"To cultivate, or not to cultivate—that was a vexing question. However, Lü Yang's dilemma didn't last long.
Because he had no power to refuse. In broad daylight, under the open sky, Yu Suzhen simply... took matters into her own hands!
Alas, Lü Yang's body was already drained of vitality, terminally ill, utterly incapable of meeting her demands.
"What useless trash," Yu Suzhen snapped impatiently upon realizing his state. "Such a handsome face, yet so little life force."
The moment her words fell, Lü Yang's face drained of color.
Immediately, he felt the scant dregs of his life force surge out of him, flowing straight into Yu Suzhen's body. His already frail frame withered further, becoming desiccated.
"*The Ode of Yin-Yang's Great Joy*?"
The manual he'd been assigned flashed through his mind. Understanding dawned on Lü Yang: the so-called "trial" of the Blissful Union Hall was likely a brutal competition among provisional disciples using this very technique. Like raising Gu insects, only the last one standing would be promoted to a formal disciple.
"Congratulations, Senior Sister Yu!"
Simultaneously, several other provisional disciples approached, their expressions fawning. "Absorbing this last fool's essence, Sister should surely reach Qi Refinement now!"
"One step into Qi Refinement, beyond mere mortality!"
"Please remember us when you rise, Senior Sister! We are at your service..."
Watching this scene unfold, Lü Yang suddenly laughed.
"Heh heh..."
The dry, hollowed-out husk of a man laughing abruptly drew everyone's attention. Yu Suzhen cast him a sidelong glance, her voice cool and detached.
"And why does Junior Brother laugh?"
"I laugh for you, Senior Sister," Lü Yang said sincerely. "I was worried about your health, but it seems my fears were unfounded."
"Worried about *my* health?" Yu Suzhen was taken aback.
"Indeed," Lü Yang continued, his expression one of profound relief. "This Junior Brother suffered from a severe illness before entering the Sect. Senior Sister acted... hastily just now. I hadn't time to mention it. But since Senior Sister is on the verge of Qi Refinement, surely such a minor ailment poses no problem for you?"
Yu Suzhen: "..."
...
...
...
**[Yu Suzhen, furious and humiliated, struck you dead.]**
**[Current Residual Pages of the Book of Hundred Lifetimes: 99]**
**[Restart life. Choose one reward from your previous life:]**
**[1: Treasures]**
**[2: Cultivation]**
**[3: Lifespan]**
**[4: Abandon all gains. Awaken one innate talent randomly based on experiences of the previous life.]**
"Those called by name, step before me."
Lü Yang opened his eyes. He was back. Back on the plaza at the foot of the Primordial Sanctum Sect, where names were called and fates assigned. The black-robed Daoist stood on the platform.
The vividness of his recent experience—the lingering sensation of the seductress, the sting of death—clashed violently with the mundane reality of starting over. The sheer dissonance left Lü Yang stunned for several long moments before he regained his senses. Amidst the disorientation, elation surged: the Book of Hundred Lifetimes truly was a miraculous treasure!
Steadying his mind, Lü Yang focused inward, examining the Book's options.
He skipped the first three choices instantly. He hadn't even begun cultivating before Yu Suzhen drained him to death. Option Four was his only real path.
**[Settling experiences of previous life...]**
**[After absorbing your life force, Yu Suzhen did indeed break through to the Qi Refining Realm. However, afflicted by the malignant illness she absorbed from you, her True Qi proved incapable of expelling it. Bedridden for months, she ultimately succumbed to the disease and died.]**
**[Since ancient times: Comply with Heaven's Will, Easy; Defy Heaven's Will, Hard.]**
**[Martial arts cannot rival divine abilities. The chasm between a mortal and a cultivator is vaster than the gap between heaven and earth.]**
...However, you entered the fray personally, employing unorthodox methods. With a mortal body, you slew a cultivator—truly a feat worthy of declaring 'Half a Move Against Heaven!' Defying the heavens could be no greater than this!]**
**[You have awakened the White Grade Talent: Unorthodox Prodigy.]**
**[Unorthodox Prodigy: Your comprehension of unorthodox cultivation methods is exceptionally high. No cultivator of the same realm can plunder you.]**
Immediately, the text on the luminous panel shifted once more.
**[Name: Lü Yang]**
**[Age: 18]**
**[Cultivation: None]**
**[Talent: Unorthodox Prodigy (White)]**
**[Cultivation Method: Ode of Yin-Yang's Great Joy (Beginner)]**
**[Divine Abilities: None]**
**[Treasures: None]**
**[Book of Hundred Lifetimes Pages: 99]**
Lü Yang exhaled deeply. A surge of vital energy rushed straight to his Dantian. Strength flooded his limbs; his spirit felt vigorous and fierce. His previously frail body began to visibly recover.
"This illness... it's not gone. But I can hold on longer now."
Lü Yang carefully assessed his condition. Beyond the physical recovery granted by the talent, his understanding of the Blissful Union Hall's assigned technique, *The Ode of Yin-Yang's Great Joy*, had also deepened significantly. Practical experience, especially with talent enhancement, far outweighed mere theoretical knowledge.
Thereafter, events unfolded much as before.
Blessed (or cursed) with that naturally handsome face, Lü Yang was once again assigned to the Blissful Union Hall. Once again, he encountered Yu Suzhen at the entrance, instantly singled out by her discerning gaze.
This time, however, Lü Yang did not resist.
In the next instant, Lü Yang felt his essence, energy, and spirit fuse seamlessly with that specific, primal impulse. A profound vibration shook his core, as if an invisible gate had been thrown wide open
Lü Yang's spirit ignited with sudden clarity: "I've broken through!"
Spirit and Qi harmonized—this was Qi Refinement!
Yu Suzhen, a veteran provisional disciple of the Blissful Union Hall, had stood only one step away from Qi Refinement. In his previous life, she had drained him dry to take that final step, successfully refining her Qi. In *this* life, she had been the one consumed, her accumulated essence enriching *him* instead.
From this day forth, he was a cultivator of the First Layer of Qi Refinement!
To break through upon rising and ascend directly to formal disciple status was a meteoric rise in standing. Seemingly simple, yet across countless years, this very step had barred countless provisional disciples.
"Truly... delightful, Senior Sister Yu," Lü Yang murmured, a complex emotion in his voice as he rose to his feet. He looked down at Yu Suzhen's lifeless form on the ground. "I suppose I shall remember you for the rest of this life."