My Luck stats are MAXED out!!

In the cave, Xiao Yao, who had been standing still for a few moments, trembled slightly as he regained his senses.

As his awareness returned, unfamiliar yet vivid information surfaced in his mind.

The first was the story of a young boy, born into a poor village as one of an ordinary farmer's many sons. Tired of his meaningless life, he decided to leave home in pursuit of greatness.

For months, he wandered aimlessly. Unlike the original Xiao Yao, who had nearly starved, he managed to survive. Finally, his chance arrived. By a twist of fate, he encountered a group of immortals recruiting disciples for their sect. Seizing the opportunity, he applied and was accepted—thus stepping into an immortal sect, where his extraordinary talent was soon discovered.

What followed was his rise—a journey filled with countless adventures, stepping onto ever-larger stages beyond his sect, and relentlessly pushing forward until he became one of the most powerful figures on the continent. In just 5,000 years—a fleeting moment in the lifespan of cultivators at his level—he had already reached the Enlightening Stage.

And the protagonist of this story—the one who had achieved such greatness—was none other than the very corpse before him, or rather, the middle-aged senior he had just encountered—Sea Serpent Sovereign, Xiang Feng.

As talented as he was, the lifespan of a cultivator at the Enlightening Stage was around 100,000 years, and he had reached the peak of this stage in just 1,500 years. Yet, despite his immense talent and power, he was a lonely man at heart, having long outlived all his friends and family. As for other cultivators at the same level, the vast age difference between them made their relationships fleeting—mere passing acquaintances. This loneliness turned him into a wanderer for the rest of his life, endlessly searching for a way to break through to the next stage.

But even someone as gifted as him ultimately failed. Roughly a hundred years ago, in the final moments of his life, he retreated to his hidden sanctuary, using up all his accumulated resources and burning away his remaining lifespan in a desperate attempt to reach the next stage—only to fail miserably.

The exact reason for his failure was not stated—or perhaps, it couldn't be—but one thing was clear: Xiao Yao would only understand once he reached the Enlightening Stage himself.

Next, some knowledge of cultivation realms that he didn't knew flowed into his mind. The stages were as follows:

Qi Refining Stage → Spiritual Orifice Realm → Physical Gate → Soul Forging → Extraordinary → Divine Power → Crystallization → Enlightening

And finally, the legendary Creation Realm.

As for the world itself, he now knew that he was in a land called Moon Continent, named after the legendary God of the Moon, who was said to have reached the unknown stage above Creation Realm.

As for the world beyond this continent, no one had ever managed to travel there. It was said that a cultivator needed to be at least at the Creation Realm to break through the continental barrier. However, since no such being had appeared in a long time, this remained nothing more than a rumor.

As for his current location, the Yan Kingdom was nothing more than a tiny subsidiary of the Blaze Empire, a second-class force with cultivators in the Divine Power Realm. In contrast, the Yan Kingdom was insignificant, with only a handful of Soul Forging cultivators.

As for his father, Xiao Zhan, he was at the Physical Gate Realm—just one step below the top powerhouses of the kingdom. Despite this, being the City Lord of a major city like Wanhao City still gave him considerable influence.

Beyond this knowledge, Xiao Yao also received something far more valuable—an incredible opportunity hidden within the memories.

A top-tier cultivation technique, personally created by Xiang Feng himself—Sea Serpent Visualization Art—which allowed one to cultivate up to the Enlightening Stage. However, no additional spells or techniques were included, as the spirit of Senior Xiang could only retain a technique of such magnitude.

Additionally, there were records of hidden opportunities that Xiang Feng had stashed away—including his spells, weapons, and other precious treasures. There were also details about powerful sects and influential individuals he had once maintained good relations with during his travels.

However, Xiao Yao dared not reach out to them—not until he was powerful enough or at least in secret.

He understood a simple truth: one may not always have friends, but one will always have enemies.

The same held true for Senior Xiang. As a righteous cultivator with terrifying strength and unmatched talent, he had been a thorn in the side of countless demonic forces, forcing them into hiding like rats that dared not show their heads. Even certain so-called righteous sects had fallen under his wrath—sects that preyed on mortals, exploiting their weakness. Senior Xiang, once a farmer's son himself, could sympathize with their suffering and had made it his duty to stand against such oppression.

If Xiao Yao were to openly declare himself as Xiang Feng's successor, those forces would undoubtedly be overjoyed—to finally have someone to vent their long-held hatred upon. In that case, he might just get the chance to experience another round of reincarnation.

Thus, he would not reveal himself to those forces unless he had no other choice.

For now, only one opportunity mentioned in the information demanded his attention—the one nearby, most likely hidden here by Senior Xiang for his successor, providing a clear path for his next steps.

But before searching for it, Xiao Yao had something more important to do. He turned his gaze toward Senior Xiang Feng's body.

Stepping forward, he took a deep breath and knelt down, bowing three times in solemn respect—as one would to a teacher. Since he had inherited Senior Xiang's mantle, it was only right to acknowledge him as his teacher in spirit.

Then, with a heavy heart, he set to work.

With whatever tools he could find, he slowly dug a grave near the cave. It was a slow, painstaking process, but he remained patient. Every motion was deliberate, his hands moving with care as he carved a resting place worthy of the one who had left behind such a legacy.

Once the grave was ready, he carefully laid Xiang Feng's remains inside.

After covering the grave, he gathered several stones and carefully arranged them to mark the spot. Then, he took a final bow, lowering his head deeply and remaining in that position for a long time, silently paying his respects.

Then, taking a deep breath, he turned and walked out of the cave.

Outside, the penguin was dozing off near the entrance.

Looking at the penguin, Xiao Yao felt a newfound sense of amazement after gaining Senior Xiang's memories.

Even within the vast knowledge left behind by such a powerful cultivator, there was no mention of a creature like this. That could only mean two things—it was either a unique, one-of-a-kind being or something that even Senior Xiang, at his peak, couldn't access. Either way, it was far beyond Xiao Yao's current understanding.

But he didn't dwell on it for long. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

But first, he walked toward the penguin, intending to thank it for this opportunity and bid farewell. Just as he opened his mouth to call out—

The penguin suddenly stirred, its eyelids twitching as if sensing something. A moment later, it slowly opened its eyes on its own.

Shaking its head a few times to shake off the drowsiness, it looked up at him, noticing that he was only a few steps away.

Xiao Yao paused, swallowing the words he had been about to say to wake it up.

Instead, he clasped his hands together in gratitude toward the penguin.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Penguin guy."

The penguin was momentarily confused by the word penguin but quickly brushed it off.

Raising its head high with an air of superiority, it nonchalantly waved its flipper, as if to say, "No need. Now we're even."

Seeing its funny attitude, Xiao Yao chuckled.

"Then see you next time," he said, waving goodbye before turning to continue his journey.

The penguin watched his departing figure with a dazed expression before moving forward a few moments later and disappearing into the forest.

Now, Xiao Yao set off toward the place where Senior Xiang had hidden his opportunity.

Since Xiang Feng had a secret hideout here, he had spent years wandering through this forest, memorizing every path and landmark—knowledge that now belonged to Xiao Yao.

This was a great advantage.

After walking for half an hour, avoiding all the locations marked as dangerous or home to powerful monsters, he finally arrived at his destination—a small, crystal-clear lake.

Stepping to the edge of the water, he glanced down at his reflection, thinking about next steps.

Then, he suddenly began forming intricate hand seals, his lips moving as he muttered inexplicable incantations.

The moment he finished doing it all, as if responding to an ancient command, a small vortex swirled into existence at the lake's center.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yao jumped in.

—

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an enclosed space, dimly illuminated by the same familiar blue stones embedded in the walls.

At the very center of the chamber, a translucent bubble floated in midair, swirling with a unique glow.

Inside the bubble, four items rested within its shimmering surface.

Through the haze, he could make out their rough outlines—a small ring, a sword, a jade slip, and finally—

The item he had specifically come here for—

A dark black token..