Evan lay unconscious in bed, his cheek finally returned to normal. His long, straight black hair grazed his closed eyelids. His breathing was steady, his expression calm.
Beside the bed, David sat on a low stool, guilt plain in his eyes. If he had gone along with them at the beginning, none of this would have happened.
He stared downward, hands supporting his face. After a moment, he lifted his head and looked at Evan on the bed.
"Haaa… if I had gone with you… none of this would have happened…" Guilt and sorrow filled his voice and eyes.
Then, to his surprise, Evan's eyelids fluttered. David sprang to his feet and moved to the bedside. Almost in the next second, Evan's eyes opened.
"Evan! I'm sorry!"
David cried out, pulling him into a hug. Evan, warmed by the embrace and David's voice, looked confused. He murmured,
"Brother… what happened?" his tone gentle, calm.
Suddenly, his expression changed, eyes widening.
"What about Vivian?!" he remembered with a jolt.
"I hope she's okay!" he thought anxiously, filled with worry for the girl.
Hearing this, David offered a small smile, setting Evan free from his grip. Standing above him, he said,
"I see you worry about others more than yourself." His tone held light teasing—but beneath it lay quiet remorse. He didn't want his younger brother to notice.
Just then, the door burst open. Both brothers turned to see Sophia rushing in, and right behind her came William. Seeing their son awake, both parents' faces softened with gentle relief.
Sophia hurried to Evan's side and asked,
"Are you alright, dear?" Evan sat up in bed;
"I'm fine, Mom," he replied, smiling softly. But deep down, he knew he was far from okay.
He thought fiercely:
"I have to become stronger… In the next few days I must break into the Foundation Establishment Realm…"
"Are you sure?" Sophia asked quietly as she sat beside him. Concern and a hint of fear showed in her eyes.
Evan simply smiled and answered, "Yes, I'm certain." His gaze radiated warmth he had never experienced in his past life.
William smiled at the scene and placed a reassuring hand on Sophia's shoulder.
"Darling, everything will be fine… after all, he bears the rune," he said gently. Sophia smiled back.
David, overhearing, grinned and added,
"You have reason to be proud… He was recently promoted in the rune profession." His voice held pride and his eyes shone.
Sophia and William exchanged smiles. Evan, however, looked puzzled.
"Umm… What are you talking about?" he asked softly.
They all shared knowing smiles. William knelt by the bed and began explaining,
"You know, son, in this world there are various cultivation-related professions… Alchemy, Inscription, Formations, and Smithing. Alchemy is about crafting pills and medicines to aid cultivators…"
He continued, his tone firm and gentle,
"Inscription deals with runes—you know, magical symbols used in many ways. Cultivators discover new runes, create them, and assign them unique properties. It's a difficult art." Evan's eyes brightened.
"Formations… well, they're a sub-profession of runes. You build them from runic structures—much more powerful and functionally diverse. And we should also mention talismans—usually single-use devices."
He took a breath and went on,
"Finally, Smithing: not ordinary metalwork, but crafting powerful artifacts using rare materials and Qi." He laughed softly,
"I know less about that. But I do know inscription is used to enhance those artifacts." He stood tall again.
"Well, now you know what you need." He sat and looked at Evan, who was still absorbing everything.
David added,
"Because of that rune Dad made, he sensed something was wrong with you…"
"Rune?" Evan whispered, touching the back of his neck but feeling nothing.
William answered,
"You can't sense a rune by simple touch—unless it's incredibly potent."
"System…?" Evan called out.
[Host Father is correct, rune presence cannot be felt by mere touch unless of exceptional power.] the robotic voice replied.
William stood and held up his hand, displaying the ring on his finger. He used Qi around it. In that instant, a pill appeared beside William, floating in midair. After a moment, it drifted over to Evan's face and hovered there.
"Here's a pill… I already gave you one before, and now here's another. Take it and rest."
Evan reached out, took the floating pill, and bit down. Warmth spread through his body—a soothing energy that renewed him. His eyes opened more. William and David headed for the door, then Sophia followed. As they were leaving, she paused and turned to him.
"Rest…" she said softly. Then she spoke again,
"…And Vivian… she's safe." With that reassurance, she left the room and closed the door quietly.
Hearing that, Evan felt a wave of relief. His dark eyes closed again briefly, his head tilting back.
"Haaaa… I must become stronger…" he thought, then opened his eyes up at the ceiling.
"And I need a way to cultivate openly…"
He frowned slightly in thought. Then he called out,
"System."
[To answer: A spirit root can be formed by absorbing a wild root that grows in nature.]
Evan sat up, eyes widening, "You can absorb it?" he asked in surprise.
[Yes, but wild spirit roots are extremely rare. The higher the rank, the harder to find. A ritual is also required to absorb them.]
Evan pondered for a moment, then thought suddenly,
"I don't have to absorb it… I can do this another way!" he exclaimed in his mind. Then added,
"But first… I must break into Foundation Establishment."
.....
One hour later...
Evan rushed out of his room, shouting,
"I'm going to the tree on the hill—I'll wait for Vivian there!"
Then he bolted out of the house.
Hearing his voice, Sophia said nothing. She only nodded quietly, worry clouding her eyes. William and David simply exchanged soft smiles.
…..
Five minutes later...
As Evan ran through the village, his thoughts were racing.
"I need to become stronger..." he told himself.
"I need to master a technique... Right now, all I have are my fists... and my head."
His feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted, now reaching the narrow path that wound up the hill.
...
Moments later...
Evan sat cross-legged beneath the great tree, settling into a lotus position.
"Let's begin."
He closed his eyes and began cultivating.
Deep within, he focused on sensing the Qi in his dantian—the spiritual energy, still formless like a mist. For a moment, it was only a presence. But then, he felt it: a gentle swirl, faint but real. He began drawing it out, guiding it slowly through his body.
Carefully—painstakingly—he avoided the Qi veins, directing the energy instead to his muscles, his organs, and through his bloodstream. Every movement of Qi had to be perfect. Even a single mistake could cause severe internal injuries.
Bit by bit, his body began to absorb the Qi. It became one with him, slowly tempering his muscles, reinforcing his organs, and nourishing every part of his body. It was adapting to him, syncing with his form as he slowly pushed toward breaking into the Foundation Establishment Realm.
...…..
Two and a half hours later...
Suddenly, the air around Evan began to stir. More and more Qi gathered around him—drawn in like a vortex. It surged into his body through his Qi veins, flooding his dantian, and then cycling back out to reinforce his physical form.
A moment later, a whirlpool of Qi formed around him—dense, heavy, charged. And then, in a sudden surge, the energy exploded outward from his body.
In that instant, he broke through to the first sub-realm of Foundation Establishment.
....
[Ding!]
[System detected that host has broken through to the First Level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Congratulations, host!]
[Ding!]
[Detected]
[that system is eligible for update.]
[Ding!]
[System update in progress...]
[1%]...
[4%]...
...
Five minutes later...
Evan opened his eyes, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.
"Cultivation stabilized!" he declared with pride.
But just as he spoke, a new notification appeared before his eyes.
[Ding!]
[System update complete!]
[Ding!]
[Detected]
[System has stored a wisp of the remnant soul belonging to the body's previous owner!]
[Host soul synchronization in progress!]
"Huh? Aghaaa!..."
Before Evan could say another word, a searing pain exploded through his body—and deeper, through his very soul. His eyes welled with tears. He began to cry. The pain was unimaginable, unrelenting, ripping through him from the inside out.
Then, his eyes rolled back, and his body collapsed to the ground.
[1%]...
[9%]...
[37%]...
...........
Moments later...
[Ding!]
[Soul synchronization completed successfully.]
[Ding!]
[Detected]
[Host's bloodline is unawakened!]
[Bloodline awakening in progress...]
[1%]...
[2%]...
...….
Ten minutes later...
[Ding!]
[Host's bloodline has been successfully awakened!]
[Congratulations, host!]
[Ding!]
[Detected]
[Host's body constitution has changed!]
[Change not fully complete!]
[Full-body structural transformation in progress...]
[1%]...
[2%]...
...…
Short while later...
[Ding!]
[Body structure transformation completed successfully.]
[Ding!]
[New system functions unlocked!]
[Relationship panel available!]
....
Six minutes later...
Lying on the ground, Evan suddenly opened his eyes. His body ached everywhere. He groaned softly, trying to move—but then, something far stranger happened.
Memories began flooding into his mind.
Not his own… and yet… somehow familiar.
He closed his eyes, breathing slowly. These memories—were not in his brain. They were etched into his soul.
And memory—whether joyous or painful—is what shapes a person. That is always true. Even for Evan.
The memories of the body's previous owner were passing through him like waves—intense, vivid, undeniable.
"Are they not mine?" he wondered.
The emotions. The images. The sounds. They were part of him now.
The change had taken only moments… but the disorientation lingered. Adjusting to the shift… understanding it… took time.
Then, finally, Evan whispered
"System?"
[Yes, Host?]
"Who… am I?"
His eyes shimmered with quiet confusion.
The system responded with its calm, mechanical tone
[As a result of soul assimilation with the body's former host, you are now both. From this moment on, you are entirely yourself—for the two souls have become one. He is you, and you are him.]
Evan was still lost in thought, trying to process it all. Every memory—of both lives—now belonged to him. Every moment returned in perfect clarity.
Then, a light shone in his eyes… and just as suddenly, faded again.
Slowly, he rose from the ground.
"I understand now... I truly am... myself."
He spoke the words aloud, steady and resolved.
Then, without another thought, he turned and looked back toward the village.
And in his gaze… a new light began to glow.
.
.
.
Hi there! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and don't forget to leave a review.I really hope you're enjoying the action and everything that's happening so far.That's all from me for today—wishing you a great day!