Dawn arrived cold and clear, the sun painting the eastern peaks in shades of gold and crimson. Lin Feng had barely slept—too many thoughts churning, too many decisions to make about how much truth to reveal today.
He dressed in the formal robes of a direct disciple—dark blue with silver embroidery that marked him as personally trained by the Patriarch. The fabric was woven with spirit threads that enhanced cultivation efficiency, another reminder that his new status came with both benefits and scrutiny.
Through the Dao Thread, he sensed Yun Qingxue was already awake. A pulse of encouragement flowed through their connection, steadying his nerves.
Whatever happens, you're not alone in this.
The warmth of that support carried him through the early morning as he made his way toward the Patriarch's personal cultivation chamber. The path took him to the highest point of the central peak, where ancient formations hummed with power accumulated over millennia.
At the chamber's entrance, a formation barrier flickered—testing his identity, confirming his authorization. The jade token at his waist pulsed in response, and the barrier parted.
The Patriarch's cultivation chamber was unlike any space Lin Feng had seen. It existed in a pocket dimension, the walls showing not stone but swirling cosmos—stars being born and dying, galaxies spinning in eternal dance. The floor was polished obsidian that reflected everything above, creating the sensation of floating in infinite space.
At the chamber's center, Patriarch Cloud Eternal sat in meditation, his presence so profound that the air itself felt heavier. Around him, formation arrays of such complexity that even the Void Emperor's inherited knowledge could only partially comprehend them.
"Enter, my disciple."
The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Lin Feng walked forward, each step feeling like crossing vast distances despite the chamber's apparent size.
He stopped at the appropriate distance and bowed deeply. "This disciple greets Patriarch Cloud."
"Rise." The ancient cultivator opened his eyes—eyes that held two thousand years of experience and wisdom. "Do you know why I took you as a direct disciple?"
Lin Feng had prepared for this question. "This disciple assumes it was to prevent political complications with the Azure Sky Family."
"That was one reason. Not the primary one." Patriarch Cloud gestured, and a cushion materialized before Lin Feng. "Sit. We will speak plainly this morning—no formal titles, no political dancing. Just teacher and student, seeking truth."
Lin Feng sat carefully, his mind racing. Just teacher and student? He's setting the stage for revelation. He wants me to be honest.
"You want to know what I am," Lin Feng said. Not a question, a statement.
"I want to know what you really are," the Patriarch corrected. "Because what you appear to be and what you actually are diverge significantly. I sensed it during the ceremony—that momentary touch revealed depths that shouldn't exist in a Mortal Awakening cultivator."
"What did you sense, Patriarch?"
"A void. Not emptiness in the conventional sense, but a fundamental absence so profound it could only come from mastery of void cultivation." The Patriarch's gaze intensified. "Tell me, Lin Feng. What did you truly find in the forbidden back mountains?"
This was it. The moment of decision. Lin Feng had rehearsed this conversation dozens of times during the night, weighing each word.
Show him enough truth to earn trust. Not so much that he feels obligated to report it or act against me.
"I found a sealed cave. Inside was the remains of an ancient cultivator who died at least one hundred thousand years ago, possibly longer." Lin Feng kept his voice steady. "The cultivator left a complete inheritance—techniques, resources, and a pill called the Divine Rebirth Pill."
Patriarch Cloud's expression didn't change, but the air in the chamber grew denser. "Divine Rebirth Pill. That's an Immortal Emperor-level treasure, possibly even Demi-God level. Consuming such a pill should have killed you instantly—the energy differential would have shattered your body."
"It nearly did. The transformation took seven days, and every moment felt like dying." Lin Feng met the Patriarch's gaze. "But the pill was designed for someone with broken meridians. It destroyed my flawed channels and rebuilt them perfectly. In the process..."
"In the process, it forced rapid cultivation advancement."
"Yes." Lin Feng took a breath. "Patriarch, my true cultivation is not Mortal Awakening Level 3."
"Obviously. I assumed as much." The Patriarch leaned forward slightly. "What is your actual level?"
"Divine Domain Level 1. With perfect stability."
The silence that followed was absolute. Even the swirling cosmos in the walls seemed to pause.
Then Patriarch Cloud laughed—a sound like distant thunder, filled with genuine amusement mixed with disbelief.
"Divine Domain Level 1. You jumped from fractured Mortal Awakening to Divine Domain in seven days. That's..." He shook his head. "That's beyond unprecedented. That's mythological. Do you understand what you're claiming?"
"I understand it sounds impossible, Patriarch."
"Impossible doesn't begin to describe it." But the Patriarch's eyes held something other than disbelief—respect, perhaps, or recognition. "And yet, I believe you. Because what I sensed during the ceremony wasn't just advanced cultivation—it was fundamentally different cultivation. The way your spiritual energy moves, the structure of your power... it's nothing like the orthodox paths taught in this sect or any sect I know."
He's noticed the Inverse Void Dao's uniqueness. How much should I reveal about that?
"The inheritance contained techniques that are... unconventional," Lin Feng said carefully. "Methods of cultivation that work differently from standard approaches. The ancient cultivator who left the inheritance was apparently a void specialist."
"A void specialist." Patriarch Cloud's expression grew distant. "One hundred thousand years ago, there were cultivators who practiced void cultivation. Most died attempting it—the void is not meant to be mastered by mortal beings. But a few succeeded, and those few became legends."
He stood, walking slowly around Lin Feng.
"The greatest of those legends was a cultivator known as the Void Emperor. He reached the peak of Demi-God cultivation and was said to have touched the very essence of reality itself. But he was betrayed by those closest to him and killed in the Primordial Chaos Realm. His body was never recovered, and his techniques were thought lost forever."
Lin Feng's heart hammered in his chest. He knows. He knows exactly who left the inheritance.
"Patriarch—"
"I'm not asking you to confirm whether you found the Void Emperor's legacy," Patriarch Cloud said quietly. "In fact, I'm specifically telling you not to confirm it. Because if you did find that inheritance, and if certain people learned of it..." He stopped in front of Lin Feng. "There are three individuals in this world who would stop at nothing to eliminate the Void Emperor's heir. They have waited one hundred thousand years to ensure his legacy died with him. If they learn otherwise..."
"The Eternal Light Lord, the Blood Immortal Empress, and the Inverse Karma Sage."
The Patriarch's eyes widened fractionally—the first time Lin Feng had seen genuine surprise on the ancient cultivator's face. "You know their names. Then you know what they are."
"Demi-Gods. The three who betrayed and murdered the original cultivator." Lin Feng's voice was steady despite his racing pulse. "They're still alive, still powerful, and still watching for any sign that the inheritance survived."
"Yes." Patriarch Cloud returned to his meditation position. "Which is why you must be extraordinarily careful. Divine Domain Level 1 is impressive, but it's nothing compared to Demi-God cultivation. If any of those three learn what you are..."
"I'll be dead before I can blink."
"Optimistic. You'd be dead before the thought of blinking could form." The Patriarch's expression grew grave. "Lin Feng, I am going to be direct with you in a way I haven't been with any disciple in five hundred years. What you carry is both the greatest opportunity and the greatest danger I've encountered in my two millennia of life."
"Then why protect me? Why take me as a direct disciple instead of expelling me to avoid the danger?"
"Because," the Patriarch said slowly, "I knew the Void Emperor."
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap.
"You... knew him?"
"I was young—barely a century old. He was already legendary. I encountered him once, in the Primordial Chaos Realm, when I was searching for advancement resources." Patriarch Cloud's eyes grew distant with memory. "I was attacked by a beast far beyond my ability to handle. He saved me, simply because he happened to be passing by. We spoke for several hours afterward."
"What was he like?"
"Brilliant. Kind. Absolutely dedicated to proving that broken things could be reforged into greatness." The Patriarch smiled sadly. "He told me his own story—how he'd been born with shattered meridians, how everyone dismissed him as waste, how he found an ancient inheritance that changed everything. He said his dream was to create a legacy that would help others like him."
Lin Feng felt emotion stirring—the Void Emperor's memories contained feelings but not this perspective. Not how others saw him.
"When he was murdered, I was devastated. I'd only known him briefly, but he'd saved my life and given me hope that even those of us born without divine talent could reach great heights through determination." Patriarch Cloud's gaze focused on Lin Feng. "So when I sensed void cultivation in you, when I suspected you might carry his legacy... I chose to protect you. Not for political reasons or sect benefit, but because I owe him a debt that can never be fully repaid."
The honesty of that statement resonated through the chamber. This wasn't political calculation—this was genuine emotion from a cultivator old enough to have moved beyond such things.
"Thank you, Patriarch. That means more than I can express."
"Don't thank me yet. Protecting you will be complicated." The Patriarch's expression hardened. "The Azure Sky Family suspects something. Elder Shadow certainly suspects something. And there are forces within the sect—forces I don't fully control—that will take an interest once rumors spread."
"What do you recommend?"
"We accelerate your advancement, but carefully. Your official cultivation will remain Divine Domain Level 1 for now—we'll claim the Divine Rebirth Pill forced a breakthrough but left your foundation unstable, requiring time to consolidate. That buys you several months to actually advance while appearing to simply stabilize."
"And my training?"
"Will be real, but adapted. I'll teach you orthodox techniques alongside whatever unconventional methods you inherited. Anyone observing will see a talented disciple learning standard cultivation. Only you and I will know you're actually mastering something far more dangerous."
It was a good plan. It gave Lin Feng cover to train openly while concealing the true nature of his power.
"What about Li Xian and the Azure Sky Family?"
"I can protect you while you're within sect grounds. Once you leave..." The Patriarch's expression grew troubled. "The Azure Sky Family has significant influence. If they decide to act directly, even my authority has limits. You'll need to become strong enough to protect yourself, and quickly."
"How long do I have?"
"Months at most. Li Tianlong is patient, but Li Xian is not. The young master will push for action sooner rather than later." Patriarch Cloud stood. "Which brings us to today's actual training. I need to assess your true capabilities—not what you show the world, but what you can actually do. Only then can I design a training regimen that develops your strength without exposing your secrets."
Lin Feng stood as well. "What kind of assessment?"
"Combat. Full power, no holding back. This chamber is warded with formations that can contain even Sovereign Monarch level techniques. Nothing that happens here will be detected outside." The Patriarch gestured, and the chamber's space expanded, creating an arena hundreds of meters across. "Show me what the Void Emperor's heir can truly do."
Lin Feng hesitated. "Patriarch, if I use my full power—"
"I've seen Divine Domain cultivators for two thousand years. I know what's normal." The ancient cultivator's eyes gleamed. "I want to see what's abnormal. What makes the Void Emperor's techniques different from everything else."
This is it. No more hiding, at least from him. He's offering to see the real me.
Lin Feng released his concealment.
The Robe of Thousand Stars stopped masking his cultivation. The carefully maintained facade of Mortal Awakening Level 3 fell away. And his true aura emerged—Divine Domain Level 1, but not the normal pressure of that rank.
This was void energy. The absence of presence. Power that didn't press outward like traditional cultivation but pulled inward, creating a gravitational weight that made reality itself feel uncertain.
Patriarch Cloud's eyes widened. "Remarkable. Your cultivation feels like standing at the edge of an abyss. Normal spiritual sense can't properly measure it—the void makes you appear both stronger and weaker than you are."
"That's one of the Inverse Void Dao's advantages. Traditional cultivators struggle to gauge my real power."
"Inverse Void Dao. So that's what he called the technique." The Patriarch nodded slowly. "Show me your domain. Manifest the space that reflects your cultivation truth."
Lin Feng took a breath and released his domain for the first time without restriction.
The "Eternal Void" expanded, transforming the chamber. The swirling cosmos overhead was replaced by infinite darkness punctuated by distant silver stars. The floor became black glass reflecting that darkness. The temperature dropped to absolute zero, though formation protections kept them both from freezing.
And in that space, gravity itself became uncertain. Weight and weightlessness mixed. Sound died. Time felt distorted.
Patriarch Cloud stood in Lin Feng's domain, experiencing its full effect. For several minutes, he simply observed, his ancient spiritual sense analyzing every aspect.
"This is... extraordinary," he finally said. "Your domain doesn't impose your will on reality—it removes reality entirely. In this space, you're not fighting against natural laws; you're fighting in an absence of laws. Conventional techniques would struggle here because they rely on the rules your domain has erased."
"That's correct, Patriarch. In the Eternal Void, only void techniques function properly."
"Which makes you nearly invincible against opponents at your level or even slightly above." The Patriarch smiled. "But let's test that theory. I'll attack with techniques appropriate for Divine Domain Level 3—two levels above you. Defend using whatever methods you possess."
Before Lin Feng could respond, the Patriarch struck.
Even holding back to Divine Domain Level 3, Patriarch Cloud's attack was overwhelming. A blade of pure spiritual energy manifested, cutting through space itself to reach Lin Feng.
In normal circumstances, defending would be difficult. But in the Eternal Void, Lin Feng was home.
He used "Void Step"—not teleportation, but stepping through the space between spaces. The blade passed through where he'd been, finding only emptiness.
He reappeared behind the Patriarch and countered with "Spatial Rend"—a technique that tore reality to create blades of nothingness.
Patriarch Cloud blocked easily, but his expression showed interest. "Excellent technique. Your understanding of space manipulation is sophisticated—far beyond what someone your age should possess."
The exchange continued for several minutes. The Patriarch attacked from multiple angles, using increasingly complex techniques. Lin Feng defended and countered, displaying the Void Emperor's inherited combat knowledge.
But he was careful. Even here, even with the Patriarch knowing about the inheritance, Lin Feng held back. He showed Divine Domain Level 1 capabilities enhanced by void techniques, but not the full depth of a hundred thousand years of combat experience.
Finally, Patriarch Cloud called a halt. "Enough. I've seen what I needed to see."
Both cultivators stood in the dissipating Eternal Void, catching their breath.
"Your assessment, Patriarch?"
"Your foundation is perfect. Your technique is masterful. Your understanding of void cultivation is..." The Patriarch paused, choosing words carefully. "Honestly, it's beyond what I expected. You fight like someone with centuries of experience, not weeks."
The inherited memories. He's detecting the Void Emperor's combat instincts integrated into my own.
"The inheritance included combat experience," Lin Feng admitted. "Not just techniques, but memories of battles. It's like having instincts that aren't mine but feel natural."
"That's both powerful and dangerous. Memory inheritance can overwhelm the recipient's own identity if they're not careful." The Patriarch studied him intently. "Are you still Lin Feng? Or are you becoming the Void Emperor reborn?"
The question struck deeper than any physical blow.
Lin Feng had been so focused on survival and advancement that he hadn't fully considered this. The Void Emperor's memories were increasingly integrated with his own. Sometimes he couldn't tell where inherited knowledge ended and his own thoughts began.
"I'm still myself," he said, though uncertainty crept into his voice. "The memories feel like studying another person's techniques, not replacing my own experiences."
"Make sure that remains true. The danger of powerful inheritances isn't just external enemies—it's losing yourself to the power you've gained." The Patriarch's voice was gentle but firm. "The Void Emperor was a great man, but you are not him. You must forge your own path, using his legacy as a foundation, not a replacement for your identity."
"I understand, Patriarch."
"I hope you do." Patriarch Cloud returned to his meditation cushion. "Now, for your actual training. Based on what I've observed, here is my recommendation..."
Over the next hour, the Patriarch outlined a comprehensive training regimen. Public lessons in orthodox cultivation to maintain appearances. Private sessions to develop void techniques. Missions that would give Lin Feng real combat experience. And gradual revelation of advancement—showing Divine Domain Level 2 in several months, making it appear as natural consolidation rather than impossible speed.
"You'll also need to develop relationships with other disciples," Patriarch Cloud added. "Right now, you're isolated—which makes you vulnerable. Build genuine connections. Not just political alliances, but real friendships with people who will stand with you because they care, not because of what you can do for them."
"I have a few allies already."
"Yun Qingxue," the Patriarch said knowingly. "I've noticed. The Dao Thread between you is subtle, but present. You're fated companions."
Lin Feng stiffened. "Patriarch—"
"I'm not blind, nor foolish. The way she reacted during your examination, the concern she showed, the political risks she took to gather information..." Patriarch Cloud waved a hand. "It's obvious to anyone paying attention. The only reason it hasn't caused more problems is that most people are too focused on your cultivation mysteries to notice your romantic entanglements."
"It complicates things with the Azure Sky Family."
"Everything complicates things with the Azure Sky Family." The Patriarch's expression grew serious. "But the Dao Thread is not something to be fought or hidden. It's destiny, and fighting destiny only makes it manifest more dramatically. My advice? Accept it, but be strategic about how you approach it publicly."
"The engagement to Li Xian—"
"Will be broken eventually. Li Xian's behavior has given us leverage—attempting to sabotage your examination, planning your abduction. If we document these properly, we can make a case for breaking the engagement that even the Azure Sky Family can't easily counter."
Hope stirred in Lin Feng's chest. "You would help with that?"
"I would help because forcing people into marriages they don't want leads to resentment and betrayal—emotions that poison sect unity." The Patriarch stood, indicating the session was ending. "But also because I owe the Void Emperor a debt, and ensuring his heir can live freely seems appropriate repayment."
"Thank you, Patriarch. For everything."
"Thank me by surviving, growing strong, and not letting ancient enemies catch wind of what you are." Patriarch Cloud's expression turned stern. "We've had over two hours of privacy. Long enough that Elder Shadow will certainly want a report on what was discussed. I'll tell him we assessed your foundation, found it stable, and began orthodox training. You will confirm that story if asked."
"Of course, Patriarch."
"One more thing." The ancient cultivator produced a jade slip. "This contains advanced formation techniques. Learn them. Your void manipulation combined with formation mastery would give you significant defensive capabilities. It might save your life when enemies you can't defeat directly come calling."
Lin Feng accepted the jade slip, feeling the weight of knowledge contained within. "I'll study it diligently."
"Good. Now go. You have other duties as an outer disciple—missions to complete, classes to attend. Live as if you're normal, even though we both know you're anything but."
Lin Feng bowed deeply and left the cultivation chamber, his mind spinning with everything discussed.
The Patriarch knows the full story—or close enough. He's protecting me out of debt to the Void Emperor. That's both reassuring and concerning. What happens if that debt feels paid? Or if protecting me costs too much?
But for now, he had an ally in the highest position of authority. That was more than he'd had yesterday.
As he descended from the central peak, Lin Feng felt the morning sun warming his face. Around him, the sect was coming to life—disciples training, elders meditating, the daily rhythm of a cultivation sect.
He was no longer just hiding and surviving. He was being trained, protected, positioned for growth.
But the dangers hadn't diminished. If anything, they'd increased.
Li Xian would act soon. Elder Shadow would continue investigating. The Broker was researching his background. And somewhere, in distant corners of the world, three Demi-Gods might eventually sense that the legacy they thought they'd destroyed had resurfaced.
One step at a time. Train with the Patriarch. Advance in cultivation. Build alliances. Prepare for what's coming.
And through it all, protect those who've chosen to stand with me—Yun Qingxue, Xiao Ling, Elder Shen. Because if I fail, they'll pay the price alongside me.
The path ahead was treacherous. But for the first time since emerging from the Void Emperor's cave, Lin Feng felt like he had solid ground beneath his feet.
Not safe ground—nothing about his situation was safe.
But ground he could stand on, at least for now.
END OF CHAPTER 12
TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 13: THE FIRST MISSION