Chapter 2

The young man's thoughts were not too complicated. The predecessor soon sensed the divine soul and followed the cultivation method to nourish it.

It was unknown whether there were any flaws in the cultivation method, as it only contained methods for nurturing the soul but not for strengthening the body.

He focused solely on nurturing his soul without corresponding body training. The divine soul drew on his blood, qi, and energy to strengthen its power.

As his divine soul grew stronger, his body became weaker. At his age, a young man should be in the prime of his growth, with active blood and qi. However, his body deteriorated, and he became increasingly frail. It was only because of his excellent innate constitution that he hadn't suffered any major issues after a few years of practice.

However, in the path of cultivation, one mistake leads to another, and the final outcome is never good. One day, when his soul power was almost full and about to break through the Baihui point on his head, reaching the 'Out of Body' realm, his divine soul floated as if it were about to leave his body and escape the physical constraints.

He didn't understand cultivation and didn't know that when the soul leaves the body, it carries away the body's essence. He was already physically weak, and most of the energy produced by his blood and qi each day was consumed by the soul's activities.

When the divine soul was about to leave the body, it needed a large amount of essence, which his body could not provide. The predecessor didn't understand this and forced a breakthrough, depleting his physical potential and pushing his body to the brink of collapse.

With that last breath not coming, his body became the魄 (魄:魄 is a term often used in Chinese to describe the physical aspect of the soul or the vital energy of the body), and his spirit became the魂 (魂:魂 is a term often used in Chinese to describe the spiritual aspect of the soul or the mind). The connection between the魄 and the魂 is intricate, and he immediately fell into a state of madness, with various illusions entangling his true spirit, causing chaos.

In the end, he was usurped by a young doctor from Earth.

Later, although he integrated most of the other's memories and became a new 'Chen Lian,' he still had to deal with his frail body.

Fortunately, when he went into madness, part of his soul power dispersed into his limbs and bones, transforming into essence and sustaining his life.

This allowed Chen Lian to wake up without immediately dying.

As a doctor, he knew how weak his body was.

Although he didn't know that a powerful soul could also be a heavy burden on the body, he was clear that the immediate priority was to nourish his body and replenish the depleted vital energy.

Fortunately, he was in a deep forest, and the plants were not much different from those on Earth, allowing him to find some herbs to strengthen his body.

Unfortunately, there were no wild ginseng or polygonum multiflorum. In any era, these highly nourishing herbs were always in short supply. Even if they existed, the villagers would have already dug them up.

After several months of careful nourishment, Chen Lian's originally emaciated body had gained some flesh, though it was still far from normal.

But he wasn't completely at the mercy of the wind.

The predecessor had gone into madness due to practicing that cultivation method, and the new Chen Lian, lacking sufficient cultivation knowledge, did not plan to continue deep cultivation.

One must understand that practicing cultivation or taking medicine recklessly is a path to death, unless one has extremely good luck. Even Zhang Wuji, who managed to master the Nine Yang Divine Skill, had not only good luck but also the guidance of masters like Xie Xun and Zhang Sanfeng to lay a solid foundation.

Chen Lian, having barely managed to transmigrate once, did not want to risk his life again.

Thus, after a period of time, Chen Lian, after drinking the bitter medicinal herbs, thought that he would only practice some simple Five Animal Exercises and never drink such bitter medicine again.

Unexpectedly, a knock came from outside. He wondered why someone would come today, as a villager had just brought him food and clothing the day before.

When he opened the door, he saw a middle-aged man dressed in decent clothing, but his appearance suggested he was a servant or a laborer.

He thought he had seen this face somewhere before.

Having integrated the predecessor's memories and absorbed most of his soul, Chen Lian had a strong spirit and an excellent memory.

After careful recollection, he remembered who this person was—a servant of the Chen family.

The middle-aged man said, "Third Young Master, you finally opened the door."

Chen Lian had two older cousins, and because he shared the Chen family name, he was the third in the Chen family.

Chen Lian was neither overly enthusiastic nor cold, but rather calm. "Mr. Wu, what brings you here?"

Mr. Wu had served the Chen family for many years and held a significant position among the servants. Normally, he wouldn't handle trivial errands, but he said, "Third Young Master, you've lost a lot of weight over the past two years."

Mr. Wu didn't have a strong impression of the third young master, but after the incident six months ago, the third generation of the Chen family was left with only a young lady. The eldest son was ill and uncertain about his ability to have children, and the second son had lost his fertility due to an injury from practicing martial arts years ago. Given the current situation, it was possible that this somewhat distant third young master might become the head of the family.

Therefore, Mr. Wu was very cautious when he came to invite him down the mountain, fearing he might say something inappropriate.

Chen Lian thought, "It's not a special day today, so why did he come?" Having experienced modern society and being an adult, Chen Lian was more perceptive of human relations and knew that people don't visit without a reason.

The Chen family's estate was a hundred miles away, not too far but not too close. If it wasn't necessary, even the servants wouldn't make the trip.

He asked directly, "Mr. Wu, why are you here?"

Mr. Wu said, "The old master and the master haven't seen you in a long time and are concerned about your solitary life in the mountains. They want you to come home and stay for a while."

Chen Lian was silent for a moment and then asked, "Has something significant happened recently?"

Mr. Wu's heart skipped a beat. The young master was aloof, but he wasn't stupid. If he were too smart, he might not get this opportunity. Despite his rough appearance, he was very perceptive.

Finally, he said, "The eldest and second young masters passed away a few days ago."

He said only that much and nothing more.

But anyone who understood the current situation of the Chen family would know that this meant the vast family estate had lost its two most legitimate heirs.

Chen Lian was silent for a moment and then said, "Alright, I'll go back with you tomorrow morning."

Mr. Wu said, "Third Young Master, you don't look well. I'll arrange a comfortable carriage to pick you up tomorrow morning."

Chen Lian said, "Alright, you can come in and rest for a while if you want."

Mr. Wu said, "No need, I'll go down the mountain to inspect our family's fields."

After Mr. Wu left, Chen Lian returned to his quiet room, where the windows were sealed tightly, leaving no light. He lit a stick of soul-soothing incense made from mountain herbs. In the dark room, a single flame flickered like a star in the night, cold and lonely. The faint scent of the incense filled the air, and Chen Lian sat in meditation.

In his mind, the spiritual sea was calm, like the void before the universe was created, silent and empty. There was no crystal, no light, no scripture, no dimension. It was a pure darkness, vast and boundless. A primordial deity was born from the void, holding a jade如意 (rúyì: a ceremonial scepter), sitting in the void, silent and speechless. The chaotic thoughts in Chen Lian's mind gradually disappeared, returning to the void.