Treasure-hunting: Into the Unknown

On a hill behind the Welkin Sect's base, there was an empty place surrounded by dense green woods. A young man dressed in white was standing there in front of a worn out wooden post. He got soaked completely by the rain, and his white clothes clung to his body, revealing his lean frame. He was clenching his fists so tightly that it seemed his nails would rip open the skin of his palms and gouge his flesh out.

"Am I a veritable loser now? I was a genius. But everything has changed ever since I was injured three years ago. Now I cannot even cultivate the most basic martial energy. I detest myself! God, discharge your thunderbolts and kill me now if you dare! Otherwise, I will wreak vengeance on you in every possible way!" the young man shouted with all his might, in order to ensure all his complaints reached God's ears.

Rumble!

All of a sudden, a thunderous sound that mimicked the roar of a giant, echoed from the hilltop to the valley below. From the sky eclipsed by dense dark clouds, a quick flash of lightning descended. Then, that lightning flash enveloped the young man.

What befell him was probably the divine retribution for his outrageous behavior against the Almighty!

However, a blurry and shining, ghostly apparition slid into the young man's body the moment that lightning flash had completely covered it.

Then, that lightning flash disappeared. Immediately after that, a mysterious object, the size of an average man's palm, flashing colorful beams of iridescent light, started falling slowly from up above. Its shape resembled that of a compass.

At that moment, the young man slowly opened his eyes. All the former traces of resentment and despair in his eyes seemed to have given place to shrewdness and wisdom. It was like he had been reborn.

Just as the mysterious object fell, the young man caught it in his outspread hand, looked at it, and surveyed his surroundings carefully. Then he exclaimed, "What is this place?" He said that in a modern tone which was quite peculiar to the world where he was situated. "Have I traveled through space and time?

I simply wanted to try using the Treasure-hunting System for fun. I did not expect to travel through space and time. Is this some sort of a bonus? Hey! I still remember my full name is Zachary Zi. But is this my body? Well, I guess only my soul has traveled to this world, and now it has taken possession of this body." Zachary Zi analyzed the situation, swinging his legs, folding and unfolding his hands to feel his body.

It was a great surprise that the body of the then resentful young man was now possessed by a soul from another world. Now that his disgruntled soul had gone for good, perhaps it was good luck to him because he was not miserable any longer.

Then, Zachary Zi started merging the old soul's memories with his own. The old soul was a young master of the Zi Clan, an influential clan with several thousand disciples. His father was the respected head of the clan. Besides, the old soul was a born genius with an great aptitude for martial arts, which he had inherited from his father. He had lived a life of comfort and luxury. He could easily get what he wanted and enjoy everyone's respect.

Nevertheless, a tragedy had struck three years ago. One day, a group of mysterious men with great power suddenly sneaked into the Zi Clan's house and killed many disciples. The old soul's parents were also killed when they fought against the intruders. Before death, his father ordered him and his betrothed to escape from the house through the secret tunnel. Although the couple found their way to it, the intruders still overtook them. When they were about to catch him, his fiancee saved him but she nearly perished.

To keep his fiancee out of danger, he began running towards another direction alone to divert them away. However, after a considerable chase, they did catch him and beat him so hard that he nearly died.

Fortunately, Lewis Xuan, his father's sworn brother and the Welkin Sect's leader, came to rescue him just when it seemed that all was lost. After that, he went back to look for his fiancee under Lewis Xuan's protection. Unfortunately, he could not find any traces of her.

Later, Lewis Xuan informed him that the mysterious gang had killed all the members of the Zi Clan, except him. Since he had become homeless, he followed Lewis Xuan and went to the Welkin Sect's base. To avenge his clan, he decided to stay there and cultivate to be a powerful warrior. Also, he wanted to ascertain who the murderers were and find his missing fiancee.

However, he could not have anticipated that his injuries would rob him of his original genius abilities and debilitate him. Even three years later, he still could not gain an entry into the Welkin Sect as its official disciple, let alone take revenge on his parents' murders!

"This guy's name, like mine, is also Zachary Zi. Even the spellings are the same. This is probably not a coincidence, is it? Maybe I've come here for a reason. Perhaps I am meant to come here to fulfill his wish! But, I am not Aladdin's genie or something…" Zachary Zi was lost in his thoughts, rubbing his chin slowly.

All of a sudden, a tall figure dashed through the heavy rain. In the blink of an eye, it appeared behind the Zachary Zi, and was bone dry! Its awesome aura permeated the entire surroundings. Clearly, that was a great man.

Feeling a powerful presence behind him, Zachary Zi turned around immediately. He was first perplexed, but then he exclaimed, "Oh, Master Lewis, you're here. What's up?"

With sharp eyebrows, the person, who was now standing in front of Zachary Zi, had an imposing appearance. He looked much younger than his fifty years. He was Lewis Xuan, the Welkin Sect's leader.

"Tomorrow is your parents' death anniversary. Don't forget to pay your respects to them and clean their graves. You have been in the Welkin Sect for three years now. How time flies!" Lewis Xuan said firmly, his eyes sparkling. Immediately, his eyes reflected regret and perhaps disappointment as well.

"Sure!" Zachary Zi lightly responded to Lewis Xuan's reminder. To hide his true identity, he tried to act like the old soul based on his memories.

"The annual selection test will be held in a month. If you still cannot become an official disciple, according to the rules, you are not allowed to stay here anymore. Then you must leave the Welkin Sect. I advise you to find a job and work hard! You don't have to persist in becoming an official disciple, as there are some things that you cannot change…"

Lewis Xuan said, his face gloomy. Then he turned around and disappeared in the curtain of rain.

"Did you say that there were some things that I could not change? Well then, I will change them and prove myself to you!" Zachary Zi laughed aloud confident, looking at the direction where Lewis Xuan had gone.

After Lewis Xuan's departure, Zachary Zi continued to merge the original soul's memories with his. He learned that this world was called the Olden World. As for the Welkin Sect, it was a sect of warriors, and was based in the Enigmatic Kingdom in the southwestern Supernal Continent.

The Supernal Continent was the Olden World's most ordinary continent, for it comprised of many other, more mysterious, more legendary and more archaic continents, which probably already existed in the Olden World's ancient times.

Most human residents of the Supernal Continent did not dare to explore those continents, because those places were filled with mysterious and were extremely dangerous for them. Only warriors dared to venture there. Their physical limits far exceeded those of ordinary people, as they were exceptionally powerful.

Anyone from the Supernal Continent who aspired to acquire invincible powers by practicing martial arts was called a "warrior." Ordinary people held the warriors in high esteem and respected them.