Awaken

Within a secluded cave, the musty scent of ancient earth lingered.

A faint luminescence from the moss lining the walls softly illuminated the space.

A young man sat in solemn meditation, his posture steady as if carved from stone.

A wooden bowl filled with white dust sat on the cave's earthen floor.

Blood trickled from the young man's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

Suddenly, his eyes fluttered open.

He spluttered.

An ash cloud erupted from his mouth.

His orifices felt irritated from the blood that trickled out.

With a wince, he attempted to wipe away the blood from his face; his other hand struck his chest as he tried to cough up the lingering ash.

The sudden realisation of unfamiliar surroundings startled him.

His eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the place.

"Where am I?" Zhang Lu whispered, his voice echoing through the silence of the cave.

As if a dam had broken, memories from the body he now inhabited flooded in.

In this mystical cultivation realm, beings of divinity, immortality, demons, and ghosts co-exist.

The immortal cultivators were split into two factions - the righteous and the demonic.

Their skirmishes over resources were a common sight.

The previous soul that occupied this body, named Li Wei, was an outer sect disciple of the Bone Ash Sect, a demonic sect.

The Bone Ash Sect was renowned across the realms for its unique cultivation technique known as the Skeletal Essence Absorption Method.

This method demanded the consumption of bones to cultivate and enhance one's Qi, the vital energy.

The higher the quality of bones consumed, the purer and more potent the Qi cultivated.

The bones of powerful beasts and deceased cultivators were sought after, for they contained profound essences that significantly accelerated a practitioner's cultivation journey.

To the practitioners of this method, other cultivators were mere resources, the elixirs to higher cultivation realms.

The Bone Ash Sect had scarce regulations; it was only frowned upon to kill individuals in lower realms, but beyond that, there were no stringent rules.

The disinterest of the sect was glaring.

So long as there were fresh recruits flowing in from the mortal realm, the higher-ups remained indifferent to the brutal competition and cannibalism among the Qi cultivation realm disciples.

Their focus remained staunchly on nurturing the inner disciples within the Foundational Establishment realm.

This sect not only nurtured disciples but also harboured the 'discarded', those who failed to progress in their cultivation paths.

Once demoted due to their inability to progress, the disciples were reduced to mere vessels, their skeletal essence harvested for the benefit of others.

The hierarchy was clear: outer sect disciples used the essence of lesser beings, the inner sect from outer, direct disciples from inner, and the sect elders from the direct disciples.

It is a relentless cycle with the pinnacle reaping the rewards.

A brutal reality of survival of the fittest.

To avoid becoming cannon fodder, one must tirelessly advance, proving their worth to the sect.

Fear pervaded the sect, each disciple in relentless pursuit of cultivation, terrified of being consumed.

The original Li Wei had risked everything, consuming a dangerous amount of bone essence to progress, but failed, the lethal essence overwhelming him.

Such was the perilous path of demonic cultivation, swift but fraught with dangers, where a single misstep could spell doom.

"According to the memories of the original Li Wei, a mere month remains.

If I fail to reach the fourth level of Qi cultivation, my essence will be harvested, fueling the cultivation of the inner sect disciples," the new soul in Li Wei's body realised with a cold shiver.

He tried to remember his life before this transmigration, but it was like trying to catch smoke with his bare hands.

Nothing from his past emerged; it was a blank slate.

He shook his head, attempting to shake off the lingering images of death.

Seated amidst the eerie silence of the cave, Zhang Lu muttered to himself, "I guess I'm Li Wei."

His voice echoed through the hollow chamber, binding his identity to this alien realm.

He sighed and glanced at the half-filled bowl of bone ash before him.

Li Wei slowly rose, stretching his limbs to shake off the stiffness.

He reached for the Skeletal Essence Absorption manual.

As Li Wei picked up the worn book resting on the floor, he cautiously scanned through the instructions it held for Skeletal Essence Absorption.

The manual outlined a crude method: ingest the bone ash, bear the excruciating pain by biting down on a piece of wood, reach a meditative state, and circulate the Qi within to assimilate the potent bone essence.

It warned of severe side effects, agonising pain, potential Qi deviation, and a high risk of failure leading to death.

The crude process seemed perilous, and the success rate was dismally low.

As Li Wei browsed through the final pages of the manual, he sighed, "Where is my golden finger. "

[Ding! System activated.]

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, taking him by surprise.

[Detected cultivation technique 'Skeletal Essence Absorption'.

Ingest bone ash and endure extreme pain while circulating Qi to assimilate the bone essence.

High risk of impurity poisoning leading to severe injury or death.]

[Modification Suggestion: Refine bone ash before ingestion to reduce impurities and enhance cultivation efficiency. Recommended Refinement Method: Bone Fire.

The refined bone essence can now be brewed into a tea or compressed into a pill for ingestion.]

"Li Wei felt a spark of annoyance flare up as he muttered, "What the hell is bone fire?

" He awaited a response from the system, but it remained silent.

The lack of an answer irritated him further, leaving him with yet another enigma in this unfamiliar realm.

"This... this might not be too bad." 

"Even though it's annoying, at least I'm not totally clueless anymore," Li Wei thought, feeling a bit of hope amid the frustration.

Li Wei mulled over the old method, his mind racing.

"This sect doesn't give a fuck about their disciples," he thought, "they're just bone essence for the bigger fish.

This cultivation method is shit.

They probably only give this trash to outer disciples.

" His thoughts simmered with disdain for the sect's uncaring ways, fueling his desire for a better cultivation method.

As the cold night draped over the mountain, Li Wei sat on the rugged floor of the cave, thoughts rushing through his mind.

He knew, from the scattered memories of the previous soul, that come the first light of every month, outer disciples were entitled to two bone pills from the mountain's Internal Affairs Hall.

And tomorrow was the day.

The anticipation mingled with anxiety, making the night feel extraordinarily long.

Each passing moment in the silent cave resonated with the rhythm of his impatient heart.

As the first rays of dawn pierced through the darkness, illuminating the cave with a soft glow, Li Wei knew it was time.