C9 He Had Transmigrated yet Again

Before departing for the last time, Zhou Mu turned to take one last look at the modest shelter he was leaving behind. With a deep sigh, he acknowledged the end of one chapter in his life and the beginning of another. He knew he would never return to this place.

Striding away, Zhou Mu reflected on the service area as nothing more than an unpleasant memory.

Despite searching all day, he couldn't find a suitable place. Every potential spot was either already claimed or just as unsuitable as the service area.

Then it struck him, "The back mountain! That's it. People usually avoid it. Yes, I'll head to the back mountain."

The thought of the vast forest behind the Jade Sun Sect filled him with excitement. He snapped his fingers; the location was remote, but it promised the quiet he needed. It was an ideal spot for secluded cultivation.

Upon reaching the back mountain, Zhou Mu discovered a small valley that was perfect for his needs. It was a modest hundred meters across, enclosed on three sides with a single exit.

Pleased with his find, he set to work chopping down trees and tying ropes, intent on constructing his new refuge.

By the time he finished, night had fallen and a bright, cold moon was suspended in the sky.

"It's time to begin cultivating. The sooner I start, the sooner I'll succeed."

Zhou Mu steadied his spirit, and once his mind was tranquil, he reviewed the key points of the Azure Lotus Sword Qi Spell.

With each breath, he drew in slender threads of spiritual energy from the void, absorbing them into his body in accordance with the cultivation technique.

Simultaneously, the vast medicinal power still undigested within him stirred to life.

With these dual forces at work, Zhou Mu's cultivation level visibly soared.

There was a crisp "pop" from within him, and a surge of azure Qi expanded outward.

Opening his eyes, a fleeting streak of Azure Light vanished from his gaze.

"Is this... the first level of Qi Refining? Have I truly succeeded?"

Feeling the weak but steady flow of azure Spiritual Force coursing through his meridians, Zhou Mu let out a triumphant howl that echoed throughout the valley.

Before he could fully revel in his joy, his vision suddenly blurred, and his soul began to feel foggy.

"Wait, this sensation is too familiar. Not again! No, I don't want to turn into a woman!"

Before he could finish his outcry, darkness enveloped him, and he lost consciousness in an instant.

...

"Sect Master, Sect Master?"

Du Yue looked at the Sect Master with curiosity. He had been in the middle of giving her instructions, but why had he suddenly fallen silent?

When Zhou Mu came to, he saw Du Yue standing before him.

"Damn it, which old geezer is messing with me now?"

Seeing Du Yue, whom he had met during his previous ordeal, Zhou Mu felt a heavy sense of despair, as if he were on the verge of tears.

"Sect Master, you were telling me..."

Du Yue spoke cautiously, worried she might have made another mistake.

"It's fine, you may leave now."

Zhou Mu feigned a cold, detached demeanor, dismissing Du Yue with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, Sect Master."

Du Yue, not daring to inquire further, bowed and left the room.

"Damn it, why am I going through this again? I really don't want to be a woman. Please, stop messing with me. It could kill someone."

Zhou Mu felt the weight on his chest and the void below, sending a chill through his entire body, leaving him feeling utterly vulnerable.

"Don't panic, stay calm. If I managed to return last time, I should be able to do it again this time. Just hold on."

Zhou Mu took deep breaths and gently tapped his chest to steady his racing heart.

'Impressive.'

"Stay calm. It was three days before I returned after the last transmigration, right? So, if my calculations are correct, I should be able to return in three days."

With this thought, Zhou Mu's chaotic thoughts began to settle.

'No, something's not right. Last time I was here, an elder was spying on me. The sect is unstable; there's definitely a rebellion brewing.'

He lamented the fact that, even before his transmigration, he was desperate to survive, and now, after arriving here, he found himself struggling to stay afloat all over again.

"Why must my fate be so cruel? No, I must devise a strategy to survive these three days. Once I return, I'll figure out a solution."

Zhou Mu had finally succeeded in sensing the Spiritual Force, allowing him to begin cultivating. Naturally, he had no intention of dying so soon. If he wanted to live, he had to make it through the next three days.

Having sensed the Spiritual Force, he felt somewhat improved from his last transmigration. He could detect the vast and hidden Spiritual Force within him, exuding an aura of power. He was convinced that he was far more formidable than the sect master of the Jade Sun Sect.

"Wait a minute, I've learned the Azure Lotus Sword Qi Spell, haven't I? I might as well continue my cultivation. It's better to have some form of defense, right?"

With determination, Zhou Mu sat cross-legged on the bed and began to meditate, tuning into the Spiritual Force.

Meanwhile, Xia Xuanji, in a moment of disorientation, realized that her surroundings had changed once again.

"Damn it, I've transmigrated into this foul man's body again."

The shift in her body and environment caused Xia Xuanji's face to contort with displeasure.

Xia Xuanji was incredibly astute, quickly deducing the pattern of her transmigration. Three days marked a significant interval. Despite her overwhelming feelings of humiliation and anger, she felt powerless against such an astonishing phenomenon.

"This good-for-nothing can actually cultivate?" Xia Xuanji, with her vast intellect, immediately perceived a faint wisp of Spiritual Force spiraling within. "Even though he's capable of cultivation, he remains worthless."

The Spiritual Force followed a specific trajectory as it was absorbed into her body, a rate of accumulation that was profoundly touching to witness.

In her previous experiences with cultivation, she had always been overwhelmingly powerful, enveloping the Spiritual Qi within several kilometers around her.

"The Azure Lotus Sword Qi Spell?"

Xia Xuanji's senses quickly led her to a small valley where she spotted a book of cultivation techniques. She picked it up and glanced through it.

"Just an incomplete technique with mediocre power," she assessed in an instant. As a sect master, she had access to numerous advanced techniques.

Setting aside her inner turmoil, Xia Xuanji began to contemplate the current state of this detestable man's body.

It appeared that the foul man's theft of the Pill had yet to be discovered; otherwise, he would have long since fled. Instead, he had become an official disciple, acquired a cultivation spell, and located a place to practice his craft, despite the Heaven Earth Spirit Energy being feeble and sparse.

He casually glanced over himself, his eyes settling on the edges of the "Divine Prefecture Magazine," now tinged with the patina of age.

"Is this the Divine Prefecture from ten thousand years ago? I recall that a Great Tribulation is destined to occur in the future. The world will decay, Heaven and Earth will topple, and the Spirit Qi will vanish, ushering in the apocalypse. Regrettably, despite the countless Almighties in the Spirit Realm seeking to uncover the cause of the Great Tribulation, none have succeeded."

Withdrawing his gaze, he let out a wistful sigh, left with nothing more to ponder.