Lin Yu looks at the arrangement he created before him, an array that will help him step into the extraordinary power of this world.

After being blasted into smithereens by the main cannon of the Ancient Divine Race’s battleship, only fragments of his cells survived, drifting endlessly through the void.

Because he was at stage four, his cells could endure the void for a prolonged period, and by chance, he entered this world twenty-two years ago.

The first thing he needed was healing, and for that, he required an identity within this world.

He could not recklessly use his cultivation to absorb the world’s energy, for there were other stage fours here, and to them, he would be perfect prey if discovered.

So he searched carefully and found the perfect vessel—an infant of a small noble family, stillborn at birth.

He occupied the dead body and, bending the memories of the grieving parents, made them accept him as their son, Linyu Weston.

For twenty years, he lived as Linyu Weston, slowly gathering the extraordinary materials required for the Extraordinary Technique known as Shadow Hand.

This world was a strange blend of early 20th-century Western industry and mysterious, extraordinary powers.

To walk the extraordinary path, one must first learn a First Tier Thematology; however, simply mastering one does not make someone a First Tier Extraordinary.

Only by combining multiple First Tier Extraordinary Techniques and forging an extraordinary heart could one truly ascend to become a First Tier Extraordinary, and now, today marked Lin Yu’s first step onto the extraordinary path of this world.

It had taken him so many years because, for the first sixteen, he had to play the part of a normal child, and only after leaving his family behind did he travel to Grenton City, the great heart of industry and mystery, to begin searching for extraordinary resources.

But the search proved difficult, for with only a handful of surviving cells and fragments of his soul, he possessed little power, and recovery was almost impossible, leaving him weaker than even an ordinary man.

The world itself had not made it easier, as extraordinary power had only begun to return ten years ago, flowing back like a tide after centuries of absence.

In this world, extraordinary power was not constant but cyclical, rising in times of crisis or when the world itself shifted, before ebbing away once more.

Now, in the dim chamber, Lin Yu gazed at the arrangement of extraordinary materials laid carefully before him, his eyes lingering on the core of the ritual—the still-beating heart of a Shadow Cat pulsing at the centre of the formation.

He took a blade from his side and cut his palm, blood flowing freely as he pressed his palm onto the heart and began chanting the words that called upon the extraordinary power of the world.

The Shadow Cat’s heart began to glow, grey light spreading outward until it illuminated the entire room.

Dizziness swept over him as his blood poured into the ritual, but he forced his original power to work, endlessly reproducing blood to keep the ritual alive.

Crimson lines bled out from the heart, spreading into the extraordinary materials, which one by one ignited with crimson glow before collapsing into fine dust, their essence sucked back into the heart.

When the last of them faded, the heart itself broke apart, and its glow fused into Lin Yu’s wound, seeping deep into his veins.

A wave of agony flared in his hand, spreading up his arm, pain sharp enough to make any other collapse into unconsciousness, yet he endured, remembering the moment his body had been obliterated and knowing this was nothing in comparison.

His right hand, from fingertip to elbow, began to shine with a faint grey radiance, and in that light knowledge poured into his mind—knowledge of how to grasp and manipulate shadow as though it were his own flesh.

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The pain faded, leaving only the lingering hum of power, and Lin Yu exhaled slowly, knowing he had finally stepped onto the extraordinary path of this world.

The next day, Lin Yu stepped out of his house and greeted his neighbours, who were also leaving their homes for work.

He walked toward Grenton City University, where he was a student in the department of archaeology and also served as assistant to Professor Tim.

He had chosen archaeology because it allowed him access to ruins scattered across the world, where he could research, learn more about the hidden history, and sometimes acquire extraordinary materials buried within ancient tombs.

Though he now walked a different world, his path to the extraordinary had not changed, nor did he dare to change it—it was still the path of Nether.

He was confident that in the coming years, he could recover his strength, but he also knew that to advance further, he would eventually have to return to the Thousand Spirit World.

Only there could he find the resources and knowledge to reach Stage Five and beyond, yet returning too early meant falling once more into slavery unless he first reached the Eighth Stage of the Nether Body Technique.

For that, he needed Nether energy, which he currently lacked, though he held hope of reconstructing a similar energy using the samples preserved within his original cells and the Dream World sealed deep inside him.

He set aside his thoughts as he entered his classroom and quietly took his seat, his gaze steady, already planning the steps that would carry him closer to freedom.

After some time, during lunch, a shadow fell across his plate of food, and he looked up to see Grace, another assistant to Professor Tim, staring down at him.

“The professor is looking for you,” she said.

Lin Yu only nodded and went back to his lunch.

“Now,” Grace snapped.

Lin Yu sighed, slid his chair back, picked up his tray, and started walking behind her.

On the way, he dumped the food into the bin and set the tray neatly on the counter before stepping out of the canteen.

Grace kept walking ahead without once acknowledging him.

She believed he had entered the university through the quota allotted to noble families, though the truth was that he had passed the scholarship test just like her.

He never bothered to correct her misconception—After all, they came from two different worlds, and in a year their paths would no longer cross.

When they entered the professor’s spacious office, Lin Yu found the bald old man immersed in his work.

“Professor,” Grace said politely.

Lin Yu nodded. “Professor.”

The old man turned to them, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

“Lin Yu, you’re here,” the professor said.

Lin Yu walked deeper into the room with a faint smile. “Professor, what are you so excited about?”

“An ancient castle from the past era has been found in the Blackthorn Forest,” the professor replied, his tone brimming with energy. “And our university has acquired the right to investigate the ruin.”

Everyone with a trace of knowledge in history knew about the past era, two to three thousand years ago, when human civilisation had been completely destroyed and forced to begin anew. It wasn’t a secret; the countless ruins scattered across the world made it impossible to hide.

Lin Yu’s eyes gleamed, excitement stirring at the thought of what knowledge he might gain about this world inside such a castle. “Who’s going?”

“All the professors and their assistants from our department, along with a few others,” the professor answered.

“Then when are we leaving?”

“Tomorrow,” the professor said. “The first train departs for Blackthorn Town in the morning.”

“Do I need to prepare anything?” Lin Yu asked.

“No,” the professor waved his hand. “The university will handle everything. Just pack a week’s luggage and arrive at the station before departure.”

Lin Yu nodded, then, after a short while, excused himself from the office.

By the time evening arrived, he returned to his modest home. After washing up, he carefully packed his luggage, ensuring everything was in order.

Once done, he sat cross-legged in the dim room, his focus sinking inward as he began practising the Shadow Hand technique, the shadows around him stirring and twisting under his command.

In the past four years, Lin Yu hadn’t only stumbled upon the Shadow Hand technique—he had come across several others as well.

But he chose Shadow Hand, drawn by its similarity to Nether energy. Nether energy was the force balanced between Life and Death, and shadow, though different, was a balance between Life and Darkness. Since he had found no techniques of Life or Death in this world, the shadow became his starting point.

His aim was clear—to master energies born between two extremes, and eventually merge them into the Nether energy he once wielded.

Closing his eyes, he sank into the world’s unique speciality—the Spiritual World, a vast plane formed by the collective spirituality of all living beings.

Above, thirteen stars glimmered in the dark expanse, some shining brilliantly, others dim and faint. These were the beings who had stepped into the fourth stage of extraordinary power, worshipped by many as gods.

They followed a path that mixed the Divine and the Cultivation Way, but the world itself leaned toward the Divine Way.

Lin Yu understood the rules—if he formed an extraordinary heart and ascended as a First-Tier Extraordinary, he could pass down his path. Each student who practised his way would strengthen him with their spirituality, their comprehension adding to his own, just as faith strengthened the gods.

But unlike true belief, this agreement rested on knowledge, not devotion. Knowledge didn’t vanish like faith could.

And so, Lin Yu didn’t resist being pushed toward the Divine Way—becoming a god in this world would only hasten the recovery of his true power.

When his energy was nearly drained from training, he ended his practice and sat cross-legged on his bed, sinking into meditation, steadying himself.

Tomorrow would be the beginning.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep