Chapter 1: Transmigrating to the Mass Graves

In the vast Shenzhou Continent, the Tianyun Mountain Range winds its way from the horizon. The peaks gather like a dormant dragon lying across the land. Dense clouds, like gossamer, curl around the peaks, turning this stretch of mountains and rivers into a dreamy fairyland. The main altar of the Yunhai Sect stands majestically on the top of Xingluo Peak. With its upturned eaves and elaborate arches, it looks magnificent, looming faintly in the mist, showing the dignity and grandeur of a famous and noble sect.

The night is as gentle as water, quietly soaking into the scattered disciple houses on the mountainside. A young man, tall, straight and handsome, with a sword in hand, hurries over but deliberately softens his steps. He comes to the outside of a house. His expression is vigilant, and his eyes are as sharp as the cold stars in the night sky. He looks around repeatedly. After confirming that there is no one around, he slowly raises his hand and knocks on the door, his fingers trembling slightly.

"Who is it?" A deep and alert voice comes from inside the room, cutting through the quiet night and making the young man's heart tighten.

"Brother Lin, it's me, Xu Yun." Xu Yun tries his best to lower his voice, his tone filled with an unhidden nervousness and unease as he responds respectfully.

"Come in."

Xu Yun takes a deep breath, calms his violently beating heart, and slowly pushes the door open. There is only one candle flickering in the room. The bean - sized flame dances helplessly in the darkness. The dim, yellowish light tries its best but can only barely open up a small, gloomy space, shrouding the whole room in a depressing and hazy atmosphere.

The room is small and cramped, and the furnishings are almost shabby. There is a worn - out and mottled table, its surface full of scars left by the years; several chairs with missing corners are scattered crookedly around; a rickety wooden bed, the bed board creaking as if telling the vicissitudes of the past; a bathtub covered with water stains, exuding an old - fashioned smell; and a bamboo screen, dimly visible in the dim light, adding a bit more of a lonely feeling.

At this moment, a young man is sitting cross - legged on the wooden bed. His sword - shaped eyebrows slant into his temples like two sharp swords, and his star - like eyes are deep and imposing, as if hiding endless stars. His facial features are as sharp and distinct as if carved by an axe. He exudes an innate noble and proud temperament. This person is Lin Tianhua. As the sixth disciple of the Yunhai Sect's master, he is not only strikingly handsome but also outstanding in cultivation. He is extremely popular within the sect and is truly regarded as a天之骄子 (a favored son of heaven) in everyone's eyes.

Lin Tianhua's expression is calm, and his gaze is serene yet faintly oppressive, like a bottomless cold pool. Looking at Xu Yun, he slowly asks, "Junior Brother Xu, have you taken care of things?"

Xu Yun moves closer slightly, his voice as low as a mosquito's wings fluttering, for fear of being overheard by others. "Yes, I've already buried that guy in the mass graves behind Luoxia Peak."

"Did anything go wrong?" Lin Tianhua frowns slightly, and a glint of sharp light, like a shooting star in the night sky, flashes in his eyes as he asks.

"No, that guy is completely dead. After burying him, I even stomped on his grave a few times to make sure everything is secure." Xu Yun pats his chest, vowing with a look on his face that is a mix of seeking credit and a bit of fear.

Lin Tianhua, sitting cross - legged on the bed, nods slightly, a satisfied look on his face. "Junior Brother Xu, you've done a good job. However, our Yunhai Sect is after all a well - respected and upright sect, and Lu Kun is the disciple of Uncle Yulong. We can't get involved in the karma of his death. Otherwise, both you and I will be doomed."

As soon as Xu Yun hears this, a look of horror flashes across his face instantly. His expression becomes as nervous as a startled bird. He hurriedly says, "Brother Lin, don't worry. This matter will be buried deep in my heart forever. No one will know that Lu Kun is dead, and no one can find his body. Even if Uncle Yulong comes back, he won't be able to find the slightest trace."

A satisfied smile appears on Lin Tianhua's handsome face. He takes something out of his bosom and casually throws it to Xu Yun. Xu Yun hastily reaches out to catch it and finds that it is a small bag of black - crystal spirit stones. His eyes light up instantly, like twinkling stars in the night sky. He quickly thanks, "Thank you, Brother Lin, for the reward."

Lin Tianhua waves his hand. "You deserve it. Go back for now. In a few days, we'll go to the herb garden to do some follow - up work."

Xu Yun nods, bows his hands in farewell, and hurries away, disappearing into the night.

After he leaves, Lin Tianhua's expression suddenly changes. He becomes somewhat sinister, as if he has turned into a different person. A fierce look shows in his eyes. He mutters to himself, "Lu Kun, I hope you can be reincarnated soon. We're just following orders. Blame yourself. Why were you so curious?"...

In the mass graves, late at night.

The moonlight filters through the sparse clouds, like broken silver pieces, sprinkling mottledly on the overgrown ground. Graves stand in rows, dimly visible in the hazy moonlight, as if countless ghosts are lurking. White bones are scattered randomly, glistening coldly in the moonlight. Will - o' - the - wisps flicker faintly, as if telling endless grievances. Occasionally, a few shrill caws of crows and sharp howls of wild cats echo in this deathly silent night, adding a bit more of a creepy and eerie atmosphere.

"Poof!" Without warning, a mud - covered hand suddenly thrusts out from the ground. The five fingers struggle to grab the air, as if trying to grasp the last glimmer of life. Then, a teenage boy covered in mud艰难地 (with great difficulty) crawls out of the soil. Every muscle in his body is trembling, and every movement reveals extreme pain.

The boy lies sprawled on the ground, his chest heaving violently. He greedily breathes in the air mixed with the smell of decay. The smell makes him almost vomit, yet he is extremely nostalgic for the breath of this world. It takes a while for him to catch his breath.

He sits up, his eyes sweeping over the graves standing around. He looks blank, with fear and confusion in his eyes. "What the hell is this place? Who buried me in the soil... Ah! A dead person!"

The boy sees a human corpse beside him. Subconsciously thinking it's a dummy, he casually pokes it. In an instant, the boy freezes, and the color drains from his face. A nauseating smell of decay rushes towards him. The fat maggots wriggling on the corpse are clearly visible, and the sticky feeling of the rotting flesh mucus on his hand is terrifyingly real. It can't be a fake!

The boy's pupils contract rapidly. He screams, kicks his legs wildly, and retreats continuously, as if there are fierce beasts chasing him from behind. "It's really a corpse..." The boy has never seen such a terrifying scene before. He crawls and runs for dozens of meters before finally stopping. His legs are so weak that he can barely stand still.

"Call the police! Call the police! Right, call the police... Where's my phone?" The boy fumbles around in a panic for a while and is immediately dumbfounded. He sees that he is now wearing a set of mud - covered ancient clothes, rough linen, tattered and worn - out, definitely not his own clothes. "What's going on? Who changed my clothes?"

Looking around, he realizes that he is in a strange mountain forest. In the bright moonlight, he can see a towering giant peak piercing the sky, as if it wants to pierce through the endless sky. In the mid - air around this peak, there are many other peaks suspended, like a dreamy and miraculous sight. It's as if he has entered some kind of仙侠游戏 (xianxia game) world.

"What place is this?! Am I dreaming?" The boy pinches the back of his hand hard and yells in pain, "Ouch! It hurts so much! It's not a dream!"

Trying hard to recall, he finally remembers. On his way to work, he saw a runaway large truck crashing towards a school - going little girl on the sidewalk. At the critical moment, he rushed forward and pushed the girl away, but he was hit by the large truck, and the dozen - ton vehicle ran over him.

"Did I, Lu Kun, just die like this? Is this the Underworld?"

While he is in shock, he sees several figures floating over from around. In the moonlight, these figures emit a faint glow, floating in the air. Their faces are as pale as paper, without a trace of blood, and extremely creepy.

"Are those ghosts?" Lu Kun rubs his eyes and mutters to himself, "Surely not! People like me, who were born under the red flag and grew up in the spring breeze, how can we believe in such absurd things as ghosts in the world..."

While he is comforting himself, seven or eight ghosts have floated to the front. Their pale cheeks suddenly become ferocious and distorted, and green lights are still shining in their eyes, like starving beasts, ready to devour people.

"They are really ghosts! Help! Mom... Uncle Ying... Help..." After confirming that these are real ghosts, Lu Kun is so frightened that his guts and liver are about to burst. His hair stands on end instantly. He turns around and runs away, screaming and shouting as he runs, his voice full of fear and despair.

Because he is too nervous and scared, and the terrain here is complex, Lu Kun falls down every three or five steps, getting bruised and scratched all over. But he immediately gets up, uses his hands and feet, and crawls and runs, wishing his parents had given him eight more legs.

Several ghosts floating near the mass graves stare blankly at this screaming teenager who keeps falling down and then getting up and running away. They don't understand. They are ghosts, not demons. Why does this guy have to be so exaggerated?

Lu Kun runs for several miles in one breath. He doesn't know how many times he has fallen. He is really exhausted and hides behind a big tree, panting heavily. His chest heaves violently, and his heart is beating as if it's about to burst out of his chest. "Fortunately, I ran fast enough. Otherwise, I would have been eaten by those evil ghosts."