The Nine Heavens Imperial Sect was located in the far northern region of the Eternal Lands.
This area was flat and vast, with fertile lands.
It was one of the most prosperous regions in the entire continent.
In the north, where countless sects competed and power was scattered, the Nine Heavens Imperial Sect was just a second-rate force, not particularly notable.
The name "Nine Heavens" came from the nine celestial realms: Divine Heaven, Azure Heaven, Jade Heaven, Cinnabar Heaven, Scenery Heaven, Pure Heaven, Vibrant Heaven, Purple Heaven, and Grand Heaven.
So, the sect was divided into nine branches. Though part of the same sect, they came from different origins.
Each branch had its own ruler. They existed together, yet operated almost like nine independent powers.
The Nine Heavens Imperial Sect was built atop a nameless mountain.
There were attempts to rename it Nine Heavens Mountain, but the idea was rejected.
Looking past the sect's entrance from afar, one could see nine towering peaks arranged in a celestial formation.
Each peak stretched into the clouds, with elegant buildings hidden in the mist.
Steep cliffs and sharp ridges filled the landscape.
It was as if these mountains competed with the heavens themselves.
The scene resembled a paradise, nine peaks surrounded by floating islands and buildings formed the complete Nine Heavens Imperial Sect.
…
At this moment, on Grand Heaven Mountain.
Inside a luxuriously decorated room, Xu Zimo slowly opened his eyes.
His head ached, swollen with pressure, as if a flood of memories had just been shoved into his brain.
Grand Heaven Mountain. Lin Qiu. Son of the Mountain Lord of Grand Heaven.
Xu Zimo didn’t worry about anything else yet, he focused on the memories now inside his head.
After his soul was pulled into the space storm, it had somehow entered this body.
The original owner of the body was Lin Qiu, son of Lin Beisheng, the Mountain Lord of Grand Heaven Mountain.
Xu Zimo skimmed through the man’s life and came to one conclusion: “Tragic.”
His meridians were sealed from birth. His father used all his resources to open only the first three, barely helping him reach the True Meridian Realm.
The rest of his meridians were sealed too tightly and couldn’t be opened.
Because of his father's status, he lived under a halo of privilege, but also behind his back came endless mockery.
"A classic trash-to-hero story?" Xu Zimo muttered.
Once Lin Qiu realized he couldn’t cultivate properly, he gave up martial arts completely after a few years of trying.
From then on, he surrounded himself with useless friends, partying and wasting away. He became infamous on Grand Heaven Mountain as a rich brat.
But because his father was the Mountain Lord, no one dared touch him.
In truth, people on Grand Heaven Mountain hated him. He caused all sorts of trouble, and everyone wished for his death.
And this time, someone made that happen. While he was out partying at the foot of the mountain, he was ambushed and assassinated.
No one knew who the killer was, they wore a mask. By the time the sect found him, he was barely clinging to life.
Lin Beisheng used massive resources to keep him alive, but even then, he hovered on the edge of death.
Last night, his breath stopped entirely. That was the moment Xu Zimo’s soul entered his body.
…
Xu Zimo wanted to use the body's memories to learn about the Eternal Lands.
But the guy knew nothing, only things around the Nine Heavens Imperial Sect.
"Since I’m here on the Eternal Lands, I should check out where Demon Thirteen once appeared," Xu Zimo thought. "And that demon race treasure, the Summon-Demon Sky-Shroud Tree, I need to find it too."
After thinking that through, Xu Zimo started examining his surroundings.
The room was luxuriously decorated. The bed he lay on was made with silk and cotton.
There was a delicate table and chair in front of him, and a sandalwood cabinet in the corner.
Strange ornaments hung on the walls.
Every wooden object in the room was made from sandalwood or nanmu wood.
Xu Zimo closed his eyes and felt his soul.
The body was weak, drained from years of drinking and women.
Luckily, the soul was still his. With time, he could purify and strengthen the body through soul tempering.
His God World was too powerful for the body to handle right now. He’d have to refine the body first.
Also, this world-crossing experience had left his soul unstable.
To have survived such a violent transfer with his soul intact was already a miracle.
…
As Xu Zimo thought things through, the door suddenly opened.
A maid in a green dress entered carrying a tray of medicine.
When she saw Xu Zimo sitting up in bed, she gasped and nearly dropped the tray.
“Young master, you’re awake!” she cried, then ran out in a hurry.
Moments later, a middle-aged man and a young man rushed into the room.
“Qiu’er!” the middle-aged man called out, full of concern.
Xu Zimo recognized them from the body’s memories: his father Lin Beisheng and older brother Lin Feng.
“How are you feeling? Better now?” Lin Beisheng asked anxiously.
“I’m much better,” Xu Zimo nodded slightly.
“Good, good. Second Brother, don’t be so careless next time,” Lin Feng let out a sigh of relief. “You nearly scared Father to death.”
“It’s fine, as long as Qiu’er is okay,” Lin Beisheng waved it off.
Then he turned to the maid and said, “Little Qing, go fetch Elder Zhan Lu to examine him again.”
After she left, Lin Beisheng turned back, his eyes narrowing.
“Qiu’er, did you get a good look at the people who attacked you?” he asked.
“No, they were all masked. I didn’t see anything,” Xu Zimo shook his head.
And that was the truth, there was nothing in the original memory.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get to the bottom of this,” Lin Beisheng said coldly. “Whoever it is, they’ll pay for what they’ve done.”
As they spoke, the maid returned with a man in white robes.
He was elegant and refined, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a truly handsome figure.
His whole presence gave off an ethereal aura.
“Zhan Lu, take a look at Qiu’er. He just woke up. I want to make sure there are no lingering issues,” Lin Beisheng said.
He had checked Xu Zimo earlier and found no major problems, his life had been saved.
But Zhan Lu, from Cinnabar Heaven Mountain, was the youngest elder in a hundred years.
Cinnabar Heaven Mountain specialized in healing and medicine. It was best to be certain.
The white-robed man gave a calm nod.
His eyes opened wide, and a brilliant light flickered within them.