Overjoyed, Xu Qingxian quickly unlocked his phone and tapped into the transmigration group chat.
The very next moment, his eyes widened in shock.
Jade Beauty: You won't believe it, guys. When I transmigrated, I was sealed inside a coffin. Fortunately, I managed to bewitch a young prince and escape. Now I'm on the run, fighting for my life.
The demoness was a transmigrator?
What?
Staring at his phone screen, Xu Qingxian stood in a daze, mind spinning like a broken compass. His fingers trembled slightly, heart racing as he processed the strange revelation.
Winter Immortal: What? Haha, that's hilarious. Anyway, you're not even in the top ten craziest transmigration locations.
Wandering Immortal: Yeah, right. I remember when I transmigrated into a new world. My predecessor had just died in the middle of a war, surrounded by a horde of demon beasts. Luckily, I survived, thanks to my golden finger.
Jade Beauty: Huh? You guys have golden fingers? I thought it was just me.
Big Fatty: Little girl, don't overestimate yourself. Golden fingers are common among all transmigrators.
Jade Beauty: What does your golden finger do?
Big Fatty: I don't know, it just makes me stronger, I guess…
The fatty was being annoyingly vague, refusing to reveal any specific details about his golden finger.
Seeing this, Xu Qingxian frowned. It seemed the transmigration chat group wasn't as friendly or united as he had first imagined. Everyone was holding back.
He exhaled slowly and leaned back against the cracked wooden wall of the cold palace. Clearly, he had to be cautious when sharing anything about his own golden finger.
There was also the disturbing fact that the demoness existed in his world. That wasn't something he could ignore.
Xu Qingxian felt a headache creeping in, dull and pulsing behind his temples. The thoughts swirling in his mind refused to settle.
He hesitated for a moment, fingers hovering above the screen, then finally typed.
Carefree Immortal: Guys, do we all get transmigrated into the same world?
As soon as the message was sent, replies poured in almost immediately.
Hit by a Truck: Huh? Have you already encountered another transmigrator?
Xu Qingxian cursed under his breath. He had been too hasty. Why had he typed that? He should have thought it through first.
Still, he couldn't hold back his curiosity. He needed to know. The danger he was in demanded that he stay informed.
From the responses, it seemed there truly were other transmigrators nearby.
Wandering Monarch: There are countless worlds with different power systems. But yes, coincidences happen. Sometimes multiple group members end up in the same world.
Winter Immortal: What the big boss said is true.
Just then, the chat went completely silent. A sudden system message appeared before every member.
[Two group members from the new transmigration badge have died. A short clip recorded just before their deaths has been uploaded. Please watch the video and stay cautious.]
Xu Qingxian's eyes widened in disbelief.
The new transmigration badge. Wasn't that the same badge he had?
The demoness also seemed curious.
Jade Beauty: Is that the same group of transmigrators I belong to?
Wandering Monarch: Hmm. I've figured out how the group works. Every week, a hundred invitations are sent out. Roughly twenty percent accept the call. But the survival rate is tragically low. From your batch, there should be around seventeen survivors left.
Big Fatty: I'll just go with whatever the boss says…
Xu Qingxian reread Wandering Monarch's message carefully, his eyes scanning each word.
He was surprised. This Wandering Monarch seemed to know far more about the group than anyone else. But since the others treated him with such respect, almost reverence, perhaps that made sense.
Xu Qingxian didn't linger on the thought. Instead, he focused on what the message implied.
"So, including me and the demoness, there are probably sixteen other transmigrators scattered across this world."
He frowned deeply.
"And I don't even know if some of them transmigrated before me…"
An intense desire to grow stronger surged through his chest, pulsing like a second heartbeat.
The death of the two group members only added to his rising sense of urgency.
And then, there was his own looming execution in just seven days.
No matter what, he couldn't die. He had to live. He had to explore this vast, mysterious world and uncover its secrets.
Lost in thought, Xu Qingxian's eyes drifted to a blinking notification in the corner of his screen.
He tapped on it. He needed to see how those two transmigrators died. He needed to understand the kind of world they had been thrown into.
Just as the video began to load, the screen froze.
[Congratulations, your spirit internet bundle has expired. Please subscribe to continue…]
Xu Qingxian froze, eyes twitching with disbelief.
He remembered what Winter Immortal had said earlier about using data sparingly before it ran out.
Back then, he hadn't paid it much attention. But now, he understood. There was no way for him to watch the video anymore.
He sighed and slowly shook his head, irritation bubbling inside him.
Where was he supposed to find more spirit stones?
He glanced down at the battery icon of his phone.
Oddly enough, there was no percentage displayed.
"It seems my phone's battery no longer depletes?" he thought, noticing it hadn't dropped even slightly since he woke up. There was no sign of drain at all, not even after extended use.
He wasn't entirely sure of this theory, but time would eventually prove it.
Deciding not to dwell on it, he tucked the phone back into his robes and stood slowly.
Now wasn't the time to scroll through messages or read webnovels. He needed to cultivate.
But how could he? His cultivation had been completely erased. His spiritual roots shattered. Everything about his body had been crippled.
He closed his eyes and sighed once again.
"My life is truly off to a bad start…"
At that moment, a knock echoed from the door of the cold, lonely palace.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Brother, are you in there?"
Xu Qingxian froze instantly.
The voice was feminine—soft, sweet, and carried a youthful melody, like the chiming of silver bells in spring air.
His mind raced, digging through the scattered, broken memories of his predecessor.
Wait… he had a sister?