Six years had passed since Lin Feng's bold act in the Qingyang Hills, where, at the tender age of six, he distracted the sinister Xue Wuya, servant of the Abyssal Monarch. Now twelve, Lin Feng stood atop a windswept cliff overlooking Qingyang Town, his lean frame honed by relentless training. The Star Sovereign System had guided him through countless missions—slaying demonic beasts, gathering rare herbs, and refining his body—pushing him to the Yuan Power Realm, Initial Stage. His talent, amplified by Earth-born cunning and the system's subtle boosts, had made him the Lin Clan's pride, a beacon of hope in their faded legacy.
The Great Yan Empire buzzed with tales of the Martial Ancestor, Lin Dong, whose legend inspired Lin Feng's every step. Lin Feng knew nothing of the Great Thousand World or its heroes like Xiao Yan, Zhou Yuan, or Mu Chen, but Lin Dong's story—rising from Qingyang to join the Dao Sect and ascend to godhood—burned in his heart. The Dao Sect, nestled in the empire's heart, was the pinnacle of cultivation in this lower realm, a place where prodigies honed their Yuan Power and martial arts. Lin Feng dreamed of joining it, unaware that, like Lin Dong's era, its glory would soon face ruin.
Today, a system mission had drawn him to the cliff. **[Mission: Absorb the Yuan Essence of the Azure Wind Wolf. Reward: Intermediate Yuan Power Technique—Starfall Palm.]** The Azure Wind Wolf, a Tier 2 demonic beast, roamed the nearby Ironwood Forest, its core brimming with Yuan Power. Lin Feng gripped his ironwood staff, a weapon he'd crafted himself, and steeled his resolve. Each mission was a step toward Lin Dong's path, and he would seize it.
As he descended toward the forest, a commotion erupted in Qingyang Town below. A caravan of cultivators, their robes emblazoned with the Dao Sect's crescent emblem, had arrived, seeking prodigies for their annual recruitment. Whispers spread like wildfire: the Dao Sect was under pressure, rival sects like the Nine Heavens Palace and Iron Cloud Sect eyeing its resources. Lin Feng's heart raced. This was his chance, but the system remained silent, offering no mission tied to the sect. He trusted his instincts, sensing destiny's pull.
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### A Test of Talent
In Qingyang's central square, the Dao Sect's recruiters, led by Elder Wu Yun, a grizzled man at the Form Creation Realm, oversaw a crowd of hopeful youths. Lin Feng joined them, his unassuming presence drawing little attention. The test was simple: strike a Yuan Power-infused obelisk to measure strength and potential. Most youths, from clans like the Lei and Xie, barely lit the obelisk's first rune, their strikes feeble.
When Lin Feng's turn came, he stepped forward, his staff resting lightly on his shoulder. Elder Wu Yun raised an eyebrow, noting his calm demeanor. Lin Feng channeled his Yuan Power, his body humming with the system's energy. **[Skill Unlocked: Starlight Surge. Amplify a single strike with condensed Yuan Power. Cost: 10% Yuan Power.]** He swung his staff, the air crackling as a faint starlit glow enveloped it. The obelisk roared, three runes blazing brightly—a feat rivaling the empire's top prodigies.
The crowd gasped, and Elder Wu Yun's eyes widened. "Lin Feng, Lin Clan," he declared. "You pass. Prepare to join the Dao Sect's outer court."
Lin Feng nodded, hiding his satisfaction. The system chimed. **[Hidden Mission Complete: Impress a Dao Sect Elder. Reward: Spirit Essence Drop acquired. Cultivation increased to Yuan Power Realm, Middle Stage.]** A warm surge strengthened his meridians, his Yuan Power denser. The Dao Sect was his gateway, but he sensed its fragility, unaware that rival sects were plotting its downfall, an echo of challenges Lin Dong once faced.
As the recruiters departed, a shadow lingered at the square's edge. Xue Wuya, cloaked in black mist, watched Lin Feng with crimson eyes. "The boy grows," he muttered. "The Love Crystal must not fall to him." Unbeknownst to Lin Feng, the crystal—sought by Zhou Qingyue, Zhou Yuan's granddaughter from the Great Thousand World—lay hidden in the Blackwater Forest. Qingyue, her power capped at the Nirvana Realm by Lin Dong's altered laws, would cross Lin Feng's path in four years, their fates entwined by the crystal's love-inducing power.
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### Foreshadowed Bonds and Threats
That night, Lin Feng sat in the Lin Clan's courtyard, studying a worn scroll of Lin Dong's exploits. The Martial Ancestor had joined the Dao Sect, faced its trials, and risen to greatness. Lin Feng's dream was to follow that path, but his journey would be unique. At sixteen, he would meet Zhou Qingyue, a celestial beauty whose dual cultivation with him, triggered by the Love Crystal, would make her his first wife. Her love, born of the crystal's power, would lead to conflict, and Lin Feng's vow to marry her in the Great Thousand World would drive him forward.
His second and third wives, figures from the upper realm, remained distant shadows. One, a fiery prodigy tied to Xiao Yan's lineage, and another, a serene warrior linked to Mu Chen's legacy, would meet him only in the Great Thousand World, their bonds forged in battles against the Abyssal Monarch. For now, Lin Feng's heart was set on cultivation, his system's secrecy his greatest shield.
As he meditated, the system pinged. **[Mission: Join the Dao Sect and survive its first trial. Reward: Advanced Martial Art—Starshatter Step.]** Lin Feng's eyes gleamed. The Dao Sect's trials would test him, but its disbandment loomed, a crisis that would mirror Lin Dong's struggles. Rival sects, spurred by the Abyssal Monarch's whispers, sought to crush the Dao Sect, coveting its ancient relics. Lin Feng, like his ancestor, would rise amidst ruin.
The stars above Qingyang Town shone brightly, and Lin Feng stood, staff in hand. The Great Yan Empire was his beginning, but the Great Thousand World—and Zhou Qingyue—awaited. With the system's power hidden and Lin Dong's legend as his guide, he would carve his own saga, unaware of the multiverse's heroes and villains watching from afar.