Chapter 1

The story told in this book takes place in a parallel world. Please do not associate it with the real world, and do not take it personally. Any similarities are purely coincidental.

In March, there was still a chill in the air. The morning mist was filled with the fresh scent of spring, and the branches by the riverbank sprouted tender new buds. The lush green grass exuded the fragrance of the earth, covering the entire land. The scenery of spring had already spread throughout the city, turning it into a green ocean. However, the air was also mixed with some mist, which somewhat diminished the beauty of the scene.

With a creak, the door of a rented house on the outskirts of the city was pushed open, and a young man wearing an ordinary jacket, somewhat worn-out sports pants, and a pair of cloth shoes walked out.

His name was Chen Mo, and he had an ordinary appearance. There was nothing particularly attractive about him; he was just an ordinary young man. If you placed him in a crowd, you might not even be able to find him. His ordinary appearance and clothing made him blend in. If you had to find something positive about him, it would be his large, clear eyes, which shone brightly and were hard to forget.

Looking at the morning scenery, his heart was filled with disappointment. He took a deep breath of the morning air, but started coughing halfway through. The air was already heavily polluted, and even in the outskirts of the city, it was no better, though slightly better than in the city center. Sigh!

He stretched a big yawn and moved his numb legs. Although the air was not good, his cultivation practice overnight had still made some progress, and his spirit was refreshed without any fatigue.

He looked up at the sky, which was gray and gloomy, mirroring his inner state. He didn't know why, but four years had almost passed, and he still hadn't entered the first stage of Qi Cultivation. This made him feel deeply discouraged. Sometimes he even thought about giving up, but he had already persisted for so many years. If he hadn't entered the Qi Induction stage early, he might have been discouraged and given up long ago. He raised his hand and clenched it tightly, as if trying to crush the air, releasing his frustration. His mood gradually improved with this action.

If someone had been by his side and seen his previous action, they would have been amazed. This was definitely not something an ordinary person could do. The strength and the light "puff" sound he made when he clenched his hand showed how powerful he was. His physical condition had far exceeded the limits of an ordinary person.

No one knew what secret Chen Mo had. He couldn't tell anyone, not even his parents or younger brother.

Cultivators, dressed in ancient clothing and riding flying swords, flying between mountains and rivers, capable of controlling the weather with a single hand. They could travel from the East Sea in the morning to the Gobi Desert in the evening, covering a thousand miles in an instant. These characters had always only appeared in novels and films, but he had encountered one.

He remembered it was after his high school graduation exam, during a two-month summer break, when he and his village friends went to explore the back mountain. After a day of exploration, he accidentally fell into a shallow ravine while crossing a ridge.

Fortunately, the ravine was not very deep, only about five meters, and it was filled with dead branches and leaves, which cushioned his fall. He was not seriously injured, just a few scratches on his arms and hands, which bled quite a bit.

Seeing that he was not seriously hurt, his friends told him they would find something to help pull him up. The ravine was not deep but was long and vertical, so he couldn't climb out by himself.

Chen Mo could only sit in the ravine and wait for his friends, looking around out of boredom. He saw a cave not far away, about as tall as a person, and out of curiosity, he went over to see what was inside.

The cave was not deep. After his eyes adjusted to the light, he was instantly frightened and ran out quickly. He saw a skeleton lying at the back of the cave. Although it was noon, it was still somewhat terrifying. He was just a young man who had just graduated from high school and had never seen a real human skeleton before.

Outside the cave, feeling the sunlight, he gradually calmed down. He chuckled, feeling embarrassed by his cowardice. He had always boasted to his friends about how brave he was, but he was scared by a skeleton.

Thinking about it, and seeing that his friends had not returned, he found a slightly thicker branch and decided to dig a hole to bury the skeleton, thinking it was better to let the dead rest in peace.

He entered the cave again and silently paid his respects to the skeleton, as he had learned from his parents when they visited his grandparents' graves. He mumbled, "I don't know how you ended up here, but it seems you've been here for many years. It's better to let you rest in peace. If you have a spirit, please don't blame me for moving your body..."

He prayed sincerely and then started digging a hole next to the skeleton. The soil in the cave was not very compact, making it easy to dig. Although the wounds from his fall started bleeding again, he continued digging, thinking it was important to respect the dead. The cuts were not deep, just long, and in the village, children were not so delicate.

After about ten minutes, he dug a shallow hole, then tore off a piece of his sleeve to wrap his hands and carefully placed the skeleton into the hole, arranging it neatly before covering it with soil. While moving the skeleton, he found a palm-sized cloth bag, a white pearl about a centimeter in diameter, and a green jade tablet with some patterns carved on it, about an inch long and two inches wide, and not very thick.

When he picked up these items, his blood accidentally stained them, which made him a bit confused. He had heard from the village elders that items stained with blood should not be buried with the dead. So he quickly prayed and placed the three items aside, deciding to bury the skeleton first.

While Chen Mo was burying the skeleton, he did not notice that the three items, after being stained with his blood, emitted a faint glow. The white pearl and the cloth bag did not change, but the green jade emitted a bright light, filling the cave with a mysterious, colorful glow.

Chen Mo, who was busy burying the skeleton, felt a sudden "boom" in his mind and fainted.

When he heard faint shouts, he slowly woke up. The green jade was lying next to his head, and his friends were calling him. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious.

He shook his head, feeling a slight pain and swelling. He also smelled a foul odor coming from his body. Looking down, he saw a thick layer of black oil on his skin, which emitted an indescribable stench, making him feel nauseous.

At this moment, a large amount of information appeared in his mind, but it was not the time to understand it. His mind was still a bit confused, and he could clearly hear his friends' shouts. So he quickly shouted back to his friends. However, his voice echoed in the cave, not only making his ears ring but also causing the soil and rocks above to start falling.

Chen Mo was startled. What was happening to him? His voice was definitely over 120 decibels. He had just graduated from high school and had a good understanding of acoustics, and he had never shouted that loudly before.

He stood up, but something strange happened. He stood up instantly and uncontrollably took a few steps forward. When he realized something was wrong, he turned and instantly stopped.

Chen Mo was surprised. He quietly felt his body and discovered that he was incredibly strong, as if he had endless energy. Moreover, his reaction speed had also greatly improved.

He punched a rock, not to hurt himself, but because he felt he could do it.

With a "boom," a clear fist imprint about an inch deep appeared on the rock, and his hand was unharmed. What was happening? Chen Mo was shocked. Could it be related to his fainting earlier? And the information in his mind seemed to require his attention.

He paused, turned around, and finished burying the skeleton. He had not completely buried it when he fainted. Although his mind was in turmoil and he was a bit afraid, he had always been a principled person and decided to complete what he had started. He hardened his resolve, finished burying the skeleton, and made a small mound. He then bowed three times to the grave. He picked up the three items and put them in his pocket, controlling his body as he walked out. Due to the changes in his body, he was not yet accustomed to them and was afraid of moving too fast or using too much strength, which might cause him to bump into something or trip.

He thought to himself, "When I have money, I will come back and properly repair this grave." The information transmitted by the green jade was extensive, and he had learned the identity of the person, which was why he bowed three times before leaving the cave.