The First Treasure

Lu Chen moved through the darkness of the western cliffs. His body ached with exhaustion, his wounds still fresh, but his mind was sharp. 

The simulation had given him a path.

He knew exactly what he needed to find.

A hidden cave, buried beneath layers of fallen rock and dust, where a long-dead cultivator's remains held an inheritance, a martial technique and a spatial ring filled with resources.

It was his first real chance to change his fate.

The simulation had shown him that the cave was located near the base of the cliffs, obscured by time.

But this wasn't a simulation.

There were no guarantees, no glowing markers leading the way.

Only his memory and his instincts.

Hours of Searching

Time passed slowly as Lu Chen scoured the base of the cliffs, brushing away dirt, stones, and vines in search of any sign of an entrance.

The moon had disappeared behind the peaks, and the cold night air bit at his skin.

He could feel his body growing weaker.

His wounds still bled. His Qi reserves were running dangerously low.

But he refused to stop.

And he had already seen that fate.

After what felt like years, he paused near a particularly dense thicket of brush. Something about it felt off.

He stepped closer, pushing aside the thick vines.

And then…

His fingers touched something unnatural.

Stone.

Not just any stone. A smooth, carved surface.

His heartbeat jump.

Lu Chen dropped to his knees and began clearing away the debris, his fingers moving with desperate speed.

The more he uncovered, the more convinced he became.

A large stone slab, half-buried under centuries of dirt and moss, blocked the entrance to a narrow tunnel leading underground.

It was just like in the simulation.

A rush of triumph filled his chest.

found it.

But before he could celebrate, he realized a problem.

The stone slab was too heavy to move alone.

Even if he were at full strength, it would have been difficult.

There had to be another way.

Summoning the last reserves of his energy, he forced his mind into calm focus.

If this place was truly a cultivator's tomb, there had to be some kind of mechanism.

He searched.

And then, after a few moments, he found it.

A small indentation in the rock, shaped like a circular emblem. He reached out and pressed his fingers against it.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, with a deep rumbling, the stone slab shifted.

Dust spilled from the edges, and the ground beneath him trembled as the entrance slowly opened itself.

A dark, cavernous passage stretched beyond.

Lu Chen took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The cave was silent.

Lu Chen moved carefully, the air was thick with the scent of dust, old parchment, and something faintly metallic.

Then, as he stepped deeper, he saw a skeleton.

It sat slumped against the far wall, its bones wrapped in tattered black robes, long decayed by time.

But what caught Lu Chen's attention was what the skeleton held.

A jade slip rested in its bony fingers, glowing faintly under the dim light.

And next to it… A silver ring.

Lu Chen's breath hitched.

The spatial ring, his hands trembled as he knelt before the remains.

Who was this person?

Had they died alone, waiting for someone to uncover their legacy? Or had they left this treasure here for someone like him to find?

He shook off the thought.

Right now, he didn't have the luxury of pondering fate.

With the utmost reverence, he reached forward and claimed the jade slip and the ring.

The moment his fingers touched them, a cold whisper echoed through the cave.

"Don't waste what's been left behind."

A shiver ran down his spine, but the voice was already gone.

Lu Chen examined the jade slip first.

Pressing it against his forehead, he sent a small wisp of his remaining Qi into it, activating the information seal.

A flood of knowledge poured into his mind.

'Shadow Serpent Arts'

A lost martial technique that specialized in; deception, counters, Evasion and Precise attacks

This… was exactly what he needed.

A fighting style meant for those who were weaker but smarter.

Someone like him.

Lu Chen turned his attention to the silver ring.

A spatial ring, an artifact capable of storing objects in an independent dimension.

He injected his Qi into it.

The ring flashed, and an inventory of its contents appeared in his mind.

Inside, he found: 3 healing pills, an incomplete cultivation manual,

and a strange metal token with inscription.

Lu Chen frowned as he studied the token.

The inscription was worn and difficult to read, but it resembled an insignia from an ancient sect.

He didn't focus much on that.

What mattered was that he now had resources.

...

Lu Chen sat down, his body aching, but his spirit renewed.

With the healing pills, he could recover from his injuries.

With the Shadow Serpent Arts, he could train in secret, improving his combat skills.

finally he wasn't just running from death. He was preparing to fight back.

As he rested against the cave wall, he whispered to himself. "Zhao Feng… you almost killed me."

He clenched his fists.

"When I return, I won't be the same person you left for dead."