Earth
Tim gasped awake on the couch, drenched in sweat. His head throbbed, but the dual-awareness nausea was fading. He sat up slowly, staring at his shaking hands.
"That... that actually happened."
His phone buzzed. A message from the school: Classes resume tomorrow. See you then.
Right. Earth. Job. Responsibilities.
But how could he focus on teaching English when half his soul was in another world, living as a cultivator?
He exhaled sharply, experiencing both perspectives simultaneously—sitting on the couch and Lia running at full pace. His earth body felt sluggish, like moving through honey. "I need anti-nausea medication," he muttered. He would have to adapt to this, but first, he needed to help Lia get back home safely.
Tim put on some tea and lay down, closing his eyes, focusing more of his awareness into Lia's body.
Cultivation World
Lia was almost back to the sect, climbing the stone steps when a voice called out.
"Disciple Lia, where are your manners?"
An older woman spoke in a stern tone. Lia turned and bowed immediately. "Apologies, Elder Cho. I didn't see you there."
Elder Cho stepped forward, studying Lia intently. "You look awful, child. What happened? The fracture was unstable—as soon as we got reports that someone went missing inside, we sent reinforcements. We found three other disciples dead before entering."
"I... I think I was lucky," Lia said softly. She wouldn't mention the Corpse Cleansing Sect for now—that would be reported through official channels later.
Elder Cho nodded. "Go rest. Report to me tomorrow morning."
Lia bowed again and hurried toward the disciple quarters. Her room was sparse—a bed, a desk, a small altar for meditation. She collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion hitting like a hammer.
Tim, still partially aware through her, marveled at how real it all felt. The roughness of the sheets, the faint smell of incense, even the dull ache in her muscles from running. And then there was the qi—even exhausted, he could feel it swirling inside her like liquid fire threading through invisible channels. It was intoxicating.
Here's the rewritten version keeping it crude but more polished:
Then she felt the urgent need to relieve herself. Tim's consciousness recoiled. "Oh god, not this." He had lived 30 years in one body, and now... this was going to be a constant reminder of just how completely his life had changed.
Lia moved behind a screen in her room, and Tim tried to mentally distance himself from the experience. Hiking up her flowing robes and squatting over the floor toilet. "Of course it has to be an Asian squat toilet," she cursed in her mind.
Hovering there, Tim tried to figure out the mechanics. "Nope, nope, that's for shitting," he muttered, trying to redirect things. It took several attempts of using muscles Tim never knew existed until a wild stream of pee went everywhere except where it was supposed to go.
"Ah, what the fuck—how is this even functional?" Lia mumbled in her voice as cleanup became a major operation. The wiping along the completely smooth surface unnerved him the most—no familiar equipment, just... nothing where something should be.
"This is going to take some getting used to," she sighed, still trying to process the reality of her new plumbing.
After cleaning up, she stumbled back to bed, barely making it under the covers before exhaustion claimed her.
Earth
Tim snapped back fully into his own body, groaning. He rolled off the couch and ran to the bathroom, vomiting violently. After cleaning up, he looked at himself in the mirror—dark circles, pale skin. Yeah, he definitely needed medication to get through tomorrow's classes.
The only overnight pharmacy was in the wealthy district, so he drove through the quiet streets, music playing softly to distract from the insanity of his situation.
At the pharmacy, an older man was helping a young woman—maybe 20 to 22, petite with short blonde hair and an oversized sweater. She was complaining of nausea and double vision, asking for medication. Tim waited patiently until she finished.
"Excuse me, do you speak English?" Tim asked the pharmacist.
The man nodded. "Yes, how can I help?"
"I've been having motion sickness and nausea," Tim said, rubbing his temples. "Something to help with that?"
The pharmacist handed him a Japanese equivalent of Dramamine and explained the dosage. After paying, Tim headed back to his car, dry-swallowing two pills immediately.
He noticed the young woman had stopped walking and was leaning against a wall, looking unsteady. Concerned, he rolled down his window. "Hey, are you—"
"I won't have sex with you, old pervert!" she shouted. "Leave me alone!"
She sprinted off down the street, stumbled, got back up, and kept running.
Tim sat there stunned for a moment. "Okay, fair enough," he muttered. He did look like hell. Maybe approaching strangers wasn't the best idea tonight.
Back home, Tim took a hot shower. The moment the water hit his skin, it felt amazing—like all of him, not just his physical body, was being cleansed. Even Lia shifted in bed, somehow feeling the warmth. The way sensations crossed between worlds was unsettling.
Finally, both bodies fell asleep simultaneously.
Cultivation world
Lia woke first, dreams of fragmented memories swirling—hers and Tim's intermingling confusingly. The dreams gave her insight into the sect structure though. There were three elders who taught Foundation Establishment students. Elder Cho was one of them, having reached lower Golden Core stage but never higher, so she remained in the outer sect teaching young talents rather than ascending to where true power lay.
She sat up, stretching, amazed at how flexible this body was—she could practically fold herself in half without effort. Then came the moment she'd been dreading—she needed to truly understand what she was dealing with.
Stripping down, she stood before a mirror, taking inventory. Long black hair that fell past her shoulders, bright purple eyes that seemed to glow with spiritual energy, pale unmarked skin thanks to cultivation's healing properties. A slim waist that curved into wider hips, legs that went on forever.
Her figure was... fuck, it was perfect. The kind of body that would make men walk into walls and crash their cars.
"This is every guy's jackoff fantasy," she thought ruefully, turning to check different angles. "I would have sold my soul for a girlfriend with tits like these when I was younger. Now I've got the best pair I've ever seen attached to my chest."
She cupped her breasts, hefting their weight. "Jesus, these things are huge. How the hell do women fight with these bouncing around?" The nipples were sensitive as hell—even that light touch sent weird sensations through her body.
Moving lower, she examined what was between her legs. "Well, there's definitely no little Tim down here anymore," she muttered, spreading her legs slightly. The smooth, hairless surface was alien and intimidating. "This is going to take some serious getting used to."
The whole situation was fucked up—checking out a body that was technically hers while feeling like a total pervert at the same time.
She washed quickly and dressed in clean robes—Red robes with a white trim, standard disciple attire. Her memories remained fragmented, but maybe they would return with time.
Taking inventory of her storage rings, she had quite a collection:
1 sword (low-grade spirit weapon) 2 sets of spare robes 5 different herbs 3 healing pills Dried meat and fruit rations Self-refilling water jug 12 gold coins 43 spirit stones 2 books in an unknown language 1 staff of unknown material
Not bad for looting corpses. Distasteful, perhaps, but survival came first.
She noticed one more ring on her hand and tried injecting qi into it. Moving qi felt almost natural. Well at least this much. This girl must have done this a lot. Instantly, a holographic interface appeared, floating in mid-air like something out of a sci-fi movie. "What the hell—this is like a smartphone!"
She realized then that this world blended advanced technology with ancient cultivation techniques. The interface responded to her thoughts and finger gestures, displaying everything from cultivation manuals to what looked like social media feeds. A quick check showed dozens of messages from friends asking if she was okay after going missing for three days.
"Lia, you better show your face soon or I'll break your legs. - Your loving brother Jin"
Her heart sank. She had a brother—an older one who would notice personality changes. She'd have to be extremely careful.
Exploring further, she discovered her social media profile. 500,000 followers. Her stomach dropped. "Damn." Cultivators were celebrities in this world, and she was apparently one of the most promising of the younger generation. Not only did she need to master cultivation, she had to navigate fame in a foreign society.
She checked trending topics, seeing news about the space fracture and how the Flowing Water Sect had lost disciples but secured the site before rival sects could claim it. There was speculation about treasures found.
Lia turned off the interface and headed toward Elder Cho's pavilion, mentally preparing for whatever came next. This was going to be far more complicated than just surviving—she had an entire life to maintain, complete with relationships, expectations, and a reputation she knew nothing about.
Lia approached Elder Cho's pavilion, taking in the morning view of the sect. It was massive, built into a mountain peak with countless buildings, some suspended by chains or floating on platforms held up by formations. The air shimmered with qi and smelled faintly of ozone from active spells. Disciples moved between buildings or practiced techniques in courtyards. Some flew on swords while others rode spirit beasts.
As she walked toward the tiered structure floating above a koi pond, two senior disciples bowed slightly to her.
"Junior Sister Lia," one said. "Glad to see you alive." His tone suggested otherwise.
She nodded curtly and continued. Politics here were brutal; showing weakness invited predation.
Elder Cho waited inside, seated behind a low table. Around 60 in appearance (though likely centuries old), her sharp features softened slightly upon seeing Lia.
"Sit."
Lia knelt opposite her, back straight.
"You entered the fracture alone," Elder Cho stated. No accusation—just fact.
"Yes, Elder."
"Why?"
Lia hesitated. The truth? Greed. Ambition. Arrogance. But admitting that would earn punishment.
"I sensed strong qi fluctuations," she lied smoothly. "I thought it might be an opportunity for the sect if verified quickly."
A half-truth. Elders appreciated those.
Cho studied her for a long moment before sighing. "Reckless. Talented, but reckless." She leaned forward. "You're lucky your soul wasn't shredded entirely by those corpse-eaters. Whatever shield or artifact protected you, cherish it."
Shield? Artifact? Lia's soul had been fractured and died, but she kept quiet.
"You will be confined to sect grounds for one month," Cho continued. "No missions. Focus on recovery and stabilizing your foundation. Dismissed."
Lia bowed deeply and retreated. Not terrible—a month to train and figure out this dual-existence situation. It was perfect timing to adjust to her new body while learning to control both forms simultaneously.
Earth
The weight of living two lives was becoming clearer by the hour.
Tim woke up to his alarm blaring. 6:30 AM. Time to teach. His nausea was gone, thankfully, replaced by a dull headache. He dragged himself out of bed, showered again (feeling both bodies under the water—still weird), and dressed mechanically.
Operating two bodies simultaneously was extremely difficult. Most people found it hard to move their hands in opposite directions at the same time, let alone control entirely separate forms. Fumbling and banging into things, he thought, "I better walk instead of drive while Lia is awake, or I'll crash into everything." He stared in the mirror, comparing himself to Lia's reflection in his mind. His body was softer, out of shape compared to hers. He sighed, turning away, grabbing his bag and heading to work.
Walking to the college, he saw the students differently—how the young women carried themselves, their mannerisms. "My other body is probably around the same age as some of these students," he mused. Looking down at his slight belly, he thought, "Maybe I can start working out here. I wonder if I can cultivate on Earth. Lia is 19, but as Foundation Establishment, she can live over 200 years." He'd discovered this from some of Lia's knowledge that seemed to come to rim randomly. Even Qi Refining stage people lived longer than normal humans. That could mean decades more in this split state. "I need coffee."
The bell rang, signaling class was starting soon. Tim walked into the lecture hall ready to fake enthusiasm for another day. The college students looked up from their phones and notebooks.
"Good morning, everyone. I'm Professor Jones."
"Morning, Professor," came the scattered responses typical of university students.
Tim smiled slightly, feeling better seeing these young adults trying to learn. They had so much energy and life ahead of them. "Today we'll be discussing past tense constructions and perfect aspects in English grammar."
He started writing on the board, but his mind drifted toward Lia, who was now walking toward Elder Cho's pavilion. Without thinking, his hand began forming the characters he'd seen in Lia's memories—flowing script that looked almost like artistic calligraphy.
"Professor Jones," a voice called out. "What language is that?"
Tim blinked, looking at the board. Instead of English grammar examples, he'd written what looked like: "Foundation Establishment requires meridian purification through qi circulation."
"Oh, sorry," Tim said quickly, erasing the board. "I fell after the meteor shower one the weekend. Still not fully recovered yet." He rewrote the intended English lesson, but noticed one student—a 18-year-old named Riku—staring at him with wide, recognition-filled eyes.
Some students giggled; others seemed sympathetic. But Riku raised her hand, her voice carefully controlled. "Professor, that script you wrote... where did you learn it?"
Tim's heart skipped. Her tone suggested this wasn't casual curiosity. "I... honestly, I'm not sure. Since the meteor shower, I've been having strange dreams. Vivid ones."
Riku's eyes widened further. She nodded slowly, then went back to taking notes without responding further. But Tim could see her hands shaking slightly as she wrote.
After class, Tim approached her. "Riku, could I speak with you privately?"
The young woman nodded, following him into an empty classroom. Tim locked the door behind them.
"Tell me what happened after the meteor shower," Tim said softly.
She looked around nervously before speaking in a hushed tone. "I saw a light enter my chest. Now I feel like I'm somewhere else too. That script you wrote—I've seen it before. In my... other place."
Bingo. Another split soul.
"What do you see?" Tim pressed.
"A desert. I'm someone else there—a man named Varek. I have fragmented memories of him. He's Foundation Establishment level 4, whatever that means, but I can move incredibly fast. And he's slightly older than I am as Riku." She paused. "When you wrote those characters about meridian purification, I recognized them immediately."
Tim felt relief wash over him. "Can you get somewhere safe as Varek? That way we can talk without distractions from dual awareness."
Riku nodded, closing her eyes tightly for several minutes before reopening them with a gasp. "Holy shit, that was intense. But yes, I found a cave and managed some peace. So you're experiencing the same thing, Professor Jones?" The formal boundaries were clearly dissolving fast.
"Yes, but call me Tim when we're discussing this. And maybe we should keep this between us. If others knew, they'd either think we're insane or want to study us."
She agreed readily. "We need more information though. Do we tell anyone? Family? Friends?"
Tim shook his head. "Not yet. For now, let's just observe and make sure our other selves don't die. Neither of us understands how this works."
Riku suddenly smiled, looking less stressed. "This is actually kind of amazing though, right? We're living in a cultivation world!"
"Yeah, except when one body needs to use the bathroom while the other is teaching grammar," Tim muttered, making Riku burst out laughing.
"I've learned more about male anatomy in the last day than four years of health classes taught me," Riku replied.
Tim chuckled, realizing how awkward the gender swap must be for her too. "Oh, have you discovered the storage rings yet?" He explained about qi injection activating devices, which made Riku's eyes light up.
"Wait, Varek has rings! And there's social media in a cultivation world?" she squealed excitedly.
"Apparently technology and cultivation coexist there. My other self—Lia—has 500,000 followers."
"Your other self is female?" Riku asked with surprise.
"Yeah, and yours is male. We both got the full body-swap experience." Tim ran his hand through his hair. "This is going to be complicated."