Chapter 300

"Good, the treasure is still here."

The treasure had come with them, offering them spiritual comfort—at least they weren't alone; they had this treasure at their side, and it was a supreme artifact.

They believed that with this supreme artifact, they at least had a means of survival in this strange and potentially perilous otherworld.

"So I'm starting out already knowing the value and origin of a supreme artifact? This opening's a bit intense," muttered Lin Hao, the ever-casual bead boy.

Unlike the others.

After arriving in this otherworld, his fear gave way mostly to excitement.

Because he came from Huaguo and had read extensively about Huaguo's lore, years of immersion had long since inoculated him against the shock of crossing into other worlds—he could say he'd seen it all and wasn't fazed, accepting it quickly.

"Could it be… that Huaguo's common trope of starting with a cross-over has a purpose? To prepare people like me, to mentally condition us in advance so that when we cross over, we adapt swiftly?"

The more Lin Hao thought about it, the more plausible it seemed—after all, Su Daji came from Huaguo mythology.

He even dared to take his speculation further.

Could it be that Huaguo developed this way precisely because some deity was manipulating the authors, compelling them to write these openings and these stories?

All to create this very situation—to ensure that even if Huaguo people accidentally crossed over, they could adapt quickly and use the protagonists' experiences in those stories as reference guides.

It was almost as if to test this possibility.

Lin Hao picked up the bead he had dropped into this otherworld—the treasure he had obtained from a palace in a corner of Heian-kyo.

"Authors really are full of shit, no logic at all. Everyone else just bites their finger casually—I thought it'd be easy, looked painless, but damn, it hurt like hell."

After immense effort, he bit his finger open and squeezed out a single drop of blood.

Bathed in the sun's glow, the blood gleamed as it fell onto the bead, etched with mysterious patterns, splashing into a beautiful crimson bloom.

In an instant!

A strange scene unfolded.

Like a sponge absorbing water, the bead's luminous surface devoured every drop of blood.

The mysterious patterns on its surface seemed to come alive, rippling like flowing scales, radiating boundless crimson flame. Faintly visible, the patterns transformed into a lifelike phoenix motif, its cry echoing loudly in all directions, striking deep into Lin Hao's soul.

In that moment, Lin Hao felt something profound—this bead, once cold and lifeless, now pulsed in sync with his bloodline, as if symbiotic, as if born of the same vein.

Staring at the bead, Lin Hao unconsciously spoke the sudden flash of insight that surfaced in his mind.

"Muchen Zhu."

That flash of insight in his mind silently told him: this bead's name was Muchen Zhu.

Coming back to himself, Lin Hao cried out in shock.

"My god, is this Muchen Zhu?!"

With gods and transcendents emerging into the world, how could Lin Hao, a fan of Huaguo lore, possibly avoid learning about Huaguo mythology? Even if he hadn't sought it out, his history teacher would have rambled on about it—he couldn't help but know.

He had learned about Muchen Zhu from his history teacher.

Muchen Zhu, according to Huaguo folk mythology, was one of the Three Divine Beads, alongside Chi Zhu and Bichen Zhu.

Records state:

Muchen Zhu was the phoenix formed from the Earth Mother, and since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, it was believed that this divine artifact could enable cultivation into immortality, granting the power of rebirth and transformation.

According to ancient Shang and Zhou texts, King Wen of Zhou had meticulously recorded details about Muchen Zhu in the Heavenly Book.

Another legend claimed Huang Di received it during a celestial sacrifice, and later, Emperor Wu of Han buried it as a funerary item.

Through Su Daji's use of Shang-Zhou deities and demons as specimens, Lin Hao was more convinced that this bead had once been acquired by King Wen of Zhou—Su Daji hadn't merely collected Shang-Zhou deities as specimens; she had stolen or seized their treasures.

The Muchen Zhu melted like wax, sinking into Lin Hao's palm.

"My body."

Lin Hao instantly felt something strange within himself—his body grew fuller, brimming with vitality, his flesh tingling with warmth.

Rebirth and transformation?

He immediately recalled the description of Muchen Zhu—it granted rebirth and transformation. He must now be endowed with extraordinary talent.

As all this unfolded,

Lin Hao's face betrayed unhidden ecstasy.

"So it's true! It's not fake! The trope about blood oath to claim ownership is real! Heh, I'd love to go back to Earth right now and show off to Zhou Qi and Miao Wei—see how you two dare say it's useless now, look at all these benefits!"

His eyes gleamed—he was certain now. He was a veteran crosser, seasoned and experienced.

Hm?

Sensing something, Lin Hao looked up.

In the distance, a venerable elder in ancient robes stood, his eyebrows and beard snow-white, radiating overwhelming power, wreathed in divine aura, his eyes shimmering with radiant hues, every movement bathed in divine light like a legendary immortal.

The elder walked through the air, his sleeves fluttering.

Suddenly, he darted toward Lin Hao, glancing sideways and letting out a soft exclamation.

"Huh, this little kid…"

The more he looked, the more astonished he became—the soft exclamation turned to shock.

This was the first time since he had achieved immortality and become an ancestor that he had encountered someone with such astonishing talent—truly rare in all history. Yet upon closer look, this prodigy was an ordinary mortal.

What nonsense—calling him a "little kid" was only relative to the elder's own age.

In truth, the boy was around twenty.

A prodigy of earth-shattering talent, yet a twenty-year-old who had never cultivated? What a waste of heaven's gift!!

Without hesitation, the elder halted mid-air and landed on the grass.

"Elder."

Seeing the elder approach, Lin Hao recalled the experience mentioned in the stories—he would remain neither humble nor arrogant, calm and composed, and no matter the elder's intent, he would surely be viewed with new respect.

Lin Hao immediately calmed his mind, bowed with the ancient Huaguo clasped-hand salute, his demeanor composed and dignified.

The elder's eyebrows twitched slightly; his eyes flickered with starlight—he was genuinely surprised by Lin Hao's composure.

This kid isn't just extraordinarily gifted—his mental fortitude is equally formidable.

He saw clearly: after his arrival, Lin Hao first froze, his expression shifting slightly, but soon calmed.

If this were any other ordinary mortal, seeing a deity like me, they'd be trembling with excitement, prostrating themselves, faces flushed with fervor and reverence, eager to lick my toes.

Yet this little child merely changed expression briefly, then steadied himself immediately—he didn't obsess over the notion that encountering a deity was a great fortune, a stroke of luck to be clung to; he understood his own position clearly, without excessive greed.

In truth, it wasn't Lin Hao's mental fortitude that was strong—he'd simply seen too many gods and demons.

He'd witnessed the Feathered Serpent God and the Almighty shattering the stars, divine armies overwhelming the American sky, Su Daji battling a withered old man, the grand initial battlefields of slaughter—he'd grown immune to divine and demonic power, seen so much he was sick of it, numb to it.

Even if a thousand such ancient immortals appeared now, he might not even be surprised—he'd seen far grander things before.

Besides, there's another point.

He isn't a newcomer; he knows the power of the Initial Realm, and he knows the people of the Initial Realm possess nobler bloodlines—Luxi and Tsukuyomi have said so.

As a noble inhabitant of the Initial Realm, with a revered bloodline, what is there to fear? He must not tarnish the name of the Initial Realm.

As for great fortune, a stroke of luck?

Lin Hao believed no stroke of luck could compare to the Hui Chen Pearl; besides, even if this man took him as a disciple or befriended him, it still wouldn't match the strength gained from obtaining the Hui Chen Pearl.

Unfortunately, the old man didn't know this—he only knew that while attending a friend's birthday, he'd somehow stumbled upon a "treasure" along the way.

……