Abyssal Marsh, Flame Demon Island, Hidden Cloud Cave.
A woman in a black dress was kneeling devoutly in the center of the cave.
At the far end of the cave stood an enshrined, ninety-foot-tall golem, making the woman seem incredibly small in comparison.
Beneath the golem was a circular altar. On the altar sat a straw doll with a bizarre expression that was half-crying, half-smiling.
The straw doll held a lock of hair in its hand, and two words were stabbed into its chest in blood:
—Fang Cheng.
The woman in black appeared to be about twenty. She had a graceful, well-proportioned figure. A sliver of snow-white skin was visible on her chest, where her ample peaks were tightly bound, creating a stunning silhouette.
She was kneeling on a jade mat, her slender, snow-white feet bare. Her full, pert buttocks rested lightly on the smooth soles of her feet, her delicate toes curled inward. Her skin seemed to glow, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
As the woman chanted a long incantation, a brilliant light began to blossom from the altar.
A pillar of light shot up toward the sky. Bathed in its glow, the straw doll gradually turned transparent. Then, countless tiny runes flew out from the doll, converged upon the golem, and vanished.
For a moment, it was as if small fireworks were blooming on the altar. Countless flickering runes, like a swarm of dark-gold butterflies, fluttered into the golem.
Meanwhile, the straw doll on the altar slowly disintegrated until it was gone.
The woman in black closed her eyes, sensing for a moment. Her dark brows knitted slightly as she spoke, "Are you sure you took that man's hair?"
A man slowly emerged from the shadows of the cave and chuckled. "He and I grew up together. We were like brothers. How could I make a mistake?"
The woman in black suppressed the strange feeling in her heart. She didn't tell the man about the minor complication during the ritual. Instead, she said, "The ritual is complete. The man's soul has been secretly wounded. When you fight him, use the Secret Technique I taught you to trigger the injury to his soul."
The man gave a sinister laugh. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Feng. In seven days, after I take back the inheritance from him, I will return to fulfill my promise to you."
With that, he departed quietly.
「…」
The silk bed-curtains were still warm, and fragrant smoke curled from an animal-shaped incense burner.
Delicate gauze curtains hung around the large, exquisitely carved huanghuali rosewood bed. Peering through the lotus-pink gauze, one could see an elegantly furnished woman's private chamber.
The twilight glow of the setting sun filtered through the window, casting a tranquil light on the room's furnishings.
Fang Cheng woke leisurely, his mind in a daze as he stared at the gauze curtains and the evening glow.
'Where am I?'
'Last night was my ten-year college reunion. I drank too much and blacked out. I don't remember booking a hotel this... antique-looking, did I?'
'A bed and breakfast, maybe?'
Fang Cheng sat up. The silk quilt slid off, revealing a lean, muscular torso. A delicate, elegant fragrance filled the air, and the quilt seemed to retain the lingering scent of a beautiful woman.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Fang Cheng's head. His mind reeled as a flood of unfamiliar memories suddenly appeared.
Starting with the amorous and fragrant events of last night, the memories spooled backward, replaying a person's entire life like a movie!
'Wait, did I... transmigrate?!'
Fang Cheng was horrified. He finally realized that he had apparently crossed over into another world.
He sat stunned for a long time, gradually processing the memories in his mind.
From the original owner's memories, he learned that this world was actually a Cultivation World, and the body he now occupied belonged to a legendary "Cultivator."
Coincidentally, the original owner's name was also Fang Cheng.
The original owner had been a Servant Disciple of the Yinluo Sect, one of the three major sects in the Yun Country. Last night, he had been staying at the Miaoxiang Tower in the Yinluo Sect Marketplace when, for some unknown reason, his soul dissipated, allowing Fang Cheng to take over his body.
Fang Cheng had a faint feeling that the original owner hadn't just vanished. It was more like he had "devoured" him, taking his memories and body for himself.
He got up, dressed, and paced back and forth in the room, examining the original owner's memories in search of his enemies.
And he actually found one—a person who held a grudge against the original owner and was the most likely suspect behind this secret attack.
'The original owner's senior brother?'
Fang Cheng frowned.
The original owner and his senior brother were both orphans, adopted at a young age by a Loose Cultivator who taught them his skills.
Two years ago, as their master lay dying, he had intended to pass his legacy down to the original owner. However, the senior brother struck first, murdering their master to seize the treasure and claim the inheritance for himself.
Left with no choice, the original owner fled to the Yinluo Sect and became a Servant Disciple, narrowly escaping disaster.
The senior brother had the Inheritance Jade Pendant, which their master had acquired through a fortunate encounter in his youth. It contained the legacy of a Gu technique.
Unfortunately, although the senior brother had stolen the Jade Pendant, he could never figure out how to access the inheritance hidden within it.
The original owner, however, possessed the Secret Technique Mantra needed to activate the Inheritance Jade Pendant.
For two years, the senior brother never gave up on obtaining the Secret Technique Mantra, and the original owner harbored a desire for revenge.
Finally, not long ago, once both had made some progress in their Cultivation, they agreed to settle their feud at the "Seven Kills Platform" in the Yinluo Sect Marketplace.
A duel to the death, winner takes all.
They would each wager the Inheritance Jade Pendant and the Secret Technique Mantra, respectively, in a decisive battle on the Seven Kills Platform.
The winner would walk away with the complete Gu Dao inheritance.
The loser would have to find another path and would be forbidden from practicing any Gu technique for the rest of their life.
The Seven Kills Platform was a place specifically designated by the Yinluo Sect for its Disciples to resolve their grudges and disputes, presided over by Disciples with high Cultivation from within the sect.
The original owner thought they could have a fair and square fight, but he had fallen victim to this plot before the day of the duel even arrived.
Fang Cheng sighed. He formed a hand seal for a spell, and shimmering water immediately gathered before him, coalescing into a man-high water mirror.
In the mirror was a young man of eighteen or nineteen. He was tall and slender, with sharp brows and bright eyes, exuding a spirited and dashingly handsome air.
'No wonder he was a regular at the Miaoxiang Tower!'
One had to understand that the Miaoxiang Tower was different from a mortal Brothel; it didn't just accept any customer...
The women of this tower were all masters of Dual Cultivation Secret Skills. Male Cultivators came here seeking pleasure not with money, but by offering a small amount of their Magical Power and vital essence.
Therefore, to even enter the tower, one had to not only pass numerous tests but also catch the eye of one of the women inside. It was best if one was versed in elegant pursuits like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
After merging with the original owner's memories, Fang Cheng began to examine himself with a Cultivator's mindset.
'Other than my lower back being a little sore, my body is fine... Hmm, not only is my soul unharmed, it's actually much stronger than before. Is it because I merged with the original owner's soul?'
He currently had a Third-Layer Sensing Cultivation, placing him among the lowest-ranking Cultivators in the Cultivation Realm. Fortunately, his senior brother's Cultivation was also at the Third Layer of Sensing. Even if his senior brother's Magical Power was slightly deeper, the difference was likely limited.
As for the Cultivation Technique the original owner practiced...
Just as Fang Cheng was about to sort through the skills the original owner had learned, a brilliant golden light suddenly erupted in his sea of consciousness, capturing his full attention.
Looking inward with his Divine Sense, he saw a magnificent, glowing Golden Talisman in his sea of consciousness!
There were several lines of text on the Talisman. A closer look revealed them to be the skills the original owner had learned throughout his life—
[Talisman Master] Fang Cheng
[Divine Power Techniques]
One Qi Technique · Initiate (85/100)
Cyan Profound Sword Technique · Initiate (136/300)
Nameless Gu Technique · Initiate (185/200)
Creation Points: 200
The Talisman looked ancient and grand, but the style of the text it displayed was somewhat similar to a skill proficiency panel from a game in his past life.
Furthermore, next to each Divine Power Technique, there was a small "+" symbol.
An idea struck Fang Cheng. He focused his Divine Sense on the "+" symbol next to "One Qi Technique" on the Golden Talisman.
The next moment!
The Golden Talisman flashed, its text blurring for an instant before quickly becoming clear again.
[Talisman Master] Fang Cheng
[Divine Power Techniques]
One Qi Technique · Initiate (100/100)
Cyan Profound Sword Technique · Initiate (136/300)
Nameless Gu Technique · Initiate (185/200)
Creation Points: 185
Fang Cheng felt a searing heat surge through his body, as if he were on fire. The Magical Power in his Qi Sea began to circulate on its own, and all sorts of cultivation experiences and insights related to the "One Qi Technique" flooded his mind.
All the obstacles he had previously faced in his training were instantly overcome!
The line of text on the Golden Talisman also changed—
One Qi Technique · Adept (0/200)
...