The forest was quiet—too quiet.
Only the soft rustle of wet leaves and the distant call of a nightbird accompanied Ye Tianfeng as he stood over the body of the rogue cultivator.
The man's blood seeped into the soil, but Tianfeng's gaze was fixed on the glowing panel still hovering before him.
---
🔹 [Heavenly Engraving Panel]
Talent Scan: Locked
Engraving Slot: 0 / 1 (On Cooldown)
Acquired Talent: Minor Wind Affinity (Lv.1)
Martial Archive: Gale Step (Basic Movement Art)
System State: Stabilizing…
---
> "So it wasn't a hallucination."
Ye Tianfeng clenched his fist. He could feel it—wind qi now stirred faintly within his meridians. It was weak, almost laughably so… but it was real.
He sat cross-legged beneath a tree and closed his eyes.
Gale Step. The technique had embedded itself in his mind with unnatural clarity. He didn't need to study or comprehend—it was already his.
He breathed slowly.
Qi responded.
Wisps of wind element drifted toward him, curling around his body in soft spirals. He couldn't absorb much, not yet—but his foundation had returned. A start.
> "So this is what it means to engrave a talent…"
A system that could take what others were born with—and make it his own.
Ye Tianfeng's eyes opened.
> "This… is better than any Heaven-grade manual."
---
A flicker of memory struck him then.
The cliff. The disciples. Elder Mo. The lightning.
He had trusted the Sect. Devoted his youth to it. And for what?
> "They used me."
"Feared me."
"And when I got too close to their secrets…"
They destroyed him.
He rose, slowly. His limbs still ached, but it no longer mattered.
> "I will return," he whispered, voice steady.
"Not as the Crimson Moon's genius…"
"But as their reckoning."
---
A rustle in the distance.
Ye Tianfeng turned. A faint presence. Two figures—cultivators. Sloppy qi signatures. Likely mid-Body Refinement realm.
He stepped behind a tree and crouched low, activating Gale Step.
Wind wrapped around his ankles. His body lightened.
> So fast…
He moved like a ghost.
In seconds, he closed the distance.
The first man didn't even register the blade until it was pressed to his throat.
> "Wha—!"
Too late.
One quick cut.
The second tried to run, but Tianfeng's body blurred again. A flicker of motion. Another clean strike.
Both fell.
---
🔹 [Talent Scan Available]
> Scan targets: 2
Potential Talents:
— Minor Earth Affinity (Lv.1)
— Hardened Skin Technique (Passive)
— Brutal Strength Cultivation (Low-Grade)
> Engrave Talent? (Slot: 1 Available)
---
Ye Tianfeng scanned the options with narrowed eyes.
> "Earth Affinity could offer defense… but I don't need raw strength right now."
He selected the Hardened Skin Technique.
> [Talent Engraved: Hardened Skin Technique]
Passive Defense Increased
Engraving Slot: 0 / 1 (Cooldown Active)
He exhaled.
His skin tingled—tightening, reinforcing. Like tempered iron beneath flesh.
> "I need to survive first. Offense can wait."
---
Ye Tianfeng looked to the horizon. The forest stretched endlessly, but he could feel it—civilization was not far.
He turned and walked into the mist, each step light and silent.
---
[System Update: New Objective Available]
> Quest: Reach the Nearest Mortal Settlement
Rewards: Unlock Talent Scan (Active)
Status: Optional
---
He smirked.
> "A system that evolves with me?"
> "Good."
Let the world believe Ye Tianfeng died that day.
He would return.
Not as the genius they betrayed—
But as the man who could engrave destiny itself.
---
[End of Chapter 2]