Night shrouded the boundless land. The blood-red setting sun sank beneath the horizon as though weeping out its sorrows, spilling its last glow over the shattered mountains and rivers. On this ancient battlefield, steeped in a murderous chill, a corpse lay silently, radiating supreme pressure. Though devoid of life, it still wore golden dragon robes and a dazzling imperial crown, with faintly visible Principles of the Great Dao swirling around it. This was Great Emperor Xuantian, who had fallen here.
Twenty-year-old Lin Wudao carried a battered corpse-collection coffin on his back, treading over broken armor and bleached bones as he struggled toward the corpse. He had a slender frame and delicate features, but his eyes held a world-weariness beyond his years. In this fantasy world where strength reigned supreme, Lin Wudao had been born with incomplete meridians and could not cultivate. He had endured contempt and bullying within his lineage, and after being driven out, he could only make a living collecting corpses for others.
"I heard Great Emperor Xuantian fought a fierce battle before he fell, turning a thousand li around here into ruins. Who would have thought I'd be the one to benefit today?" Lin Wudao murmured, a trace of bitterness and anticipation in his voice. He tightly gripped a rust-covered iron shovel, the tool he used to collect corpses.
When Lin Wudao reached Great Emperor Xuantian's corpse, an invisible pressure rushed at him, leaving him barely able to breathe. Enduring the discomfort, he carefully approached, preparing to place the corpse inside his coffin. The instant his hand touched the hem of Great Emperor Xuantian's robes, golden light suddenly burst from the corpse and shot into the heavens.
Enveloped in the sudden golden light, Lin Wudao felt a roar reverberate through his mind. A cold, mechanical voice rang out in his sea of consciousness: "Ding! Host detected touching a Great Emperor's corpse. Corpse Collection System activated!"
"Corpse Collection System? What's that?" Lin Wudao was both startled and delighted, his eyes filled with confusion.
"This system can obtain the cultivation, cultivation methods, treasures, and other possessions a corpse had in life by collecting it. Each time the host successfully collects a corpse, corresponding rewards will be granted," the system explained.
Wild joy filled Lin Wudao's heart. This was his chance to defy the heavens and change his fate! Forcing down his excitement, he followed the system's instructions and began collecting Great Emperor Xuantian's corpse. As he moved, the corpse gradually dissolved into motes of golden light that sank into his body.
"Ding! Successfully collected Great Emperor Xuantian's corpse. Obtained one hundred thousand years of cultivation, the Mystic Heaven Creation Instruction, and Xuantian's imperial weapon-the Chaos Sword!" The system's notification rang out again.
In an instant, Lin Wudao felt immense power surge within him. Under its impact, his incomplete meridians actually began repairing themselves at astonishing speed. His body kept changing, his skin becoming translucent and flawless, his presence growing ever more powerful.
Lin Wudao began practicing the newly acquired Mystic Heaven Creation Instruction. Mysterious runes appeared around him, drawing the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth into his body in a frenzied torrent. The once-silent ancient battlefield now saw wind and clouds change color. Fierce winds howled, dark clouds gathered, and streaks of purple lightning flashed among them.
Amid these terrifying phenomena of heaven and earth, Lin Wudao's cultivation continued to climb. Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul... In just a few hours, he broke through to the Spirit Transformation realm, and his cultivation was still rising.
"This... this is unbelievable!" Feeling the surging power within him, Lin Wudao was utterly shaken. He had never imagined that he would one day possess such formidable cultivation.
Yet just as Lin Wudao was immersed in the joy of his breakthroughs, several powerful presences suddenly raced toward the ancient battlefield.
People from the Heavenly Mysteries Sect! Lin Wudao was startled. The Heavenly Mysteries Sect was one of the superpowers on this continent, possessing immense strength. He had never expected its people to notice the disturbance here so quickly.
In the blink of an eye, several figures appeared above the ancient battlefield. Leading them was a white-haired old man in white robes, his entire body radiating a terrifying presence. He was none other than Tianxuzi, the Heavenly Mysteries Sect's supreme elder.
"Junior, you dared collect Great Emperor Xuantian's corpse without permission? You truly have no idea whether you're courting life or death!" Tianxuzi's gaze was icy, his voice filled with killing intent. In his eyes, Lin Wudao was nothing but an ant. For daring to lay a finger on a Great Emperor's relics, he deserved ten thousand deaths.
Lin Wudao's heart tightened, but he soon regained his composure. He was no longer the man he had been. Though he still felt a trace of fear facing an expert like Tianxuzi, he would never submit easily.
"Senior, I found Great Emperor Xuantian's corpse first. Why can't I collect it?" Lin Wudao mustered his courage and spoke.
"Hmph! Ignorant brat, how could a Great Emperor's relics be yours to touch? Hand them over obediently, and perhaps I'll leave you an intact corpse!" Tianxuzi snorted coldly. The pressure radiating from him intensified and bore down on Lin Wudao.
Under that immense pressure, Lin Wudao struggled to breathe, as though a mountain were weighing down on him. But he gritted his teeth and circulated his cultivation to resist it. At the same time, he silently considered a way out.
System, what should I do now? Lin Wudao asked anxiously in his mind.
"The host can use the Chaos Sword and rely on its formidable might to fight the enemy," the system prompted.
Lin Wudao's gaze sharpened. With a sweep of his right hand, the Chaos Sword appeared in his grasp. The sword was pitch-black from end to end and radiated a mysterious, powerful presence, as though it held the power to cleave heaven and earth apart.
"Tianxuzi, if you want the Great Emperor's relics, let's see whether you have what it takes!" Lin Wudao shouted. Chaos Sword in hand, he charged at Tianxuzi.
A flicker of surprise crossed Tianxuzi's eyes at the sight. He had not expected a mere ant like Lin Wudao to dare resist him. But soon, disdain filled his eyes. To him, Lin Wudao was merely struggling on the verge of death.
"You're courting death!" Tianxuzi roared. His hands formed seals, and a gigantic golden palm imprint struck toward Lin Wudao.
Lin Wudao swung the Chaos Sword at the golden palm imprint. Boom! With a tremendous crash, the sword collided with the palm imprint, erupting in dazzling light. Powerful waves of energy spread outward from the two of them.
The immense energy blasted Lin Wudao backward, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. But he did not give up. He quickly steadied himself and charged at Tianxuzi again.
In the battle that followed, Lin Wudao relied on the Chaos Sword's might and his own newly acquired, formidable cultivation to clash fiercely with Tianxuzi. Though he was at a disadvantage, his tenacious resistance proved quite troublesome even for Tianxuzi.
Meanwhile, the other disciples of the Heavenly Mysteries Sect also made their moves, joining the battle to surround and attack Lin Wudao. He fell into a desperate situation, yet there was not the slightest fear in his eyes. Instead, they were filled with resolve. He knew this was his chance to prove himself, and the crucial battle that would determine whether he could establish a foothold in this world...