Ning Ming's fleshy palm split open and the black stone sank into the crevice.
A previously unfelt excitement rushed to his mind, accompanied by pain!
In that moment, Ning Ming felt as if he had inhaled cocaine - first came an electric shock-like stimulation, then his entire body broke into a cold sweat and lost sensation.
What was happening? Where was he? No...who was he?
No!
My god! What was this?
At this time, Ning Ming's pupils shook rapidly, filled with darkness. But from the depths of the darkness, hundreds of thousands of rays of light were born, like a kaleidoscope, revealing an extremely splendid scene.
Boom! Boom! Boom...
In his chest, his heart beat violently, like a water pump, pumping blood throughout his body, affecting his brain.
Thump -
Finally, Ning Ming could not withstand it all and completely lost consciousness, falling down on the grass.
"Brother?"
Almost at the same time, his sister's worried call came over.
"It's just dealing with a corpse, how could you pass out?"
Village chief Old Man Li and Lin Zuodao were also startled, eyes wide open, no one had expected this scene.
...
...
In a hazy consciousness, an annoyingly bright white light shone.
Ning Ming uncomfortably raised his arm to shield his eyes.
Suddenly,
Ning Ming was terrified, his heart racing wildly as he opened his eyes completely.
Under the bright sunshine,
in the distance were continuous green hills, against a background of azure blue sky that comforted the heart.
Next to him,
a middle-aged man was lying in the grass, a blade of grass in his mouth, "Awake?"
"Uncle Lin?"
Ning Ming was stunned on the spot.
Lin Zuodao glanced at Ning Ming and suddenly chuckled, "Seeing your clueless look, it was just killing a few people, did you think you could cultivate?"
Hearing this, Ning Ming was silent for a moment, then shook his head vigorously.
The night...the cultivators...the taboos...the black stone...
There seemed to be many fragments in his brain that gradually formed a complete picture.
Soon, Ning Ming finally remembered everything that had happened last night.
Then...
His heart rate immediately accelerated again.
Ning Ming quickly looked at his own hands.
Shockingly, the flesh of his palms was delicate and smooth, completely without scars!
What about that black stone? Could it have really entered my body just like that?
Ning Ming's face was full of bewilderment.
"Stop looking,"
Lin Zuodao suddenly said,
"Old Man Li and I have seen it already. You're fine, just frightened last night."
Ning Ming was silent, not elaborating on anything.
Next moment, a peculiar smile appeared on Lin Zuodao's face, "Let me come clean, I'm actually not an ordinary person."
His features were rugged, with thick eyebrows, and eyes flashing with intelligence. Especially with a grin that revealed a mouth full of bright white teeth that easily drew attention.
"Oh," was Ning Ming's very indifferent reaction.
Lin Zuodao was quite surprised and continued, "I'm a cultivator, a cultivator of a very high realm."
Ning Ming just "oh"-ed again.
Lin Zuodao's eyes widened in surprise and he stared at Ning Ming intently, "Have I frightened you silly? I'm a cultivator, a very strong cultivator!"
Ning Ming said, "Uncle Lin, you've said that once already."
Suddenly, inexplicable anger rose in Lin Zuodao.
Was this kid pretending? Or pretending?
He looked at Ning Ming for a moment, then chuckled, "No worries, I know this is hard to believe for you. After all, everyday your Uncle Lin farms in the fields, and when I get home, I still get yelled at by the old mother tiger, looking useless on a daily basis. I know it's hard for you to accept this fact all of a sudden..."
Listening to these words, Ning Ming thought about it and did not reveal the truth.
"Whether you believe it or not,"
Lin Zuodao looked at Ning Ming and said,
"The point is, are you really sure? Even going through what happened last night, do you still want to cultivate?"
Hearing this, Ning Ming thought back to everything that had happened last night.
Those cultivators who had become monsters, the various taboos of cultivation, the appalling deformities...
Finally, Ning Ming took a deep breath and nodded firmly, "Yes, I want to cultivate!"
"Ai~"
Unexpectedly, Lin Zuodao seemed very disappointed, "When I first met you boy, I was thinking of making you my son-in-law for my Xiao Ying. Turns out you're not an honest man either."
Pfft -
Hearing this, Ning Ming almost choked.
What did "honest man's personality" mean?
Xiao Ying was the blind little girl from the beginning. At that time the little girl had tugged at Ning Ming's clothes, reluctant for him to leave the village.
"Uncle Lin, Xiao Ying is only seven years old now!"
Ning Ming exclaimed in shock,
"Also, when I first arrived in the village, wasn't she not even born yet?"
"What's wrong with Xiao Ying being seven? By the time you turn eighteen, won't she be thirteen?"
Lin Zuodao went on, "I got someone to calculate that my bloodline was fated to end with me. I won't be able to have any sons in this lifetime..."
"So what?"
Saying that, Lin Zuodao glared at Ning Ming, "I, Lin Zuodao, see good potential in you. To become my son-in-law, how could I mistreat you?"
Ning Ming didn't care too much though.
Ning Lame definitely wasn't his biological parents anyway, and over the years Lin Zuodao could be considered a foster father to him.
Ning Ming said, "Then Uncle Lin, tell me the truth, just what is your cultivation level?"
"Asking that is like asking your father-in-law how much money is in his house."
Lin Zuodao glanced at Ning Ming, "As expected, a crafty little man. If you don't like Xiao Ying, I wouldn't be bothered to interact with you."
Hearing this, Ning Ming was amused and exasperated.
How could he like that little girl? He was like the older brother of the village's children, only seeing her as a little sister to take care of.
"What a pity for my Xiao Ying...she'll never find another boy in this village worthy of her! Life's damn unfair!"
Lin Zuodao cursed and complained, leaving Ning Ming utterly speechless, not knowing how to respond at all.
"Alright, enough of that."
Next moment, Lin Zuodao patted his legs and stood up, "You should have gone to Old Man Li's house last night. Who knew you'd faint. Come with me now."
Hearing this, only then was Ning Ming excited.
The cultivation he had always dreamed about could finally begin properly.
As for what sights awaited him in this bizarre world of cultivation, that was still unknown.
...
Old Man Li's house was located at the end of the village, amidst a bamboo grove.
And Old Man Li could be considered the most mysterious figure in the village.
Even though Ning Ming had grown up knowing him, he still knew very little about Old Man Li.
Old Man Li had only revealed some of his temperament when Ning Lame first entered the village. And no matter whether it was Lin Zuodao or the other villagers, they had always treated him with high respect.
It was said that Old Man Li was actually the first to enter the Desolate Village.
At this moment, Ning Ming and Lin Zuodao arrived at Old Man Li's house.
Opening the gate, Old Man Li was watering a peach tree.
Seeing Ning Ming and the other two,
Old Man Li put down what he was doing, lifted his pipe, and started puffing out clouds of smoke.
Next moment,
Old Man Li looked deeply at Ning Ming, "Since you've made up your mind, then Ning, before you start cultivating, there's something I should tell you. Ning Lame had left some things for you back then, about your origins. There is a place in this world that truly belongs to you."
Hearing this, Ning Ming was astonished, not knowing what to think.
A place in this world that truly belonged to him? What did that mean? His parents?
To Ning Ming, the Desolate Village was his home.
Beside them, Lin Zuodao exclaimed in surprise, "How did I not know this? This boy was supposed to become my son-in-law! After Ning Lame died, I took care of him for over ten years!"
"Don't interrupt!"
Old Man Li scolded Lin Zuodao, then continued, "My original plan was to tell Ning when he turned sixteen. But this child is precocious. It'd be better for him to understand earlier rather than finding out later."
Ning Ming listened attentively, only asking after a long pause, "What kind of things are they?"
"Wait until you've found your Destiny Star, then I'll say. Otherwise, it's hard to tell if that will be good or bad."
Saying so, Old Man Li took a puff from his pipe and finally asked a question, "You saw the freakish appearance of those cultivators last night too. Ning, have you watched the stars at night before?"
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
