In the vast expanse of the Lower Realm, where spiritual energy swirled like rivers of light and cultivators ascended mountains to defy the heavens, there existed a modest sect known as Azure Peak. It was neither the mightiest nor the most infamous, but it harbored a secret that could shake the foundations of both righteous and demonic paths: the Mythical Root of Eternal Devouring. This root, born only once in a millennium, allowed its possessor to absorb the souls and essences of fallen foes, turning their power into one's own.
Ling Xiao was that unfortunate soul. Born into the sect as the son of an elder, his mythical root was discovered at birth, a glowing ember in his dantian that promised unparalleled potential. But word spread like wildfire through the winds of rumor. Righteous sects coveted it for their prodigies, while evil cults saw it as a tool for domination. They united in shadows, plotting the sect's demise.
On a stormy night, when thunder cracked the skies like the wrath of immortals, the massacre began. Elders fell like autumn leaves, their qi scattered to the void. Ling Xiao, barely eighteen, fought with the desperation of a cornered beast, but numbers overwhelmed him. A demonic elder from the Blood Shadow Cult pinned him down, his claws ripping into Ling Xiao's abdomen. "This root is mine!" the fiend cackled, extracting the pulsating core with a sickening tear. Pain exploded, and Ling Xiao's vision faded to black as his life ebbed away.
But in that moment of death, a foreign soul descended—a man from a distant world called Earth, where cultivation was mere fantasy in novels. His name had been Alex, a strategist in a cutthroat corporate world, master of manipulation and psychological warfare. Killed in a betrayal by rivals, his soul transmigrated, fusing with Ling Xiao's dying body. As the fusion completed, a ethereal voice echoed in his mind:
System Activated: Soul Devouring System.
Host: Ling Xiao (Transmigrated Soul: Alex)
Ability: Devour souls to gain cultivation, skills, memories, and essences. Manipulate devoured souls for illusions, mind control, and psychological dominance.
Alex—now Ling Xiao—opened his eyes amid the ruins. Bodies littered the ground, blood soaking the earth. His wounds healed rapidly, fueled by the system's initial boost. But horror struck as he saw his younger sister, Ling Mei, being dragged away by the attackers. "Brother!" she screamed, her eyes wide with terror. The abductors laughed, vanishing into a portal to the Upper Realm.
Rage boiled in Ling Xiao's veins. He wasn't the naive boy anymore; he was Alex, the king of boardroom battles, now armed with a system that turned enemies into fuel. "They took everything," he whispered, clenching his fists. "I'll take it all back—and more."