Chapter 1 A Young Man Arrives at Maoshan

(Semi-Transmigration, simulator-style, world-building expands in Chapter 3)

【Three Pure Ones Check-in Point】

【Four Perils Check-in Point】

【Joker Check-in Point】

【Daniel Wu and Liu Yifei Lookalikes Check-in Point】

...

"You... are my medicine!"

In his sleep, Jiang Chen vaguely heard a raspy, hissing sound.

When Jiang Chen heard these words, he thought he had accidentally stumbled into a romance novel for female readers.

That was until he saw that the one speaking to him was a large, brown-striped python, forty to fifty feet long, standing nearly ten feet tall even when only half-upright.

Within a pair of vertical pupils the size of fists, a human-like greed and cunning flickered as it flicked its scarlet, forked tongue.

However, this giant python seemed to be injured, as blood continued to seep from its abdomen.

"Holy crap! Medicine? No, no, no! I'm not interested!"

Though he didn't know how he had ended up here, Jiang Chen only wanted to leave right now.

But the giant snake clearly wasn't going to give him the chance; it opened its hideous maw, preparing to swallow him whole.

Fangs like steel needles were already inches away, and Jiang Chen could almost smell the foul, fishy stench.

Wait, wasn't he just sleeping at home? How did he end up here? Is this even still in the country?

And what was with this set of ancient robes he was wearing? Not to mention this long, flowing hair.

No, could this dream be this realistic?

Or rather, had he transmigrated?

Did a 'Truck-kun' crash into his house last night without him knowing?

Jiang Chen fell into despair.

Jumping straight into the plot right after transmigrating—was he on the 'Quick Transmigration' route?

But at that moment, a whistling sound rushed past Jiang Chen from behind.

"Vile beast! How dare you harm a human life? I cannot let you live!"

Then Jiang Chen saw a golden light descend from the heavens, splitting the giant snake in half from head to tail.

It was clean and decisive, without a hint of hesitation. Snake blood fell like a torrential downpour, yet it was all blocked by a strange golden light.

Jiang Chen was dazed. How did this person feel even more fierce than the Director of their 749 Bureau?

He was originally an ordinary member of the Night Watcher Department of the modern 749 Bureau and had been fortunate enough to meet the Director of the Binhai 749 Bureau once.

At that time, the Director of the 749 Bureau gave him the feeling of pressure as vast as the sea and an unfathomable aura. But compared to this person, it was like comparing a small wizard to a great one—they were completely incomparable.

After killing the Python Demon, Li Hanguang unhurriedly sheathed his sword and looked at Jiang Chen.

But with just one look, he raised an eyebrow slightly: "Eh? I actually can't calculate anything about him!"

Jiang Chen's heart skipped a beat. He wouldn't be identified as an Otherworldly Demon on his first day of Transmigration and then be 'subdued' for the sake of the Dao, would he?

Li Hanguang smiled slightly. "No need to be nervous. May I ask, young sir, what is your name and where do you live? This poor Daoist can see you down the mountain."

Jiang Chen didn't quite know how to answer. He had just arrived and had no memories; how would he know where he lived?

"To answer the Daoist, this Junior is Jiang Chen. I am alone in the world, making my home wherever I go."

"I see..." Li Hanguang murmured.

Recalling his Revered Master's words before he left the mountain, he suddenly spoke up.

"In that case, I see that you have an extraordinary Physique. Would you be willing to join my Sect and become a practitioner of the Dao?"

Was this the transmigrator's starter gift pack? Becoming the Disciple of a powerhouse meant his life wouldn't be in danger for the time being, right?

Jiang Chen was overjoyed upon hearing this. What was there to wait for? He immediately bowed his head in worship: "I am willing! Disciple Jiang Chen pays respects to Revered Master!"

Li Hanguang was first taken aback, then smiled slightly and stepped aside. "Not quite. This poor Daoist has not yet completed his own apprenticeship and has no plans to take Disciples. I meant that I would accept you on behalf of my Revered Master. You and I shall simply address each other as Senior and Junior Brothers."

It was a bit of an awkward blunder, but Jiang Chen didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed. Instead, he stood up composedly: "An elder brother is like a father. Bowing to Senior Brother is not a breach of etiquette."

Li Hanguang's eyes brightened, and he nodded, becoming even more satisfied with this Junior Brother.

"Since you have entered this poor Daoist's Sect, you must naturally know which gate you belong to."

Jiang Chen pricked up his ears, afraid of missing a single word.

What this convenient Senior Brother said now was his only understanding of this strange world.

"This poor Daoist is Li Hanguang, of the Maoshan Shangqing Sect. I currently hold the position of the Eldest Disciple under my honored Revered Master."

Li Hanguang? Maoshan? Shangqing Sect?

Jiang Chen was stunned. Where exactly had he been sent?

Was Li Hanguang the same Li Hanguang he knew? And was this Maoshan the same Maoshan he was familiar with?

"Senior Brother, may I ask what year it is?"

Li Hanguang was puzzled. Why did his newly joined Junior Brother not know something that even a simple mountain villager would know?

"It is naturally the fifth year of the Kaiyuan Era. The Tang Emperor is currently on a northern inspection tour from the Eastern Capital, and is presently..."

Jiang Chen only heard the first sentence before his head began to buzz.

The fifth year of the Kaiyuan Era?

The Great Tang?!

He hadn't transmigrated to an alien world, but had come to a thousand years in the past!

To the era where Daoism and Buddhism were at their most prosperous!

And he had just muddled his way into becoming a Daoist of the Maoshan Sect?

"Let's go. Follow me back to the mountain. First, pay respects to Revered Master and the Ancestral Masters, and then we shall choose a day to open the altar and confer your talismans."

...

When Jiang Chen saw the magnificent and solemn palace complexes of Maoshan, he couldn't help but gape.

This was his first time seeing the true face of Maoshan: a continuous row of stone steps leading upward, with a massive statue of Lao-Jun standing upon them.

Behind it was a grand complex of palaces.

From time to time, Disciples in blue Daoist robes would stop and say respectfully to Li Hanguang, "Eldest Senior Brother!"

Then they would cast a curious glance at Jiang Chen.

Or there were Disciples in gray robes who addressed Li Hanguang as "Senior Martial Uncle."

These were just ordinary Maoshan Disciples, similar to Outer Sect Disciples in cultivation sects, and were not considered true heirs.

Only someone like Li Hanguang was a true Daoist heir, capable of practicing core Maoshan techniques like the Golden Records of Spirit Script.

"Besides myself, Revered Master currently has one Personal Disciple and two Named Disciples."

Though they were Named Disciples, they still held a Revered Master-Disciple relationship with Grand Master Sima Chengzhen, unlike the other ordinary Maoshan Disciples.

At that moment, a middle-aged man in a black Daoist robe with a short beard walked over, forming a Daoist mudra to salute Li Hanguang.

"Senior Brother."

Li Hanguang returned the salute. "Junior Brother."

Then he introduced him to Jiang Chen: "This is your Second Senior Brother, Ye Fashan."

Jiang Chen hurriedly followed the example and saluted Ye Fashan: "Greetings, Senior Brother. I am Jiang Chen."

"Mhm. Revered Master has been waiting for you for a long time. Go quickly."

"Alright," Li Hanguang nodded slightly.

Jiang Chen followed Li Hanguang to the Ancestral Master Hall. At the very top were the Three Pure Ones and Four Emperors, and below them were various immortals, gods, and the past Ancestral Masters of the Maoshan Sect.

Jiang Chen even saw a few familiar names among them.

He was, after all, a Night Watcher of the 749 Bureau, specializing in dealing with demons and ghosts, so he naturally had frequent dealings with both Daoist and Buddhist sects.

Although there weren't many demons or ghosts left now, and Jiang Chen was only in logistics at the 749 Bureau, those in logistics had to handle even more miscellaneous tasks.

He remembered that in their Binhai 749 Bureau, there were Disciples from the Maoshan Sect.

He had been lucky enough to see one once, and that person had been incredibly arrogant.

After paying respects to the Ancestral Masters, Li Hanguang led Jiang Chen to a side hall.

"Revered Master, your Disciple went down the mountain to eliminate a demon and encountered a fine piece of jade. I have specially brought him into our Maoshan Sect. I ask for Revered Master's decision."

Although Grand Master Sima Chengzhen had specifically sent Li Hanguang down the mountain to eliminate the demon and told him to bring back anyone he encountered who had a destiny with the Maoshan Sect,

Li Hanguang wasn't sure if his Revered Master would actually take him as a Disciple.

He thought that if Revered Master didn't take him, he would just take him in himself.

At worst, he'd just have Ye Fashan do the teaching; Ye Fashan wouldn't dare disobey him anyway.

"Very well, I understand. He shall be taught by you for now. When I emerge from seclusion, I will personally confer his talismans."

An ethereal voice seemed to transmit directly into Jiang Chen's heart.

"First, teach him the Huangting Classic and the True Form Diagram of the Shangqing Image Sword."

Li Hanguang was startled. "Revered Master, the Huangting Classic is fine, but the True Form Diagram of the Shangqing Image Sword... wouldn't that be a bit too dangerous?"

It was said that the cultivation methods of the Northern Emperor Sect were extreme, and one could lose both body and soul with the slightest mistake.

But at least they could keep the Legacy going.

However, Li Hanguang knew that their own sect's True Form Diagram of the Shangqing Image Sword had caused the deaths of countless people during cultivation.

To this day, not a single person had succeeded.

Li Hanguang himself practiced the Dao Sword and had once dared to covet this True Form Diagram. With just one look, his mind and spirit were severely damaged. If Grand Master Sima Chengzhen hadn't pulled him back in time,

his path in the Dao might have ended right then and there.

Now Revered Master was actually letting Jiang Chen visualize and Cultivate this True Form Diagram; he wondered if Revered Master had gone senile.

Just as Li Hanguang thought this, he suddenly felt a heavy rap on his forehead.

"Disrespectful. Next time you criticize your Revered Master, remember to stay further away."

...

Realm Divisions: Qi Induction Stage, Dao Entry, Mystic Light, Life Wheel, Bitter Sea, Heavenly Bridge, Primordial Spirit (Yin Spirit, Primordial Spirit, Yang Spirit), Paramita, Transcendence, Ultimate Being.