Chapter 2: Sleight of Hand

Staring at the great spear, the man’s expression grew intensely complex, shifting from awe to hatred, entangled in a hundred ways. “This spear is unimaginably fierce. I do not know when or where it was born, nor has its name ever been revealed or passed on. Yet, one must not underestimate it—its true power… even I could not withstand it. Were it not for this, those three useless ones of the Celestial Clan, no matter how desperately they sacrificed their lives, could never have harmed me in the slightest… Now, I will give it to you. I have forcefully erased its spirit; even if some traces of strangeness remain, they should not be too severe. When you nurture a new spirit within it, perhaps it will become a great aid on your path of growth.”

Having finished his soliloquy, the man lifted his arm and spread his five fingers. Instantly, the great spear surged forth like a dragon leaping from the sea and plunged into Cang Li’s consciousness.

“Blessing or curse, fate is decreed by heaven. If you wish to seize destiny for yourself, it will depend on whether you can surpass me.” The man whispered, then, after a moment’s hesitation, sighed in concern, “Since I am about to disappear completely, I may as well fulfill your wish and give you a solid foundation.”

Boom!

The man’s ethereal form exploded into countless points of light. Some merged into Cang Li’s consciousness, while others drifted down into his body, passing from his brow to his neck and shoulders, over his waist and knees, all the way to the soles of his feet.

The human body is wondrous, housing many mysterious treasures that, when unlocked, grant extraordinary power. This is the essence of martial cultivation. At the soles of the feet lies a point called Yongquan—the Spring of Life—one of these treasures.

Yongquan is the source of the kidneys.

“Yong” means gushing forth, “quan” means spring; it is the origin of the kidneys. In other words, the energy of the kidney meridian, like spring water, rises from the feet, nourishing blood, flesh, and bone, filling the body with vitality and strength.

Such is its unique and mysterious nature.

The man’s scattered light raced downward, accurately finding the Yongquan points, and with a surge of force, expanded and enlarged their inner space. In a moment, two full chambers were formed. Externally, there was no change; internally, two vast spaces now existed, boundless and complete.

Yet these two chambers were still void and chaotic, showing no sign of life.

Boom—boom—

As soon as the spaces took shape, two currents of newborn energy erupted, surging through the body, opening meridians and invigorating the flesh with vibrant energy. Even without knowledge of what had happened, Cang Li’s body underwent a grand metamorphosis, shedding its old form for the new, like a fish transforming into a dragon, leaping the great divide. Henceforth, he would soar freely, his path clear and open, the benefits beyond description.

“All that remains unfinished is perhaps that one agreement. Since you are my successor, fulfill it in my stead… Blessing or curse, it is your own fortune…” The man’s voice echoed faintly in the void, growing weaker and weaker until it finally vanished.

All returned to stillness, as though nothing had ever happened.

“Ah—!”

A sudden scream shattered the silence. Cang Li’s consciousness awoke—the changes in his body had shocked his spirit as well.

Countless new pieces of information manifested in his mind, filling him with terror. This fear grew boundless from the unknown. Yet, as he absorbed a trickle of knowledge and realized what had changed, the shroud of mystery lifted and the terror faded away. Forcing down his fear and, after a moment of dazed confusion, Cang Li staggered to his feet and began searching within himself.

“Ah—!” Soon, Cang Li screamed again, but this time with excitement and fervor, not fear. “To think I have been fortunate enough to inherit ‘his’ legacy… The Art of Shaping, the Wishful Technique, the Myriad Manifestations Fist, the Tenfold Body-Refining Method… Hahaha! My luck has finally turned. I’m no longer a nobody—just give me a little time and I will achieve my dreams, roam the world unrivaled, make all bow and tremble before me… Hm? What’s that?”

At the height of his elation, his gaze unconsciously swept over a crack in his inner world—within it, a wisp like drifting willow fluff floated over. Looking closer, it seemed vaguely human in shape, though much of it was damaged and dull, as if lost in confusion.

“And who are you?” Feeling bold in his own domain, Cang Li summoned his courage and shouted, all his senses on alert for danger.

“Who am I?” The entity slowly wriggled, growing more real. Questioned by Cang Li, it pondered blankly, “Who am I? Who exactly am I?”

“So you’re an idiot!” Cang Li relaxed, letting out a long breath. Then, a wicked thought flashed through his mind. “It’s come right to my door—a tasty morsel. If I devour it, my own consciousness will be greatly nourished… Besides, judging by its foolishness, letting it exist is a kind of torment. I may as well do a good deed and end it—mutually beneficial… If I don’t eat it, it’s a waste!”

Once the thought arose, it surged uncontrollably. The darkness within human nature was fully awakened in Cang Li. With a tiger’s roar, he pounced, punching, kicking, and, between blows, biting savagely and gulping down the wisp.

“Oh… how wonderful, so comfortable. My whole being feels light—truly nourishing.” Swallowing it down, Cang Li’s eyes shone with greed, which only grew stronger. He could feel his consciousness becoming sharper, his thoughts more agile, his wisdom blazing forth; many puzzles that once confounded him now unraveled with ease, and he absorbed inherited knowledge faster than ever. Delighted by the taste, he threw himself at his prey once more.

“Ah… it hurts!” After a few bites, the wisp finally snapped from its daze, wailing in pain. Instinctively, it bit back. Then it began to assimilate, becoming its own fundamental strength.

The two struggled like primitive savages, locked in a fierce and brutal contest. However, Cang Li, with an early start and greater strength, quickly gained the upper hand—it was only a matter of time before he finished off his “delicacy.” Each bite grew more ferocious than the last.

“Roar…” At the brink of destruction, the wisp’s latent power erupted. With a wild howl and a sudden flare of blood-red eyes, baleful energy burst forth, as if the dignity of a noble being had been wounded by the assault of a lowly worm. Countless beams of light, like strands of hair, danced untamed atop its head, writhing like dragons and serpents.

Driven by instinct, it unleashed the full might of the Nether Soul Art. The two whirling vortices in its palms deepened into bottomless black holes, their devouring force breaking all restraints and becoming unstoppable.

With a single surge, nearly half of Cang Li’s consciousness was consumed. With another, he was almost plunged into eternal darkness. Panic-stricken, Cang Li’s will to survive erupted in a desperate plea: “No, spare me! I can’t die… I refuse… ah…”

But the uninvited guest had no self-awareness, acting purely on instinct, and decisively erased him utterly, absorbing the entirety of his information in one gulp.

The enemy destroyed, the consciousness wisp returned to its vacant state, a single question echoing over and over: “Who am I? Who am I, really?”

With a massive influx of energy, the wisp’s wounds healed rapidly, soon whole and stronger than ever before—a leap in both quality and power. The remaining traces of the mysterious man’s legacy fused steadily into its soul, bombarding the fractured consciousness. At some unknown moment, the fragments coalesced into a single thought, and the wisp’s eyes shone with a dazzling light.

“I am… Dugu Bieli!”

Thunder rumbled.

At that instant, as if guided by fate, the rest of the immense information stormed forth, seeking to merge completely with this consciousness.

“Ah—!” the wisp screamed, then fell unconscious, unable to react further. The violent shock even rippled into the physical body, making the charred, battered corpse twitch and jerk, tumbling down amidst the shifting sands, rising and falling with the waves, destined to drift without rest…

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