Far from the island, there stood an altar. Beside it, a boy sat in the lotus position, his body covered in sweat. He was Meng Meng.
Taking slow, steady breaths, he inhaled a mouthful of qi, then exhaled. Again and again, he repeated the process — refining the energy that flowed through him.
In the world of cultivation, cultivators gain power through spiritual energy, but for Qi Cultivators, qi itself is the only resort.
It is the beginning stage — the phase where one opens all meridians and tempers the body to withstand spiritual energy.
Only after reaching this stage can one begin to absorb true spiritual essence.
Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Shattering — these are the true cultivation realms.
Beyond that lies Nirvana, a stage only a few ever reach, one that requires enlightenment through Nirvana energy itself.
Meng Meng let out a soft sigh. After a month, he had regained his one-star foundation — now a 9th Stage Qi Cultivatoronce again.
But his expression was filled with loneliness. It had been almost a decade since he was trapped here.
"Ping… I wonder, will I ever see you again?"
Two streams of tears slipped down his cheeks — not from pain, but from emotion.
Cultivators are like this: once they step onto the path, there is no return. Only death can grant release from endless suffering, not life itself.
Some even sever the five senses just to escape the pain of the heart.
Two months…
Three months…
Meng Meng was ready once again to dive into the pitch dark sea.
"This altar lies at the center of the sea. I found it while sealing the black waters. Those two creatures tried to attack me, but this altar saved me — its formation is the same as that island."
Taking a deep breath, he jumped into the sea, activating his All-Seeing Vision.
He saw skeletons of countless cultivators — ancient, broken, long forgotten. Carefully, he sealed his aura so nothing could detect him.
Twenty minutes passed.
Meng Meng had reached nearly three thousand feet below the surface, but the two giants didn't appear this time; they couldn't sense him.
He gazed at the seabed — ancient ruins stained the ground.
Further ahead stood an enormous pillar, a thousand feet tall. As he approached, strange carvings of cultivators and ancient symbols glimmered faintly across its surface.
When he focused, his heart trembled. "This… this is the Ruin of Calamity!"
If he weren't underwater, cold sweat would have poured down his face.
Meng Meng bit his tongue, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes. He sat down cross-legged before the pillar, spreading his divine sense and beginning to comprehend the ruins.
But in that instant, his aura leaked slightly.
Above, two giants stirred — sensing something divine. They roared in unison, the sound echoing through the deep.
Meng Meng, unaware of the danger, continued meditating.
The Ruin of Calamity — a power so fearsome that legend said an ancient master once used it to almost destroy the world itself.
When the giants reached the source, they halted.
Fear flickered across their grotesque, distorted faces. They took three steps back, trembling before the power emanating from the ruins.
Yet Meng Meng did not stop. For him, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. He couldn't — wouldn't — It would be his life biggest regret if he let it go .
Time flowed like water.
One month… three months… and nearly a year passed.
Then — Meng Meng's eyes opened.
Lightning flickered around him, dancing wildly. He gave off a different feeling — as if he were the embodiment of calamity itself.
With awe and disbelief, he looked at his body, then entered his Sea of Consciousness.
Above that inner sea, storm clouds raged — his Soul Orb showing faint signs of shattering.
He laughed softly.
"Perfect. Now that I've comprehended the Ruin of Calamity, I can wield the Thunder Dao! I'm about to break through!"
But it wasn't that easy. In this sea of death, breathing was impossible.Since you can't cultivate without breathing until you reach a high level it's impossible.
He knew it would've been possible in normal water since he can breath a bit in water
— but here, only death qi existed.
Meng Meng took one step… two steps… thirty steps —
Then vanished, reappearing above the altar. He let out a long sigh.
"This time… the harvest is too good."
Closing his eyes, he began cultivating once more.
The sky above began to tremble, space itself tearing apart as massive dark clouds gathered.
This was the Divine Tribulation — the judgment of the heavens.
Meng Meng smiled, his eyes blazing with determination.
"Foundation Establishment… I am coming!"