In a space no larger than a few hundred square meters, scorching heat filled the air. The surrounding rock walls glowed with a purplish-red hue, and molten lava occasionally dripped down their surfaces.
"Boom—!"A jet of purplish-red flame erupted from the ground, shooting toward the ceiling. The terrifying temperature seemed to scorch even the air itself.
This cavernous space was covered in countless visible and hidden formation nodes—clearly a profound and mysterious array.
At its very center stood a circular platform, densely carved with intricate patterns. Fiery energy flowed across them, distorting the air with unbearable heat.
Two people were atop the platform.
They appeared to be in their thirties or forties. Their robes were tattered, hair disheveled, and blood stained the corners of their mouths. Heavy blacksteel shackles bound their wrists and ankles.
Clink! Clank!One of them suddenly trembled and raised his hands, forming a circular seal in front of his chest. Between his palms, a deep cyan light began to glow, mysterious and radiant.
"Big Brother! No! You'll die if you do this…"A hoarse, desperate cry echoed nearby. A thin, battered man crawled toward him, his hands clawing at the jagged stone floor. His fingernails were broken, and blood stained the ground, yet he struggled forward, trying to stop his brother.
"In his hands, we were going to die anyway!""Rather than wait for the end, I'll give you a sliver of hope!"
The elder brother's voice was firm, his actions resolute. The cyan light between his palms grew brighter and brighter until—suddenly—it burst forth and vanished.
"No! Big Brother—!"Bai Yuzhe jolted awake, gasping for breath, and sat up on a broken wooden bed. His young face was pale and drenched in sweat. Pain and grief twisted his expression.
"Where… am I?"
As he slowly regained his composure, Bai Yuzhe looked around in confusion, then down at his own body—completely stunned. Something unbelievable had happened.
"I… I made it? Big Brother actually succeeded…"
A dazed smile spread across his face.
Against all odds—one in ten thousand—his brother had truly succeeded in sending his soul out and helping him possess the body of a dying man!
His joy was quickly replaced by sorrow. To win him that slim chance of survival, his beloved brother had paid the ultimate price—his soul utterly destroyed by the secret art.
Suddenly, Bai Yuzhe clenched his fists tightly and murmured coldly, "Big Brother… don't worry. I'll avenge you, no matter what it takes."
His name was Bai Yuzhe, once ranked among the top ten alchemists of the Northern Plains, and also one of the five greatest poison masters—renowned across the continent.
"You're awake, Boss?"
"You're alive?! That's amazing! Hahaha—!"
Just as Bai Yuzhe was about to examine the body he now inhabited, a group of teenagers burst through the door, their faces full of genuine joy.
He looked closely—these youths were dressed in rags, most of them gaunt and malnourished, around thirteen or fourteen years old.
Their sudden entrance made Bai Yuzhe instinctively raise his hand in alarm. But the moment he realized he no longer had any cultivation, it hit him—he was no longer the same Bai Yuzhe. He now lived in a completely different body.
He immediately sifted through this new body's memories.
Amazingly, this body's original owner was also named Bai Yuzhe. He was the "boss" of these children. But truthfully, they were just a gang of orphans—beggars, really. What shocked Bai Yuzhe even more was that they had somehow found ways to gather resources to cultivate.
Even more incredible—this Bai Yuzhe had actually stepped onto the path of cultivation, reaching the Heart Gate Realm, using nothing but a damaged, low-grade cultivation manual!
Given how resource-intensive cultivation was—not to mention the need for techniques—how could a group of homeless orphans possibly achieve this?
Yet somehow, this young Bai Yuzhe had scammed and scraped together just enough to get started—and shared most of those pitiful resources with the others.
"I'm fine," Bai Yuzhe said softly, shaking his head and nodding at the group.
He was only fourteen, and it didn't take long for the former genius to fully absorb the original boy's memories.
"Boss, we were so scared. We thought you…"A burly teenager stepped forward, concern still on his face.
This was Iron Tower, the only one among them who hadn't been stunted by malnutrition. At just thirteen, his size rivaled that of an adult, even larger than some eighteen-year-olds.
"Pfft, as if our boss would die so easily,"A short, skinny boy who barely reached Iron Tower's chest sneered. His monkey-like features gave him the nickname Monkey.
But before he could finish, a little girl came running in.
"Brother Bai! M-Miss Lin is here… she says she wants to see you."
At first cheerful, the girl's expression darkened at the mention of Lin.
"Hmph! What is she here for? Shameless! Throwing everything away for wealth and power—disgraceful!"
Monkey spat with disdain, and the others looked equally disgusted.
Bai Yuzhe quickly searched his memories for this Miss Lin.
Lin Xinyun, daughter of the Lin family in Floating City. Though not a major clan, her family was well-off.
She met the original Bai Yuzhe by chance when he saved her from a group of thugs. From then on, they became friends. Over two years, they grew closer, eventually developing feelings for each other, though unspoken due to their class difference.
Then, just two weeks ago, Lin Xinyun told him her family had arranged a marriage for her—with someone powerful. She couldn't resist.
She never visited again after that.
When the others found out, they were outraged. After some digging, they discovered the truth—the fiancé was none other than the Third Prince of the Yu Kingdom.
They could only suppress their anger. The prince was far beyond their reach. They weren't afraid to die—but they knew even revenge required strength.
Why would a prince choose a girl from a small city? No one knew.
"Tell her to leave. Just say I'm fine."
Bai Yuzhe replied calmly.
Though these past grievances weren't his, he felt genuine respect for the original Bai Yuzhe. His defiance against fate, his relentless pursuit of power—it all resonated with him.
That boy was unyielding, determined—much like himself in his former life.
As for their petty tricks and scams? Bai Yuzhe didn't mind. Most of their targets were corrupt and cruel anyway.
Outside the ruined temple, a girl of about fifteen stood anxiously.
She wore a flowing white dress, with a silk ribbon tied around her slender waist. Her delicate face and graceful features exuded a quiet elegance.
Her dark hair was pinned up with a simple jade hairpin, adding to her refined air.
She was Lin Xinyun. She had sneaked out, deeply worried after hearing that Bai Yuzhe had been gravely injured by the Chen family's eldest son.
"Miss Lin, Brother Bai doesn't want to see you. Please leave."
Xiao He, the young girl from earlier, stood coldly at the door.
Bai Yuzhe had only asked her to say he was fine, but Xiao He couldn't hide her contempt. To her, Lin Xinyun had betrayed him.
Lin Xinyun's heart sank. Xiao He had once called her "sister."
Now, just "Miss Lin" and a frosty stare made her feel like a stranger. Pain filled her heart.
"…I hope he stays safe."
Fighting back tears, Lin Xinyun took one last look at the temple and turned away.
"Hmph!"
Xiao He snorted and was about to go back inside when she suddenly saw five or six men hurrying around the corner—two of them carrying a coffin, cold smirks on their faces.
"The Chen family!"
Xiao He's eyes narrowed, fury boiling within her.