Chapter 4

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Xu Zhenyan walked into the forest behind Xu manor without looking back. Even though it was late-afternoon and the sun was nearly setting, he didn't hesitate. After a month's waiting, he couldn't be patient anymore.

His advance was single minded to the point where he didn't even pay attention to the branches scraping against his body. When warm droplets of blood beaded on his cheeks and forehead, he still continued.

The sun soon hung low in the sky, a watery orb, the color of a poached egg-yolk.

Anyone else would make camp for the night, but Xu Zhenyan wasn't satisfied. For him, there wasn't such a thing as being too cautious.

The [Immortal Transformation Technique] was valuable beyond measure. If a cultivator stumbled across him while he was practicing, there would be big trouble. For that reason, he walked on, even after the sun had set and a silvery full-moon occupied the sky.

Because the night was clear, he didn't have trouble seeing. Things like spiritual beasts didn't worry him—those were incredibly rare, to the point where most people lived their entire lives without seeing one. However, common predators like wolves, mountain lions and venomous snakes were a concern, so he didn't want to be too reckless.

After trekking about ten miles, sticking close to a rocky elevation, he found what he was looking for. Hidden underneath the thick vegetation, a thin, vertical crack split the stone. If it wasn't for the minerals' chalky appearance, he would've missed it in the darkness.

Brandishing his long knife, about a forearm's length, he slipped into the shadowy space. The smell of damp stone entered his nose, but he didn't smell any animal feces.

'Good, it's unoccupied.'

All things considered, he was still relatively close to Deereast City, having a population of around one-hundred-thousand. It wouldn't be strange if the local predators were thinned over the years.

Not wanting to be careless, he thoroughly explored the small space before closing the entrance. The narrow cavern didn't continue very far, but there was a large crack in the roof, liable to let rainwater in.

After sweeping the floor as best he could, Xu Zhenyan unpacked his knapsack before sitting on it. His hands immediately went to his legs and feet, trying to rub out some of the swollen feeling. The terrain was unaccommodating and his cultivation was low, so this much exercise was enough to exhaust him.

'This is nicer than I expected.'

Once the stiffness in his legs was gone, he exhaled slowly, doing his best to relax. The closed-up cavern gave him a strong sense of security, one he hadn't felt in years. There was something childlike about it, similar to how a boy would feel while hiding in a closet or under his bed.

One minute turned into then, then to thirty. Unknowingly, an hour passed like that, sitting in the darkness with his eyes closed. Xu Zhenyan's mind was as still as the surface of a lake, but a sliver of uneasiness remained, curled-up inside his chest.

'It seems I can't completely shake this feeling.'

He sighed softly, his shoulders drooping.

The [Immortal Transformation] wasn't so easily obtained. Lin Xi, the protagonist, suffered greatly to learn it, to the point where he arguably only survived because of his good fortune and his friends' help.

However, Xu Zhenyan didn't have the [Glorious King Destroys Restraints] technique, the one that boosted Lin Xi's recovery strength by a ludicrous amount. Neither did he have a Sacred Master level practitioner to provide first aid.

'I could die here.'

Before he did anything else, he once again thought over what he was about to do.

Naturally, he'd spent much time on the road combing over these things, but this present feeling of danger sharpened his mind to the next level.

'Originally, Principal Zhang and Lin Xi believed the [Immortal Transformation Technique] originated from 'devouring' this green roulette wheel responsible for the time-rewinding ability.

Essentially, it's a kind of space-time energy, accumulated during our passage to this world, completely different from the heaven-and-earth energy used by cultivators. By 'devouring' it, we basically exchange that chunk of space-time energy for an enormous amount of Soul Force, enough to directly promote to Sacred Master or even beyond.

However, I have a different idea.'

He didn't want to unjustly sell protagonist-kun short, as the fellow did realize some things after going through this 'devour-and-be-devoured' process, but he ultimately didn't get it.

Without hesitating further, Xu Zhenyan entered his sea of consciousness, immediately coming face-to-face with those ten green lights.

'Indeed, it's as Lin Xi suspected at the end—this isn't a chunk of energy at all! Rather, it's a portal that leads toward the space-time 'vortex' responsible for our presence here. And, like a door, it can be opened!'

After going through the incredibly painful, self-destructive process of destroying his own sea-of-consciousness, the protagonist came to a conclusion—if his mind started dying, this green 'portal' would also be destroyed, granting him access to what lay on the other side.

How stupid was that?

He was basically like someone trying to open a locked door, but instead of trying to unlock it like a normal person, he instead smashed his skull against the door until it broke down!

'What an idiot.'

One would think this was something the past 'him' misread or misunderstood, but no! He'd actually rechecked that part of the novel multiple times just to make sure the Lin Xi had, in fact, never tried to open the portal normally!

The consequences of his stupidity were disastrous, too. While he did get a power-up, he completely lost his time-rewind ability, as well as destabilizing the vortex on the other side. Not only did it mean he'd never be able to world-hop, he also lost the opportunity to return to earth!

'Well, maybe my way won't work, but at least I have the sense to try it! Unfortunately, even if things do work out, the influx of heaven-and-earth energy will still wreck my body.'

Like an athlete getting into an ice-bath, Xu Zhenyan decided to just get it over with. If that dumbass managed to live through this, then he definitely could.

It was a difficult sensation to describe, but inside his mind, he reached out his consciousness, trying to 'unlock' the portal.

…and it worked!

For a moment, the youth was shocked into silence. He could clearly see it inside his sea-of-consciousness, like a lid over a well, slowly sliding to the side!

While Lin Xi tried something similar and failed, he didn't approach the portal with the intent of 'opening', but with the intent of 'devouring'. The latter tried to seize control of the portal, while the former didn't—there was a world of a difference.

'In order to rewind time, we're already 'loosening' the portal to access the space-time energy! Since a proof-of-concept has been established, it's only logical to see if you can take things a step further.'

Xu Zhenyan shook his head internally. Now wasn't the time for rumination. He could already feel the air around himself becoming charged, like the moment before a thunderclap.

'Opening this portal and exposing the vortex on the other side is exactly like removing a bath-plug. Like water, heaven-and-earth energy will madly rush into my body, trying to get to the void on the other side.'

It was a conclusion he reached during the past three weeks, stuck in the carriage as he was.

The youth stared into the dark abyss on the other side, breaking out into a cold sweat and feeling the hairs all-over his body stand up. Everything was black, but he imagined he could see the space-time fluctuations, swirling into a single point.

For a moment, everything went silent, like the world was holding its breath. Then, a current of heaven-and-earth energy rushed into his body, like a solid pillar. It was as if he suddenly appeared one-hundred miles below sea-level, crushed by the massive ocean above him.

In an instant, his blood pressure skyrocketed to ten-times normal, causing the veins inside his body, from arteries to capillaries, to rupture and burst. His body was over-saturated with heaven-and-earth energy to the point where his bones started cracking and fracturing, like construction supports under too much weight.

A numb sensation assaulted his mind as his nerves were momentarily overwhelmed, but then he felt as if he was being simultaneously frozen and cooked alive. It was an indescribable pain, causing his vision to first turn white, then red.

Using the last of his willpower, he sent a request toward the green moon inside his sea-of-consciousness

'Close…!'

However, before he could say anything else, his inner-world was split open by a massive influx of heaven-and-earth energy, like an overfilled balloon. A fine mist of blood sprayed out his pores, as if he was a porous wineskin being violently shaken.

Rather than blacking out, it was more like a spike was inserted into his brain. He couldn't remain coherent even if he wanted to.

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