I fabricated myths to guide the revival of spiritual energy.

Changsha, five-star hotel, bathroom

Hot water poured down from above, accompanied by the sound of rushing water, and the black, turbid stream meandered down Gu Qing's ankles toward the drain.

That's not ordinary dirt.

It was the toxins that had accumulated in his body for over twenty years, expelled from every pore, along with the remnants of broken, dying cancer cells. A nauseating stench filled the air, like the smell of rotting meat being left to bake in the scorching sun.

Gu Qing didn't use shower gel; she simply let the scalding hot water wash over her newborn body.

He was enjoying the feeling.

happy.

A thoroughly enjoyable and exhilarating experience.

This pleasurable sensation comes not only from the cleansing of the skin, but also from the feeling of "etherealness" within the body.

His stomach used to feel like a leaky engine, each movement accompanied by excruciating, pulling pain and a feeling of suffocation. It felt like his stomach was stuffed with wet cotton, heavy and oppressive.

But now, that "engine" is gone.

Instead, it has a pair of powerful, clean, and even greedy stomachs.

Gu Qing turned off the shower.

The bathroom was filled with steam. He reached out and wiped the condensation off the mirror, looking at the naked man reflected in it.

The paleness, hair loss, and edema that were caused by long-term chemotherapy have completely disappeared.

The person in the mirror had thick, black hair that clung damply to their forehead. Their skin had a healthy, translucent, jade-like quality, and their muscles, though not exaggerated, were perfectly proportioned, like an ancient Greek sculpture, each muscle brimming with explosive power.

Most importantly, those eyes.

The whites of his eyes were clear and flawless, and his pupils were deep and dark, with a faint shimmering light.

System scan results:

[Physical Condition: Perfect (Innate Dao Body - Initial Awakening)]

[Residual lesions: 0%]

[Cell activity: 10 times the normal level]

Current lifespan: 150 years (can increase with cultivation level)

"zero."

Gu Qing stared at the glaring "0%", the corners of his mouth slowly curving upwards, eventually turning into a brazen smile.

"Is this what it feels like to be healthy?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"hiss--"

Air enters through the nasal cavity, passes through the trachea, and fills the alveoli.

There was no obstruction, no pain, and no smell of blood.

Only fresh oxygen mixed with the scent of shower gel.

He inhaled so deeply and for so long that the airflow in the bathroom seemed to form a tiny vortex, converging towards his mouth and nose.

Then, he slowly exhaled.

"call--"

A visible white streak shot out and struck the mirror in front of it, producing a soft "snap" sound, and a crack instantly appeared on the mirror surface.

"This isn't breathing at all." Gu Qing looked at the crack and laughed self-deprecatingly. "This is practically a low-budget version of 'breathing exercises'."

He stepped out of the bathroom, changed into a dry bathrobe, and walked barefoot onto the carpet.

He used to feel tired just walking, and he would pant after every step.

Now, he felt as light as a feather, able to jump onto the roof with just a little effort.

"Gravity seems to have decreased."

Gu Qing walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the city of Changsha.

"No, it's because I've become stronger."

He picked up an apple from the table, tossed it casually, and then caught it between two fingers with lightning speed.

The movement was so fast that it left afterimages in the air.

"Reaction speed, dynamic vision, strength control... they're all beyond human capabilities."

Gu Qing took a bite of the apple.

Crisp and sweet.

His sense of taste had become more acute than ever before; he could even taste where the apple came from and detect a trace of pesticide residue in the flesh.

"Pooh."

Gu Qing spat out the fruit peel.

"Looks like I'll have to be more picky about what I eat from now on."

He sat back on the sofa and poured himself a glass of water.

This glass of water was the sweetest water he had ever drunk in his life.

"His life has been saved."

Gu Qing looked at the neon lights outside the window, her eyes gradually shifting from joy to deep calm.

"Since I can't die, I'm no longer a gambler who's driven mad by the desire to survive."

"From this day forward, I have one hundred and fifty years."

"I have enough time to play a bigger game."

The previous "Xiangxi Chapter," while grand in scale, was essentially about "survival." His methods were radical, risky, and even somewhat crude.

Now, he is an "immortal".

His mindset has changed.

He was no longer the trembling fraudster hiding behind the scenes; he was the true player in this game.

"system."

Gu Qing put down the water glass, her voice steady and firm.

"The settlement is complete, and I feel much better now."

"Now, let me see what this so-called 'second-level access' is all about."

"Now that I have the 'Innate Dao Body,' it's too weak to rely solely on my physical body to withstand it."

"I need real...spells."

[Ding! Host body repair detected.]

[The host's current credibility value meets the unlocking requirements.]

The system is undergoing an upgrade...

[Unlocked: Second-level access library - [Refining Qi into Divine Power].]

As the system notification sounded, the pale blue interface in front of Gu Qing suddenly shattered and then reformed.

What were originally just "special effects" and "props" options have begun to undergo a qualitative change.

In Gu Qing's eyes, a new interface was reflected, the gateway to the true "path of cultivation".

"bring it on."

Gu Qing took a deep breath, a long-awaited, healthy breath that carried with it his ambition for the future.

"Let the world see what true...supernatural power is."