Kael stood at the summit of the Black Heaven Cliff.
The wind howled around him, carrying the scent of blood and ash. Below the cliff was endless darkness, a place where even light dared not reach.
He had finally done it.
After three hundred years of cultivation, countless battles, and walking over mountains of corpses, Kael had reached the peak of the Saint Realm. One step further, and he would touch the legendary Divine Realm.
At this moment, he should have been celebrating.
Instead, his heart was cold.
"Why are you all so quiet?" Kael asked calmly.
Behind him stood seven figures.
Each of them was someone he trusted.
A sworn brother.
A senior he once saved.
A disciple he personally trained.
Even the woman he loved.
They were all powerful cultivators, their auras sharp and oppressive. Yet none of them met Kael's eyes.
Silence answered him.
Kael slowly turned around. His sharp gaze swept across their faces, stopping on the woman standing at the center.
"Lian Yue," he said. "You too?"
Lian Yue clenched her fists. Her beautiful face was pale, but her eyes were firm.
"I'm sorry, Kael," she said. "This is the only way."
Kael laughed.
The sound echoed across the cliff, filled with mockery.
"The only way?" he repeated. "Tell me. The only way for what?"
One of the men stepped forward. He was tall, wearing golden armor, his cultivation only slightly weaker than Kael's.
"For balance," the man said coldly. "Your existence breaks the rules of this world."
Kael's smile faded.
"So that's it," he said. "You fear me."
Another cultivator snorted. "Fear? Don't flatter yourself. You cultivate too fast. Your foundation defies logic. If you enter the Divine Realm, none of us will be able to control you."
Control.
That word made Kael's eyes turn icy.
"All these years," Kael said slowly, "I fought for this world. I crushed invading sects. I defended our realms. And this is my reward?"
No one answered.
They had already made their choice.
Kael took a deep breath. His aura exploded outward, shaking the sky.
"Come," he said. "If you want me dead, then do it properly."
The sky darkened.
Seven powerful cultivators attacked at the same time.
Spells lit up the air. Swords screamed. Killing intent flooded the cliff like a storm.
Kael roared and stepped forward.
His fist shattered space.
One cultivator was sent flying, his body torn apart midair. Kael turned, his blade flashing, cutting another enemy in half.
Blood rained down.
Even surrounded, Kael was terrifying.
But they were prepared.
A massive formation activated beneath his feet. Runes glowed with sinister light, suppressing his cultivation.
Kael's body trembled.
"A Heaven-Sealing Formation…" he muttered.
Lian Yue raised her hand, her eyes filled with pain.
"Kael," she whispered. "Please don't resist."
That was when Kael understood.
This was never a fight.
It was an execution.
Seven against one.
A sealing formation.
Perfect timing—right when he was about to break through.
His strength began to fade.
Kael laughed again, this time bitter.
"So this is how I die."
He straightened his back, his eyes burning with hatred and pride.
"I don't regret walking this path," he said. "But remember this."
The cultivators hesitated.
Kael's voice became sharp, filled with killing intent.
"If there is another life…"
"I will kill you all."
Lian Yue's eyes trembled.
A beam of light pierced Kael's chest.
Pain exploded through his body.
Another attack followed. Then another.
His vision blurred.
As his body collapsed, Kael felt himself falling—down, down, down—into the endless abyss below the cliff.
The world faded.
Darkness consumed him.
He thought that was the end.
But in the void, something stirred.
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Soul compatibility detected.]
[Host consciousness stabilizing.]
[Searching for suitable vessel…]
Kael's fading awareness trembled.
"What… is this?" he tried to ask, but no sound came out.
[Target found.]
[Initiating reincarnation protocol.]
A sharp pain pierced his soul.
Memories shattered.
Time lost meaning.
Kael suddenly gasped.
Air rushed into his lungs.
His eyes flew open.
The first thing he felt was pain—weak, dull, and unfamiliar.
"This body…" he thought.
It was light. Fragile.
Nothing like his previous body, tempered by centuries of cultivation.
He lay on a wooden bed inside a small, broken room. Cracked walls. A leaking roof. The smell of old medicine.
Kael frowned.
"This is not my world."
Memories flooded his mind.
This body belonged to a young man named Kael as well.
A coincidence.
Sixteen years old.
Member of the Kael Clan.
Born with a crippled meridian.
Unable to cultivate.
Bullied.
Despised.
Discarded.
"So… I was reborn," Kael muttered.
Before he could process more, a familiar cold voice echoed again.
[Reincarnation complete.]
[Forbidden Cultivation System binding to host.]
Kael's pupils shrank.
"System?"
A translucent panel appeared before his eyes.
[Forbidden Cultivation System]
Host: Kael
Realm: Mortal (Crippled)
System Rule:
— Strength is obtained through battle.
— The stronger the opponent, the greater the reward.
— This system is forbidden by the laws of heaven.
Warning:
— Exposure may result in pursuit by sects and higher beings.
Kael stared at the panel.
Then, slowly, he smiled.
A dangerous smile.
"So the heavens still want to play games with me," he said softly.
He clenched his weak fist.
"This body may be crippled," he whispered, "but my soul is not."
His eyes burned with ambition.
"If this world wants to suppress me…"
"Then I will cultivate a path the heavens cannot control."
The system interface flickered.
[New Objective Unlocked.]
Survive. Grow stronger. Defy the heavens.]
Kael closed his eyes.
This time…
He would not fail.