The MC collapsed onto the cold stone floor.
His vision blurred as his lungs burned, each breath coming heavier than the last. Blood dried on his skin, his body trembling—not from pain, but from exhaustion so deep it reached his bones.
"So… it's true," he whispered hoarsely."I can receive their memories."
The world tilted.
A torrent of foreign memories surged into his mind.
Darkness.
A damp cave.
A massive serpent coiled around a stone—far larger than any spiritual stone he had ever seen. The stone pulsed like a living heart, flooding the cave with dense, ancient energy. Day after day, the serpent absorbed it, shedding skin, growing stronger, evolving at an impossible speed.
Less than half a year.
That was all it took.
The memories shattered.
The MC sucked in a sharp breath.
"So that's how you did it…"
His gaze hardened.
"That stone… you absorbed nearly half of it. What a waste."
He checked his body—and froze.
Every wound was gone.
Not a scratch remained.
"…Healed?"
A faint chill crawled up his spine. He didn't linger on it. Standing up, he walked toward the serpent's cave.
The moment he entered, pressure crashed down on him.
Even after losing half its energy, the stone was still nearly his height, radiating power so dense it distorted the air around it.
His heart pounded.
"So this is what remains…"
Without hesitation, he took out his storage pouch. The moment the stone vanished inside, the cave felt emptier—almost lifeless.
Returning to his own shelter, he finally exhaled.
"Phew…"
Silence.
Then, slowly, his hands began to shake.
"Who would've thought…" he murmured, staring at them."…that an introvert like me would lose control and fight like a beast?"
The memory of his rage replayed in his mind—how natural it felt.
Too natural.
His chest tightened.
"No. This isn't right."
A dangerous thought surfaced.
"Am I… losing my sanity?"
He clenched his fists.
"I need to stop hunting. For now, I'll focus only on cultivation."
After a moment, his expression shifted.
"…Before that."
He closed his eyes.
"I should see what's changed."
The Mysterious Land welcomed him with a surge of power.
The moment he entered, his body felt lighter, stronger—like he could breathe freely for the first time.
"So this is it…"
He knelt and placed a seedling into the soil.
The ground trembled.
Then—the seedling was swallowed whole.
"…Gone?"
His brows furrowed.
"So it doesn't work like that."
He slowly stood.
"This land needs energy. A terrifying amount of it."
A thought formed. Dangerous. Irrational.
"What if… I let it absorb directly?"
Immediately, doubt followed.
"But how?"
He laughed bitterly.
"Why does this thing even need spiritual energy? Is it… cultivating too?"
The realization hit him like lightning.
Without hesitation, he pulled out every spiritual stone he owned.
"Let's see how much you can take."
The stones dissolved instantly.
Whoosh.
All of them—gone.
The land continued expanding.
His face paled.
"Shit… how much more?!"
His heart raced.
"If I stop now, everything will be wasted."
He looked at the massive stone—the serpent's treasure.
A single thought echoed in his mind.
Trust it.
"…Fine."
His voice was steady, but his hands trembled.
"Let's make a final gamble."
The giant stone was released.
The land devoured it.
The expansion stopped.
Instantly.
The world fell silent.
Then—the land stabilized, forming its own environment. Spiritual energy poured in from the outside world, drawn violently inward as if the land itself had begun to breathe.
The dead seedling trembled.
Green spread across its stem.
Life returned.
The MC stood frozen.
"…A Blessed Land."
A long breath escaped him.
"So this is what you needed…"
A weight lifted from his chest—one he hadn't realized he was carrying.
"I can finally cultivate properly."
Relief flooded him.
"It's been so long since I felt this… light."
A distant memory surfaced—standing alone, results in hand.
"The last time I felt like this… was when I ranked first in the country."
A faint smile appeared.
"…Now, all that's left is cultivation."
Months passed.
Seasons changed.
One year slipped by.
The MC now wore simple, ancient clothing. His presence was calm, grounded—like a blade sheathed after countless battles.
Inside the cave, countless arrays covered the walls.
He stood in the center and laughed.
"I did it."
His eyes gleamed.
"Every line… every pattern… exact resonance."
He exhaled.
"Without modern tools, it took nearly a year just to understand the basics."
Then he smiled wider.
"But it's enough."
The flying boat trembled as it responded to his control.
Stepping outside, energy surged around him.
"Qi Refining Level 4."
He packed everything—crystal stones, rare fruits, spiritual plants—replanting what he could into the Mysterious Land.
Finally, he stood atop the flying boat.
"One and a half years…"
His gaze turned toward the horizon.
"…I'm finally going to see humans again."
The arrays activated.
The boat rose.
A calm, determined voice echoed.
"Let's go."