Faraway Immortal

Sparkling snow sprinkled around him as he looked at his bloody mess with his tattered dress. 

"What...in...the...heavens?" he exclaimed, his voice trembling as it echoed across the frozen expanse. 

His heart beat fast as he surveyed the desolate snow-covered landscape, surrounded by tall trees and a wild forest that seemed to loom over him, their branches heavy with the weight of snow. Shadows danced ominously in the pale light, and the only sound was the whisper of the wind, chilling him to the bone. 

Slowly standing up, he brushed off the snow from his dress, noting how the bloodstains contrasted sharply against the pristine white. 

He gazed at the sky with widened eyes, transfixed by the sight above. The sky was illuminated by two bright moons, crimson and emerald in color, hanging among countless stars that twinkled like distant diamonds, casting an otherworldly glow on the scene below. 

As he beheld the strange moons, an unknown memory rushed to him, flooding his mind with images and sensations that felt both foreign and familiar. 

His name was Wang Zi, an outer court disciple of the Moon Sword Sect and a servant of the Yang family, a prestigious lineage steeped in power and influence. Wang Zi had worked diligently for the Yang family. 

He recalled the countless hours spent in training, mastering the art of the sword, all while juggling the burdens of servitude. 

Staring at his reflection in the nearby river, Wang Zi noticed his black hair waving in the cold wind, framing his striking emerald irises that glimmered with determination. His visage looked more handsome than that of any top model on Earth, a realization that momentarily distracted him from the gravity of his situation.

After realizing he had transmigrated into this cultivation world and that his knowledge of his previous life surged within him all of a sudden, understanding washed over him like a tidal wave. 

"Everlasting eternal life!!" he exclaimed, the phrase escaping his lips almost involuntarily.

"It was a novel that I finished recently," he found himself muttering, the pieces of his new reality fitting together like a puzzle. The familiar plotlines and character arcs flooded his thoughts. 

The face of the person who killed him suddenly triggered a memory of the novel named Everlasting Eternal Life.

In the novel, the protagonist, once considered trash, stumbled upon a mysterious item that powered him up, eventually becoming a powerhouse by the end of the story.

After carefully contemplating, he realized that even the name of the sect was the same as described in the novel: "It was the starting sect where the protagonist resides; then he will make this sect his own after three hundred chapters." With a long sigh, he finally grasped his situation and his own condition.

He tore his bloody shirt and threw it into the lake, then sat across from the lake, closed his eyes, and began to reflect.

This is a world of cultivation where only the chosen ones have a chance to become cultivators, but only an insanely talented cultivator can become a god or devil, or even something beyond that, so everyone is striving diligently to improve their skills, to climb higher, and eventually reach the elusive goal of immortality.

Immortality is not an easy thing to achieve; it requires crossing the boundaries of the mortal realm and eventually becoming one with the Dao, the fundamental principle that governs all existence. To reach this pinnacle, one must first ascend through the various stages of cultivation, each presenting its own challenges and tests.

The first realm one must navigate is the body purification realm. Those who embark on the path of cultivation begin their journey here, where they must allow the qi—the life energy that flows through all living things—to purify the impurities within their bodies. This realm is not merely about physical strength; it involves a deep connection to one's own essence and the surrounding energies. Each realm comprises ten stages, and only those who reach the tenth stage can break through to the next realm, gaining a deeper understanding of their potential and the world around them.

After he closed his eyes and focused inward, he sensed his own body, finding no injuries or toxins lingering within him. Despite the fact that he had transmigrated into this body, he discovered that he could not only access the knowledge of its previous holder but also tap into their instincts and heightened senses. As he examined his body with newfound clarity, he realized that everything was in harmony; there was nothing wrong. "Fourth realm of body purification stage..." he murmured to himself. 

Looking at his cultivation base, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Even though he was only a sixteen-year-old youth, he stood above those considered to have poor talent. Even though the potential he possessed was average, the thought of having an average rather than poor talent ignited a fire of determination in his heart. "With this," he whispered, a confident smile creeping onto his lips, "I can climb higher."

As he stood from the place, stretching his body and swinging his hands and head, he felt something inside him break down, as if shackles were being cast off. He felt so light, like a shell that had been emptied of its burdens.

Before his transmigration, he had lived a normal life in his previous world, always engrossed in fantasies of adventures, heroic quests, and epic battles inspired by the trend in novels and webtoons. He had daydreamed about wielding unimaginable power, overcoming insurmountable odds, and becoming a legend. But heaven didn't neglect his wish; instead, it had granted him the opportunity to become one of those transmigrated individuals often found in novels, thrust into a world where magic and martial prowess reigned supreme.

Upon regaining his memories, he recalled the entire plot of the novel, a tapestry of action and destiny woven with intricate threads of fate. Each twist, every stroke of luck that the protagonist had encountered, came flooding back to him with vivid clarity.

A wild smile crept across his face as he licked his lips in anticipation, his heart racing with the thrill of possibility. He knew the challenges that lay ahead, the fierce rivals he would inevitably face, and the trials that would test his resolve. Yet, the thought of it only fueled his excitement.

"Shall I start?!" he murmured, his smile widening even further, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

The cold weather did not bother him in the slightest, despite his lack of clothing on his upper body. When one transitioned from one stage to another during the body purification phase, they could develop a resistance to both cold and heat. It was not like they had complete immunity against the elements, but rather a heightened threshold that allowed them to endure conditions that would normally send others shivering for warmth or seeking refuge from the sun's rays. This newfound resilience was a testament to the rigors of his training, a process that transformed not only the body but also the mind.

After he walked through the wild forest, he looked around as if searching for something, his senses heightened and alert. He leaped over fallen logs and splashed through icy rivers, his feet hardly touching the ground as he ran straight without stopping. The thrill of movement filled him with energy, and he gazed at the tall trees, their branches heavy with pristine snow. With an effortless bound, he climbed with a single jump, feeling as though he was defying gravity itself.

"Hahaha," he laughed in disbelief at his newfound agility, akin to the superheroes he had always admired. "It was satisfying; my body feels as light as a feather, as if I could fly through the sky." After chuckling for a moment, his gaze fell upon a particularly large boulder that loomed ahead, partially veiled in vines and leaves. "Found you," he declared, breaking into a wind-like sprint towards it, his heart pounding with excitement.

Within minutes, he regained his composure, staring at the boulder that stood resolutely before him, its surface rough and ancient. He could sense the energy radiating from it.

"This is it!!" he murmured. 

Placing his palm on the stone, he began to rub off the dirt concealing a square-shaped symbol etched into the surface. The symbol glimmered faintly under his touch, but when he pressed down on it, the boulder remained immovable, stubbornly resisting his efforts. Confusion clouded his thoughts momentarily, but then a memory sparked within him—a passage from the novel that had inspired him.

"Oh, I should use this," he whispered to himself, focusing intently as he began to circulate his qi through his hands. With a deep breath, he pressed down on the symbol once more, this time channeling his energy with greater intention. As he did so, he felt the symbol begin to absorb his qi from his body, a strange sensation that was both ticklish and slightly painful. "Damn, it feels ticklish and a little bit hurts," he gasped, the energy draining from him causing his whole body to tremble. He fell to one knee, but he refused to withdraw his hand from the stone, determined to see this through.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, the bright light emanating from the symbol ceased, and the vines that had tangled the boulder began to wither and fall away, revealing the true nature of the stone beneath. Suddenly, the boulder shone brightly as the land below started to quiver. Slowly, it transformed into a fine dust of sand, unveiling a dark cave that beckoned him with an air of mystery.

"Great...!!" he gasped, his breath coming in quick bursts as he took a moment to replenish his qi. After a minute of steadying himself, he opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and invigorated. 

Without hesitation, he marched straight into the cave, the darkness enveloping him momentarily before revealing an unexpected brilliance. Inside, it was as if an entire sun hung suspended in the air, illuminating every jagged rock and stalactite that adorned the cavern. The air was cool, yet invigorating, a stark contrast to the chill of the outside world.

As he ventured deeper into the cave, he was drawn to a rhythmic sound—a soft, echoing drip that seemed to resonate from the very heart of the earth. His footsteps grew cautious, each sound amplified by the cavern's acoustics. Then, abruptly, his movements halted as he spotted a shadow looming before him. The figure was vaguely human, yet his instincts screamed that it was anything but.

"What? There was something inside this cave?!" he thought, disbelief washing over him. From his memories of the novel, he recalled there should be no creature lurking here. The shadow began to take form, revealing itself as a towering beastman, its features a bizarre amalgamation of pig and cow, blue skin glistening in the cave's glow. The creature brandished a machete, and its fierce eyes locked onto him.

"Squeak... Squeak," it emitted, a sound that was both unsettling and mocking, as it pointed the machete threateningly in his direction.

"Beastman," he murmured, realization dawning upon him.

Without wasting a moment, he sprinted towards the creature, channeling his qi into his hands. 

'If I'm correct, then it must be slow in movement,' he thought.

As the machete swung toward him, he deftly sidestepped to the right, bending low just in time to avoid the lethal arc. With precision, he focused his qi into a sharp point at his fingertip, moving behind the beastman in a blur of motion. 

"Die," he whispered, as the qi pierced through the beastman's head. 

As the life faded from the beastman's eyes, he exhaled sharply, the adrenaline washing over him as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Phew, I didn't expect that," he murmured, his heart racing.

Though he had memorized every detail of the novel, this unexpected encounter had thrown him off balance. "Wait a minute, maybe it's because the time I entered this cave was way before the protagonist, so that's why there was a beastman here?" he pondered, trying to make sense of the anomaly.

Shaking his head, he dismissed the thoughts, pushing forward into the deeper recesses of the cave.

As he ventured further, the atmosphere shifted, and he found himself standing before an enchanting sight—a pond swirling like a whirlpool at the center of the cave, surrounded by azure-colored crystals that sparkled like stars against the rock walls.

The air grew colder, and he felt a shiver of anticipation run down his spine, yet he welcomed the chill as part of the experience.

He crouched, cupping a handful of the sparkling azure water, and took a sip. A smile spread across his face. "It really tastes as sweet as described in the novel."

"It was called Fairy Tears, which was found in the second arc of the novel. After the protagonist was chased by the villains, he eventually found this pond. After drinking and bathing in it, he broke through stages and massacred the entire villainous clan."

After recalling every detail of the novel, he praised his memory power. 

He loosened his remaining garments and leaped into the pond without a second thought.

Instead of feeling the pull of a whirlpool, he was embraced by the water like a gentle caress, allowing it to envelop him as he submerged himself.

Settling at the bottom, he closed his eyes, focusing on the qi surrounding him. It thickened, swirling around him, and he felt the familiar sensation of breaking through.

His body quivered as he broke through, the black substance emerging from his pores. The sensation was both exhilarating and intense, and he felt a radiant energy building within him. Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the depths of the pond, causing every droplet to levitate, shimmering like diamonds in the air.

As he slowly opened his eyes, his emerald irises glimmered with newfound power before settling into a calm intensity. His black locks began to wave, drying off under the heat radiating from his body, and he marveled at his transformation. 

"Sixth Stage of Body Purification Realm!" he exclaimed, joy bubbling within him. This was an extraordinary achievement, surpassing even the protagonist's progress, who would only reach this stage in chapter fifty—an accomplishment that would normally take three months of grueling effort.

With a sweeping motion, he summoned his pants from the ground, reclothing himself.

 "Now the true game starts."