1 Feng Jianyu

The sun slowly rose in the sky, and as sunlight pierced through the cracks in the wall of a building, it illuminated the hall, which was the size of half a football field. There were chairs on both sides of the hall, and at the center, there was an oversized chair resembling a throne fit for an emperor.

Seated on the throne was a young man of 23 years. He resembled an emperor, but his face was pale, his eyes sunken, and his body so thin that a gust of wind would easily affect him. He clenched onto papers and a stone.

As the sunlight climbed towards him, he pondered the events of the previous night when his grandpa had passed away. He had discovered a letter and a stone token. While he was trying to process the information, the sun suddenly caused him to squint, and then he heard a sound.

[Ding....]

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'Last Night'

"Jian, listen carefully to what I'm about to say," the old man said, gasping for air as he looked at the young man sitting beside him.

Jian moved to help him and tried to stop him from speaking, but the old man continued: "I know you've been trying to leave for the past three years, and I've been stopping you. I'm sorry for that."

"Grandpa..."

"Listen, I stopped you out of selfishness. I used to be the sect master of a renowned sect known throughout the world, but that was a thousand years ago. Now, I'm not even sure if anyone remembers the name of our sect," Grandpa sighed.

"What!" Jian was shocked, as this was the first time he heard about this world. After all, he wasn't who his grandpa thought he was.

His name was Li Chen, and he had died in a bus accident while returning from an interview. Fortunately, he was reincarnated into the body of Jian, who had died due to malnutrition and hunger. He discovered that the name of the body he now inhabited was Fang Jianyu. He lived with his sick grandpa, who was on the verge of dying.

He also learned that they lived in huts on the mountain near ancient buildings, and even though they resided in the mountains, there was a scarcity of food. Furthermore, he was forbidden from leaving the hill.

Jian was a naive boy who obediently followed his grandpa's instructions. So, despite gaining a bit of information, he wasn't convinced. However, he had accepted his role as Jian and Jian's grandpa. Still, he had tried to venture outside and inquire about the world, only to be rejected every time.

After three years of struggling, he was shocked to learn that his grandpa had been a significant figure. He had read in many stories that sect masters were the most powerful beings in the world.

Just as he began to question his grandpa, he noticed his breathing becoming heavier. He was taking his last breath. "Grandpa, drink some water," Jian tried to give him some water to alleviate his discomfort, but his grandpa pushed it aside and, while pointing at the corner of the hut, gasped his last breath.

Jian screamed, "Grandpa," as he witnessed his grandpa's final moments and his gesture towards a corner of the hut. Tears welled up in his eyes, for even though the man before him wasn't his real grandpa, they had lived together for the past three years.

After some time wiping his tears, he looked at the corner where his grandpa had pointed. He moved toward it and discovered that there was nothing there. He sighed, attributing it to his bad luck, and thought that his grandpa had been pointing at nothing. Just as he was about to turn away, he noticed that the wall had been recently repaired. Curious, he tried knocking on it and found a hollow space behind it. After a few knocks, the open space collapsed, revealing pages and a stone token.

He picked them up and realized that it was a letter written by his grandpa before his death.

"Dear Jian,

If you are reading this letter, it means I have passed away...."

As he read the letter, he grew more shocked. It contained all the information he needed. He discovered that the ancient building near the mountain was his grandfather's sect, which had now fallen into ruin. He also learned that he was not his real grandson. He had been found abandoned on the mountain while his grandpa was constructing a hut on the hill.

Furthermore, he learned that he had no talent for cultivation, which was why he had never left his grandpa's side. The letter also revealed the reason for his grandfather's death. Upon finishing reading the letter, he looked at his grandpa and sighed. He then carried his grandpa toward the sect building, as mentioned in the letter, where his grandpa had expressed his wish to be buried in the sect's tomb alongside his ancestors. The entrance to the tomb could be found in the central building underground, and the stone kept with the letter could be used to open the door.

The stone his grandpa mentioned was an object discovered by the founding sect master of the sect, though they were unsure of its purpose, so it had been declared the holy object of the sect. Jian went to the main building and, with the help of the stone, located the tomb and buried his grandfather there.

Afterward, he proceeded to the main hall and sat on the throne intended for the sect master. He pondered deeply on what to do next, knowing that he lacked cultivation talent. Being a mortal in a realm where strength reigned supreme, he believed he wouldn't be able to achieve much. Lost in thought, he failed to notice the passing night and the rising sun in the secret realm. As the sunlight fell upon his face, he squinted and absentmindedly squeezed the stone in his hand, accidentally cutting his hand. Blood dripped onto the stone, and suddenly he heard a sound.

[Ding...]