Chapter 394: You Don't Actually Think I'm a Great Cultivator Wandering the Mortal World, Do You?

Another one of those 'ring grandpa' types.

Both parents dead, has a sister and a house, and that sister of his has decent talent—she's already at the seventh layer of Qi Refining at such a young age.

A textbook protagonist!

In truth, over Xu Xing's long life, he had encountered quite a few similar cases.

By comparison, this little fellow could be considered rather tragic.

If it were only the cheat grandpa, then never mind—the remnant soul of a Return-to-Void cultivator, though bound to him, was far too weak and needed to borrow his body to recover its spirit, yet harbored no intention of harming his life.

On the contrary, this process was also beneficial to Gu Wangjun himself.

His cultivation might stagnate for a few years, but his constitution would gradually be improved through this process, and his future cultivation would yield twice the result with half the effort.

Moreover, that remnant soul had also planned to repay him once it recovered somewhat……

But then again, the trouble lies with the Giant Rat Pill.

A youth like this—poor family, no parents, young but with decent cultivation talent—was simply too suitable.

So, through a deliberate arrangement by a subordinate of the planet's Guardian, he obtained a Life-Cutting Pill by a chance opportunity.

That's where the problem arose.

One Giant Rat Pill down, and it directly damaged his foundation, overdrew his potential; on top of that, the Return-to-Void remnant soul instinctively drew from him while his consciousness was sealed.

Both body and spirit were drained, directly leaving him with the five overstrains and seven impairments.

If this continued, before the remnant soul even awakened, he'd likely breathe his last and become a 'trash-tier protagonist' sucked dry by his own cheat grandpa.

"Do you know your days are numbered?"

"……" Gu Wangjun was silent for a moment, then still answered this stranger's question: "I do."

Although his cultivation had stagnated, at first his teacher did not give up on him and took him to the hospital for a thorough examination.

The result only revealed that his vitality was damaged and his life force was draining away……

From then on, he knew he wouldn't live much longer.

"If you took a few more qi-nurturing pills, you might be able to live a while longer."

Even just a fraction of medicinal efficacy could make up for some of the deficit.

"That would be too wasteful……"

His sister had tried several times to save her own cultivation resources for him, but he sternly refused each time.

He even saved his own share and gave it to his sister.

"Besides, I have my own selfish reasons."

"If those cultivation resources are given to Xiao Ling, her cultivation will progress faster, and she might catch the eye of a great cultivator. When that happens, I might be saved through her."

Who wants to die if they can live……

Wait!

He suddenly came to his senses.

Why was he telling all this to a stranger?

He abruptly raised his head to look at Xu Xing: "You……"

"Truth-Speech Art—you'll be able to learn it after living another year." Xu Xing said with an ambiguous half-smile, "Young man, you don't actually think I'm some great cultivator wandering the mortal world, do you? That after hearing your plight I'm about to lend a helping hand?"

Gu Wangjun: "……"

Well, where in the world do so many coincidences come from?

He'd really read too many novels and watched too many movies.

"Sorry……" he instinctively replied.

But after coming to his senses, he felt something was off—clearly, you used your so-called 'Truth-Speech Art' to trick me into spilling my heart, so why should I be the one apologizing to you?

"No need to apologize." Xu Xing's smile faded. "Congratulations, you guessed right."

"……"

Gu Wangjun's face was blank with confusion, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

Before he could sort out his thoughts, Xu Xing's voice rang out by his ear again: "Do you want to know why your realm has stagnated?" Hearing these words, Gu Wangjun, still in a daze, immediately clenched his fists: "Please enlighten me, senior."

"It's that thing hanging around your neck—your cheat is hidden inside."

Cheat?

Do seniors these days all talk like this?

He touched the pitch-black ring strung on a thin cord in front of his chest; it felt ice-cold, like some special metal.

"But I take it off when I cultivate."

Of course he'd suspected the ring, so he'd tried taking it off during cultivation, but the result was still the same.

"Who told you it needs to be in contact to have an effect?"

"Ah……"

"Even if you threw it to another planet, you'd still be affected."

"So it's all because of it that I……" Gu Wangjun gripped the ring tightly, a trace of doubt still lingering in his heart.

No errors in any chapter, no missing content—read it all here!

"Actually, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing to begin with—the remnant soul residing within also planned to repay you once it awakened." Xu Xing went on, "But then again, the trouble lies with that Life-Cutting Pill you swallowed before, also called the Giant Rat Pill."

Gu Wangjun was somewhat bewildered; he had never heard of such a pill.

"Senior…… could you explain it more clearly?"

"The Life-Cutting Pill severs one's own vitality, overdrawing potential and foundation. The Guardian of this planet arranged it as a 'fortuitous encounter' specifically for you, in order to steal resources while keeping the average standard of cultivators in check."

"Lord Guardian, but I'm just a small Qi Refining cultivator—why would he……"

"Of course it's not just you. Many from ordinary families with somewhat passable talent have received this kind of pill."

"..." Gu Wangjun clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.

So, when I stole the grain like a giant rat, was I just an ant crushed underfoot?

"Then, let's begin choosing now."

"First, I will make up your shortfall and restore the lingering soul within the ring."

"Second, I will also make up your shortfall, but I will take the ring and transmit to you a cultivation technique."

His thoughts flashed like lightning, filling his heart with countless questions.

"Why are you helping me, Elder?"

"Making up the shortfall isn't just your matter—it's the same for everyone on this planet. As for the other point, we are fate-bound; seeing your character is decent, I offer you a small gift."

Since leaving seclusion this time, he met the Zhang siblings on the Central Continent.

In the Beast God Realm, he met the Xi Yun and Xi Li siblings.

And now he has encountered the Gu siblings again...

Most importantly of all, they are all orphans, both parents deceased.

This was just a random underground shelter I picked—meeting them proves it's fate.

"..."

Fine.

Gu Wangjun opened his palm, stared at the black ring in his hand, and gritted his teeth: "I choose option one!"

This Elder is mysterious and unfathomable—his transmitted technique must be no ordinary thing.

But to lose this ring so easily, he could not bear it; he wanted to see what kind of lingering soul truly dwelled within this ring!

"Remember: never forget your original heart. Should you ever commit crimes or evil deeds, you will be executed without mercy."

"May I ask, Elder..."

He looked up—but the man before him was gone, while everyone around seemed completely unaware.

As if everything that had just happened had been nothing but an illusion.

He looked around, yet still saw no trace of the previous Elder, and felt utterly bewildered.

He gazed at the ring before him, even more confused.

Have I truly been restored? (End of Chapter)