In the house, Li Hao sat on his mother’s lap. The room was quiet, yet the stagnant tension could be felt.

On the table in front of them was a cake with lit candles; the flames burned on the wicks, wax slowly dripping down.

Li Hao looked at it and blew a small puff of air, putting the candles out.

“Yeahhh, you finally blew out the candles—good job, my little one!” his mother said as she squeezed his cheeks.

His expression remained stoic, showing no excitement at the gesture.

Why is he so neutral? Is he not happy, or is something wrong we don’t know? his mother wondered, hiding her concern behind a smile.

She gazed at Li Han and said telepathically, It seems this son of yours won’t heal soon.

What do you want me to do? You disagreed when I suggested we take him to the Alchemist Master, Li Han replied, his fingers subtly flexing.

Lu Ru-yue’s eyes narrowed, showing her dissatisfaction.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Li Han’s face; he had no idea what more to say.

Li Hao, in the middle of this intense standoff, didn’t flinch.

As the candles went out, a ding sounded from nowhere, ringing in Li Hao’s ears:

[Ding]

[Host, you have taken your first step on your journey—reaching one year old.

Reward: Nine Revelations of Immortality]

[Name: Nine Revelations of Immortality

Realm: Unknown

Quality: Divine

Class: Cultivation

Description: Art of transcending the nine Revelations of the Heavenly Dao cycles, created by an unknown emperor]

Li Hao slipped into his subconscious as his mind was pulled into another space.

REALM ABOVE THE MORTAL REALM

Above the Mortal Realm lay a sea of stars reflecting the story-sky’s radiant light—a vast expanse of cosmic power and aura, radiating as if it could consume wandering stars.

In space sat a figure in lotus posture with an ascetic build. He had white hair and golden heavenly eyes, wore a blue martial robe with white garments and star patterns all over.

His presence made the stars around him seem like moths under the bright sun, evoking complex emotions of awe, fear, and adoration.

Under that sea of stars, the figure’s aura fluctuated as he looked directly at Li Hao. Li Hao’s subconscious felt the eternal weight of time and spiritual pressure.

His consciousness snapped back to reality; breathing hard, he clenched his hands tightly over his chest.

Panting, he asked himself, “Who is that figure? Just by looking at me through the system’s perspective, I felt as if stars were pressing on my back.”

[Name: ???

Class: ???

Age: ???

Realm: ???

Relationship: ???]

Li Hao stared at the system’s display. Even the system couldn’t see through that figure—or it would have shown a name.

“It seems the heavens are higher than I thought. I must start cultivating soon, otherwise…” Li Hao muttered, eyes narrowing.

He looked at the Art of Immortality. This technique was extraordinarily extravagant—the path it described unlike anything he had seen before.

The immortal path in his previous life wasn’t like this. He remembered it well: one started from Qi Gathering, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and so on.

“But here, there is no Golden Core, no Tribulation Transcendent Realm—only the nine turns of the Immortal Path:

First Turn Apprentice, Second Turn Grand Apprentice, Third Turn Transcendent Mortal Realm, Fourth Turn Heavens Master, Fifth Turn Celestial Master.

The rest are too obscure to check. It seems I can only see them once I reach those realms.”

Li Hao’s fist clenched as he smiled faintly. “That figure…I must reach the same realm as that person.”

He examined the first level of the Nine Revelations of Immortality.

The First Turn, Apprentice Realm, focuses on cultivating the body with spiritual power—similar to the first technique, yet vastly different in absorption method.

That first technique lacked an absorption method; this difference was crucial.

Normal techniques rely on blood-essence Qi to strengthen, break, or reconstruct the body, with various body-cultivation methods refining different parts more.

But the Nine Revelations of Immortality uses spiritual energy to cultivate the body, and that makes a huge difference in the long run.

With his already strong body and bones from the first technique, this time his body would become even stronger.

For spiritual-power absorption, a cultivator usually uses intent to capture and attract spiritual power into the body—an efficient process that also trains multitasking skill.

The Nine Revelations of Immortality is different: instead of intent capturing spiritual power, you become a black hole.

You bend space so that spiritual power, once close, falls instantly into the abyss of your body.

To do this, you must condense heart-intent to the extreme; one misstep could lead to demise.

Li Hao focused, gathering his entire intent at his core, just as the technique instructed:

When using this technique for the first time, your body becomes the core and your will the force that attracts spiritual power. By focusing on one point, intent forms a spiral that sucks spiritual power in.

Li Hao concentrated; torrents of spiritual power rushed into his body, his refined physique improving with each second.

When spiritual fatigue set in, he opened his eyes and halted cultivation.

He found himself in his parents’ bedroom. The sun’s rays that had pierced the windows were gone; moonlight now streamed in instead.

“How is it night already?” he murmured.