"Li Yunhao, wake up!"
The persistent voice pierced through Li Yunhao's foggy mind, pulling him back into consciousness. The throbbing pain in his head seemed reluctant to fade, but he made an effort to open his eyes. For a moment, all he could see was a blur of green and blue. After blinking a few times, the scenery around him became clear.
He was in a vast, lush field, surrounded by majestic-looking trees. Despite the discomfort in his mind, he sighed in relief that he was no longer in the dark space or the flower field.
"Phew, you were almost foaming at the mouth, man."
Li Yunhao turned toward the source of the familiar voice. There was Zhao Leng, sitting on the ground, massaging his temples with an expression of exhaustion and irritation. Li Yunhao couldn't help but notice that Zhao Leng now appeared a bit less thin than before and, unlike the clothes he wore in the dark space or during their museum trip, he was now wearing a white tunic.
"Zhao Leng? You're here too?" Li Yunhao asked, his voice still a little shaky.
"Yeah, looks like we were tossed into the same place, at least for now." Zhao Leng adjusted his glasses, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the surroundings. "This place… probably isn't Earth."
Li Yunhao nodded slowly, still trying to process the situation.
"This is so weird... A moment ago, we were in that dark space, and now... this." Zhao Leng sighed before looking directly at Li Yunhao. "Hmm… did you also meet that figure who chose you in the dark space?"
Li Yunhao hesitated for a moment, remembering the old man with a flower crown and a gentle appearance.
"Yes. I met the Gardener of the Eastern Sky Flower Field, an old man named Yu Hu Tao. He gave me some cultivation methods and..." He raised his hand, showing the ring on his index finger. "And this."
The answer was intentionally vague; Li Yunhao knew that trusting someone too quickly in this new world could be risky, even if they were a fellow Earthling. Especially Zhao Leng, with whom he had little contact at university.
At the same time, he remembered the figure destined for Zhao Leng. Being the last to wake up, Zhao Leng was pushed to the only remaining option—Emperor of Pestilence.
Li Yunhao felt a slight pity for him and asked somewhat hesitantly, "And you?"
"Ah, I..." Zhao Leng averted his gaze for a moment, as if pondering how much to share. Finally, he sighed and responded. "I was the last to wake up, so... I 'chose' an old man named Zhi Lang, the so-called Emperor of Pestilence. He told me a complicated story about how he wanted to be a great healer but ended up becoming the opposite of what he planned. He hoped I would continue his dream of becoming a great doctor."
Zhao Leng paused, furrowing his brow as if still processing what he had heard.
"He gave me some techniques and placed something in my soul, saying that I would only be able to access it when I reached a certain level. And, of course..." He pointed to a tattoo now marking the back of his hand—a complex, greenish symbol that seemed to pulse faintly. "He left this as proof of our pact."
Li Yunhao observed the mark, noticing how it seemed alive, almost as if it had been branded into his skin and then overlaid with a greenish light.
"My head is still throbbing. It almost made me want to scream, but..." Zhao Leng gave a forced smile. "Here we are."
Li Yunhao nodded, recognizing the feeling. He still remembered the excruciating pain he felt when receiving the Immortal Lotus cultivation methods.
"I'll take a few more minutes to assimilate everything I received, and then I want to explore this place. What do you think? Maybe it's better if we stick together for now, at least until we figure out where we are." Zhao Leng suggested, looking around cautiously.
Li Yunhao pondered for a moment before nodding. "I agree. I also need to process everything. After that, we'll explore the area."
Zhao Leng smiled faintly, and Li Yunhao followed his lead, sitting on the grass.
Li Yunhao closed his eyes, trying to organize the whirlwind of information he had received. The memories of his encounter with Yu Hu Tao were still fresh, but it was difficult to fully absorb everything that had been transmitted to him. The methods of the Immortal Lotus and the Celestial Lotus hovered in his mind like riddles, vast and intricate, and trying to recall them made his head throb. He couldn't remember all the details, but there was something peculiar: whenever he thought about these methods, he could feel an ethereal presence, as if an invisible scroll would appear in his mind. However, no matter how much effort he put into focusing on it, he couldn't unroll the scroll.
In fact, it was as if Yu Hu Tao had implanted a library inside his consciousness. He could see the titles of some "books," like The Treatise on the Flowers of Souls and several other manuals and techniques, but the texts remained sealed. He imagined that probably only when he gained more control over his consciousness would he be able to open these books and read their content.
"Such a pity, but patience for now..."
Furthermore, Yu Hu Tao had granted him some knowledge about the Immaculate Body of the Serene Lotus, a physique he obtained by having his body completely reconstructed to make him a descendant of Yu Hu Tao. This special physique, according to Yu Hu Tao, was a legendary one that symbolized transcendental purity, absolute harmony, and unwavering resilience. Inspired by the lotus, which blooms pure even in the murkiest waters, those who possess this special body become living emanations of the balance between strength and serenity.
"Absolute Spiritual Purity. Allows the bearer to absorb and refine spiritual energy, making it as pure as possible..."
Many other effects were also included, such as reducing the possibility of mental demons, resistance to curses and poisons, ease in harmoniously using two opposing forces, and much more. But since Li Yunhao had not yet started cultivating, he only had the effect of Absolute Spiritual Purity. There was also something in this physique that terrified Li Yunhao a little—the bearer could generate a Spiritual Lotus Fruit at the cost of their vital energy, granting profound enlightenment or even a breakthrough in the cultivation realm of whoever consumed it.
Fortunately, according to Yu Hu Tao, few knew about this Spiritual Lotus Fruit, as it was an extremely rare and seldom-seen physique, with cultivators aware of it having died long ago.
"That's a relief..."
Yu Hu Tao had also left general instructions about cultivating in worlds with distinct energies. He explained that each "heaven" had its own energy and cultivation system, which made traditional methods often useless when crossing borders between worlds. Therefore, instead of giving a cultivation method, Yu Hu Tao transmitted combat techniques and methods that could be adapted to different types of energy, though they were all contained within his mental library, which he could only access once he reached a higher level of consciousness.
As he organized his memories, Li Yunhao realized something else. Yu Hu Tao had infused fragments of basic, practical knowledge about plants, spiritual herbs, and their uses. He now knew how to identify various species and understand their properties, how to make basic remedies, or even poisons. While this knowledge seemed trivial at first, he was sure it would be useful in a new, potentially hostile world.
"Thankfully, it's not recorded in those books, otherwise, I'd have to wait until my cultivation path starts before I could access them..." Although, with that vast library, he wouldn't lack more advanced knowledge about it.
With all this in mind, Li Yunhao opened his eyes, determination and a slight sense of expectation for this cultivation world shining on his face. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel strange as he saw Zhao Leng staring at him in awkward silence.
"Hey, Li Yunhao," Zhao Leng's voice broke the silence. "Did you notice something... different about yourself?"
Li Yunhao raised an eyebrow, hesitating for a moment. "Different how?"
Zhao Leng raised an eyebrow and pointed at him. "For example, did you notice that you're... how can I say this... emitting a strange floral scent? Well, it could be perfume, but the smell has been getting stronger and more pleasant since we arrived in this world."
Li Yunhao blinked, surprised. He hadn't noticed it before, but as he took a deep breath, he realized there was a faint floral aroma emanating from his own skin. "It's... strange. I guess it's part of the legacy I received."
"Not to mention your appearance." Zhao Leng leaned in slightly, analyzing him. "Your skin looks... shinier. And these white tunics we're wearing? They weren't with us before."
What the hell. Li Yunhao felt awkward with Zhao Leng's "compliments" and his gaze sweeping over him. Deciding not to be the only one commented on, he said, "You've changed too. You're more robust than before, and..." He narrowed his eyes. "Where are your glasses? I always thought you depended on them."
Zhao Leng touched his face, realizing the absence of the accessory. "Ah... That's true." He sighed, seeming to accept it more quickly than Li Yunhao. "They must be the changes caused by the legacies we received."
Li Yunhao nodded, though the idea made him a little uneasy. "I think our bodies were somehow reconstructed. Yu Hu Tao mentioned something about turning me into his descendant. Maybe that explains the floral scent and... these other things."
"Zhi Lang said something similar." Zhao Leng looked at his own hands, slowly clenching them. "Reconstructing the body... maybe it's a gift, but it could also be a trap."
"Anyway, we have no choice but to move forward." Li Yunhao stood up and looked around. "We need to figure out where we are and, if possible, find shelter. We don't know how long we'll be here."
"I agree." Zhao Leng also stood up, his eyes scanning the surroundings carefully. "Let's go. Staying here is an invitation for trouble."