Li Tian stood at the center of the 9th Heavenly Tribulation, a storm unlike anything he had ever faced before. The heavens themselves seemed to conspire against him, unleashing divine wrath that tore at the very fabric of reality. The air crackled with static, the sky darkening with swirling, violent clouds. He had been through many tribulations in his life, but this was different. This was not a test - it was a trial of his very existence.

His spear, the Golden Spear of Fate, gleamed with a celestial light, its surface crackling with the power of the heavens. It was not just a weapon; it was an extension of his very soul. The spear had been his companion for countless years, through every battle and every hardship. And now, as the heavens turned against him, it was the only thing that stood between him and obliteration.

The first bolt of lightning descended with the speed of a falling star, its brilliance blinding. Li Tian raised his spear to meet it, the collision of energy sending shockwaves through his body. The force was immense, shaking him to his core. His robes burned away at the edges, and the skin on his arms sizzled as the divine lightning coursed through him. But he stood firm, his grip on the spear unwavering.

The storm raged above him, furious and relentless. Each strike from the heavens was more intense than the last, and Li Tian's body began to crack under the strain. His muscles screamed in agony, his vision blurred from the searing light. Yet, he remained unyielding. He would not break. This was not just a battle of strength; it was a test of his willpower.

He had ascended beyond the mortal realm, transcended the very limitations of his world. Yet the heavens saw him as nothing more than a mortal. They had come to break him. But Li Tian would not allow it. His will burned hotter than the divine flames, stronger than the celestial lightning that rained down upon him.

Another bolt, this time larger and more violent, came crashing toward him. Li Tian met it head-on, the force of the impact sending a shockwave that rippled through the clouds above. His body jerked, but his feet remained planted firmly on the ground. His spear became a conduit for the energy, redirecting the force into the storm itself. It was a dangerous gambit, but it was the only way he could survive.

And then, the final bolt came. It was unlike anything Li Tian had ever seen. A massive surge of power, a bolt the size of a mountain, fell from the sky. It was the culmination of the tribulation, the final strike meant to destroy him utterly. The heavens had passed judgment.

Li Tian's vision turned white as the bolt collided with him. The force was so immense that it seemed to tear his body apart. His mind fractured, his soul screamed in agony. His entire being was consumed by the light. He was no longer sure if he was even alive, or if he was drifting in the void.

And then, silence.

---

Li Tian awoke in a world unlike the one he had known. The pain from the tribulation still lingered in his body, but it was dull now, a distant echo of the inferno he had just endured. He opened his eyes and found himself lying on solid ground, surrounded by towering steel structures and strange lights that glowed in the dark. The air felt different, thick with a strange energy. The world was foreign to him.

The city before him was unlike any place he had ever seen. There were no sacred mountains here, no ancient temples. Instead, towering skyscrapers of metal and glass stretched into the sky. The streets were alive with people, but their eyes were fixed on glowing screens, moving in unison as if controlled by an invisible force. The hum of machines filled the air, and the people seemed oblivious to his presence.

He tried to stand, but his body felt different, lighter, weaker. It was as if the connection to his cultivation had been severed. His spear, his most trusted companion, was gone. In its place, he could feel a strange force pulling at him. A new power, unfamiliar yet undeniable, coursed through his veins. It was as if the world itself was trying to define him, to control him.

As Li Tian stood, disoriented and confused, a holographic screen appeared in front of him. The words flickered, cold and impersonal:

> [Welcome to the System.]
[Soul Reclassification: Error.]

His D-Rank status hovered above his head, an insult to his power, a stark reminder that in this world, his strength meant nothing.

Li Tian clenched his fists. This world, governed by a system that measured everything, controlled everything, could not define him. He had broken the heavens, and he would break this system too.

The world around him seemed to buzz with an unnatural energy, the very air pulsing with the hum of technology. But Li Tian could feel the system lurking beneath the surface, controlling the people, shaping their lives.

He would find a way out of this world, back to the place where his strength truly mattered. But first, he had to survive. He had to understand this new world, learn its rules, and then, break them.

---