Chapter One: First Arrival at the Qianxuan Sect

Shen Wan was heading out today to attend a class reunion.

They had only just graduated, but with everyone soon to scatter to different cities, this was merely a farewell dinner among friends.

He picked out a pair of ragged “Old Li” brand jeans with holes, deliberately dressed a bit more stylishly, borrowed some of his sister’s hand cream, and set off.

But this was the last memory Shen Wan had from over a month ago—what followed was a long stretch of darkness.

That’s right; during that time, Shen Wan had spent over a month inside the belly of a crocodile...

When a glimmer of light appeared before him, he saw someone crawl out.

Shen Wan was curious; he hadn’t expected to find someone else in this pitch-black place.

Imitating the person ahead, he pried open the giant crocodile’s jaws. A blinding beam of light stunned him for a while before his eyes slowly adjusted.

Peering out once more, he saw an elderly man in a white robe, his back turned, laughing heartily.

Shen Wan could sense the old man’s exhilaration at regaining his freedom, and so he hurried to crawl out of this strange place himself.

He struggled for a long time, only to have the hole in his jeans catch on the crocodile’s hind molar, twisting and wriggling but unable to escape.

“Um…hello…”

“Could you give me a hand? I…I’m stuck…”

Before he could finish, the old man spun around abruptly, a longsword appearing in his hand!

“Damn, is this some magic trick?” Shen Wan was startled, instinctively shrinking back.

That little movement freed the hole in his jeans from the crocodile’s tooth.

Feeling his legs relax, he moved forward and finally crawled out of the crocodile’s mouth.

The giant crocodile, sensing relief in its belly, shifted and shrank back to a normal size.

“Who are you?!” Seeing the young man slowly stand up, the elder—whose aura was that of a celestial—grew even more wary, casting a protective spell around himself.

To know, this elder was a top-tier mid-level master of the Pill Soul Realm.

Yet the young man before him showed no trace of spiritual energy; that meant only two possibilities:

First, he was a true ordinary person.

Second, he was an expert whose cultivation surpassed even his own, possessing an artifact capable of concealing his power.

The elder dared not gamble. Though confident in his abilities, the world of cultivation was ruthless—no one was simply what they seemed.

Shen Wan silently retreated another step; though the elder’s figure was stooped and aged, he held a sword.

Blades know no mercy. If, in this godforsaken place, an old man stabbed him a couple of times, there’d be no one to hear his complaints.

So, on a tiny island less than twenty square meters in the middle of the sea,

A sage-like elder, sword in hand, stared intently at a youth in ragged jeans,

Beside them, a bumbling, adorable…crocodile lay sprawled.

…

A minute, two minutes, ten minutes…

They watched each other, neither daring to move. The barren island baked under the blazing sun.

Shen Wan swallowed, thinking he’d never felt this miserable—not even during military training.

Staring at the stone-faced elder opposite him, Shen Wan decided he had to break the stalemate himself.

“Um…”

“Third Form of the Scarlet Flame Sword Technique!”

“I—!!”

Shen Wan felt a herd of wild horses stampeding through his mind.

He’d barely opened his mouth when the old man lunged, sword thrust forward—what was with this guy?!

The elder gripped his sword tightly, spiritual energy at full force.

A huge flame, like a dragon, coiled around the blade, roaring with momentum and speed.

With the distance between them so short, Shen Wan had no time to dodge.

Nor did he expect the elder to move so nimbly.

With a sharp sound, the sword struck, its tip plunging toward Shen Wan’s chest.

The elder felt a surge of joy; though not a sword specialist, the Scarlet Flame Sword Technique was a second-tier heavenly technique.

At such close range, even if the opponent’s cultivation exceeded his own, he was certain that this blow would at least leave them gravely wounded, if not dead.

The fiery dragon engulfed Shen Wan, roaring as it danced across his body.

After a while, the dragon howled into the air, its cry tinged with frustration, before fading like a breeze.

As the flames dissipated, the figure was revealed.

Shen Wan stood firm, the sword pressed against his chest.

The elder was stunned. Seeing the unharmed youth, he broke into a cold sweat.

In the sealed heaven realm, Pill Soul was the highest level, and his Scarlet Flame Sword Technique was a heavenly-tier spell—the most advanced there was.

Even if the youth’s cultivation was higher, he should only be at the upper Pill Soul level.

Unless he had reached the Divine Awakening Realm.

Otherwise, the elder refused to believe his technique could leave the other completely unscathed.

And he had clearly struck, no doubt about it!

“Did I practice a fake sword technique?!”

The elder’s confidence shattered...

He recalled, years ago, when his master was on his deathbed.

His eldest daughter was promised to the senior disciple, his second daughter to the second disciple.

But to him, his master entrusted the sect’s treasured Scarlet Flame Sword Technique.

This showed his importance in his master’s eyes.

Now, though, his resolve faltered, for he…missed his sisters-in-law…

…

Shen Wan felt a dull pain in his chest.

He wasn’t sure if the sword was blunt or if the old man lacked strength, but it hadn’t pierced him.

He tried to push the sword aside. The elder didn’t resist, but his body trembled slightly.

Shen Wan’s eyes lit up; he swiftly grabbed the elder’s wrist.

The elder was startled, his thoughts snapping back, and a sharp pain shot through his wrist.

The longsword slipped from his hand, and Shen Wan snatched it up.

He weighed it in his hand—it had some heft to it.

He stabbed it into the ground, about to speak, when the elder’s expression stiffened and he dropped to his knees with a thud.

“Spare me, senior!”

“What the hell?! What’s happening?!”

Shen Wan was utterly baffled; he’d never received such respect, let alone from an elderly man.

“Hey, let’s talk things out. If you need medicine, take it, but don’t pull this nonsense—I don’t have any money on me!”

He stepped back in alarm, convinced the old man was just trying to scam him.

But the elder couldn’t understand what Shen Wan was saying; he didn’t care, so long as the youth didn’t kill him.

Seeing the old man repeatedly bang his head, Shen Wan grew anxious, tossing the sword aside and moving to help him up.

But the elder, hearing the clang of the sword hitting the ground, recoiled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

He leaned back sharply, just as Shen Wan reached out with both hands.

“Spare me, senior!”

Thinking Shen Wan was about to strike him, the elder quickly slapped his own forehead.

A drop of blood slowly floated from his brow.

“Wh—!”

Before Shen Wan could react, the drop of blood drifted to his head and merged right in.

“…”

Shen Wan felt that today he’d said “damn” more times than ever, but he really didn’t want to say it again.

From inexplicably ending up in a pitch-black place, to meeting an old man dancing and practicing sword techniques who stabbed him,

Now the old man was kneeling in this bizarre display...

Shen Wan thought the world could hardly be more wonderfully bizarre.

Seeing Shen Wan unmoved, the elder hurriedly spoke,

“Senior! This is my life essence. I have sworn a death oath and signed the contract—my life is now yours!”

There was no choice; facing a top-tier power, survival mattered most.

“What does that mean?” Shen Wan didn’t understand.

The elder frowned, but explained, “My life and death are now at your command!”

“At your command?”

Shen Wan wondered if the old man was crazy, but instinctively raised his head to ponder.

Then,

The elder’s body stiffened, and he collapsed with a final gasp...