Time passed. The sun climbed high into the sky, casting its light on the battered figure lying beneath the tree.
Xuan Yan groaned softly and stirred. Slowly, painfully, he opened his eyes.
The moment he tried to move, pain shot through his spine like fire. His back felt broken, his ribs screamed, and his nose throbbed with every breath.
He bit down on his lip to keep from crying out, then slowly pushed himself upright, one trembling hand pressed to his ribs.
Fuck… my spine's cracked. And my nose bone too.
He spat out blood, looked down, and saw his white token lying in the dirt.
So, they took my contribution points again… sigh.
He picked it up, wiped the dust off, and tucked it inside his robe.
That's when he noticed it—the small bottle of pills beside him.
He stared at it, his expression softening.
Again… a pill bottle. Who the hell keeps leaving these for me? It can't be Wu Chen or his dogs—no way they'd waste something this expensive. A single bottle like this is worth at least ten to fifteen contribution points.
He smiled faintly despite the pain.
"I'll return this favor someday," he whispered.
He picked up the bottle carefully, tucked it into his sleeve, and began limping back toward his broken little house.
Each step hurt like hell.
But he didn't stop.
Because deep down—
even after one hundred forty-eight defeats—
Xuan Yan still hadn't learned how to fucking give up.
As Xuan Yan stumbled back into his broken house, his legs barely supporting him, he let out a long, shaky breath. His ribs screamed with pain, his face was swollen, and blood still stained the corner of his mouth.
He walked over to the small, cracked table and opened the pill bottle he had found beside him. Inside, there was only one pill—a small, green one that shimmered faintly in the dim light.
"A First-Grade Healing Pill…" he murmured softly.
Even that was a treasure for someone like him.
Struggling to stay upright, he swallowed the pill. A warm sensation spread through his body, dulling the pain little by little. Then, dragging himself forward, he reached the side of his rough wooden bed and collapsed on it.
His head landed on a black box, smooth and cold to the touch.
With his eyes half-open, he muttered weakly,
This black box… it's good for me. Every time I sleep on it, I recover faster… and I sleep well.
That box had been his only comfort in years of humiliation and pain. He had found it three years ago, deep beneath a lake while he was still advancing in his cultivation. Back then, it had seemed like nothing more than a strange relic, but he liked its feel—so he'd kept it, using it as a pillow ever since.
Within minutes, Xuan Yan drifted into deep sleep. The healing pill began to mend his bruised flesh, closing wounds and soothing his cracked ribs. His breathing steadied.
But then—
A single drop of blood slid from the corner of his mouth, rolling down his cheek before falling onto the black box.
The moment it touched—
Bzzzz…
The box trembled and erupted with a pulse of black light.
The entire room was swallowed in darkness.
Before Xuan Yan could even stir, the black light surged upward and swallowed him whole.
Silence followed.
Inside the black box was not wood or stone—but a vast, boundless space. A dark void stretching infinitely in every direction.
And in that void, Xuan Yan floated, his unconscious body suspended in midair.
Below him was nothing but endless black. Above him, a void without stars or light.
Then, the space rippled.
A figure appeared before him, blurry at first, then slowly taking form—a soul figure, pale and flickering like a ghost.
The figure was that of a young man with long black hair, red pupils, and black sclera, his eyes radiating a sinister light.
An evil grin stretched across his face.
"Hahaha… finally. Someone has found my inheritance," he said, his voice echoing through the emptiness. "At last… I can be revived."
He drifted closer to Xuan Yan's sleeping body, the grin on his face widening.
This body is still weak, he thought with hunger gleaming in his red eyes. But it will do. I can rebuild my power through this one.
With that, his form melted into mist and began seeping into Xuan Yan's body—straight into his Spiritual Sea.
Xuan Yan stirred. Even in his sleep, he felt something—something cold, foreign, invading his core. His brows furrowed.
Then his eyes snapped open.
"W-What the hell…" he gasped, sitting up.
But before he could move, his consciousness was pulled inward—straight into his Spiritual Sea.
The moment he entered, he froze.
He was standing in the middle of a vast, quiet ocean that glowed faintly blue—the sea of his spirit. Above him, the sky was pitch black, stretching endlessly. His soul form floated just above the water's surface.
And there—floating across from him—was the same dark figure, now fully visible, sitting cross-legged in midair. The figure's body shimmered faintly, his eyes closed as he muttered strange incantations, drawing on the energy of the sea.
Xuan Yan's face twisted in shock.
What the fuck—who is this? If he possesses my body, I'll be dead!
Without hesitation, Xuan Yan rushed forward, his spiritual energy surging, and threw a punch straight at the figure.
"You bastard! Who the hell are you?! Get the fuck out of my Spiritual Sea!"
The figure's red eyes snapped open.
"Tsk… he woke up," the soul muttered in annoyance.
He raised his hand, blocking the punch easily. But the force behind Xuan Yan's blow made his arm tremble slightly. The figure frowned.
His willpower… it's absurdly strong for someone this weak.
He jumped back, creating distance, his expression darkening.
Fuck… my soul's still weak. I died long ago, and my essence hasn't recovered.
But Xuan Yan didn't give him a moment's rest. His fury exploded like a storm.
He rushed forward again, his spirit body glowing faintly blue, and launched a barrage of punches.
"Get out! Get out of my body, you fucking parasite!"
The figure blocked one strike, then another—but each one made him reel backward, his form flickering under the force.
Even weakened, Xuan Yan's willpower was overwhelming—unyielding, wild, burning with rage and defiance.
The dark figure clenched his teeth as he barely held back another punch.
Damn it… this kid's spirit is too strong…now i regret my decision...!
Xuan Yan clenched his fists, his spirit body trembling as he gathered every ounce of spiritual energy he could muster. The blue light around him flared violently, swirling into his arm. His teeth ground together as he roared,
"GET OUT OF MY BODY, YOU FUCKING GHOST!"
His punch shot forward like a thunderclap, his spiritual energy condensing into his fist. It struck the figure square in the face.
BAM!
The impact was devastating. The dark figure's head snapped back, his body flung across the Spiritual Sea like a ragdoll. His soul flickered wildly, distorting as if it might shatter and vanish completely.
He hovered there, barely stable, eyes wide with shock.
Wait… this energy… this Yang energy is pure—far purer than even mine was at my peak…!
The figure's eyes widened in disbelief. I cultivated for five hundred years to reach that purity, and this boy—this fucking boy—has it naturally?!
He gritted his teeth and shouted, desperation creeping into his voice, "Wait! Don't attack! Let's talk, boy!"
Xuan Yan didn't lower his guard. His spirit flared brighter, ready to attack again.
The figure continued hurriedly, "I know you've been stuck in your cultivation for three years, haven't you?"
Xuan Yan froze for a moment, suspicion in his eyes. "Yeah… so what if I am? You tried to possess my body, bastard. How the hell do you expect me to believe anything you say?"
The figure's expression twisted. His lower half was already fading away into smoke.
"Listen," he said, his tone urgent. "That box you use—the one you call your pillow—that's not just some random artifact. It's my inheritance—Annihilation Demon God's Tomb. I don't want it to vanish along with me. I'm asking you… become my successor."
Xuan Yan frowned, his spiritual form folding his arms as he looked the fading soul up and down. "Your successor, huh? And what's in it for me? You're saying if I accept, I'll be able to cultivate again?"
The figure's chest was already transparent, flickering like a dying flame.
"Yes… yes!" he said, his voice cracking. "Inside that black box are techniques and treasures—things beyond your imagination. You'll unlock one of them once you break through to your next layer. So… will you accept, boy?"