Liu Zheng opened his eyes to find himself lying on a bed beneath a wooden ceiling, in what appeared to be an old wooden house with three more beds nearby and a door leading outside. The rustic ambiance and the smell of aged wood filled the room.
"Where am I?" Liu Zheng muttered to himself, glancing down at his familiar blue-black Chinese cultivation clothing, which instantly reminded him of Martial Peak.
Stepping outside, he was greeted by the sight of people in similar attire, training diligently or chatting amongst themselves. Wooden buildings, reminiscent of those he had seen in manhuas, dotted the area, creating a scene that felt both alien and oddly familiar.
That's when he felt a sharp pain in his head and his mind was filled the memories of this body from his childhood until now which was nothing but an orphan growing up in the sect-affiliated orphanage and later joining the sect in hopes of cultivation because he was found to be capable of cultivation. The surprising part was that this guy was also named Liu Zheng and he didn't devour his soul or anything just reincarnated naturally and awakened his previous life memories just now.
'So, the name is the same as in my previous world. That's good.' He thought to himself and became extremely excited.
"I really am in Martial Peak!" Liu Zheng exclaimed, rushing back inside to find a mirror. The reflection staring back at him was that of an average black-haired boy with fairly long hair. Though not entirely pleased with his appearance, he held onto hope for future improvements.
"Status window," he commanded.
Name: Liu Zheng
Race: Human
Cultivation: None
Special Physique: ??? (unawakened)
Martial Skills:
Secret Arts:
System Abilities: Fusion (copy and combine secret arts and techniques of the opponents you have defeated)
Charm: Average
"Hey, system, can my charm be increased?"
"It can be increased after the host unlocks the required physique and improves as cultivation increases," responded a robotic female voice.
"That's good. Then what other options do you have?" Liu Zheng sighed in relief, knowing he still had hope.
[The other options available in the system are [Fusion], whose description is already mentioned above, and [Map], which leads the host to any minute energy signals released by owned/unowned treasures.]
"That explains how I will get treasures. Good. Open [Map]."
The map displayed, but most of it lacked details about terrains or other features. Just a few red dots glowed. The nearest one must be the black book. This one is very important, Liu Zheng thought. Let's get it before Yang Kai discovers its secret.
Following the map for half an hour, Liu Zheng reached the outskirts of the trial disciples region and spotted a familiar hut.
"This must be Yang Kai's place. I need to make sure he's not here," Liu Zheng muttered, peeking through holes to confirm Yang Kai's absence before entering the hut.
Inside, he found a black rock on a stack of hay, and a notification sound from the system confirmed it was the one.
Sitting down, Liu Zheng placed the rock on the ground, bit his thumb, and let a few drops of blood fall on it. The black rock transformed into a black book, and a golden skeleton emerged from it.
"The Unyielding Golden Skeleton!" Liu Zheng shouted in excitement.
In the next moment, the skeleton went inside him and merged with his body, and he felt a pain he never know existed. His bones reformed, and his meridians broke, expanded, and rejoined in a torturous cycle but he didn't give up knowing how important it is to get past this phase or the skeleton might even take over him.
After two agonizing hours, the pain subsided, and Liu Zheng finally relaxed.
"Finally, I can properly start my cultivation journey in this world."
[The host has acquired Special Physique Unyielding Golden Skeleton.]
[Unyielding Golden Skeleton: It integrates itself into the user's body, elevates his meridian network and talent. The skeleton greatly augments the physique and supplements the user's own unyielding qualities. It contains and stores a strong Yin Qi.]
"What is this overwhelming feeling? Am I going to have a breakthrough?" Liu Zheng sat cross-legged and began meditating.
[Congratulations, The host has reached Tempered Body First Stage]
"I finally stepped into the realm of cultivation! Now let's keep goin—" Liu Zheng heard footsteps and quickly jumped out of the window on the opposite side of the door. He saw Yang Kai entering the hut, looking ragged and exhausted, and watched as he collapsed onto the haystack and fell asleep.
"Well, I am sorry for taking your opportunity, but it was necessary for me. If I have the chance, I'll help fix your problem and assist you, provided you don't make an enemy out of me" Liu Zheng whispered. Suddenly, he vomited black substance, and his entire body began to reek.
Recognizing this as an aftereffect of breaking through, Liu Zheng hurried home to bathe. Afterward, he took out the black book and read the golden lines, discovering the secret art.
[Conratulations, The host has acquired the Proud Golden Body: Tempered Body Record.]
But night had fallen so it couldn't be practiced for now, Liu Zheng continued to turn the pages. An incense burner (Antique Incense Burner) appeared, but he lacked the required materials.
The incense burns, slowing cultivation speed but tempering the body's ability to cultivate faster when not in the incense smoke.
Liu Zheng flipped a page, and a golden light entered his mind, revealing a new secret art.
[The host has acquired the True Yang Secret Art.]
Satisfied with his progress, Liu Zheng went to sleep, eager for what the next day would bring.