The night was silent. The air around Lin Tian trembled with a faint hum — a resonance that didn't belong to the mortal world.
He stood atop Mount Qingshan, his white robe fluttering in the midnight wind. The stars above seemed to bend toward him, converging at a single point between heaven and earth. A silver radiance pulsed faintly at his heart, like a second heartbeat.
It was the Nexus Core, the mysterious energy that had awakened within him after the fusion of his immortal soul with his earthly body.
For days, Lin Tian had meditated without rest. He could sense the dormant threads of cosmic law inside his meridians — but controlling them was another matter. They weren't spiritual energy. They were something far older. Something deeper.
"This… isn't qi," he murmured, eyes narrowing. "It's the language of the universe itself."
The ground beneath him trembled. The surrounding forest bowed as invisible waves of energy rippled outward, shaking the very essence of nature. Birds scattered. The moon dimmed.
Lin Tian's body lifted slowly from the ground, suspended in an aura of blinding light. Runes appeared — ancient and shifting — forming a vast circular array beneath his feet.
From the void above, a voice resounded:
"Bearer of the Nexus… awaken the bridge between realms."
Pain shot through his body. His mortal vessel was being torn apart by the raw force of creation. His veins glowed golden, and cracks appeared along his skin, spilling divine light. But Lin Tian gritted his teeth. He would not yield.
"I am Lin Tian — Immortal of the Nine Heavens! If the heavens wish to test me, then let them witness my defiance!"
He roared, and the Nexus responded.
A brilliant explosion of light burst forth, stretching across the sky. From that light, an enormous gate of energy emerged — half real, half ethereal — connecting the mortal realm to the higher planes.
The Celestial Nexus had been activated.
As the gate stabilized, Lin Tian's consciousness was pulled inward. Visions flashed before him — realms of gods, forgotten wars, and a colossal being chained in darkness. He saw fragments of himself — memories of a life beyond comprehension — an ancient Immortal who once defied Heaven itself.
Then came the whisper:
"Your power is not meant for this world. But the Nexus has chosen you."
When Lin Tian's eyes opened again, the night was gone. Dawn's first light touched the mountain peak. His hair shimmered faintly with strands of gold, his aura vast and serene.
He raised his hand — and with a flick, the massive boulder beside him shattered into dust. The Nexus energy flowed through him effortlessly now, bending to his will.
"So this is the true power of the Nexus…" he whispered. "A bridge between gods and mortals."
But deep within the newly formed gate, a shadow stirred. Something ancient had sensed his awakening.
Far away, in the hidden realms of Heaven, an old immortal opened his eyes.
"He's awakened it… the child of rebellion returns."
The stage of destiny was once again set — and the Earth, unaware, would soon tremble under the footsteps of the Heavenly Immortal