From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

Qinglu Academy, Outer Courtyard Area, No. 1, Single-family building.

In the quiet room, the sandalwood incense had long since burned out, leaving only a very faint wisp of smoke, which swirled gracefully in the cool morning light filtering through the cracks in the window, before finally disappearing without a trace.

Yao Mengkang suddenly sat up from the stone bed covered with a soft snow wolf fur rug!

The movements were so large that the bones throughout the body emitted a series of subtle crackling sounds, a sign that the power was at its peak but not yet fully tamed.

Cold sweat. Sticky, icy cold sweat was trickling down his smooth forehead and temples.

A few drops even rolled into my eyes, causing a slight stinging sensation.

His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, thumping and pounding against his eardrums, so loud that even he was startled.

He subconsciously raised his hand and wiped his forehead, finding it damp and cold to the touch.

Fingertips... the index finger of my right hand.

He looked down, staring blankly at that finger.

Long, strong, with well-defined joints, and neatly trimmed nails with a healthy pale pink sheen.

The skin is delicate, with faint blue veins visible beneath, hinting at explosive power.

There are no wounds.

There is no memory of that time when I was distracted while cutting a cheap baby bok choy and got a painful, burning cut from the knife.

No.

He took a few quick breaths, trying to calm his inexplicable heart palpitations. Was that... a dream?

In his dream, he seemed to have become a different person.

In a cramped, dark room filled with fumes and a depressing atmosphere, he worked day after day in front of a glowing cube, doing meaningless, repetitive tasks. Exhaustion gnawed at his body and soul like a leech.

The sharp, cutting pain that shot through my fingertips was terrifyingly real.

But at this moment, a vast power, as mighty as a great river, surged within him.

The twelve meridians that had been opened shone brightly beneath the flesh and blood.

The three hidden veins, "Divine Bridge," "Dragon Spine," and "Ancestral Aperture," exude an ancient and boundless aura, like newly forged divine chains, tough and powerful.

It was a constant reminder to him—last night, right here in this quiet room.

He had just refined the Earth Vein Spirit Milk he had fought over, breaking through the bottleneck in one fell swoop and stabilizing the ultimate of the Nine Mortal Veins.

He even boldly opened up three hidden meridians, stepping into the twelfth level of meridian opening, a realm that countless cultivators dream of but dare not even hope to reach!

This is the legendary realm that disciples of the outer academy of Qinglu Academy can reach!

There is only one last, and most difficult, step away from that elusive, forbidden thirteenth level!

He was in high spirits, overpowering all others to win the top spot in the Fengyun Championship.

At the critical moment of breakthrough, the violent and painful experience of the chaotic attribute spiritual power devouring the earth vein spiritual milk almost bursting the meridians.

The elation of success, the exhaustion that follows, and the instant, sound sleep...

All of this is true and undeniable.

Then... what about that pale, weary, and insignificant life of "Lin Fan"?

Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, but he didn't know whether he was dreaming he was a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi.

Or... was that a past life of mine that I had long forgotten? And now, by a twist of fate, my innate wisdom has been awakened?

Chaotic thoughts churned and collided in his mind like boiling water.

He shook his head violently, as if trying to shake off all the uncomfortable fragments of memory that didn't belong to "Yao Mengkang".

My gaze swept across the quiet room and landed on a polished jade disc hanging on the opposite wall.

The image of a young boy was clearly reflected in the jade disc.

At the age of seventeen or eighteen, her long, jet-black hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin, and a few stray hairs clung to her full forehead due to cold sweat.

His face was so handsome it was almost sharp, with sword-like eyebrows that slanted upwards into his temples, a high nose bridge like a mountain ridge, and when his lips were pursed, he exuded an aura of unassailable sternness.

What's most striking is his eyes; the pupils aren't pure black.

Rather, it seems to contain the profound mystery of swirling nebulae and the beginning of chaos.

Occasionally, a faint, almost imperceptible flash of various colored lights would appear and disappear, which was the external manifestation of the Chaos attribute talent.

This...is it me?

Lin Fan's memories surged up again.

That face belonged to Lin Fan—puffy eyes due to long-term sleep deprivation, and a pale complexion due to lack of sunlight.

His hairline was receding, and his eyes always carried a hint of weariness towards life and uncertainty about the future.

To save a few dollars on rent, I live in the suburbs, an hour and a half by subway from my company, and eat discounted bread that's close to its expiration date every day.

Being crammed into the subway during rush hour, looking like a photograph, and constantly worried about being laid off or let go...

The young man in the jade disc before them was young, energetic, and exceptionally talented.

He is the top disciple of the outer academy of Qinglu Academy, the focus of everyone's attention, and his future is limitless!

The stark contrast creates an almost absurd sense of unreality.

Was it Lin Fan, the overworked office worker who cut his finger while working overtime all night and whose fate remains unknown?

Or is it the genius Yao Mengkang, who just broke through to the twelfth level of the Meridian Opening Realm and is enjoying a victorious slumber?

Or... both?

"I am Yao Mengkang."

He spoke softly to the jade disc, his voice hoarse from just waking up, yet unusually firm.

It was as if he was trying to persuade the reflection in the jade disc, and even more so, he was trying to sever the trace of hesitation that belonged to "Lin Fan" deep in his heart.

"Yao Mengkang, a disciple of the outer academy of Qinglu Academy, has reached the twelfth level of meridian opening."

He repeated it, feeling the immense power within his body that far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators at the Qi Opening Realm.

Yao Mengkang's confidence and pride were gradually overshadowing Lin Fan's humility and fear.

However, just as self-awareness was gradually becoming clearer, a faint but undeniable sense of unease emerged, like an undercurrent in the water.

It was a kind of... connection.

A strange feeling of being connected by blood and flesh, of being bound by spirit and soul.

The source seems to be that unremarkable, grayish stone bead that Lin Fan remembered as rolling into the kitchen waste, stained with his fingertips' blood, and bringing him into this world.

It's right here.

On his "body".

It's not a storage bag, not a pocket, not something carried in any physical sense.

Yao Mengkang's brows furrowed suddenly, and a sharp glint flashed in his cloudy eyes.

Without hesitation, he raised his hands and meticulously examined his body from top to bottom: hair, behind his ears, neck, chest, arms, waist, abdomen, legs... even the soles of his feet.

Beneath his clothes, his skin was smooth and firm, and apart from strong muscles and a warm body temperature, there was nothing there.

No.

He closed his eyes, held his breath, and concentrated his increasingly powerful spiritual energy after his breakthrough. Like mercury flowing onto the ground, he began to examine himself inch by inch.

The meridians are broad and resilient, with the twelve main meridians and hidden meridians resembling a starry river and jade belt. Within them, chaotic spiritual energy surges and roars, exuding an incomparably powerful aura.

The internal organs were enveloped in spiritual light, brimming with vitality.

His bones were translucent white, and his bone marrow was like mercury.

The divine soul swept over every inch of flesh and blood, every acupoint, and even penetrated to the most minute particle level.

It remains empty.

The stone bead seemed to be nothing more than a phantom, an imprint on the level of consciousness.

I can clearly "feel" its presence. It has an unbreakable causal connection with me.

No matter what method is used, it is impossible to capture any trace of its physical or energy form.

He refused to believe in superstitions, and with a slight thought, the vast chaotic spiritual power within his body surged forth.

Following the path of the Five Animal Frolics, it then transitions to the more profound Hunyuan Qi Technique, slowly circulating the Qi throughout the body.

The spiritual energy flowed through my limbs and bones, nourishing my meridians, and at the same time, it acted like the most sophisticated detection array, scanning for any possible foreign objects.

Wherever spiritual energy passed, it was like a spring breeze and rain, leaving the body feeling refreshed and comfortable, and even making the cultivation level slightly more stable.

But the stone bead remained nowhere to be found.

It's there.

It's nowhere.

What exactly is this thing?

He brought himself here, merged two souls, and then acted as if he had never existed.

But I have a feeling that I might see it again soon.

After a long silence, could it be within the Chaos Chakra, located at the thirteenth level of the Opening Meridian, in the forbidden realm?

The sky outside the window brightened a bit more, and the melodious chimes of the academy's morning bell could be faintly heard in the distance, signaling the start of a new day.

In the quiet room, you could hear a pin drop.

Yao Mengkang slowly opened his eyes.

In those hazy, indistinct eyes, all the confusion, bewilderment, fear, and agitation were forcibly suppressed at this moment, settling into an almost cold calm.

He stood up and walked to the window.

The light of dawn outlined his tall, straight back.

Although the aura of someone who has reached the twelfth level of the Meridian Opening stage is restrained, it naturally exudes the grandeur of a master, as profound as a mountain.

He looked out the window and saw the continuous halls and pavilions of Qinglu Academy shining in the morning glow, with clouds and mist swirling around the mountainside, and flocks of cranes flying by, emitting clear and melodious cries.

This is a completely new world. A world with infinite possibilities.

Everything about Lin Fan in his past life—his humility, struggles, and helplessness—has become a thing of the past.

Since we can't find, touch, or sense that mysterious stone bead, let's pretend it doesn't exist for now! It will appear when it's time.

He took a deep breath, and the rich, pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth filled his lungs, bringing a refreshing and sweet sensation.

"call……"

He slowly exhaled a long, stale breath.

His eyes regained their sharpness and determination; the confidence and sharpness that belonged to the senior disciple of the outer academy of Qinglu Academy returned to him.

"That bead is incredibly powerful, but even without that bead..."

Yao Mengkang muttered to himself, a slow smile curving his lips. The smile carried the youthful exuberance untouched by setbacks, and also the resolute determination that had settled after the fusion of their two souls.

"I, Yao Mengkang, at the young age of eighteen, have already opened all twelve meridians, standing at the pinnacle of the Meridian Opening Realm!"

"With my own strength, I can still forge a path to the heavens on this magnificent road!"

"Climb to the summit and enjoy the breathtaking scenery!"

They come, the security.

From this day forward, he is simply Yao Mengkang.

Yao Mengkang of Qinglu Academy.

He pushed open the door, strode out to greet the rising sun.