Ancient Godly Monarch Chapter 3: Awakening of Genius

AGM 0003 – Awakening of a Genius

Watching Bai Qingsong and his entourage depart, Qin Wentian felt the biting winter chill seep into his very soul. Within a single night, every bond established between them had been ruthlessly severed. The once-cordial Uncle Bai had actually harbored the intent to kill him!

Even with his extraordinary mental fortitude and temperament, Qin Wentian felt a lingering numbness in his heart that refused to settle. Finally, drawing a heavy breath, a faint smile returned to his youthful face. What did it matter if human connections were fickle? He only needed to remain true to himself. He remembered the mountain-like kindness of his foster father and the bravery of Qing’er, who had risked her father's wrath to warn him of the impending threat.

However, Qin Wentian had no leisure for idle reflection. He understood that escaping his current predicament required one thing: Cultivation. It was the only path forward.

Sitting cross-legged, he looked down at the stone hanging from his neck and muttered, “That damn old fogey. Uncle Black said this broken stone was all you left for me. Don't drag me down to meet you in hell just yet.”

Qin Wentian then produced nine silver needles, piercing them into specific acupoints on his head. Closing his eyes, he steeled his resolve and cleared his mind, entering a state of deep meditation where he envisioned himself as an empty vessel. Rapidly, he sensed the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth and the pulse of Astral Energy. This was the fruit of meditation; the clarity of the sensation depended entirely on the strength of one's sensory abilities.

Qin Wentian’s sensory power was exceptionally potent. Beyond his natural talent, this was the result of his relentless daily practice of meditation. Even though it was still day, he entered the required state almost instantly, drawing Astral Energy toward him and guiding it through his network of Meridians.

At this moment, he ignored the fact that his energy channels and Meridians had long been crippled, continuing to circulate the Astral Energy regardless. He persisted until the moon climbed high and the brilliance of the constellations began to wash over him, bathing his body in starlight.

Using his willpower, Qin Wentian visualized a path leading to the Nine Layers of Heaven. His senses surged upward through this passage, climbing higher and higher to reach the Astral Rivers of the Nine Layers of Heaven. This self-hypnosis technique had been taught to him by Uncle Black; sometimes, a human must use such methods to amplify their will and intent.

As his senses ascended, the pressure increased. Yet, it could not halt his progress. Suddenly, Qin Wentian felt as though he were standing in the center of the infinite cosmos—he had reached the 1st Astral River!

Every time he arrived here, the sheer majesty of the void stirred his soul. Standing amidst the countless constellations of the Nine Heavenly Astral Rivers, he felt like an ant, a single grain of sand, or a lone droplet in a boundless ocean.

“Broom Constellation.” He sensed the first nearby constellation, shaped like a broom—the Broom Constellation.

“The Drooping Willow Constellation... if I form an innate link and condense an Astral Soul with it, my body will become as flexible and soft as a willow.”

“Water Snake Constellation, Heavenly Zither Constellation.” Qin Wentian took a deep breath. It seemed he could link with any of these surrounding constellations if he wished—even those considered ultimate prizes by other Stellar Martial Cultivators. But he refused to settle so soon. Calming his heart, he pushed his senses further, bypassing the 1st Layer of Heaven and soaring until he reached the 3rd Layer of Heaven.

The pressure grew intense. He no longer had the luxury of casually browsing constellations as he did in the 1st Layer. If other Stellar Martial Cultivators knew of this, they would vomit blood in envy. Qin Wentian didn't realize how monstrous his sensory abilities truly were. Autumn Snow had become famous throughout the Chu Country just by condensing an Astral Soul from the 3rd Heavenly Layer.

“Indeed, the power of an Astral Soul from the Third Heavenly Layer is vastly superior to those from the 1st or 2nd. But the 3rd Layer is not my limit. I can go higher.”

As his senses climbed higher, the pressure became a physical weight. Stabbing pains lanced through his mind, attempting to force him back, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through.

“Pain is just a thought. Relax, and the pain will vanish upon awakening.”

Qin Wentian reached the 4th Layer of Heaven. The constellations here radiated a terrifying power, tempting him to link with them immediately. He knew that by doing so, he would instantly become an unprecedented genius in the Chu Country.

“Uncle Black prepared information for me regarding the 5th Layer, so his expectations are clear.” Qin Wentian braced himself, forcing his senses to their absolute limit to breach the 5th Layer of Heaven.

“Condensing an Astral Soul requires more than talent; it demands immense determination.” He told himself to endure the searing agony in his mind as he climbed. Finally, he broke through the 4th Astral River and stepped into the 5th Layer of Heaven!

Before him sat a constellation shaped like a skull, radiating a malicious and terrifying aura.

“Skull Constellation.” Qin Wentian turned his Astral Body away. Unlike in the 1st Layer, he couldn't sense everything at once here; he had to examine each constellation individually.

Soon, he found a constellation burning with volcanic heat. “This is... the Ember Lion Constellation! Linking with it would give me terrifying control over flames and tyrannical power!” Qin Wentian hesitated but decided to keep searching the starry horizon.

Then, he sensed a nearby constellation shaped like a massive hammer—the Heavenly Hammer Constellation!

“Heavenly Hammer Constellation.” He recalled the details Uncle Black had provided. Steel entered his heart; he decided to take the gamble.

His sensory abilities reached out to form an innate link with the Heavenly Hammer. He envisioned himself as a vessel, integrating with the Astral Energy of the constellation even as the pain in his mind reached a fever pitch.

Pillars of starlight descended from the heavens, piercing through the Astral Rivers to strike Qin Wentian’s body, wrapping him in a celestial glow. As the Astral Energy merged with him, some of the light focused on the stone around his neck.

Under the weight of this terrifying energy, the "common" stone began to glow brilliantly before disintegrating. Its remnants flowed into Qin Wentian’s body until the stone vanished completely. Now, the starlight focused entirely on him. The converging Astral Energy was incredibly tyrannical.

A faint silhouette of the Heavenly Hammer began to form over him. The agony in his mind was like an explosion, but Qin Wentian refused to yield. Gritting his teeth, he forced the Astral Qi through his shattered Meridians, forming a Qi spiral while risking his life to complete the condensation of his Astral Soul. Only by succeeding would he truly become a Stellar Martial Cultivator.

“Hong Long Long!” Rumbling echoed from within him. The tyrannical Astral Qi surged through his broken energy channels, following the Qi spiral’s pull and circulating through his entire frame. This was the moment of transformation.

The pain was nearly unbearable, made worse by the need to split his focus between condensing the Astral Soul and reconstructing his entire Meridian system.

“Pain is but a thought.” With iron resolve, the Qi spiral carved out a new pathway for Astral Energy, successfully forging the legendary Stellar Meridians.

As the Heavenly Hammer finally took shape, blood leaked from his lips. Qin Wentian coughed out a mouthful of crimson and collapsed into unconsciousness.

As Qin Wentian fainted, far from the Bai Clan residence, Mustang stood by a window in the Clear Wind Inn. A faint Astral Soul glowed on his forehead—the Heavenly Vision Astral Soul, one of the three he had condensed.

“Such powerful astral light. Autumn Snow’s talent is truly remarkable. She should have no trouble with the first inspection.” Mustang watched the starlight pouring down onto the Bai Clan’s location. Only when the pressure subsided did he release a breath. That level of Astral Power surely came from at least the 3rd Heavenly Layer. In the Bai Clan, only Autumn Snow was capable of such a feat.

Mustang prepared for sleep. Upon hearing that Autumn Snow had linked with a constellation from the 3rd Layer, the Emperor of Chu had sent scouts to investigate. Mustang was one of them. Despite the rivalry between the different groups, Mustang wasn't worried about losing her to others. He was, after all, the representative of the prestigious Emperor Star Academy.