The outer region of the spiral galaxy was quiet.
Most of the stars existed closer to the center, where dense clusters of solar systems formed bright ribbons of light across space. Out here, however, the distances between stars were far greater. Long stretches of darkness separated one system from another, broken only by drifting clouds of cosmic dust.
Lin Tian had spent many years observing this region before making his decision.
He chose it for a simple reason.
It was stable.
Few violent stellar events occurred nearby, and gravitational disturbances were minimal. For the kind of experiment he was about to perform, stability mattered.
Although millions of years had passed since his death as a human, the habits he had developed in that short mortal life still influenced him.
He preferred careful preparation over reckless action.
His soul floated quietly between two distant star systems.
The strange color radiating from it illuminated a small region of the surrounding void. Across its surface, countless primordial runic symbols slowly rotated and shifted like living constellations.
Each rune carried the informational structure of a natural phenomenon.
Some represented simple forces.
Others described far more complex interactions between matter and energy.
Lin Tian focused his attention inward, examining the runes one by one.
Creating a body was not simply a matter of gathering matter.
If he constructed it incorrectly, the structure might collapse or become unstable.
What he intended to build was not merely flesh and bone.
It would be a vessel capable of holding a soul that had already synchronized with the informational layer of the universe.
He began with the most fundamental question.
What was a body?
From his years of observation, Lin Tian had learned that biological organisms were extremely complicated systems of matter organized in specific ways. Cells, tissues, organs, and bones all followed precise structural rules.
But beneath those biological details lay something more fundamental.
Matter itself.
If he could correctly arrange matter at the informational level, the rest would naturally follow.
Lin Tian examined the runes representing matter organization and molecular stability.
They glowed faintly as his consciousness touched them.
Then he began.
First came the gathering of energy.
From nearby stars, faint streams of radiation slowly drifted toward him.
Microscopic particles floating through space began altering their paths. Tiny fragments of cosmic dust changed direction and moved toward the center of Lin Tian's awareness.
The process was extremely slow.
Lin Tian did not rush it.
Over several decades, the collected matter gradually increased.
At first it formed only a thin cloud around his soul.
But the cloud grew denser as more particles arrived.
Eventually, it began condensing.
Lin Tian activated several runic structures simultaneously.
These runes controlled gravitational attraction and molecular cohesion.
Under their influence, the cloud collapsed inward.
Matter compressed into a solid core.
The first structure of the new body began forming.
A skeleton.
Bones appeared gradually, growing outward from the center like branches forming on a tree.
Each bone formed according to the exact proportions of the human body Lin Tian had once possessed.
However, the process did not stop at simple biological structure.
As each bone formed, the primordial runes on Lin Tian's soul extended outward.
Thin streams of radiant information flowed into the new structure.
The runic symbols engraved themselves onto the bones.
They were extremely small, far beyond the scale visible to the human eye, but their presence altered the very nature of the material.
The bones became incredibly stable.
Not because they were harder than normal bone, but because their informational structure had been reinforced.
Lin Tian observed the process carefully.
"This is working as expected," he thought.
After the skeleton finished forming, he moved to the next stage.
Muscle tissue.
He activated a different group of runes.
These symbols governed the organization of organic molecules.
Energy condensed around the bones, gradually forming layers of muscle fibers.
The process resembled the growth of a body within a womb, but it occurred in open space and followed precise informational instructions.
As before, the primordial symbols spread into the forming tissues.
They extended into every muscle fiber, every microscopic strand of matter.
Next came the circulatory system.
Blood vessels formed throughout the body, branching through the muscles and connecting every region.
Instead of ordinary blood, however, the fluid filling those vessels was slightly different.
It was matter formed from condensed cosmic particles, carrying faint traces of energy within its structure.
The runic patterns integrated into it as well.
After that came the organs.
Heart.
Lungs.
Liver.
Kidneys.
Each structure formed gradually, guided by the informational patterns contained in the runes.
Lin Tian did not experience pain or discomfort during this process.
He simply observed it like a scientist watching an experiment.
Finally, the last structure formed.
The brain.
This part required the most attention.
The brain was the interface between body and consciousness. If its structure was incorrect, the connection with his soul could become unstable.
Lin Tian carefully selected the appropriate runic patterns.
He avoided allowing too many primordial symbols to integrate directly into the brain structure.
Too much informational density could cause dangerous distortions in physical reality.
When the brain finished forming, the body was almost complete.
Only one part remained unfinished.
The eyes.
Two small spheres formed within the skull.
Inside them, complex optical structures developed.
As they formed, faint primordial runic patterns appeared within their deepest layers.
Unlike the other parts of the body, these runes were extremely subtle.
Lin Tian intentionally limited their number.
Even so, the eyes would possess abilities far beyond ordinary perception.
When the final structures stabilized, Lin Tian allowed his soul to merge with the body.
The moment the connection completed, something changed.
The surrounding space reacted.
Gravitational fluctuations rippled through the region.
Nearby cosmic particles shifted their trajectories.
Even distant starlight bent slightly.
Lin Tian opened his eyes.
For the first time in millions of years, he possessed a physical body again.
He slowly raised his hand and examined it.
The hand looked completely human.
Skin, fingers, nails.
Yet beneath the surface, the informational structure was far more complex than any ordinary organism.
He flexed his fingers.
The movement felt natural.
But as he did so, a faint distortion appeared in the surrounding space.
Lin Tian immediately noticed the phenomenon.
His presence was influencing reality itself.
He remained still and observed the effect carefully.
The reason soon became clear.
His body contained too many primordial informational structures.
Even though he had limited their integration during the construction process, the overall density remained extremely high.
Simply existing caused subtle changes in the surrounding laws of physics.
If he entered a populated world in this state, the consequences could be unpredictable.
Natural energy flows might destabilize.
Living beings could be affected in unknown ways.
Lin Tian lowered his hand slowly.
He thought for a long moment.
Then he activated several runic structures within his body.
These runes controlled suppression and concealment.
Layer by layer, the informational density inside his body compressed inward.
The primordial symbols withdrew deeper into the structure of his bones, muscles, and blood.
Their presence became hidden beneath multiple layers of sealed informational barriers.
The surrounding distortions immediately disappeared.
Space returned to normal.
Lin Tian tested the result by moving again.
This time, nothing unusual happened.
He nodded slightly.
"This level should be safe."
Now that his body existed, his next step was clear.
He needed to understand the universe he currently inhabited.
Lin Tian extended his perception outward.
His consciousness spread across the surrounding star systems, observing planets, energy flows, and the faint signals of life.
Several minutes passed.
Then he found something unexpected.
On a distant planet within the galaxy, intelligent life existed.
And those lifeforms were doing something interesting.
They were manipulating energy through deliberate methods.
Techniques.
Practices.
Primitive attempts to understand the laws of the universe.
Lin Tian watched quietly.
After observing them for several hours, he reached a conclusion.
"This universe possesses a cultivation system."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
For someone who had once lived an ordinary human life, the discovery was intriguing.
Perhaps this new world would not be as predictable as the one he left behind.
Lin Tian looked toward the distant planet.
Then he began moving through space toward it, traveling silently between the stars.