Chapter 1: Crawling Out of the Grave

The flowing essence within oneself should be the most fundamental and important magical essence for a practitioner of dark arts—this is the foundation of all magical cultivation. According to the memories obtained from Chu Canglan, a practitioner of dark arts requires at least three to five years to condense magical essence. However, Han Shuo was completely unaware beforehand and had not taken any actions, yet there truly existed a trace of magical essence within him—though pitifully weak, Han Shuo knew that it was indeed magical essence

Once one becomes a demon, one can possess unparalleled supernatural powers capable of moving mountains and overturning the seas.

A sixteen-year-old boy, six years of torment, how cruel a treatment this is for a child

Additionally, the necromancy students may utilize the combat abilities of his experimental skeletons or ghouls, or perhaps conduct experiments on him with necromantic spells

Ah, it is truly dead; this must surely be the underworld!

In this unfamiliar world, although Han Shuo learned a little through the pitiful Brian, Brian was merely a weak servant at the Babylon Magic Martial Arts Academy, and his knowledge was quite limited. In preparation for his future life, Han Shuo began to silently indulge in wild thoughts.

Brian's parents passed away early; when he was only ten years old, after their death, he was sold to a slave trader by his uncles. The slave trader then sold Brian to the Babylonian Demon Martial Arts Academy—thus began a dark chapter in Brian's life

Finally, the day before yesterday, Brian's soul was invaded by a "vengeful spirit" summoned by the necromancer Lisa, resulting in his death. In his final moments, Brian felt no pain, only a sense of relief and a bittersweet joy.

The dim light, coming from above, reminded Han Shuo of a large hole where shattered bones and discarded skeletons were thrown, according to Brian's memory. Standing up, he felt a pervasive ache throughout his body, which was covered in scars. Six years of torment had rendered Brian's body exceedingly weak, compounded by a diet of inferior food and *illustrated* books, leading to his emaciated state, with a height of only about 1.6 meters.

Han Shuo concentrated his mind and began to control that faint trace of magical essence according to the "Solid" method. As a result, he discovered that the faint trace of magical essence indeed moved to wherever his thoughts directed, just as Chu Canglan had said.

Han Shuo harbored no fondness for Chu Canglan, who had forcibly taken him away. The world in which Chu Canglan lived was entirely unfamiliar to Han Shuo. However, from the memories left by Chu Canglan, Han Shuo understood that practicing demonic arts could initially strengthen the body, and as one progressed further, it could enable feats such as flying through the sky, burrowing into the earth, and moving mountains and seas with ease

This cultivation method for demon magic is simply self-torture! However, Brian has always engaged in such activities. Perhaps when I return to the Demon Martial Academy, my 'solid' abilities will be refined even faster. It seems that there are indeed some benefits to what Brian is doing!

Han Shuo possessed a faint trace of magical essence within him. With a mindset of trying anything for a chance at survival, he recalled the difficult incantations of the demonic cultivation techniques. Following the first level, "Solidification," he began to concentrate his mental energy desperately, attempting to control that faint trace of magical essence.

Han Shuo was in excruciating pain all over his body (when Brian was still alive, he had many old injuries). Just as he was about to stand up, he felt a wave of soreness and, unable to endure it, let out a loud "ouch" before sitting back down.

On many occasions, Brian contemplated suicide but clung to life; however, his cowardice prevented him from even having the courage to take his own life. Thus, he endured six years of suffering in silence.

As Han Shuo halted his cultivation, he sensed something unusual—a trace of demonic essence. At the moment Han Shuo ceased his cultivation, it no longer operated in the orderly manner described in the "Solid" method. Instead, it roamed within his flesh and bones, in every part of his body, including his hands, feet, and head, as well as within the books.

For the past six years, his job has been to assist students of the necromancy discipline in transporting failed skeletal remains, zombies, and other waste products from necromantic experiments to this graveyard. In addition to this primary responsibility, he is also in charge of serving tea, cleaning, pest control, and various other miscellaneous tasks.

This body does not belong to him, Han Shuo was taken aback, and then realized that he had truly borrowed a corpse to return to life

Now Han Shuo's eyes have gradually adapted to the dim light. He moved his hands and feet, bringing his right arm closer to his eyes. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that a black mole on his wrist was gone, leaving only a series of ghastly scars that twisted and coiled like earthworms on his arm, sending a shiver down Han Shuo's spine at just a glance.

As Han Shuo was thinking this, a sudden and intense pain struck his head. After holding his head and groaning for a while, he felt as if he had come to understand many things

However, Han Shuo was unaware that the trace of demonic essence left within him by Chu Canglan not only helped him solidify but also served as a seed. This seed, while altering his body, was also changing many of his thoughts. The malevolent ideas that once filled his mind were now ones he dared not act upon, yet this wicked seed would make it difficult for him to even control himself. As this seed transformed his body, it continued to reshape many of his thoughts, and the evil notions that had once consumed him became actions he hesitated to take, but this malevolent seed would challenge his ability to maintain control over himself.

The body and shattered skeleton bones, after six years of being moved by Brian, were ultimately discarded by another laborer, treated as waste, into a grave where he frequently disposed of scrap materials

The timid and cowardly Brian has lived a life worse than death over the past six years, his body covered in numerous scars. He eats inedible bread and is burdened with endless tasks. Whenever the necromancy students lose a magic duel to students from other departments, they would seek out Brian to practice their skills.

Stepping on the moss, Han Shuo dragged his frail body and struggled to climb upward. After a while, having fallen five or six times, Han Shuo finally crawled out from the grave. Looking at the full moon illuminating the earth, its silver light spreading across the cemetery, Han Shuo felt a surge of joy from the depths of his heart at being reborn as a human.

Uncertain of how long he had been sitting, Han Shuo learned many things he had never imagined before. Moreover, Han Shuo was certain that there had been some issue with Chu Canglan's final spell. His own soul was gone, yet all the memories of practicing that demonic art were left entirely to him.

Han Shuo was bewildered, thinking to himself how such bizarre occurrences as borrowing a corpse to return to life could happen to him, and moreover, he had actually returned to life in the body of a foreigner. What kind of magic was that old eccentric Chu Canglan performing? Had he made a mistake?

Brian was sixteen years old at the time of his death. He had always been assigned to the weakest necromancy department at the Babylon Magic Martial Arts Academy, where he worked as a servant.

There are nine levels of demon cultivation, namely Solid, Meridian Expansion, Soul Shaping, True Demon, Bloodthirsty, Demon Division, Indulgence, Nine Transformations, and Celestial Demon. Those who practice demon arts are bloodthirsty and act according to their desires, free to do as they please, disregarding any moral or legal constraints, in pursuit of absolute power

A surge of joy filled Han Shuo's heart as he thought to himself that although Chu Canglan appeared somewhat eccentric, the demonic cultivation method left behind was indeed somewhat effective. With this in mind, he began to hold his breath and concentrate, starting to circulate the faint trace of demonic energy within his body as instructed by the "Solid" method.

Although Brian is dead, Han Shuo does not know why he has come to know about Brian's past. Furthermore, Han Shuo realizes that not only has he borrowed a corpse to return to life, but he has also not returned to the United States, the United Kingdom, or any Western country.

Who is Brian ... ... Brian ... ... Brian

A thin, liquid-like substance was suddenly sensed within Han Shuo's body. At that moment, a sharp pain struck his mind, and fragments of memories abruptly surfaced. The thin stream of liquid slowly circled around Han Shuo's body, and at that moment, he became somewhat dazed, passively becoming aware of many things—stemming from the inexplicable old spirit, Chu Canglan.

Uncertain how much time had passed, Han Shuo opened his sore and tired eyes, feeling an excruciating pain throughout his body, and an even greater ache in his head, as if he were suffering from a severe migraine, with his mind seemingly filled with a chaotic jumble of thoughts

Understanding Brian's past, Han Shuo felt a pang in his heart and sighed softly, his voice somewhat choked: "How can there be such a foolish and cowardly youth like you in this world! Brian, I have taken possession of your body; what should I do for you?"

Han Shuo thought to himself that Chu Canglan was such a crazy old man. Although he intended to make me a scapegoat, he never expected to send me to such a strange time and space in the end. The chaotic demonic cultivation techniques in my mind must have been left by Chu Canglan before his death.

Feeling the magic energy still swirling around him, Han Shuo comforted himself in his heart, believing that surviving this ordeal would surely bring him future blessings. Moreover, he had a bit of leverage this time—the magical cultivation secret technique left to him by Chu Canglan, which might help him achieve desires he had never dared to imagine before.

A strange world named Qiao Continent, a foreign nation called Lancelot Empire—this is an extraordinary land of swords and magic, where various races roam freely

The first level of the "solid" realm is a forging of the body, a process of strengthening the muscles, skin, and bones. This level of the "solid" realm, in addition to the gradual refinement of magical essence, is also utilized by some perverse individuals obsessed with magic, who employ various methods to continuously strike their bodies, causing constant damage and injury. Only through the simultaneous internal and external efforts of refining the magical essence can the process be accelerated.

Brian is dead, and Han Shuo has taken over his body. Now Han Shuo is Brian, and Brian has been sold to the Magic Martial Arts Academy—this is an eternal identity mark. In this unfamiliar world, the punishment for runaway servants is cruel and terrifying, so Han Shuo cannot escape, nor is it certain that he could. Moreover, Han Shuo has no money—not even a single copper coin.

Han Shuo felt as if his heart had turned to ashes. He thought to himself that dying so young was truly unfortunate, as if he had wasted his previous life. He wished to be reborn quickly and strive to ensure that his next life would not be the same as the previous one

Han Shuo had originally felt that his life was dark enough, but in comparison to Brian, he suddenly felt a twinge of bitterness in his nose, realizing for the first time that he had lived quite happily over the years

After careful consideration for a long time, Han Shuo ultimately decided to return to the Babylon Magic Martial Academy—only in that place could he change his identity as a servant, and he could also do something for the unfortunate Brian, who had already passed away

Han Shuo felt a surge of emotions and decided to leave this place. The thought of this made him suddenly realize how foolish it was to have stayed in this grave for so long. The unbearable stench surrounding him had become intolerable.

It was only when Han Shuo's stomach began to "grumble" that he awoke from his cultivation. He was unaware of how long he had been cultivating, but he felt that the pain in his body had significantly lessened, and he had regained some strength. Having achieved such results after only a short period of cultivation, he could only imagine how formidable Chu Canglan must have been during his lifetime, especially considering that he had even dared to venture to the moon.

Half an hour later

Looking around, the surroundings were dimly lit, with piles of eerie white bones scattered chaotically. In the distance, there were some dark, strange substances emitting a strong, nauseating stench that made one want to vomit at the mere whiff.

Although Han Shuo felt that Chu Canglan was somewhat eccentric, the mere fact that he could take Han Shuo directly to the moon made Han Shuo vaguely believe in the authenticity of the descriptions about flying and traversing the earth found in the magical arts.