Absorbing System

Ling Yun Manor, an expansive estate owned by the prestigious Lins, was nestled in the rolling hills of a lush valley to the south. Surrounding the manor were pristine forests that added to its allure and babbling brooks that contributed to the symphony of nature. From a distance, one could gaze at the imposing structure of the manor itself, with its towering spires that seemed to pierce the sky and intricate carvings that adorned the walls, each more majestic than the last.

However, on this particular day, the sky was not so picturesque. Dark clouds loomed above, casting a dreary mood over the otherwise beautiful scenery. The air was charged with static electricity, and every so often, a bolt of lightning would streak across the sky, illuminating the landscape in a brief but brilliant flash. The rain poured down in sheets, pelting against the windows of the manor with a rhythmic patter.

Inside one of the rooms within the estate, an old man silently gazed out of the window, watching as the servants braved the storm to tend the gardens. He held a cup of tea, his gaze indifferent and calm, as if the storm outside was of no concern to him.

Knock! Knock!

The sound of knocking broke the silence, causing the old man to shift his gaze to the door. His expression was dark and foreboding, and he seemed to be expecting someone.

"Come in," he said, taking a sip of his tea.

The door creaked slowly, and a man in a black robe entered the room, immediately kneeling on the ground when he saw the elder. "Greetings to the grand Elder," he said with respect.

"Stand up," the grand Elder said, his voice heavy with a tone that hinted at his displeasure.

The black-robed man obediently followed the command and awaited further instruction.

The grand Elder was silent for a minute before asking, "Is the matter done?"

"Reporting to the Elder, everything has been planned smoothly. Tomorrow's execution will proceed as it should."

The black-robed man replied in a flat tone that made him appear more like a puppet than a human.

"Good. Nothing should go wrong. Do not be overly relaxed. Some unforeseen things might happen. Go on, report if something happens."

As the black-clothed man disappeared from the room, the grand Elder looked out towards the garden. On closer inspection, the movements of the servants seemed odd. It was raining heavily, yet they were walking around the garden like puppets. Some tended the grasses with meticulous attention to detail, while others were crawling on the ground, drawing intricate symbols in the mud with swift and precise movements.

His eyes flashed with excitement, a chilling smile spreading across his face. There was even a trace of anticipation in his gaze.

"Soon…soon, the darkness will fall from the sky," he muttered to himself as another bolt of lightning illuminated the sky outside, briefly casting his room in an eerie glow.

His sinister laugh echoed in the rain.

…

[New Owner Detected]

Lin Xueqin calmly stared at the line of words. However, he couldn't help but feel startled by what he saw.

The holographic words seemed to be from a futuristic or modernized world like Earth.

He raised his hand to touch the floating words, but to his surprise, they disappeared when he lifted his hand from the ground.

It was as if the words were just a product of his imagination.

"Weird."

Confused, he placed his hand back on the ground.

[New Owner Detected]

The words reappeared once again like a ghost.

"There must be something on the ground!"

He scanned the area around his hand and noticed that he was actually touching the bones on the ground, but something else caught his attention. A bright flash appeared and quickly vanished, prompting him to scatter the bones away.

Left on the ground was a rusted-brownish stone.

With further inspection, it was actually not a stone, but more like a jade. Perhaps due to it being covered in the earth and bones for many years, its appearance underwent some changes.

"What stone is this?"

Lin Xueqin grabbed the stone and held it in front of him. He wiped the mud on it with his clothes and its appearance slowly recovered.

After cleaning it for three minutes, the stone transformed into a transparent crystal.

[New Owner Detected]

This line of words still floated in the air.

Lin Xueqin had no idea what this crystal was and what benefits it would give to him.

He also had no idea how to use it. From the looks of it, this enigmatic stone was simply a useless stone at the moment. Unless he discovered its uses, he could only treat it as an ordinary stone.

Lin Xueqin tested the stone, trying different ways to activate the crystal, but it didn't respond.

"What exactly is this stone?" Lin Xueqin frowned, slightly annoyed.

Time was of the essence. He had to save time as much as possible.

He had still not given up on this world. He was thinking of a plan to escape this whole time. However, due to the discovery of this stone, his time was wasted.

"Forget it. For now, I'll think of a plan to escape."

Lin Xueqin put the stone in his pocket and stood up, trying to figure out his situation.

Two hours passed.

Lin Xueqin punched the wall with frustration. After looking around and listening to the conversation between the escort and the guard a few meters away from him, he realized that he was in the most secure prison of the Lin Family.

There was a passive formation around this prison. Once something went wrong, that formation would be activated, binding everyone inside except those that controlled it or the one that it allowed to move.

He knew there was no way to escape this tight security, especially with his injuries hindering his every move.

"Damn it!" Lin Xueqin bit his lips. As he thought about his situation, he was reminded of the fact that he was now in a world of cultivation, something he had always dreamed of. But why did fate have to play him like this?

Lin Xueqin could not accept it.

"No matter what happens, even if the heavens fall and the earth are destroyed, I will be alive!"

Lin Xueqin clenched his fists tightly. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly remembered the stone he picked up earlier.

He took it out of his pocket.

[New Owner Detected]

Looking at the stone and the same line of words, Lin Xueqin suddenly realized something. He bit his thumb and then squeezed it tightly.

Following that, he placed the stone on the ground and allowed his blood to drip onto it.

As his blood touched the stone, it began to flash with a brilliant crimson light. The words in the air vanished, and another line of words replaced it.

['The Fragment of the Fallen Stone' is wiping the ownership of the previous owner]

['The Fragment of the Fallen Stone' has wiped the ownership of Lin Jia, the previous owner]

['The Fragment of the Fallen Stone' is confirming the new Owner]

['The Fragment of the Fallen Stone' approved the new Owner]

[You have become the new successor of 'The Entity outside Entity']

[You have inherited the innate unique skill 'Absorbing System']