The journey to the Dao Sect was a grueling trek across the Great Yan Empire's rugged heartland, a path Lin Feng, now twelve, traversed with a dozen other recruits under Elder Wu Yun's stern gaze. The Dao Sect's mountain gates loomed ahead, their ancient stone arches carved with crescent sigils glowing faintly under the dawn. Lin Feng's heart thrummed with anticipation. This was the sect where Lin Dong, the Martial Ancestor, had honed his legend. To Lin Feng, it was sacred ground, though he sensed an undercurrent of tension in the air, unaware that rival sects were plotting its downfall.
The Star Sovereign System remained silent in his mind, its presence a hidden spark. **[Current Realm: Yuan Power Realm, Middle Stage.]** Lin Feng's rapid progress, fueled by secret missions and Earth-born cunning, had made him a standout among the recruits, though he kept his system's power concealed. His only goal was to emulate Lin Dong, the sole legend he knew in this lower realm, ignorant of the Great Thousand World's heroes like Xiao Yan, Zhou Yuan, or Mu Chen.
The recruits gathered in the Dao Sect's outer court, a sprawling plaza ringed by peaks. Elder Wu Yun addressed them, his voice booming. "The Dao Sect forges warriors, not dreamers. Your first trial begins at dusk: the Ironwood Crucible. Survive, and you earn a place. Fail, and you crawl back to your clans."
Lin Feng's system pinged. **[Mission: Survive the Ironwood Crucible. Reward: Advanced Martial Art—Starshatter Step.]** He gripped his ironwood staff, his eyes scanning the recruits. Most were older, their Yuan Power stronger, but Lin Feng's instincts, sharpened by his past life, gave him an edge. He noticed a girl among them, Xiao Liyao, the fiery sword-wielder he'd seen in Qingyang. Her crimson robes and confident smirk marked her as a prodigy, though Lin Feng didn't know her ties to the Flame Emperor. Another figure, Mu Lingshan, stood apart, her serene aura masking a deadly edge. Unbeknownst to him, she was the daughter of Mu Chen, the Great Ruler, training in this lower realm under its Nirvana Realm cap.
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### The Ironwood Crucible
At dusk, the recruits were led to a dense forest of towering ironwood trees, their branches pulsing with faint Yuan Power. The Ironwood Crucible was a trial of endurance and combat: survive a night amidst demonic beasts and claim a Yuan Crystal hidden within. Only those who returned with a crystal would join the outer court.
As the recruits scattered, Lin Feng moved swiftly, his senses honed. The forest hummed with danger—growls of Ironfang Wolves and the rustle of Shadow Vipers. His system offered no map, forcing him to rely on wit. **[Skill Unlocked: Starlight Sense. Heighten perception for 10 minutes. Cost: 5% Yuan Power.]** Activating it, his vision sharpened, spotting a faint glow deep in the forest—a Yuan Crystal.
Before he could move, a chilling laugh echoed. Xue Wuya, the Abyssal Monarch's servant, materialized in a swirl of black mist. His crimson eyes locked onto Lin Feng, his Nirvana Realm aura suffocating despite the world's laws. "The boy who meddled in Qingyang," he sneered. "The Love Crystal's scent lingers here. You will not interfere."
Lin Feng's pulse raced. The Love Crystal, sought by Zhou Qingyue—Zhou Yuan's granddaughter, whose beauty and power were whispered across the empire—was still a mystery to him. Qingyue, capped at Nirvana Realm by Lin Dong's laws, was scouring the Blackwater Forest, unaware her future meeting with Lin Feng would bind them through the crystal's love-inducing power. For now, she was a distant figure, her path yet to cross his.
Xue Wuya raised a hand, black mist coiling into a spear. Lin Feng reacted instinctively, channeling Starlight Surge into his staff. The glowing strike clashed with the spear, the impact sending him skidding back. He was no match, but his goal was survival. Ducking behind a tree, he hurled a pebble with Starlight Throw, aiming for Xue Wuya's eyes.
The villain snarled, deflecting it, but the distraction drew attention. Xiao Liyao's flames erupted nearby, her sword slashing at Xue Wuya. Mu Lingshan followed, her energy waves crashing like a tide. "Leave the kid alone!" Liyao shouted, unaware of Lin Feng's significance. The two women, their power capped but formidable, forced Xue Wuya to retreat, his mist vanishing with a vow: "The Abyssal Monarch will claim all!"
Lin Feng seized the moment, darting to the Yuan Crystal's glow. He snatched it, a fist-sized gem pulsing with energy. The system chimed. **[Mission Complete: Survive the Ironwood Crucible. Reward: Starshatter Step acquired. Cultivation increased to Yuan Power Realm, Late Stage.]** A rush of power flooded his meridians, and a new martial art imprinted in his mind—Starshatter Step, a movement technique blending speed and deception.
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### Shadows of Destiny
At dawn, Lin Feng emerged from the forest, one of few recruits clutching a Yuan Crystal. Elder Wu Yun nodded approvingly. "Lin Feng, Xiao Liyao, Mu Lingshan—welcome to the Dao Sect's outer court." Lin Feng glanced at the two women, their strength undeniable. He didn't know their ties to the Great Thousand World, but their presence felt significant.
As he settled into the outer court, whispers reached him of unrest. The Nine Heavens Palace and Iron Cloud Sect were amassing forces, eyeing the Dao Sect's relics. Like Lin Dong's era, the sect faced dissolution, a crisis Lin Feng would soon confront. His system remained his secret, its power hidden even from allies.
In four years, at sixteen, Lin Feng would venture to the Blackwater Forest, where Zhou Qingyue awaited. Her absorption of the Love Crystal would spark a dual cultivation, making her his first wife, followed by her attempt to kill him and his vow to marry her in the Great Thousand World. His second and third wives, upper-realm prodigies tied to Xiao Yan and Mu Chen, remained distant, their encounters reserved for his ascent. The Abyssal Monarch's shadow grew, its plans threatening the Dao Sect and beyond.
Lin Feng gazed at the sect's crescent banner, his resolve hardening. Like Lin Dong, he would rise amidst chaos, his path to the stars just beginning.