C1 Not Dying from a Great Calamity

Moss blanketed the crumbling walls while vines entwined the stone pillars, climbing skyward. Atop a five-meter-high pillar lay a corpse, marred with numerous wounds. Its head, arms, and lower legs dangled off the side, swaying gently. Below, several Corpse Stealers shuffled aimlessly, surrounded by a dense forest of towering trees—a desolate, post-apocalyptic landscape.

Suddenly, the corpse's arm twitched.

"Uh!"

A moan startled the Corpse Stealers at the base of the pillar. They clutched the vines and began to ascend, but their numbers were too great. Those in front had barely climbed half a meter before being mistaken for vines by those behind, who pulled them down in their eagerness to climb.

"I'm still alive!" The figure on the pillar abruptly sat up, very much alive. "I thought lightning had struck me dead, but it seems my luck is quite something. I've actually crossed over. Heh, being alive is good, so very good!"

Having skirted the line between life and death, he had gained a new perspective and was unfazed by his transmigration. Moreover, during his unconscious state, he had acquired the memories of this body.

This body's name was Wang Yue, sharing the name of his current consciousness. He was an Outer Sect Disciple of the Myriad Qi Profound Sect. Having offended a senior brother from the Inner Sect, and given the strict Sect Rules, the senior brother couldn't confront Wang Yue within the Sect. Instead, he seized the opportunity during the Outer Sect Trial, arranging for other Outer Sect Disciples to target Wang Yue.

The Outer Sect Trial was fraught with danger, claiming the lives of a few unfortunate souls each year. As long as the harm wasn't obviously inflicted by another or too conspicuous, the Deacon overseeing the trial wouldn't intervene too much.

The Death Ruins were fragments of an alien realm that had fallen into this world. The Corpse Stealers below were half-dead creatures, transformed from living beings or corpses.

Here, to die meant joining the ranks of the Corpse Stealers. Once Wang Yue perished, they would return to finish him off, ensuring that no one would ever suspect foul play in his demise.

Wang Yue fought desperately and managed to escape against all odds.

"This isn't over. Now that I've inherited your body, your enemies are my enemies!"

While Wang Yue was meditating on a stone pillar, channeling his energy to heal his wounds, the sound of someone approaching from outside the Death Ruins caught him by surprise. He hadn't expected to be pursued this far.

The newcomer eyed Wang Yue on the stone pillar and scoffed, "Hiding behind a stone pillar, are you? You're lucky to be alive."

Wang Yue's eyes snapped open, recognizing the man as Gu Lin, one of his assailants.

"Give me the jade pendant, and I might consider sparing your life," Gu Lin demanded. "You know Senior Brother Yuan only wants your jade pendant. Hand it over willingly, and you'll be left in peace. Moreover, Senior Brother Yuan might even take you under his wing and provide ample resources for you to advance to the Qi Refining Stage. If not, you'll die by my hand today, and I'll take the jade pendant to Senior Brother Yuan regardless."

Wang Yue let out a cold snort and warned, "Don't push me, or I'll destroy the jade pendant right now."

The jade pendant Gu Lin referred to was the only keepsake Wang Yue had from his mother. Having fully assimilated the body's memories, Wang Yue felt a profound connection to her.

"It looks like you won't see reason until it's too late. So be it, I'll kill you and search your body afterward."

Wang Yue, at Body Refining Level Four, was significantly outmatched by Gu Lin's Body Refining Level Seven. The disparity in their strength was vast, and not even the surrounding Corpse Stealers could stop Gu Lin. Wang Yue's fate seemed sealed.

Just then, a voice rang out from behind Gu Lin.

"Wow, quite the authority you have here, deciding life and death as you please. You seem to think you're above the Law Enforcement Hall itself!"

With a swish, Gu Lin's forehead broke out in a cold sweat, and his body tensed up. He stammered, "Senior... Senior Brother... It's a misunderstanding... a misunderstanding!"

"A misunderstanding?" The person behind him grabbed Gu Lin by the neck, twisting him around to face him, and spoke deliberately, "I heard you threaten a life with my own ears. Are you suggesting I'm deaf?"

"No... No..."

At that moment, the Law Enforcement Hall Disciple fully revealed himself before them. It was none other than the renowned Faang Jinyu of the Law Enforcement Hall, known as Iron Bone Faang Jinyu. His reputation wasn't for impartiality or for being unyielding, but rather for his readiness to resort to violence. His infamy was such that any transgressor unfortunate enough to fall into his hands would end up with their bones shattered and replaced with unbreakable iron.

Crack!

A sharp snap echoed as Gu Lin's shoulder blade was crushed, followed by his agonized howl.

Faang Jinyu paid no heed to Wang Yue and simply carried Gu Lin away.

Once Faang Jinyu had departed, Wang Yue was drenched in a cold sweat, recalling that this Senior Disciple from the Law Enforcement Hall was notoriously the most formidable and intimidating figure within both the Inner and Outer Sects.

He was a stickler for the Sect Rule, but the rules of the Myriad Qi Profound Sect were stringent. Crossing Faang Jinyu could mean being caught and having one's bones mercilessly crushed at any moment.

Wang Yue retrieved a Tai Chi jade pendant from his chest, a keepsake from his mother. Engraved within the Tai Chi design was a talisman, rumored to be a rare Jade Talisman. Sadly, it had lost all its magic power and was now just an ordinary piece of jade.

For some reason, after Senior Brother Yuan Yi from the Inner Sect had seen the jade pendant, he became fixated on obtaining it. Initially, he tried to purchase it, but when Wang Yue refused to sell, Yuan Yi resorted to attempts of forceful acquisition.

Stealing from fellow disciples was a serious violation of the Myriad Qi Profound Sect's Sect Rule, yet Yuan Yi seemed utterly unconcerned. The potential punishment paled in comparison to the value he placed on the jade pendant. Wang Yue, who had always regarded the pendant as merely a memento, sensed that there was more to it and sought to uncover its secrets, but to no avail.

What he hadn't anticipated was Yuan Yi's audacity to attempt a murder and theft during the Outer Sect Trial, leading to Wang Yue's unexpected journey through time.

The weather in the Spirit Domain was fickle. In a short span, the sky darkened with ominous clouds, blotting out the sun. As the dark clouds gathered and thunder rumbled, the Corpse Stealers began to burrow into the earth, these half-dead creatures terrified of the impending lightning.

Wang Yue seized the chance to descend from the stone pillar.

Boom!

Thunder echoed through the Spirit Domain Secret Forest. The Death Ruins were strewn with broken walls and rubble, yet there was no shelter from the rain. There was nowhere to take cover from the rain, neither within the Death Ruins nor in the surrounding area, except perhaps beneath a tree.

"Is it going to be okay?"

Wang Yue surveyed the dense trees around the Death Ruins. It was common knowledge not to seek shelter under a tree during a rainstorm, but with so many trees, was it really that likely to be struck by lightning?

Not seeking shelter was out of the question. Since the Alien Domain Fragment had fallen into the Spirit Domain Secret Forest, the rain had become toxic. While it wasn't lethal, it would prevent one from cultivating for at least a month.

"I can't worry about that now. If I get injured and then drenched by the toxic rain of the Spirit Domain Secret Forest, I might not make it!"

With that thought, Wang Yue found a relatively short tree to take refuge under as the rain pelted the leaves and thunder continued to roll.

Boom!

Wang Yue felt a heavy blow to his body as lightning filled his vision. Before losing consciousness, his only thought was, "Why have I been struck by lightning twice? What have I done to deserve this?"

Time passed, and when the rain ceased, someone found and took Wang Yue away.

Upon awakening, Wang Yue was back within the confines of the sect.

"To survive twice... I must have quite the destiny," he mused.

Rising from the sickbed, Wang Yue found his experiences surreal.

After collecting medicine from the Medicine Master for the lightning strike and the toxic rain, Wang Yue returned to his cabin. Instinctively, he reached for his chest and his face turned pale.

Ripping open his shirt, he discovered the jade pendant was gone, leaving only an empty cord hanging over his chest. On the skin where the pendant had been, there was a Tai Chi imprint, seemingly left by the lightning strike.

"This..."

As his fingers traced the Tai Chi imprint, an ancient and desolate sensation enveloped him. In a daze, he seemed to glimpse ancient deities and demons.

A peculiar voice reached his ears, a language unknown to him, yet he understood every piece of information it conveyed.

"The Five-prison Moving Technique... What exactly is happening?"

The voice described a Body Refining Cultivation Method known as the Five-prison Moving Technique. The term "Five-prison" actually referred to the Five Sacred Mountains, which in ancient times were considered part of the netherworld, hence the name.

Moreover, the Five-prison corresponded to the five elements, which in turn related to the five vital organs. This technique not only fortified the body but also the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, and it was, notably, a Moving Technique.

The Five-prison Moving Technique was an exceedingly rare Body Refining Cultivation Method. It surpassed ordinary Moving Techniques because it was beneficial not only during the Body Refining Stage but also throughout the Qi Refining Stage. The technique autonomously circulated Qi and blood without disrupting the Qi Refining Cultivation Method.

A robust physique meant a powerful aura, indicating that even without resources, one could sustain themselves with their abundant Qi and blood in the Qi Refining Stage.

This realization left Wang Yue astounded.

It was no wonder Yuan Yi had been willing to break the Sect Rule to get his hands on the jade pendant; he knew it concealed a cultivation method, and not just any method at that.

Wang Yue sat down cross-legged and began practicing the Five-prison Moving Technique.

Blood and Qi surged from his heart, coursing through his body. The initial focus of the Five-prison Moving Technique was the heart, using a unique rhythm to control it and amplify the blood flow, thereby enriching the entire body with vigorous Qi and blood.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His heartbeat resonated like the beat of a drum. Suddenly, a force akin to thunder erupted from his chest, merging with his bloodstream and intensifying the Qi and blood's power.

"What? Could the remnants of the heavenly thunder still linger in my body after the strike?" Wang Yue's focus wavered, and he emerged from his meditative state. He touched the Taiji mark on his chest, murmuring to himself, "Impossible, such a thing has never occurred. But if the jade pendant is involved, perhaps it's plausible?"

With that thought in mind, Wang Yue resumed his cultivation practice. As the night wore on, a gnawing hunger drew him out of his meditative state. Once he stood up, he was astonished to discover that he had advanced to Body Refining Level Five. Achieving such a breakthrough overnight was beyond belief. Despite missing the Outer Sect Trial, the progress he made far surpassed what he could have gained from the trial.

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