The small black pot held simmering stew enough to eat for two meals. The aroma mixed with the smoke from the burnt firewood before reaching all corners of the room.

Ning grinned widely, smelling the sweet aroma of the potato stew, as he stirred the pot with a large wooden spoon. Bits of colorful root vegetables bobbed up and down on the surface.

"It's a good day for stew, hehe."

Salivating ungracefully, he put down the pot from the stove and placed it on the table.

Dinner~ Was~ Served~

"Ah right, my phone."

Ning rose from his seat and turned toward the counter where he had casually placed his phone while cooking. As he approached, he reached out and touched the phone, causing it to suddenly light up with a notification.

Ning glanced at his phone, and then, in an instant, everything seemed to explode.

After that, all he could see was red as an overwhelming wave of dizziness washed over him.

As his consciousness faded, he swore inwardly.

F*Ck, I WANT TO EAT MY POTATO STEW!!

...

His eyelids were tightly shut, and his body felt heavy. He was lying on a hard surface, and a suffocating smell of smoke filled the air.

*Cough*Cough*

Fire?

Wait, no, no, no, no—I couldn't die yet. I still had to eat that stew.

Then suddenly, a cool chill washed away his dizziness as Ning stood up.

Opening his eyes, he took in the unfamiliar surroundings. He found himself in a small cave with only a mat, stove, and cupboard.

What had happened?

Where was he?

Seeing the unknown place, Ning couldn't help but question himself.

He slowly suppressed the slight panic he felt inside and attempted to calm down.

He took deep breaths. Calm down.

He observed and didn't make hasty decisions. He had seen enough horror/crime movies to know what would happen otherwise, especially in such a startling situation where there might be unsavory outcomes, mostly a phenomenon where one would never be able to see the light of day again.

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Ning tried to remember anything that could help.

But at that moment, he felt a sharp pain in his mind.

It was as if all the built-up pressure was released at once. Accompanying the pain was a series of memories that were utterly unfamiliar to him.

Ning's legs gave way, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted again.

...

Ning's eyes slowly fluttered open, his mind swirling with a mix of disturbance and astonishment upon processing the information he had just absorbed.

Transmigration. He had transmigrated into a different world.

It was a clichéd plotline, straight out of the "I transmigrated to a different world" genre. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the sheer predictability of it all. The memories he had glimpsed belonged to this new body he now inhabited.

"F*ck, I was just going to eat some food. How the hell did I transmigrate so suddenly? Really, can't have shit in Detroit."

Massaging his throbbing temples, he took a deep breath, determined to remain calm amidst the chaos. Gradually, he began to piece together the fragmented memories, gaining a clearer understanding of the world in which he now found himself.

This world was similar to those in ancient times, often seen in Eastern dramas and novels. There were cultivators who harnessed the energy of the world and transcended their own limitations.

"The original owner was also called Ning. How creepy..."

Ning muttered a bit eerily before shaking off the discomfort. He delved even deeper into the memory.

Ji Ning, son of the local martial arts master. Not to confuse with cultivators, martial arts masters didn't have spiritual roots and rather relied on various techniques to survive in this world.

A month ago, during a test, 'Ji Ning' was found to have cultivation aptitude, also known as the spiritual root. Among hundreds of people, it was rare to find a single person with cultivation aptitude.

Since cultivation aptitude was quite rare, it was not surprising that the cultivation sects wanted to recruit more disciples to strengthen themselves, especially since the original owner also had mid-grade spiritual roots.

But it seemed that the original body's good luck had ended since, as soon as he started his journey to start cultivating, he suffered an extremely rare qi deviation, which killed him instantly.

"Really, this guy was quite unlucky."

Recalling all those memories, Ning couldn't help but feel that the original owner was quite unlucky. Especially seeing that the original owner was a loner with no friends at all, even when he was suffering from Qi deviation, no one came to help.

Ning accepted the situation after a period of adaptation, he had no choice but to do so.

"For now, let's just be me and see where it leads. It was the mandate I lived by in my previous life and continues to be the one in my current life as well."

Thinking like this, Ning strengthened his resolve.

From his brief memory, Ning realized that this world was very similar to the novels he used to read. There were many dangers in this world, whether it be abnormal creatures or humans themselves.

This world revolved around 'strength' or the law of the jungle.

Narrowing his eyes, Ning didn't feel as panicked as he thought he would be, nor was he so scared that he would lose his mind. Of course, he did feel a little panic, but it was overshadowed by his interest in cultivation and this new world.

It may also be his adrenaline pushing him through, but he didn't mind.

He had already set his mind to become a cultivator. Well, it's not like he had much choice regarding this.

Be it to return to his original world, become the so-called immortal, or simply out of curiosity, he felt that he needed to learn and cultivate, and eventually, the answers would unfold themselves.

Since he was in this situation anyway, panicking would do no good. It was best to adapt and play it by ear.

And the first step to do that is to accept his new identity.

Taking a deep breath, he muttered to himself, "From this moment forth, I am Ji Ning."