Chapter 002: The Sea of Memories

Xu Xuan’s vision dimmed, his body numb and unresponsive, though his consciousness never fully slipped into oblivion. Guided by a streak of ink-black light, he drifted toward a vast, endless realm of the mind.

The human brain is the most enigmatic and unfathomable part of the body.

At this moment, Xu Xuan’s awareness floated away from the familiar confines of his mind, venturing into unknown territory. In the distant darkness, a subtle call beckoned, drawing him deeper. Normally, Xu Xuan’s strength would never permit his consciousness to enter such mysterious domains unaided. Yet, the ink-black glow from the enigmatic mineral contained an arcane power, propelling him onward.

In this half-dreamlike state, he followed that inner summons, drifting further and further. Until, suddenly—

Whoosh!

He realized he had crossed a boundary, entering a boundless, dark starry sky. This vast expanse was shrouded in gloom, stretching endlessly with no visible limits. The ink-black light that had guided him now flickered rapidly, like a candle guttering in the wind, ready to vanish.

“Here again,” Xu Xuan sighed deeply.

Standing amidst that infinite, dim starry sky, the young man did not show panic or fear. He was certain he must be dreaming. Since childhood, he had often found himself in this very dream, transforming into a towering figure who stood alone above the stars, a solitary and invincible warrior, resisting endless torrents.

Many times, he knew he was dreaming, yet could not escape—what the apothecary called a “lucid dream.”

“Boom…”

A torrent capable of swallowing worlds, along with countless vague phantoms, surged toward him. Its power shook heaven and earth, yet Xu Xuan, transformed into that peerless figure, stood tall amidst the stars, unfazed by the onslaught, immovable as a mountain.

If only in reality I possessed a thousandth—no, a ten-thousandth—of the strength I have in these dreams, who in Yangmu Village could ever bully my family?

Xu Xuan mocked himself.

In his dream, as that unparalleled warrior, he exuded a force that shook the cosmos, gazing down upon all as if he were a god.

It seemed an eternity passed before the world-devouring torrent faded away. The peerless figure that Xu Xuan embodied began to fracture and dissolve.

“It’s finally over…” Xu Xuan murmured.

In past dreams, this was where it ended. Yet tonight, he did not disappear; he remained in the endless, dim starry sky. A faint ink-black glow lingered around him. The dream’s scenery grew clearer, so real it frightened him—

Buzz!

Suddenly, the guiding ink-black light merged into the void.

“You’ve come at last… finally, you are here…”

A sigh echoed, mysterious and distant, as if traversing cycles of reincarnation.

As the voice sounded, where the ink-black glow had vanished, a single star flared to life.

In that infinite expanse, only one bright star shone; all other countless galaxies were dull, fragmented, radiating emptiness and sorrow.

“Who are you?” Xu Xuan’s heart trembled as he stared at the sole radiant star.

Upon the star, a broken figure of a man could be discerned. The silhouette was shattered, its outline unclear. Yet, facing this fragmented form, Xu Xuan felt a strange, inexplicable resonance—a sense of familiarity.

“I am you, and you are me. There is no distinction between us.”

The broken shadow labored to sit atop the star.

Xu Xuan was astonished, recalling that he had never encountered this scene in any previous dream.

“What is happening? Where is this place? Aren’t I dreaming?” Xu Xuan stammered.

In the vast world of cultivation, he was merely a first-level Body Refining novice, a boy from the impoverished countryside, unaccustomed to such wonders.

“No—this time, you are not dreaming. Without the rare power of the ‘Soul Ink Stone,’ awakening me would have been impossible.”

“This is the ‘Sea of Memory Stars,’ sealed deep within your soul.”

A flash of ink-black light revealed the broken figure a little more clearly.

“Sea of Memory Stars?” Xu Xuan paused, gazing at the endless dim starry sky. He quavered, “You mean, this is—”

“Yes, this is the world of memory, and I am a remnant soul of your past life, left behind as a fragment of will.”

The broken figure slowly stood.

My past life!

Xu Xuan’s mind reeled, incredulous, yet the dim starry sky imparted a strange sense of familiarity and warmth.

“All here is of your past life’s memories—even I am…”

Surveying the limitless Sea of Memory Stars, Xu Xuan was overwhelmed. How could a person’s memories appear as a starry ocean? It was truly astonishing.

“In my previous life, I nearly transcended reincarnation, but in the face of unprecedented calamity, I barely managed to preserve some of my memories.”

The broken shadow floated gently to Xu Xuan’s side.

“Was I powerful in my past life?” Xu Xuan, forgetting his predicament, asked with excitement.

Today’s ordeal at the mining fields had intensified his longing for strength tenfold. With no exceptional talent and born into a poor family, he was fated to remain a low-level cultivator.

In this world where the weak are prey, only true power could change his life, his fate!

“I am but a remnant soul; most memories are blurred, and I cannot fathom how powerful I truly was in my previous life.”

The broken shadow hesitated.

Xu Xuan felt a pang of disappointment.

“But I sense the aura of the lifeforms in your current domain—they are… so weak, so very weak.”

A faint smile appeared on the broken shadow’s indistinct face.

So weak, so weak?

Even mighty Xu Dahu, and the hidden fifth or sixth-level body refiners in the village—they are all weak?

Xu Xuan’s expression was odd, but his excitement only increased.

“If this is the Sea of Memory Stars, does it contain any high-level cultivation techniques?”

Xu Xuan looked at the broken shadow with anticipation.

In the world of cultivation, a high-grade technique is a treasure sought by countless practitioners. Even the lowest body refiner would make great progress if they obtained a superior method.

But with Xu Xuan’s family’s poverty, not even basic entry-level techniques were affordable, let alone advanced ones.

“I vaguely recall leaving behind many things in my previous life—several disciples, some blessed lands, even inheritance chambers. But the details escape me.”

The broken shadow murmured.

“As for high-grade techniques…”

The shadow’s voice faltered, as if uncertain.

“If not, then perhaps mid-level or low-level methods?”

Xu Xuan asked anxiously.

Even a suitable low-level body refining method could improve his life, if not his fate.

Ordinary body refiners who break through to the fourth level possess hundreds of pounds of strength in a single hand, their flesh and bones tough as stone; they stand above ordinary cultivators. At this stage, they can live comfortably for the rest of their days.

Take Xu Dahu, for example—he had reached this level, towering over ordinary refiners, keeping Xu Xuan’s family and other poor folk firmly beneath his feet.

The broken shadow sighed, “After cycles of reincarnation, most memories in the Sea of Memory Stars are fragmented, sealed, or dormant. Without an extraordinary power, they cannot be fully restored.”

“Sealed and dormant?”

Xu Xuan felt a cold wave of disappointment.

“Still, amidst this ruined and sleeping sea, there remains a relatively intact memory.”

The broken shadow suddenly gestured at the star beneath them.

Xu Xuan’s eyes brightened, fixed on the only luminous star amid billions in the vast sky.

“Could there be a technique within?”

Xu Xuan was uneasy. A lifetime’s memories are vast indeed; who could guarantee this fragment held a cultivation method?

“This memory fragment has awakened for the first time, indicating its importance in the past life.”

The broken shadow’s voice was solemn.

“Important?”

Xu Xuan’s anticipation grew.

“Go, you will understand.”

As the words faded, the broken shadow merged into the star and vanished.

Xu Xuan hesitated, but with a thought, his form dissolved into the bright star.

Whoosh!

The scene changed instantly:

He found himself in a simple, bright training room, fragrant with incense, dreamlike and ethereal.

A handsome youth sat cross-legged on a mat, his expression resolute.

Xu Xuan felt his consciousness merge with the youth in an instant.

“Ten levels of body refinement—I will not give up! Even if I miss the best chance to reach the Qi Refining stage.”

The youth Xu Xuan had become spoke decisively.

“My child, ten levels of body refinement is but a legend, impossible to achieve, even for our sect’s greatest prodigy. For us cultivators, solidifying the seventh level is enough to draw energy into the body. You have forged the rare foundation of the ninth level—why pursue the elusive tenth?”

An old man’s sigh echoed, though his face was indistinct.

Aside from the youth, all else in the room was blurry.

“This was my father’s dying wish. Our family’s ‘Nine Transformations of Dragon and Serpent’ may break through to the tenth level, opening the ancient path of ‘Body Cultivation.’”

“So what if you reach the tenth level? ‘Body Cultivation’ is the most arduous—and useless—profession in this world.”

“I will not give up!”

The youth’s voice was stubborn.

“Alas, what a waste of your great talent…”

The old man sighed deeply, knowing he could not change his disciple’s mind.

The youth’s gaze was clear, his face resolute as iron. He rose slowly, closed his eyes, and breathed in a rhythm both long and short.

His body and limbs twisted and contorted into strange, incredible poses, some surpassing the limits of human bones.

His motions grew slower, as if he were the center of space itself; each movement rippled through the room, warping space and causing stars to swirl.

…

“This was me in my past life—barely sixteen, already at the ninth level of body refinement. Incredible!”

Xu Xuan was filled with wonder and awe.

At that moment, the memories and insights of that former youth surged into his mind like a tide…

(New book, first day—seeking recommendations and favorites!)