Jiang Shen woke for the second time to a world of quiet clarity. The skull-splitting headache was gone , the roaring river of souls had receded, and the chaotic memories of the boy whose life he'd inherited were settling into a quiet, emotional landscape in the back of his mind.
He felt... whole. A strange, new kind of whole.
A quick mental check-in confirmed his theory. The glowing text of the system was still there, and a presence in his consciousness .
[Soul Fusion Progress: 82%]
[Estimated Time to Full Integration: 48 Hours]
[Status: Stable. Physical vessel is weak but recovering.]
He was himself, the Go game master from Earth, but he was also the boy from this world. The boy's memories were a storm of emotions. A deep , unconditional love for the beautiful woman who had watched over him—his mother. A fierce, almost reckless loyalty for a friend with a fiery spirit—Fen Yue. And a profound, instinctual respect for an imposing , powerful man—his father, the Sect Master.
His own memories felt... cold, in comparison. Just logic, patterns, and the endless possibilities of black and white stones.
We're going to have to learn to work together , you and I , he thought, addressing the lingering spirit of the boy within him.
A gentle hand touched his forehead, pulling him from his thoughts. It was his mother, her eyes red-rimmed but shining with relief. She held a small, porcelain bowl of steaming, fragrant broth.
"You're truly awake this time," she whispered, her voice a balm. "Don't try to speak... Just heal ."
He didn't have the strength to refuse. She carefully fed him the broth, and a wave of warmth and pure energy spread through his frail body. It was a feeling utterly alien to his Earth-born soul. Spiritual energy Qi. It was real.
Just as he finished the last spoonful, the door to his chambers burst open.
"He's up?!
Is he really up?!"
A youth with a wiry , energetic build and a shock of black hair that refused to be tamed practically vibrated in the doorway. This was Fen Yue. The boy's memories supplied an immediate and overwhelming feeling of warmth and camaraderie. His best friend. His sworn brother.
"Quiet down, you ox," his mother chided gently, though she couldn't hide her smile.
"You'll shake the dust from the rafters."
"Apologies, Auntie Lian!" Fen Yue grinned not looking apologetic at all. He rushed to the bedside, his eyes wide with concern and joy. "Shen, you—you idiot! I thought you were actually gonna die! " really scared to death! The elders were saying you might never wake up. I told them you were too stubborn to die in bed."
Jiang Shen managed a weak smile. It felt surprisingly natural.
"The Sect Master is coming," Fen Yue continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "He's been in a terrible mood. Grand Elder Wu has been using your 'illness' to argue that you're not fit to be the Holy Son. The old goat wants his own grandson to get the title. But don't you worry, I set his snot-nosed brat straight in the training grounds yesterday!"
In a few short sentences, Fen Yue had given him a wealth of tactical information.
A political rival.
A challenge to his succession.
Factional strife.
The game here was already afoot.
As if on cue, a heavy, authoritative presence filled the room. His father, Jiang Tianlong, the Master of the Eternal Dao Sect, entered. He was a tall man, his simple robes doing nothing to hide the immense power that lay coiled within him. His face was stern, but his eyes, when they fell on Jiang Shen, softened with a deep, paternal relief.
He placed a hand on his son's wrist, channeling a gentle stream of Qi to inspect his condition. "His meridians are... clear?" the Sect Master said, a note of profound surprise in his voice. "The blockage that was slowly killing him... it's gone."
He looked at his son, his gaze intense. "The heavens have given you a second chance, Jiang Shen. Do not waste it and Recover. The Destiny Awakening Trial is only a few years away. You must be ready."
After his family had finally left, ordering him to rest, Jiang Shen was alone with his thoughts for the first time. The quiet of the room was a blessing. He closed his eyes and finally focused on the gift the system had given him.
The knowledge bloomed in his mind.
[Physique: The Uncarved Primordial Form].
--A perfect, neutral vessel. A blank slate, unaligned with any specific element or law, but with the terrifying potential to adapt to all of them--.
[Cultivation Technique: The Scripture of Infinite Genesis]. --A technique that didn't cultivate a specific type of Qi. It cultivated a formless , primordial energy—the very stuff of creation. An energy that could, with enough insight , perfectly replicate the principles of any other art--.
It was a path to absolute power. It was also a path that no one else walked. A path that would be his greatest secret.
He looked around the ornate room, at the silk blankets and glowing pearls. He felt the weight of his father's expectations, the challenge from a rival elder, the loyalty of his friend. This wasn't Go game. The pieces on this board were alive, and the stakes were infinitely higher.
He made his first true, conscious decision in this new world. He would continue to feign weakness. He would use the remnants of his "illness" and his "amnesia" as a shield. The other players thought he was a weakened piece, a king on the verge of being checked. They wouldn't see him gathering his strength, learning the rules, and preparing his own, unseen strategy.
He closed his eyes and, for the first time, took control of his new body. He focused his will, followed the path laid out by the scripture, and drew upon the ambient energy of the world.
A single, infinitesimally small thread of warm, colorless energy entered his body, settling in his dantian with a profound sense of rightness. It felt like coming home.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
[Achievement Unlocked: The First Breath of Genesis]
[Reward: 100 units of Primal Essence]
The new game had begun.