The Heavenly Dao's Final Enemy

"chen Mo, you useless piece of trash! Are you planning to sleep there until the sun sets?"

The furious shout echoed through the courtyard.

Inside a shabby wooden room, a young man slowly opened his eyes.For several seconds, he stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above him. The wooden beams were cracked, the walls were covered in dust, and a cold breeze entered through a gap in the window.He sat up abruptly."Where am I?"His voice sounded strange.Before he could examine his surroundings, a sharp pain pierced his head.Memories flooded into his mind.A busy street.The blaring horn of a vehicle.Bright headlights approaching at terrifying speed.Then darkness.Chen Mo instinctively touched his chest. His heart was beating.He was alive.But the last thing he remembered was being on Earth. He had no recollection of entering this room, much less traveling to whatever place this was.Then came another wave of memories.A declining family.A world where cultivators possessed strength beyond ordinary humans.A young man who shared his name.And a life filled with humiliation.Chen Mo pressed his fingers against his temples as the memories gradually settled.He had been reborn.The body he occupied belonged to a seventeen-year-old member of the Chen Family, a clan residing in Azure Cloud City.Unfortunately, his new life was far from fortunate.His father had disappeared three years ago while exploring an ancient ruin. His mother had died when he was young, leaving him without anyone willing to protect him.Worse still, his cultivation talent was considered practically worthless.While other young cultivators advanced through the early stages of cultivation, Chen Mo had remained stuck at the Third Stage of Body Tempering for three years.In a world where strength determined a person's status, such an achievement was nothing short of disgraceful.The Chen Family had gradually withdrawn its support from him.His relatives mocked him.His cousins bullied him.Even the servants sometimes treated him with contempt.Chen Mo sat silently on the bed.After a while, he let out a long breath."So, I died on Earth and woke up in another world."He looked at his unfamiliar hands."At least I got another chance."He wasn't particularly interested in complaining about fate. Whatever had happened, he was alive now, and he intended to make the most of it.Besides, this world offered something Earth never could.Cultivation.According to the memories he had inherited, cultivators absorbed spiritual energy from heaven and earth to strengthen their bodies and gradually transcend the limits of ordinary humans.At the highest levels, they could fly through the skies, destroy mountains, and live for thousands of years.Some ancient legends even spoke of beings capable of controlling the laws of the universe.For someone who had just discovered that reincarnation was real, those possibilities were difficult to ignore.Unfortunately, he had inherited a terrible starting point.Before he could think further, someone kicked his door.BANG!"Chen Mo! Get out here!"The door rattled on its hinges."Today's the family assessment. Don't tell me you've forgotten!"Chen Mo frowned.The family assessment.His memories immediately supplied the explanation.Once every year, the younger members of the Chen Family gathered before the elders to demonstrate their cultivation progress. Their results determined how many resources they would receive during the coming year.For talented disciples, it was an opportunity to earn recognition.For Chen Mo, it was an annual humiliation.He climbed out of bed and straightened his clothes."Coming."He opened the door.A young man dressed in blue robes stood outside with two companions. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and wore a mocking smile.Chen Hao.An eighteen-year-old member of the main family branch.His cultivation had reached the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering, making him one of the stronger members of the younger generation.He also happened to enjoy making Chen Mo's life miserable.Chen Hao looked him up and down."Look at you. You actually managed to get out of bed."His companions laughed."I was beginning to think you had decided to spend the rest of your life sleeping."Chen Mo said nothing.Chen Hao's smile widened."What's wrong? Have you finally lost the ability to speak?"He stepped forward and struck Chen Mo's shoulder with the back of his hand."Listen carefully, trash. The elders are waiting. If you embarrass the family again today, don't expect anyone to defend you."Chen Mo glanced at the hand against his shoulder.Then he looked at Chen Hao."Are you finished?"The smile disappeared from Chen Hao's face."What did you say?""I asked whether you were finished talking."For a moment, the courtyard became quiet.Chen Hao had expected an apology or perhaps the usual lowered head.He hadn't expected an answer.His face darkened."You've grown bold, haven't you?"He raised his hand as though preparing to strike.Chen Mo studied him calmly.He knew his own limitations. In this unfamiliar body, he was considerably weaker than Chen Hao. Fighting now would accomplish nothing except earning himself another beating.So he stepped aside and walked past him."If you want to fight, find a better reason than your own boredom."Chen Hao froze.His two companions exchanged surprised glances.Chen Mo continued toward the gate.Behind him, Chen Hao's furious voice rang out."Chen Mo! You'll regret speaking to me like that!"Chen Mo didn't turn around.Perhaps he would.But not today.For the first time since awakening in this world, he felt a small spark of satisfaction.He might be weak, but there was no reason to let other people decide how he should think.That was something he intended to change.The Chen Family's assessment grounds were already crowded when Chen Mo arrived.Several dozen young cultivators stood in the courtyard, chatting among themselves. At the far end, a raised platform held five elders dressed in dark ceremonial robes.In front of them stood a black stone pillar.The Spirit Measuring Stone.It was used to evaluate a cultivator's progress by measuring the spiritual energy they could release.One by one, the younger members stepped forward.A hand against the stone produced a faint glow, and an elder announced the result.Some received praise.Others were told to work harder.When a young woman named Chen Lian stepped forward, the atmosphere changed."Body Tempering, Eighth Stage!"An elder nodded approvingly."Excellent progress. Continue at this pace, and you may qualify for the outer sect examination next year."Chen Lian smiled and returned to her place.Whispers of admiration followed her.Then the elder in charge consulted the register."Next. Chen Mo."The courtyard fell quiet.Several people turned toward the entrance.Chen Mo walked forward."Isn't that the one who hasn't advanced in three years?""I heard his father was quite talented. How unfortunate.""Perhaps talent doesn't run in every generation."Quiet laughter spread through the crowd.Chen Mo ignored them and stopped before the stone pillar.The elder regarded him with an expression that suggested he already knew the result."Place your hand on the stone."Chen Mo obeyed.For a moment, nothing happened.Then a faint light appeared beneath his palm.The elder examined it."Body Tempering, Third Stage."The courtyard erupted in laughter."Third Stage? Again?""Three years without progress! I've never seen anyone so hopeless!""Perhaps he should stop wasting the family's food!"Chen Hao laughed louder than everyone else.Chen Mo slowly removed his hand.He had expected a poor result, but hearing it announced before the entire family was still unpleasant.The elder cleared his throat."Chen Mo, your progress remains unsatisfactory. Unless your cultivation improves, the family council may reconsider the resources allocated to you.""I understand," Chen Mo replied.His calm response surprised the elder, who studied him for a moment before turning to the next name.However, another voice interrupted."Wait."An elderly man seated at the end of the platform rose to his feet.Chen Rong.One of the senior elders of the Chen Family.His influence over the family council was considerable, and his dislike of Chen Mo was well known."The family has invested resources in you for years," Chen Rong said. "Yet you have shown no meaningful progress. How long do you expect everyone to continue supporting someone who cannot even cultivate properly?"Chen Mo remained silent.Chen Rong's eyes narrowed."From this day onward, your monthly cultivation allowance will be reduced by half. You will also assist in maintaining the outer training grounds until the council decides whether you deserve further support."The courtyard erupted in murmurs.The outer training grounds were usually maintained by servants. Assigning such work to a member of the younger generation was a public declaration that the family no longer considered him worth investing in.Chen Hao grinned.Chen Mo looked at the elder."May I ask a question?"Chen Rong frowned."Speak.""Will every member who fails to meet the assessment standards receive the same punishment?"The surrounding chatter faded.Chen Rong's expression hardened."What are you implying?""Nothing," Chen Mo replied. "I simply want to know whether this is a family rule or a punishment designed specifically for me."For several seconds, the elder said nothing.Then his voice turned cold."The decision stands. Do you accept it?"Chen Mo looked around the courtyard.He saw amusement on some faces, indifference on others, and a few people who seemed uncomfortable with what had happened.Not one person spoke in his defense.He understood then that arguing would change nothing."I accept."He turned and walked away.Behind him, Chen Rong returned to his seat as though the matter had been settled permanently.But Chen Mo's expression had changed.He wasn't going to spend his new life begging people to recognize his worth.If strength was the only language this world understood, then he would learn it.And one day, he would make everyone who had dismissed him reconsider their judgment.Night fell over Azure Cloud City.Chen Mo sat cross-legged on his narrow bed, a small oil lamp burning beside him.He had spent the evening examining the cultivation technique recorded in his inherited memories.It was a basic method known as the Chen Family's Breathing Art.According to the instructions, a cultivator needed to sense spiritual energy, draw it into the body, and circulate it along specific pathways to strengthen their physical foundation.The original Chen Mo had practiced this technique for years.Yet his progress had barely moved.Chen Mo closed his eyes and tried again.He inhaled slowly.He focused on his surroundings.For a brief moment, he sensed something faint in the air, like invisible particles drifting through the room.Spiritual energy.He followed the technique's instructions and attempted to draw it into his body.Nothing happened.He tried again.Still nothing.After several attempts, he opened his eyes."There's something wrong with this method."He wasn't certain whether the problem lay in the technique or his body, but the instructions seemed unnecessarily complicated.The energy was supposed to follow a particular route. Every time it reached a certain point, however, he felt a subtle resistance.It wasn't painful.It simply felt wrong.Chen Mo studied the instructions again.Then an idea occurred to him.What if the resistance wasn't a blockage?What if he was forcing the energy through the wrong path?He hesitated.Changing a cultivation technique without proper knowledge could be dangerous. He had no intention of blindly risking his new life.Instead, he slowed his breathing and carefully examined the sensation he had felt earlier.There.A tiny irregularity.He adjusted the circulation slightly, using the sensation rather than the written instructions as his guide.Suddenly, a faint vibration passed through his chest.Chen Mo's eyes snapped open."What was that?"The sensation vanished.He sat motionless for several breaths before trying again.This time, he felt it more clearly.Something deep within his soul had responded.Not his heart.Not his meridians.Something much deeper.A cold voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.[Foreign soul detected.]Chen Mo froze.He hadn't imagined it.Another message appeared.[Reincarnation record: unavailable.][Origin verification: failed.][Heavenly Dao identification: rejected.]Chen Mo's breathing became shallow.He had never heard of anything like this in the memories he had inherited.Before he could gather his thoughts, a final message appeared.[Anomaly confirmed.][The Origin has awakened.]A sharp pressure descended upon his consciousness.Chen Mo gritted his teeth as a strange vision unfolded before him.An endless darkness stretched in every direction.Countless stars hung in a vast, silent void.Beyond them, something enormous stirred.It resembled an eye, but its size was impossible to comprehend. Its presence seemed to extend across the entire expanse of existence.The moment it opened, Chen Mo felt as though something had noticed him.Then a thought echoed through the darkness.Impossible.That existence was erased.Why has it returned?The vision disappeared.Chen Mo fell back against the wall, breathing heavily.The oil lamp continued burning beside him.Outside, the night remained peaceful.Yet he knew that something had changed.He was still a weak cultivator. His body remained at the Third Stage of Body Tempering, and he had gained no extraordinary strength.But whatever had awakened inside him was something the heavens themselves could not recognize.Chen Mo slowly raised his head."What exactly am I?"No answer came.Far beyond Azure Cloud City, in a place untouched by time, an ancient formation trembled.Dust fell from monuments that had remained undisturbed for countless ages.At the center of the formation, a sealed figure opened its eyes.For the first time in millions of years, it sensed a presence that should no longer exist.A faint smile appeared on its face."So..."Its voice echoed through the forgotten ruins."The impossible has happened."The formation shuddered once more.And somewhere above the countless worlds, the laws of heaven and earth began to shift.