It could be considered Eric Carter's luck that, just as he was about to lose even the last shred of his soul during the hundred-day deadline, he discovered in the Huangpu River a perfect target for possession—Brian Cooper, who had just died, whose spiritual consciousness had dissipated and whose yang energy was completely gone.

From the moment he floated ashore, Brian Cooper was dead, drowned in the surging river, while the sixteenth generation sect master of the Treasure Refining Pavilion, Eric Carter, after surviving a great calamity, finally seized a new body and was reborn.

Chapter 3: Moon in the Dark, Rising Sun

“To think that I, Eric Carter, once stirred the winds and clouds in the cultivation world of the Central Plains for nearly a hundred years, have now ended up in a state with not a trace of magical power or supernatural ability left, all my magical treasures lost, and everything must start from scratch. Truly, fate toys with people. How laughable... how laughable!” Lying on the bed in his own room, now reborn as Eric Carter in Brian Cooper's body, he couldn't help but let out a self-mocking chuckle.

Brian Cooper, a third-year student in Class 1, Grade 9 at CY Middle School in Shanghai, fifteen years old this year. His father is a taxi driver, his mother a supermarket sales clerk. His academic performance ranks at the bottom of the elite class in a key city school, and he has a somewhat timid personality...

Having fully merged with Brian Cooper's spiritual consciousness, Eric Carter naturally understood everything about this “new self.” After reviewing the brief life and experiences of this fifteen-year-old boy in his sea of consciousness, he couldn't help but think to himself, “Since I, Eric Carter, have taken your body for my own use, I owe you a favor. I will fulfill your unfinished wishes for you.”

Composing himself, Eric Carter sat up, gazing at the bright moon hanging high in the sky through the window, his emotions surging as he thought, “How many years has it been since I entered the mortal world? Though this tribulation and rebirth have returned me to my original form, it may not be a bad thing. Starting over has its own advantages. It's certainly better than ascending to the Immortal Realm only to find myself so weak that I get bullied.”

“In this life, I must refine magical treasures, and focus even more on my own cultivation. I must train my body to sainthood, cultivate my magical power to the divine, and master every skill that can strengthen myself. Hmph, you damned heavens, when I cross the tribulation again, I will cultivate to the point where I can withstand even the most fearsome Great Demon Tribulation of the myriad worlds. If you could strike me down once with the Five Elements Divine Thunder of Annihilation, try it again if you dare...”

Eric Carter steeled his resolve, his gaze once again fixed on the bright moon in the sky, silently vowing: Let everything begin anew!

To start over, of course, means beginning with Foundation Establishment. This is the first step for an ordinary person to enter the path of cultivation, and in the process of cultivation, it is only less difficult than forming a Nascent Soul and successfully passing the tribulation.

The three hurdles of cultivation refer to Foundation Establishment, Nascent Soul Formation, and Tribulation Crossing.

In the cultivation world of the Central Plains, Foundation Establishment is said to be difficult, but in fact, it is easy. It is considered difficult because if an ordinary person who only knows the cultivation method tries to complete this step, even with great talent, it would take ten years or more. It is considered easy because, with the help of a cultivation expert, Foundation Establishment can often be completed in just a few days or even less. Of course, if there is no one to help, having enough spiritual pills can also work, and at most it would take a month or so.

Now, Eric Carter has nothing at all, so the idea of using spiritual pills for Foundation Establishment is naturally impossible. And with his arrogant personality, even when he had only a sliver of soul left, he never sought anyone's help. Now that he has a body again, how could he possibly ask someone to help him establish his foundation?

Fortunately, decades ago, Eric Carter once exchanged a third-rate magical treasure (in his eyes) with a wandering immortal from overseas for a superior Foundation Establishment cultivation method. At the time, he intended to pass this method on to his future disciples, but before he could even take on a disciple, he ended up using it himself.

The key point is that this Foundation Establishment method is unlike ordinary ones that require years of painstaking internal energy cultivation. When this method is activated, it can absorb the essence of the sun and moon to increase the body's internal energy reserves, making the cultivation speed dozens of times faster than searching for other methods. This is why Eric Carter was willing to make the exchange with that overseas immortal back then.

It was already midnight. Eric Carter sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes half-closed, facing the window. A faint silvery glow could be seen on his forehead, which seemed to be the moonlight, but was actually a sign of practicing the “Moon in the Dark, Rising Sun” method. At this moment, he was continuously absorbing the moonlight, channeling it through his spirit platform into his body, and using the method to transform it into his own innate internal energy.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the moon set and the sun rose. Since it was the National Day holiday, Eric Carter was not worried about anyone disturbing him. During these six days, except for going downstairs to eat and greeting “Brian Cooper's parents,” he only made a phone call to Emily Baker on the second day, mainly to prevent the little girl from telling others about his jumping into the river or coming to cause trouble. Other than that, he stayed in his room, facing the window, absorbing the sun and moon, without a moment's rest.

Brian Cooper's parents also seemed very used to their son's habit of staying cooped up at home, showing no sign of surprise. Besides, both of their jobs required them to work year-round without breaks, so even during the National Day holiday, they still worked as usual, busy for the rare opportunity to earn some overtime pay.