"My head hurts."
Ling Wu woke up with a strong pain hammering his skull, as if someone were relentlessly beating his scalp with a wooden rod. It was hard to endure and, at the same time, deeply concerning.
"I need to go to the hospital."
Determined, Ling Wu opened his eyelids and saw before his eyes a wooden ceiling, its bark peeling and the inner layers full of cracks.
'Where am I?'
This unfamiliar room made Ling Wu's pupils contract and his body tremble, waves of shock running through every inch of him. And at the same time, the headache was temporarily interrupted by this sudden jolt.
'Did someone kidnap me? But why would they kidnap me? I don't have money, nor wealthy relatives to pay ransom.'
Aware of that truth, Ling Wu's emotions grew even more tense. His rational thinking worked quickly.
After ten seconds, he reached a simple conclusion.
Escape.
He had to get out of there at any cost.
Determined, he lifted his back from the mattress beneath him and looked ahead.
In his field of vision appeared a small scene: straight ahead there was a door and a bronze basin placed beside it. On the other side, a straw broom and a wooden cabinet containing a worn-out white robe, washed multiple times.
'Is this really a kidnapping?' Ling Wu began to doubt himself as he looked at the antiquated objects inside the room. To confirm, he placed his feet on the ground, slipping into strange sandals, and walked toward the basin with slow steps. With each step he took, his heart beat faster.
With half-closed eyes, he looked at his reflection in the blurred corners. Even with the hazy image, he could see a dark silhouette hanging down by his ears. His eyes widened as the image of a young man emerged.
He had delicate white skin, as if he had never done hard labor. His eyes were dark and clear, giving the impression at first glance that he was free of impure thoughts. His long black strands covered his ears and flowed smoothly downward like a waterfall, cascading down his back. His delicate face gave him a slightly effeminate appearance.
"Transmigration! I transmigrated just like that! And into a young man, no less…"
Cutting himself off, he grabbed the hem of his pants and underwear and looked down. What he saw left his mouth hanging open, and instinctively a smile formed on his lips.
Cough cough!
Dry-coughing, Ling Wu freed himself from the embarrassment and stopped holding his lower garments. Looking at the bed in the corner, he returned to it, taking a deep breath. Sitting on the mattress, he brought a hand to his chin.
'Why did I transmigrate? And what happened to my predecessor? And his memories, am I going to recover them? Now that I think about it… the headache!'
Remembering that painful experience, Ling Wu furrowed his brows. It had been inactive for a long time, either asleep in his Sea of Consciousness or simply healed, disappearing as suddenly as it appeared. But it didn't make sense to him, who had experienced the pain firsthand.
'If I close my eyes and try to focus my mind, will it come back?'
The idea was absurd, but he didn't have many options. Staying in the dark without knowing anything was more uncomfortable than death. Especially in someone else's body, in a completely unfamiliar world.
"Take the risk!"
With a furious roar, Ling Wu closed his eyes and focused his consciousness on the region that had suffered the pain. As soon as he did, he immediately felt his skull throb again.
Clenching his teeth, he endured the agony.
Holding on with everything he had, he suddenly saw a light tear through the darkness of the Sea of Consciousness and illuminate the entire black space. It expanded like a small sun and burst through the space like a golden explosion.
Before he could react, he was swallowed by it, losing consciousness instantly.
…
Ling Wu, unconscious, had a dream.
In the dream, he was a newborn abandoned in a wilderness, surviving only because a kind old man adopted him and named him Ling Wu, hoping that one day he would rise above the entire martial path and overcome all the tribulations of fate.
Ling Wu did not disappoint him. He worked hard in martial arts and always avoided trouble, staying home more than anything. He lived like that for ten years, until he was forced to leave by the old man, who sent him specifically to the Azure Pavilion, hoping he could learn cultivation.
Ling Wu did learn, but he wasn't talented. After six years of discreet cultivation, he reached the Second Level of Meridian Refinement.
Reaching that level at sixteen years old was far below average.
'These are the memories of the predecessor? But why did he die? And the names—we have the same name? Is that a coincidence or is it all fate?'
Ling Wu didn't know. The only thing he knew for sure was that to unravel this mystery, he had to become strong. Only by becoming strong could the mysteries surrounding him and his predecessor be revealed. But becoming strong was anything but easy for him.
"Six years, two minor realms… at this rate I'm breaking through one minor realm every three years. That's simply trash, especially when it's only the first main realm."
Ling Wu felt disappointment, nothing more. He wouldn't blame anyone for his bad luck. If everything went wrong, he could always return to his village and live a peaceful life. But that was secondary; the mysteries of life were something he genuinely wished to investigate.
"What do I do?"
Ling Wu cast exasperated looks at the void, hoping for an answer. And it did come: before him, the light he had seen moments earlier destroyed his dream like an apocalyptic ending, tearing apart all existence.
Before he could blink, the place became a space of nothingness, containing only his soul and a golden book floating before him, emitting brilliant gleams from its golden covers, which creaked as they opened, revealing white pages.
Stunned, Ling Wu watched everything without reacting, temporarily turning into a puppet. This expression lasted until golden imperial letters formed on the right page. They were written by an invisible brush and the hands of a nonexistent existence, shaping a majestic and beautiful script.
Reading the phrase written there, Ling Wu came back to himself, his face showing a "Huh? Is this serious?" expression.
[Become the number one disciple within two months]
[Reward: Desolate Heaven Dantian]
[Failure: Severing of the All-Heavens Record Book]