How to Bring Common Sense to Xianxia World

An offer you can’t refuse

Within the indescribable darkness, the first vestige of memory flickered to life.

A sharp pain in his left chest and the crushing sensation, like a hammer striking the same spot, came to mind before the vision faded again into darkness.

"Wake up, William Carter."

At the sound of a powerful and majestic voice calling his name, William opened his eyes.

Before him was the scene of a vast hall, its architecture reminiscent of what one would find in a Xianxia manhua. The grand chamber was built from dark wood, and eerie green-blue flames floated around the pillars like lanterns.

The chilled air, the endless darkness, and the red glow on the horizon told him one thing…. he was definitely not on Earth. Coupled with that piece of memory in his mind, only one thought surfaced.

"Am I dead?" William muttered, his gaze drifting forward, where it caught sight of a towering figure.

The figure was clad in a black robe, the kind one might see in an ancient Chinese drama. William was stunned, not only by the figure's immense size but also by the dark and oppressive aura it emanated.

Its face was a pale skeleton, with a deep green light glowing within the darkness of its eye sockets. The sharp contours of its bones and the faint trace of fangs on its teeth made the sight even more terrifying.

The figure sat on a dark throne made of some kind of jade… or perhaps obsidian, adorned with gold. In front of it stood a massive desk, the size of a house, with several piles of documents stacked like mountains upon its surface.

William, a simple American dude, trembled at the vision before him. Never had he imagined that one day he would witness such a scene, standing in judgment before the lord of the underworld.

Make no mistake, William was a Christian. At least, he thought so. Though the number of times he had actually set foot in a church during his short life could easily be counted on one hand.

"Err… hello?" William raised his hand in the familiar "we come in peace" gesture, mimicking the greeting from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

What William didn't know was why the hell he had ended up in this kind of hell. Last time he checked, he was fairly certain he didn't have any Asian ancestors.

The figure in dark looked at William. There was nothing William could discern from the figure's skeletal face, whether it was anger, happiness, or irritation.

"There are many things I want to correct about you, William Carter," the figure spoke.

"But first, let's start with that." The figure pointed at William's "We come in peace" gesture. "I'm not some extraterrestrial life form in Spielberg's movie, so stop it."

William immediately lowered his hand.

"Good…" The figure nodded. His bony hand picked up the documents in front of him, while his other hand reached for a pair of glasses resting on the desk and put them on.

"Hmmm…" The lord of death hummed softly, looking over the document.

"William Carter. Your streamer name: Zane Boombox. Age: 32. Died: 23 August 202X. Working as a content creator, you took the path of a nuisance streamer after stumbling into accidental fame from toxic streaming. You were quite successful, amassing a net worth of more than 20 million US dollars." The lord of death adjusted his glasses as he read.

"Your girlfriend, Cindy Liu, broke up with you due to the stress caused by constant harassment from your haters. Your family also suffered collateral damage, receiving death threats and grotesque packages sent to their home.

After the anti-nuisance movement gained traction, you were about to be banned from your platform. But in a reckless bid for your career, you doubled down on nuisance streaming by blasting a boombox in an angry neighborhood in Texas, where you were shot with a hunting rifle.

The bullet struck your heart, and you died instantly, ending both your life and career."

The lord of death set the document down, looking at William through the lens.

"Is there any mistake in what I've read?"

William was shaken. That was the sum of his life right there! Now he was sure that he was definitely dead, and this place was some kind of hell.

"Yes, your honor… there's no mistake."

"Your honor?" The god of death touched his chin, thinking. "I'm not your judge… but… maybe you're right. You may call me your honor."

William nodded and waited for the god of death to continue.

"William Carter. As you can see," the god of death raised his hand, gesturing to the great hall, "this place is not your world… at least, not the version of hell you were supposed to go to."

William was startled. "You mean… I'm in another world's hell? Don't tell me I've ended up in some kind of Xianxia version of hell? Hahaha."

He forced a laugh to lighten the mood, but the god of death nodded in confirmation.

"You're serious?" William muttered.

The god of death pointed his bony hand at his own face.

"Does this face look like someone who's joking?"

Even if it did, how would I know? There's not even a shred of flesh on your damn face!

William smiled wryly, keeping the thought to himself. Still, he couldn't shake the sense that the god of death was amused by his reaction… though maybe it was just his imagination.

The lord of death steepled his bony hands in front of his mouth, letting William feel the weight of his next words.

"I'll get to the point, William Carter. I want you to help me…" He glanced at the mountain of documents stacked beside him. "Reduce my workload."

"Your honor… you want me to help with your documents?" William pointed at himself. Just one look at those towering piles of paperwork was painful enough.

The lord of death snickered. "Of course not. Who would let an idiot handle their documents? I'd have to re-check every single one that passed through that idiot's hands."

William: …

"I mean… too many people are dying up there. Killings, sect wars, duels, especially those so-called sect and clan annihilations! Hundreds of thousands die every single day, and their souls are all powerful. Those high-ranking cultivators are the worst; they are arrogant bastards who think they're destined to rule this damn place!"

His explanation turned into a rant mid-way as he gestured toward the horizon of the underworld outside the great hall.

"Can you imagine!? Some of them are strong enough to beat up my lieutenants, and I've had to beat the shit out of them myself! Even for me, that's too much! I am the ruler of death, not some low-level laborer! If I have to do everything myself, then why the hell did I even hire them?

To drain away my god damn underworld qi!?"

At the end of his rant, the lord of death seemed to calm down, as if he had vented all of his frustration.

"Ahem…" The Lord of Death faked a cough to regain his composure. Then he returned to the same posture, steepling his hands in front of his mouth.

"I'm going to give you an offer you can't refuse," he began, raising one hand and pointing upward.

Are you some kind of a mob boss? William retorted inside his mind.

"I'll give you a second chance at life, with a little bonus to enjoy while you're up there. In return, I want you to reduce the death rate in the mortal realm," the Lord of Death stated plainly.

The offer was very tempting, but… stopping a sect war? Stopping people from dying? As a content creator and a nuisance streamer at that, he had no idea how to do that! If he knew, he wouldn't have become a nuisance streamer in the first place. He would have already won a Nobel Peace Prize!

"But how? How can I do that?" William asked.

The Lord of Death nonchalantly gestured toward him. "How would I know? You are the solution I brought into this world. It's your job, not mine," he said, as if it were none of his business.

"Me? A solution?" William frowned. "Why are you so sure that I'm the solution? More importantly, why are you calling me, an American, to a world tied to Chinese lore and mythology? Shouldn't you be summoning someone with the surname Yun, Chen, Li, or Lin?"

"First!" The Lord of Death raised his bony index finger. "I'm sure you are the solution because I asked Heaven for a prophecy, and the one with the greatest chance of fixing my problem was you."

"Second!" He raised another finger. "I already invited the people you mentioned, and nine times out of ten, they made things worse. They tried to unify the world, only for it to fall apart again later. When you subtract the deaths from their so-called unification, the lives saved were not worth the investment."

"Third!" He raised a third finger. "You're an avid fan of Wuxia and Xianxia novels. I even know you have an American Chinese girlfriend because you wanted a jade beauty of your own. So, I think you should be able to come up with a solution based on your preferences."

William: ….

"So, what will it be, William Carter? Will you accept?" asked the Lord of Death.

"If I don't accept, what will become of me?" William asked.

"I'll send you back to your world, and you'll be processed according to your underworld system. And I can tell you, living the life of a nuisance streamer is not good for you. Although you're not a mass murderer, a genocide war criminal, a douchbag corrupt politician, or a drug lord, those people are major league and will surely go to eternal hell. But…. you shouldn't expect anything like heaven either, if you know what I mean," the Lord of Death explained.

Hearing this, William gulped down his saliva. He knew he wasn't one of those major league heavyweights, sure, but he didn't want to find out what awaited him. He wasn't a saint, but he wasn't a bad guy either… 

Well… maybe making a career as a nuisance streamer did make him a bad guy.

So, if he refused, he might end up facing his due and suffering the final consequences, something he desperately wanted to avoid.

"Err… let me think for a bit, Your Honor…" William said as he tried to rack his brain for a solution.

After a brief moment, William said, "Alright… I accept."

The Three Wishes

Hearing this, the lord of death leaned forward.

"Eight years…." He pointed at William, "That's all you're getting. I'm not waiting centuries, or even decades, for you to stumble around trying to unite the realm. That kind of nonsense never works. At the end of the eighth year, if you fail… your life ends. Simple as that."

The Lord's eyes blazed with an eerie green fire, the light burning in his hollow sockets like an abyss staring back at William.

William was shaken, but he quickly calmed himself. His nerves were surprisingly strong for a simple guy from the modern age.

"Okay, you don't need to worry. I think… I have a solution that does not require uniting the realm!"

"You think?" The Lord of Death's eyes bore into William, as if trying to discern his intent.

"Yes… But before I can give you a definite answer, let me ask you something about the mortal realm first," said William.

"Ask away."

William then began questioning the Lord of Death about the mortal realm, confirming many of his suspicions.

According to the Lord of Death, the mortal realm was called Primordial Expanse (鸿蒙大荒 - Hóngméng Dàhuāng). It resembled the world of a Xianxia novel. Its territory was immense, so vast that William suspected the planet itself might be several times larger than Earth.

There were countless pocket realms and hidden realms, along with sects, empires, dynasties, and clans. There was even a higher realm where cultivators of greater power resided.

It felt as though every element of the Xianxia genre had converged into this one Primordial Expanse Universe.

They spent a long time in questions and answers, with the Lord of Death showing remarkable patience as he responded to everything William asked, until William had no questions left.

With all this information in mind, William now felt confident he could succeed.

"Yes… Your Honor. I think I have at least an eighty percent chance of success."

Hearing this, the Lord of Death immediately grew interested. He leaned closer to the desk, resting his chin against his steepled hands in front of his mouth.

"Oh? Let's hear it. What are you going to do?"

"Yes, I'll do what I'm best at, streaming," William started.

"Huh? Tell me more."

William smirked as he glanced at the mountainous piles of documents stacked on the Lord of Death's desk.

"Your honor… I could tell you… But my bread and butter was streaming. Don't you think spoiling the content ahead of time would ruin the fun? You wouldn't enjoy it as much if I told you everything now." William asked with a daring smile.

He had noticed that the Lord of Death was a rather chill guy, which was why he decided to test the waters, to see if he could befriend him, or at least get on his good side. After all, he was just a simple man with nothing to protect himself.

Besides, from what William had asked a moment ago, it seemed that entertainment in this world was quite limited. Poetry gatherings, live music that required skill to perform, visiting brothels, or gambling, those were the kinds of amusements that belonged to ancient times.

So William figured the Lord of Death might need something new to stave off his boredom, a distraction from endless paperwork. A dose of fun content might be exactly what he needed before returning to work with fresh energy.

"Ohh ho ho ho, so you want to surprise me?" The Lord of Death leaned forward, his voice filled with amusement. "Fine, I'll hold on to that."

He leaned back against the massive throne, his skeletal frame sinking into the backrest.

"Now, I'll grant you three wishes. You may ask for anything within my power. However, I suggest you choose things that can aid your work and enhance your survival. Don't waste them on something completely unrelated, like asking for a jade beauty."

Wait… I can't!?

William thought, but he quickly calmed himself down and began to consider the three things he truly needed.

"Then, for my first wish, I need something that can help me stream and broadcast to places where people gather, like city squares or sects. Preferably, it should also have functions similar to a video editor from my previous world." William declared.

"Granted!" The Lord of Death nodded and extended his hand. A green orb materialized in his large, bony palm and floated toward William.

The moment it touched William's chest, he felt an unbreakable bond form between himself and the orb.

"This orb will serve as both your camera and broadcasting artifact. It will project an indestructible spirit screen, unless someone strikes with enough force to destroy the entire underworld itself; nothing can break it. The orb shares this same indestructible property. It even has smart functions connected directly to your mind, allowing it to help you edit in real time! Or you could manually edit it." The Lord of Death announced proudly.

Damn… this thing is amazing. I wish I'd had it back on Earth; it would have saved me so much hassle.

"But…" The Lord of Death raised his finger. "The broadcast range will depend on your own cultivation. For starters, if you are in the Qi Refining Realm, the range would be about three to five million kilometers in radius. If you advance to the Foundation Establishment, the range will be about three hundred to five hundred million kilometers in radius,"

"God… that's crazy…" William muttered.

"No, it's not. Five million kilometers is just the size of a small prefecture, and five hundred million kilometers is the size of a province," said the Lord of Death.

What!? How big is this goddamn place!? William was startled. Listening to the scale, this was beyond crazy.

"Anyway, what about the second wish?" the Lord of Death asked.

After calming down, William began to think and asked for his second wish.

"For the second wish, I want an unlimited supply of artifacts that will allow cultivators or even ordinary mortals to interact with the chat room, create forums, and donate spirit stones. I need this so I can build a network for them to enjoy my streaming," William said.

"Hmmm…" The Lord of Death touched his chin, thinking.

"There is no such thing as true unlimited or infinite. Even the underworld qi in my realm is finite. But like water, it circulates, renews, and sustains itself. So… how about this? I will grant you the knowledge to craft such artifacts, and I'll give you one hundred samples to start with," the Lord offered.

William nodded. "Yes, that works as well, your honor."

"Very well, granted!" The Lord of Death waved his hand.

With that gesture, knowledge flooded into William's mind, engraved so deeply it was impossible to forget. He now understood how to craft the artifacts. He even knew how to customize them to his liking and was capable of applying things like post-launch patches to improve them.

The artifact is like a small smartphone, but instead of modern technology, it uses spirit qi screens and other Xianxia-style mumbo jumbo.

"For your last wish, I suggest you ask for something that will help you survive," the Lord of Death advised.

"For the third wish, I wish for a system… or some kind of connection between you and me, so that I can use my merit to redeem rewards from you!"

"No…" The Lord of Death denied.

William let out a sigh of disappointment. It was impossible after all. As expected, things like an almighty system were just fantasies from novels. But the next words from the Lord of Death lifted his mood.

"The merit points for redeeming rewards from me are a basic employee incentive. I intended for you to have a way to contact me and exchange merit for rewards anyway. Change your wish."

Your honor… you…

ARE THE BEST!

Your company is awesome! I'm honored to be your employee!

After giddying in his mind like a boy in a toy shop, William thought hard.

"Hmmm…" This time, William thought for a long while. He didn't know much about physiques, qi, sutras, or powers that could help him.

"Your honor, can you recommend some kind of physique, power, or cultivation method that'll let me quickly become an overpowered chad? Or at least something that allows me to travel anywhere in the world for streaming?" he asked.

"Hmmm…" The Lord of Death thought for a moment.

"Then I'll grant you a physique as strong as your soul can host without hindering you, along with a cultivation method The 'Samsara Sovereign's Scripture, along with some powerful moves that's simple as pie to cultivate and train yet quite powerful. Both will be upgradeable. You may use merit points to enhance them afterward, once you're strong enough. How about that?"

"Yes, your honor! That's supremely fine with me!" William said with a smile and double thumbs-up.

"Then granted!" The Lord of Death waved his hand grandly.

With that gesture, William's body slowly faded before turning into motes of light and vanishing.

— ??? —

William's vision faded to black as his consciousness returned to the pitch-dark void once again, before sensations began to ripple through his body.

A cramp and the uncomfortable hardness pressing against his back told him he was lying inside some kind of casket.

He opened his eyes but saw only darkness. Slowly, his vision adjusted until he could make out a wooden lid above him.

Was he really inside a casket!?

William raised his hand and tried to push it open.

Crash!

His hand easily plowed through the wooden lid with only a little strength.

The sensation from his hand reaching outside, along with the chilled air leaking down through the opening, told him that he was buried just below the surface.

Quickly, William used both hands to tear apart the rest of the lid, opening a wide enough hole for him to climb out.

As he rose, the cold wind brushed against his face. The air filled his lungs as he took a deep breath of the fresh, cold night.

He had finally been reborn!

He looked around and saw that he was in a dilapidated cemetery. Many coffins were scattered nearby, and half-dug pits marked the ground. Old tools such as hoes and shovels lay abandoned around the area.

He was alone in this cemetery…

Wei Chen Cultivates

Suddenly, a flood of knowledge and memories invaded his mind. It was the common knowledge of this world: language, notable towns, cities, empires, sects, and even basic survival skills used by vagabonds and wanderers.

Amongst them was knowledge of Samsara Sovereign's Scripture cultivation methods and several powerful combat techniques. All of them were associated with the underworld and death. He was certain that if anyone were to see this set of techniques, they would immediately categorize him as part of a demon sect.

But there was one key difference: he didn't gain the memories of the body's former owner, unlike the protagonists in transmigration novels. There were no signs, no lingering memories that told him who the original owner was or what kind of person they had been.

He climbed out of the coffin, though his legs were still numb. It must have been that the body's former owner had remained in the coffin for a long time before William transmigrated into it.

The moment he got out, his body collapsed onto the ground, his legs unable to support him as they struggled to adjust to movement.

At that moment, an ethereal green orb flew out of his chest, projecting a screen that showed the image of the Lord of Death sitting behind his desk like a video call.

"Ah, you're finally awake!" the Lord of Death began.

William really wanted to reply, "Hello, Ralof," but considering the other party's identity, he held himself back from making such a stupid joke.

The Lord of Death continued, "It's been a month since I sent you to the mortal realm. How do you feel?"

"Ugh… feel like sh*t, your honor. I'm numb all over my body." William tried hard to maintain a sitting posture as blood finally began to circulate through his limbs.

"Yeah, sleeping in a closed coffin without moving for a month would definitely do that. Fortunately, you managed to awaken the Demon Suppression Body during that time, so there will be no lasting damage. Just a bit of numbness until your body adjusts," said the Lord of Death.

William nodded, and the Lord of Death continued.

"You've already received the necessary knowledge I engraved into your soul, along with the Samsara Sovereign's Scripture cultivation methods and combat techniques you wished for.

Moreover, in order for you to fully integrate into this world without breaking the laws of rebirth, you must have a new identity. William has already died, so you must take on a new name. What will it be?" the Lord of Death asked, his hand ready to write the name on the paper before him.

"Ummm… how about Wei Chen? Surname Wei, name Chen. It's easy to remember."

"Wei Chen? That's a fine name. 'Wei' (伟) means great or extraordinary, and 'Chen' (辰) refers to celestial time, dragon, or heavenly body, such as a star," the Lord of Death explained as he wrote the name onto the document in his hand.

The moment the Lord of Death finished writing, the memory of his old name began to fade from his mind like an indescribable mist. It felt as if the name William belonged to someone else. If he didn't deliberately try to recall it, he would forget that it had ever been his. From now on, he would no longer use that name.

His body suddenly felt several times lighter, as though it had belonged to him since birth. The numbness quickly faded away, as if it had never been there.

"Done!" said the Lord of Death.

"Now, you are Wei Chen. This broadcasting orb I gave you will also serve as space storage, and also your means to contact me, and through it, you can redeem your merit points.

The points you earn will depend on the strength of the soul you save. For example, saving a simple mortal without cultivation will give you 1 point, while a cultivator at the Qi Condensation realm will give you 3 points. The amount scales depending on their realm.

I won't bore you with the entire merit score table. All you need to remember is that the stronger they are, the more points you will receive."

"Understood," Wei Chen nodded.

"Good. Now you may begin your work. Remember, you only have 8 years," the Lord of Death instructed.

​

"Oh, I almost forgot. Welcome to the Primordial Expanse," said the Lord of Death.

​

"Primordial Expanse" is the name of the universe Wei Chen is currently in. This place is divided into two realms: the lower realm, where the lower-ranked cultivators live, and the higher realm, where the most powerful beings reside.

​

After greeting him, the Lord of Death was about to sever the connection, but Wei Chen raised his hand.

​

"Wait! Your honor!"

​

The Lord of Death stopped. "What's the matter?"

​

"Why only 8 years, your honor? Does this number have a deeper meaning? Is something going to happen, like a heaven convergence or something similar?" Wei Chen asked.

"Oh! In your world, the presidential term is 4 years, right? So I gave you time equal to two terms of presidency. That way, whatever you do in the first 4 years can have results in the next 4 years," the Lord of Death explained.

Why do I get the feeling he knows a lot about modern-day knowledge? The guy even knows about Spielberg… does he usually take vacations on Earth? No… it shouldn't be, right? Wei Chen thought.

After the clarification, the Lord of Death said goodbye and cut the connection between him and Wei Chen.

Alone in the cemetery, Wei Chen slowly stood up and looked around before turning his gaze on himself. He was wearing a plain white hemp robe riddled with holes. The fabric was covered in dirt and had already turned a dirty yellow, making it look as though the body he now inhabited had once been one of the old corpses buried in this cemetery.

He didn't know exactly what the Lord of Death had done to restore this body to such a degree, but he was certain it had been reconstructed using one of the corpses here as a medium.

But it didn't matter. This body was his, end of story. Now he needed to find new clothes; he couldn't stand wearing these tainted rags any longer.

Wei Chen walked through the vast cemetery, stretching as far as the eye could see. Judging by its sheer size, there might have been more than a million people buried here. It was even larger than the Calvary Cemetery in New York.

Following the knowledge engraved in his mind, he rushed across the cemetery grounds toward the exit. After about ten minutes, he finally arrived at the cemetery gate.

Before him stood a massive structure, the entrance built into a sword-shaped stone that served as both the pillar and the foundation of the gate.

Carved into the stone were the words: Vagabond Ancient Cemetery.

Wei Chen marveled at the sight. This was the first time he had ever seen something like it. If he had a smartphone, he would have already taken a picture.

Wait…. taking a picture? An idea hit him.

He then tried commanding the broadcasting orb to capture an image of the gate without going live.

The orb floated out from his back, and with a split-second flash, it hovered in front of him. A hologram-like image of the gate appeared before his eyes.

"Damn… this is so sci-fi," Wei Chen muttered.

He kept the orb back in his body and continued on his journey. He needed to reach the nearest human settlement, and from the knowledge the Lord of Death had bestowed upon him, he knew there was a small farming village about thirty kilometers away.

He walked through the night, surprised to find his body many times stronger than it had been before. Is this the power of the Demon Suppression Body? He hadn't even started cultivating yet, but… what would happen once he did?

With that thought in mind, Wei Chen began to use the senses he had gained after rebirth to feel the air around him. There was a strange sensation, like fresher air mixed with a heavy, turbid moisture. It wasn't something visible to the naked eye; it could only be sensed.

"This must be the so-called spiritual qi," Wei Chen muttered.

He followed the spiritual qi, tracing it to where the sensation grew thickest, like a fog hanging heavy in the air, until he found a strange cave. The cave was tucked deep within the mountain forest, its surroundings offering a breathtaking view that could easily be considered a natural wonder if it existed on Earth.

A massive waterfall, grander and taller than Niagara, roared nearby, with various beasts and flying creatures soaring across the horizon. A rainbow formed from the mist of the waterfall stretched across the valley, creating a breathtaking scene of wonder.

Wei Chen entered the cave and found a comfortable spot to sit down.

"Alright, time to sit on my ass until I reach the highest realm possible," he muttered.

According to the Lord of Death, cultivation in this world, called the Primordial Expanse, is divided into ten main realms.

But in the so-called lower realm he currently found himself in, there were only six stages available before the laws of the universe forced cultivators to ascend.

Qi Refining Realm: The starter realm everyone has to slog through if they want to cultivate. There are nine levels in this realm.

Foundation Establishment Realm: The realm where you lay your foundation. Pretty important, second only to Core Formation. As the name suggests, it sets the groundwork for the rest of your cultivation.

Core Formation Realm: The most important stage, according to the Lord of Death. This is where your future is decided, either stay as a lifelong loser or become a monster capable of bitchslapping even higher-realm cultivators.

Nascent Soul Realm: Here, you form a nascent soul, which lets you pull off spiritual attacks, stash away a backup life, and even rebirth if your body gets wrecked.

Soul Transformation Realm: Nothing fancy here, just polishing and strengthening your soul, getting it ready for getting zapped by heavenly tribulation if you want to move up.

Void Refining Realm: After getting zapped by heavenly tribulation, you use that lightning as startup capital to refine both body and soul, merging them into one. In this realm, you also unlock domain expan…. ahem… a domain! Basically, your own personal arena where you get crazy buffs and can beat the crap out of anyone dumb enough to step inside.

Beyond this lies the major leagues. Cultivators at that level are forced to ascend whether they like it or not, unless they've got some shady trick that lets them cheat and stay behind on the "newbie server," even though their rank belongs with the elite freaks up above.

With that knowledge, Wei Chen sat down and began channeling his qi according to the teachings the Lord of Death had given him.

Nascent Soul!?

The qi converged as Wei Chen felt an energizing rush flow from the outside into his body, gathering in his stomach where his dantian should be. The sensation was refreshing, like being submerged in an onsen, as his entire body was revitalized by a strange, renewing power.

The feeling was intoxicating. No wonder cultivators can sit for so long, he thought. There's no numbness or pain at all, just endless revitalization, like the cells and muscles themselves are constantly renewed.

At this moment, he could feel his strength steadily increasing.

Qi Refining… Level 1… Level 2… Level 3… all the way to Level 9.

Suddenly, something inside his body shifted dramatically, as if he had just taken a great leap. The qi within his dantian condensed from a mist-like substance into a solid state, forming a foundation. Yet the flow did not stop, nor did it slow down.

From what the Lord of Death had told him, in this cultivation realm, it all depended on the comprehension of each individual, how they used their own knowledge to form their foundation.

For example, idiots who just wanted something quick and easy would break through the Foundation Establishment stage to Core Formation using wood or even plain soil as their foundation. The result? They'd usually get bitch-slapped by cultivators from prominent sects that are in the lower realms than them.

Why? Because soil or wood are the most basic materials, the stuff penniless cultivators can easily study and comprehend. But why don't they use iron? Yeah, that's where the word idiot really comes in.

As for him, with his access to far more knowledge and modern science, he wasn't about to settle for something so cheap. If he were going to build a foundation, he'd use the densest celestial body known to man.

A black hole.

Yes, let's use a black hole as the basis for the foundation comprehension.

For a start, let's use the moon. By compressing it into a black hole, its mass would become dense enough to sustain itself without dissipating, reducing its size to a fine grain with a spherical diameter of about 2 mm.

With this in mind, Wei Chen began working toward forming his foundation.

…

Outside the cave, a vortex of qi began to form, swirling like a tornado as it violently pulled in spiritual energy from the surrounding area.

Trees and grass swayed wildly in the wind caused by the suction of spiritual qi. Spirit beasts and animals panicked, running and trampling over one another as they fled, terrified they might be caught up in the vortex.

True to instinct, even the trees, grass, and air within the vortex began to darken by a shade. It was as if the very essence that gave them vibrancy and energy had been sucked away. Yet, they were not dead, only stripped of their energy.

On a distant mountain trail, a group of cultivators traveling on foot noticed the disturbance.

The group turned toward the pointed direction and saw a massive vortex of spiritual qi, sucking in all the energy within its vicinity. The vortex stretched more than a kilometer in width.

"What! What kind of storm is that?"

"Could it be… are we witnessing the birth of a Heaven and Earth treasure!?"

The cultivators were startled and wanted to investigate. One of them was about to use his qinggong to rush toward the site, but he was stopped.

"Senior Brother Liu?" The cultivators looked at the man who stopped him.

This group belonged to the Sword Manor, a small sect with modest size but notable fame in the local region. They were disciples sent out into the mortal world to gain experience, broaden their knowledge, and refine their cultivation and smithing techniques.

Liu Shanhong, the senior disciple, was the one leading them on this expedition.

"Do not act recklessly, junior brother. Look there." The senior pointed toward a beast struggling to fly away, only to be caught in the vortex.

Its spiritual qi was quickly drained, and without it, the beast plummeted from the sky into the waters below, its fate unknown.

"What… what kind of phenomenon is this?" the junior muttered in disbelief.

"I don't know, junior brother," the senior said gravely. "We can only observe from a distance. Once it calms down, then we will investigate."

His words were met with the approving nods of all his junior brothers.

The vortex that drained the spiritual qi continued for more than three hours before it slowly subsided. The spiritual qi within a ten-kilometer radius had been completely exhausted, and it would take at least a year or two before it could recover.

"Ah Yuan, Ah Feng, the two of you stay here. If we don't return within three days, go back to the manor and inform the sect elders about this," the senior brother instructed.

"Yes, senior brother," the two disciples Liu Shanhong mentioned replied simultaneously.

Liu Shanhong then led his remaining two junior brothers toward the place where they had seen the vortex.

As they approached the cave where Wei Chen was cultivating, an indescribable dread washed over them. It was as if they were about to step into the lair of a primordial beast. The feeling was like staring into an endless abyss, something their instincts screamed for them to avoid.

"This…" Liu Shanhong muttered. He had never felt such dread before. His two junior brothers wore the same expression… No, it's even worse than him, they're shaken to the core.

But… as the senior brother, standing before his juniors, he couldn't just turn back in fear. Otherwise, he would be branded a coward, and his juniors would never give him face again.

Suppressing his fear, Liu Shanhong stepped into the cave.

"Who are you guys?"

The sudden voice startled the group. They immediately unsheathed their swords and pointed toward the direction of the sound.

There, sitting on a stone, was a man in his early twenties. His ragged clothes were full of holes, with stains of dried blood marking them.

Judging by his fierce expression yet complete lack of discernible cultivation, he looked like some kind of escaped prisoner hiding out here. His blackened face, as if he had been digging and crawling through dirt, was a dead giveaway.

Most importantly, there was a pungent smell, as if he had just come out of a latrine pit. The odor made him want to vomit, but considering his face, he could only endure it. But that did not mean he liked it.

"You! Are you here alone?" Liu Shanhong asked, a little bit angry.

"Of course. Did you see anyone else besides me?" the man retorted.

"You! Mortal! Show some respect to our senior brother!" one of the juniors barked, his voice sharp and fearless. After all, this was just a mortal; what was there to be afraid of?

"Ah? I'm not deaf, you don't need to shout like that. Didn't your ma and pa ever teach you manners?" the man quipped back.

"Insolence!" the junior brother spat, then rushed at the man without hesitation.

"Stop!" Liu Shanhong tried to restrain his reckless junior, but deep down, he didn't put much effort into stopping him. This mortal was far too arrogant. Letting his junior cripple the man's legs would teach him a good lesson.

The junior's sword swung down, aiming straight for the man's leg.

Clank!

Instead of cutting through flesh, the strike rang out with the sharp sound of metal clashing against metal. The blade shattered instantly, as though it had struck a divine treasure instead of a human body.

"What the hell?" the supposed prisoner exclaimed, his voice carrying a trace of anger.

"Run!" Liu Shanhong shouted, immediately turning to flee from the cave.

But before he could make it far, a gust of wind swept past him.

The next moment, that same prisoner was standing directly in front of him, blocking the exit.

"What's wrong with you people? You meet someone for the first time, dislike what they say, and immediately try to cripple them? What kind of twisted logic is that?" the man said, flipping a middle finger at them.

Liu Shanhong did not know what a middle finger was, but judging from the tone, it could not be anything good. Was it some kind of secret technique?

He quickly cupped his fists, trying to salvage the situation. "Se… senior… this… this is a misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding my ass! I was just minding my own business inside this cave, and you barged in trying to chop off my leg over a few words?!" the man snapped, his anger flaring.

Because we thought you were just a mortal! If we had known you were stronger than us, so strong that we couldn't even sense your cultivation! Would we really have done this? We're not suicidal!

Liu Shanhong cursed in his heart, forcing a stiff smile, but he dared not voice those thoughts aloud.

"Se… senior! We're disciples of the Sword Manor! Our sect elders will come searching for us if we don't return!" the reckless junior brother threatened.

"What did you just say, you dipshit?"

Slap!

The prisoner's hand struck like lightning. The ruthless slap shattered the junior brother's teeth, blood spraying as his head whipped to the side.

"Now you're using your sect to threaten me!? Let me tell you something! I wasn't in the mood to kill anyone, but you're pissing me off more and more by the minute!" the prisoner growled.

"Senior! Please, have mercy!" Liu Shanhong dropped to his knees, begging desperately for his junior's life. As the senior brother, he couldn't just stand by and watch his disciple die.

Hearing this, the prisoner paused, as if deep in thought.

"You said you're from a sect, right? That means you must have some decent connections," the prisoner asked.

Liu Shanhong's eyes lit up. A lifeline! He grabbed onto it without hesitation.

"Yes, senior! Our Sword Manor may not be as large or prominent as the Heavenly Sword Sect, but we do have connections! If senior requires it, we can call in favors to assist you! As long as it's within our power!"

"Oh… don't worry, I'm not asking you to do anything crazy, alright," the prisoner replied casually. "I just want you to distribute this."

He extended his hand, and in the next instant, a small jade slip materialized out of thin air.

Shit! He's a Nascent Soul! Did we just offend a Nascent Soul powerhouse!?

Personal storage… the ability to create a space within one's nascent soul to store items was a unique trait of the Nascent Soul realm.

And this prisoner didn't have a storage ring at all… which could only mean one thing.

He was a bona fide Nascent Soul powerhouse!

Someone on the same cultivation level as their sect leader!

"Let me ask you something," said the escaped prisoner.

"Please, ask away, senior. I'll do my best to answer."

"What's the trend lately?"

"Huh!?"

Spirit Beast First Encounter

After a long inquiry and a bit of interrogation, Wei Chen learned that the local province he was in was called Azure River Province.

The trending topic everyone was so hyped about was the opening of the secret realm known as the Flaming Lotus Secret Realm, located in Flaming Lotus Prefecture within Azure River Province.

As expected of a Xianxia world, there are secret realms everywhere. From what he had gathered, these secret realms are pretty fishy.

So fishy, that even his socks smelled better.

From his inquiries, he discovered that not all secret realms are equal. Some are far more dangerous than others, some so deadly they are practically death traps, while others are no different from the outside world, filled with spiritual beasts and spiritual herbs.

As for the gained from these secret realms, they ranged from simple spiritual herbs to heaven-defying cultivation methods and combat techniques.

This only meant that these secret realms, or at least most of them, had been deliberately created by powerful beings.

To dig deeper, he would need to ask the Lord of Death a few questions. After all, that guy was a Lord of Death; he must have seen countless things and lived long enough to know plenty of juicy secrets.

Taking a look at the group of Sword Manor disciples kneeling and trembling on the ground as they gathered the Spirit Net Jade into their storage rings, Wei Chen spoke.

"Don't forget to distribute my Spirit Net Jade. As a reward, your sect may keep ten of them. Don't even think of swindling me, because I'll pay a visit to your sect later to check on you guys."

"Yes! Senior, we'll do our utmost. We'll even ask for the sect's assistance to distribute them," Liu Shanhong said with a cupped fist.

"Good. You may go."

After hearing this, the group of Sword Manor disciples quickly ran off with the Spirit Net Jade, as if they had just been pardoned from a death sentence.

Watching them scatter, Wei Chen couldn't help but think they looked like those folks who raid convenience stores in New York. The sight gave him a strange sense of homesickness.

"Don't know why, but I suddenly want a cheeseburger," Wei Chen muttered.

This world was great and all, but a single day without internet made him restless. He wanted to scroll through social media, watch some crazy videos, or laugh at idiots crying online because of the backlash from their own stupidity.

Especially… his ex-girlfriend. He missed her.

Even though they had broken up, he completely understood her and didn't blame her at all. In fact, he felt guilty for dragging her into his mess. Who would tolerate being harassed every single day?

As for his family, he also felt unworthy of their love. He brought money home, sure, but he also brought trouble. Those f*cking haters didn't even spare his family.

He wouldn't excuse himself, he knew he deserved a punch in the face, working as a nuisance streamer like that. He'd take it like a man if they came after him. He hadn't even blame the guy who shot him to death; that was the consequence of his own actions.

But what the f*ck about those who went after the ones he loved? If he ever found out who they were, he'd put a bullet in their ass!

"Sigh…"

Wei Chen let out a depressed sigh and walked out of the cave to check on the aftermath.

Looking at the trees outside, he noticed they had lost much of their energy. They weren't as vibrant as before; it was like they had lost some of that Xianxia juice.

To put it more clearly, normal trees in this world gave off a mystical feeling, a sense of freshness and revitalization that trees in his previous world could never match.

But now, the trees around his cave looked no different from the ones back on Earth.

"Is it because I drained all of their spiritual energy? That's likely," Wei Chen muttered.

With cultivation at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, Wei Chen leapt from the mountain, stepping off branches protruding from the cliff toward the lake below. Every movement felt effortless. It was as though he were flying through the air, and the sensation of freedom was exhilarating.

He took a quick bath to freshen up. Cultivating had left him dirty, covered in grime and body toxins. If he didn't wash, it would feel like torture. No wonder those Sword Manor guys made faces like they had stepped in shit.

After his bath, he changed into the spare clothes he had taken from the Sword Manor disciples. It was the kind of ancient Chinese clothing that would normally require some learning to wear. Fortunately, the everyday life knowledge he had gained from the Lord of Death made it much easier for him.

Since he had drained all the spiritual qi within a 10-kilometer area, he needed to change locations. Otherwise, his cultivation wouldn't progress. Especially since this world was nothing like his previous one, where law and order could restrain people.

Here, the bigger the fist, the greater the authority. As for law and order? That was for powerless mortals to obey, not cultivators.

If he wanted to survive, he needed to have the biggest fist of them all, or at least enough strength to escape and save his life without too much trouble.

With this in mind, Wei Chen began searching for a place rich with spiritual qi. Using his heightened senses, he wandered for about an hour before he finally found it.

The place was inside a cave. The cavern was massive, with stalactites and stalagmites glowing in a beautiful blue hue. If this cave existed on Earth, he was sure it would be considered a natural wonder.

He walked deeper until he reached a vast chamber, where light streamed down from an opening in the ceiling above. On the highest elevated stone stood a fierce-looking spirit beast, glaring at him. Its fangs were the size of an adult's arm, and it growled menacingly.

The beast looked like a giant Siberian husky… yes, a four-meter-high and six-meter-long Siberian husky.

Its red fur was glossy, almost inviting to the touch. But the catch was… its eyes glowed a fiery red, as if flames burned within them, while small tongues of fire leaked from its mouth. Its claws shone with a sharp, fiery red light, and its tail looked as though it were made entirely of fire.

Wei Chen slowly retreated step by step, smiling wryly.

"Ok… good doggy… good doggy," he muttered, raising his hands in a calming gesture as he backed away.

Roar!

The beast roared and charged at him.

"F*ck! I forgot places like this are usually occupied!" Wei Chen cursed as he bolted out of the cave. But the beast was relentless, chasing him down.

"Hey! I'm out of your house! Stop chasing me! I'm already outside your damn Castle Doctrine!" he shouted back, annoyed by its persistence.

But truth be told, he didn't actually feel his life was in danger the moment he saw it. It was like being chased by a neighbor's chihuahua, something he could kick away easily, even though this beast was over four meters tall, six meters long, and had a face full of murderous fury.

Wei Chen frowned at that realization. He had run because he was startled by its fierce display, but why didn't he feel threatened? Was this some kind of instinct that let him judge how dangerous an opponent really was?

Come to think of it, he had easily outrun the beast, and now it could barely keep up at all. Normally, something of this size should have caught him easily, at least if it were on Earth.

But this was a Xianxia world. Beasts here were supposed to be stronger and faster, and in fact, this one was indeed faster than anything on Earth. So the reason he had outrun it couldn't be because of his lightness skill. He only had combat techniques from the Lord of Death, not escape techniques.

"Could it be…" Wei Chen muttered, turning back as he kicked a small stone from the ground straight at the beast.

The stone shot forward like a bullet.

Boom!

Roar!?

The stone smashed into the beast's face, throwing it backward and sending it crashing through several trees along the way.

"As expected," Wei Chen muttered.

Now he was certain the beast couldn't pose a real threat to him. He didn't sense any cultivation from it, but he was sure of his own strength at the early stage of the Foundation Establishment realm.

Could it be that this beast was only at the Qi Refining realm? That seemed possible. Unfortunately, he couldn't sense the beast's cultivation level the way cultivators could sense each other. From what he had gathered, most of them were in the Qi Refining realm.

Only that Liu Shanhong guy had been in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, just like him. That was why he had dared to fight them.

Seeing the massive red, fiery Siberian husky trying to get up, Wei Chen slowly walked toward it, and the beast immediately growled at him.

It was confused. Why was this human mortal so strong? Wasn't he just a mortal? It couldn't feel any cultivation from him at all! But then how had this mere human managed to hurt it?

You are a genius, but also an idiot.

The fiery red husky growled again, watching Wei Chen warily.

"Yo, not so tough now, are you?" Wei Chen said with a smug smile as the beast continued to growl at him.

The beast didn't understand how it had happened, but its instincts told it that the attack a moment ago was no lucky shot. The power behind the stone, infused with spiritual qi and strong enough to wound it, was not something chance could reproduce.

Maybe… just maybe, this human was like those hunters or predators that disguised themselves to stalk prey.

That was why, even with its strength equivalent to the early stage of Nascent Soul, it had still been hurt by this human's attack. It also detected that the stone which struck it had been infused with dense spiritual qi, equivalent to the attack of an early stage of Nascent Soul. That was why the stone had been able to injure it.

Growl…

With this in mind, the beast growled once more, slowly stepped back, and finally turned to flee. It ran deep into the forest until it vanished completely from sight.

Seeing this, Wei Chen let out his signature smug smile before heading back toward the same cavern where he had sensed the dense spiritual qi.

When he arrived, the place was empty. As expected, the red husky hadn't returned. So, he began cultivating.

A phenomenon started as the spiritual qi within a 10-kilometer radius was drawn into his dantian, and within minutes the area was sucked dry.

Wei Chen felt that his dantian still needed much more energy before he could advance. From his senses, it wasn't even filled to five percent of the amount required to break through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

"Hm… is it because I used a black hole as the foundation for my comprehension during Foundation Establishment? Is that why it needs more energy?" he muttered, thinking. He had a strong feeling this was the reason.

Without wasting time, Wei Chen quickly moved on to another location, using his senses to search for a place rich with spiritual energy.

—

The red husky beast settled down in its sub-lair. This lair wasn't as good or as comfortable as its main lair, but it would do. A smart beast like itself didn't keep just one lair, it had several!

Thinking about that human predator, it decided it was better not to provoke him. But it wasn't because it feared that human! No, it was simply too annoying and bothersome to fight.

At this time, the red husky heard the sound of footsteps.

Ah! Perfect. An unsuspecting, foolish human had wandered into its lair. This was good, it would get a snack and a chance to vent its frustration on this unlucky human!

To vent properly, it wanted to scare this foolish human shitless first.

The red husky prepared itself, sitting in the most dignified posture and getting ready to roar. The moment that fool stepped into the cavern, it would unleash an earth-shattering roar.

Step…

Here it comes!

Roooaar… er…!?

Wait. Why? Why was it this human!? The red husky was alarmed when it saw the same human who had beaten it step into its sub-lair.

"Oh? Is this your lair?" Wei Chen looked startled. "Sorry, I didn't know this was yours. But since I'm already here, can you move to another one? I need to use this place."

The red husky understood what the human said, but this time… it was angry! This was too much!

The beast roared at the hateful man and rushed toward him, jaws wide open, determined to bite this insolent human to death.

But the human sidestepped, and before the beast even realized it, a sharp pain like being hit by solid rock exploded across its face.

Boom!

The red husky was punched and blown back into the cavern wall. It was badly injured; its face hadn't even healed from the last beating yet! Why did this hateful human always go for its face!?

And worse, this time it could feel the human was stronger! What had happened!?

But no matter! it had to save itself first.

With this in mind, the red husky beast turned tail and ran once again.

Seeing the beast flee, Wei Chen began cultivating once more.

The same scene repeated itself, and the spiritual qi within ten kilometers dried up.

Wei Chen frowned. This time, he couldn't even gain 3% progress in his cultivation session. Altogether, he had barely reached 8% progress toward breaking through to the middle stage.

According to the basic knowledge of this world that the Lord of Death had given him, all the spiritual qi he had absorbed should have been enough to break through to the late stage already!

If not, then at the very least it should have carried him into the middle stage, in case this Samsara Sovereign's Scripture cultivation method was so advanced that it required more energy.

So why was there barely any progress at all!?

He was confused but quickly decided to look for a new place to cultivate.

At the same time, the red husky was about to rest in its last sub-lair. Today was truly an unlucky day… too much bullying from that human expert.

Just then, its sensitive ears picked up a familiar set of footsteps.

Could it be…?

It slowly turned its battered face toward the entrance of the lair.

"Ah! This is also your lair? Sorry, sorry, but…" Wei Chen paused, smiling apologetically at the giant red husky.

"You know the drill, right?"

Know the drill my ass!? This is my last f*cking lair! You heartless human!

The red husky wanted to fight, but it knew it couldn't win. All it could do was howl and yelp pitifully before fleeing.

You heartless human, one day I'll get my revenge!

It howled in misery before escaping its last lair.

Seeing this, Wei Chen nodded in satisfaction. This doggo was very smart. Now it was time for him to cultivate.

Once again, the same scene played out. The tremendous suction force drained all the spiritual qi in the atmosphere within a ten-kilometer radius.

This time, Wei Chen only gained about 2% progress. The gain had clearly diminished!

Altogether, he had barely reached 10% progress toward the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment realm.

But he quickly pushed aside his frustration and once again sought out a new place rich in spiritual qi.

From day until dusk, from dusk into the second day, and all the way into the evening, the scene of wrecking spiritual beasts' homes and sucking all the qi dry repeated hundreds of times. By then, the wilderness where he cultivated was nearly depleted of spiritual qi.

Looking at the desolate land with barely any qi left, Wei Chen felt agonized inside.

He had only reached 50% overall progress. Wasn't this much qi supposed to be enough for him to ascend to Core Formation already!?

He was confused, but then he remembered the trope in Xianxia worlds, cultivators usually sat on their asses for at least a hundred years, sometimes even hundreds of thousands of years, just to improve their cultivation.

This…

Was f*cking bullsh*t!

He didn't have time to waste sitting on his ass! He only had eight years! If he spent it cultivating like this, who knew if he'd even be alive at the end!?

From what he knew, it was dangerously easy to lose oneself in a cultivation trance. Once they entered meditation at higher realms, the next thing cultivators knew, a hundred years had already passed!

If it were him, when he finally regained clarity after such a long session, he'd probably open his eyes and find the Lord of Death's bony face cackling at him.

That was something he definitely wanted to avoid!

Wei Chen grew alarmed. He had just realized that cultivation at the Foundation Establishment realm wasn't fast like during Qi Refining, where he had sat for a few hours and broken through easily.

Was this something every cultivator had to face!?

This couldn't go on. He needed to consult with the Lord of Death, either to let him to extend his lifespan or give him something to speed up cultivation. There was no way that being stuck at the insignificant early stage of Foundation Establishment would be enough to survive in this chaotic world.

With this in mind, he quickly found a suitable cavern and contacted the Lord of Death through the broadcasting orb.

The call connected, and he saw the Lord of Death busy reducing the piles of papers beside him. The glasses perched over the eye sockets of his bony face looked a bit comical. If not for the man's intimidating aura, Wei Chen might have laughed.

"Oh! Good timing, I was just about to get bored with this unending work. It's good that you called. I can take a short break," the Lord of Death said, picking up a cup of tea and taking a sip.

Wei Chen had no idea how that tea could even disappear, but he was certain of one thing, the Lord of Death only had bones. It was a mystery how this guy managed to drink tea at all.

"What's the progress on your end? Have you worked on your content yet? No hurry, though. What's important for you now is cultivating enough strength to survive up there," the Lord of Death added with a surprisingly relaxed vibe.

"Err… your honor… that's the reason I'm calling you. There's a… problem," said Wei Chen.

"Oh? Tell me in detail what happened. The Samsara Sovereign's Scripture cultivation method I provided is one with very decent speed and strength. Even in the higher realms, it's extremely rare to find a cultivation method of this level. You should have reached at least Core Formation by now, right?" the Lord of Death asked.

"No… your honor… I'm still only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment."

"Huh?"

"It's like this, your honor." Wei Chen then began recounting everything to the Lord of Death, from the very start of his cultivation up to now, including his decision to use a black hole as inspiration to comprehend his foundation when he advanced to Foundation Establishment.

After listening to Wei Chen, the Lord of Death finally came to an understanding. He let out a tired sigh.

"To be honest, Wei Chen, you are a genius… but also an idiot," the Lord of Death stated.