1- Zhao Ming

David woke up from his slumber.

He looked around his room and felt confused as he observed an unfamiliar panorama.

Where am I?

The room was empty, with nothing but a single bed in the corner, from where he was lying.

To make sure that he wasn't hallucinating or dreaming, he quickly stood up and came outside the house.

However, unlike how he expected to see buildings and maggots like humans everywhere, he was left shocked after what he saw.

Mountain? Fog? No, it's not fog... What is this thing... It has some mystical feel to it.

He strolled around for a few minutes on the carved path but still couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes.

Wasn't I reading that cliche Xianxia novel before going to sleep? Then how am I here? Don't tell me someone kidnapped me and threw me here for some weird experimental project.

What the fuck am I thinking? That's not possible...??

David was lost in contemplation, his thoughts swirling in his mind.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already emerged from the forest, and the earlier fog was beginning to dissipate.

However, once he did come out, he witnessed something beyond belief.

Several hundred meters away, he beheld a figure resembling an immortal, soaring through the sky atop a sword. The velocity at which he travelled was unparalleled, leaving David speechless at the sight.

What the... Wait, who am I?

The moment he saw the Immortal, David's mind shook, and foreign memories began to overlap with his own memories.

The process happened in an instant, with no pain whatsoever.

So this is a cultivation world?

The world where Immortals and Devils run amok...

David's eyes widened and he immediately turned back as he returned to his well-maintained wooden house.

Sitting on his soft stone bed, he muttered in a low voice, "I didn't even notice that this isn't my body... Zhao Ming, huh?"

The body he inhabited had long black hair and eyes of a similar colour. Standing over six feet tall, his height was considered normal by the standards of his current world. He wore a loose, plain white robe reminiscent of the Immortal he had just seen, albeit in a different colour.

Hmm, I'm 18 years old, and hail from Zhao Family, a merchant family in the nearby town. This is the sixth year since I joined the Profound Moon Sect...?? Profound Moon Sect? Isn't that the name of the Sect in the novel that I was reading? Don't tell me...

David, or rather Zhao Ming, felt utter shock at the sudden revelation.

Don't tell me I entered the novel world!! But that shouldn't be possible...

Zhao Ming flexed his muscles, delivered a punch ahead in the air, and widened his eyes in amazement.

There is no way this is a freaking dream... That much force would have blown apart trained wrestlers on Earth.

Right, Zhao Ming is in the 7th stage of the Qi Purification Realm, so it is only natural for me to possess such formidable strength...

Zhao Ming inspected his Dantian and sensed that it was filled with Spiritual Energy, though it wasn't full.

This Energy could be collected into one's Dantian after refining the World Energy, Qi.

Immortals utilize this Energy for themselves to pursue great strength and desirable immortality.

Zhao Ming closed his eyes and started to recall all the memories from the novel he read last night.

The novel is about the protagonist Xiao Lin who is a decisive bastard, has a system as his cheat and also a favoured Heaven's child, or what they call it? Son of Destiny or something...

Hmm, but I don't remember any character with the name Zhao Ming, so I'm just a background character, huh?

Well, it doesn't matter now that I'm here, I'll steal every juicy opportunity the damn protagonist is going to have...

Zhao Ming opened his eyes and gazed at the silver ring on his finger. Without further delay, he used his Spiritual Energy to inspect the space inside it.

Instantly, an image of piled-up shining stones materialized in his mind.

They were low-grade Spirit stones, usable for both cultivation and as currency in this world.

The piled-up stones represented the savings accumulated by the original Zhao Ming over six years. Their quantity would have been greater if he hadn't been swindled into purchasing a low-grade space ring by his senior last year.

Good, I have almost enough to buy what I want... Since I can't do anything besides cultivation as I'm an outer court disciple, I have to find a way to earn more Spirit stones.

The Zhao family is merely a second-rate family with only a little influence around the city so there is no way they would give me more Spirit stones even if I ask politely... Mainly because of my half-cousin, Zhao Fan, who is a prodigy in the Frozen Sword Sect... Sigh...

Let's just forget about it for now...

Hmm, it's fortunate that I was an orphan in my previous life; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to think so calmly right now. But... I have a family now... Zhao Ming didn't have a father, as he passed away ten years ago, but he still has a mother and a little sister back in his hometown.

All that aside, six years to reach the 7th stage? This talent is still pretty good...

After recollecting all the necessary knowledge, Zhao Ming sat down on the comfortable bed in the lotus position.

Circulating the Qi Refining Sutra, he began his cultivation practice for the time being.

Being just an outer court disciple, his primary task was to cultivate diligently and achieve the Foundation Establishment Realm within 10 years.

Consequently, he would have plenty of free time. However, if he failed to advance to the next realm within the next 4 years, he would be required to spend 12 low-grade Spirit stones to remain in the sect for each additional year.

4 hours later~

Zhao Ming opened his ebony eyes and couldn't help but smile.

"I broke through to the 8th stage..." he muttered in amazement.

As it had been ten months since he reached the 7th stage, it was about time he would have experienced a breakthrough in his strength.

"It's amazing! My body feels much lighter and stronger," he spoke in delight before he decided to visit the nearby town.