Placing his foot on the edge and gripping the wall with his hand, he hurled his body into the cave.
Removing the vine-made rope from his waist, he moved forward, heading toward the black book.
Walking through the dark environment, he continued, accustomed to such conditions. After another minute, something glowing appeared ahead.
The black book had a cover adorned with a sticker of a golden cauldron, radiating light like a small sun.
Turning his head toward the glow, the book's information appeared:
[Alchemy Book of Ten Thousand Recipes - Written by an alchemist with congenital problems who dedicated his life to study.
Warning! Danger - Nascent soul within the book. It will attempt to be reborn by possessing the body of its inheritor.]
"What?"
Jin was confused and looked at the book again. This time, he strained his eyes to the fullest. To his surprise, he saw beyond the cauldron: an old man with deep wrinkles, laughing with an eager expression.
"That bastard! Look at how desperate he is to possess me."
It was infuriating, especially the ravenous gaze that regarded him as prey about to be devoured.
Though angered, Jin kept his mind calm. It was his fault for coming here without knowing anything about the item. His luck lay in having the Eyes of Fortune.
Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself and looked at the old man again with his eyes, which, usually black, turned golden when he activated his ability.
---
Inside the book, the old alchemist was shocked as he met those eyes.
"What the hell is this? Can he see me?"
The old man murmured but quickly dismissed the thought. That hidden formation was something he had discovered in an ancient ruin. How could a mere mortal see it?
With that thought, he calmed down. He watched closely as the young man approached the black book. In the next moment, he would gain a new body. His millennia-long plan was about to succeed.
The old man's name was Zhuang Hunzi, a man born with an innate and profound understanding of the Dao. However, due to a genetic block, he was never able to practice martial arts or alchemy fully.
Desperate, he made a pact with the Count of the Blood Sky, a cultivator dwelling in the most dangerous place in the world, where the crimson sky was stained by countless deaths. In exchange for a forbidden method, Zhuang Hunzi sacrificed his humanity but discovered a way to be reborn.
Still, the cost was high. The ritual required a thousand years of preparation, far more than he had anticipated. But today, finally, his luck had arrived.
"The greatest alchemist of the Origin Continent is about to return!"
He murmured, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
"This time, will my path be that of a Great Emperor? Yes… Even if this young man's talent is trash, I am an alchemist! The greatest of all!"
He smiled wickedly, eagerly awaiting the moment his target would touch the black book.
---
Jin, observing the old man's every reaction, did nothing. He felt no hatred, merely deactivating his eyes and sitting on the ground. Resting his hand on his chin, he began to think.
He was fully aware that he was in a chess game but could not move the pieces. On the other side was an ancient, cunning old man. On his side was just an inexperienced youth, lacking even basic knowledge—except for those special eyes.
"How can I beat this old man?"
Jin wasn't reckless. If there truly was no way out, he would leave. Tomorrow might bring another opportunity, another fortune. It wasn't worth risking his life. Besides, when he was stronger, he could return here.
The problem was someone crazy enough to jump into this abyss and fall directly into the old man's hands, becoming his new body. That was dangerous. Jin had never seen the people of this city, but he didn't want to leave them at the mercy of an old man with completely unknown intentions.
He wasn't kind. He was fully aware of that. He knew he was mad and that his true personality had yet to emerge. But sooner or later, it would. The monster that spent eleven years in the dark would eventually surface. It was inevitable. That's why he tried to control his thoughts as much as possible.
Letting out a sigh, he stood up and approached the book once more. This time, he didn't look at the old man but at the book itself.
With his special vision, he analyzed every detail. When he reached the cauldron sticker, he was astonished.
[Divine Cauldron - Created by the Heavens.
A priceless object without a wielder for thousands of years, as no one has ever seen its true form. To ordinary eyes, it has always been a mere insignificant sticker.
This cauldron can refine anything in this world.
To claim it, drop a single drop of your blood!]
"Hahahaha!"
Reading this, Jin couldn't contain his laughter. Who would have thought such an item would be here?
However, alongside the euphoria, he realized how strange that golden light within him was. It filled him with questions.
"Why me? If I have this power, what should I do? Am I being manipulated by someone? Or is it destiny?"
He pondered for a moment but soon smiled.
"No matter the reason. If I'm in a game, I'll win. If I have this ability, then I'll steal from the heavens… In this world, I'll use everything to become stronger."
With these thoughts, Jin felt calm—a frightening calm that seeped into his body and mind. Gradually, he began to reveal his true self.
Rising gracefully from the ground, he walked toward the book. He didn't open it. Instead, he bit his index finger hard, making blood immediately flow. Moving his finger toward the sticker, he let a drop fall.
"Your plan was good, old man. I don't know your motives, I have no idea about your story, and I don't care to know. But you've lost!"
He spoke slowly and firmly, staring at the book. In the next moment, the illusion dissolved, revealing an old man with deep wrinkles, his eyes filled with astonishment and despair.
"What are you saying? Since when did you discover me?"
The old man's voice trembled. He had already suspected he'd been detected but couldn't understand how. His immortal formation was impenetrable—or at least, it should have been.
"Your eyes…"
He murmured, overcome with fear. Even after countless years of life, this boy terrified him. Jin reminded him of his worst nightmare, the Count of the Blood Sky.
"No… it can't be…"
The old man shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought. But he soon realized Jin was even more dangerous. Before him, nothing could be hidden. The worst kind of opponent was one who knew all your moves.
"Goodbye."
Yun Jin murmured, watching the cauldron fully materialize, floating above the book.