1. Moonlight over Silent Peaks
That night, the skies over Mount Tieu Van were without clouds, and the moon hung like a polished mirror suspended in the heavens. The forest whispered in the night breeze as if chanting an ancient verse. Beneath an old pine tree, Lang Tieu sat cross-legged, silently circulating the fifth layer of the Origin-Breath Returning Scripture. Though his wounds had yet to fully mend, his spirit had regained clarity.
From the humble thatched cottage behind him came the faint rustling of footsteps—light, steady, but not random. It wasn't a beast nor the wind. Someone—or something—was moving.
It was An.
Eyes shut in slumber, face calm like water, the boy stepped barefoot onto the cold stone path. He was sleepwalking.
But each of his steps was measured, deliberate—as though guided by an unseen force.
2. The Stirring of Remnant Wills
As An stepped into the courtyard, the air thickened with a strange energy. A silver mist began to gather around him—not spiritual qi, but something older, colder.
It was Remnant Will—fragmented souls lingering in the ley lines of the mountain.
Without chant or gesture, they swirled toward the boy, orbiting him like celestial rings. His body shimmered faintly, and then it appeared: a faint sigil glowing on his brow.
It resembled a Fossilized Spirit Mark—a totem long forgotten in the modern age.
The old healer, who had been brewing medicine by the fire, dropped his clay pot in horror.
"Impossible... That's the mark of a Fossil Soul Physique! The bloodline of the Lost Era?"
3. Fossil Soul Physique – Bloodline of a Forgotten Age
Lang Tieu's eyes narrowed. He stood, reaching toward An—but a force repelled him gently, forming a barrier of mist and ancient memory.
The old healer whispered, half in awe, half in dread:
"The Fossil Soul Physique... they say such children are born not from flesh and bone, but from echoes of forgotten gods. They are bridges between the living and the dead. If awakened too early, they risk being devoured by the very Wills they control."
Lang Tieu clenched his fists.
"So this... is why the Am Tang Sect hunts him?"
4. Between Dream and Destiny
The ethereal glow faded slowly. After a time, An opened his eyes. He blinked sleepily and looked up at Lang Tieu.
"Master... I dreamt of an old man in white robes. He taught me to draw symbols... and told me to find a sword buried beneath the earth."
Lang Tieu gently ruffled the boy's hair.
"That was no ordinary dream, child. That was memory. Perhaps not yours—but of something that lives within your blood."
🖋️ Author's Note:
In the world of cultivation, talent is never a blessing without burden. Some struggle for decades to reach the Spirit Embryo Stage. Yet there are those like An—untouched by training, already resonating with ancient forces. But Heaven never gives freely. Every gift is laced with trial.
An's first step on the immortal path is not forged by study or technique... but by dream. And dreams, more than any scripture, are where the Dao first whispers.
5. The Modern Cultivation System – Three Daos of Power
The old healer retrieved a scroll from his pack and unfurled it across a flat stone. Etched in golden ink was a complex map of ley lines and body meridians.
"Listen well," he said, "In this era, the immortal path has diverged into three main roads. They call it the Trinity of Ascension."
The Mystical Spirit Dao (Linh Huyền Đạo): Based on spiritual qi refinement, it channels heaven and earth through the nine stages, from Spirit Embryo to Origin Gate.
The Bloodbone Dao (Huyết Cốt Đạo): Based on ancient bloodlines, it unlocks hidden marrow, divine organs, and ancestral powers.
The Soul-Will Dao (Thần Niệm Đạo): Based on mental intent and memory control, using Remnant Will, oaths, and legacy echoes to form a 'Will Body'.
He looked gravely at An.
"This boy... carries all three. Bloodline of ancients. Mind of deep resonance. A body naturally aligned with the flow of the heavens."
Lang Tieu stared at the stars above.
"If I was a demon in my past life, then perhaps... this boy is my chance to make amends."