On the sixteenth day of the first month, the chill was particularly biting, and it was once again time for Xing Feng Academy's annual examination.
For the academy's students, this was the most crucial annual assessment; failure to pass meant immediate expulsion.
Early in the morning, a total of one hundred and seventy-six students stood on the training ground, awaiting the start of the examination.
The academy was divided into three branches: Heaven, Earth, and Human. Today was the examination for the Human Branch.
Among the crowd, the sixteen-year-old youth Shi Hao had a slender build, standing more than half a head taller than his peers. His facial features were sharp, as if chiseled by a knife, making him almost excessively handsome.
Even knowing that this genius was now a cripple, pairs of admiring gazes were still cast his way, some subtle, others direct.
This naturally made the male students green with envy. Before, they could only swallow their resentment, but now they dared to speak it aloud.
"After this year's examination, that guy will be expelled."
"Sigh, last year he still represented the academy in the imperial capital's martial arts competition; he was the academy's pride. But this year, he's even going to lose the qualification to stay in the academy."
"He lost the decisive battle and was crippled by someone, unable to cultivate again. Forget about making progress; it would be good enough if he could just maintain his current strength."
"According to academy regulations, during the annual examination, if one's strength cannot increase by thirty percent compared to the previous year, they will be expelled."
"Heh heh, who told him to be so arrogant before? Now he's fallen directly from the heavens to the ground; it serves him right!"
The male students chattered loudly, mercilessly exposing Shi Hao's flaws.
What good was being handsome? He was just a cripple.
Shi Hao remained indifferent. He had heard enough of such cold mockery and ridicule over the past nine months and had long learned to ignore it, but his fists couldn't help but clench slightly.
Just as these people were discussing, last year he had represented Xing Feng Academy in the imperial capital's fifteen-year-old category martial arts competition, fighting his way into the finals, but failing to win the ultimate victory.
However, this wasn't because his strength was insufficient. Rather, on the eve of the finals, he had ingested poison in his food. It wasn't fatal, but it greatly reduced his strength on the second day.
In this match, his opponent, Luo Chen, not only defeated him but also crippled him, destroying the meridians in one leg and one arm.
And when Luo Chen defeated him and trampled him underfoot, his opponent revealed a secret: the one who had poisoned him was none other than Luo Chen!
His opponent was so brazen, without a trace of remorse or unease, only coldness and disdain.
Why was Luo Chen so unscrupulous?
Because winning in the finals meant direct entry into the Imperial Capital Academy, Hua Yuan Kingdom's best academy, a sacred place of cultivation that every young person dreamed of entering.
When Shi Hao returned to the academy, the once Heaven's favored son had become a cripple unable to cultivate again. Those who usually surrounded him all changed their expressions, mocking and provoking him. Everyone wanted to seize the opportunity to step on him, making him taste the warmth and coldness of human sentiment.
Over the next nine months, despite Shi Hao’s daily efforts, with his hand and foot meridians crippled, he simply couldn’t practice body techniques again. His strength not only didn’t improve but actually regressed.
Therefore, this was also his last time participating in the annual trial. Once the results were out, he would have to leave the academy with regret.
However, Shi Hao didn't retaliate. Instead, the girls, like protective hens, each stepped forward.
“How do you know Shi Hao won’t recover?”
“You’re all just jealous!”
This made the boys even more jealous. “Isn’t it just because he’s a little better looking?”
Pah!
“Ah, what’s that?” someone exclaimed in surprise, having just looked up at the sky.
Whoosh! A beam of white light descended, shooting into the crowd at an incredibly fast speed.
What’s going on?
Everyone was curious; the white light had appeared, then completely vanished.
However, Shi Hao felt a chill run through his entire body, a shiver of fear rising within him, as if something extra had entered his body and was trying to forcibly crush his soul.
He frantically struggled, though he didn't know how he was supposed to resist.
“Boy, don’t resist. Obediently let this Venerable One seize your body!” A voice suddenly echoed in Shi Hao’s mind. “Your weak soul power can’t withstand a single blow. This is pointless!”
“Relax, let this Venerable One take control of your body.”
“You don’t need to be afraid. Though your soul will vanish forever, your physical body will become this Venerable One’s vessel, and in the future, it will surely be renowned throughout the world, becoming a ruler of an entire domain!”
Shi Hao was utterly unable to resist. He only felt a powerful and ancient soul forcibly occupying his mind, simultaneously cornering him and making him completely lose control over his body.
Even more terrifying was that his soul was gradually being eroded away. If this continued, he would soon completely disappear from this world.
“No!” An unwilling roar erupted in his mind.
“Rest assured, this Venerable One will avenge your grievances for you, and fulfill your wishes!” The soul remained completely unmoved, utterly cold. But just a moment later, it became utterly terrified.
“How can this be! You are—damn it! No! No! No!”
It was as if it had encountered something terrifying, and let out a terrifying shriek in Shi Hao’s mind. Then this soul immediately shattered, and masses of memories surged towards Shi Hao, so vast they were indescribable.
Shi Hao cried out in pain and immediately fainted.
“Hahahaha!” This made the surrounding boys burst into laughter.
“He’s really a coward, to be scared unconscious.”
“Look, he’s even breaking out in a cold sweat.”
“Someone like this was once called the pride of our academy, and even represented our academy in the Imperial Capital Martial Arts Tournament? It’s truly too shameful!”
However, they quickly stopped laughing, because every single girl had gathered around, their faces filled with worry and concern.
He’s not your biological father or mother, why bother so much!
…
In Shi Hao’s dream, he became another person named Yuan Chengmie, whose life was incredibly long, experiencing countless things, but all of it was extremely vague.
Under Yuan Chengmie, he learned many things. He had experience in medical arts, talisman arts, alchemy, and the like, and was quite accomplished in all of them.
Finally, he ventured into an ancient ruin and obtained a cultivation technique called the «Nine Revolutions Heaven-Plundering Scripture». However, he triggered a forbidden spell, which directly annihilated his physical body, and only his soul managed to escape.
Even so, his soul was severely wounded, and he had no choice but to immediately find someone to possess.
And so, Shi Hao witnessed a familiar scene: a beam of white light descended from the sky and entered "his own" body.
Phew!
Shi Hao suddenly sat upright, and seeing the familiar surroundings, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Was that a nightmare?
No.
His mind now held many new memories, all of which came from Yuan Chengmie, including an understanding of martial arts, research into medical arts, as well as talisman arts, alchemy, array formations, and various other skills.
However, Yuan Chengmie had been severely wounded, and his memories were not complete. Regarding this person's life and deeds, Shi Hao did not receive any clear images.
It wasn't a dream; everything was real.
Shi Hao felt a powerful surge of confidence, for he had received the complete martial arts inheritance of a powerful expert.
“Useless trash, you’re awake!” Beside him, someone sneered.
Shi Hao looked over. It was Bu Bowen. Nine months ago, this person had still been his follower, spending all day by his side, doing everything to curry favor.
But once he became useless, Bu Bowen was also the quickest to turn his back, immediately pledging allegiance to Shi Hao's former rival, Song Tianming of the Heaven Character Academy, becoming a loyal dog. It was so realistic it was unbelievable.
Was this truly a youth who had just turned sixteen?
“Heh heh, there are sixteen more people, then it’ll be your turn.” Bu Bowen’s face was etched with a contemptuous smile. He leaned close to Shi Hao’s ear and whispered, “Once you’re expelled and lose the protection of your academy disciple status, Brother Tianming will be able to act against you without any reservations, even… kill you!”