The Nine Heavens Devouring Technique.
It was Ye Tian's answer to despair... a creation born of desperation, brilliance, and sheer defiance against fate.
In a world where strength dictated survival, where the gap between realms often felt like an impenetrable wall, he had forged a path of his own.
When he was young, Ye Tian had been no different from countless others... weak, vulnerable, and constantly on the run from those stronger than him.
His qi reserves were meager, his understanding of techniques shallow.
In a realm where strength was the only currency, he was a speck of dust amidst titans.
Until the day he saw it.
He had been hiding in the underbrush near a river, his breath shallow, his heart pounding in his chest.
A massive serpent slithered through the reeds, its scales shimmering in the sunlight as it hunted for prey.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ye Tian noticed something peculiar... a smaller snake, frail and unassuming, lunged at the larger predator's tail.
To his shock, the small snake began devouring the massive serpent, inch by inch.
The larger serpent flailed and writhed, its strength rendered useless against the tenacity of its attacker.
It was a grotesque and mesmerizing sight, the smaller snake's hunger overpowering the larger's might.
But eventually, the smaller snake faltered.
Its body was too small to consume its prey completely. Sensing an opportunity, the larger serpent struck, killing its would-be devourer in an instant.
Even as the smaller snake lay lifeless, Ye Tian found himself unable to look away. The image burned itself into his mind.
"If only that small snake had been larger..." he murmured to himself, realization dawning in his young mind.
"It would have swallowed its prey whole."
That day, the Nine Heavens Devouring Technique was conceived.
The technique was simple in theory but terrifying in execution.
By creating a resonance within his body, Ye Tian could attract and absorb the energy of his opponents, devouring them entirely.
It was a method that relied on cunning and patience rather than brute strength... a method that allowed the weak to overthrow the strong.
And its greatest strength? It required no qi of its own to activate.
-----
In the dimly lit hospital room, Ye Tian stood with his hand pressed firmly against his chest.
His eyes closed, his breathing steady, as he initiated the technique.
A low hum began to emanate from within him, starting as a faint vibration in his ribs.
It spread slowly, seeping into his muscles and tendons.
The resonance was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was enough to disturb the mana lingering in the air.
The energy in the room began to shift. The machines beeped erratically as the lights flickered, casting eerie shadows across the walls.
The mana, volatile and chaotic, surged toward him as if drawn by an invisible force.
Inside his body, Ye Tian could feel the foreign energy swirling, resisting his control.
But he was no novice. He gritted his teeth, forcing the mana to take form.
In his mind's eye, he pictured the snake from all those years ago, its coiled body writhing and consuming.
Slowly, the mana began to condense, taking the rough shape of a snake's head within him.
"Good..." he muttered, his voice strained but resolute.
The snake's form became more defined, its body twisting and expanding as it devoured the surrounding energy.
Its scales glowed with a faint black light, crackling with arcs of dark lightning.
-----
On the bed, Josh's unconscious body began to convulse violently.
The oxygen mask hissed as his breathing became labored, his chest heaving as if his body was trying to resist the inevitable.
Blood began to seep from his injuries, staining the bandages wrapped around him.
His eyes, ears, and mouth started to bleed, the red streaks standing out starkly against his pale skin.
The snake within Ye Tian moved with purpose, slithering through his body toward its target... the vortex of mana in Josh's chest.
It coiled around the core, tightening its grip with predatory intent.
Josh's body jerked one final time before going still.
The snake struck, its fangs sinking into the vortex. With one final, violent surge, it devoured the core entirely.
-----
Ye Tian exhaled sharply, his body trembling with the effort.
His right arm twitched involuntarily, a sharp pain shooting through it as the mana snake returned to him.
The energy coursed through his veins like liquid fire, burning and writhing as if alive.
He gripped his arm tightly with his left hand, sweat dripping down his face as he struggled to control the foreign power.
"This... is going to take some getting used to..." he muttered, his voice hoarse.
He turned to the desk, his eyes landing on the bag of mana stones.
They glimmered faintly, their soft light a stark contrast to the chaos that had just unfolded.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the bag and moved toward the window.
-----
The journey back was grueling.
Every muscle in his body screamed in protest as he climbed along the narrow ledge, the wind howling around him like a mocking specter.
His balance faltered more than once, but he pressed on, his determination unwavering.
By the time he reached the hallway window, his vision was blurring, and his breaths came in ragged gasps.
He climbed inside and leaned against the wall, his legs threatening to give out beneath him.
But he wasn't done yet.
He pushed himself forward, forcing his body up the stairs to the rooftop.
Each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of his actions and the toll on his body pressing down on him like an iron shroud.
When he finally pushed open the rooftop door, the cool night air hit him like a wall.
He staggered forward, his knees buckling beneath him.
He fell to the ground, coughing violently as blood splattered onto the cold surface beneath him.
His vision darkened, the edges blurring as his body screamed for rest.
"This... was more than I bargained for..." he muttered, a wry smile tugging at his lips even as his body shuddered with pain.