On the vast continent of Xuanyuan, nine great regions split the land.
In the East Domain, mountains stretched for thousands of miles, spiritual energy surged, and the Lin Clan stood proud as one of its most influential families.
Today, the Lin Clan's main square was packed.
Hundreds of youths lined up in excitement—
It was the annual Spirit Awakening Ceremony.
At the age of sixteen, every clan descendant had the chance to awaken their "Origin Spirit" and step onto the path of cultivation.
The air was filled with shining light and loud cheers.
On the platform ahead, several elders presided over the ritual with solemnity.
"Next—Lin Chen!"
At the elder's call, a thin young man slowly walked out from the crowd.
His features were handsome yet cold, lips pressed tightly as he stepped onto the stage.
This was Lin Chen.
A branch member of the clan.
Born with a defective Origin Spirit, deemed a hopeless cripple since childhood.
"A cripple still dares to come?"
"He's been laughed at for sixteen years, yet he refuses to give up!"
"They say his mother died from the shame of birthing him. What a curse!"
Mockery echoed all around.
Lin Chen's face remained expressionless, though his fists clenched tightly.
The presiding elder shook his head, voice indifferent:
"Lin Chen, do you insist on humiliating yourself? Even if you step forward, the result will not change."
Lin Chen raised his head, eyes burning with determination.
"Please, Elder. Activate the Spirit Tablet."
Boom!
The ancient monolith flared to life, its surface glowing with ripples of energy.
Lin Chen pressed his palm against it—
And the tablet fell silent.
No light. No resonance.
It was as if the stone mocked him.
Gasps erupted.
"What? Not even a flicker?"
"Worse than a cripple—utter trash!"
Laughter roared across the square.
Lin Chen's body trembled, his palm bleeding from pressure, yet he refused to pull away.
"Give me a response… even the faintest spark!"
But the tablet remained dead.
Among the crowd, a tall youth stepped forward.
Handsome, extraordinary, wrapped in surging spirit energy—he was Lin Ye Wushang, the clan's brightest prodigy.
He spoke softly, though disdain lingered in his eyes.
"Chen, step down. Don't disgrace yourself further."
The elder's voice cut cold and final:
"Defective spirit, unfit for cultivation. From this day forth—Lin Chen, you are cast out of the clan!"
The words struck like thunder.
The square erupted with ridicule.
Lin Chen's vision blurred, his teeth grinding until they bled.
Sixteen years of hope—shattered in an instant.
But when he lifted his head, his eyes burned like flames.
"If the heavens curse me as trash, then I will claw my way to the sky. Mark my words—one day, you will all pay for this!"
That night, Lin Chen staggered alone through the wilderness.
The wind howled. His heart ached with despair.
"Defective spirit… am I truly destined to be worthless?"
Suddenly, the earth quaked.
In the distance, a black rift tore open, devouring light and sound.
His breath caught.
"That's… the Abyss Rift!"
Legends spoke of it as a scar left from the battle of gods and demons, hiding endless opportunities and unimaginable horrors.
And at this moment, his broken Origin Spirit pulsed violently, leaking strands of black flame.
Boom!
An irresistible force yanked him into the rift.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Pain seared his bones.
A chilling, ancient voice echoed in his mind:
"Child of the Defect, you bear the seed of Calamity."
"I am the Source of the Tribulation Flame. From this day forth, you are chosen as my vessel."
Visions flashed—worlds collapsing, gods and demons falling, seas of blood.
And within it all… he stood tall, wielding the flame of calamity, commanding destruction.
"What… is this power?"
His broken spirit ignited, twisting into a black star that pulsed in his chest.
The Calamity Spirit—born!
Strength surged through his veins, violent and domineering.
It was not cultivation—it was devouring.
Lin Chen's lips curved into a grim smile.
"I am no cripple. From this day on, I will rise. I will make the world remember the name Lin Chen!"
His roar echoed through the abyss, shaking beasts in the shadows.