Chapter 5: Uninvited Guests.
Reon halted just before his door, attuned to the sound of approaching footsteps.
A flicker of uncertainty coursed through him, gnawing at his thoughts.
Were they allies? Or were they his enemies?
However, reflecting upon the unfamiliar body he now inhabited, he could resolutely conclude that they were, without a doubt, his foes.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, the weight of his battered body reminding him just how vulnerable he was.
The pain that had once felt unbearable now seemed to pale in comparison to the looming threat that approached.
He knew—knew—that if a fight were to break out, the only outcome he could foresee was one word, echoing relentlessly in his mind: Death.
No. Calm down, he told himself, willing his heart to slow.
It's not time yet.
In the novel, Xue Taiyang, the body he now inhabited, had suffered grievous injuries after being defeated by the protagonist—but he had survived.
A week, Reon thought, just a week... then death would claim him.
However, this did not preclude the grim possibility of enduring yet another brutal beating.
Yet, as he searched his memory, he found no recollection of Xue Taiyang being beaten again after his defeat at the hands of Yang Lie in the novel.
Well, he had merely been a subordinate to a third-rate antagonist. Perhaps the novel had chosen to overlook this detail entirely.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Reon cautiously pushed open the door.
The sight before him struck him like a wave of awe.
The Immortal World—so vast, so beautiful, and yet so terrifying in its magnificence.
Towering mountains floated gracefully in the sky, defying gravity, their peaks bathed in an ethereal glow that shimmered like liquid light.
Below, the landscape spread out like a vivid dream: Lush Forests, Meandering Rivers, and Mystical Creatures—some flying with grace, others slithering across the ground.
The air itself felt different—charged with spiritual energy, a potent force that seemed to defy the very laws of nature.Reon couldn't help but feel insignificant in the face of a world that was both overwhelmingly strange and eerily familiar.
He was in a realm of supernatural forces—a world where strength was the ultimate currency, and weakness had no place.
As his gaze wandered, it soon fell upon three young men approaching him.
Their robes bore the distinctive insignia of the Supreme Dao Sect, and their youthful faces and confident strides suggested that they, too, were disciples like him.
Renowned as one of the Top Four Overlord sects on the Sleeping Dragon Continent, the Supreme Dao Sect is situated in the Eastern Province of this illustrious realm.
The dominion of the Sleeping Dragon Continent is presided over by four eminent sects over thousands of years.
These are the Azura Dragon Sect, the Supreme Dao Sect, the Yellow Shaolin Temple, and the Great Demonic Sect.
Reon observed the trio of approaching boys, their attire suggesting they were mere outer sect disciples.
He pondered the perplexing circumstance of how such individuals had managed to traverse into the Inner Sect.
Outer sect disciples are strictly prohibited from entering the Inner Sect.
However, Inner Sect disciples have the freedom to access the Outer Sect, although they are barred from entering the Core Sect, where the esteemed Core disciples of the Supreme Dao Sect reside.
A chilling revelation flickered in his mind as he turned to glance back at the dwelling, which he recognized as belonging to an Outer sect disciple—specifically, one named Xu Yang.
This implied that he currently resided within the confines of the outer sect, taking refuge in the abode of another rather than inhabiting the dwelling of the body he now possessed.
If his memory served him correctly, the body he inhabited, Xue Taiyang, had a notorious reputation for tormenting the outer sect disciples.
Were they now gathered to exact their long-anticipated retribution?.
The trio of outer disciples halted before him, with one stepping forward more assertively.
"Ah, Xue Taiyang, the insufferably arrogant scoundrel! You once abused your status to torment us, but now that you've fallen from the inner sect, it's our turn to settle the score," one of the boys sneered.
"Haha! This time, we'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget," another chimed in, his grin filled with malice.
Just as expected—his luck couldn't be that good.
Sooner or later, trouble was bound to find him.
"Identify"
Reon activated his skill to access their status interface, deeming it the opportune moment to scrutinize this ability.
[Name: Lu Nian.
Cultivation Realm: Stage-4 Qi-Refining Realm.]
Stage-4 Qi Refining Realm... quite average, even for an outer sect disciple.
Even the Servant Disciple of the Supreme Dao Sect are of Low Stage Qi-Refining Realm.
Maybe they only recently advanced from trial disciples to Outer Disciples.
Hardly a threat.
He glanced at the two figures behind him, but as he activated his skill on them, something peculiar occurred.
[Name: Wei Xiyan.
Cultivation Realm: Stage-5 Qi-Refining Realm.]
[The "Identify" skill was unable to ascertain the status of the target, resulting in an unfortunate malfunction]
Reon's brow furrowed.
What?
The skill had failed—on an outer sect disciple?
His pulse quickened.
The Identify skill was designed to show the status of cultivators five stages higher than the user, but it had faltered.
There was only one explanation: One of them is five stages higher than Xue Taiyang.
But that didn't make sense.
No! No!
Reon's thoughts raced, his mind scrambling for another explanation.
He desperately wanted to believe it wasn't true.
This had to be an error—some kind of system malfunction.
How could Xue Taiyang be this weak?
Even as a minor villain, he was supposed to be an Inner Sect disciple. At the very least, he should be stronger than those losers.
There was only one way to confirm it.
Clenching his jaw, Reon turned the skill inward, activating it on himself—on Xue Taiyang.
"Identify"
A chime echoed in his mind.
[Ding! The Host has applied 'Identify' on himself.]
A brief pause. Then—
[Ding! Processing… Unlocking a hidden function of the system…]
Reon's breath hitched as a surge of unfamiliar energy rippled through him.
[Ding! Status Window activation confirmed. When used on the Host, 'Identify' reveals detailed information beyond its normal scope.]
Reon's eyes gleamed with intrigue.
"Oh? A Status Window? And it enhances itself when used on me? Now that… is interesting."
Reon smirked, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
"Let's see what Xue Taiyang is truly made of,"
But the moment his gaze landed on the translucent screen before him, the excitement drained from his face.
His smirk vanished. His breath caught.
A cold chill ran down his spine.
His once-bright expression turned pale as a single word slipped past his lips—
"FUUUCK."