question.
"If the formation still works…"
Then what else might still be hidden here?
Lin Tian stood up again.
His eyes slowly scanned the dark corners of the chamber.
The ancient ruin had already given him a cultivation technique and a powerful training location.
But Lin Tian had a strong feeling.
There were still more secrets buried here.
And those secrets might change everything.
Far above the ground, the first light of dawn began appearing on the horizon.
Morning was approaching.
Lin Tian looked toward the tunnel entrance.
"For today, this is enough."
His strength had increased significantly.
But he could not stay here forever.
People would eventually notice his absence.
Lin Tian walked toward the tunnel.
Before leaving, he looked back one last time at the ancient chamber.
"This place will become my training ground."
A hidden ruin filled with spiritual energy.
An ancient cultivation technique.
And the possibility of discovering even greater secrets.
For Lin Tian, it was the perfect starting point.
Because his journey to regain his former power had only just begun.
And soon—
The world itself might begin to change. 🌌⚔️