Markandeya retreated from the relic's glow, its afterimage still flickering in his soul like a whisper on the edge of hearing. The boy in that vision—it had been him. Or a version of him. A possibility? A memory from a different cycle?
He didn't know.
But something was shifting.
Not in the world. In him.
His soul pulsed. The spiral of Qi rotated faster. The seed of his inner realm hummed faintly. Even the chakra node, dormant before, shimmered with faint light.
Then it hit him—cold and raw and deep.
Something outside his control.
A pull.
A karmic thread snapped somewhere far off, and the weight of that invisible loss crashed through him.
It wasn't pain.
It was disconnection.
Like someone he might've once known… had just ceased to exist.
He gasped, soul staggering as he hovered above the core's platforms.
> [System Alert: Karmic Shift Detected]
Trigger: Cross-dimensional Fate Line Severed
Impact: Emotional Core Instability
Status: Final Entry Condition for Immortal Cultivation Chat Group Fulfilled
> [Entry Requirements Achieved (3/3)]
• Spiritual Resonance Signature – Verified
• Fated Encounter – Verified
• Karmic Shift – Triggered
> Immortal Cultivation Chat Group Invitation: Accepted by Default
Initializing access…
Markandeya didn't even have time to react before something clicked inside his mind.
A quiet pulse. A shifting of veils.
Like a door being opened.
Then he heard it.
Not aloud, but imprinted into his thoughts—a voice made of countless voices, tones folding into each other like waves crashing in perfect rhythm.
> [Welcome to the Immortal Cultivation Chat Group.]
> You are Rank 0: Mortal Initiate
Functions Unlocked:
• Daily System Reward
• Sign-In Bonuses
• Chat Lobby Access
• Ranking List (Locked)
• Point Store (Locked)
Current Members Online: 117
…
…
Member "Flame Emperor of the Ninth Sky" has posted a new cultivation challenge.
Member "Void-Eyed Saintess" is recruiting for a relic exploration team.
Member "Tomb Walker of Dust Realm" has signed in: +1,000,000 points.
Markandeya froze.
He wasn't alone.
Not anymore.
He stared into the void, but the world around him seemed… thinner, somehow. Less isolated.
This isn't just a cultivation system. This is a cross-universal network.
His breath—if his soul could breathe—felt shallow.
He opened the chat interface slowly, warily, eyes scanning every detail. It floated before him like a translucent scroll, woven from golden runes and flowing script. Some language he instinctively understood.
> [Rank]: Mortal Initiate (Rank 0)
[Points]: 0
[Paths Activated]: Qi (Body + Fire), Chakra (1 Node), Faith (Proto Realm)
[Beast Companion]: None
[Artifacts]: None
[Sign-In Status]: Not Claimed Today
A flashing icon pulsed.
> [Claim Daily Reward?]
Markandeya hovered his awareness over it.
A part of him hesitated.
This is power. It's also a hook. What if this system binds me in ways I can't see yet?
His cautious side screamed.
But his survivalist logic whispered: Denying resources in a new world is idiocy.
He tapped it.
> [Reward Claimed: Survival Cultivation Bonus Activated]
Effect: All current paths gain passive 0.5% growth daily. Bonus stacks per path.
Extra: Unique survival trait unlocked – "Soul Thread Recoil" (Auto-retract soul threads upon overload)
He felt it instantly.
A stabilizing force layered itself onto his cultivation system, like a soft shell reinforcing the parts that had frayed earlier.
And with it, came clarity.
This system grows with my caution.
It didn't reward recklessness. It rewarded survival.
Calculated growth.
He smiled faintly.
Then clicked the chat lobby.
Instant chaos.
Messages from cultivators in flaming galaxies, spirit beast tamers from lush jungle worlds, weapon-forgers discussing law-infused hammers, even abyssal realm walkers who spoke in riddles.
It was a sea of ego, power, madness, and brilliance.
And somewhere, deep in the endless scroll of messages, he saw one that made him freeze.
> "A new soul anomaly entered the system. Must be a fresh reincarnator. Any bets?"
— Shadow Monk of Thousand Reflections
And another:
> "I sense Creator Spark resonance in one new member. Anyone else catch that?"
— Will of the Machine God
His heart dropped.
They can sense me.
He immediately closed the chat, isolated his access, and muted notifications.
No need to draw attention before understanding the ecosystem.
He knew predators when he saw them.
But it also confirmed something: he wasn't just a minor anomaly. Even in this multiversal system, he was noticeable.
Not good.
He needed to build strength.
Fast.
But carefully.
---
He floated in stillness for hours—maybe longer. Time wasn't exact here.
His internal realm spun gently. His cultivation paths quietly advanced.
The spiral became smoother, more refined. The fire he'd absorbed had condensed further into wisps of embers orbiting his chakra core. The inner world seed gained a faint spin of its own.
He opened his palm. Projected an image.
A test.
Could he shape life inside his proto-realm yet?
He gathered a sliver of Qi, a mote of fire, a dusting of chakra.
Carefully, he fused them into a tiny glowing speck.
He fed it into his soul.
> [Proto-Creature Created: Energy Sprite (Inert)]
Status: Inactive / No Will / Low Maintenance Cost
Option to Assign Function: Yes/No
He selected "Yes."
> Function: Realm Temperature Regulator
The sprite lit up slightly and drifted into the void inside his inner world, slowly weaving a passive heat wave through the emptiness.
Markandeya almost laughed.
I made a janitor… out of nothing.
But more importantly, he'd confirmed it worked.
The Faith Path was real. Functional. And one day—if he grew it right—it would become an empire of his own.
He needed more paths. More power.
But not all at once.
He'd rotate between them. Advance in layers. Avoid overload.
The survival strategy wasn't to sprint—it was to become unbreakable over time.
Then the system pinged again.
> [Optional Mission Available (Tier 0)]
Objective: Survive a Spirit Beast Hunt for 3 hours
Reward: +10 points, 1 random-grade defensive treasure, unlock "Beast Sense" passive
Risk: Moderate
Accept? [Yes/No]
Markandeya frowned.
This was the first mission it had offered. Which meant it was based on his current state.
And it would unlock something called "Beast Sense." Useful.
But "spirit beast hunt" didn't sound relaxing.
He narrowed his eyes.
"I'll accept," he muttered.
But inside, he began planning immediately.
He would not walk into a trap.
No, this was an opportunity.
And like all predators, he would observe first, then move.
One wrong step here meant death.
But one right step?
Meant the road to becoming… something eternal.
---