Li Xuan awoke with labored breaths, pain stabbing through his entire body. His head pounded violently, as if trying to pull him back into the darkness.
He tried to open his eyes, only to be blinded by the bright light from the ceiling above. The world around him felt strange, as though he had been thrown into a place he didn't recognize.
"Where am I?" he thought, frowning as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
The air in the room felt heavy and foreign, completely different from the spiritual world he had left behind upon his death.
Li Xuan slowly sat on the edge of the bed, his body stiff and weak. His hand moved to his chest, hoping to feel the flow of chi that once coursed strongly through him.
But all he felt was emptiness.
"Nothing..." he whispered, his voice filled with disbelief.
The chi pathways in his new body were sealed tight, as if they had never been opened. Li Xuan glanced around the unfamiliar room. The walls were plain white, with strange objects blinking in the corners. There was no trace of spiritual energy in this place.
With a heavy breath, he tried to stand. His legs trembled, struggling to support a body that felt much heavier and weaker than what he was used to.
"Tch…" Li Xuan hissed in frustration, his body feeling so fragile compared to when he was the Dragon Emperor.
His eyes fell on an identification card lying on the small table near the bed. Li Xuan picked it up, staring at the picture showing the new face he now wore. The name written beside the photo shocked him: Li Xuan.
"This name…" Li Xuan muttered, his brows furrowing in confusion.
"The same as mine?"
He looked further at the other text on the card: Tianhai University of Arts, and underneath that, Art Student.
Li Xuan found this all very strange, but he couldn't deny that this body belonged to someone who had lived a life far different from anything he had ever known.
"An art student…" he muttered again, his voice low and filled with dissatisfaction.
This body clearly wasn't trained for cultivation, and the life the original owner had lived was far removed from the world of spiritual power. Li Xuan placed the card back on the table, his mind swirling with unanswered questions.
"Coincidence… or fate?" he thought, feeling more confused by the moment.
Even so, he knew one thing for sure: he needed to find a way to restore his power in this changed world. Suddenly, his stomach contracted sharply, and a sharp pang of hunger hit him.
"Aghhh…" he groaned, clutching his empty stomach.
His new body needed food something he rarely experienced when he was the Dragon Emperor. Li Xuan glanced at the table and found a box with a picture of food on it. He opened the box and found a piece of dry bread.
Though the bread looked simple and coarse, he began to eat it slowly. It tasted strange in his mouth, but it was enough to ease the gnawing hunger. After finishing the meal, Li Xuan carefully rose to his feet.
His body was still weak, but his determination remained strong. He knew this world was vastly different, but he would find a way to reclaim his power. With cautious steps, he opened the door and stepped outside.
A long, cold corridor greeted him, lined with doors along the walls. This place was nothing like the grand palaces or spiritual training grounds filled with chi. It was a world that felt sterile and soulless. Li Xuan descended the stairs slowly, his body still not used to this newfound weakness.
When he finally stepped outside the building, the sight of the modern world struck him. Tall buildings loomed overhead, vehicles rushed along the streets, and people walked briskly, paying no attention to their surroundings.
Li Xuan stood at the edge of the road, staring around him in confusion.
"This world has completely changed," he muttered, his eyes scanning the cityscape that felt so foreign.
"There's no free-flowing chi like before…"
Still, amid the hustle and bustle of this modern world, Li Xuan could sense a faint trace of chi. The spiritual energy was almost imperceptible, but it was there, hidden in certain places.
As he pondered this, a burly man suddenly rushed past him, bumping into him roughly.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" the man shouted angrily, his face full of irritation without the slightest hint of courtesy.
Li Xuan felt his anger boil instantly.
"Tch…!" he hissed coldly, glaring at the man's back with suppressed hatred.
In the past, someone like that would never have dared to touch him, let alone speak to him so rudely. But now, this body was too weak to fight back. Li Xuan took a deep breath, calming the rage that nearly exploded.
He knew now was not the time for revenge. For the moment, his only focus was on one thing: regaining his strength. As he walked along the crowded streets, Li Xuan carefully observed every corner.
He knew that in this world, he could trust no one fully. But if chi still existed, he had to find it and use it to restore his power.
Li Xuan's gaze was drawn to an old temple hidden between tall buildings. Though it looked worn and decrepit, the temple emitted a slightly stronger chi than anywhere else around.
He stopped in his tracks, staring at the temple with newfound hope.
"In places like this… I can start again," he murmured, his eyes gleaming with fierce determination.
"I will find a way to regain my power… and my revenge will soon begin."
With swift, determined steps, Li Xuan headed toward the old temple, ready to rediscover the spiritual strength he once possessed. The world may have changed, but his soul and the will of the Dragon Emperor remained unbroken.