The Inner Sect Library loomed before Lin Feng like a monolith of forgotten time. Constructed from dark spiritwood and ancient stone, it radiated a serene, almost sacred energy. A sprawling complex with seven floors, the library was divided into wings—each with varying access levels, and some marked strictly off-limits.
A large plaque etched with celestial characters hovered midair at the entrance:
"The path to truth lies through the weight of knowledge. Seek, and suffer not ignorance."
Two senior disciples stood watch at the grand entrance, dressed in blue-and-white robes and wearing jade pendants denoting Library Guardians. They scrutinized every disciple who approached, confirming identity tokens and ensuring no one crossed where they shouldn't.
As Lin Feng approached, the closest Guardian raised an eyebrow.
"You're the new one, aren't you?"
"I am."
The Guardian scanned his jade token. "You're approved for access to the first three floors—Technique Hall, Cultivation Records, and Basic Law Archives."
Lin Feng nodded, stepping past them into the sanctum.
Inside, he was greeted by silence.
Not the emptiness of absence, but the deep, respectful silence of a place where thought and power were carved into every scroll.
Shelves towered overhead, bound in spirit wards to protect delicate parchments. Lanterns burned with perpetual flame, casting soft light. He wandered past corridors filled with titles:
Breath of the Falling Moon: Introductory Qi TechniquesThe Nine Paths of Foundation TemperingBloodline Anomalies and Their Cultivation Consequences
Then, in a shadowed corner of the third floor, a sealed door caught his eye. It was carved with celestial runes, and unlike the others, it bore a strange, pulsing sigil—a stylized eye woven into a constellation.
Curious, he stepped closer.
[System Notification: Proximity to Forbidden Archive – Partial Access Detected]
Your bloodline has resonated with the sigil. Inner mechanisms responding.
Suddenly, the runes on the door shimmered. A faint hum filled the corridor.
The sigil flared—and then, opened.
Only slightly. Just enough for one person to slip through.
Warning: This wing is not registered to standard Inner Sect disciples. Entering may be considered a breach of protocol.
Proceed?
Lin Feng didn't hesitate.
He stepped through.
The Forbidden Wing
Unlike the other levels, the Forbidden Wing was suffused in starlight.
The air here didn't simply hold spiritual qi—it vibrated with cosmic resonance. The very floor shimmered as if reflecting the void. Floating scrolls, tomes, and crystalline tablets hovered in midair, each bound with elaborate seals.
At the center of the room sat an ancient stone pedestal.
Upon it lay a single book:
"Astral Sovereignty: The Legacy of the First System Lord"
Lin Feng's breath caught.
The moment he reached toward it, a pulse of energy struck his mind like lightning.
Mindspace Vision – Memory Echo
He was no longer in the library.
He stood upon a shattered battlefield beneath a broken sky.
Countless corpses littered the ground—celestial beasts, human cultivators, and monstrous abominations alike.
At the center, a man knelt, bloodied and broken. He held a golden core in one hand—a miniature sun—and in the other, a system interface like Lin Feng's.
His face was obscured.
But Lin Feng knew it was him—the First System Lord.
And as he fell, the system shattered into fragments of light, scattering across the heavens.
A voice echoed in Lin Feng's soul.
"We failed… not because we were weak… but because we were alone."
"The system you hold is only part of the whole… Seek the Astral Keys. Reclaim the legacy. Finish what I could not."
Return to Reality
Lin Feng collapsed to his knees, drenched in sweat.
[System Update: Legacy Fragment Absorbed]
New Quest Unlocked: "Astral Keys"
— Seek the scattered remnants of the original System Core
— Keys detected across realms and dimensions
Warning: Pursuit of the Legacy will draw the attention of hostile factions and entities.
He stared at the book before him.
This system… It's part of something ancient. Something broken. And I've just stepped into its shadow.
Suddenly, a presence behind him.
He turned—fast.
A woman stood in the doorway, cloaked in silver-white robes. Her face was veiled, but her voice rang clear.
"You were not permitted to enter here."
Her cultivation was deep. Lin Feng could feel the gravity of it—a Core Formation cultivator, at least.
"I—"
"Do not explain." Her voice was calm. "Only tell me this: What did you see?"
He hesitated.
"A battlefield. A man with the system. The Astral Keys."
She paused.
Then... slowly nodded.
"Then the wheel has turned once more. Fate spins its thread in your direction."
"Who are you?"
She raised her hand—and the air shimmered.
"Someone who once tried to walk the same path you now begin. But I failed."
Before he could say more, she waved a finger. A ring of starlight appeared at his feet.
[Teleportation Seal Activated – Returning to Main Wing]
The world twisted—and he was gone.
Later – Lin Feng's Residence
Back in his quarters, Lin Feng sat with the book he had somehow carried out with him.
No Guardian stopped him. No alarm sounded. It seemed… the book wanted to follow him.
He opened to the first page.
"To rise beyond the system is to become one with the stars. The System is not your master—it is your mirror."
As he read, a strange calm settled in his mind.
He had taken another step—one he could never undo.
But for the first time since awakening the system, he didn't feel like he was merely a user of power.
He was beginning to understand it.
And that understanding was the beginning of true mastery.