Chapter 1 (1/2)

Jiang Xiaofan felt unlucky, extremely unlucky. No longer able to suppress the resentment welling up inside of him, he finally exploded and released an earth-shattering howl that broke the silence of the night.

“The Celestial Heaven! The Great Earth! Just get me out of here!”

The consequence of this ninety plus decibels howl was that he had riled up his neighbors and they angrily voiced their displeasure.

“What the hell are you yelling about?! Can’t a guy get some sleep?!”

“Damned filthy beggar! Scream again and I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

He froze on the spot like a frosted eggplant. He scanned his room, it being worse than a pigsty. A sigh of despair escaped from his lips. “Ay, just my luck to have this bullshit transmigration….”

As an orphan from the avaricious 21st Century society, his role was one of disregard and mockery. When the space-time vortex had sucked him in, he saw the familiar view of his city disappear from his range of vision. Elated, he knew that he had transmigrated.

After everything had normalized, he inspected his surroundings and then nearly fainted. When others transmigrated, they were usually born into the body of a high-status individual such as an emperor or a noble. Even the most ill-fated transmigrator was at least became a martial hero.

But for his transmigration, he had directly landed in the middle of a room that could not be any more dilapidated. What was even more infuriating was that everyone in the village treated him with contempt and called him the “filthy beggar” as if it were the norm.

“Ugh, forget it. I’ll just take things as they come. The night is still long. I’ll have to review the basics of living in this new world first.”

After venting his grievances, he took out a beautifully designed book. His eyes instantly lit up. He licked his cracked lips and subconsciously reached under his clothes with his right hand.

“Wait…. This place doesn’t seem to have tissues!”

He suddenly remembered. With despair written all over his face, he hugged his limited-edition photo book which had been carried over during the transmigration, dropped to the floor, and loudly wailed.

Prior to the sunrise of the next day, the village was already bustling with activity. Everyone stood outside with raised torches. Half a month passed since he had arrived here. He had already gotten wind that immortals would come to the village and select youths with great potential for cultivation.

As a 21st Century modern being, there was no way that Jiang Xiaofan would believe in their existence. From his perspective, so-called immortals were nothing more than old Daoists who carried horsetail whisks and swindled gullible people wherever they went.

He got up with a stretch and yawned. Despite his skepticism, he warmly welcomed any form of hustle and bustle. Around this time, a ray of light streaked across the sky, followed by the formation of an aurora. Two longswords suddenly appeared from above, eliciting gasps of awes from hundreds of villagers.

Up above, a green-robed man stood firmly against the wind with his two feet stepping on the blade of an ancient sword. His bearing was jade-like, dignified and graceful. He had an ethereal air about him. On top of the other blade was a yellow-robed female with a lithe body. She was like a lotus flower, pure from mortal stains. Her beauty was peerless yet cold, making her seem otherworldly.

His jaw dropped to the ground in amazement. He didn’t think that cultivators were actually real!

He gazed at the beauty before him with his eyes bulged and saliva drooling down. Noticing the man by her side, his first thought was to kick him flying and take over his place.

“The path to immortal cultivation requires innate talent. The following trial is simple. Those who wish to pass and enter our sect must be able to climb more than three steps on these stairs.”

The green-robed man faintly smiled. Without further ado, he waved his hand and threw a ball of green light, which extended its shape as it travelled, transforming into a nine-step stairway made of nephrite jade. One could see it was sparsely engraved with Daoist symbols.

After he had spoken, a well-built man, who looked to about be seventeen to eighteen years of age, stepped forth from the crowd. Everyone grew nervous as they watched him near the jade stairs. Many held their breaths.

The man had successfully climbed the second step, but the moment he began to approach the third, his body trembled uncontrollably. His face was beading with sweat. He really wanted to advance but struggled greatly.

In the end, he failed. Knocked to the ground by a force, he got back up and returned to his place, disheartened.

Jiang Xiaofan’s mouth was agape with shock as he looked on, unable to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Wasn’t it just a nine-step flight of stairs? Why did it seem as difficult as if he was crossing mountains of swords and seas of flames?

“Let me try it!”

Another man had walked forth. He donned fine clothing and had a handsome complexion. He was Wang Ao, the village leader’s nineteen-year-old son. Using modern terms to describe him, he was the epitome of tall, rich, and handsome.

Exuding power and confidence, he strode to the third step. A thin layer of sweat covered his forehead when he made his way up the fourth. Regardless, he clenched his jaw and continued to the fifth and sixth before finally stopping.

The green-robed man was somewhat astonished. Even the yellow-robed beauty turned around and looked at him with surprise in her eyes. They hadn’t anticipated finding a diamond in the rough from an impoverished place such as this. Those who could climb to the fifth step were already considered an exceptional talent.

“Not bad. You’ve passed. Come and stand beside me. After the trial ends, we will immediately leave and head for the base of Ziyang Sect.”