Ji Tian

One day, two days, three days passed. Perhaps he still resisted this identity that had suddenly appeared, for Ji Tian was unwilling to wake.

"I'm merely an imprint of that man's Spiritual Sense, an Artifact Spirit that slowly developed Spiritual Intelligence. I am the soul of this Heaven Devouring Halberd. My Spiritual Sense was shattered, and I was sealed away together with that man's right arm bone. Am I supposed to stay in this lightless place forever?"

A voice that seemed to come from ancient times rang in his heart, slow and deep.

"You're awake. Tens of thousands of years have passed. The world must have changed a lot."

"Who are you? Why have you appeared in my Spiritual Sense?"

"You and I could be said to be one. Right now, we're both merely remnants of souls. I'm a remnant soul that remained in this bone arm when it was sealed. You're also a remnant soul that man left in the weapon, and you later developed awareness."

"No. I'm not that man. I'm myself, a life born from this halberd. Why should I continue that man's pain and helplessness? I want to be myself, even if I'm only an Artifact Spirit."

"What's the point? What can we change?" The image of a black bone arm appeared before Ji Tian, radiating a power so immense it seemed capable of destroying the world. The Soul that Ji Tian had only just condensed trembled faintly under its pressure.

The bone arm's Spiritual Sense sighed. "Even if we can break this seal, it may only be the first layer. This seal is indeed a little weak. I can't help feeling that we're not simply trapped inside a restriction and formation. I can still sense an existence that terrifies me."

"Rather than live a muddled life, I'd rather fight for something worthwhile. As long as I do my best, even death won't leave me with regrets."

"Very well. Perhaps I've thought too much and worried too much. The Heavenly Dao is far too powerful. Even my intact original body... It left me utterly disheartened, and I've muddled through until now. Since you have such courage, why should I begrudge this bit of Soul Power? I'll help you. At worst, we'll scatter into nothing. First, I'll pass on the Mysterious Ghost Yin Yang Art to you, so you can solidify your Spiritual Sense and cultivate the Spiritual Ghost Body."

Ji Tian repeatedly practiced the Mysterious Ghost Yin Yang Art, constantly absorbing the energy and spiritual power within the formation as he solidified his body. It was a body condensed from spiritual power, suspended between illusion and reality, able to gather or disperse at will.

The Mysterious Ghost Yin Yang Art was originally a cultivation method for Ghosts born between heaven and earth. Later, some powerful cultivators adapted it to nurture Ghosts, then forcibly placed them in magical treasures to refine treasures with Artifact Spirits.

The first step was cultivating the Spiritual Ghost Body and Refining Essence Transforming Qi. One absorbed any energy available in the world: the elements of heaven and earth, the power of the Five Elements, or even negative energy, Yin Energy, and Grievance Qi. This was called drawing in Qi. Only after drawing in Qi and forming a body could the soul be protected and avoid scattering into nothing.

After that, one could condense a Core Elixir, refining one's own energy to protect the soul and make it tangible. This created a core that could provide an endless supply of energy, a process called condensing the origin. Once the Core Elixir matured and an embryonic soul formed within it, one entered the second stage: Refining Qi Transforming Spirit. But at the stage of condensing the origin, one already gained methods and abilities for attacking.

Ji Tian had only just taken this step, and the Soul Power he'd refined came from the Black Remnant Bone. He stood and saluted the Daoist formed from the bone arm's condensed image. "Thank you!" Then he transformed into a cloud of light and mist and merged into the Heaven Devouring Halberd.

The Daoist reverted to his original form, a broken black bone arm. Its five fingers grasped the Heaven Devouring Halberd, lifted it, and slashed at a point in the surrounding space. This was no single strike: in an instant, he slashed nine times!

The nine beams of light merged into one, forming an unimaginably vivid streak of blood-red light. It struck a weak point that had formed over tens of thousands of years. A dazzling curtain of light sprang up ahead, dispersing the force of the attack, but a crack had already formed where its sections joined.

Even with the crack, the barrier had only split; it hadn't broken. At that moment, the Daoist let out a shout and summoned all his Soul Power. Strange syllables rang from his mouth, as if communicating with the power inside the Heaven Devouring Halberd. A dragon within the halberd suddenly raised its head, poised to take flight. As the long halberd swept through the air, nine successive surges of force burst from it, like nine crimson dragons. Beneath their overwhelming power, the light curtain shuddered. They tore through it at the crack, then passed through and slammed into the barrier beyond with a boom. Ripples immediately spread across it, distorting everything inside. The nine dragons raced wildly in every direction. In almost no time, the ring-shaped crack that had once joined together was forced open, creating a gap.

A deafening crash suddenly echoed through the narrow space, shattering the smaller cracks all around it.

Ji Tian gazed blankly at the world around him. Outside was a red world, filled with endless Malevolent Qi and churning blood. It only deepened the loneliness and chill in his heart. In order to break through this layer of restriction, the Black Bone Arm had fallen into a deep slumber once again. He was all alone in this world. He had been determined to fight the heavens and refused to remain sealed away, but what could he do? How could he change anything?

How powerful was the Heavenly Dao? How could he possibly fight against it?

Ji Tian knew that cultivating toward becoming a Ghost Immortal was perilous, a path that defied heaven entirely—more so even than the path of demons. The Heavenly Dao maintained balance, bringing one tribulation after another. The slightest mistake could lead to eternal ruin.

Ji Tian stared blankly at the blood-red sky and murmured to himself as sorrow welled up inside him. Was he supposed to beg the heavens to spare his life, or plead for the Heavenly Dao's mercy? He had escaped one cage only to enter a larger one.

The Heavenly Dao had used a sea of blood to suppress him. He tried to float upward, but a force kept pulling him down, dragging him helplessly toward the bottom of the blood sea.

Was he meant to remain quietly sealed away, or be refined by someone fated to find him and continue his duty as a weapon? His original body had been left inside that restriction. Was he waiting for someone destined to find him? Had fate truly pulled him off his old path and set him on another? Yet he still felt as if something were missing.

What was he to do with the Black Remnant Bone in his hand, now drained of Soul Power and shrunk to the size of a pendant? Ji Tian wandered in confusion, searching his own heart. Perhaps because he had lost some of his memories, he felt less confused and lost as time went on.

Blood-red light shimmered, and all around him lay endless stillness and calm. At the bottom of this sea of blood was a strange pocket of space. Was it meant to comfort him? A gift from the heavens?

Ji Tian transformed into a mass of energy and drifted with the wind, as though nothing around him had anything to do with him.

The dead living beings of this world were all weak Ghosts. Drawn in by the sea of blood, they had drifted here to eke out a meager existence.

These Ghosts weren't all peaceful, either. Wherever living beings gathered, the strong preyed on the weak. There was violence and looting everywhere. Fox demons caused trouble, and Evil Ghosts harmed people.

What did any of this have to do with him? What could he change? He was nothing more than a Ghost. The Heavenly Dao had cast him aside, leaving him unable to enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation. But who knew whether the Six Paths of Reincarnation even existed anymore?

"Cackle, cackle... A mindless Ghost. What luck! If I devour him, my power will surely grow again, and I can expand my territory. Hahaha..." A mass of black shadow suddenly pounced on the dazed Ji Tian.

At that moment, a section of black bone arm floated out of Ji Tian's embrace and rushed toward the black mist, devouring it in a frenzy. The black mist struggled at once, shrieking as it tried to escape. Like a whale drinking in water, the Black Bone Arm swept the mist away. A voice appeared out of nowhere in the air. "The Soul Power is a little impure, but it's far better than nothing. Using Soul Power by force again means I'll have to sleep for a while."

Ji Tian continued drifting forward in a daze. He didn't even notice the Black Bone Arm flying out and returning. The Black Bone Arm knew that sometimes one had to untie one's own heart knot; otherwise, any interference might only make things worse. Ji Tian was now in a worse state than when he had been trapped in his own knot of avoidance. If he could figure things out for himself, he might develop the makings of a strong cultivator and become someone worth nurturing. Otherwise, it would be better not to wake him.

The Ghosts still wandering nearby were terrified. What was that thing? How could it be so frightening? They fled in every direction, driven by instinct—the same Ghosts that had wanted to devour Ji Tian.

Ji Tian had suffered an inexplicable calamity, then somehow escaped another. He continued drifting aimlessly, day and night indistinguishable.

Fate always returned to its proper course. Even when it strayed, a force would set it right.

In a daze, Ji Tian again saw the familiar red light that had accompanied him for countless years. Yet it still pressed down on him with the same weight. His Spiritual Sense once more began to strike out and condense of its own accord.

This was a dim, gray space, slightly different from the pitch-black one he had occupied before. Yet the air that made him uneasy and stifled remained the same.

Ji Tian cried out silently in his heart: I want to get out...

His Spiritual Sense struck the space he had built again and again, and the roar in his heart grew louder. What was I afraid of? Why should I stay here? This place is suffocating, yet somehow it feels safe.

Why can't my heart settle? What am I searching for?

Freedom. I've already gained my freedom, so why have I trapped myself again?

What am I so confused about?

Failure? I haven't even tried, so how could I fail?

I want to take control of my own fate, even if it means defying heaven and being condemned by its laws. What cultivator doesn't defy heaven? Why should I be so hesitant? Even if I die defying heaven, what is there to fear? Hahaha!

If the heart has nowhere to rest, everywhere is a place of wandering. My heart must take control of my own fate and cultivate itself. I don't care about the heavens or the earth!