1: Chapter 1 Corpse-Touching Techniques

My name is Li Yuan. I unexpectedly transmigrated into a chaotic world of martial arts. To survive, I became a servant in the City Lord's Manor of a border city.

Amidst the constant warfare and countless corpses, I discovered that I could pick up martial arts experience, Internal Energy, and Cultivation Techniques from these bodies.

Thus, my cultivation began.

In the first month, I was cautious and prudent.

In the second month, I kept to myself and behaved well.

In the third month, I found some key elements and began to test the waters.

Half a year passed, and my strength seemed quite formidable; those who spoke to me did so with great respect.

After a year, I realized I wasn't fond of fighting, so I simply ended the fights!

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Yingyang Pass, on the border of the Da Shun Dynasty.

It was the second day since his Transmigration, and Li Yuan had already sorted out his current identity.

He was a domestic servant in the Yingyang Pass City Lord's Manor—to put it bluntly, a lowly servant.

However, the original owner's identity was not that simple.

Li Yuan's father was originally a government official of the secondary fourth rank.

Reaching the secondary fourth rank meant that while he wasn't a minister at the center of power, he was a core figure in the local prefectural government.

The Da Shun Dynasty was already 1,900 years old, and various ailments had accumulated over time.

Corruption, foreign enemies, great disasters...

In Li Yuan's mind, he still remembered his father's teachings.

"A chaotic world needs righteous officials!"

The root of all the imperial court's problems lay with the ministers within it.

To change this, one had to start at the source: the Imperial Examination!

The Da Shun Imperial Examination was held every two years, but Li Yuan's father discovered that someone was committing massive fraud.

Even the exam papers of a candidate were directly replaced by someone else.

After an investigation, the core of the problem pointed directly at the chief examiner of this Imperial Examination.

Li Yuan's father thought his Foundation in the local region was solid, believing that even a powerful dragon cannot repress a local snake.

He wanted to restore integrity to the Imperial Examination and bring righteous officials into the court!

But when he exposed this exam fraud case, he found that the problems in the Da Shun Dynasty were even more severe than he had imagined.

Not only was the fraud case suppressed, but Li Yuan's father was also framed for false accusations.

The candidate whose papers had been replaced even denied that they had been swapped.

The court directly dispatched two Eighth-Grade experts, leading troops to escort Li Yuan's entire family to the capital for trial.

The protector by Li Yuan's father's side was only at the Seventh-Grade level.

Someone in the court took pity on this upright official and informed him of the impending disaster in advance.

Li Yuan's father knew they had no way to escape, and he was already content in his heart if he could leave Li Yuan, his child, to survive.

After receiving the news, he packed some travel funds and told Li Yuan to flee.

They gave no suggestions and asked no questions about where Li Yuan would flee.

Only in this way, whether through severe torture or hallucinogenic drugs, would they be unable to reveal Li Yuan's whereabouts.

After escaping, Li Yuan fled all the way to the eastern border region.

This decision was actually correct.

The border frequently encountered the chaos of war, so the inspection of household registrations and refugees from elsewhere was much looser.

In other stable places, anyone with a foreign accent would be subjected to interrogation.

However, in a place like the border, life was not easy. After the original owner experienced being cheated and robbed, he sold himself into the City Lord's Manor and became a servant.

Although the work in the City Lord's Manor was plentiful and exhausting, it was already quite good.

For Li Yuan, at least his life was currently not in danger, and he was temporarily safe.

Today the weather was clear, and the sunlight on his body provided a rare sense of comfort.

In a world of chaos, it was a rare moment of ease.

During his break, a loud boom echoed from the eastern sky.

Many servants of the City Lord's Manor dropped their work and climbed the walls to watch.

The Masters of the manor didn't scold them; several Young Masters and Young Misses also took the lead in climbing onto the rooftops to observe.

The Young Masters and Young Misses were all practitioners of martial arts; with just a slight use of movement techniques, they could get onto the roof.

“Master Jin, do you recognize those four people in the sky?”

Young Master Liu of the City Lord's Manor asked softly. This Master Jin was the instructor the City Lord had hired for them to lead them into the path of martial arts.

At this moment, in the eastern sky, four people were all treading on the Void Realm, suspended in the air.

Three of the experts were surrounding one person.

In the continuous struggle, the person being surrounded was becoming unable to hold on.

In the backyard of the City Lord's Manor, Master Jin's eyes widened; he clearly recognized the newcomer.

“The Ninth-Grade of the Flowing Cloud Tower, Qin Fengzhan! No wonder he could attract three Ninth-Grade experts...”

Master Jin got to this point and suddenly snapped back to his senses.

“Everyone retreat! Leave the manor and move back another three li!”

Upon hearing this, everyone in the City Lord's Manor immediately followed him out and stopped at a hillside.

The Ninth-Grade is the world's top expert, the pinnacle of contemporary martial arts.

Among the common people, the Ninth-Grade also has another title: Immortal of the Mortal Realm.

With strength nearly that of an Immortal, they transcend ordinary Martial Artists.

Ordinarily, a Ninth-Grade Mortal Immortal is rarely seen; without some status and position, it is almost impossible to come into contact with that level.

In any Sect, they are the figures who anchor the entire situation.

At this moment, however, four were seen all at once...

“Master Jin, who is this Qin Fengzhan?”

Beside him, Young Master Liu of the City Lord's Manor asked again.

The surrounding servants and guards gathered around; everyone was interested in such gossip and anecdotes.

“Qin Fengzhan of the Flowing Cloud Tower. Six years ago, he robbed the Heavenly Gate Tomb and obtained a clue to the celestial Cultivation Technique, the Tai Xuan Divine Art.

After that, rumors spread throughout the world that he was arrogant and willful, harmed the loyal and righteous, and did not follow the Righteous Path.

Now that he is being besieged by three Ninth-Grade experts, it seems the rumors are true.”

After Master Jin said this, he placed particular emphasis on the Tai Xuan Divine Art.

This technique is said to have been created by the first sage to step into the path of martial arts in the world; it is the very origin of martial arts.

Ancient texts once said that even a tiny fraction of the Tai Xuan Divine Art could produce a Heaven Rank Cultivation Technique.

Just that tiny fraction is enough to let a small power grow into a major Sect.

Hearing what Master Jin said, Li Yuan understood in his heart the general reason for the disaster that had befallen him.

Whether Qin Fengzhan truly failed to follow the Righteous Path was hard to say.

But those who wanted to get benefits from him would certainly publicize to the outside world that he was a great villain.

As the saying goes, one must have a justifiable cause; they clearly wanted to seize someone else's treasure, yet they insisted on finding a high-sounding reason.

In the eastern sky, Qin Fengzhan was now very weak, with injuries everywhere on his body.

“Hand over the clue to the Tai Xuan Divine Art, and we can let bygones be bygones regarding the evil deeds you've done before.”

Hearing the person opposite say this, Qin Fengzhan gave a cold laugh.

Things had already reached this point; was admitting defeat even an option?

If they released him, wouldn't they fear that he, Qin Fengzhan, would gather his forces for revenge?

In a fight for one's life, there is no turning back.

Qin Fengzhan's smile faded, and his face became increasingly determined.

In an instant, his life-fire blazed, and the terrifying power of a Ninth-Grade Mortal Immortal was fully unleashed.

Even standing at such a distance, Li Yuan and the others could feel the bone-chilling killing intent.

The pressure erupted, and even a wall of the City Lord's Manor collapsed; who would dare to approach?

The next moment, one of the Ninth-Grade experts surrounding him fell from the sky simultaneously with Qin Fengzhan.

The other two hurriedly descended to give chase.

“Where is the clue? Where did you hide it! Speak!”

Looking at the dying Qin Fengzhan, these two paid absolutely no attention to the situation of their other companion.

“The Tai Xuan Divine Art only remains in my head... no one can even think of taking it, it will be buried with me...”

When saying these final words, Qin Fengzhan seemed to smile slightly, and then he breathed his last.

The remaining two held their blades and slashed at his body.

But what use was it now?

They had suffered significant injuries, yet they still hadn't obtained a single useful clue.

Even now, it was hard to say if the clue had been destroyed.

They had expended so much and fought to this extent, only for it to be for nothing in the end.

The two injured experts desecrated the corpse to vent their hatred, and half an hour later, they leaped away.

The bodies of those two Immortals of the Mortal Realm were simply abandoned outside the City Lord's Manor.

The battle ended, and Master Jin led everyone back to the manor.

Over an hour later, the City Lord of Yingyang Pass returned to the manor, and Master Jin immediately reported the matter.

After some discussion, it was decided to let the manor's servants go and collect the bodies for burial.

They couldn't afford to offend the forces behind these top experts.

If they left the bodies exposed in the wilderness, the City Lord worried they would be implicated.

By placing them in coffins, if they were ever held accountable, they wouldn't be at a loss for words.

Li Yuan had only recently become a servant in the City Lord's Manor, so the dirty job of collecting corpses fell directly onto his head.

Two people were arranged, but the companion gave him two mace of silver.

Li Yuan took the money, pushed a wooden cart, and went alone to collect the bodies for those two Immortals of the Mortal Realm.

Pushing the cart out of the City Lord's Manor, he heard people all around talking about this clash between Immortals along the way.

In Yingyang Pass, most people had witnessed the scene.

The distance wasn't far, and Li Yuan arrived in fifteen minutes by pushing the wooden cart.

When he approached, Li Yuan saw that these two corpses were somewhat strange.

The blood-stained bodies were actually flashing with golden light.

Li Yuan noticed that the golden light was so bright, yet it cast no shadow at all.

This golden light seemed to be visible only to himself...

Hesitating, Li Yuan reached out his hand to touch and test it.

The next moment, a line of small characters appeared before his eyes.

[Corpse Looting Technique (Level 1): Picked up Qin Fengzhan's martial arts experience, thirty years of martial Internal Energy, Cultivation Technique Heavenly Thunder Blade, and one portion of hidden memory.]

With a whoosh, Li Yuan's entire stature straightened up a bit, and his standing posture changed.

Qin Fengzhan's lifetime of martial arts experience completely entered his Sea of Consciousness.

Besides that, an extra piece of memory appeared, which was the clue to the Tai Xuan Divine Art that even the Ninth-Grade Mortal Immortals had fought to the death for.

At this moment, Li Yuan clearly knew where it was hidden.

Li Yuan calmed his excited heart; there was another corpse glowing with golden light beside him.

He reached out his hand to touch it again.

[Corpse Looting Technique (Level 1): Picked up Xie Zhou's martial arts experience, thirty years of martial Internal Energy, and Cultivation Technique Cloud Mist Step.]

Feeling another vast wave of information surging into his Sea of Consciousness, Li Yuan's breathing became rapid.

He could obtain the previous owner's martial arts experience, Internal Energy, Cultivation Techniques, and even memories from a corpse!