Volume One: Turbulent Times in the Small Town Chapter Four: The Mysterious Pendant

In the Immortal Cultivation Continent, strength reigned supreme—those who possessed true power could do anything, changing the very landscape with a single thought. Here, countless sects and nations vied for dominance. This land was home to all manner of rare spiritual objects and mysterious paradises, as well as forbidden zones where no living creature ventured and where none dared set foot.

The people here began their cultivation at the age of seven, practicing the method of drawing in spiritual energy to temper their bodies, seeking to strengthen themselves and improve their constitutions. The first stage of cultivation was known as the Body Tempering Realm.

The Body Tempering Realm itself was divided into nine phases.

The first to third phases focused on tempering the skin and muscles, the most basic level of cultivation. At this stage, a practitioner’s flesh would become as tough as iron, impervious to ordinary blades and swords. Most disciples completed these phases within a year or two, while true prodigies might require only a few months.

The fourth to sixth phases involved tempering the bones, rendering them as resilient as those of wild beasts. A practitioner at the sixth phase could shatter boulders with a single punch. This stage typically required three to four years.

The seventh to ninth phases strengthened the internal organs, and those who reached them were capable of battling first-rank spirit beasts. This phase took about five years.

Ordinary people might need more than a decade to complete the Body Tempering Realm, but reaching the ninth phase already made one a notable figure within this small city.

The Zhang family’s prodigy, Zhang Yu, completed the Body Tempering Realm in just five years, stunning the entirety of Liunan City. He caught the eye of an elder from the Lieyang Sect—the greatest sect in the Liu Kingdom—and was taken back to the sect for further cultivation.

Though the Body Tempering Realm allowed one to draw spiritual energy to temper the body, it did not allow the use of that energy in combat.

Upon completing body tempering, one entered the Pure Spirit Realm. At this stage, cultivators could harness a small amount of the world’s spiritual energy for battle, greatly enhancing their combat abilities—petals and leaves could become lethal weapons in their hands.

In Liunan City, a cultivator in the Pure Spirit Realm was already considered powerful.

Nevertheless, advancing to the Pure Spirit Realm required a certain level of comprehension—ordinary people, even after a lifetime of effort, might never reach it. Out of the city’s hundreds of thousands of citizens, only a few dozen had reached this realm.

The next stage was the Sea of Qi Realm, where spiritual energy could be stored within the body.

Cultivators at this level developed a sea of energy in their lower abdomen, serving as a reservoir for the spiritual power they absorbed. This energy not only improved their constitution and extended their lifespan but also provided an inexhaustible source of power in battle. In Liunan City, those who reached this realm were the pinnacle of strength—only the city lord, heads of the three great clans, and a handful of elders who had cultivated for decades had achieved it.

Aside from warriors, there were those without talent or interest in martial arts who pursued the paths of alchemists, talisman masters, or array masters. Though there were thousands of ways to seek the Great Dao, all led to the same end. By using formations or talismans to draw in the energy of heaven and earth, those who reached the summit could create arrays to protect for millennia, or talismans to stabilize mountains and rivers.

In short, this was a world brimming with spiritual energy—a world entirely new.

After leaving the Martial Arts Pavilion, Zhang Heng hurriedly returned to his quarters, calling Little Red along. Having witnessed the terrifying power of the martial artists, he no longer dared to observe the disciples’ training.

He wasn’t joking—if a disciple accidentally struck him with a single punch, his body, still at zero stage of body tempering, would likely shatter on the spot. That would be a most unfortunate end.

Back in his small, secluded room, Zhang Heng finally breathed a sigh of relief. As isolated as it was, at least he didn’t have to worry about being injured by mistake.

Though he had gained a basic understanding of this world, Zhang Heng still knew very little about his current identity.

This wouldn’t do—if he accidentally offended one of the family’s important figures, being expelled from the Zhang clan would be the least of his worries; he might even be executed on the spot.

In this world, strength was the only law. The weak were as insignificant as ants. Here, there were no legal systems—might was the sole rule.

After conversing with Little Red for half an hour, Zhang Heng at last pieced together some details. The owner of this body was also called Zhang Heng.

(Not that this surprised him—wasn’t that always the case in these novels?)

Zhang Heng belonged to the Zhang family, one of the four great clans of Liunan City—Liu, Zhang, Murong, and Yue. His father, Zhang Qingyu, was the younger brother of the clan head, Zhang Qingcang. Three years ago, Zhang Qingyu had left with Zhang Heng’s mother, Lady Yuan, and had not been heard from since, leaving Zhang Heng only a maid named Little Red and a pendant.

The Zhang family was governed by his uncle, Zhang Qingcang. With more than a thousand members, the family’s strength was second only to that of the city lord’s Liu family, all thanks to the protection of Zhang Heng’s grandfather, Zhang Lie.

Liunan City itself was a small city in southern Liu Kingdom, one of the seven ancient countries. It lay near the Dragon Burial Abyss—one of the four great forbidden grounds—resulting in chaotic spiritual energy and generally low levels of cultivation among its warriors.

As for the original Zhang Heng, he had been beaten up by Liu Yuan, the Liu family’s young prodigy, all because of his betrothed, Murong Qingxue.

He was probably beaten to death, Zhang Heng mused, and that was how he ended up with this new chance.

Brother, it seems we both had hard lives. Rest easy—I’ll live well on your behalf. As for your betrothed and this adorable little maid, I’ll take good care of them for you—ha ha ha ha!

“Young Master, what are you laughing at?” The young girl, her delicate face full of curiosity, leaned in close, her lively eyes fixed upon Zhang Heng.

Startled, Zhang Heng quickly pushed her away and composed himself before asking, “You said just now that the clan leader is my uncle? Doesn’t that mean I don’t have to work hard? I can just coast through life.”

“That won’t work, Young Master. Have you forgotten what I told you? Strength is everything here. If you can’t cultivate, the clan leader won’t grant you any resources. Even if he wanted to, the elders wouldn’t allow it.” Little Red answered impatiently, pacing idly about the room.

So it would still come down to him, Zhang Heng sighed in resignation.

But honestly, wasn’t he a transmigrator? Shouldn’t there be something special about him?

Suddenly struck by a thought, Zhang Heng said eagerly to Little Red, “You mentioned earlier that my parents left me a pendant. Where is it? Go and fetch it.”

Little Red’s face paled at once. She shook her head anxiously and replied, “Young Master, what are you planning? That’s the only thing Master left you. You can’t sell it!”

Zhang Heng had been drinking tea, and at her words, he choked and spluttered.

“What do you take me for? I just want to see if it holds any clues about my parents. I wouldn’t sell it,” Zhang Heng replied, exasperated.

Little Red patted her chest in relief, finally reassured, while Zhang Heng could only shake his head in disbelief.

“Young Master, you always wear that pendant around your neck. Have you forgotten?” she said, before muttering under her breath, “The old Young Master would never sell it, but the new Young Master—who knows? Ever since he was injured, he’s seemed a little different. Well, as long as he’s safe, that’s all that matters to me.”

“Around my neck?” At her words, Zhang Heng reached up and, sure enough, found a pendant hanging there.

When he saw the pendant clearly, he was overjoyed.

At last, he had found it—the very tool that would help him soar to the peak of his new life.