The Martial Ancestor [Celestial Dojo/Multiverse Chat Group] - Chapter 1 (Patreon)

The Martial Ancestor [Celestial Dojo/Multiverse Chat Group]

Chapter 1 - Is It Too Late To Change My Name?

The faint, repetitive thud of flesh striking bitterly against wood echoed from a small, crude training ground. In truth it was little more than a dirt clearing, with once vibrant grass having long since beaten into hard-packed earth by years of constant use.

Only a few wooden training stakes remained upright in the clearing. Standing before one was a small boy, barely out of infancy, who relentlessly hammered his fists against one of the weathered posts.

“Dong.” He whispered, voice slightly hoarse from despair, “My name is….”

He threw another punch.

“Dong.”

He was Lin Dong—surname Lin, given name Dong. He was a member of the Lin Family, one of the more powerful families that resided in Qingyan Town. It was also worth noting that his Lin Family was actually a branch family of the Lin Clan, one of the most influential clans within the entire Great Yan Dynasty.

However, it all just sounded grander than it actually was, because in truth his family were mere outcasts of the Lin Clan after his grandfather had been banished decades ago for failing a mission. Yet even the true Lin Clan wasn’t all that impressive, as in the eyes of the wider world, it was merely a small power in a low-grade empire.

Not worth mentioning.

He was truly living the life of a cliché cultivation protagonist, coming from a branch family of a small clan within a low grade empire. A country bumpkin from the backwater pond of the backwater river flowing into the backwater sea.

Yet he knew this place. Not just because he lived there, but because he recognized it from a novel he once read. A novel from his previous life, called Wu Dong Qian Kun, or Martial Universe.

…And he was reborn as none other than a cliché xianxia character, the main protagonist of Martial Universe, Lin Dong!

However, although Lin Dong’s origins were cliché, he was not entirely the power fantasy harem protagonist that was the mainstream of Chinese fantasy novels. His character trope was less “Harem Gary Stu,” and more “Tragic Hero.”

He struggled to remember much of the novel, having read it so long ago, but he still remembered the biggest plot points. Unlike many protagonists, he didn’t possess the most absurd cheat—or “golden finger,” as this genre called it. There was no ghostly master living in a ring, no system handing out stat boosts, no hidden imperial mythical godly bloodline, and no chance to regress through time.

Just a broken stone talisman that accelerated his training, but never erased the hardships he had to endure. While it gained more abilities as he reached greater cultivation realms, it mostly just aided him in acquiring resources he would otherwise lack in comparison to those with greater backgrounds. 

…At least until the later stages.

It certainly didn’t spare him from suffering. If anything, it drew him toward it. Though the talisman ultimately helped him reach the summit, it also thrust an unbearable destiny upon his shoulders.

Because Lin Dong wasn’t like most protagonists who wanted almighty power for little cause or reason. He didn’t want immortality or godhood, not even a harem of three thousand soulless jade beauties.

No, he just wished to defeat the man who remorselessly crippled his own father—the genius of the true Lin Clan, Lin Langtian.

Unfortunately, even his eventual success in that goal wouldn’t allow him to rest, as he would soon be embroiled in the fate of the world. Where the life and death of all living beings in his plane would be his responsibility.

Not because he wanted it—but because he was the only one who could achieve it. He was the hero because he had no choice but to be the hero.

No one else stood a chance.

Because the end of the world was only a few years away, as an ancient enemy that once invaded the plane would be unsealed at last… and Lin Dong was the only one capable of speed running his way to the top quick enough to rival him.

But now he was Lin Dong.

The weight of the world was now on his shoulders.

“Damn it.” He muttered to himself as he threw another fist at the wooden post in front of him, wincing in pain as his bloody knuckles left another trace of red on the wood.

“Dong’er! Are you out here practicing again?” A voice carried over from the trail leading into the woods.

Lin Dong took a deep breath as he tried not to focus on the pain pulsing beneath his knuckles, “…I’m here father.”

He recognized the voice the moment it arrived, his father, the former genius of the Lin family, Lin Xiao.

He turned away from the training post and looked over as his father arrived. Lin Xiao’s appearance was haggard, with a pale face and thin stature—his previously spirited demeanor had disappeared.

In his place remained only a crippled man, too ashamed to confront his own failure. Yet although he had lost his confidence and retreated from his extended family, one thing had never changed.

He still dearly loved his son.

Lin Xiao smiled faintly as he approached, “There you are.”

His voice was warm, but it carried an exhaustion that was impossible to conceal, no matter how hard he tried. It didn’t help that his complexion was also unnaturally pale, and every few steps his breathing grew just a tad heavier.

Lin Dong frowned as he witnessed this. Long before the duel, he had done everything he could to warn his father against challenging Lin Langtian.

Lin Xiao hadn’t listened.

He had been the undisputed genius of the Qingyan Branch Family. A proud young man whose talent had earned the admiration of everyone around him. To him, the heir of the younger generation from the orthodox Lin Clan was simply another opponent to surpass.

This hubris was what had caused Lin Dong’s warnings to become nothing more than a clay ox entering the sea—gone without a trace.

A single move.

That was all it had taken for Lin Langtian’s Yuan Force to ravage Lin Xiao’s body, cripple his meridians, and crush the pride of the man who had once dreamed of restoring his father’s honor.

Ever since then, Lin Xiao had never truly recovered, and the shame he felt, especially after boasting against Lin Dong’s warnings, only multiplied his heartache further.

The difference between his father’s past and current self was night and day. He was even worse off emotionally than his canon novel self. The confidence that had once remained buried beneath his despair had all but vanished after realizing his own son had begged him not to fight.

That’s why whenever he stood before Lin Dong, he still forced himself to smile. It was the final remnant of confidence in a sea of emotional self loathing. The last thing a father had left to show his son—a helpless defiance against despair.

Lin Xiao’s gaze slowly drifted downward.

His smile faded the moment it landed upon Lin Dong’s hands. His tiny fists were scraped raw, crimson staining the skin around his swollen knuckles. 

“…Dong’er.”

His voice remained gentle, however there was a trace of sternness hidden beneath it, “Come here.”

Lin Dong obediently walked over as Lin Xiao reached out and carefully took one of his son’s hands into his own. The moment his fingers brushed against the torn skin, his brows knitted together.

Lin Dong instinctively lowered his head as Lin Xiao let out a quiet sigh, “You’ve always been a stubborn child."

Despite his words, he gently brushed away the dried blood with his thumb, his movements slow enough that they wouldn’t aggravate the injuries.

“I’ve told you before that cultivating isn’t a race, It doesn’t matter how impatient you are,” he paused for a moment.

“It certainly didn’t matter how impatient your father once was.” A self-deprecating smile briefly crossed his lips before disappearing just as quickly, “Your meridians have yet to fully develop.”

He then lightly tapped Lin Dong’s chest, “Right now, your body is still growing. Your bones are soft, your muscles are immature, and your meridians still haven’t fully taken shape.”

He scolded Lin Dong kindly, “If you attempt to absorb Yuan Power before your meridians have matured, you’ll only damage the very foundation you’ll rely upon for the rest of your life.”

Lin Dong quietly listened.

In truth, he already knew all of this.

Children within the Great Yan Dynasty generally didn’t begin formal cultivation until they were around eight years old. Only once their meridians had developed sufficiently could they safely temper their bodies in preparation for Yuan Power.

This was the first stage of cultivation in the Tianxuan Continent, the Tempered Body realm.

Trying to force the process any earlier wasn’t diligence—it was recklessness. Of course, there were naturally exceptions, but the Lin Family possessed neither the wealth nor the means to accomplish such things.

Waiting was the wiser choice.

Unfortunately, Lin Dong didn’t have the luxury of waiting.

Every minute was a minute closer to a future where countless people would die.

Not to mention that he already had a solution waiting for him.

“I'm sorry, Father.”

Lin Xiao smiled softly before reaching up to ruffle his son’s hair, “I know that you simply want to become stronger.”

His voice was filled with warmth, “But strength gained by injuring yourself before you’ve even taken your first true step…” 

But before he could finish, Lin Xiao suddenly turned his head away, “Cough…” He covered his mouth with his sleeve, “…Cough… cough…” 

Although the fit was brief, it was violent enough to make his shoulders tremble. When it finally subsided, he slowly lowered his arm and took a measured breath, “I’m fine.”

His father had always been a terrible liar.

The injuries inflicted by Lin Langtian had never truly healed. The rampant Yuan Force that had torn through his body not so long ago had also left countless hidden wounds behind. 

Every strenuous movement and lapse in rest quietly aggravated injuries that should never have existed.

Seeing the concern on Lin Dong’s face, Lin Xiao simply smiled wistfully, “This injury acts up every now and then. It’s nothing worth making such a face over.”

He gently flicked Lin Dong’s forehead.

“Now come, your mother has prepared dinner and I’d much rather see my son eating than trying to cultivate before his meridians have even finished growing.”

⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ˖

“Big Brother!”

A small, cheerful voice rang out from inside the house the moment Lin Dong and his father stepped through the doorway.

A little girl came sprinting toward them, her tiny feet sending a rapid series of thuds echoing across the wooden floor. The moment she reached him, she threw herself forward without the slightest hesitation.

“Q-Qing Tan!” Lin Dong cried out in alarm as he hurriedly caught her before she could send them both tumbling to the ground. The force of the little girl’s tackle nearly knocked him off his feet, forcing him to spin with her momentum before finally regaining his balance.

Qing Tan giggled happily the entire time, wrapping her tiny arms tightly around his neck as though she had no intention of ever letting go.

Only after her momentum had completely faded did Lin Dong let out a quiet sigh of relief, before gently setting her back on the floor.

Qing Tan beamed up at him, her bright orange eyes meeting his own amber ones with unrestrained joy. He couldn’t help but pat her silver locks of hair as he spoke with a smile, “It’s nice to see you too little sister.”

Qing Tan beamed before grabbing his hand and eagerly dragging him toward the dinner table, while Lin Xiao looked on with an amused gaze.

Lin Dong helplessly let himself get dragged along as he stared down at her with a complicated gaze.

Qing Tan was a rather strange character in the original novel. She was his adopted younger sister who had suddenly appeared from nowhere shortly after he was born. His parents had taken her in and long regarded her as their own. 

She was also extremely talented, easily the most talented in the entire Great Yan Dynasty. Born with a powerful Cold Yin Physique, she would quickly be scouted as the successor of one of the world’s hidden super sects—the Palace of Darkness.

However… she had many outrageous traits applied to her as well, as she refused to cultivate for a long time due to believing it would make her… ugly? How does that even make sense?! As though that weren’t enough, she also developed feelings for the main character—Lin Dong, her own brother.

Which was now him.

Although his original self never reciprocated, it was only at the end of the novel that her true origins had been partially deduced. Qing Tan had never been born in the Tianxuan Continent at all, as she had come from another world—a higher plane!

…How outrageous.

Lin Dong then quietly shook the thoughts from his mind.

Whatever complicated feelings the future held… it was a problem for another day, as he had enough on his metaphorical plate. Right now, he was hungry and just wanted enough on his physical plate.

Qing Tan triumphantly pulled him to the dinner table, “I brought Big Brother!”

“I can see that,” a gentle laugh responded from the kitchen.

Lin Dong instinctively turned towards the voice.

Standing by the stove was a graceful woman wearing simple robes, she had brunette hair and a kind face. Though hardship had left faint traces upon her face, it had done little to diminish the warmth in her smile. She carefully carried the last steaming bowl to the table before wiping her hands on the cloth draped over her waist.

She then smiled at the sight of her children, “Welcome home Dong’er.”

“...I’m home, mother.” He replied with a smile.

Liu Yan, his mother.

Unlike Lin Xiao, Liu Yan had never been renowned as a cultivation genius. She had simply been a kind-hearted woman who devoted everything she had to keeping their small family together after disaster struck.

A pillar of support who stood by Lin Xiao's side even when the rest of the branch family quietly distanced themselves from him. No matter the outside circumstances, she had always made sure that the warmth within their home never disappeared.

She walked over and gently brushed a few loose strands of hair from Lin Dong’s face before noticing the bloody scrapes on his knuckles.

Her smile faltered.

“…Dong’er.”

Before she could ask, Lin Xiao stepped in and placed a hand on Lin Dong’s shoulder as he spoke, “I’ve already spoken to him.”

Liu Yan looked between father and son before letting out a quiet sigh, “You two…”

Though her words carried exasperation, there wasn’t a hint of blame within them. Instead, she disappeared briefly into another room before returning with a small ceramic jar, “Give me your hands.”

Lin Dong obediently stretched them out.

Liu Yan dabbed a cool medicinal paste across his torn knuckles with careful application.

“…Thank you mother.” Lin Dong thanked her as she finished.

She patted his head and pushed him into a chair at the dinner table, before she smiled and finally replied, “That’s what mothers are for.”

From there they all sat at the table and ate together. Qing Tan immediately began to stuff her cheeks with her own food, giving the impression of a starving chipmunk. 

Lin Dong laughed at the display and even Lin Xiao let out a quiet chuckle, while Liu Yan watched on with fondness dancing in her eyes.

The heavy weight pressing upon Lin Dong’s heart seemed to slowly disappear. Although he had memories of another world, of another life—he still loved his family.

They were good people.

…And he wanted to protect them.

⊹ ࣪ ˖⊹ ࣪ ˖

Lin Dong slipped away the next morning before anyone else had woken up. He moved carefully through the woods outside Qingyan Town, following a path near the outskirts of his home.

He had spent the past year trying to recall the circumstances surrounding his golden finger, the mysterious stone talisman.

The problem was that the early chapters of the story had long since blurred together in his memory. He only remembered that the original Lin Dong had found the talisman in a hidden cave somewhere in the mountains near his home.

Unfortunately, “somewhere” was not the best set of directions.

For the past several months, he had quietly searched for most of the days he had left the house. Thankfully the woods in this area were safe, especially for someone who had not yet stepped into the realm of cultivation.

After some time searching once more, he climbed over a fallen tree and stopped at the edge of a narrow path. The path was dark, with trees covering the morning sunlight. Lin Dong narrowed his eyes and decided to carefully step forward, using the fence of trees to orient himself. 

He followed the path until its end, where he finally he saw it.

An empty cliff face, if not for the fact that a small hole had been blown through the side of the wall—as if a small meteor smashed it open.

His breath caught, and his heartbeat spiked as adrenaline slowly filled his veins, “This has to be it.”

He walked over to it and started carefully moving himself through the narrow opening. It wasn’t long before he felt water touch his toes as he almost erupted from laughter in response.

Here it was!

The water gained volume as he journeyed deeper inside, although it still remained nothing more than a shallow pool. As the below liquid contacted his skin, it burrow into his pores in a frenzy. It was a numb sensation at first before it quickly changed into euphoria.

He sighed in satisfaction as the sensation crawled along his skin, where he felt a sense of relief as the previous night’s soreness disappeared without a trace. He then looked down to his injured hand, only to find it freshly healed, as the scabs formed overnight had healed into fresh baby smooth skin.

Then he reached the center of the pool. The location was where his true goal resided. He watched as a small drop of liquid flowed out from a crack at the roof of the cave before joining the water below with a ripple.

There it was.

Lin Dong walked right below it before reaching out with a shaking hand. This was what would begin his journey—his destiny. It was what enabled him to rise to the peak of the world, yet burdened him with the fate of it.

The Mysterious Stone Talisman—or its true name, the Ancestral Stone! The Second Ranked Artifact of the Ancient Divine Artifact Rankings!

However, it was currently grievously damaged.

With trembling fingers he reached over to the crevice and pulled out the small stone embedded within. He turned it over on his palm as it fell upon his eyes. It was ash-gray and approximately two fingers wide. Its surface was covered with mysterious ancient symbols resembling cryptic runic characters.

Then a ping went off in his ears and two transparent screens suddenly appeared over his eyes, glitching over eachother in a strange superposition.

“…Huh?”

[Celestial Dojo Activat—ERROR!] 

[Multiverse Chat Group Activat—ERROR!]

[…]

[SYSTEM CONFLICT DETECTED]

[DAMAGE DETECTED]

[PROCESSING…]

[…]

[RUNNING TROUBLESHOOTER…]

[…]

[MODIFYING SYSTEM…]

[ISSUES RESOLVED]

[…Celestial Dojo (Gacha?) Activated!]

[Feat Achieved: Obtain the Ancestral Stone! Rolling random perk…]

[Acquired: Geas] [Source: 6 Billion Demons]

[Description: Knights of this order always have a single goal, one that differs between each knight. Some choose to help people, others to restore a king, and so on. By focusing on what you want to accomplish, nothing can change your mind from what you need to do. Whether it's torture, mental influence, or simple manipulation, your mind can simply not be changed from your goal.]

[Multiverse Chat Group Activated!]

[LOCATION SERVICES ERROR]

[PLANAR BARRIER INTERFERENCE]

[…]

[SELECTING ALTERNATIVES…]

[ISSUE RESOLVED]

[LOADING AUTOMATIC NICKNAMES]

[…JOINING CHAT GROUP]

[@MartialVillageBoy has joined the chat!]

[SENDING INVITATIONS]

[…]

[@SnowWindSimpMagnet has joined the chat!]

[@GoldenFlameSimpPrincess has joined the chat!]

[@LionDevilGymBro has joined the chat!]

[@BlueSilverOrphan has joined the chat!]

[@DuckHairedAvenger has joined the chat!]

“Hah?!”

Author’s Notes:

Not entirely a new fic just yet, more of a snippet for now.  This was more of an intro to the setting than anything. Tell me if you like it and want more!

ദ്ദി◝ ⩊ ◜.ᐟ

Not entirely sure about the title and nicknames yet though… give me suggestions!

Also, the premise is that the celestial dojo will work more like a gacha for major feats so they won't be that often. And most of the chat group worlds are sort of AUs so things are a bit different.

Don’t forget to join the discord! https://discord.gg/AMyqBN2