1 Transmigrated or reborn?
In a hospital bed was laying a man approximately in his 20s. He looked very exhausted and sick. The reason for his condition was the chemotherapy he was going through. But most importantly, the cancer that was winning against all the attempts of healing. Robert, that was the name of the man, knew about it. But he was already resigned to his fate. In the beginning, he hoped that everything may end well and he would return to the University to continue his education, find love, marry, and live on, but now he could see that even his family had given up despite their attempts to hide.
During his therapy, he got hooked on eastern novels. Some of them he liked, some of them not so much, but most of them were very long and that was good for alleviating his boredom. Reading some of them he liked to imagine himself like those transmigrated heroes of the novels and what he would have done differently if he were in their place.
It's unknown whether his wishes and dreams were heard by some higher power or it was just a coincidence, after he passed away in his sleep his soul was sent to another world, to be exact, to the world of Tales of Demons and Gods, truthfully not one of his favorites. But he was sent and his opinion on this matter wasn't asked.
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On the colossal St. Ancestral Mountain range, sunlight shined through the gap between the mountains into the deep canyons. On the hillside beside the valley, some snow remained.
Even though it's already the early summer, the snow has yet to melt. The cold here is exceptionally long. The roars of beasts can occasionally be heard. On the surface of the valley stood a magnificent city.
The world outside St. Ancestral Mountain has been occupied by the beasts. The people living in the mountain range have not contacted the outside world for hundreds of years. And most people considered themselves the last humans in the world.
In the ages past, humanity had many empires covering the continent under the protection of thousands of Legend rank fighters and Demon Spiritualists. But after the period that is known as the Age of Darkness humanity barely survived.
The city, due to its stealthy location, was well preserved from the Age of Darkness. They would occasionally encounter attacks from powerful Snow Wind Beasts within the St. Ancestral Mountains, however, after going through numerous devastating conflicts, the city was rebuilt again and again.
These motley walls were an indomitable monument.
This city is called Glory City, and it is a symbol of hope for humanity.
Holy Orchid Institute, Fighter Apprentice class
Over thirty students are sitting and are waiting to listen to the female teacher as she imparts her knowledge. These students are a group of Fighter Apprentices of Holy Orchid Institute.
The attention of the class was focused on the teacher. She was tall, dressed in a tightly fitting lavender dress, and looked beautiful and elegant. Her name was Shen Xiu and as a member of the Sacred family, one of the three Major families of Glory city, she was very arrogant and prideful.
But the teacher explaining the lesson to the students wasn't the most important thing happening in the class. At the back of the class, a student was sleeping. But in his soul world, a world-changing battle was happening.
Our transmigrator from Earth Robert and time traveler Nie Li reached the body of the young Nie Li at the same time. If it was just one of them they would have just merged with the soul of the owner of the body with corresponding consequences like the greater influence of the younger soul. Because visitors weren't full souls, they were diminished for some or other reason. Maybe traveling between the worlds or in time was taxing for them or maybe only part of the souls could travel. Whatever the case only the core of their souls were intact with all of their knowledge and they had only one body to occupy.
So they battled. Souls weren't completely conscious so the battle was instinctual. And naturally, twenty-some-year-old ordinary Earther's soul lost against the hundreds of years old cultivator's soul. And old Nie Li's soul absorbed the remains of Robert's soul before merging with his younger self.
This process continued till the end of the lesson and Nie Li continued sleeping. Even though Shen Xiu noticed the sleeping student in the back row and was angry, she was arrogant enough to dismiss him. If some commoner wants to waste his time and money in the academy sleeping instead of learning it's their choice. They wouldn't amount to much anyway. Lu Piao also tried to wake up Nei Li discreetly but gave up after some tries.
Nie Li woke up because someone shaking him. He opened his eyes and was confused. In front of him was some kid that reminded him of someone.
"Wake up sleepyhead. The teacher has already left. How she didn't notice you sleeping I can't understand"
Nie Li looked around confusedly. He had a killer headache and he was in a classroom? He looked around. Children the age of thirteen or so were leaving the room. Then he noticed her. A purple-haired girl in a silk white dress was talking to two other girls. Ye Ziyun. Although she looks young now, Nei knows that, when she grows up a bit more, she will be extremely beautiful and enchanting.
Now Nie Li looking around noticed other recognizable faces. That arrogant kid looked like Shen Yue and the other boy talking with other boys in rough clothes looked like a young Du Ze. And the one who woke him was his childhood friend Lu Piao.
"Are you okay?" asked young Lu Piao lookalike concernedly.
Nie Li remembered being surrounded and attacked by the Sage Emperor and six Deity rank beasts and died in a battle. He had some other strange set of memories as well. Some strange buildings and strangely clothed people. It was all confusing. Nie Li felt his headache intensifying and let out a groan.
"Bud, are you okay?" asked Lu Piao again looking more worried.
"Yeah" Nie Li decided to go outside.
"Wait" shouted Lu Piao and followed him outside.
"You look pale. Maybe we should go to the healers' office" said Lu Piao when they reached the schoolyard.
Nei looked around and recognized the school buildings despite the years passed.
"I am okay. I will rest a bit in a dorm" said Ne li looking at the dormitory building.
"Let's go", said Lu Piao. Only now did Nie Li notice that Lu Piao was carrying his bag.
Nie Li decided to go with the flow for now until he understands what's happening and his headache subsides. Right now he can't even think clearly. They walked to Nie Li's room, all the while Lu Piao looked worriedly at his unsteadily walking friend. Nie Li barely opened his room with a key from his pocket walked to his bed and lay down on it.
Lu Piao awkwardly stared at his barely awake friend and put down Nie Li's bag on the floor and asked "Maybe I should call a healer."
"No, don't worry. I will talk to you tomorrow" said Nie Li. He didn't want to complicate the situation even more before he understands the situation better. After lying down his headache abated a little and he noticed that his soul world was tumultuous. He will look into it first and then will think about the strangeness of the world or the dream he was having.
"Ok," said Lu Piao and hesitantly left his room.
After he was alone Nie Li began his meditation and entered his soul realm. He quickly noticed the difference. It wasn't his old soul, but his young soul before he began his cultivation! Of course, when he was young he couldn't meditate so deep to observe his soul but watching his current soul he couldn't find the scars and mutations his soul acquired after hundreds of years of cultivation.
He imagined if he could observe his soul when he had only begun his cultivation his soul would have looked like this. But he also noticed differences. The core of his soul was his old one before dying and it also felt different than he remembered. When he concentrated on those feelings more he was flooded by images of someone's life. His meditation broke and because of the pain, he lost consciousness.
