Piercingly cold river water poured into my mouth and nose, and a sense of suffocation washed over me. The instinct to survive made me struggle desperately, but it was all in vain. Could this... be the end of my life? In a daze, it felt as though I had grabbed onto something, yet also as though I had grabbed nothing at all.
When I woke up again, I found myself lying on an antique wooden bed. Pale blue gauze curtains hung by the bedside, and a faint fragrance of medicinal herbs drifted through the air. Wasn't I by the river? How did I end up here? I struggled to sit up, only to feel a wave of sharp pain rippling through my limbs and bones.
"Youran, you're finally awake!" A crisp voice rang out, followed by a young girl in a goose-yellow dress who approached the bedside carrying a bowl of medicine. She had bright, almond-shaped eyes, and her fair face was etched with worry. "Youran, you've been asleep for three days. You had us so worried!"
I stared at her in a daze as fragments of unfamiliar memories surged into my mind: My name was Qu Youran, an outer disciple of the Cangwu Sect. A few days ago, I had suffered a Qi Deviation while practicing cultivation techniques, which was why I had been unconscious. Could it be... that I had transmigrated?
"Linger, what happened to me?" I tested the waters, my voice painfully hoarse.
"Don't even get me started. Didn't Master tell you that the Condensing Qi Formula must be practiced step by step? Why didn't you listen? Look at you now—you almost suffered a Qi Deviation!" Linger complained while scooping up some medicinal broth with a spoon, gently blowing on it to cool it down before bringing it to my lips. "Drink your medicine."
I obediently opened my mouth and swallowed the bitter broth. As the medicine took effect, I felt some strength return to my body, and the memories in my mind gradually grew clearer.
The cultivation system of this world was similar to the Xianxia novels I had read before, divided into various realms such as Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul. As for my current identity, I was merely an ordinary disciple who had just stepped onto the path of Immortal Cultivation.
"Linger, while I was unconscious, did anything happen?" I asked.
"Nothing major, it's just..." Linger trailed off, hesitating as if she had something difficult to say.
"Just what?" I pressed.
"It's just that... Senior Brother is back." Linger's voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
"Senior Brother?" I searched my mind hard for any information about Senior Brother, but came up empty.
"Senior Brother is the sect leader's chief disciple. He possesses peerless talent and is the pride of our Cangwu Sect!" Linger said suddenly, excitement in her voice. "I heard he came back this time to..."
Before Linger could finish, a sound of footsteps came from outside the door, immediately followed by a clear, pleasant male voice: "Linger, are you in there?"
Linger abruptly stood up, a blush rising on her cheeks. "It's... it's Senior Brother!"
My heart skipped a beat. Could this be... Qu Chen? Before I could react, Linger had already lifted the curtain and run out. I propped myself up and curiously looked outside. A young man in white stood at the doorway. His features were handsome, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, and a faint smile played at the corners of his lips, dazzling like the winter sun.
"Senior Brother, you're back!" Linger's voice was filled with joy.
"Mhm, I'll be staying for a while this time, and by the way, I can help clear up any questions you might have with your cultivation." The young man's voice was clear and melodious, crisp like jade stones striking one another.
"That's wonderful! Youran just..." Linger's voice cut off abruptly as if she had suddenly realized something. She turned her head to look at me, a trace of panic in her eyes.
I understood immediately. It seemed Linger hadn't told this Senior Brother that I had woken up.
"What's wrong with Youran?" The young man followed Linger's gaze toward me, his brow furrowing slightly. "Her complexion doesn't look too good. Is she still sick?"
"I'm fine, it's just..." I started to explain, but Linger interrupted me.
"Youran's body is just a bit weak and needs quiet rest," Linger said, gently pressing me back onto the bed. "Senior Brother, don't worry, I'll take good care of her."
"Ah, that's good then." The young man nodded, but his gaze lingered on me, carrying a hint of inquisitive probing.
His gaze made me somewhat uncomfortable, so I lowered my head to avoid his line of sight.
"Your name is Youran?" The young man asked suddenly.
I was slightly startled and looked up at him. "Yes."
"My name is Qu Chen, and I am the chief disciple of the Cangwu Sect," he introduced himself. "While you were unconscious, I heard about you from Linger. You work very hard and have great talent. I hope you recover soon and return to cultivation."
His words were sincere and warm, flowing like a clear spring into my heart, gradually easing my initial nervousness.
"Thank you, Senior Brother," I said gratefully.
"Since you call me Senior Brother, why not call me..." He paused, as if pondering something. "Why not call me A-Chen? It sounds more intimate."
I froze, not expecting him to make such a request, and for a moment I didn't know how to respond.
"A—A-Chen," I called out awkwardly.
Hearing my address, the curve of his lips deepened, and a flicker of hard-to-detect joy flashed in his eyes.
Over the next few days, A-Chen frequently came to visit me and patiently taught me the basics of Immortal Cultivation. I discovered that he possessed an extremely high comprehension of cultivation and was very skilled at teaching others. Under his guidance, I mastered the essentials of the "Condensing Qi Formula" in just a few short days, successfully guiding Qi into my body and officially stepping through the gates of cultivation.
"You really are a cultivation genius!" A-Chen looked at me, his eyes filled with admiration. "When I was your age, I wasn't nearly as impressive."
I smiled sheepishly, my heart filled with joy.
"Oh right, which elder taught you the 'Condensing Qi Formula' you practiced before?" A-Chen asked suddenly, his tone carrying a trace of seriousness.
"It was... it was..." My mind suddenly went completely blank, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember the elder's name.
"What's wrong?" A-Chen noticed my anomaly and asked with concern.
"I..." I bit my lip, unsure of how to explain.
Should I tell him that I wasn't from this world at all, and that my previous memories all belonged to the original body's owner?
"I..." I bit my lip, unsure of how to explain. Should I tell him that I wasn't from this world at all, and that my previous memories all belonged to the original body's owner?
Seeing my troubled expression, A-Chen stopped pressing and simply smiled, saying, "It's fine, everyone has their own secrets. If you don't want to talk about it, that's alright."
I looked at him gratefully, though my heart felt even more uneasy. I could tell that A-Chen was very curious about and concerned for me. If he knew I wasn't the real Qu Youran, what would he think?
"Youran, are you alright?" Linger walked in carrying a bowl of medicine, asking with concern.
A-Chen took the medicine bowl and said to Linger, "Linger, go get some rest first. I'll take care of Youran here."
Linger hesitated, looking at me and then at A-Chen, before finally nodding and turning to leave the room.
"Linger, I have something to tell you." I grabbed Linger's hand and pulled her to the corner of the room.
Linger looked at me in bewilderment. "What is it? Youran, just say whatever is on your mind. Is there anything we can't share?"
I took a deep breath and finally made up my mind, telling her about how I had transmigrated. I had expected her to be shocked, scared, or even treat me like a monster, but she just quietly listened to me finish and then gave me a warm hug.
"It's okay, Youran. No matter who you are, you're still my good sister," Linger said, patting my back and comforting me softly. "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul."
At that moment, my heart was filled with emotion. In this unfamiliar world, I had finally found someone to whom I could pour out my heart.
In the days that followed, I cultivated even harder. I discovered that ever since I transmigrated, the cultivation talent of this body seemed to have improved as well. My cultivation speed was increasing by leaps and bounds, to the point that even A-Chen was astonished.
"Youran, you are simply amazing!" A-Chen looked at me, his eyes full of praise. "It seems you truly are a natural-born genius of Immortal Cultivation!"
I smiled and remained silent. Only I knew that the reason I was able to progress so rapidly, aside from my own efforts, was also due to the mysterious power within my body.
That day, I was practicing spells in the back mountain as usual. Suddenly, I felt a powerful surge of energy moving within my body. I tried to control it, only to find it far more powerful than I had imagined—I couldn't control it at all!
"Ah!" I couldn't help letting out a cry of surprise as the spell in my hand spun out of control. A dazzling beam of light burst from my fingertips, shooting straight up into the clouds!
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the entire back mountain shook!
I stared in horror at everything before me, failing to understand what had happened.
"What's going on?"
"Who is practicing such a powerful spell?"
Not far away, several figures flew over on swords, led by none other than Elder Qu of the Cangwu Sect. Panicking, I wanted to explain, but facing Elder Qu's stern gaze, I couldn't get a single word out. Instead, A-Chen stepped forward and said to Elder Qu, "Uncle-Master, Youran just had an accident while practicing and suffered a Qi Deviation; she meant no harm."
Elder Qu looked me up and down, his eyes filled with scrutiny. I tried hard to keep calm, but my heart was extremely tense.
"Qi Deviation?" Elder Qu snorted coldly. "With her amateur kung fu, she's worthy of talking about a Qi Deviation?"
I bit my lip and said nothing. Indeed, I hadn't suffered a Qi Deviation, but I didn't dare speak the truth either.
"Alright, Uncle-Master, please don't blame Youran anymore," A-Chen bailed me out once again. "The Qingyun Trial is in a few days anyway; why not let Youran participate as well? Who knows, she might even win glory for our Cangwu Sect!"
"The Qingyun Trial?" Elder Qu frowned. "Her? I think we'd better pass, lest she embarrass the Cangwu Sect when the time comes!"
"Uncle-Master, just give Youran a chance!" A-Chen insisted. "I believe she certainly won't let you down!"
Elder Qu hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Fine. Since you've put it that way, I'll give her a chance. However, if she performs poorly in the Qingyun Trial, don't blame this Uncle-Master for being merciless!"
I looked at A-Chen gratefully, secretly resolving in my heart that I must achieve good results in the "Qingyun Trial" and not let down his expectations of me!
Over the next few days, I cultivated even more diligently, almost to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep. Both A-Chen and Linger were worried about me, but they also knew I needed time to prove myself.
The "Qingyun Trial" arrived as scheduled. Young disciples from various sects gathered together, all wanting to stand out in this competition. Though I was nervous, excitement and anticipation outweighed everything else.
Once the competition began, relying on the natural talent of this body and the combat skills I had learned in modern society, I fought my way through obstacles all the way to the finals. My opponent was Lu Yunfei, a genius disciple from the "Xuantian Sect."
Lu Yunfei's strength was formidable. Daring not to slacken in the slightest, I pulled out all the stops to fight him. In the end, aided by the mysterious power within my body, I narrowly defeated Lu Yunfei and won the championship of the "Qingyun Trial"!
At that moment, I felt an unprecedented sense of joy and pride. I had finally gained a foothold in this world, and I finally had the qualifications to pursue my dreams!
After the competition ended, A-Chen walked up to me with a brilliant smile on his face. "Youran, you were amazing! I knew you could do it!"
"Thank you, A-Chen." I looked at him gratefully. "If you hadn't encouraged me, I probably would have given up long ago."
A-Chen smiled gently. "Silly, we're friends. Of course I have to support you!"
That evening, A-Chen and I walked side by side under the moonlight, talking about many things—from cultivation insights and future dreams to our respective pasts and presents.
"Youran, do you believe in destiny?" A-Chen asked suddenly.
I froze for a moment and shook my head. "I don't know."
A-Chen looked up at the bright moon in the sky and said slowly, "I didn't believe in destiny either, but ever since I met you, I've realized that some things perhaps really are predestined."
I raised my head and looked at him in confusion. "You..."
"Youran, would you be willing..." A-Chen turned around suddenly, looking at me with deep affection, but before he could finish his sentence, a rush of hurried footsteps interrupted him...