Duō Yī slowly opened his eyes, the familiar scent of sandalwood filling his nose. He was back in his small but cozy bedroom, its carved wooden beams and embroidered silk curtains offering a sense of safety.
By his side, a gray-haired man with a steady gaze leaned close. It was Lǎo Zhōng, the family steward who had watched over him since birth. His lined face broke into rare relief.
"Young Master , you're awake!" Lǎo Zhōng exclaimed, his usually composed tone cracking with emotion.
Duō Yī gave a faint nod, still feeling the dull ache of fatigue running through his body.
Without delay, Lǎo Zhōng hurried to call for his mother, Duō Líng Méi.
Moments later, the door slammed open and a woman in flowing robes rushed in. Her long hair was disheveled, her eyes red and glistening.
"My child! Yī'er!" Duō Líng Méi cried as she threw her arms around him. She trembled as if fearing he might vanish again. "When they found you unconscious in the abandoned courtyard, I thought… I thought I had lost you." Her tears soaked into his shoulder.
Duō Yī tried to raise a hand to comfort her. "Mother, I'm fine now. It was nothing serious."
She pulled back slightly, her gaze sharp yet soft. "Nothing serious? Your body is fragile, Yī'er. Promise me, you won't wander alone again. Take servants with you, no matter where you go."
"I promise, Mother," Duō Yī answered gently, offering her a small but reassuring smile.
An hour passed with her alternating between scolding and fussing over him until finally she allowed herself to be led away by Lǎo Zhōng.
When the door clicked shut, silence returned.
"Finally, some peace," Duō Yī murmured with a sigh.
His gaze shifted to the blue status panel floating silently in the air:
[NAME: DUŌ YĪ]
[RACE: HUMAN]
[STATUS: DAMAGED SOUL (X), WEAK CONSTITUTION (R)]
[REALM: MORTAL]
[RACE:HUMAN]
[LIFE SPAN: 13/19]
[ABILITIES: HIVE]
[ENERGY RESERVE: 1/100]
Duō Yī's expression darkened. "Only six years left… If I don't fix my soul and extend my lifespan, I'll die a second time"
He focused on the ability labeled HIVE.
[HIVE: Collective Consciousness, Unified Entity]
{ A symbiotic network of interconnected bodies, ensuring mutual growth and survival}
Sub-Skills:
[ONE FOR ALL: SIMULTANEOUS CONTROL]
{Allows control of all bodies within the hive, sharing resources and experiences.}
[Current Controllable Hosts: 1]
[ALL FOR ONE: RESOURCE ALLOCATION]
{Redirects gained properties from the hive to a specific host.}
[REPLICATION: HIVE EXPANSION]
{Generates perfect replicas of the main hive, free from previous status effects.}
[Current Replicas: 0]
[Energy Required: 0.5]
[LIZARD'S TAIL: SURVIVAL PROTOCOL]
{Ensures the hive's survival by severing connections with compromised replicas.}
Duō Yī's jaw dropped.
"This is insane. With enough replicas, I could gather qi passively… and with Lizard's Tail, even death can't bind me."
A shiver crawled down his spine. "But Jiang Shèng… he could kill through my avatars. Are there others in this world with abilities like his?"
Before he could dwell further, the status panel flickered.
[NOTIFICATION: HIVE ENERGY REQUIREMENT MET]
[UNLOCKING SUB-SKILL: NETWORK RESONANCE]
[NETWORK RESONANCE: ENHANCED SYNCHRONIZATION]
{Amplifies resource sharing and coordination among hive members.}
Duō Yī's eyes gleamed. "So the limit of one body at a time doesn't exist anymore…"
He clenched his fists, excitement sparking in his chest. "This is only the beginning"
His focus shifted back to Replication.
"Let's test it."
He poured his meager qi into the skill. A faint glow shimmered beside him, slowly condensing into a figure.
A perfect replica of Duō Yī now stood in the room, identical down to the faint scar on his palm.
[NOTIFICATION: REPLICATION SUCCESSFUL]
[CURRENT REPLICAS: 1/1]
The clone, labeled Yī-1, looked back at him with mirrored eyes.
Duō Yī's lips curled into a grin. "Move."
Yī-1 mirrored his gestures perfectly. Their breaths synchronised, their heartbeats echoing as one.
[NOTIFICATION: ONE FOR ALL – SIMULTANEOUS CONTROL ESTABLISHED]
Duō Yī tested further, hearing what Yī-1 heard, feeling what Yī-1 felt, moving with a precision no mortal could dream of.
When the trial ended, Yī-1 dissolved, returning its experience.
[NOTIFICATION: HIVE ENERGY RESERVE +0.01]
[ENERGY RESERVE: 0.51/100]
Duō Yī's grin widened. "I can cultivate through them… even while resting."
But his joy was tempered by caution. A voice echoed in his mind—his own paranoia whispering.
Don't grow careless. If abilities like Jiang Shèng's exist here, you'll be hunted.
Duō Yī took a slow breath. Then I'll walk carefully. Cultivation is my only path to survival.
His thoughts drifted to his father, Duō Chén Yǒng, once an outer disciple of the White Crane Sect, now the pillar of their clan. Though he never broke past Qi Gathering, his connection to the sect gave the family hope.
Every five years, he could recommend talented descendants to the sect. The next referral was only months away, recalling the requirements:
Reach the third stage of the Qi Gathering Realm
Demonstrate exceptional talent
Obtain a referral from a respected figure
"I'll achieve all three. I have to."
"If I reach Qi Gathering by then… I'll have a chance."
Determined, he resummoned a clone and gave the order:
"Cultivate qi."
Yī-1 sat cross-legged, qi swirling faintly.
[NOTIFICATION: QI GATHERING INITIATED]
[CURRENT QI Rate: 0.01/s]
Hours later, when Duō Yī attempted to absorb the qi, an error flashed.
[ERROR: QI WITHIN CLONE EXCEEDS PARAMETERS BODY CAN HANDLE. UNABLE TO RECALL.]
His fists clenched. "So it's useless if I can't absorb it directly…"
But then he noticed: Yī-1 lacked the Weak Constitution trait.
A reckless thought bloomed. "If I abandon this fragile shell… and transfer into the replica… It just might work."
The idea consumed him for another few hours until finally, he made the attempt.
Activating Lizard's Tail, he severed himself from his weak frame and shifted into Yī-1.
The world tilted—then steadied.
[NAME: DUŌ YĪ]
[STATUS: DAMAGED SOUL (X)]
[LIFE SPAN: 13/19]
while his body now bore the status
[YĪ-1]
[STATUS: ABANDONED]
[LIFE SPAN: 0/19]
Duō Yī exhaled sharply, exhilaration coursing through him. But then his excitement dimmed slightly as he glanced at the abandoned shell of his former body. It lay lifeless in the corner of his room, and the thought chilled him.
If someone walks in and sees… how would I ever explain my own corpse lying here?
Thankfully, the body soon began to dissolve.
He let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the body totally dissolved with no traces in sight.
"I did it. My weakness is gone."
With a steady breath, he guided his qi once more.
[QI REQUIREMENT MET]
[BREAKTHROUGH TO QI GATHERING REALM – STAGE 1]
Golden light surged, washing over him. When it faded, the panel revealed his reward:
[LIFE SPAN: 13/25]
His lifespan had increased to 25 years, a tangible result of his breakthrough.
Duō Yī's lips curved into a fierce smile.
"So cultivation indeed extends lifespan… from nineteen to twenty-five years already, not bad it's Just the beginning."
Duō Yī felt invigorated, his senses heightened.
"Cultivation is incredible."
He pondered his next steps.
"Father's referral to the White Crane Sect is within reach. But what about my damaged Soul status?"
"Mehhhh I'll figure that out later"
"one step at a time"
"I'll seize the referral, and climb beyond mortality. Damaged soul or not"
And with that resolve burning in his chest, Duō Yī began his first true steps on the road to immortality.