I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

[Jiangnan University, North Campus Underground Drainage Pipeline]

This is the side of the city that isn't exposed to sunlight.

Rotting food scraps, sewage, and industrial waste converge here to form a foul-smelling black vein. Rats are the native inhabitants, and cockroaches are the patrolmen.

But tonight, the indigenous people are fleeing in panic.

Thousands upon thousands of enormous black rats, as if sensing some deep-seated fear, surged desperately from the depths of the pipes toward the surface. Their squeaking sounds merged into a chilling wave of noise.

"Clatter".

A panicked mouse lost its footing and fell into a puddle of sticky mud.

Just as it was about to struggle, the mud suddenly "came to life".

Without warning, a mouth full of sharp teeth emerged from the mud and instantly bit the rat in two. Blood splattered in the black water, only to be quickly sucked dry by the mouth.

In the darkness, four eyes, glowing with a cold red light, slowly opened.

That's not silt.

That was a sheep.

Or rather, it was a monster in sheep's clothing. It was the size of an ox, covered in black, curly hair as hard as steel needles, and had four sharp, curved horns on its head. Its hooves were no longer the blunt hooves of a herbivore, but had evolved into sharp claws similar to those of a feline, which could easily grip the slippery pipe walls.

【Minor Version】

Source: Classic of Mountains and Seas, Western Mountains Classic: "There is a beast that looks like a sheep but has four horns. It is called Tu Lou and it eats people."

Gu Qing's modifications: Enhanced its bite force and night vision, and endowed it with an extreme craving for spiritual energy (high-energy response).

It was hungry.

It smelled the "food" above its head, which was emitting an amazing heat and aroma.

The monster let out a low growl, the sound like the scraping of rusty metal. It propelled itself forward on all fours, traversing the intricate, labyrinthine network of pipes with ease, rapidly climbing towards the heat source.

……

Jiangnan University, Men's Dormitory Room 404

"Water...water..."

Chu Tian felt like he was about to explode.

Every cell in his body was screaming for water. The terrifying heat not only dried up his sweat, but it seemed as if his blood was about to evaporate completely.

He could even hear the cracking sound of his own skin.

Reason gradually crumbles under the intense heat, replaced by a more primitive and savage instinct.

Where can we find water?

The little water in the water dispenser isn't even enough to fill a tooth gap.

The water flow from the bathroom faucet is too slow.

He needs a lot of water.

Lots and lots of water.

Chu Tian suddenly flung open the bed curtains with astonishing force, his grip on the sturdy iron bed frame deforming it.

"Old Chu? What are you doing?" The roommate, who was playing games, was startled by the noise, took off his headphones, and turned around.

But what he saw made him freeze instantly.

Chu Tian was enveloped in white smoke, his skin was as red as a shrimp, but his eyes gleamed with an eerie light. His muscles were in an unnatural spasm, and his originally thin body seemed to have grown larger.

"roar……"

Chu Tian let out a low growl, a sound that didn't sound human at all.

He ignored his roommate and burst out of the dormitory.

The corridor was empty.

Chu Tian's vision had changed. The world appeared as a red thermal image to him. He instinctively avoided the faint heat sources representing "living people" and ran wildly towards the cold, damp places.

basement.

That's the central hub of the building's water supply system.

He frantically leaped down the stairs, each step covering seven or eight steps. Although the book "Taoist Health Cultivation Qigong" was just a pretext, the spiritual energy seed that Gu Qing had planted was violently transforming his body.

Right now, he's like a sports car without brakes, hurtling towards a cliff at full speed.

……

[Basement of the dormitory building, equipment room]

This is a place usually frequented only by maintenance workers; it's filled with large pipes and valves, and the air is thick with a damp, musty smell.

"Bang!"

The iron gate was kicked open.

Chu Tian stumbled in, his gaze fixed on the thickest main water pipe. He heard it—the sound of rushing water, the source of life.

He lunged forward, not even bothering to find the valve, and grabbed the rusty iron pipe with both hands, his fingers actually digging into the metal!

"Ahhhhh!"

With a heart-wrenching roar, he suddenly exerted his strength.

collapse!

The bolt on the iron pipe, about the thickness of a thumb, snapped, and a jet of high-pressure water gushed out like a high-pressure water gun, slamming heavily onto Chu Tian's face and body.

Cold water.

Lifesaving water.

Chu Tian opened his mouth wide and greedily swallowed the tap water that tasted of rust. The moment the cold water touched his burning skin, it hissed and vaporized, and the entire basement was instantly enveloped in a white steam.

With the replenishment of plenty of water, his "high fever" finally eased a little.

The intense pain from the genetic recombination subsided slightly, replaced by an unprecedented sense of power.

He looked at his hands.

His once pale skin has become tough as leather, his nails have grown long and black, and the muscles on his arms are as defined as a sculpture.

"What...what's wrong with me?"

Chu Tian's senses returned slightly. He looked in horror at the mess on the ground and the water pipe he had broken with his bare hands.

Did I do this?

Could that book... be real?

Am I really cultivating immortality?

Just as he was filled with doubt and uncertainty, a cold voice suddenly rang out from the depths of the basement.

"Meow—"

The bleating of that sheep was extremely eerie.

It doesn't resemble a docile sheep, but rather the playful mockery of some wild beast before it feeds.

Chu Tian suddenly turned around and looked through the billowing steam at the drain cover in the corner of the basement.

Clang.

The heavy cast iron manhole cover was pried open from below.

A jet-black hoof with sharp claws landed on the edge of the well. Immediately afterward, a ferocious head with four horns emerged, its four red eyes fixed on Chu Tian, ​​who was soaking wet.

At this moment, Chu Tian's worldview collapsed.

The next second, his survival instinct kicked in.

Because the monster didn't give him any time to think.

With a kick of its hind legs, it moved like a black lightning bolt, opening its mouth full of fangs and lunging straight for Chu Tian's throat!

……

[Outside the basement ventilation window]

A dark figure stood silently behind the bushes.

Gu Qing lowered the brim of his baseball cap, and the gray mist in his right eye slowly swirled.

Through the walls and through the steam, he could clearly see the scene inside.

It was an extremely primitive battle.

On one side are novice cultivators who have just awakened and don't even know how to exert their strength.

On one side are mythical creatures, which, though low-level, are still genuine.

"This is the first lesson of 'Foundation Building'."

Gu Qing coldly watched as Chu Tian was knocked away by the earthworm, crashing heavily into the wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Cultivating immortality is not like hosting a dinner party, writing an essay, or painting or embroidering."

"Cultivating immortality is about competition."

"To contend with the heavens for fate, and with beasts for food."

Gu Qing's gaze shifted slightly, looking towards the school gate.

The gray-area security forces (special operations teams) have surrounded the dormitory area. Fully armed special police are evacuating students, while researchers in white protective suits are approaching step by step with their equipment.

The situation has reached a critical point.

If Chu Tian wins, he will enter the world's view as a true "cultivator".

If Chu Tian loses, he will become Tu Lou's excrement, and Tu Lou will be shot to death by the special operations team that arrives later, becoming a corpse to be dissected.

"System, enable 'Environment Rendering'."

Gu Qing raised her hand and snapped her fingers lightly in the direction of the basement.

[Consumes 30 Faith Points]

[Special Effects Loading: Ghostly Mist]

In an instant, the basement, which had been filled with nothing but steam, was suddenly filled with a black mist carrying a sweet, fishy smell. This mist not only obscured visibility but also carried a chilling coldness that sent shivers down one's spine, spreading throughout the entire campus along the ventilation ducts.

Since we're going to put on a show, the stage effects have to be top-notch.

"Chu Tian, ​​don't die."

Gu Qing turned around and disappeared into the night.

"This is the stage I built for your debut."