Lian Ren's first breath was harsh, ragged, and drenched in pain.
The cold air filled his tiny lungs, each gasp a reminder that he was no longer in the divine realm.
Gone were the endless skies, the cosmic throne, and the thunderous power that had once coursed through him.
Now, he lay in a crude basket, nestled among the rough hands and weathered faces of a small mountain village.
His newborn eyes barely saw the flickering candlelight, but inside his soul, echoes stirred — faint whispers from a forgotten past.
Outside the wooden hut, the wind howled, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. The village was poor, forgotten by the empires and cultivation sects that dominated the world.
The clan to which he was born, the Liangs, was known for farming and hard labor. None among them had remarkable cultivation talent — at least, none worth mentioning.
His parents, humble farmers, peered down at the newborn with wary hope. His father muttered, "A weak child... born during the season of decay."
His mother touched his tiny hand softly, tears brimming. "May the heavens smile upon you, little one."
But the heavens, it seemed, had other plans.
As Lian Ren grew, his frailty was clear.
Other children in the village trained their Qi with ease, their veins glowing faintly with elemental energy. Lian Ren's veins shimmered only with a faint gray haze — no elemental Qi to cultivate, no bursts of power.
Village elders shook their heads. "This boy lacks the blood of greatness."
At school, the other children teased him. "Lian Ren the weakling! Can't even punch a stone!"
Yet, sometimes, when the sun dipped low, and the world was silent, Lian Ren's spirit felt different — like a muted drumbeat beneath his chest, pulsing with an unknown rhythm.
One day, during a harsh winter, a strange sensation overcame him. Sitting alone by a frozen stream, he touched the icy surface, and instead of the cold biting his skin, warmth spread from his palm.
The system's voice echoed softly in his mind for the first time.
[Divine Echo Interface Initialized]
[Welcome, Soul of the Forgotten Deity. Your cultivation path diverges from mortals.]
[Primary cultivation method: Karma Absorption. Qi Absorption Disabled.]
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Echo of Wisdom — Time slows during crisis (1/day).]
Lian Ren's heart pounded, and for a moment, the cold winter world blurred as the faintest glimmer of a golden thread wrapped around his soul.
But the villagers saw only the weak boy.
His father sighed. "No Qi, no future."
His mother whispered prayers.
Lian Ren clenched his fists. "I will not be weak."
The seed of determination took root.
First Martial Training
When Lian Ren was seven, he was taken to the village training grounds for his first formal lesson in cultivation.
The village elder, Master Wei, was a stern man with sharp eyes and a gravelly voice.
"Everyone," Master Wei announced, "today you will learn to sense Qi in your bodies."
The children closed their eyes and reached inward. Golden light flowed and shimmered around their limbs.
Lian Ren tried, but his Qi was nowhere to be found.
Instead, he felt a faint vibration — a subtle hum beneath the surface of reality.
Master Wei shook his head. "This boy is different. Perhaps the gods have abandoned him."
Later, alone in the woods, Lian Ren sat cross-legged and called upon the system.
"Show me my path."
[Karma Pulse Detected: Beginner Level]
[Begin Karma Absorption Exercise: Focus on Intent and Balance.]
He breathed deeply, focusing not on power but on the flow of cause and effect — the unseen strings that tied actions to consequences.
The air around him shimmered faintly as he absorbed the invisible Karma energy from the world.
A small golden spark ignited in his palm.
A Fateful Encounter
As days turned into months, Lian Ren trained in secret.
One afternoon, he wandered near the village outskirts and stumbled upon a small injured fox caught in a hunter's trap.
Without hesitation, he freed the creature.
As the fox limped away, Lian Ren felt a warm surge inside — a flicker of light glowing in his soul.
The system announced:
[Karmic Resonance +1]
[Hidden Quest Unlocked: Mend the Will of the Heavens — Progress: 0.05%]
The path was unclear, but one thing was certain: his cultivation was not about strength alone. It was about choices.
Days passed, and Lian Ren's resolve grew stronger. The villagers still mocked him, but he no longer felt broken. The system's guidance echoed in his mind, teaching him to cultivate Karma — an energy shaped by actions, intentions, and consequences.
One evening, during a gathering by the fire, village children boasted about their progress.
"My Qi is already bright enough to ignite a flame," boasted Jin, a burly boy.
Lian Ren remained silent, clutching a small wooden stick, feeling the pulse of unseen forces beneath his fingertips.
Suddenly, a loud crash interrupted the laughter.
A wild boar had broken through the fence, charging toward the gathered villagers.
Panic erupted.
Adults grabbed weapons; children scattered.
Jin laughed mockingly. "Watch a weakling try to fight this beast."
Lian Ren's heart raced. His system alerted:
[Danger detected — activate Echo of Wisdom? (1/1)]
Without hesitation, he focused, and time around him slowed — the world became sluggish, as if he was watching a slow-motion painting.
In that suspended moment, Lian Ren reacted.
He leapt forward, weaving through the chaos with unnatural grace. Reaching the boar's path, he extended his palm, summoning the faint Karma energy that hummed within him.
A sharp palm strike met the boar's charging snout.
A shockwave of invisible force exploded.
The beast stumbled, then fled, wounded but alive.
The villagers stared in disbelief.
Master Wei's eyes widened. "What... was that?"
Lian Ren's chest heaved.
[Skill Unlocked: Whisper of the Karma Pulse]
[Cooldown initiated: 3 days]
That night, Lian Ren lay awake beneath the stars, feeling the weight of a new power awakening inside him. He was no longer the helpless boy mocked by the village — he was a soul connected to fate itself.
But with power came questions.
Why was his cultivation path Karma and not Qi?
What did it mean to "rise without cruelty"?
And who had cursed him to this mortal life?
At dawn, Lian Ren's mother approached quietly.
"You are different, child," she whispered, pressing a worn pendant into his palm. "This belonged to your father's grandfather — said to protect souls from dark fate."
Lian Ren clenched it tightly.
A faint warmth spread through him.
The pendant's warmth pulsed gently, like a heartbeat. Lian Ren closed his eyes and let the feeling wash over him. The strange interface floated before his vision:
[Divine Echo Interface Initialized]
- Name: Lian Ren
- Status: Mortal Vessel
- Cultivation Path: Karma Absorption
- Passive Skill: Echo of Wisdom (1/1 uses/day)
- Quests: None
A soft voice spoke inside his mind, calm but distant.
"You are bound to Karma, the unseen thread connecting all deeds. Your path will differ from mortals, for your power is shaped by choices, not brute strength."
Lian Ren opened his eyes, determination flaring within.
Days turned to weeks as Lian Ren trained in secret. While other children practiced swordsmanship and Qi manipulation, he meditated on the flow of Karma around him. He observed acts of kindness and cruelty, noting how the invisible threads shifted.
One afternoon, an old man arrived in the village, his eyes sharp like a hawk's. He carried no weapons, but his presence demanded respect.
"I seek the child with the radiant soul," the man announced.
Whispers spread. Lian Ren's heart pounded.
The man approached him.
"You have been chosen by fate, young one," he said, his voice low. "To walk the path few dare tread. But beware—the road ahead is perilous."
Lian Ren bowed.
"I am ready."
That night, as the village slept, a shadow lurked near Lian Ren's home. A silent figure observed the boy, a sinister smile creeping across their face.
The divine realm was watching. The forgotten deity's rebirth had begun, and not all who noticed wished him well.