Chapter 1: Soul Reaper

In the cramped courtyard, Guo Huai sat quietly in a lotus position beneath a large tree shaped like an umbrella. In front of him lay a haphazard pile of books, none of which were new, and their quality was not that of the printed materials of this era. Since a century ago, when the Deep Blue Planet was incorporated into the Pangu Star Domain's civilization system, technology has advanced rapidly under the brilliance of the star domain's civilization. Nowadays, many people no longer hold physical books; instead, they read using computers manufactured with technology from other planets, which is comparatively more convenient and efficient.

Guo Huai carefully put away the books he had purchased for only fifty silver dollars. This was merely because the seller did not recognize their value. After all, the seller was an ordinary person and could not discern that the books contained descriptions of transcendent spells. Because of this, he was able to buy them at a low price. The value of books lies in their ability to record and transmit knowledge. After absorbing the knowledge from these books, he planned to sell them. By that time, the value of the books would no longer be the same; they contained transcendent spells that could only be learned by those who had transcended. If placed in the hands of adventurers, they would undoubtedly fetch a good price.

There is also a situation where the deceased has completely devoted their body and mind to the Supreme Deity and the various gods under the Supreme Deity. Such individuals, upon death, will emit an aura of death. However, these individuals have their own place to return to after death. If they encounter Guo Huai, they can only consider themselves unfortunate. After all, while many people believe in deities, those who can fully devote their body and mind to the deities are often very few. And who would dare to rob souls from the deities? That would be courting death.

This tree is called the Ghost Sophora, and just by its name, one can tell it is a tree associated with the supernatural. In fact, this is true; this type of tree is a divine tree cultivated by ancient tree herders from ordinary Sophora trees. It possesses boundless mystical qualities. As long as the tree herders nurture this divine tree well, they will naturally reap endless benefits and supernatural powers

In the early days when he first entered middle school, he found an ancient book at an old book stall. On the surface, it was merely a volume titled "The Art of Creation" compiled by a certain dynasty during the dark ages of the medieval period, discussing the understanding of the world by people of that era, along with descriptions and methods for creating some simple tools and machinery based on that understanding. However, there were deeper mysteries contained within.

Someone is about to die again. After putting away the books, Guo Huai received a vague sensation and stood in front of the large tree in the courtyard. This tree was grown from the seed he obtained a few years ago, and it has now developed significantly. This also symbolizes that his power has accumulated to a certain extent; taking one more step forward would allow him to surpass his current state, thus no longer being an ordinary person. This tree is his life tree, the source of all his power and the foundation of his existence. As long as the tree does not die, even if his physical body is destroyed, he will not perish.

Guo Huai opened the gate to the courtyard, took out the motorcycle from the back of the yard, and prepared to head to the scene of the incident. According to his intuition, it was not the hospital he frequently visited, but rather an alley. It was not a car accident; instead, it was likely a clash caused by local criminal forces. Of course, it could also be an accident, and there was even a possibility that no one had died at all, which would mean he had made a trip for nothing, and he might even have to do some unpaid work.

Capable transcenders, or those who venture to various planes and primitive planets, even to wild planets for exploration and development like their parents, either join the various levels of the Mo family’s Heavenly Craft Institute. Guo Huai pondered while driving: "Once I get into a higher education institution, I will see if there are opportunities in that big city, where the density of transcenders will be much greater. If I can fully integrate with the books to become a transcender, I will qualify to become an explorer. At that time, the opportunities to venture into outer planes and primitive planets, and to harvest the souls of the powerful will be more abundant; that will be my way out"

In the book, there were unexpectedly hidden treasures. Guo Huai discovered a plant seed and an ancient scroll within it, inheriting the lineage of the dark years of ancient times' sorcerers. In comparison, these ancient books indeed contained some genuine items that ordinary people could not discern, but how could they compare to the opportunity he gained to inherit the sorcerer's legacy, which would allow him to easily step into the realm of the transcendent?

I hope this trip is not in vain. According to Gui Huai's growth progress, as long as I harvest a few more souls, I can achieve a qualitative change through quantitative accumulation. I, Guo Huai, can also take a step into the realm of the transcendent. The operation of power will no longer be an illusion of the mind, but rather a transformation of mental strength into real-world intervention, completing the conversion between the virtual and the real in terms of power. Before this, although I possess some special abilities, I am ultimately just an ordinary person. Only then will I have the capability to do what I wish to do.

At this moment, what Guo Huai most hoped for was certainly the infighting among those criminal forces, as that would result in more deaths. For him, the underworld, which wreaked havoc and terrorized the common people, was truly better off with more casualties; it might even allow him to achieve a significant leap in this phase all at once. Conversely, Bai Gong was the last person he wanted to see.

The aura of death may not necessarily emanate from a dying person; it could also arise from someone who harbors a strong desire for death in their heart, which is then sensed by the ghostly tree. If Guo Huai encounters such a person, he will undoubtedly try to persuade them to turn back, for life is not easy, so why seek death? Having witnessed various forms of death, Guo Huai is particularly intolerant of suicide. Encountering such a situation not only means a wasted trip, but the effort to persuade the individual is even more significant.

In the Pangu Star Domain, under the radiant illumination of the Supreme Heavenly Lord's civilization, various systems exist. However, all civilizations share a common hierarchical structure, with levels that are exceedingly strict. Beneath the emperor, the main hierarchy is divided into four major classes: nobles, scholars, commoners, and servants. Each class is further divided into five ranks, and the status and position of each rank within each class differ. Nevertheless, this hierarchy is not fixed; theoretically, as long as one is willing to work hard, anyone has sufficient options and pathways for advancement, though this is merely theoretical.

However, some books cannot be found on that computer network, just like the books in front of Guo Huai, which are relics from some years ago. They are remnants from an era when the light of the Almighty had not yet illuminated this star domain, left behind from the endless dark ages. If one searches diligently among these ancient texts, one will always uncover some valuable items. However, with the rampant circulation of counterfeit goods today, and considering that valuable books among ancient texts are already scarce, finding a few truly valuable ancient books depends on one's discernment. If a book truly holds great value, who would be willing to sell it?

Unfortunately, none of it is of any value, but at least the money was not spent in vain. After a preliminary glance, Guo Huai rolled up the books and then slowly stood up, preparing to come back another day when he had time to study them thoroughly. He judged that the book held no significant value, but this was relative.

As evening approached, it was the peak time for getting off work. Guo Huai's residence was somewhat remote. Initially, he did not feel much when he first set out, but upon entering the main street, he sensed some congestion. However, since he was riding a motorcycle rather than a car, it was relatively more agile, and he was not significantly hindered. He soon neared the scene of the incident. From a distance, Guo Huai's spirits plummeted; the person was not dead yet. It seemed that he might have to do some unnecessary work again.

The Ghost Huai tree, naturally, is associated with death. After this tree is planted, it will draw strength from the earth to grow, but its true nourishment comes from those spirits. Because of this, the Ghost Huai tree is extremely sensitive to the presence of death. When such a sensation occurs, it often indicates that someone is about to die. Furthermore, the tree's ability to attract spirits has its limits. At this point, it is time for Guo Huai to make his appearance, as he personally goes to collect the souls of the deceased. The Ghost Huai tree is extremely sensitive to the presence of death. When such a sensation occurs, it often indicates that someone is about to die. Furthermore, the tree's ability to attract spirits has its limits. At this point, it is time for Guo Huai to make his appearance, as he personally goes to collect the souls of the deceased.

In Liyang City, which has a population of nearly 5 million, only the mayor holds the lowest rank of nobility. Throughout the city, the number of distinguished individuals engaged in various industries, including those who have surpassed others, does not exceed twenty. Moreover, most of those who attain nobility do not remain in this small place for long. Currently, it can be confirmed that the only noble in Liyang is Mayor Qin Haibing. This illustrates the true significance of nobility. Such an achievement cannot be compared to the few minor spells detailed in these two ancient texts.

Such hands-on involvement is truly exhausting. In a small town, one must harvest everywhere every day, and often it is not even possible to harvest in time. By the time one is admitted to a prestigious institution and moves to a big city, countless people die every day; how can one not be worn out? Unfortunately, in the past three years, I have never encountered a transcendent being's death. Otherwise, with their souls far superior to ordinary people, they should be able to maintain their intellect in a ghostly state and move freely in a natural environment, unlike ordinary ghosts who are foolish and can only travel at night. Under the power of the ghostly locust tree, they could serve as ghost soldiers, making my life much easier. However, in this urban area, transcendent beings are few and far between; they are either clergy or away from home.

The motorcycle sped along swiftly, and Guo Huai was exceedingly familiar with the city, skillfully navigating through alleys and streets to reach the scene of the incident. He needed to harvest the soul at the earliest opportunity; otherwise, the longer the delay, the lower the quality of the soul would become, and its power would weaken further. For an ordinary person's soul, if death occurred during the day, it would likely dissipate in an instant. Although it was now approaching evening, the sun had yet to set. With each passing second of delay, the soul would weaken further, and its quality would significantly decline. It was no wonder that Guo Huai drove with such urgency.

Guo Huai faintly sensed the direction and intensity of the death aura that was emanating, and naturally he had a clear understanding in his mind. He had lived in this city for fifteen years and was already extremely familiar with it. This was not the first time he had engaged in such soul-reaping activities; otherwise, this ghostly Huai would not have been able to grow to a preliminary stage within a few years. Therefore, determining the location of death based on the sensed direction and intensity was exceedingly easy for him.

As the two classes of "min" and "li", they form the foundational elements of civilization. "Min" represents citizens, while "li" does not refer to slaves, but rather to commoners. Many ordinary people at the bottom often spend their entire lives unable to escape the "li" class, remaining as ordinary commoners, serving as the foundational stones of the civilization's pyramid for their entire lives. Guo Huai, however, has the opportunity to become a transcender, achieving this in a single leap. It is important to understand that stepping into the transcendent level allows one to directly attain the status of a scholar. Even the lowest-ranking scholar holds a status and position that far exceeds that of citizens and commoners, a feat that ordinary people find difficult to achieve in a lifetime.

The wizard lineage inherited by Guo Huai is known as the Shepherd of Trees. It is a byproduct of the ancient wizards' research into longevity during the dark years of antiquity. Later, some wizards saw potential in this byproduct and thus expanded this lineage, giving rise to the Shepherd of Trees. To this day, the era is incredibly distant, submerged in the vast dust of history. Had it not been for Guo Huai uncovering the mysteries of that ancient book, this lineage might not have reemerged for many more years.