1 New world
Chapter One: New World.
-
In this world, martial arts dictate destinies and the balance between life and death. The weak are subject to humiliation, while the mighty disdain the world from above.
Martial Spirit, an intrinsic aptitude of individuals in this world, is akin to one's very soul. The achievements of a martial practitioner are intimately entwined with their martial spirit.
There are diverse categories of martial spirits. These encompass Nature spirits like fire and ice, weapon spirits such as knives and swords, and even Beast spirits like tigers, lions, which also include rare beast like dragons, phoenix.
Furthermore, the world also houses potent soul spirits, but that's a topic for another time. However, in addition, a martial spirit evolves and strengthens alongside its possessor's cultivation.
The various kinds of martial spirits each come with their own advantages. For instance, weapon spirits facilitate a better grasp of weapon principles, while possessing a beast spirit grants the cultivator the attributes and abilities of the corresponding creature.
Likewise, a nature spirit simplifies the understanding of elemental principles, aiding cultivators in manipulating elemental principles effectively.
Huailing city, Duan family mansion.
"Argh!" Seated on his bed, he clutched his head in anguish, a scream tearing from his throat as the pain felt like his skull was splitting apart.
A torrent of images flickered before his eyes, and after enduring agonizing minutes, he found himself gasping for air, his breath ragged. "Haah, Haah," he panted, his chest heaving as the intensity of the experience subsided.
"It can't be," he murmured, a sense of disbelief evident in his voice as he seemed staggered by what he had just undergone.
"Hahaha," he suddenly burst into laughter, the surrealness of the situation seemingly taking hold. "I've been isekai'ed," he muttered under his breath, still grappling to regain his composure. The realization that he had been reincarnated felt like an elusive dream.
His gaze shifted around the room, taking in the ancient and rudimentary surroundings that surrounded him. The ancient and unfamiliar design before him, they all felt distant to him.
Rising to his feet, he swung open the window, greeted by the expanse of the darkened sky and the dense forests extending beyond his dwelling. "I've truly been reborn!" he jubilantly proclaimed; his enthusiasm evident as he gazed at the heavens from his humble cottage.
"Damn!"
"Alright, alright. My name is Lingtian Duan, and I am the young master of the Duan clan, one of the big families on the Huailing continent."
This is right, however, before all this he was originally a denizen of Earth. From a tender age, he had been abducted by a ruthless organization that moulded children into assassins from their earliest years.
With unwavering determination, Lingtian made his way through every challenge that came his way, conquering each trial he faced. However, his journey came to an abrupt end when he was assassinated by the same organisation he served.
Little did he know that his story was far from over—he was about to be reborn in a completely new world.
In his previous life, Lingtian had been subjected to rigorous training as an assassin from a very young age.
He toiled tirelessly, only achieving mastery over these skills by the time he reached eighteen. Along this arduous path, many other children met their demise at the hands of this nefarious organization.
Among his comrades, those he managed to befriend also fell victim to these circumstances. Although Lingtian harbored a deep-seated resentment toward them, he found himself powerless to act at the time. He had barely managed to survive the organization's grueling training regime, and any resistance against them would have likely resulted in his own demise.
Following the completion of his training, Lingtian's involvement with the organization still continued. He embarked on numerous missions for them, further cementing his role within their ranks.
Yet, his twentieth birthday marked a grim turn of events—he fell victim to an assassination executed by the very organization he had served.
Reincarnated into this new and perilous world, Lingtian quickly realized that it was even more fraught with danger than his previous life.
As a prodigy, he possessed incredible and unparalleled talent, which allowed him to initiate his cultivation journey at the tender age of four. By the time he turned six, he had already attained a cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, a remarkable feat by any measure.
His life in this world initially seemed promising. As the designated successor of his family's leadership, he enjoyed preferential treatment and was regarded as a cherished heir.
However, an unexpected twist befell him—his cultivation inexplicably slowed until it came to an abrupt halt. The precise cause of this stagnant progression remained shrouded in mystery, but its consequences were undeniable.
As his cultivation level slowed down, he found himself ostracized and subjected to scorn and disdain from those around him
Even his fiancé at that point started looking at him differently, "Hah~ How cliche." He mused.
Lingtian couldn't help but find the situation eerily reminiscent of the clichés he had encountered in wuxia novels. He chuckled at the irony, recognizing the all-too-familiar pattern unfolding in his life.
Having read a plethora of cultivation novels during his past life, Lingtian was no stranger to the concept of hidden identities and dramatic twists.
Some of the missions he had undertaken in his former role as an assassin required him to assume false personas, leading him to stumble upon the captivating world of wuxia novels. As he delved deeper into these stories, he found himself increasingly engrossed by their narratives.
Despite the mounting adversity he faced in this new world, Lingtian remained undisturbed by all this. You could say he got a sense of familiarity from those wuxia novels because of the repeated hurdles he faced in life how it related to those mc's where they also faced their hurdles but refuse to give up and end up surpassing them.
The stagnant cultivation, coupled with his abandonment by those who once held him in high regard, left him unfazed.
Resigned to the situation, he adopted a pragmatic outlook. Lying back on his bed, he contemplated the recent events. However, his introspection was disrupted by an uncomfortable sensation coursing through his body, hinting at a deterioration in his physical condition.
As Lingtian raised a hand to observe his deteriorated state, he couldn't hold back his frustration. "Damn it, they've really left me in a terrible state," he grumbled, glaring at his own malnourished appearance.
The anger and resentment he had harbored for those who had once been close to him surged forth. "Those ungrateful bastards!" he exclaimed in exasperation.
Rising to his feet, Lingtian's anger was evident in his eyes. "Just watch, I'll make them regret this in the future!" he declared vehemently.
The audacity of their betrayal fueled his determination to succeed and prove himself despite their treachery. His emotions, although tinged with clichéd indignation, spurred him to take action.
After all, as a true young master, he was obligated to demonstrate the rightful path to those arrogant "young masters" who couldn't see beyond their own arrogance. In his mind, they were mere fools who couldn't recognize Mount Tai!
However, Lingtian's fiery determination was briefly interrupted by a thought. He regained his composure and slowly stood up, assuming a cross-legged position. Uncertain of what to do next, he felt a mixture of awkwardness and curiosity.
"If I remember..." As Lingtian delved into the memories of his past life, he found himself gradually disconnecting from the world around him.
His consciousness seemed to meld with the natural flow of energy, drawing Qi into his body.
The process was serene, almost ethereal, as he absorbed the vital essence of the world around him. Yet, as he completed this act, an unsettling realization dawned upon him – there was no perceivable change. The Qi he had just absorbed dissipated into thin air as if it had never existed.
"How Frustrating!" he cursed aloud; the excitement of his reincarnation momentarily overtaken by his disappointment.
His current state, as he labeled it, reminded him of his past self – a "waste" with negligible potential.
However, his exasperation was short-lived, replaced by a more analytical line of thought. "Why did my cultivation suddenly regress?" he wondered, perplexed by the incongruity between his present and past memories.
With a tinge of skepticism, he entertained the possibility of a clichéd explanation – perhaps his cultivation had regressed due to the depletion of Qi during one of those typical, grand awakenings that consumed a substantial amount of vital energy.
The pattern of clichés in his new life thus far made Lingtian speculate that a similarly clichéd explanation could apply here as well. "There must be something overpowered within me," he concluded with a hint of optimism.
The notion of possessing an exceptional hidden talent or power was a common trope in the cultivation novels he had read in his past life. It was almost as if he was living out the storylines he had once consumed as entertainment.
With a mixture of determination and excitement, Lingtian refocused his thoughts. He sat in a cross-legged position, adopting a meditative stance he had seen in many cultivation stories.
If he was going to uncover his hidden potential, he needed to delve into his own body and soul, searching for that elusive "OP" factor that might explain his unique circumstances.
