So I'm Just a Tool?

Zhou Hao fell into a pitch-black void, unable to see his own hand in front of his face.

Suddenly, "snap, snap, snap..." lights flickered on one by one, and soon a circle of lamps illuminated the entire space.

Zhou Hao looked around with trepidation, then turned to glance at the wall he had been leaning against.

"Ah!" he shrieked, stumbling backward and crashing to the floor.

The reason for his terror was that what he had been leaning against was not a wall, but a coffin.

Running into a coffin in a place like this—only a fool wouldn't be scared!

Zhou Hao froze in place for a long time. Seeing that the coffin remained still, he let out a sigh of relief, patted his chest, and muttered to himself, "There are no ghosts in this world, don't scare yourself."

Just as the words left his lips, the coffin lid suddenly gave a "crack" sound.

Zhou Hao looked up at the lid in horror, swallowed hard, and prayed silently.

It was just an illusion, just an illusion...

"Clack~"

Another sound echoed.

"Ah..." Zhou Hao scrambled backward in terror, putting distance between himself and the coffin.

The coffin began to move more violently. A moment later, with a loud "bang," the lid flew off. A hand appeared, gripping the edge of the coffin, followed by another, and then a body hoisted itself up.

A man with disheveled hair stood up from the coffin and slowly turned his head toward Zhou Hao.

Zhou Hao had already retreated into a corner. Seeing the "zombie" staring at him, he was too terrified to make a sound.

"Cackle, cackle, cackle~~"

A cold, bone-chilling laugh emanated from the "zombie's" mouth.

The laughter gave Zhou Hao goosebumps, but beyond fear, he could do nothing; this was a sealed chamber, and he had nowhere to run.

At this moment, Zhou Hao truly wanted to curse the builder of this Tomb Chamber—could they not have designed a proper mechanism? He was trapped with no wings to fly.

"You're quite bold."

The "zombie" spoke, its voice slightly hoarse.

Zhou Hao froze upon hearing the voice, then realized the "zombie's" gaze was fixed on a certain part of his anatomy. He immediately forgot his fear, covered himself, and stammered, "What... what are you looking at?"

"Hehehe~" The zombie brushed back his hair, revealing an aged face.

His laughter was much more normal now; that earlier "cackle" had been truly eerie.

The zombie floated out of the coffin and hovered before Zhou Hao, chuckling, "I didn't expect to wait for a lad like you."

Zhou Hao blinked, asking fearfully, "What... what do you mean?"

According to the tropes of the novels he had read, this situation usually involved possession. If he were the protagonist, he could turn the tables and gain a golden finger.

But Zhou Hao didn't feel like a protagonist, so the most likely outcome was being possessed, his body becoming someone else's.

While he was lost in wild thoughts, the zombie calmly introduced himself, "I am the founding ancestor of the Womb Cultivation Sect, Du Tianhong. Your arrival here means you have been recognized by the Spirit-Womb Ring, which makes you my disciple. Aren't you happy?"

Zhou Hao didn't react at all; the reversal was so sudden he couldn't process it.

Just a moment ago he was worried about being possessed, and now he was the disciple of this seemingly powerful figure. The whiplash left him dazed.

"Hey, kid, can you give me some reaction?" Du Tianhong said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh~" Zhou Hao snapped out of it, saying awkwardly, "H-hello, my name is Zhou Hao."

Du Tianhong paused, then burst into hearty laughter. "You're quite a funny kid."

"Heh heh~" Zhou Hao scratched his head with a sheepish grin.

Du Tianhong smiled and continued, "Alright, I don't have much time, so I'll keep this brief."

He stopped referring to himself as "this master," which made Zhou Hao feel a bit closer to him, lessening the sense of distance.

Zhou Hao remained silent, waiting quietly for Du Tianhong to continue.

Du Tianhong went on, "The Spirit-Womb Ring is my greatest achievement. Ten thousand years ago, I cast the finished Spirit-Womb Ring into the universe to seek out a suitable master on its own.

"To become the master of the Spirit-Womb Ring, one must possess peerless talent. It is precisely because of this condition that the ring took so long to find a master.

"After I died, I returned to my homeland—this very place—and used my final reserves of strength to maintain a state of suspended animation, waiting for the master of the Spirit-Womb Ring to arrive.

"Now, I have finally waited, though it is a pity only you have come."

"Is there someone else?" Zhou Hao interjected.

Du Tianhong nodded. "Certainly, because the Spirit-Womb Ring is a pair. The other ring must not have found its suitable master yet.

"Once it recognizes a master, the Spirit-Womb Ring will teleport her here, just as it did with you."

The image of Murong involuntarily surfaced in Zhou Hao's mind. She seems to wear a similar ring, could it be...

"No, no, no~" He shook his head repeatedly, not daring to think further. He would rather die than have anything more to do with that woman.

"What's wrong with you?" Du Tianhong asked, frowning.

"Oh, nothing." Zhou Hao rubbed his nose sheepishly, then asked, "By the way, what is the use of this Spirit-Womb Ring?"

"Heh heh~" Du Tianhong wore an enigmatic smile. "Spirit-Womb, Spirit-Womb—as the name implies, it is for nurturing life. When the masters of the two Spirit-Womb Rings unite, the child born to them will be a Divine Infant with the greatest talent in the entire universe."

Hearing this, the corner of Zhou Hao's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Great! So I'm just a stud for making babies? No wonder that shrew wanted me to give her a child the moment she arrived—so that was the goal.

He rubbed his temples in silence and asked, "What if the two masters don't see eye to eye? Or what if both masters are... pfft, what if both are men?"

"I cannot control whether they see eye to eye, but it certainly won't be the same sex," Du Tianhong affirmed.

The existence of the Spirit-Womb Ring was for the purpose of procreation; it would never choose a pairing that couldn't produce offspring.

"Also, when you are in contact, the Spirit-Womb Ring will influence your emotions. Don't be surprised if you feel an impulse; it is a normal phenomenon," Du Tianhong warned.

Zhou Hao was stunned again. Recalling those unbearable memories, he muttered, "No wonder I was so excited back then."

"Excited about what?" Du Tianhong looked at him suspiciously. "Have you already met the other master of the Spirit-Womb Ring?"

"N-no," Zhou Hao denied it flatly.

Du Tianhong mused, "I suppose not. Otherwise, the Spirit-Womb Ring should have teleported her here, unless... her strength exceeds what I had at my peak, allowing her to refuse the teleportation."

Hearing this, Zhou Hao felt even worse. If that woman was stronger than this old man, did he even have a chance? That dead shrew had even threatened to come find him.

Seeing the "constipated" look on his face, Du Tianhong patted his shoulder with a smile. "But you can rest easy. If she doesn't come to find you, you can go find her. The Spirit-Womb Ring was crafted by splitting a World Stone in two. As long as there is enough energy, it can send you to the other master.

"Unfortunately, the World Stone has a drawback: you must return to the exact place from which you were sent. So, once you teleport over, you must make good use of your time and get done what needs to be done."

Zhou Hao felt ashamed, silently complaining, Who the hell wants to teleport over? I hope I never see that woman again in this lifetime.

He hid his subtle thoughts and asked with anticipation, "Didn't you prepare anything for me? Like passing on a few hundred years of cultivation or something?"

"No," Du Tianhong answered crisply.

Zhou Hao's heart shattered, his disappointment plain to see.

Seeing this, Du Tianhong smiled. "Since you have been recognized by the Spirit-Womb Ring, your talent must be exceptional. While I won't pass on centuries of cultivation, I have prepared something for you."

He raised his hand, and two rings flew out of the coffin, landing in his palm.

"These are Rings of Holding. One is for you, and the other you must deliver to the other master of the Spirit-Womb Ring on my behalf."

After handing the Ring of Holding to Zhou Hao, Du Tianhong continued, "Inside the ring are cultivation resources I prepared for you, including techniques, matching martial arts, medicinal pills, and so on. Each item has instructions; just follow them."

Zhou Hao raised his hand and interjected, "No clothes?"

"Uh..." Du Tianhong thought for a moment and shook his head. "No."

"Sigh~" Zhou Hao sighed in disappointment. It seemed he would have to remain in his naked state.

Though he thought this, his gaze lingered on Du Tianhong.

Three black lines appeared on Du Tianhong's forehead. "Don't get any ideas about my clothes. When I die, I will ascend into light; I won't be leaving any clothes behind."

Zhou Hao curled his lip and muttered, "Stingy."

Du Tianhong heard him, but instead of getting angry, he asked with interest, "Why are you stark naked? Were you teleported here while taking a bath?"

"None of your business," Zhou Hao said with a sour face.

Du Tianhong smiled, watching his own hands and feet begin to dissipate into particles of light. "It is time for me to go. To see the master of the Spirit-Womb Ring in my final moments makes all this waiting worthwhile. It is a pity, though, that I couldn't meet the other one."

If another few decades had passed, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to wake from his slumber.

Watching Du Tianhong gradually turn to light, Zhou Hao felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of sorrow. They had only just met, and they weren't even friends.

He was silent for a moment, then looked up at Du Tianhong and promised solemnly, "Go in peace! I will find the other master of the Spirit-Womb Ring."

In truth, he had already found her, but he didn't want to see that woman. He said this only to let Du Tianhong depart in peace.

Du Tianhong offered one final, gratified smile before dissipating completely.