Ren Zu rubbed his hands, still feeling that absurd euphoria coursing through his veins.
"Alright... if it worked once, it'll work again."
He looked at the lake ahead, its surface gently rippling with the wind, heavy clouds reflecting on the dark water. He crouched down and, this time without any hesitation, plunged his hand into the water up to his wrist.
The touch of the water was cold, but instead of the usual sensation, it felt as if his hand had passed through a layer of mist. A shiver ran up his spine when something solid brushed against his palm.
"Got it."
He pulled his hand out in one swift motion.
When his hand emerged, it held a small crimson jade vial, adorned with ancient inscriptions that seemed to pulse with life under the flickering light of the night.
"What the...?"
The moment his fingers closed around the vial, a flood of information invaded his mind.
It was as if someone had shoved an entire book directly into his head.
This vial contained the complete Bloodline of the Vermillion Bird, one of the Three Supreme Fire-Attribute Beasts, the strongest of the three. Its flames carried divine attributes. During the Primordial Era, it was the most feared flame by the Devil Race that coexisted with the Divine Race.
Ren Zu stared at the vial, his heart racing.
He knew of the Vermillion Bird.
What was astonishing was that it came from *this* world! And he had just fished it out. Just like that.
"Hahaha... HAHAHAHA!"
He burst into laughter, a genuine, almost childlike joy he hadn't felt in a long time.
But it didn't stop there.
As soon as the warm, vibrant aura of the vial stabilized in his hand, another stream of information poured directly into Ren Zu's mind.
It was the Profound Art tied to the Vermillion Bird's legacy: the [Soothing Spirit Song of the Vermillion Bird]. A supreme technique with ten stages, offering countless ways to wield its flames. Not only did it possess extreme destructive power, but it also had unparalleled purification abilities, even among the three divine fire-attribute beasts.
To use the [Soothing Spirit Song of The Vermillion Bird], one needed to wield the Vermillion Bird's flames, which required its bloodline. So, by absorbing the blood in the vial, he would be qualified to practice this Divine Art once he absorbed the Vermillion Bird's blood. Though he would still need to comprehend it stage by stage and all that...
In other words, he hadn't just gained the Vermillion Bird's Bloodline—he had also inherited its legacy, its divine art...
Ren Zu was speechless.
He looked at the lake with new eyes. That little pond, which had seemed like nothing more than background noise, now felt like the gateway to an unlimited treasure trove.
But what thrilled him most was the discovery that he could "fish" items from this world too. It wasn't just from other worlds, apparently—a valuable find...
Tucking the blood vial into his robes, he sighed and decided to keep going and try fishing for more, since he seemed to be on a lucky streak.
Ren Zu dipped his hand into the water again. The cold touch came, followed by that same strange sensation, as if his fingers were passing through an invisible layer. Something solid touched his palm, and he pulled.
This time, it was a piece of milky-white jade, glowing softly in the dark.
The moment he held it, information flooded his mind again, as vivid as before. The jade contained the [Divine Scripture: Miracle of Life], created by the Goddess of Life, Li Suo. An absolute medical manual in this world, capable of healing, restoring, and preserving any existence, based on the inscriptions of the Primordial Seal of Life and Death. Something the Goddess herself took millions of years to create...
Ren Zu's eyes widened in shock. A manual like this just appearing in his hands?
For a moment, he was stunned.
And then, he felt a gentle warmth from a "light" spreading through his body, and a slight pressure on his soul, as if something pure and vast was enveloping him.
He could now cultivate the Profound Light Force...
Li Suo was the only source of the Profound Light Force in the universe. Light was the complete opposite of Darkness, sacred and dedicated solely to creation and salvation, never to killing or destruction. It could purify the mind and soul, cleansing all contamination and evil. Though the laws of light were the easiest to control, cultivating them required the strictest conditions. One needed a sacred body or a sacred heart, free of contamination and corruption.
Those who could wield the Profound Light Force were direct heirs to its unique power.
What the hell...?
He had literally pulled out the legacy of a Creation God?
The same medical manual that took Yun Che over a thousand chapters to complete, he had in its entirety? And on top of that... he could now use the Profound Light Force?
He had always been a lucky person in his past life, but wasn't this a bit too much...?
A smile crept onto his lips, and his eyes grew even hungrier.
After tucking the jade into his robes, he took a deep breath and decided to keep fishing.
"If the lake wants to make me invincible... who am I to refuse?"
He grinned, and the tips of his fingers plunged once more into the cold, dense, mist-like surface. Again, that sensation... like crossing a membrane, like touching a world between worlds.
Something solid touched his palm.
The water parted in gentle ripples as his hand emerged, holding another piece of jade, this one a shimmering dark gray.
The moment his fingers gripped it, another torrent of information poured into his mind.
He had just "fished" the [Heavenly Tyrant Manual] from one of the many stories he'd read in his past life—specifically, the Cultivation Technique used by the protagonist of the novel 'Martial World' on his journey.
The manual detailed the three major limits of the body transformation system, arts dedicated to transcending the physical limits of a mortal body to rival the gods. The seven initial stages of Body Transformation, including Tempered Marrow, and beyond that, the fearsome Eight Inner Hidden Gates, and finally the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace.
Who would need the [Great Way of the Buddha] when you had an even more extraordinary body cultivation art?
While the "Profound Art of the Wrath God" could grant a True God-level physical body if completed, its strength limit was quite low; at the fourth stage, one would gain an additional fifty thousand kilograms of strength, whereas completing just the "Tempered Marrow" stage would grant a hundred thousand kilograms of physical strength. He had no doubt that someone with the Eight Inner Hidden Gates opened would be equivalent to a True God in physical terms...
Imagine the Nine Stars of the Dao Palace?
He didn't know whether to thank the heavens or start questioning what exactly this lake was. Because this was clearly beyond the bounds of any rational luck.
His grin widened, almost mischievous, as he tucked the jade into his robes.
"I'm not stopping until I dry this lake out."
Ren Zu took a deep breath and plunged his hand in again.
When he pulled it out, he held a red drop of blood in his hand. Almost instantly, information about it flooded his mind; it was a Martial Intent from the same world as the [Heavenly Tyrant Manual]—the [Asura Martial Intent]. It would awaken his consciousness to the Asura Battlefield. There, he would experience countless life-and-death battles, dying and being reborn many times, gaining near-limitless experience and drastically improving his skills.
In the long run, this wasn't as flashy as the previous legacies, but he immediately recognized its true value.
If an ordinary cultivator needed a hundred years to reach a certain level of combat proficiency with a profound art, he could do it in months or even hours. Plus, the experience would grant him instincts, reaction speed, body control, and profound energy control far superior to someone without such experience...
And the best part?
He could achieve all this without risking his life in the real world.
Ren Zu hummed softly as he held the red drop before his forehead. Following the instructions that came with the knowledge of the Martial Intent, he pressed the drop against his skin. Instantly, his body seemed to merge with that crimson essence, beginning the absorption process.
It took less than half a second.
He immediately continued fishing.
Plunging his hand into the water without hesitation, he tried a simple test: moving his hand in different directions, focusing to see if he could sense a "different world" or choose the item he wanted. But apparently, that was beyond his control. So, he pulled and slowly opened his palm. A silvery light shone within, emitting an ancient aura.
It was the Ancestral Spatial Symbol...
One of the Eight Ancestral Symbols from the world of 'Wu Dong Qian Kun', one of his favorite novels!
"Holy shit..." he muttered, staring at the item in his hand. "Am I really this much luckier than I thought, or does my ability only grant useful items and nothing useless? I'm starting to think it's the latter..."
His heart couldn't help but race at the possibility.
The item in his hand was essentially as good as one of the Seven Heavenly Treasures of that world—the seven supreme treasures of the universe, each with unique abilities, born at the dawn of the universe after the Ancestral Goddess. Almost every profound heavenly treasure had another to complement it. The current profound heavenly treasures couldn't compare to those of the Ancient Era, as their power had greatly diminished since then. The Primordial Energy was lost, weakening them and slowing their recovery, with the sole exception being the Samsara Mirror.
In fact, the [Ancestral Spatial Symbol] was very similar to the [World Piercer], which could pierce space itself to instantly reach any corner of the universe, manipulate the laws of space, and wield the highest level of dimensional power, capable of traveling through any space. The item in his hand allowed its owner to do practically the same—teleport instantly, move limbs through space for attacks, and more, making it more versatile than that profound treasure...
Primordial Energy is the most primal and powerful spiritual energy of the Primordial Chaos. It is also the source of the power wielded by the ancient gods. The main reason behind the unimaginable strength of the ancient gods and devils was their birth during the initial period of the Primordial Chaos, at the dawn of the primordial world. Born amidst the purest and densest primordial energy, they could possess the now-extinct True God power and True God physique. After the extinction of gods and devils, the world never saw another True God, due to the scarcity of primordial energy. However, though extremely rare, given the vastness of the Primordial Chaos, some pockets of pure primordial energy still exist.
This pure energy is drawn to the aura of a newborn, considered the purest form of life. Thus, if someone could come into contact with pure primordial energy within about a hundred breaths of their birth, that energy would fuse with their body, transforming their physique into the Immaculate Divine Body.
Only women could possess the Immaculate Divine Body.
Even if their potential was far, far from comparable to the gods born amidst primordial energy at the dawn of the Primordial Chaos, the inherent nature of their physique would be similar to theirs.
In other words, a descendant born from a woman with the Immaculate Divine Body would have extremely high talent, and their vitality, body, and profound meridians would all be influenced by the primordial aura. Not only would they have exceptional talent, but there was also a high chance of possessing a variant physique or even an extinct variant physique.
The entire process would be quite similar to how all sorts of divine powers and divine physiques were born from primordial energy in the past.
The first generation of descendants born would have especially astonishing talent and physique. Though, after the loss of primordial energy, their quality would diminish with each generation, these descendants would still be incomparable to ordinary people.
From what he knew, Xia Qingyue's mother possessed such a physique.
But that was beside the point.
After tucking the "Ancestral Spatial Symbol" into his robes' pocket, he decided to continue testing his ability...
Ren Zu stretched his fingers out for the umpteenth time, no longer bothering to count how many things he'd fished up. That familiar sensation came again—his fingers passing through the invisible veil, the biting cold of the strange water, as if touching the membrane between two worlds... and then, something solid.
Again.
"Let's see what the universe tossed on the hook this time," he muttered as he pulled with a swift motion, the water parting in gentle swirls, reflecting the glow of an intense green light.
He raised his eyebrows when he realized what he held.
Inside a small translucent jade vial, a green flame flickered, but unlike any flame he'd ever seen, this one seemed... alive.
The moment his fingers gripped the vial, another torrent of information poured into his head.
It was the [Life Spirit Flame], one of the legendary Heavenly Flames from the world of the novel "Battle Through the Heavens".
Ranked as the fifth most powerful in the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the [Life Spirit Flame] was an extremely mysterious existence. While most Heavenly Flames carried an inherently destructive nature, even with their varied forms and properties, this flame stood out for lacking excessively strong destructive power. Instead, it was imbued with pure and abundant vital energy.
Rumor had it that when used on medicinal ingredients, any seed present would germinate and grow at an extraordinary speed. In other words, whoever possessed this flame would no longer need to worry about finding rare medicinal ingredients. With the right seeds, the Life Spirit Flame would do the rest, making it an invaluable tool for alchemists and cultivators.
Beyond its unique properties, this flame was also known as a Longevity Flame. Its possessor would have a lifespan comparable to ancient and renowned Magical Beasts known for their long existences. However, it had a drawback: it wasn't suited for combat. Unlike other Heavenly Flames that could vastly enhance a user's attack power, the Life Spirit Flame offered subtler, long-term benefits without directly boosting battle strength.
Even so... a flame capable of extending life and accelerating medicinal cultivation was something any expert would covet.
"What else can I pull? It's like there's no limit to this ability! Well, now I'm sure it doesn't give me 'useless' things—everything is useful and extraordinary, but there must be some limit I haven't figured out yet... Well, all I can do is keep going and see where it leads..." Ren Zu muttered slowly as he tucked the Heavenly Flame vial away and plunged his hand into the water again.
He frowned.
"What the hell..."
He pulled hard.
The water's surface rippled, and what emerged was... nothing physical. But immediately, a golden-green glow enveloped his hand, and an absurd flood of information poured into Ren Zu's mind.
He had received the Aura of the Banished Immortal.
An aura that transcended the ordinary appearance of a mortal, enhancing every feature, every detail, every minute aspect of his form to absolute perfection in the eyes of any sentient being. A gift forged by the heavens themselves for an Immortal who, eons ago, was banished for his unacceptable beauty, capable of making queens abandon kingdoms, sages break vows, and even ancient beasts kneel.
He looked at his hand glowing with that absurd light and murmured:
"You've got to be kidding me..."
The glow enveloped his body like a silent flame, coursing through his skin, hair, bones, and suddenly, a gentle, refreshing warmth washed over him. It was as if every microscopic imperfection had been corrected.
Ren Zu blinked, and the air around him felt different.
The wind seemed softer, as if it had fallen in love with him. The trees swayed gently, and the lake's surface reflected his face with absurd clarity.
And when he saw himself... even he was momentarily stunned.
"Holy shit..."
If before he was handsome by cultivator standards—say, two levels above a drama heartthrob—now he was on another level. His eyes seemed to hold constellations, his black hair had a shine that made the stars look dull, and his skin had a flawless texture and tone that even gods would envy.
It was the kind of beauty that defied gender or ethnicity. It wasn't just beautiful—it was supernatural.
Though his beauty had been upgraded, his normal features hadn't vanished, so anyone could still recognize him, though they'd likely be shocked and disturbed by how stunning he'd suddenly become. Women would probably be completely obsessed with him now...
Speaking of which, from what he recalled of his predecessor, he wasn't yet in a romantic relationship with Number Seven Under Heaven as in the original story; they were just friends at best, which was good, to be honest. He had no interest in that elf... Though he admitted their race was intriguing in the Illusory Demon Realm.
The elf clan was one of the most powerful forces in the Illusory Demon Realm. For some reason, they carried the surname "Under Heaven." The elves of the Under Heaven clan had long, pointed ears on the sides of their heads and possessed a pair of translucent, butterfly-shaped wings. The profound energy of the elf clan carried innate natural energy, beneficial for self-recovery and healing others. They were experts in wind-based profound arts and used bows as weapons in combat. Additionally, due to their natural energy, clan members had extremely beautiful appearances...
Putting that aside, Ren Zu plunged his hand in again.
The cold water gave way, the strange sensation of the invisible membrane slid over his fingers, and soon he touched something solid.
This time, a piece of jade emerged. Gray, almost opaque, with a faint golden aura swirling on its surface.
The moment his fingers gripped it, information exploded in his mind.
Ren Zu froze in place.
His face locked up.
His eyes widened slightly.
"...No... it can't be."
He had just fished something from the Ergenverse: a cultivation method called 'Ten Extreme Paths', referenced in "Beyond the Timescape", which allowed the practitioner to cultivate ten "paths" to their extreme. However, due to coming from a far superior world, it had been severely weakened to fit the current world.
It became a Profound Path Cultivation Method that cultivated Ten Elements to their Extreme, granting immunity upon reaching the "Extreme" of the chosen Profound Element while simultaneously gaining near-omnipotent control, where any use of that element was automatically nullified and subordinated to his will.
A nervous laugh escaped his lips.
"...Holy shit."
Without another word, he tucked the jade with the others and took a deep breath, running a hand over his face.
"Here we go..."
Plunging into the water again, Ren Zu closed his hand and pulled.
The water's surface parted, and what emerged was... a sword hilt.
No blade.
Just the hilt, slender and simple, in a gray-silver tone, without adornments or inscriptions.
His gaze wavered.
"...I'm screwing with myself now."
Information flooded his mind; it was a Sword Technique...
Oddly, it didn't come in the form of jade because it was the entire inheritance of a Sword Technique called [Limitless Sword Arts].
The [Limitless Sword Arts] comprised incredible sword techniques, capable of dominating ten million enemy swordsmen. The practitioner could control hundreds, thousands, millions of swords. It was so powerful and complex that even its creator admitted to never reaching the final level, despite having created it. This showed just how formidable the [Limitless Sword Arts] were.
However, practicing the first sword form of the [Limitless Sword Arts] was no easy feat.
And the sword hilt was powerful beyond imagination, shocking anyone who could recognize its abilities.
This wasn't the hilt of an ordinary sword but of a massive spatial sword.
Within the hilt, there were 108,000 Ancestral Swords: 105,000 Refined Swords, 2,995 Origin Swords, and 5 unparalleled Divine Swords.
If someone could control all the swords within the spatial hilt, they could easily dominate the world and become an unmatched sword god.
However, none of these swords were ordinary. To train with any of them, one had to become one with each sword, as each was unique.
He twirled the hilt in his fingers.
The aura contained in the object was as subtle as it was profound, as if the space around the hilt bent slightly.
The smile on his lips was hard to erase. He tucked the hilt into his robes, his heart still racing, and plunged his hand into the lake again.
He frowned, moved his fingers, groped.
Nothing.
His face darkened.
"...Huh?"
He tried again, the same process. Dipped up to his wrist, swirled his hand, poked, pulled. And... nothing.
He stood silent for a few seconds, staring at the lake's surface, which continued to ripple gently, as if mocking him.
"...You've got to be kidding."
He tried two, three, five more times, changing positions, depths, even kneeling by the edge and plunging his arm up to the elbow.
Nothing.
Then, just as frustration began to build, a final, subtle wave of information slipped into his mind.
Ren Zu froze.
"...Oh... that's it."
He leaned back, letting out a breath in a half-laugh, half-defeated sigh.
"Of course. It was too good to last forever."
Basically, his ability had a limit: he could "fish" things from the myriad worlds ten times per century. His ability drained all the luck he would have accumulated over the hundred years he might live—good luck, fortunate encounters, everything—condensing it into ten uses. And it ensured he would never pull anything useless.
In other words, he'd have to wait another century to use it again, or at least ten years to recharge a single use...
That was the price.
He lay back on the grass, staring at the cloudy sky that let faint moonlight filter through.
"At least now I have the chance to change my fate. To fulfill my ambition of being the strongest and not just a side character in someone else's story..." Ren Zu murmured, smiling faintly. He stretched, stood up, and walked toward his room.
_________________________
(A/N: As I already said, guys, Ren Zu's ability has limits — and very clear ones. It only worked in the beginning to grant him those "things" he received, without the need for wishes, a system, or any other cliché like that. From now on, this ability will remain unusable for a good part of the story.
Each of these blessings serves only to give Ren Zu a solid foundation, nothing more. He's still far from being overpowered. To face someone like Yun Che, for example, he'd need all of that together — and maybe even more. After all, we're talking about a protagonist favored by the Ancestral Goddess herself, with a bunch of divine legacies and plot armor coming out of his ears.
Ren Zu will have to grind. A lot. With luck, it'll take him about five years to reach the peak of this mortal world. At the very least.
The Celestial God Profound Veins he possesses offer a much faster cultivation speed than normal ones, but there's a price: they consume way more resources. The Celestial Flame will be crucial for him to learn alchemy, while the Miracle of Life — which he still has to comprehend — represents a massive long-term advantage. The Vermillion Bird's blood, with its divine purifying flames, is ideal against True Devils (yes, that one you're thinking of) and cultivators of the Profound Energy of Darkness.
As for his techniques… well, we're talking about Divine-level and above. The Heavenly Tyrant Manual and the Ten Extreme Daos are proof enough of that. And of course, his profound skill will be the Unlimited Sword Art.
Oh, and yes, I made Ren Zu more handsome — on Senior White's level. Let's be honest, that definitely helps with romantic interactions. 😏
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, see you later...