That night, after returning from the streets, Ling Xian lay in bed, the moonlight slipping in through the blinds, casting silver lines across his face. Though the city had quieted, his heart was anything but calm. He sat up, breathing slowly, trying to stabilize the chaotic flow of energy surging through his meridians.
"This... again," he muttered, placing a hand over his chest.
The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was worrying. His thoughts drifted back to the forest—the moment when he had wielded Sword Qi for the first time in this life. His cultivation had still been at the Qi Gathering Realm then, yet he had forced a technique that only cultivators many levels above him could master.
The backlash had been immediate. If not for his swift response—gathering herbs, meditating, circulating his qi—his entire foundation might have crumbled. He'd narrowly escaped disaster.
And now, once again, the repercussions returned.
"Today... when I released that killing intent."
He recalled the arrogant young man who had tried to court Yan Ruyin, and how he had unconsciously let a fragment of his past life awaken. The God of Destruction. His killing intent had bled out, thick and sharp, frightening even the elder standing beside the youth.
The room had gone cold, the air thick, and the young man had staggered, his face pale. But Ling Xian had felt the cost.
His chest pulsed again with discomfort—his foundation flickering, unstable. He exhaled slowly.
"This body... it's not ready. My soul and power belong to another life, another realm."
Each time he forced an ability from his former life, the gap between soul and body widened. Cracks began forming—not visible ones, but deep, dangerous fractures within his cultivation.
He closed his eyes, face tight with resolve. "No more reckless outbursts. Not until I strengthen this body to match what lies dormant within."
The God of Destruction had once leveled sects and crippled countless experts to protect those he loved. That power still resided within him. But now, in this new life, his body had to catch up.
He had to start again, brick by brick.
.
.
.
..
After stabilizing his cultivation the previous night, Ling Xian woke up early. The sunlight filtered through the wooden blinds of his room in Cloudveil Resting Inn, its warmth touching his face as if nudging him into a new day. But his heart was not at ease.
"Money... I need money," he muttered, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I can't rely on others forever."
He turned to his spatial ring and summoned its contents onto the table with a flick of his finger. Several beast cores rolled across the surface—spoils from his previous hunts in the forest. Ling Xian picked one up and examined it, sensing the residual energy still stored within.
"I could sell these," he mused. "But they're not nearly enough."
He paced the room, eyes narrowed in thought. Just then, his gaze landed on his alchemic furnace placed neatly in the corner.
"Pills... I can refine pills," he said, his voice tinged with hope. But just as quickly, his excitement dimmed.
He closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm not the Ling Xian I once was. I don't have my divine flame anymore."
The divine flame—an existence that once made him feared and revered across realms. Without it, his pill refinement would be much slower and less effective. Unless...
"Beast flames," he said suddenly. "There are some spiritual beasts whose flames can be used for alchemy. And if I'm lucky, perhaps even a trace of a heavenly flame... though those are nearly impossible to find."
A spark returned to his eyes. "Not now, but soon. I'll search the forest for beast flames."
But there was something he could do now. He reached again into his spatial ring and pulled out a few jade slips.
"If I can't refine pills, I can sell pill recipes. High-tier ones that don't exist in this realm."
He carefully sorted through the jade slips and selected a few:
Spirit Ascension Pill – Increases chances of breakthrough from Core Vein to Foundation Establishment. Guaranteed success rate.
Mystic Restoration Pill – A powerful healing pill capable of restoring meridians and inner qi.
Dual Unity Elixir – Enhances dual cultivation efficiency by harmonizing spiritual energies.
Bloodburn Enhancement Pill – Temporarily boosts strength at the cost of fatigue, popular among rogue cultivators.
Each recipe had been used by legends in his past life. Here, they would be considered miraculous.
Just as he was reviewing the details, a soft knock came at the door.
"Ling Xian?"
It was Yan Ruyin.
He opened the door, and she stepped inside, her eyes bright with curiosity.
"You were quiet last night. What are you planning to do until the auction in two days?"
Ling Xian smiled. "I plan to head into the forest to hunt spirit beasts. I'll train my body and maybe collect more cores to sell."
Yan Ruyin nodded. "Smart. But why not make it more efficient? Go to the Mission Hall and pick up a small beast hunting task. That way, you'll earn spirit stones and build a record in the city's hall."
Her advice was sound. He tilted his head, considering it.
"You're right. That will make it easier to explain what I'm doing there, too."
"Exactly," she said. "You'll need their cores, and the sects pay handsomely for them. Keep what you need and sell the rest."
Ling Xian's mind raced. Between the missions, beast hunting, selling recipes, and eventually searching for flames, he now had a plan.
After she left, he organized his materials and prepared to leave. The next two days would not just be about earning spirit stones.
They would be about paving the path to his dominance—one hunted beast, one tempered muscle, one stabilized breath at a time.
To be continued...