The view of hundreds of mountains presented a stunning impression of natural beauty, with lush greenery harmoniously blending with a bright blue sky and perfectly balanced sunlight.
On each mountain stood majestic buildings with traditional designs reminiscent of ancient oriental China, yet exuding elegance.
On one of those buildings, the words "Mount Hua Sect" were proudly inscribed in shining golden carvings.
And in front of that building...
Slap!
A loud slap sent a young man flying, crashing into a large tree, leaving cracks on its trunk.
A youth around the same age walked forward with an air of disdain. His attire—a spotless white robe typical of a cultivator, adorned with intricate patterns—spoke of his high status.
"Qin Chen, you're truly bold to keep meeting Ling Yelan. If it weren't for the Third Elder, I would've killed you already," the youth said coldly, his expression full of contempt.
Three other young men behind him smiled mockingly, looking at Qin Chen, who was sprawled on the ground, with satisfied gazes.
Qin Chen, on the other hand, showed no fear. Instead, he slowly stood up, his gaze filled with unyielding determination.
"Lin Feng, I won't let your plans succeed! Don't think I don't know it was you who trapped the Ling family just so you could get engaged to Yelan. Damn you!" he shouted fearlessly.
His words caused the three young men behind Lin Feng to momentarily falter. Their smiles quickly vanished, replaced with expressions of anger.
"How dare you accuse Young Master Lin!" Lu Gan, one of Lin Feng's companions, shouted furiously.
"Qin Chen, you're truly shameless! Do you have no self-respect?!" Liang Zhi added with scorn.
"Let's beat him to death!" Jing Hao threatened coldly.
Liang Zhi patted Lin Feng's shoulder and said, "Young Master Lin, this scum has crossed the line. We should teach him a lesson."
Lin Feng looked at Qin Chen coldly, saying nothing. In an instant, he lunged forward, delivering a powerful punch to Qin Chen's face, making his nose bleed.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Blow after blow rained down on Qin Chen's body. Lin Feng showed no restraint, every strike carrying murderous intent.
Qin Chen lay on the ground, his body battered, blood streaming from his nose, the corner of his mouth, and his temple. The excruciating pain enveloped him.
THUMP!
A heavy punch struck his forehead, and his vision instantly darkened. His body collapsed to the ground, unmoving. Lin Feng finally stopped his assault, his breath heavy but his gaze still cold and emotionless.
Lu Gan, Liang Zhi, and Jing Hao immediately approached, looking at Qin Chen's lifeless body with satisfaction.
"I think he's dead, Young Master," Lu Gan said softly.
"He deserves it. With strikes that powerful, there's no way he survived," Liang Zhi added, shaking his head.
"He got what he deserved," Jing Hao said, his sneer fading into seriousness.
Lin Feng said nothing, merely staring coldly at Qin Chen's body. He observed for a moment, ensuring there were no signs of life. He couldn't even sense a trace of vitality.
But at that moment, Qin Chen's eyes suddenly opened.
"He's not dead!" Lin Feng exclaimed in surprise.
In an instant, Lin Feng stepped closer, grabbing Qin Chen's neck tightly, lifting him off the ground. Qin Chen gasped, his eyes widening in pain. He struggled to free himself, his hands clawing at Lin Feng's arm, but to no avail.
In Qin Chen's perspective, confusion clouded his mind. He couldn't comprehend the situation, but the unfamiliar sensation in his body made him realize something was amiss. His gaze shifted to Lin Feng, sharp and filled with burning rage.
'A mere human dares to grab me? How dare he!' he thought furiously.
However, a startling realization began to creep into his mind. He couldn't feel the power that once resided in him. Even the pain from Lin Feng's grip felt so real and piercing. His trembling hands moved, observing their unfamiliar form.
'What is this? These hands… this isn't my body… Have I reincarnated? So I really died before?!' Qin Chen thought, disbelief overwhelming him.
But amidst his confusion, Qin Chen realized that if he didn't fight back soon, his life would truly end once more. With the last of his strength, he gripped Lin Feng's arm tightly, causing Lin Feng to momentarily falter.
"You bastard!" Lin Feng cursed angrily, tightening his grip. Qin Chen felt as though his throat was being crushed, yet his gaze remained resolute, adrenaline coursing through him, allowing him to endure longer than expected.
But suddenly, an excruciating pain shot through Qin Chen's head, like lightning striking his brain. His body convulsed briefly before losing consciousness again. His hands, which had been gripping Lin Feng's arm, went limp and fell.
Lin Feng observed Qin Chen's now motionless body. His face remained cold and devoid of pity. He released his grip, letting Qin Chen's body drop heavily to the ground.
"He's dead now," he said coldly, without hesitation.
The three companions swallowed hard. They exchanged uneasy glances, slightly intimidated by Lin Feng's ruthlessness. Although they themselves wanted Qin Chen dead, witnessing Lin Feng carry it out so mercilessly still shocked them.
"What should we do, Young Master?" Lu Gan asked in a low voice.
"Bury him. Make sure no one knows about this," Lin Feng replied indifferently, turning and walking away without looking back at Qin Chen's body.
Lu Gan, Liang Zhi, and Jing Hao exchanged glances. After a moment, one of them said, "Alright, let's bury him."
The others nodded in agreement, and they quickly lifted Qin Chen's lifeless body, carrying it to a more secluded spot.
---
Raindrops began falling from the gray sky, drenching the silent forest.
In an isolated place, Qin Chen's body lay helpless on the wet ground, covered in leaves and mud. The footprints of Lu Gan, Liang Zhi, and Jing Hao had long faded, washed away by the heavy rain.
Instead of burying Qin Chen as Lin Feng had ordered, they opted to discard his body in the middle of the forest earlier in the day, convinced no one would find him.
Time passed. The drizzle turned into a downpour, and the previously gray sky grew darker, shrouding the forest in the gloom of night. Thunder occasionally roared, breaking the eerie silence.
Qin Chen's body remained motionless, as if lifeless. Rainwater streamed down his wounded face, as though shrouding his tragic end. Yet, amidst the ominous stillness of the night, his eyelids suddenly fluttered.
"Ugh..."
A faint groan escaped his lips, almost drowned out by the heavy rain. Slowly, Qin Chen began to regain consciousness. His body felt heavy and wracked with pain. His breathing was shallow, his eyes gradually opening to gaze at the dark sky above, streaked with relentless rain.
His trembling hands reached for the wet ground around him. The cold seeped into his bones, but his awareness was returning. In his heart, he murmured in bewilderment.
"What's going on? I transmigrated? And... two memories at once?"
It was hard for him to believe what was happening, but it was real. He had transmigrated into the body of someone with the same name, Qin Chen. And before him, another entity had already reincarnated into this body, also named Qin Chen. Their memories now converged in his mind, albeit still hazy.
In his previous life, Qin Chen was just an ordinary young man from Earth. His days were spent working a nine-to-five job, living a simple life. The cause of his death remained a mystery—he only remembered falling asleep, and when he woke up, he was in this body, inheriting two sets of memories.
He sighed deeply, then sat up with great difficulty, despite the pain coursing through every inch of his body. Gradually, he began to grasp his situation. Now, he was in the Canglan Continent, specifically the Qin Empire—a world of ancient cultivation filled with wonders and dangers.
In this world, people could fly across the skies, split seas, and shatter mountains with a single strike. Mythical creatures like dragons and phoenixes weren't mere legends—they truly existed.
However, this reality wasn't enough to bring him joy. With a sour expression, he lamented the state of his body.
"Orphaned, lover stolen by someone else, pathetic cultivation talent, and above all… broke. Damn it, what is this? A total loser," he muttered, shaking his head in frustration.
Every detail about this body felt intimately familiar, as if it were his own. And indeed, this body was in a wretched state—just a week ago, someone had severely damaged his meridians, crippling his ability to absorb aura and making cultivation excruciatingly slow.
But as he pondered further, his eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait... This feels exactly like the plot of cultivation novels I used to read!"
He froze for a moment, connecting all the dots. Slowly, an extraordinary realization began to dawn on him.
"I transmigrated… Before me, another entity reincarnated into this body… This is textbook protagonist material!"
That thought lightened his previously heavy heart. A faint smile crept onto his face.
"I'm the protagonist in this world… All this suffering is just the beginning of my rise!"
His faint smile gradually turned into a broad grin—a confident grin capable of sending chills down anyone's spine. At that moment, lightning illuminated the sky, its flash lighting up Qin Chen's battered yet determined face.
"I'm favored by the heavens, with limitless luck. What do I have to fear?" he said, his voice cold yet brimming with conviction.
Amidst the heavy rain of the night, that devilish grin heralded the beginning of a grand legend.