Inside the humble wooden hut on Thunder Peak, a heavy silence reigned. Elia sat on a tattered straw mat, staring at her trembling hands with lost, vacant eyes. To her, this place was a paradise compared to the freezing streets, but she knew the bitter truth: her 108 meridians were completely blocked. In a world that only respected power, she was "trash."
"Elia," Eric broke the silence, his voice steady and resonant. "The world believes you have no future, but they do not possess my eyes. Your meridians are not blocked by weakness; they are sealed because the 'Star-Heart' energy within you is too vast for your current body to contain."
Elia looked up in shock. "Star-Heart? Master... everyone told me I was born cursed."
Eric smiled as he pulled an old, weathered scroll from a dusty wooden shelf. "This book is called the 'Basic Lightning Breath'. It is a (Mortal-Grade - Low) technique. It is the simplest thing the academy owns, but it is the only one your fragile body can handle for now."
Eric extended his hand with the scroll. "Take it. This is my first gift to you as my disciple."
The moment Elia's fingers brushed the scroll, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in Eric's mind:
[Ding! Target granted technique: 'Basic Lightning Breath' (Mortal-Grade - Low).]
[Calculating Random Multiplication...]
[Congratulations! Critical Multiplier triggered: 5,000x!]
[Host has received the technique: 'Nine Heavens Purifying Thunder Scripture' (Immortal-Grade - Peak)!]
Eric's body stiffened. An immense flood of information exploded in his mind—visions of golden lightning tearing through the void and the sound of thunder shaking the very foundations of the universe. This wasn't just a cultivation technique; it was a Universal Law of the Immortal Ranks.
[Warning: Due to the Host being in the 'Foundation Building' realm, 90% of the technique's power is temporarily locked. Power will be released gradually as you advance in rank.]
Despite the lock, Eric felt his shattered Golden Core spin frantically. The cracks that had caused him constant agony began to heal with lightning speed. The Qi in his body shifted from a pale blue to a pure, terrifying gold. He was so absorbed in the euphoria of his returning power that he felt nothing outside the hut.
[Deep within the Forbidden Forest... miles away]
At that exact moment, when the "Immortal-Grade" technique appeared in the mortal world, the void trembled for a fleeting second—too brief for any mortal to detect. Inside an ancient stone coffin wrapped in rusted chains, a single eye, red as fresh blood, snapped open.
The entity did not speak, but an aura of death spread for hundreds of meters around the coffin, causing trees to wither and magical beasts to drop dead instantly. The "Shadows" had felt the awakening of the "Light." But Eric, busy repairing his body in his small hut, had no idea of the monster he had just stirred.
"Elia," Eric said after regaining his composure, "begin your training. In three days, Pharos will hold the 'Peak Inspection' to evict us. He doesn't know that I am not the only one who has returned... Thunder Peak itself has awakened."
Elia nodded enthusiastically and began to meditate. At that moment, a new notification appeared before Eric:
[Side Mission: Help your disciple break through to 'Qi Refining - Stage 5' before the inspection.]
[Reward: 'Soul Restoration Pill' (Grade 9) + System Shop Unlocked!]