In the quiet solitude of his unremarkable home, a slender young man with an ethereal pallor to his skin and heavy, haunting circles beneath his eyes reclined upon an unassuming bed. It was a bed that had borne witness to countless moments of contemplation, but today's ruminations held a weight unlike any before.
Alone in a world that had cruelly stripped him of his family, he found himself at a crossroads, his thoughts a labyrinthine maze of uncertainty. The room around him, adorned with the remnants of happier times, stood as a silent witness to the absence that now defined his existence.
In a chilling moment of realization, a shiver runs down his spine, and an icy sensation washes over him as he becomes acutely aware of the imminent danger that surrounds him. With each passing second, his heart races, and a cold sweat forms on his forehead. As he takes in the ominous signs and the eerie silence that envelops him, every hair on his body seems to defy gravity, standing on end like a forest of tiny sentinels, amplifying the intensity of the impending threat.
He met his end without ever grasping the cruel hand of fate that had claimed him, his life having been a wretched journey of suffering and hardship. Yet, as the abyss of death beckoned, it arrived in an oddly merciful form. The young man, shrouded in the eternal night, could not discern the nature of his demise. His existence had been a relentless litany of misery, and now, death, in its silent embrace, felt like an unexpected relief.
In this strange passage between realms, the young man could perceive nothing but an unending expanse of utter darkness. It enveloped him, consuming his senses until all that remained was the palpable void. In a whisper, he wondered aloud, his voice a mere echo in the abyss, "Is this what death truly is? Not the fiery torment of hell or the blissful embrace of heaven that others expect. It's just an unbroken expanse of pure, unfathomable darkness."
In a modest hut nestled within the serene confines of the "Great Cloud Sect," a young girl with long, flowing blonde hair and mesmerizing emerald-green eyes sat in quiet contemplation. Her ethereal beauty was a rare sight, casting an enchanting aura that seemed to resonate with the very essence of the ancient sect. found herself in a state of bewilderment as she gazed at a peculiar screen before her.
Name: Yan Ruyi
Luck: 50
Turning point: While embarking on a mission in Snake Mountain, a location ten kilometers distant from the sect, she would stumble upon a mysterious fruit in the span of ten days, promising to enhance her latent talents.
Ending: Regrettably, her destiny would take a tragic twist as she fell victim to a passing bandit while returning to the sect ten days later.
Is this even real?" Yan Ruyi mused aloud. Her excitement surged because this screen felt unlike any hallucination she had ever encountered. If it were indeed authentic, her dream of attaining Immortality would no longer be an unattainable fantasy.
As someone possessing five low-grade elemental roots, much like herself, aspiring to reach the Foundation Realm with such elemental roots was nothing short of a lofty aspiration. While the notion of having five elemental roots might sound formidable, in reality, it only mattered if they were all of high grade.
Despite her lack of innate cultivation talent, Yan Ruyi felt incredibly fortunate to possess this mysterious advantage. She still contemplated whether she had recently awakened her latent eye talent. A mere five hours ago, Yan Ruyi had selected a mission from the mission hall. Upon returning to her diminutive hut, she had opted to take a nap before embarking on her mission to Snake Mountain.
Upon awakening from her nap, she was greeted by the sight of a emerald-green screen adorned with enigmatic text. What's more, she could discern an arrow pointing northward, indicating the direction of Snake Mountain.
"I must increase my speed to avoid any encounters with bandits," she pondered. "Utilizing my top pace, I can reach Snake Mountain in just seven days."
Seven days later, inside Snake Mountain, Yan Ruyi continued to follow the direction of the arrow. Finally, she reached the endpoint of the arrow, which pointed to a corn-like plant with five fruits. The mystery lay in the fact that one of them was black, while the other four were red.
Lost in the labyrinthine corridors of her thoughts, Yan Ruyi found herself standing before the enigmatic fruits, her brow furrowed in deep contemplation. With a wary gaze fixed upon the black and red offerings, she wrestled with a myriad of questions that clouded her judgment.
"I don't know," she mused aloud, her voice a mere whisper in the stillness of the moment. "Could the black fruit be perilous, concealing the venom of danger within its obsidian skin? Or perhaps it's the vibrant red fruits that harbor treacherous secrets, their alluring appearance masking a sinister intent?"
Her fingers hovered hesitantly over the fruits, a silent debate raging within her. "Could the black fruit hold the elusive power to enhance my talents? Or is it a double-edged gift, with the power to both elevate and ensnare?"
In the quietude of Snake Mountain, Yan Ruyi grappled with uncertainty, her choices weighted by the unknown. As she continued to deliberate, the answers remained elusive, leaving her at the precipice of a momentous decision with profound consequences.
Others may believe they have the answer. They test it by feeding one of the red fruits to animals and observing the results, but this approach is undeniably wasteful.
Some may also think that by tossing the black fruits in different directions, the arrow will indicate the one capable of enhancing their talent. However, this idea is only partially accurate as it risks damaging the black fruit.
The correct solution, however, involves consuming all the fruits and placing trust in the mysterious arrow. Being cautious is understandable, as it's better to be safe than sorry.
The ultimate and accurate course of action is to handle the fruits with care and position them in a specific orientation. If the arrow points north, it indicates the red fruit, and if it points south, it signifies the black fruit.
"Eh, the arrow points in both directions," Yan Ruyi exclaimed, shocked. "So, both of them can truly enhance my talent. Am I being too cautious? No, caution is imperative in this world. Without it, I might not survive even one chapter of the novel."