Rui's Mystical Cultivation Saga

"Eh? I made it out?" Lin Rui had never imagined that his life would end bizarrely—falling from a bustling modern society into a completely unfamiliar world.

In that fleeting moment, fate took an irreversible turn, sweeping him away like an unstoppable current. He could only be carried along, helpless, with no choice but to go with the flow.

His previous life had been simple but fulfilling. As a young artist, Lin Rui expressed his deepest emotions with vibrant colors. Life, as he saw it, was always full of hope. With the unwavering support of his friends, he never felt alone. Most of all, he found solace in what he thought was a stable relationship with his boyfriend. He believed their bond would last as radiant and beautiful as the paintings he created.

However, everything changed. One day, a wave of anxiety drove him to check his boyfriend's cell phone. The moment he saw those intimate photos and suggestive messages, his heart plunged into an abyss of cold despair. It felt as though he was staring into the life of another—an alternate reality where his boyfriend was involved in a secret, intimate exchange with a stranger. The cruel truth unraveled before his eyes.

Anger, disappointment, and confusion surged through him like a tide. He wanted to confront him, to vent his rage, but his throat felt choked, as if all his words were trapped inside his chest. All he remembered was fleeing their home in a daze, but after that, everything was shrouded in fog, blurry and indistinct. His anger dissipated instantly, leaving only a deep, overwhelming sense of loss.

Yet, disturbingly, after his death, he hadn't gone to heaven or hell. Instead, he was trapped in an endless darkness, where cold and loneliness clung to him like shadows. Time had lost all meaning, and everything around him was swallowed by silence. Only the relentless solitude remained, gnawing at him.

"How did I die?" Lin Rui questioned himself over and over in the darkness. Whenever he tried to recall those final moments, his memory felt locked away, impossible to retrieve. The boundless darkness around him seemed to be a grim reminder—it was all over.

Gradually, Lin Rui's consciousness began to stir from the abyss. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself lying on an antique wooden bed. Soft veils of pale green silk hung from the ceiling, and the air was filled with a faint scent of pine. The place felt isolated from the world, a haven of serene calm.

"But where am I?" he murmured, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

Sitting up slowly, he was surprised to feel his body's newfound lightness and strength. His gaze swept around the room until it landed on a bronze mirror in the corner. A sense of uncertainty gnawed at him as he hesitated, stepping toward the mirror. The mirror reflected a face both strange and yet faintly familiar.

"Is this … my face?" He could hardly believe it.

The young man in the mirror looked around eighteen, with healthy, sun-kissed skin. Though not tall, his figure was lean and well-defined, brimming with a sense of vitality. His eyes were bright and clear, no longer clouded with the fatigue and disillusionment of his former self. Instead, there was an innocent vitality about him, full of life.

Lin Rui chuckled bitterly. "I look so different from before. There's still some resemblance, but… it just feels different, unlike the old me."

He reached out to touch his face, and the smoothness of his skin and the vivid reality of the sensation under his fingertips stirred up a swirl of complex emotions within him. His fingers trembled slightly as if seeking to confirm whether he truly existed here. "It looks like I transmigrated to here. And I've been reborn into this body."

Outside the window was no noise of modern life—no bustling streets or the hum of traffic. Instead, ancient buildings and a lush bamboo grove greeted his eyes. Sunlight dappled the bamboo leaves, and as a gentle breeze swept through, their shadows danced across the windowsill. The world had fallen into a peaceful stillness as though only he existed in this quiet, timeless space.

But just as Lin Rui began to adjust to this strange body, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind. These memories did not belong to him but to this world—belonging to the original owner of this body.

As it turned out, Lin Rui had crossed into a cultivation world, a parallel universe like some novels or games he knows. Here, people absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cultivate, striving for supreme power and dominance. Clashes between families and sects were constant, and peculiar rules governed everything. The original owner of this body was also named Lin Rui.

Lin Rui was the only son of Lin Yuntian, the heir to the Lin family in Zhuyun (Bamboo Cloud) Town. His grandfather, Lin Tianhua, was the head of the family. The Lin family was a prominent local cultivation clan, strong and influential, but the distribution of resources and power was far from fair. Lin Rui's family branch had long been neglected for a simple reason—he was a "five-spirit root" cultivator, considered a waste in the cultivation world due to his slow progress. His chances of entering a prestigious sect were next to none.

Even stranger, the original Lin Rui hadn't died by accident. His final memories were filled with anger and unwillingness, suggesting that he had been murdered. Yet, tragically, no one seemed to know or care about his death. Lin Rui and his father, Lin Yuntian, had relied on each other for survival, but his father had been away on a mission for over a month. During this time, Lin Rui had died in silence, and for two whole days, no one even noticed.

The rest of the family had always been indifferent and distant to his father and him, showing little interest in their lives.

Lin Rui began to understand that he had to survive in this strange new cultivation world and uncover the truth behind the original owner's death. That lingering sense of injustice sparked a strong intuition in him—perhaps this death was intertwined with the family's internal strife. A death so quiet, so unnoticed, hinted at something deeply sinister.

"Who killed the original Lin Rui?" he wondered, though he had no clear leads. Yet his instincts told him that this was no mere accident, and family intrigue seemed like a likely culprit. The unresolved anger in the original Lin Rui's memories seemed to have called him here, pushing him to unravel the mystery.

Walking to the window, Lin Rui gazed out at the swaying bamboo grove, the air fresh and calming. But he knew that this peace was nothing but a fragile illusion. The future waiting for him was bound to be fraught with danger.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Rui forced himself to stay calm. Since fate had given him this second chance, he would no longer be the weak, helpless person he once was. He had to quickly familiarize himself with the cultivation system of this world and find a way to grow stronger. Although he was currently labeled a "waste" with five spirit roots, Lin Rui firmly believed there must be a way to defy fate.

Lin Rui sat quietly on the edge of his bed, his fingers unconsciously stroking the small chicken-shaped jade pendant the original Lin Rui's mother had given him. The warm touch of the pendant provided a sense of comfort, almost like a soothing balm to his soul.

Even though he had yet to fully adapt to this unfamiliar world of cultivation, he had already made a firm decision: no matter what, he need survive.

As his thoughts gradually settled, he suddenly noticed something unusual about the jade pendant on his chest—it seemed to emit a faint warmth.

"What's going on?" Lin Rui frowned slightly and touched the pendant. Just as he was about to inspect it, the pendant glowed faintly. The light in the room shifted, and before him appeared a small, chicken-shaped spirit formed from spiritual energy. It fluttered its tiny wings and wore a comical yet confident expression.

Startled by this unexpected visitor, Lin Rui jumped from the bed; his guard immediately raised as he stared warily at the strange creature before him.

"Master! You've finally noticed me, huh?" The little chicken spirit chirped proudly, its voice crisp and carrying a playful tone. It even flapped its wings twice to show off its sudden entrance.

Lin Rui stared in disbelief for a few seconds, his look at the little chicken, wondering if he was still dreaming. Hesitantly, he pointed at the creature, his face full of shock: "You… who are you?"

The little chicken raised its head proudly and puffed out its nonexistent chest feathers as if preparing for a grand introduction. "I am the one and only—Chickpedia! Your personal system assistant! Whether it's cultivation, alchemy, artifact crafting, or ancient manuals, ask me anything, and I'll have the answer!"

"Chickpedia?" Lin Rui couldn't help but laugh when he heard the name, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "That name is… quite something."

Chickpedia's eyes widened, and with a determined flap of its wings, it hovered a little higher, declaring with pride, "Hmph! Please don't underestimate me, Master! I may be a cute little chicken, but I'm a super system with knowledge beyond compare. However—"

"However, what?" Lin Rui raised an eyebrow, his tone cautious as he sensed something wasn't quite right.

Chickpedia fluffed its wings and sighed dramatically as if burdened by great sorrow. "However, Master, your current cultivation level is way too low. You're only at the first layer of the Qi Refining Stage. The number of questions I can answer is minimal at your level. Worse yet, I can only be summoned for five minutes at a time once daily. Don't expect me to always be at your beck and call!"

"Five minutes?" Lin Rui blinked, sighing and shaking his head with a wry smile. I'll have to make the most of that short time.

"Exactly, Master! But as your cultivation level increases, I can stay longer and answer more questions. Who knows, one day, we might even chat for an entire day! That is if you can get that far!" it teased with a smirk.

Lin Rui shook his head in amusement. This little chicken's arrogance and smugness were almost endearing. "Is that so? Well, can you explain the cultivation system of this world to me?"

Chickpedia waved its wings with authority and took on a scholarly air as if ready to lecture. "Hmph! Master, listen well! The foundation of cultivation is absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to improve your cultivation base. The cultivation realms are divided into stages like the Qi Refining Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, Core Formation Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, and so on, each divided into ten layers. You are currently at the very basic Qi Refining Stage."

Lin Rui nodded thoughtfully. "I see, Qi Refining Stage. So why am I called a 'waste'? What does that mean?"

Chickpedia couldn't help but let out a mischievous chuckle at the mention of this, its little wings trembling with laughter. "Master, you got the short end of the stick! You have five-element spiritual roots, so your spiritual energy absorption rate is slow. Your cultivation speed is basically like watching a snail crawl. In this world, cultivators with five-element roots are nicknamed 'wastes' because they progress so slowly. So, congratulations—your 'waste' title is well-deserved!"

Lin Rui frowned slightly and muttered, "Is having five-element roots that bad?"

Chickpedia flapped its wings and tilted its head with a knowing look. "Heh heh, don't lose hope just yet, Master! There's more to it, but I can't tell you everything now. You'll find out later…" It trailed off, its eyes darting mischievously, clearly enjoying leaving Lin Rui hanging.

Lin Rui stared at it, half-skeptical. "Are you just messing with me?"

Chickpedia puffed up even more, its smile widening. "Ah, Master, you're so clever! But don't worry. If you keep working hard, your future will be better than you think. Once your cultivation improves, I can share more 'secrets' with you!"

"Alright," Lin Rui sighed in resignation, amused by how this little chicken loved to keep him guessing. "So, what should I do to cultivate properly?"

Chickpedia flapped its wings authoritatively, its voice clear and direct. "Isn't it obvious? You need to absorb spiritual energy properly! You're at the first layer of the Qi Refining Stage, so your goal is to absorb spiritual energy into your Dantian and then circulate it through your meridians. Don't rush things—lay a solid foundation first!"

"Sounds simple enough, but I'm guessing it's harder than it sounds," Lin Rui said with a wry smile, knowing that cultivation was never easy.

Chickpedia flapped its wings, brimming with confidence. "Heh heh, Master, you've got some self-awareness! But don't worry, with me around, you won't stray too far off course." It puffed its chest again, clearly pleased with itself. "And hey, even if I can only stick around for five minutes a day, I can still give you some daily cultivation tips. Not a bad deal, right?"

Lin Rui thought for a moment and nodded. "True. With you here, I won't blindly fumble through this."

Chickpedia grinned widely, its wings flapping excitedly. "Exactly! I'm a one-of-a-kind treasure, Master. Other cultivators would line up to have a system like me!"

Chickpedia froze for a moment, then quickly scratched its head flusteredly. "Uh… yes, it's just about time." Its voice held a hint of reluctance, though it tried to maintain its composure.

"Remember, Master, summon me again tomorrow, and I'll keep answering all the mysteries of life for you!" With those words, Chickpedia's form gradually faded, its body dissolving into spiritual energy until only a few wisps of light remained.

Watching the little chicken disappear, Lin Rui couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. "That little thing sure is interesting."