At first glance, his cultivation base—his dantian—appeared as usual: peaceful, golden Qi flowing gently, the core ember stable.
"I need to look closer," Alex muttered. "I have to go as close to my dantian as possible to find—"
He saw his three-ringed Qi circuits.
Beneath the Qi pool, embers were discharging—burning hot, but unstable.
At the edge of the dantian, there was the Shadow Zone.
It's where he always was… in my past life. But I don't find him here anymore.
Alex felt a disappointment he had never experienced in this current life—for any being.
He really needed his power.
But it wasn't just that.
There was still hope—hope that he wasn't completely alone in this world. Hope that someone from his past life might still exist… even if it was just a parasite.
Every cultivator had them in the past world—some had three, some had four.
But Sheng Cheon had only one.
One that stayed with him until death.
A friend? No—never a friend.
But a partner in battle.
It was the Parasite of the Ninth Vein.
He remembered its appearance too vividly.
He searched inside the shadow area of his dantian—a place cultivators were forbidden to explore, for their own good.
A parasite was a parasite.
Useful, but just as harmful.
A parasite could abandon its host in the middle of crisis, or turn against him if provoked.
But Alex was risking it all.
"I have to find him… I felt his presence. It was real—I felt him."
After a while of searching from outside, there was nothing.
No pain from an attack.
No parasite lurking.
And the last part of the dantian—he couldn't even see it.
There were no parasites.
Only memories… and the pathway of his Dao.
With a heavy sense of reverie, he opened his eyes.
"Tch. I couldn't find him. I must be a fool… hallucinating. Tch. How could I get hallucinated?"
Sheng Cheon—Alex—was furious.
The spirit, Orochi, rushed forward, hovering in the air—sometimes at his shoulder, sometimes in front of him.
Alex scowled. "Could you stop… or I'll—ah, tch—just stop, Orochi."
She paused, surprised. "Ah… Master, you're awake. I'm sorry for the behavior."
"Don't worry," Alex said with a sigh.
Orochi asked curiously, "Master… what were you doing? You seemed… angry."
"It's none of your concern, is it?"
Orochi hesitated, looking hurt, but asked again.
"I know it may not be my concern, but I don't want to be disappointed in the master I chose.
I gave you my power, my loyalty—forever. You know that from the books."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I've read it all. But could you please just… breathe? I'm already disappointed in myself," Alex said, tired.
What should I do now?
Healing my wounds is no big deal. My dantian is intact.
Eventually, I'll heal even without cultivating.
But these chains… as she said, I can't use magic or aura to free myself.
I don't know if martial arts will work on them… or if physical strength can.
But let me try.
Also… I'm naked. My hair's disheveled.
My clothes—Mother's clothes—they were shattered in the battle.
I understand, but where's what's left of them?
"I'll tear the scales from that filthy king myself."
First, I'll free myself.
Second… I'll decide what to do with this spirit.
Third… I have to find the presence of that artifact inside my magic world, within my heart.
"I didn't want to look. But after all I've fought through… I have to."
There's more.
I must break through to the Nascent Realm.
Fast.
I need to reach the level of those gods.
If I want revenge… if I want to fight that filthy tower,
I'll need power.
Mother… just wait. I will kill them so thoroughly, they will regret killing you.
His thoughts paused. "Hey, Orochi."
"Yes, Master? What is it?"
"Do you, by any chance, know about the forest where I fought? Not that one, but the forest in front of it?"
"That forest, Master? It's the Forest of Undeads.
I've heard many stories. And I know that being… the Raven Goddess… used them as tools."
"As you know, the undead were everywhere in the kingdom.
Some even say there's a legend…
That a good witch exists within the forest.
And anyone who enters… she shows them the truth. Through hallucination."
Alex's expression shifted—curiosity mixing with surprise, then twisting into something darker.
"You're saying… she shows the truth?"
"Yes, Master," Orochi whispered.
"You've made me happy, Orochi.
But don't wake me up for a while."
With that, Alex's heart burned with a new hope—to find his friend again.
His parasite.
With fury burning deep within, he lay suspended in air…
"…and stepped into the darkness… hoping the past hadn't abandoned him after all."