Volume 1: Entering the Future for the First Time
Shu Xun had no goals. He didn’t know where to go but already understood that he could never return to that warm little nest. No father, no mother, no younger brothers; from now on, he would be alone.
Climbing over a piece of tree root exposed on the ground, little did Shu Xun expect that behind the root was a deep pit. In a moment of absent-mindedness, Shu Xun realized it was too late. With a snap, he fell directly into the pit. The soil in the pit was not hard, and Shu Xun didn’t feel any pain from the fall, but he rolled down the slope for two rounds.
There were no injuries on his body, but Shu Xun lay at the bottom of the pit without moving. Shu Xun didn’t know what he was testing, waiting for, or expecting.
A long time passed, and the surroundings fell into silence. No one came to pick him up. The light in Shu Xun’s eyes finally extinguished. He didn’t bother to move and quietly lay at the bottom of the pit.
As the sunlight gradually sank to the west, the already sparse light in the forest lost its warmth, gradually disappearing. Even in April, the spring night in the northern country was bone-chilling. The air became increasingly humid, and the pitch-black night sky showed no stars, brewing something unknown.
Unconsciously, Shu Xun, who had fallen asleep, shivered and slowly woke up. The icy cold seeped in, and Shu Xun sat up from the pit bottom. For a moment, he couldn’t adapt to the darkness. Not completely blind, the treasure-seeking mouse could see in the dark, but the night disturbed their vision, affecting both distance and clarity.
Shu Xun looked around and found that the pit was about half a meter deep, with a steep angle. The soil was soft, and climbing up might require some effort. A faint growling sound emerged, and Shu Xun touched his small stomach, realizing he hadn’t eaten anything for a day.
He untied the small package and, upon opening it, discovered his favorite jerky and green bean cakes. There was a set of modern clothes, a set of ancient clothes, a small blanket, and a small porcelain bottle containing tiny particles. Shu Xun vaguely recalled that his mother had once said that on the Huanchen continent, she had exchanged many Lingzhi spores with a pair of discarded claws for a purple mushroom fairy herb.
Shu Xun sniffed, suppressing the tears in his eyes, and continued to examine. He found several jade slips, but Shu Xun’s current cultivation level was too low to view them. In addition, there was a tablet and a photo. In the photo, Shu Xun sat in the middle, with two slightly taller younger brothers snuggled closely beside him, and the three chubby faces pressed together. Father and mother, dressed in elaborate ancient costumes, stood on both sides.
Shu Xun put the photo down, picked up a green bean cake to fill his stomach, rearranged the small package, fastened the straps, and prepared to climb out of the pit. However, before he could move, a cold raindrop fell, splashing fine dust from the pit bottom. Startled, Shu Xun quickly moved aside. Just as he steadied himself, another raindrop fell. Shu Xun awkwardly dodged it, subconsciously looking up.
The pitch-black night sky was blocked by the jungle but couldn’t stop the falling raindrops. Shu Xun watched as raindrops, larger than his fist, fell rapidly.
The first spring rain of the year finally poured down after a long brewing. Thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed intermittently. In the jungle, all things finally completely revived, seemingly awakened by this spring rain, nurturing countless lives.
The new rain symbolized new life but brought great trouble to the little Shu Xun. Not only did the raindrops almost knock him unconscious, but the soil also became slippery, and the rainwater in the pit accumulated deeper.
Shu Xun climbed and slipped, time and again, into the rainwater at the bottom of the pit. Staring at his short legs, Shu Xun leaned against the edge of the pit, pondering for a moment. Despite being hit by the rain several times, Shu Xun finally gave up on the idea of climbing up. Suddenly, a cold light flashed on his chubby little hands, and his nails sharpened. Though tender, they were exceptionally sharp.
Leaning against the edge of the pit, Shu Xun quickly dug out a hole big enough for himself, then swiftly burrowed into it, waving his chubby hands. Not proficient in the movement, he dug towards the sloping side, fearing the pit might collapse. Shu Xun chose to dig towards the location of the tree root. Spirit beasts inherently possessed a sense of direction, and within such a short distance, Shu Xun wouldn’t deviate from his course.
After a moment, a small mound near the tree root bulged, and quickly, a dirty little figure emerged. The soil under the tree root had turned muddy. After climbing out, Shu Xun’s body was already wet with mud, but the small package remained remarkably clean.
This spring rain came fiercely, and the torrential rain and strong winds continued for nearly an hour before gradually easing. However, the rain did not completely stop; it persisted intermittently until the early morning before finally ceasing.
On the next morning, after a night of rain, the air seemed refreshed, and everywhere in the jungle, there were small puddles of accumulated rainwater. Raindrops on the leaves fell with the chilly spring breeze unique to the northern country, leaving behind a sparkling brilliance.
On the sturdy and ancient trunk of a red pine tree, a small cave was faintly visible, with evident claw marks indicating recent excavation. Inside the small tree hole, a little person wrapped in a soft blanket slept soundly. Nearby, clothes hung on two branches were no longer dripping.
When sunlight entered the tree hole, the person wrapped in the blanket finally opened their eyes, lazily yawning. Shu Xun gazed outside through the tree hole at the bright morning sun for a while, finally rolled out of bed, changed into new clothes, and neatly packed away the wet clothes from last night. Ready to find a small water puddle to wash up, he slung his small package over his back and skillfully jumped down the tree trunk using the branches.
Not long after, a small trail of footprints was left on the damp soil, extending towards an unknown destination.
One month later.
Changbai Mountain had completely transformed, teeming with vibrant life, showcasing the vigorous vitality of nature. The fragrance of pine filled the air, and the continuous chirping of birds echoed through the forest.
At this time, Shu Xun had undergone noticeable changes compared to a month ago. The initial confusion, helplessness, and panic gradually faded away. In the process of getting to know the world, he had become more resilient. Shu Xun, without a specific goal but curious about the Northeast his mother often mentioned, decided that his first objective was to explore the renowned Changbai Mountain. He planned to eat enough ginseng, then leave the mountains to taste the legendary pork stewed with noodles and the pickled vegetables made by Cui Hua…
So, in the jungle, as summer approached, one could often see a small figure with a backpack leisurely traveling, crossing mushroom-like hills, stepping over trickling streams, and occasionally, navigating through larger puddles by casually paddling on a tree leaf.
Several dozen days of solitary living taught Shu Xun to investigate danger, search for food, and encounter thrilling moments and crises. After losing the protection of his parents, the cruel laws of nature were laid bare in front of Shu Xun. With no retreat, he could only move forward. The little bundle had grown astonishingly fast in this short month.
On this day, Shu Xun was sitting on a grass leaf, nibbling on the remaining jerky. Due to seasonal limitations, there are fewer edible foods in the jungle now. After eating grass roots and stems for a few days, Shu Xun reluctantly took out the jerky, and his chubby face swelled at the sight of the dwindling supply in the package.
Just as he furrowed his brows in concern, Shu Xun happened to notice a familiar leaf. He immediately flipped down the grass leaf and ran towards the location of the leaf, skillfully investigating the surroundings. After confirming there was no danger, he opened his bright eyes, examined the leaf, and after confirming that it was indeed ginseng, his mood instantly lifted.
Counting the leaves on his little fingers—six compound leaves. Using his small claws, he cleared away the soil and examined the condition of the rhizome1
. Sniffing with his sensitive little nose, he could only confirm that it was a hundred-year ginseng but couldn’t determine more specific details.
Deciding to harvest it, Shu Xun took a deep breath and then diligently began to clear the soil around the ginseng. Because it was his first encounter with a hundred-year ginseng, Shu Xun was particularly cautious and meticulous in cleaning. His sharp claws easily removed the soil, digging deeper and deeper until a depth of over a meter. It took him a full two hours before Shu Xun, satisfied, cradled the hundred-year mountain ginseng in his arms.
Standing at the bottom of the pit, carefully placing the ginseng in the package, Shu Xun observed that the ginseng showed no signs of damage. With the pure ginseng fragrance and the rich spiritual energy lingering, Shu Xun could be sure that the lifespan of this ginseng was definitely not short. If the limitations of this world weren’t so stringent, this ginseng might have already attained sentience2the capacity to experience sensations, feelings, and consciousness.
With a small backpack on his back, Shu Xun decided on a direction to dig out. Due to the extensive roots of the ginseng, the hole he dug had a tendency to be narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. With this trend, digging out seemed much simpler than climbing up.
So, transforming his nails, Shu Xun buried his head in the soil. After a month of practice, Shu Xun’s digging skills had improved significantly. Though far from being proficient, he could at least avoid cave-ins and prevent himself from being trapped inside. Swiftly waving his small claws, Shu Xun was in a good mood. He even hummed a song, contemplating finding a concealed location to eat the ginseng and enhance his spiritual power. Even if this hundred-year ginseng couldn’t advance him, it was sufficient to trigger inheritance and talents.
Indeed, although a demonic spirit born in a transformed state could avoid the immensely powerful transformation tribulation, the heavenly laws imposed a balancing constraint. Such demonic spirits needed a period of growth before inheriting legacy and talents. It wasn’t like other demonic spirits that gained inheritance and talents through enlightenment or transformation.
