RPAGF 1. A miraculous escape from death
1. A miraculous escape from death
"Bamboo Lady, please accept my condolences."
In a secluded courtyard of the Gao family, the number one immortal cultivation clan on the Immortal Spirit Continent, a beautiful woman listened blankly as one of her family's top physicians, Gao Shi, expressionlessly sentenced her daughter to death.
This beautiful woman was the first wife of Gao Zhilin, a direct descendant of the Gao family. Everyone called her Madam Bamboo because her name contained the character "Bamboo." After all, Gao Zhilin was not the head of the Gao family, so Madam Bamboo was not worthy of the title Madam Gao.
Lady Zhu did not blame Gao Shi for his indifference. After all, it was already more than enough that Gao Shi, as a direct descendant, had condescended to come and treat her collateral descendant daughter. It should be noted that although the top physicians in the Gao family were not the most outstanding in the Immortal Spirit Continent, they were at least among the top 100. Gao Shi himself had risen from a collateral descendant to a direct descendant of the Gao family with his superb medical and alchemy skills, which showed his exceptional abilities.
If Lady Zhu's husband hadn't been a prominent member of the Gao family back then, even surpassing the current high-ranking scholar, she wouldn't have been able to hire him to treat her daughter. However, she was indeed delusional, hoping that her daughter was different and could survive the effects of the Soul-Devouring Incense, just as she had hoped that her husband could also withstand its corrosive effects...
Recalling the scene three days ago when the demons attacked, in this courtyard without any guards, the beautiful woman felt that fate was cruel. Her thirteen-year-old son, whose cultivation was not yet at the Foundation Establishment stage, held her hand and promised to protect her. If she and her husband hadn't gone to annihilate the remnants of the demons, her husband wouldn't have died, and she wouldn't have lost her cultivation. In this world where the strong are respected, without cultivation, one has nothing. If the Gao family hadn't always been soft-hearted, they would never have kept her in the Gao family. However, all the preferential treatment she received back then was reduced by more than 80%. It wasn't until her son, Zhun'er, began to cultivate, and at a considerable speed, and was expected to achieve the Nascent Soul stage before the age of twenty, that the situation improved. In fact, if Zhun'er could achieve the Nascent Soul stage before the age of twenty, she could enter the direct lineage, and she and her daughter could regain their former glory...
If things had continued as originally planned, everything seemed perfect. Who would have thought that even under the Gao family's suppression, a demon had managed to slip through the net and infiltrate the Gao family? This demon was a powerful cultivator at the Mahayana stage, severely injured. None of the Gao family's main combat forces above the Mahayana stage were guarding the outer courtyard of the collateral branches. Even a group of Nascent Soul cultivators were helpless against this demon, whose strength was negligible. In the heat of battle, the demon even resorted to the vicious Soul-Devouring Incense. Although the Gao family reacted quickly and sent people to kill him, the damage was already done. Several young, low-cultivation collateral branch disciples and servants were poisoned, including her daughter…
“Zhun’er… Husband… I failed to protect our daughter, I failed to protect our daughter…” Madam Zhu looked at her daughter’s increasingly pale face, looking completely lost. Having lost her husband at a young age and now having to bury her daughter, how could she bear it?
Seeing this, Gao Shi simply shook his head. In the blink of an eye, he was about to take Gao Zhun's body to be disposed of and buried when he suddenly noticed that Gao Zhun's eyelids twitched. This startled the well-informed Gao Shi, who quickly stopped his unnecessary movements, sat down by the bed, and placed his hand on the other's wrist again. Sure enough, he felt a faint pulse.
"Madam Bamboo, your daughter is not dead yet." The scholar's face was noticeably pale as he spoke. Throughout history, he had never seen anyone survive the poison of the Soul-Devouring Incense. Wasn't the brilliant Gao Zhilin a perfect example? This near-death experience was not a good thing for Gao Zhun.
Lady Zhu was also filled with surprise and uncertainty upon hearing this. Although joy outweighed her feelings, she and Gao Shi had previously confirmed that Gao Zhun had been poisoned by the Soul-Devouring Incense. Now, Gao Zhun was still alive! If this news got out, not only would the demonic path not let this anomaly go, but even the righteous path, and even the Gao family, might use Gao Zhun for research. The battle between the righteous and demonic paths had been fruitless for millennia, partly because the demons possessed the Soul-Devouring Incense, a deadly weapon. The Soul-Devouring Incense, though fragrant, had the effect of devouring souls. Even ethereal immortals, let alone those at the Mahayana stage, could not resist it. The fact that the weak Gao Zhun could survive the poison undoubtedly gave the righteous path a chance to completely overcome their fear of the demonic Soul-Devouring Incense…
“Madam Bamboo, the young lady has not been poisoned by the Soul-Devouring Incense.” In a few breaths, Gao Shi made a decision. He could not forget how Gao Zhilin had died. He had to repay the life-saving grace today.
"Hmm?" Madam Zhu was still reeling from the joy of her daughter's narrow escape, so she responded instinctively.
“I said Miss Qian was not poisoned by the Soul-Devouring Incense. That day, she was merely attacked by that demonic cultivator at the Mahayana stage, which damaged her soul. I was momentarily careless and almost misjudged the situation.” Gao Shi said calmly, taking out a piece of paper from his storage ring and writing out a prescription for regulating the soul with a wave of his hand: “This is the instruction for taking the Soul-Teasing Pill. Madam Zhu can go to the medicine storehouse to get the pill. Hmm, never mind, Madam Zhu is probably too busy taking care of Miss Qian alone. I will have my apprentice bring the pill to you. I also need to report Miss Qian’s injury. Such merit in resisting the demons is indispensable for both Miss Qian and Madam Zhu, isn’t it?”
As he spoke, Gao Shi transmitted his voice to Madam Zhu: "Today's matter could be big or small. I will have the medicine boy bring something later. Our memories may be examined by someone with ulterior motives, so we can only modify them manually."
"This...this...thank you so much, Doctor Gao." Madam Zhu naturally knew why the other party had helped to cover it up, and now she understood without saying a word.
The scholar waved his hand and smiled, "Healing the sick and saving lives, practicing medicine and helping the world, has always been my ambition. Besides, you have already paid me, so I will not bother you any longer. Miss will be fine after a few days of recuperation."
With that, the scholar left.
After the scholar left, Lady Zhu returned to her room. Seeing Gao Zhun's previously pale face gradually regain its color, she felt a sense of relief. It was said that those who cultivate immortality seek wealth and power amidst danger. Even a powerful family like the Gao family frequently sent their members out to train, participate in secret realms, and various grand gatherings—all for this purpose. Now, Zhun'er had escaped death. Although there might be some lingering problems, it was ultimately a good thing. She wondered what he might gain; such a great ordeal should have transformed him completely…
As Gao Shi had predicted, the Gao family sent many people to verify Gao Zhun's situation. Fortunately, the memory-restoring pill that Gao Shi sent worked. The Gao family couldn't find any clues from Gao Shi or Madam Zhu, so they accepted Gao Shi's previous statement that he had "misjudged" and stopped sending people to inquire. Of course, Gao Shi and Madam Zhu, who had taken the memory-restoring pill, also forgot about the matter and had acquired different memories. Therefore, even they now believed Gao Shi's previous words without a doubt.
Three days later, in a courtyard of the Gao family's outer compound, a beam of light descended from the sky with a "hum," landing on Gao Zhun, who had just awakened. His cultivation had actually broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage as soon as he woke up. This made Madam Zhu, who noticed it, very happy. Indeed, misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. Gao Zhun, who originally needed at least half a year to break through, had now broken through ahead of schedule. This meant that Gao Zhun was one step closer to achieving the Nascent Soul stage before the age of twenty.
"Well……"
No one could know that Gao Zhun, bathed in the pillar of light at this very moment, had already been replaced by a soul from another world. It was also unknown how Heaven and Earth judged the events, which were the 21st-century Gao Zhun's 'murder' and the 'poisoning by the Soul-Devouring Incense' in the Immortal Spirit Continent, as related events. At the moment of their simultaneous death, they forcibly crossed time and space, directly stuffing the still-burning soul of the 21st-century Gao Zhun into the body of another Gao Zhun whose soul in the Immortal Spirit Continent had just disappeared. Whether it was a huge misunderstanding or a secret unknown to others, as time went by, Gao Zhun, increasingly astonished by the high degree of compatibility between his soul and body, chose to believe the latter. Of course, that was a matter for later, and we will not discuss it now.
"Gao Zhun, wake up."
A voice emanating from the depths of the pillar of light pierced Gao Zhun's soul, instantly waking her as a torrent of memories flooded her mind. Almost simultaneously, she learned many things, but had no time to process them, for she knew that what she was experiencing was called 'Marrow Cleansing,' a reward bestowed upon cultivators by heaven and earth after each advancement in their early stages. It signified the cleansing of the body's impurities, making it purer, clearer, and closer to nature, ultimately leading to the attainment of the supreme Dao. At the same time, some exceptionally talented individuals could also comprehend the power emanating from the Dao of Heaven and Earth at this moment, entering a state of enlightenment. Such opportunities for enlightenment were rare for cultivators. Although she had not yet accepted the fact that she had arrived in a world of immortals and heroes, the longing and persistence deep within her memories made her immediately calm down and accept the cleansing of her body by heaven and earth. She focused intently on probing her divine sense into the pillar of light, hoping to gain enlightenment and enter a state of enlightenment, thereby further enhancing her strength on the basis of her advancement.
Once Gao Zhun entered the state, she noticed something unusual. Ordinary people only cleanse their flesh and body, but why was she also expelling impurities from her soul? Isn't the effect of cleansing the soul only achieved by the tribulation lightning after reaching the Nascent Soul stage and advancing through the tribulation?
Perhaps sensing the question rising in Gao Zhun's mind, an aged voice instantly entered her consciousness through the pillar of light she was comprehending.