Chapter 002:

Although Zhang Wei could hardly believe it himself, the apparition before him truly did resemble his late grandfather.

The smiling old man said, "Well, are you surprised to see me again? I'll take your silence as a yes. That's good anyhow, as I have a lot to explain to you and not very much time to do so."

While Zhang Wei was not entirely sure about the reality of the situation, he decided to hear things out. Seeing that his grandson remained quiet, the old man was pleased.

"As you can see, I no longer possess a physical body and remain only as a spirit."

The child's face fell slightly at the confirmation.

The old man continued. "But, I am also not the spirit you are thinking of. You see, I am a bound spirit, one that will not be immediately reincarnated. That green pearl in your hand; it contains my spirit."

Zhang Wei looked down at the small, green pearl in his hand with some skepticism.

His grandfather smiled again. "You must find this all too fantastical, but it is simply the truth. In fact, this wonderful function only exists because the pearl was not originally from this world. Instead, it was from a martial plane not unlike the fantasy novels. It is called the Sky Poison Pearl and is one of the greatest treasures from that world."

A normal person might have completely disregarded these words as the ramblings of the insane, especially considering that they were speaking to a person who should have been deceased. However, Zhang Wei had grown up under the teachings of his grandfather as his parents had passed away early on in an accident. At the same time, Zhang Wei knew that he was not insane and instead, his mind felt clearer than ever.

This did not seem to escape the eyes of the old man as he commented, "In truth, storing spirits is only a side function of this treasure. What you're feeling right now is one of the main functions; being able to purify both the body and soul. In addition to that, it makes the user capable of curing all poisons as well as delivering a supreme poison on enemies."

Zhang Wei had always been smart, so he was able to understand most of the things being said by his grandfather. At the same time, a question popped into his head. He asked, "Why are you telling me all of this, Grandfather?"

Instead of an answer, the old man responded with another question. "Do you know why you are my favorite descendent, even more so than your late father?"

Zhang Wei knew that the old man was asking rhetorically, so he remained silent.

Indeed, his grandfather continued, "It's because unlike your uncles and aunts who have become so invested in money, you are able to see past it. As a result, you are unrestrained both in speech and action while remaining sincere and earnest. The ideal behavior of a martial artist."

"Long before you were born, I, your grandfather, was a great genius of the martial plane. However, the tallest trees are the ones to face the wrath of the winds, and I was gravely wounded. It had caused me to lose nearly all of my cultivation and regress to being a mortal. And so, I had settled down here, selling off my immortal possessions and using the vast fortune to marry a few wives and recuperate. While, I have cultivated in recent years, the effects were minimal and I knew that I had nearly no chance of returning to my peak condition. And so, I had placed my hopes on my next generation, of which included your father."

"Initially, I had planned to give this task to him, as he seemed the most promising of that generation. I was going to slowly nurture him before sending him to another dimension, however, upon his death..." On the old man's face was a genuinely disheartened look.

Still, he continued. "But just when I was about to resign myself, I had realized that you, the sole survivor, were even more suitable than your father. I felt like it was simply destiny. That was when I decided that I would not hesitate, even if it was slightly premature of me."

Zhang Wei had interrupted at this point. "And so, you want me to become a cultivator, grandfather."

While an eager look showed in the man's eyes, he was quick to hide it. "While I do admittingly have this intention, I still leave the choice up to you. If you wish to take my inheritance and settle down with a few wives of your own, I would have no qualms. I am not going to force you to make a choice. In any case, this old man will just go get reincarnated and start all over."

Zhang Wei was heart warmed by this. Although his grandfather had always been a childish and silly old man, he was still a good person and the closest family that Zhang Wei ever had. Taking a breath in, Zhang Wei spoke softly, "Grandfather, I wish to become a cultivator."

At that moment, the old man broke into his signature grin. "I knew I was right about you, Little Wei. Good, good. Now that you have already decided, I will begin your reincarnation process with no time to lose."

Zhang Wei asked, "How come I have to get reincarnated?"

His grandfather spoke hurriedly but with great care. "If this old man was as strong as he used to be, I could simply send you there. It is only because I am weak that I must settle with the unreliable method of reincarnation. If we're lucky, I can get the right plane in one shot. If not..."

Zhang Wei was slightly unnerved, however he quickly came back to himself. "I trust you, Grandfather."

And with a nod and smile, the old man began to wave his hands as the green jade pearl in Zhang Wei's hand turned bright and burning hot. In a flash of light, both figures disappeared from view.