Adam woke with a start, heart thudding as if chased by shadows. The stone beneath him was cold and unyielding, and his back ached from another night spent curled in the small cave. Pale light filtered through the narrow entrance, painting thin silver lines across the rocky floor. He sat up slowly, arms wrapped around himself for warmth, breath visible in the morning air.
Still alive, he thought, brushing a hand through his tangled hair.
Hunger clawed at his insides. He reached for the bundle of rabbit meat he'd roasted last night—what little remained. It was dry and tough, the flavor long cooked away, but it was food. He tore off a strip and chewed absently, eyes drifting to his battered bag resting by the wall.
Something inside it caught the light.
Adam frowned. He reached over, pulling the bag toward him, then rummaged through its contents. His fingers closed around something metallic.
A first-aid kit.
He blinked in surprise, flipping it open. Bandages, disinfectant, and two small pills. Nothing impressive—but out here, it could mean the difference between life and death.
Must've belonged to one of the expedition members, he thought, setting it aside.
Then, deeper in the bag, his fingers brushed leather. Dry. Brittle.
The book.
His breath caught. He pulled it free slowly, reverently, as if it might crumble at his touch. Dust clung to the cover, the once-elegant leather worn and cracked. Faded gold lettering shimmered faintly as he tilted it toward the light.
Nine Chaotic Worlds.
He had taken it on impulse during the chaos—when Lucian had turned on him, when everything had gone to hell. It had called to him, drawn him in with a sense he hadn't understood.
And now… now he had time to open it.
He did so with a quiet breath. The first page was simple—one line, written in an ancient script he had no right to understand.
"To walk the path of Nine is to defy heaven itself."
His heart stilled.
It shouldn't have made sense. The characters were old, older than anything from the world before the gates. But something in him—something awakened—understood them all the same.
He turned the page.
---
Energy
Definition:
A fundamental, omnipresent force that sustains life, fuels power, and weaves through all matter, spirit, and law.
His eyes moved quickly over the elegant script.
Key Traits:
Universal Medium: Exists in all realms and beings.
Dual Nature: Physical (Vital Energy) and Spiritual (Soul Energy).
Transformative: Can be condensed, refined, shaped, or harmonized.
Elemental Affinities: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Void, and more.
Law-Responsive: In higher realms, interacts with cosmic forces like Time, Space, Fate.
Adam leaned forward, lips moving silently as he read. This wasn't some vague philosophical musing. It was structured. Defined.
A guide.
And more importantly, it made sense.
The next section shifted his pulse into a gallop.
---
The Ten Realms of Cultivation
1. Mortal Realm (凡境 - Fán Jìng)
"The Path Begins."
Flesh Tempering
Bone Forging
Meridian Cleansing
Blood Purification
Organ Reinforcement
Energy Sensing
Energy Circulation
Skin Hardening
Peak Mortal Physique
Half-Step into Energy Condensation
Each layer methodically built the foundation—body, mind, energy. Ten layers to prepare a cultivator for the true journey.
Adam's mouth went dry.
This wasn't the system everyone knew. The awakened followed a structure built on leveling, stats, and combat experience—crude, game-like. Strength came through action, but understanding? Mastery? That was a myth.
But this… this was deliberate.
He kept reading.
2. Energy Condensation Realm (凝能境 - Níng Néng Jìng)
"The Well of Power."
Drawing ambient energy into the body, condensing it within the dantian—your core.
3. Foundation Establishment Realm (筑基境 - Zhù Jī Jìng)
"The Unshakable Pillar."
Unifying body, soul, and energy. Strengthening the foundation for higher truths.
The list went on.
4. Core Formation.
5. Soul Blooming.
6. Law Binding.
7. Realm Creation.
8. Celestial Ascension.
9. Origin Rebirth.
10. Transcendent Realm (超脱境 - Chāo Tuō Jìng)
"Beyond All Boundaries."
Break free from reality's laws. Transcend fate itself.
Adam leaned back slowly, staring at the cave ceiling.
This…
This is what real power looks like.
If the expedition had found this book—this system—it would have changed everything. It would change everything.
The "leveling system" was a cage. A limit disguised as progress.
This wasn't just another path.
This was a revelation.
Adam closed the book softly, fingers lingering on the cover.
What if no one else knows this exists?
What if… I'm the only one who can walk it?
Adam felt something stir in the back of his mind. Not a voice exactly, but a presence. Like standing on the edge of a storm—power waiting, coiled and patient.
He stared at the book in his lap.
No teachers. No allies. No map to follow.
Just this.
And his own will.
He tightened his grip on the tome.
"I don't care if this path defies heaven," he murmured. "Let it come."
The artifact glowed brighter for a heartbeat, then dimmed.
Outside the cave, wind whispered through the trees. Cold, sharp air slid in from the mountain slope. But Adam no longer felt it.
There was only the fire building in his chest. The weight of the book in his hands. The promise of a path unwalked.