This discomfort came from the body's original owner. Even though the man's Divine Soul was gone, remnants of his emotions lingered in the flesh and memories.
As for himself, he had already died, besieged by his enemies.
Death is like a lamp going out. No matter how much hatred and resentment filled his heart, what could he do?
But he never imagined that at the moment of his death, his soul would be absorbed by the half-piece of Mysterious Ancient Jade hanging from his chest. The next instant, he appeared inside Jiang Jichen's body.
In other words, he had been reborn in someone else's body!
This new body was incredibly weak. Its Qi Sea was shattered and its Spirit Veins were completely severed. Compared to his former self, he was worse than an ant.
'And yet, in my past life, I was so powerful. I could shatter the heavens with a single finger and pluck the stars from the sky, but wasn't I still slain by my enemies in the end?'
'I don't want to dwell on the grudges of my past life. It would only bring needless worry and might even form a Heart Demon. Only by cultivating in this life and reaching the Invincible Domain can I see a sliver of hope for revenge.'
'Most importantly, if I hold on to the grudges and attachments of my past life, my enemies might be able to track me through Inference. They wouldn't hesitate to pay any price to cross worlds and obliterate me.'
'So, I must seal away the hatred of my past life, leaving only the knowledge of my arts and techniques in my mind!'
'In this life, I am Jiang Jichen. I will cultivate in the Red Dust, transcend tribulations to become immortal, and settle the karmic ties...'
'Once I reach the Invincible Realm, I will break the seal on my past and settle all old scores.'
In that instant, a thousand thoughts raced through Jiang Jichen's mind. He began to use the Supreme Spiritual Secret Technique from his past life to seal away his past, leaving only his knowledge of Daoist Techniques.
Jiang Jichen's Divine Soul trembled as he activated the Cultivation Technique and began the process of self-sealing his soul.
His current soul strength was less than one-hundred-millionth of what it was in his past life, but it was still dozens of times stronger than this body's original soul. It was just enough to activate an Ancient Strange Technique: the Soul Separation Sealing Technique.
The first step of this technique was to selectively extract the memories to be sealed from his soul. The second step, naturally, was to seal them.
Once the Soul Separation Sealing Technique was activated, it could not be stopped. It was like plunging into his deepest memories. All the things of the past, everything etched into his very being, all the love and hate—it would all turn to mist.
Those people, those events...
'Let this be one final recollection,' he thought. There was sorrow and laughter, partings and reunions... but in the end, it all coalesced into a single Sealing Talisman that sank into the depths of his soul.
Only when he was strong enough would he be able to remember his past life!
...
Outside the main hall, Jiang Ling'Er's calm voice was laced with suppressed fury.
"If the Chief Steward says so, then it must be true. But I want you to record everything our Fifth Mansion is owed each month. One day, they will deliver it to our door themselves. When that day comes, whether we deign to accept it will depend entirely on our mood!"
"As for those specific Spirit Medicines, since they aren't available, just use what's left to prepare a medicinal bath. Chen'Er has been unconscious for many days; he should at least have a chance to clean himself up."
Xing'Er acknowledged the order and withdrew.
From inside the hall, Jiang Jichen could clearly hear the anger and helplessness in Jiang Ling'Er's voice. For now, however, she had no choice but to endure it.
He understood Jiang Ling'Er's predicament. Without powerful backing, confronting the Chief Steward would only lead to their own humiliation.
In the past, Jiang Jichen had held the title of number one young genius Cultivator in Cyan Moon City. Back then, the Chief Steward only dared to skim some of his monthly provisions in secret; he never dared to go too far.
Now, he was just a cripple incapable of cultivation. He was destined to become nothing more than wretched dust, mocked by all until he was completely forgotten.
Footsteps echoed in the hall. Jiang Ling'Er had returned.
Jiang Jichen had absorbed some memories by now. They were only fragments, of course, so there was still much he couldn't recall. However, as his soul continued to achieve a perfect Fusion with this body, he would eventually remember everything from the original Jiang Jichen's past.
The discomfort he had felt earlier was because of a memory: the Chief Steward had been consistently skimming from his monthly provisions.
The original Jiang Jichen had always known about this, but he had swallowed his anger and never dared to speak out. Even with the title of Cyan Moon City's top young expert, he had yet to mature and reach the Innate Realm. In the eyes of those old-timers, he was ultimately no different from an ant.
So, though his heart was filled with infinite hatred and rage, he could only endure it in silence.
That was the old Jiang Jichen. 'Why should the current me have to do the same?'
'From now on, I will live freely, repaying kindness and vengeance as I see fit. I will fight the strongest enemies, marry the most beautiful women, drink the world's finest wine, and savor its greatest delicacies. I will do only what brings me the greatest joy in life, without sorrow or grief. I will stride forward with a song on my lips and laugh in the face of the heavens!'
'A shattered Qi Sea and severed Spirit Veins? So what?'
'A missing father and suppression from my own kin? What does any of that matter?'
'My mind holds a thousand wondrous methods and countless Divine Techniques. I have a way to not only restore myself but to become even stronger. When that time comes, I will reclaim everything I have lost.'
As Jiang Jichen was lost in thought, Jiang Ling'Er returned to the Jade Bed. Her heart ached at the sight of the young man's pale face, but she forced a breathtakingly beautiful smile. "Chen'Er, as long as you're alive, nothing else matters. Your aunt will find a way to repair your Qi Sea and Spirit Veins!"
Jiang Jichen smiled brilliantly and said in earnest, "You're right. It really is nothing."
Jiang Ling'Er had expected Jiang Jichen to be devastated. For any Cultivator, their Qi Sea Spiritual Vein was everything. Once it was destroyed, their connection to cultivation was severed forever.
Given Jiang Jichen's former title as Cyan Moon City's greatest young expert, she feared the blow would be even more severe—like falling from the heavens into a bottomless abyss.
Yet, his smile didn't seem forced. It radiated a genuine calm and confidence.
'For Chen'Er to have such a transcendent state of mind at his age...'
While Jiang Ling'Er was still puzzled, Jiang Jichen had already gotten up from the Jade Bed on his own, his movements still somewhat unsteady.
Seeing him stand, Jiang Ling'Er rushed to support him. "Why are you up?" she said urgently. "You're still very weak. You need to rest!"
"Aunt, there's no need to worry about me. I'm no greenhouse flower. I have my own way to restore my Qi Sea and Spirit Veins. Besides, only an eagle that endures hardship can fly higher. It won't be long before I make them return what they owe our Fifth Mansion with their own two hands!"
"For now, I'm going to take that medicinal bath."
Jiang Jichen's tone was casual, yet it carried an undeniable, matter-of-fact confidence.
Jiang Ling'Er was taken aback. She hadn't expected such a drastic change in Jiang Jichen. The forbearing boy of the past was now sharp and unconcealed. Even without a trace of Spiritual Power, he projected a startling aura.
Moreover, he had clearly overheard her conversation from earlier. But with his Cultivation completely gone, how could he possibly hear something from dozens of meters away?
Regardless of her doubts, Jiang Ling'Er breathed a sigh of relief. At least Jiang Jichen hadn't fallen into despair. On the contrary, he was filled with a boundless fighting spirit, which was exactly what she had hoped for.
'As for how to repair Jichen's Qi Sea Spiritual Vein, my only option is to return to the sect and ask my master for help.'
'No matter the cost,' Jiang Ling'Er thought resolutely, 'I must find a way to restore his Qi Sea Spiritual Vein.'
As for his claim that he could repair it himself, she dismissed it as a comforting lie, meant only to keep her from grieving. She didn't take it seriously.
"Go on, then. I have some business to attend to, so I'm heading back to the Spirit Moon Sect. I'll be back tonight. Make sure you rest well after your bath."
After seeing Jiang Jichen off, Jiang Ling'Er summoned a Spirit Mount and galloped out of the Jiang Mansion.
The Spirit Moon Sect was not far from Cyan Moon City, only about two hundred li away. An ordinary Spirit Mount could easily make the round trip in a single day.
After watching Jiang Ling'Er leave, Jiang Jichen started toward the bathing room. He had only taken a few steps when a mocking laugh rang out.
"Well, well, if it isn't Cyan Moon City's number one young expert."
"Number one expert? Look at him—Qi Sea shattered, Spirit Veins severed. He's just a cripple. Still, managing to survive... as your brothers, I suppose we should offer our congratulations!"
"Fifth Brother, you can't talk like that. After all, he was once the future of Cyan Moon City, the hope of the Jiang Family, and our role model! And look, the only Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card in all of Cyan Moon City is still in his possession!"
...
Cold mockery from the very first moment. Even without looking, Jiang Jichen knew exactly who they were from their voices alone.
They were the fourth-generation disciples of the Jiang Family: Jiang Haijian, Jiang Haiyun, and Jiang Haijun. Including the three attendants behind them, there were six in total.
Jiang Haijian was the only son of Jiang Qingsong, the Third Elder and Master of the Third Mansion. At seventeen, he was a Fifth-level Mortal, his talent ranking fourth among the Jiang Family's current generation.
Jiang Haiyun was the second son of Jiang Qingyun, the Mansion Master of the Second Mansion. Also seventeen, he was a Fourth-level Mortal, with talent that ranked fifth in their generation.
Jiang Haijun was the youngest son of Jiang Qinghe, the Fourth Elder and Master of the Fourth Mansion. He was fourteen, with poor cultivation aptitude. He was only a First-level Mortal, having barely managed to condense a single Spirit Vein.
Even back when Jiang Jichen's Qi Sea and Spirit Veins were unharmed and he was the top young expert in Cyan Moon City, these people had bad-mouthed him behind his back plenty. They simply never dared to say it to his face.
There were many reasons Jiang Jichen was so disliked by the rest of the Jiang Family. They were jealous, for one; his brilliance overshadowed all the other disciples of his generation. But the biggest reason was that he held the only Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card in all of Cyan Moon City, while they were forced to share a single Three-Star Bronze Cultivation Card among all the fourth-generation disciples.
Today, however, they had received news: Jiang Jichen was awake, but his Cultivation was gone forever. He was nothing but a cripple. The former number one genius of Cyan Moon City had fallen from the heavens, reduced to no more than a common ant. Finally, they could bully him openly, stand before him, and mock him to their hearts' content.
Beyond their desire to humiliate him, their main goal was to take the Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card from his hands.
After all, Jiang Jichen was a cripple now. He could never cultivate again, making the Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card useless to him. More importantly, he no longer had the strength to protect it.
Facing a cripple as weak as a common mortal, they figured a simple threat would be enough to make him obediently hand over the Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card.