The icy currents of the river pressed against Lin Feng's body, enveloping him in a warm, deceptive embrace. His eyes, clouded by agony, reflected a deep reluctance and bitterness in the face of such a cruel fate.
With heartbreaking gentleness, his eyelids gave way. Water began to invade his lungs, ciming the st remnants of his vitality. Just as his consciousness began to fade, the ring hanging around his neck—that seemingly useless object—vibrated with force.
Almost instantly, a burst of divine light burst forth from the metal. The glow enveloped his body, healing his wounds and restoring his vitality. Before he could process the miracle that was happening, the shock of energy plunged him into unconsciousness....
When he awoke, there was no water and no pain. Lin Feng found himself standing in a vast white space, silent and infinite.
"What is this pce? Heaven, hell... or simply nothingness?" he wondered.
Confused, he tried to take a step into that immacute space, but just then a voice—unknown to his ears, yet strangely familiar—resounded deeply behind him.
"Who?!" excimed Lin Feng, turning around on pure instinct.
In front of him, the figure of a middle-aged man materialized. He had a serene demeanor and an almost ethereal appearance, like that of an immortal. He watched him intently, as if he could see into the depths of his soul. He wore Taoist robes that fluttered slightly, simir to those in the historical dramas he used to enjoy.
"Who are you...?" Lin Feng managed to articute, struggling to contain the uneasiness in his voice.
The man, with absolute deliberation, gently stroked his beard. Each of his gestures exuded elegance and majesty, typical of those who have been accustomed to power.
...
After a silence that seemed eternal, his lips finally parted and a deep voice, full of dignity, escaped:
"Listen carefully, young man," he said, fixing his eyes on Lin Feng. "I am Wei Shenyuan, the First King of the Nine Kingdoms and one of the Ten Great Sages of the Celestial World."
The majestic voice reverberated in that infinite void, not as a sound, but as a physical force that struck his senses, making him feel as insignificant as a speck of dust in the face of the immensity of a storm.
Wei Shenyuan leaned forward slightly. With a fluid movement, he extended his hand and pressed a finger against Lin Feng's forehead. Almost instantly, a scorching energy seeped into his skull. Diffuse images and fragments of knowledge began to explode in his mind, one after another, flooding his consciousness with an unbearable weight.
"Aaargh!"
The pain, unbearable, forced him to fall to his knees, clutching his head in despair.
"Hmph, what a weak body," Wei Shenyuan muttered, looking at him with disdain.
Calmly, he performed a series of hand gestures, tracing invisible seals in the air. As soon as he finished, Lin Feng's expression changed; although his face was still pale and sweaty, the stabbing pain began to dissipate, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his mind.
"What... what was that?" Lin Feng asked, panting, his heart pounding against his ribs.
"Young man, measure your words and mind your tone when addressing this seat... your Master," Wei Shenyuan replied calmly. "Your current constitution is too weak, unable to withstand my technique. Therefore, I have sealed that knowledge in your soul, so that it will be progressively unlocked as your cultivation progresses."
"Eh... Master? Cultivation?" Lin Feng blinked, stunned. "That... what do you mean? I just..."
"There is no time for expnations!" Wei Shenyuan interrupted him, his voice causing the white space to vibrate with urgency. The energy stored in the ring is not infinite and will soon vanish... Listen carefully, for the fate of your world hangs in the bance.
He stepped forward, his eyes seeming to reflect the vicissitudes of life.
"The Lower Heaven is about to undergo an imminent change. Spiritual energy will increase exponentially, and with it, ancient beasts believed to be extinct will reappear in your world, ancient cultivators believed to be dead will return, and finally, the powers of the Upper World will descend to engulf everything."
Wei Shenyuan pced a hand on Lin Feng's shoulder, the pressure feeling like a mountain.
"If you don't want to be a pawn swept away by the tide of chaos, master the inheritance I have just engraved on your soul. Become strong. When you have reached the necessary criteria, cross the firmament and find me in the Celestial World. Until then... survive."
The moment his words fell, Wei Shenyuan's figure cracked and burst into thousands of fragments of light that converged on Lin Feng.
Those fragments did not just envelop him: they violently burst into his meridians, running through them with a scorching heat that flooded him with a terrifying and unknown force.
Around him, the infinite white space began to slowly fade away.
Amidst that whirlwind of consciousness, one of the blurry images sealed in his mind began to vibrate, becoming slightly clearer and revealing its nature:
?Eye of the Mind.?
