A second life, An Eternal journey to Immortality

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After a few minutes of silence, Liu Ying's curiosity got the better of her. "But, Young Master, you still haven't told me why they said I have no spirit roots," she asked softly, her eyes searching his for an explanation.

Jiang Cheng paused, his gaze drifting as he considered her question. Finally, in a measured tone he replied, "You see, some of the rarest, most defiant spirit roots don't manifest at birth. They require a dramatic turning point—a moment that forces both body and soul into transformation. It might be a near-death experience, extreme emotional turmoil, or simply the absence of the right technique that prevents their appearance."

Liu Ying listened intently, her expression thoughtful as she absorbed his words.

"And don't forget," Jiang Cheng added, his tone lowering slightly, "we're in a backward area. We still lack the proper tools and methods to detect these subtle changes."

"Alright, enough chitchat," Jiang Cheng said, his tone firm but calm. "Sit in front of me and focus. Close your eyes and try to feel the spiritual energy around you. Let it flow through you, connecting you to heaven and earth."

Liu Ying nodded, her expression serious as she settled into position. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her mind reaching out to sense the subtle currents of Qi in the air.

And just like that, after only fifteen minutes—yes, fifteen whole minutes—Jiang Cheng was about to head out to the brothel to "chat" with Sister Lin about the "history of the world" when he suddenly froze mid-step. His fan tumbled from his hand with a loud clatter as a surge of spiritual energy rippled through the room.

His jaw practically hit the floor. "She succeeded? Already?!" he blurted, his voice cracking like a teenager's on his first date. "What the hell is wrong with the world?! Didn't they say this takes months—maybe even a year? Some people train their entire lives for this, and she just... poof?!"

He glared at the sky, shaking his fist like an old man scolding a stubborn cloud. "This is so unfair, you dog author! Are you even trying to make this realistic, or are you just handing out plot armor like free dumplings at a festival?!"

Meanwhile, Liu Ying slowly opened her eyes, now glowing with newfound power, and, with innocent curiosity, asked, "Did I do it right? It felt kind of... easy."

When Jiang Cheng heard Liu Ying casually say, "It felt kind of... easy," he clutched his chest as if he'd been stabbed by a thousand tiny daggers of inadequacy—each one engraved with the words "You're a failure." His face turned as pale as a ghost who'd just seen its own funeral, and he swore he could taste blood rising in his throat. Almost vomited blood? More like almost died on the spot.

His mind raced back to the original owner of this body—that poor, delusional soul who had spent an entire year just to sense a flicker of spiritual energy.

And even then, that guy had strutted around like he was the chosen one, the protagonist of some grand destiny. Jiang Cheng wanted to laugh, cry, and maybe throw himself off a cliff—all at the same time.

Maybe I should've stayed in my old life as a broke Office worker. At least there, the only thing I had to worry about was instant noodles and debt.

Jiang Cheng's inner voice exploded with indignation:

What even is this plot armor?! Am I suddenly the comic relief while she's the dazzling heroine? Dog author, if you're out there, may you stub your toe every day!

Meanwhile, Liu Ying tilted her head, completely oblivious to Jiang Cheng's existential crisis.

"So... what's next?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Do I get a cool sword? Or maybe a flying mount? Oh! Can I shoot fireballs now?!"

Jiang Cheng stared at her, his eye twitching. Shoot fireballs? She's already thinking about fireballs?! He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside him.

"No," he said through gritted teeth. "First, you learn control. Otherwise, you'll blow yourself up—or worse, blow me up."

Liu Ying pouted. "But that sounds boring. Can't I just... skip to the fun part?"

Jiang Cheng's eye twitched harder. Skip to the fun part?! He was about to unleash a lecture that would make her regret ever being born, but then he stopped.

A sinister thought crossed his mind. What if I just... don't tell her? Let her figure it out the hard way. Yeah, that'll teach her.

With a meaan smile, he said, "You know what? You're right. Let's skip to the fun part. Here, try channeling learning how to cast this technique " He handed her a fire ball technique to try 

Liu Ying beamed, clearly thrilled. "Finally! Something exciting!" She closed her eyes, focused her Qi, and a few minutes she shot a Fireball from her hand. 

The wall exploded in a puff of smoke, leaving Jiang Cheng covered in in smoke 

Jiang Cheng, now covered in soot and looking like a chimney sweep, stared in utter disbelief. "You... succeeded? This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

 He raged silently, his Taoist heart nearly collapsing under the weight of cosmic injustice. 

Is this the true meaning of the Heroine of Destiny? Is this the terrifying talent of the Daughter of Luck? No, I can't do it. I can't stand it!

Liu Ying, startled by Jiang Cheng's wild expression, tried to speak. "Young Mast—"

NO!" Jiang Cheng interrupted, waving his hands frantically. "Don't call me Young Master! I don't dare claim that title! Just... call me Fellow Taoist. Or Brother Jiang. Or literally anything else. Just not that."

He was genuinely terrified. The hell with "Young Master"! I thought I could silence her back then in the crime scene, but now I'm afraid the moment I lay a finger on her, I'll get slapped by her from the long river of Time.

Or worse, some karmic disaster will fall from the sky and crush me like a bug. This is exactly like those trashy novels I've been reading!

As Jiang Cheng drowned in his delusions, Liu Ying blinked at him, utterly confused. "Uh... Brother Jiang? Are you okay? You're muttering about karmic disasters and time-slapping..."

Jiang Cheng snapped out of it, forcing a shaky smile. "I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Just... contemplating the meaning of life. You know, as one does." He glanced at the smoldering ruins of the wall and sighed. "Anyway, let's... uh... clean this up before someone thinks we're under attack."

Liu Ying grinned. "Or we could just say it was a training accident?"

Jiang Cheng groaned. "Great. Now she's learning to lie too. What's next? Is she going to start forming a harem of overpowered love interests while I'm stuck here as the token grumpy mentor? Dog author, I swear, if you're listening, I'm coming for you!"

Jiang Cheng's mind spiraled further into chaos. I'm afraid when she surpasses me in strength, she'll bully me—the poor Taoist priest! He imagined a future where Liu Ying, now a powerhouse of unimaginable talent, would force him to carry her bags, fetch her tea, and maybe even polish her shoes.

is this my fate? To be the comic relief punching bag for the main character?

Liu Ying, oblivious to Jiang Cheng's internal meltdown, looked around and said, "Brother Jiang, now that I'm at the first level of the Qi Refining stage, but I don't have any techniques. What should I do?"

Jiang Cheng's mind raced as he recalled the mysterious book he'd found in the Flower Thief's spatial bag. It was that nameless tome with blank pages—completely empty, or so it appeared. 

If these Novels I read is correct then that book is definitely contain some shocking inherent , but in his hands, he would never receive it so It better to cheat this silly girl with it . 

If I spin a good enough story, maybe she'll be so grateful she'll never bully me. Heck, she might even take me flying on her future spirit beast!

With a sad sigh, Jiang Cheng adopted a sorrowful expression, his eyes glistening with unshed tears (or maybe it was just dust—hard to tell). He pulled the book from his spatial pouch and held it reverently in front of Liu Ying.

"This," he began, his voice trembling with emotion, "is no ordinary book. This is a relic of my ancestors, passed down through generations. It is a testament to their blood, sweat, and tears. A symbol of their sacrifices."

Liu Ying's eyes widened, her curiosity piqued. "Really? What kind of sacrifices?"

Jiang Cheng's face darkened as if recalling a painful memory. "Many years ago, my great-great-grandfather, the legendary Jiang Tianming, ventured into the Forbidden Abyss to retrieve this very book. He fought against demonic beasts, braved soul-crushing illusions, and even sacrificed his favorite pair of Immortal shoes to cross a river of molten lava."

Liu Ying gasped. "He sacrificed his Immortal shoes? That's so brave!"

Jiang Cheng nodded solemnly. "Indeed. But the greatest sacrifice came when he reached the heart of the Abyss. There, he faced the Guardian of Eternal Sorrow—a monstrous creature with a thousand eyes and a voice that could shatter mountains. My ancestor fought valiantly, but in the end, he had to make the ultimate sacrifice."

Liu Ying leaned in, her voice barely a whisper. "What... what did he sacrifice?"

Jiang Cheng paused for effect, his voice dropping to a mournful whisper. "His... favorite Immortal teapot."

Liu Ying's jaw dropped. "His immortal teapot?!"

Jiang Cheng nodded, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "It was a priceless artifact, passed down through our family for centuries. But he knew that the knowledge contained in this book was worth more than any material possession. And so, with a heavy heart, he offered it to the Guardian in exchange for this tome."

Liu Ying's eyes filled with admiration. "Your ancestor was so selfless! I can't believe he gave up his teapot for this book."

Jiang Cheng sighed, clutching the book to his chest. "Yes, it was a dark day for the Jiang family. But his sacrifice was not in vain. This book contains the secrets of unparalleled cultivation techniques, ones that will help you reach heights you've never dreamed of."

Liu Ying's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Really? Can I see it?"

Jiang Cheng hesitated, his expression pained. "I... I don't know if I can part with it. It's the last connection I have to my ancestors. But..." He looked at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and sorrow.

"If you promise to cherish it as they did, to honor their sacrifices, then... perhaps I can entrust it to you."

Liu Ying nodded fervently. "I promise, Brother Jiang! I'll treat it with the utmost respect!"

Jiang Cheng smiled softly, though inwardly he was fist-pumping in victory. Yes! She's eating it up! Now she'll be so grateful she'll never bully me. Maybe she'll even let me ride her future flying treasure!

He handed her the book with a dramatic flourish. "Then it is yours. May it guide you on your path to greatness."

Liu Ying took the book, her hands trembling with excitement. "Thank you, Brother Jiang! I won't let you down!"

Liu Ying eagerly flipped through the book, her eyes sparkling with curiosity—until her face froze. She held up the book and waved it in front of Jiang Cheng like a piece of trash. "Brother Jiang... why is it empty?"

Jiang Cheng's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. His brain short-circuited. How the hell would I know?! I'm not the author!

But his face remained a picture of forced wisdom and calm. He stroked his chin like an old Daoist master.

"Ah... that's... that's because... it's a test!" he declared with the conviction of a scam artist cornered by debt collectors. "Yes, a test of your talent! This is no ordinary book. You must channel your spiritual energy into it. Only then will the ancient secrets reveal themselves!"

Inside, he was praying like his life depended on it. Please work please work

Liu Ying gasped in awe. "So mysterious! Your ancestors were amazing, Brother Jiang!"

Jiang Cheng let out a shaky laugh, his smile stiff. Ancestors? If they heard this nonsense, they'd probably crawl out of their graves and beat me with their walking sticks.

The moment Liu Ying channeled her spiritual energy into the book, Jiang Cheng felt the temperature in the room plummet. His smile froze. His heartbeat quickened. Before he could even blink, the book in her hands shone with an eerie, otherworldly light—then vanished into thin air.

His pupils shrank. Gone?! What do you mean gone?!

But before he could panic properly, Liu Ying's expression shifted. Her eyes closed, and her delicate face became cold and ruthless—so ruthless it sent shivers down his spine. The gentle, silly girl from before was gone. In her place sat someone, something, terrifying.

A suffocating aura erupted around her. It was ancient—primal, like it had existed before the heavens and earth were formed. The air itself seemed to freeze in fear. Jiang Cheng stumbled backward, his breath caught in his throat.

Then she spoke.

Low, chilling words seeped from her lips, like whispers from a forgotten void. 

"The Void reflects all things yet retains nothing. What enters is lost, what leaves is forgotten. 

Before all things, there was the Void. It is neither light nor darkness, neither presence nor absence. 

It is the source and the end, the cradle of existence and the tomb of creation."

Jiang Cheng's legs went weak. His back hit the wall, but he barely noticed. His ears buzzed. His vision blurred.

"Space bends before the one who understands its nature. Form is an illusion; distance is a lie. 

To step into the Void is to step beyond fate, beyond time, beyond self."

The ground trembled beneath them.

Outside, the sky darkened unnaturally, like dusk had fallen at midday. The wind howled, and spiritual energy surged from every direction—like rivers, torrents from dozens of miles away, all madly converging toward her.

Jiang Cheng's scalp went numb.

"What... what the hell is this book?!" His voice cracked, barely a whisper.

He pressed himself against the wall, cold sweat drenching his back. His chest tightened. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to move. He was like a mortal staring into the abyss—no, staring at the abyss staring back.

His thoughts spiraled out of control. Did I just dig up some ancient taboo? Is this the start of a world-ending calamity?

He imagined black-robed cultivators descending from the sky, divine tribulations striking down from the heavens, or some terrifying Void Lord clawing his way into their world—all because of a single book.

And worst of all... he gave it to her.

I just wanted to scam a silly girl... not summon the end of days!.