STIGMA

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.