Lin Tian screamed.
The energy was too much!
The black qi that erupted from the ancient corpse rushed into his body like a raging flood. Agonizing pain tore through him—his veins burned, his dantian felt like it was about to shatter.
"I'm going to die!"
But then—the pain changed.
His dantian, which had always been weak and incapable of holding qi, suddenly expanded. Not only was it absorbing the energy—it was devouring it.
"What is happening to me?!"
Something inside him shifted.
Lin Tian could feel every trace of qi around him. Not just the energy from the corpse—but from the air, the ground, the lingering death aura in the Forbidden Zone.
His body wasn't just absorbing qi.
It was consuming everything.
And at that moment, the voice inside his mind spoke again.
"You… are my successor."
Lin Tian gasped for air.
The voice was deep and ancient, carrying the weight of countless years.
"I have waited for one who could inherit my power… one who can wield the Devourer Qi."
Lin Tian's body trembled as a flood of foreign memories surged into his mind.
A colossal shadow… battling against dozens of celestial cultivators… a war that shattered the heavens and earth… blood and destruction…
And then—darkness.
Lin Tian clenched his fists, struggling to make sense of what he had just seen.
But before he could think further—
"BOOM!"
A final surge of qi crashed into his dantian, breaking past an invisible wall!
Lin Tian fell to his knees, his entire body drenched in sweat. His breathing was erratic, but when he looked down at his hands—he knew.
Something had changed.
His hands were trembling—not from weakness, but from power.
For the first time in his life… his body was filled with qi.
And not just any qi.
He could feel every energy flow around him. He could see the currents of qi in the air.
And when he focused—he could pull them into himself.
His golden eyes gleamed in the darkness.
This wasn't just an increase in cultivation.
This was a power that could overturn everything.
In the distance, the roar of a beast echoed, shaking the earth beneath him. Something was approaching.
But Lin Tian… was no longer afraid.
He rose to his feet, his gaze calm.
The weak, talentless Lin Tian was dead.
And the world would soon learn to fear the new him.
Lin Tian stood at the edge of the crater, his breathing steady.
His body felt… different.
His dantian, once a useless shell, was now a bottomless vortex. Qi no longer resisted him—it obeyed him.
Before, he struggled to absorb even a fraction of energy.
Now, qi was flowing into him on its own.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
He needed to leave.
A deep growl echoed through the mist. Lin Tian turned his head sharply, spotting a shadowy figure stalking him.
A Specter Qi Beast.
It resembled a massive wolf, but its body was made of pure black mist. Its soulless eyes locked onto him, radiating killing intent.
The old Lin Tian would have frozen in terror.
But this time—his body reacted on its own.
The moment the beast lunged, Lin Tian sidestepped effortlessly.
SRAK!
The wolf's claws swiped through empty air.
Lin Tian didn't even think—his instincts had already kicked in.
And then, he felt it.
The beast's qi.
Without hesitation, he pulled.
"AARRRGH!"
The Specter Qi Beast howled in agony as its very essence was sucked into Lin Tian's body.
The misty figure shrank, twisting and convulsing before finally vanishing into nothing.
Lin Tian stood still, eyes widening.
He looked at his hands. There was no blood. No wounds.
He hadn't even attacked.
He had simply… devoured it.
"I can absorb qi from living beings?"
His pulse quickened. If he could do this to a beast… what about a person?
Shaking the thought away, he turned toward the exit.
His body felt lighter, faster, stronger. Every step carried him forward effortlessly, as if he had become one with the qi around him.
And as the towering gates of Blazing Sky Sect came into view, he took a deep breath.
When he returned… everything would change.
---
Morning arrived at Blazing Sky Sect. The training grounds were already packed with disciples preparing for their daily practice.
But today, something was different.
Lin Tian had returned.
Gasps and murmurs spread like wildfire as he walked past the gates, his torn robes barely hiding the aura of power now radiating from him.
"No way… He's alive?"
"How did he survive the Forbidden Zone?"
"Even elite disciples avoid that place! How could he, a nobody, make it out?"
Disciples whispered among themselves, unable to comprehend how the weakest member of their sect had returned unscathed.
Lin Tian ignored them. His mind was calm. The old him would have lowered his head, avoiding their gazes.
Not anymore.
As he walked toward the training ground, a familiar figure stepped in his path—Mo Wu.
The smirk on Mo Wu's face didn't reach his eyes. "Lin Tian… what a surprise. You're still breathing."
Lin Tian stopped, meeting Mo Wu's gaze with cold indifference. "Disappointed?"
The nearby disciples gasped. Lin Tian had never dared to speak to Mo Wu like this before!
Mo Wu's smirk twitched. "Disappointed? No. I'm just curious. How did a worthless weakling like you survive the Forbidden Zone?"
Lin Tian remained silent.
Mo Wu took a step forward. "There's only one explanation—you cheated."
Murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd. To them, the idea of Lin Tian surviving an impossible trial made no sense.
"Why don't we test it?" Mo Wu sneered. "If you truly grew stronger, you should be able to handle a fight, right?"
Excitement filled the air.
"Yes! Let's test him!"
"If he refuses, then he's a liar!"
Lin Tian sighed inwardly. Mo Wu didn't care about proving anything—he just wanted an excuse to humiliate him again.
But Lin Tian was not the same man as before.
He stepped into the center of the training arena.
"I accept."
The crowd erupted in shock.
Mo Wu grinned, stepping in as well. "Good. Don't cry later."
He raised his hand—qi surged around him, burning blue like fire.
Mo Wu was at the Grand Qi Realm, Mid-Tier. Before, Lin Tian wouldn't have lasted a single strike.
But now… he didn't feel anything.
Mo Wu dashed forward, launching his first attack—a flaming palm strike.
The moment it neared, Lin Tian raised his hand and—touched Mo Wu's wrist.
Instantly—
"AAAAAGH!"
Mo Wu screamed.
The blue qi surrounding his hand began vanishing. The energy flowed into Lin Tian's body as if being swallowed by an invisible force.
The crowd froze.
"W-what's happening?!"
"H-he's draining Mo Wu's qi?!"
In a single moment, Mo Wu's aura plummeted. He staggered back, his face pale and drenched in sweat.
Lin Tian exhaled slowly.
It was even easier than he thought.
Devourer Qi didn't just steal energy. It made him stronger.
He clenched his fist, feeling Mo Wu's stolen qi merging into his dantian.
Then, he stepped forward.
"Your turn is over."
And before Mo Wu could react—Lin Tian struck.
BOOM!
A single punch to the chest sent Mo Wu flying across the training ground.
THUD!
He crashed into the dirt, coughing up blood.
Silence.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
They had just witnessed the strongest outer disciple defeated with one blow.
And the one standing victorious… was the person they had called trash.
Lin Tian turned, his cold gaze sweeping over the crowd.
From this day forward, no one would dare to look down on him again.
---