1 Death Is Absolutely Not the Last Thing of Life

Translator: Wuxia Dog Editor: Wuxia Dog

Radon Town was a very common town with nothing remarkable. Right under a dilapidated earth wall in one of the alleys, south of the market in Radon Town, laid a ragged young man. Though the alley was crowded with people hurrying to and fro, no one even cast a simple glance at this young man, for they had long been used to this.

Black lightning silently streaked across the sky, and the young man suddenly shook his ragged body. He let out a painful groan which still drew attention from nobody.

Just then, a sixteen or seventeen year old girl ran into the alley, chased by two middle-aged men crying, "Miss, hold on. Miss..."

The girl strode away the earth wall, trying to get rid of the two tagalongs, but failed. Annoyed by this, she stopped abruptly, turned around and shrieked, "Do not follow me! Do you really want me to marry that damn dwarf!" Before her voice died away, the girl raised her hand and threw her necklace at the two ass-kissers with all her strength.

The man running in front was caught off guard and raised his hand to block the necklace which flew out after the collision, drawing a trajectory in the air before it finally dropped on the forehead of the 'beggar'. The scarlet beads rolled down, dotting the ground with shining lights.

Han Jin struggled to open his eyes. The first thing that came into his mind after regaining his consciousness was not the environment around him, nor the oddness or puzzlement he had felt through the passing of time and space, but how to relieve his hunger!

Considering his strong willpower, he should not be defeated by hunger if it were not for the way he had cultivated himself. Han Jin's teacher was one of the legends who had created a particular way of cultivation. He once instructed that spirit power, like gasoline in modern times, was also a kind of resource. Gasoline would run out a thousand years later due to rapid consumption speed, leaving cars useless and mere decorations in museums, and the same would be for spirit power which had already been nearing its end after being consumed by countless friars a long time ago, thus it was impossible to upgrade one's level through normal channels, and the original cultivating ways would also be useless for modern people.

Besides, when analyzing from a life form point of view, animals are more advanced than plants. Plants absorb the spirit between heaven and earth through breathing. Thus it would be better to change mindsets thoroughly, rather than waste the remaining spirit power which did not have much left. As modern science has proved, if the body could digest food and absorb its energy thoroughly, one piece of bread would be enough for one day's energy consumption. Moreover, animals supplement the energy of life via feeding, which must be more advanced than plants since animals are more advanced than plants.

Within the comprehensive system of cultivation, the energy absorbed via feeding was only grain essence and sketchier when compared with congenital spirits. However, Han Jin's teacher had insisted that though various ways, energy could be traced back to the same source.

He had earnestly practiced what he had advocated and had gone further and further into this unprecedented path which was beyond the understanding of many. These people had laughed at him for being a rice bucket, for the amount of food he could eat in one meal would be enough for hundreds of people for one day. Even the legendary Zhang Guolao, who had been famous for his gluttonous appetite, could only stuff half a cow into his stomach in one meal. But sneers would accounted to nothing; it was time that could prove the truth. Similarly-aged fellows of Han Jin's teacher died one after another against the erosion of time. For them, to get upgraded was merely a dream beyond realization. The only one that still survived was Han Jin's teacher, and only survival could bring him hope, not to comment on whether it was through the right path or not.

Han Jin was really a lucky guy, for his ancestors had figured out a set of feasible ways for cultivation. He could just indiscriminately imitate those ways and refer to the effects at each level. He had to admit that the way his teacher practiced was, to some extent, more efficient and easier than the plant method. Han Jin had not started cultivation until the age of sixteen, however, he had managed to surpass most of his peers and distinguished himself within merely seven years, even compared to the many peers who were from noble families that were famous for cultivation.

Were there no other trifles to worry about, he could abandon himself to eating for the entire day, digest, and take in ninety-nine point nine percent of what he had eaten, approximately one hundred percent.

The moment his body was destroyed, Han Jin had recalled what his teacher had told him: death is absolutely not the last thing in life! And he, with his confidence in his teacher and unremitting persistence, retained his spirit and endeavored to find an incredible path, which had led him to this strange world.

Han Jin had no interest in whom this body belonged to, nor cared about the body's spirit. What he was eager for at this moment was nothing but energy. His hunger was amplified, to an extent that it was out of his own control.

So when he laid his eyes on the scarlet beads, the first thing that came across his mind was energy! Without thinking over the texture of the "food," Han Jin grabbed a bead with twitching hands and wolfed it down. After his completion of basis construction, he could swallow anything that contained energy, from Tianshan Warm Jade to Huan River Fire Essence and Star River Sand; anything that other friars considered as materials for making magic weapons would be edible to him, and he could completely absorb them.

"Hey... that is not edible!" exclaimed the girl after seeing this. In fact the necklace she wore was made of the magic crystal from a long-ear rabbit, a low grade holy animal. Though containing fire element, it was too little to have any substantial functions, thus this crystal was usually used to make necklaces for decoration.

Han Jin's eyes protruded when the red bead rolled into his esophagus. "No!" he mused as he sensed danger in his stomach. The cultivation art he practiced had its own limit. Edible grain essence would have no problem being absorbed; on the contrary, the more the better. But energy from rare jewels and precious stones must be taken in according to strict rules. For example, if one had already stored a thousand energy in his body, he then could take in another ten energy within a day; that is, zero point zero one percent of his original energy. Should he dare to take in more than ten, or one percent of his original energy, immense damage would be brought to his body, and may even lead him into a mad status. Since Han Jin's body right now was empty without any energy, any jewel could take away his life.

If it were in the past, these red beads would be good "food" for him to replenish energy, but now he had to dig his throat with one hand and punch his abdomen with the other. "Puff!" The red bead shot out from his mouth like a bullet, and his body thudded down onto the ground, motionless.

"Is this beggar out of his mind??" Seeing this, the girl murmured while patting at her chest.

One of the middle-aged men stretched his finger before Han Jin's nose, as if trying to test whether this lunatic was still alive or not. The color on his face then changed. "Miss, we'd better leave right now; this guy is dead!"

"What?" The girl was also startled, rushed toward Han Jin to confirm for herself, but she was held back by the middle-aged man who was grabbing her arm.

"Miss, it's not worth it to get into trouble for this beggar. Let's leave hurriedly!" The man clearly knew that his young master had made great trouble and would be in danger if someone took advantage of this accident.

"Let me go! I want to have a look at this poor guy! Maybe..." the girl struggled.

"Miss, please be sensible." Anxious sweat dropped down from the head of the middle-aged man, and after winking an eye at the other man, they dragged the girl away from the site.

No one knows how long passed, but Han Jin came to himself by a burst of a husky and heartrending cry. He opened his eyes and found himself being held in the arms of a dusty boy, the chest of whom was fluctuating up and down, and the vibration generated from the cry could be clearly sensed.

A notice of Han Jin's struggle stopped the cry, and what appeared next was a miserable face. Though originally delicate with large eyes and a straight nose, it was totally defamed by the two dirty strips left by the tears which had crept on it, and wild locks of hair covered the forehead like straw, dispersing some kind of horrible odor. Han Jin flinched unconsciously.

"Blessed Light God! Young Master, finally you're awake!!" The boy cried due to extreme happiness, and tears burst out again from his eye sockets. He scooped a piece of bread with both hands and passed it to Han Jin. "It's all my fault for making you hungry, Young Master. I should have come back with food earlier!"

Hearing this, Han Jin racked his brain for information, but nothing was more attractive than the bread in front of his eyes. He scrambled for the bread and stuffed it into his mouth.

Along with the gulp of food, a feeling of unspeakable satisfaction filled his heart, making him tremble and even wail. The last thing he could think about was what hunger had turned him into! A story crossed his mind, which told of a group of miners who were trapped under a mine for around five or six days. After they had been saved, the most energetic one kept away from the doctors' supervision and abandoned himself to guzzle. It turned out that he had finally stuffed himself to death. What a woe! Han Jin now completely understand such feelings.

Though changed into another body, the cultivation formula was still in Han Jin's mind. The swallowed bread rapidly turned into a trace of energy, moistening the nearly collapsed body and mind. As Han Jin narrowed his eyes with satisfaction, the young boy pursed his lips, grinning.

"Steelberg?" Han Jin asked tentatively with his eyes wide open, his body charged with new energy and his brain more sober.

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Nothing..." Han Jin dryly coughed, confirming to himself that the information he had received was not an illusion; the boy in front of him was none other than his family slave, the last property of a decaying aristocrat. "Have you got any more bread? I..."

"Ah? I see, I am sorry that you are still hungry, wait a minute and I will buy more." Steelberg jumped to his feet and left.

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