"Lin Ren, how dare you betray your father! Your father will never forgive you, even if I become a shadow!"
Following the muffled growl, Lin Zheng suddenly opened his eyes. Every cell in his body felt torn by fire, and he gritted his teeth, sensing the sharp sting of pain. Running his hands over himself, he gasped in shock: "I… I'm not dead?"
He remembered being betrayed by his most trusted disciple, Lin Zhen. Thrown off a cliff to die, yet his body had refused to surrender… Life had held him tightly.
"Ha-ha… Lin Zhen, just wait. I will return and make you pay!" — Lin Zheng laughed, a deep, hoarse sound echoing through his wounded bones. The pain made him shiver, yet he felt his will strengthen with every breath.
Two young men stood before him, fear and confusion in their eyes, watching silently.
"This guy… is he crazy?" — one of them muttered softly.
Lin Zheng lifted his gaze and realized something was wrong. He had not fallen from a cliff, nor was he on a wild mountain. So why was he in a garden with a waterfall and tall trees, bathed in sunlight? Why did these two look at him with such expressions? Their clothing resembled ancient cultivation robes, like something out of old chronicles.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Lin Zheng's head, and fragments of memories flooded his mind. He saw through the eyes of another—the body he now inhabited. Every event, every blow, every grievance… all unfolded before him like a movie, from childhood to the present moment.
"This is the Broken Continent of Giants… Tianzhou Empire? My father is a Marquis of Martial Arts? My mother was the servant of the First Lady… I… he… bastard?"
"My mother gave birth to me and died of illness. I live, I breathe… but like a dog?"
"My father treats me as a stranger. The First Lady looks at me with hostility. In the Marquis' household, no one sees me as the rightful heir. Even the servants can bully me!"
"Damn… I just took a handkerchief to help the servant, and they framed me. I was beaten for ten days and nights until I passed out and thrown into the courtyard… 'Bastard… I will take revenge… no one will dare betray me, Lin Zheng!'"
He looked around the garden and suddenly realized—this world was strange. Monsters could cultivate and grow stronger, while humans, no matter how strong, were dominated by giants. The true rulers of the Broken Continent were the giants!
In an instant, Lin Zheng absorbed the memories of the previous body owner.
"Ding."
"The Giant Annihilation System has activated. Host, please remain still."
"1%… 12%…" — numbers appeared before his eyes.
"What is this?" — Lin Zheng muttered, slightly bewildered.
"100%… The Giant Annihilation System is fully activated."
Host: Lin Zheng
Rank: Primary Body Tempering, Level 1
Body Tempering Realm: Level 1–10 → Warrior, Martial Master, Grand Master, Spiritual Master, Warlord, Commander, Great Commander, Martial Arts Ancestor, Martial Saint, Supreme Martial Monarch.
Experience Points: 0/20
Refinement Technique: Lower Yang Rank of Body Tempering
Combat Skills: None
Health Points: 1/20
Giant Coins: 0
"Why is this appearing in my mind?" — thought Lin Zheng, slowly rising, ignoring the mocking stares of the two servants. His legs barely supported him as he walked toward a small room in the courtyard, more like servant quarters. If not for his connection to the Marquis, he would not even have had this.
In his pocket were the Yang-Ren Healing Spheres, secretly collected over the past fifteen years. He took one and hid the rest under the bed.
At that moment, his health recovered to 10/20—nine points restored to his body.
The system was real. Lin Zheng felt his heart ignite with determination. He now understood the level of strength in this world—his father was a Level 3 Commander, and the stronger he became, the more respect he could command.
The body he now inhabited belonged to the Lin family, but the previous owner had apparently died, and Lin Zheng had now taken it over. Even those born of Marquis blood could die. Only strength could protect him.
"However, the refinement technique this body cultivates is the lowest in the world. How do I achieve higher ranks? Experience points? So if I earn experience points, I can level up, become a Warrior, Martial Master, and so on…"
By coincidence, a mouse ran past him. Lin Zheng looked at it: "You will be my victim."
One strike, and the mouse was dead.
"Congratulations, Host. First-Rank Demonic Beast killed. Reward: 5 experience points."
A spinning icon appeared in the stats. Lin Zheng activated it with his mental energy.
"You have obtained a Lower-Rank Yang-Ren Healing Sphere. Total: 12. Each restores 20 health points."
"Ha-ha, this is truly useful! Even better than my old pills! Now my health is 20/20—equivalent to life itself!"
Lin Zheng's eyes drifted to the ancestral altar in the corner. Memories darkened his mood. He slowly approached, looked at his mother's ashes, and whispered:
"Mother, I will prove to everyone that I am not weak. I will become stronger than a Commander. One day, I will make him kneel before you!"
"Ha-ha, what a joke!"
Lin Zheng turned sharply and saw a young man clutching his stomach, laughing:
"Lin Hao, what are you doing here? You're not welcome," he said coldly.
Lin Hao was the son of the seventh brother of the Commander, from a cadet branch. But memories told Lin Zheng that he had always been the one who tormented him. Of the hundreds of hidden scars on Lin Zheng's body, at least 30–40 were caused by Lin Hao.
"If I hadn't come, you wouldn't even have heard these words. And if I told the First Lady or Master Hou, do you think you'd be alive?" — Lin Hao smirked.
"Ah yes, the servant Xiao Ying, whom you teased, my…" — his words were cut off as Lin Hao's body suddenly flared with light-red battle energy.
It was the Fighter's energy, unique to his rank!
One strike sent Lin Zheng flying across the room, crashing into furniture. His health dropped to 3/20.
His throat burned with the sweet taste of blood as he swallowed with difficulty, but his eyes blazed with determination.