Looking at his reflection in the mirror, Xia Chen felt the urge to cry, but no tears came out!
When others travel through time, they emerge as illustrious geniuses or princely sons and even if they aren't, they still end up as handsome young men shouting the proverb 'No despise the poor young man' with a grandfather to assist them. But when it comes to Xia Chen, he turns into an old man!!
Correct, he turned into an old geezer with white hair and a face full of wrinkles.
As for the age, even the owner of this body couldn't remember, is it 500? 800? Or perhaps 2000? 3000?
Logically, an old man who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years should be an unrivaled master, yet Xia Chen discovered miserably that this body exhibits no signs of a master. It's simply an ordinary human being.
Perhaps his only 'ability' is to live long, having outlived generations of the Xing family!
"Heavens, are you intending to play me to death?" Xia Chen's heart was in despair.
Since he is here, he should enjoy it!
Unfortunately, the memory of this body has seriously deteriorated, only able to recall a few pitiful things.
He only knows that this is a world called Shen Zhou where the strong flourish. The powerful martial artists in it have the ability to control heaven and earth, they are unstoppable.
The place he resides in is a little city called Xi Shu City located southwest of Shen Zhou. His current identity is a caretaker of a second-rate family known as the Xing Family, in layman's term, a gatekeeper.
Luckily, this body is still in an excellent condition with no ailments or senility. Otherwise, it would be better to die than to live.
"Am I supposed to spend the rest of my life alone, guarding these tablets?" Xia Chen looks at the dozens of tablets on the shrine with tearless cries.
Back in his room, he laid in bed, resentful and full of thoughts, when suddenly he heard the creaking sound of the door.
"It's so late, who would come to the shrine?" Doubtfully, Xia Chen climbed out of bed, drew back the door curtain to see a porcelain doll-like little girl pushing the shrine's big door with all her strength.
"This little loli is so damn pretty!" Xia Chen's eyes sparkled as he looked at the little girl's tender face, longing to pinch her cheeks.
"Cauldron found, activating Ancestor System..."
The sudden voice startled Xia Chen, "Damn, what the hell?"
Before he could react, an image of a fairy-like woman appeared before his eyes, ethereal as a hologram in a sci-fi movie.
Even if she was just a phantom, her breathtaking beauty and exquisite features left Xia Chen dumbstruck. If such a woman were in ancient China, she would be a notorious femme fatale!
However, Xia Chen was quick to react, "Wait, what did you just say? System? What system?"
The fairy-like woman glanced at Xia Chen and coldly stated, "Ancestor System."
"Ha, I knew it! As a time-traveler, I'm entitled to some perks, aren't I?" Xia Chen laughed heartily. Excitement filled his face as he asked, "Hehe, do you have any special abilities? Can you control the flow of time or consume all things?"
The fairy-like woman remained aloof, not paying him any mind.
"It's fine if you don't have any special powers. If you have exceptional martial arts techniques or divine artifacts or something like that, that would be great too. Give me a dozen of them to play around with," Xia Chen spoke again, "Don't worry, I know the rules. Isn't it just about killing monsters, leveling up, and showing off? It's easy!"
However, the fairy-like woman still didn't respond, as proud as a swan.
"You don't have them either?" Xia Chen was a bit deflated, "Then there must be some elixirs or something, right?"
The fairy-like woman completely ignored him, her gaze focusing on the loli at the door.
Defeated, Xia Chen asked with a sullen face, "You should at least introduce yourself! And what did you mean by 'cauldron' just now?"
"This is called the Ancestor System. Its core mission is to assist the host in their growth and restore the glory of the family." The fairy-like woman finally spoke, yet her voice was as cold as ice, "I am the system attendant, you may call me Luan'er."
"What kind of joke is this? With my current physique, what can I do besides sweeping the floor and wiping tables?" Xia Chen spread his hands out, appearing rather helpless.
"Ignorance." Luan'er scoffed, "This is the Immortal Body of Ancestor Xing, to inherit it is the blessings collected through eight lifetimes."
"Is Ancestor Xing very powerful?" Xia Chen questioned, trying to obtain more information.
"Nonsense!" Luan'er coldly uttered, "Six thousand years ago, the Xing clan dominated the Divine State. With his own strength, Ancestor Xing crushed the masters of the ten great martial arts holy lands, becoming the strongest emperor in thirty thousand years."
Enlightened by her words, Xia Chen was shocked and asked, "If he was so powerful, why did the Xing clan decline to such a wretched state, hiding in such a tiny space?"
"No comment."
Luan'er's reply left Xia Chen feeling helpless.
"What does the revival of the Xing family have to do with me?" Xia Chen retorted, "Leave these grand and noble acts to those ambitious youths. I want to live a few more years!"
As soon as his words fell, Luan'er’s face turned cold, “This is not for you to decide.”
Xia Chen couldn’t help but shiver. He had a feeling that if he dared to say another word, this icy beauty would disperse his soul.
Damn it, he was actually threatened by a system housekeeper.
Who else has had a worse time after crossing over?
Never mind, a real man knows when to lay low. "If I lose now, there will be a day when I can make you submit."
"Hehe, just joking. Taking people's money to ward off disasters, occupying their body, of course, I need to fulfill their last wishes. Tell me what to do, I'll go through fire and water without hesitation. But, I currently don't possess any martial skills, so I'm afraid my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak!"
He has to bluff his way out of this predicament first. As for the Xing family's issues, whoever likes it will handle it.
Luan'er snorted coldly and said, "You are now in a state of living death, unable to cultivate autonomously. You need to find a Cauldron first."
"Cauldron? Is it the kind where once the Cauldron reaches a certain stage of cultivation, I can devour its power? It would be even better if it's a woman, a stunningly beautiful one at that. I can chat with her about life and dreams when there's nothing else to do, hehe…" The more Xia Chen spoke, the more excited he became, his face filled with exhilaration.
"Who told you that?"
"I read about it in novels. They can't be wrong," Xia Chen blurted out, quite pleased with himself. It seems reading all those novels over the years hasn't been a complete waste!
Luan'er was speechless. "As soon as the Cauldron starts to cultivate, you will be able to reap the results of its cultivation. However, once the Cauldron loses its cultivation or dies, you'll become a good-for-nothing."
"Ah!" Xia Chen was genuinely taken aback. "So, am I unable to cultivate autonomously for my entire life?"
"Once your soul and body combine perfectly and you reverse the roles of life and death, you can be freed from the Cauldron," Luan'er responded.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Xia Chen pointed to the little girl kneeling before the ancestral hall. "She is my target, isn't she?"
"Yes," Luan'er replied, "But I need to warn you, if you cannot make her your Cauldron within three days, you will be erased by the system."
