"Shaan!"

 "Why are you pretending to be deaf, you mute?"

 "Hurry and give me all your spirit stones!"

 A girl wearing light blue coloured robes signifying her identity as an outer disciple of the sect shouted domineeringly.

 "It seems he is pretending to be dead…..Shane'r, let me search him!" -the fellow disciple named Qin Miner spoke viciously."

The target of their bullying was a frail boy called Shaan Singh, who was lying pitifully on the ground, his skin was full of bruises and his clothes in tatters.

Without caring about any response, Qin Miner hurriedly bent down and started ruffling through Shaan's loose robes.

 But she was deemed to be disappointed.

Within seconds Qin Miner stood up, her eyes were full of ridicule.

 "What a beggar, sister Shane'r, this boy's robes are empty."

 "Not a single spirit stone I could find on him."

Hearing her accomplice's words, Shane'r was annoyed.

 "What a bastard!"

 "Maybe he spent all his spirit stones to date some brothel girl."

-In arrogance, she kicked Shaan Singh's already weak body.

 "Let's go, we need to prepare for the inner sect's assessment test."

 "When this loser gets a spirit stone next time, we will make sure to rob him the same day."

Shane'r snorted before pulling Qin Miner somewhere.

Just as the pair of bullies walked a few meters, Shaan opened his eyes.

"Ah….it hurts!"

 "Why are the people here so cruel that they beat others for no reason."

With a half-fake smile, Shaan slowly got up.

Somehow mustering meagre strength in his body he hastily walked to his place of residence.

He was afraid that along the way someone else might bully or beat him up.

While on the way he was understanding various new memories pouring into his head.

 Yes, Shaan was a traveller.

Not your usual traveller but the kind who we read in novels.

His previous life was depressing....failing to meet family's expectations, without any proper life goals, without having any type of job or life security, and having disappointed so many important people in his life.

Last thing he remembered was suffering from a painstaking grief after a betrayal before falling off the stairs and hitting his head against the floor leaving him bleeding profusely.

"Damnn, so I transmigrated?"

 "Isn't all that the stuff we read in those fantasy books?"

Shaan started mumbling to himself along the way.

 After a few breaths, although there was some disbelief, Liu Ruyan quickly integrated the memories of the original owner of the body.

 "So that's it!"

 "This weak boy's body who I possessed also had the same name…he is an orphan, by some chance he worshipped a famous righteous sect called the Eternal Palace, but due to poor talent his life was destined to rot in the outer sect."

 "Occasionally, some fellow disciples thinking this poor boy can't retaliate, bullied and looted spirit stones from him."

 "Finally, today he made a fortune by selling some second-hand goods....but various disciples whose eyes were full of greed beat him to death, giving my soul a chance to integrate with him."

 Liu Ruyan took a deep breath.

The information about the cultivation world available to him was too vague.

 But no matter what world this was, one golden rule remained unchanged- Only the strong can protect and bully!

 "I can't help it!"

 "The original body was too weak, as a result, perhaps….giving up hope, he never bothered to learn much about this world."

 "It seems, I need to rely on myself."

By the time Shaan got a basic understanding of the world, he had already reached his place of residence.

It was a shabby broken cave without even a proper door, the space inside was barely enough for a standard room.

The conditions were truly miserable, there was only an old mattress, a chair and a table.

With a deep frown, Shaan slowly sat down.

There was a piece of shattered mirror on the table.

Seeing his haggard appearance in it, Shaan couldn't help but chuckle.

"What can I expect..."

 "The skin is full of wrinkles, because of hard work the wrists are full of calluses, and even some hair strands have turned grey. This face looks like it has aged too prematurely."

Shaan exclaimed with a deep sigh.

 "But it's okay....a stupid person who trusts girls so blindly must deserve this."

 "If only I had not made that decision."

 "Alas!"

 Shaan was full of memories from his life on Earth, there was a deep secret buried in his heart that he didn't want to talk about.

After all, no one is perfect. All make mistakes and have some regret stories.

 "Since this life is new, let's start afresh."

Shaan took a deep breath, his eyes shone with a scintillating glow as if making a big decision.

 Just as he put her hands in a small pocket inside his tattered robes, he felt a sharp pain.

 "Huh?"

 "What's this?"

 "A lotus petal?"

Suddenly a piece of memory which seemed irrelevant and overlooked appeared in Shaan's head,

 "The original owner of the body found this shiny piece of lotus petal beside a lake where his mother was buried."

 "The consistency is too hard, no wonder it could stand the test of time without any wear and tear."

 "What a beautiful petal, the complete lotus flower must have looked spectacular."

 Just as Liu Ruyan caressed the petal in his hands, the petal shone with a brilliant milky light.

 An immediate message appeared in Liu Ruyan's mind.

 [THE BOY WHO COMES FROM A FARAWAY PLACE.]

 [DO YOU DARE TO BREAK THE MORTAL BONDS AND CHALLENGE THE UNIVERSE ITSELF?]

The voice was serene, full of majesty that couldn't be questioned.

Hearing such words, many strange ideas flashed through Shaan's mind.

Was it some form of ancient inheritance? Was it some sort of divine test like those protagonists of fantasy novels face before awakening their golden fingers? 

Countless thoughts kept surging in his head making him restless. 

Taking a deep breath, he calmed down his agitating emotions.

 "Since I am lucky to live again, I refuse to accept a shabby fate."

 "Why can't a poor person like me enjoy a happy life?"

 "Why still after an entire life full of dedication and hard work, I suffered from betrayal and insults?"

 "Why can only those arrogant, rich-powerful people enjoy the lavishness of life?"

 "I also want to go beyond...."

 "Go Beyond and completely control my life...control my fate…..control the simplest ups and downs that affects me!"

"I want to be someone much better, someone much stronger!"

 -Shaan shouted.

As if resounding to his declaration, the lotus petal disappeared from his hands and appeared in the centre of his consciousness.

 Like some divine object, it was suspended inside her mind.