Chapter One: Poisoned at the Start

If given the choice, Zhou Qi would never have agreed to go bungee jumping.

But life offers no ifs. He had originally refused, but the order was too large, and the client’s demands too peculiar. The client insisted on seeking thrills with him—his own thrill-seeking wasn’t enough; Zhou Qi had to jump too, or the deal wouldn’t be signed.

Zhou Qi couldn’t understand why anyone would be interested in such a sport—your body plummets forward while your soul chases from behind. Even with a knife at his throat, he would have refused to jump.

The client didn’t pull a knife, only flashed the contract. Zhou Qi compromised. In the end, his soul failed to catch up.

He closed his eyes, and just like that, met his glorious end on duty.

It felt as if his spirit soared through countless realms of time and space, until it collided with another drifting soul, and he lost consciousness.

When his eyes opened, Zhou Qi was dazed, his soul still not quite settled. A cold, clammy sensation crept over his hand—what was this?

He jolted upright, realizing his hand was resting on a corpse.

The body was already decaying, white bone exposed in places. All around him lay countless corpses, large and small—a mass grave. Had he died?

A surge of information flooded his mind. The original owner of this body was also named Zhou Qi, twelve years old, an outer disciple of the Zhengyi Sect, with cultivation at the third level of Qi Refining. He’d been poisoned by his senior brother Li Gang over a wild mountain ganoderma.

So, he’d crossed over. Zhou Qi let out a long breath—at least he wasn’t dead. These days, who doesn’t know what transmigration is? Still, it was a pity about that big order.

But who was this Li Gang, to poison a fellow disciple? Zhou Qi continued to absorb the original’s memories.

This land was known as the Celestial Profound Continent, dominated by humans and countless sects. Cultivation resources had been carved up among the various factions, leading to endless conflict for what remained.

The continent was divided into four regions: Celestial, Earthly, Human, and Yellow Profound. Each region housed different powers and sects.

In the Yellow Profound Region, four great powers reigned: the Heaven’s Path Sect, the Immortal Xia Sect, the Daoist Order, and the Huangfu Clan. Beneath them were myriad affiliated sects. Zhengyi Sect was one such group, under the Life and Death Sect of Heaven’s Path.

To kill for a single herb—Li Gang clearly understood the law of survival here. To murder an outer disciple at the third level of Qi Refining, no one would care.

Yet Zhou Qi had survived—not only accepting the original’s memories, but also his emotions. Fury and a thirst for vengeance welled up within him.

He should return to Zhengyi Sect. Li Gang’s debt had to be settled.

Meanwhile, Li Gang was elated. Zhengyi Sect was holding a commendation ceremony, lauding him for offering up the wild mountain ganoderma. The sect master had promised him a hundred lower-grade spirit stones, and even agreed to admit him as an inner disciple.

An inner disciple—reserved for those who’d reached the Foundation Establishment stage. For someone at only the fifth level of Qi Refining, this was an extraordinary reward. Thinking of the junior brother he’d poisoned, Li Gang spared him three seconds of silent mourning—no more. The dead were not to be pitied.

Sect Master Liu Chengfeng had his own reasons for the ceremony. The ganoderma was urgently needed by Elder Diwu Xingwen, the sect’s highest-ranking Nascent Soul cultivator, whose thousand-year lifespan was nearing its end. Unable to ascend to Divine Transformation, Elder Diwu needed the herb to extend his life. The ceremony was his idea—it was a life-saving medicine, after all.

Liu Chengfeng also wished to change the sect’s corrupt atmosphere. Whenever disciples found spirit stones, rare herbs, or treasures, they kept them hidden rather than turning them in. This was a common malaise among the sects of Celestial Profound. Liu hoped to inspire more contributions through such accolades, but he knew cultivators weren’t fools—the promise of entering the inner sect was a grand gesture.

Today was Li Gang’s day—he was the center of attention, the brightest star in Zhengyi Sect.

While the sect master delivered his stirring address and the envious gazes of his peers washed over him, Li Gang was already envisioning his future in the inner sect, favored by Elder Diwu, marrying the sect master’s daughter Liu Piaopiao, and reaching the pinnacle of life.

Liu Chengfeng’s speech was impassioned, extolling Li Gang’s selfless devotion and urging all to emulate him—if everyone gave a little, the sect’s future would be bright. The disciples, however, had heard such speeches too many times and were nearly asleep.

At last, it was time for the awards. Elder Diwu, as guest of honor, solemnly handed Li Gang a bag of spirit stones and an inner disciple’s token.

Li Gang accepted them and began his acceptance speech: “I didn’t think much of it. I simply wished to ease Elder Diwu’s burdens and serve the sect. As disciples, Zhengyi Sect is our harbor on the path of cultivation. The elders guide us, and I have done only a small thing. I never imagined the sect would honor me so greatly. I…”

“May I ask Senior Brother Li Gang where you found the wild mountain ganoderma?” A sudden voice interrupted him.

Li Gang looked over, his face instantly blanching—for Zhou Qi stood before him, alive.

“Insolence! Who dares disrupt Zhengyi Sect’s ceremony?” the Discipline Elder barked.

The disciples all roused themselves, turning toward the voice. There, not far off, stood a youth in outer disciple robes, stained with mud, hair disheveled, face pale—eyes blazing with fury at Li Gang. Realizing a spectacle was unfolding, everyone perked up.

“Sect Master, Elder Diwu, Discipline Elder, I truly admire Senior Brother Li’s spirit, but I have some doubts I wish to ask him, and I hope my fellow disciples will permit it,” Zhou Qi said, his expression resolute and sincere.

“If you have questions for your senior, you should ask in private, not disrupt our ceremony,” the Discipline Elder replied.

“My questions concern the wild mountain ganoderma and a mysterious poisoning. I beg the elders’ permission,” Zhou Qi said, falling to his knees.

At this, the entire Zhengyi Sect was in uproar—was there more to this story?

“Let him speak,” Elder Diwu commanded.

“You… Don’t slander me! The wild mountain ganoderma was found near Wanzhang Mountain, not far from the sect,” Li Gang stammered, but he’d resolved to stick to his story.

“Oh? Where exactly on Wanzhang Mountain? What was nearby?” Zhou Qi pressed, fixing Li Gang with a piercing gaze.

“I found it by chance. I’ve forgotten the exact place, and didn’t notice what was nearby. I was only thinking of saving Elder Diwu and paid no mind to anything else,” Li Gang replied.

The explanation seemed reasonable, and many nodded.

Seeing this, Li Gang went on, “Junior Brother, I know you’ve always looked down on me, but to accuse me of such a thing on this important day is disappointing. If you had wanted the ganoderma for the sect, you could have told me—I would have given it to you.”

Could Li Gang truly be so selfless? Doubt flickered among the crowd.

Liu Chengfeng could only shake his head in secret. When he’d heard Li Gang had offered the ganoderma, he hadn’t bothered to ask where it came from. To him, it didn’t matter who offered it—Li Gang, Zhou Qi, or anyone else.

“Is that so? You may not know, but I do, because I picked that wild mountain ganoderma for Elder Diwu myself. You poisoned me for it, and now you stand here spouting lies. Where is your conscience?” Zhou Qi shouted, eyes blazing at Li Gang.