The first chapter begins with an encounter with the male protagonist, marking the end of her path of barely surviving.
"Hey, Ye Chi, you seem to be in a pretty good mood these days?" The old beggar next to him, also dressed in tattered clothes, spoke with an awkward accent, chewing on a steamed bun, making his speech even more indistinct. "What good thing is going to happen? If you have something good, take me with you, don't just enjoy the good life by yourself!"
The boy called Ye Chi turned his head slightly. His face, which had been wandering for many years, inevitably looked somewhat travel-worn, but it couldn't hide the sparkling light in his dark, bright eyes. He smiled and had shallow dimples. "I won't forget you."
The old beggar waved his hand, "Just kidding, don't take it so seriously. I'm just happy to be alive."
Ye Chi obediently replied, "You will definitely live to be a hundred years old."
"Hey, I don't know where you learned that overly literary tone..."
Ye Chi listened to the old beggar's rambling. But as he listened, he lost patience and turned to tease the thin cat.
He has been in this world for half a year.
For a modern person from a normal family, it's quite difficult to adapt to suddenly regress from a technological society to a primitive state. Ye Chi has been without a cell phone for half a year and has to live a life of hardship, and now he feels like he's almost degenerated into a caveman.
Luckily, he was a sports student before and has excellent physical fitness. If someone with a weaker constitution had come, they would have gotten sick after being caught in the rain, which would have been terrible.
As he picked up a dry branch to tease the cat, he entered a meditative state, ignoring the beggar's calls to him.
As a beggar, Ye Chi's life was far from what others could afford, but he was still well-informed. Based on rough calculations, the current backstory had progressed to the point where the protagonist was about to appear—the start of the once-every-ten-year disciple selection tournament of the Qinglian Immortal Sect, the number one sect in the immortal realm.
All disciples, regardless of status or position, can apply, which is why the male protagonist, a poor child, was able to successfully join the sect.
This also gave Ye Chi a chance to exploit a loophole.
His village was located at the foot of Qinglian Immortal Sect Mountain. With the opening of the mountain festival approaching, the flow of people was gradually increasing. He held the thin cat in his arms, squinting as he watched the passing crowd. He wondered where the male protagonist was.
At this time, the male protagonist was about the same age as him. A young man in tattered clothes stood out among a group of rich kids, a unique figure who stood out from the crowd.
However, he didn't see it, and disappointedly looked away.
The old beggar seemed to have read his mind and said, "You don't mean to go to that immortal sect, do you?"
Ye Chi glanced at him sideways: "Is it not allowed? Everyone has a dream of cultivating immortality."
"That's different," the old beggar shook his head. "Those rich kids go there because they have so much money they don't have to worry about food or clothing. But think about us beggars, we have neither money nor connections. To cultivate immortality, we need to buy swords, pills, and magical artifacts to improve our cultivation. Doesn't that require money?"
Ye Chi sighed. It was cruel, but undeniably true. He didn't believe that an ordinary person who had transmigrated from modern times could embark on the path of cultivation. A thought flashed through his mind, and he said, "If I can't become an immortal, being a menial servant isn't bad either!"
The old beggar paused for a moment: "Hiss, that makes sense."
The reason why so many mortals yearn for the Qinglian Immortal Sect is not only because some genuinely want to cultivate immortality, but also because a large part of them hope to obtain an official position in the Qinglian Immortal Sect so that they can have a place to settle down for the rest of their lives.
As the number one sect in the immortal world, Qinglian Immortal Sect offers a decent salary and various employee benefits. Being able to eat with students in the cafeteria and attend classes on the side when not working is actually not a bad deal.
So Ye Chi said easily, "Since I have no cultivation and no talent, I can at least work there, right?"
The old beggar smiled and asked, "When are you leaving?"
"Just a little while later," Ye Chi said, picking up his tattered bag. "I need to go buy some food first."
The old beggar watched him leave. Ye Chi bought several large steamed buns along the way, eating them as he walked, gazing at the towering mountain that seemed to reach straight to the heavens, a secret longing and excitement stirring within him.
Who hasn't dreamed of cultivating immortality?
He had only taken a few steps when a mocking voice came from behind him:
"Hey, you stinky beggar."
In recent days, many people have humiliated him by claiming he was a beggar, but Ye Chi himself doesn't seem to care much. Upon hearing this, he only paused for a moment before resuming his nonchalant manner, pretending he hadn't heard it.
But he still secretly glanced over out of the corner of his eye.
Several young masters, clearly from prominent families, surrounded a youth whose clothes were patched. The word "beggar" wasn't directed at Ye Chi. He felt a sense of relief at first, but then suddenly felt that the scene before him was somewhat familiar.
He glanced over there a few more times. The bullied beggar had pale skin and eyes like black diamonds. Ye Chi realized: This was the male lead.
Who else could have such an eye-catching presence in a crowd but the male lead?
Good grief, we just happened to stumble upon a scene where cannon fodder was courting death.
The male protagonist kept his head down, ignoring the childish behavior of those people. Seeing that he didn't react, the cannon fodder became even more emboldened, constantly calling out "beggar, beggar!"
Ye Chi didn't want to get involved. As a transmigrator, the smaller the deviation between the plot and the original work, the better for him. If he rashly interfered with the main plot and accidentally changed the future, it would definitely not be a good thing for someone like him who only wanted to survive.
But he remembered that after the male protagonist's spiritual root was dug out by the villain, he fell into the demonic path and became corrupted. The first thing he did after achieving mastery of the demonic path was to slaughter the entire village. Then he returned to the Qinglian Sect and killed everyone except for the harem. Even the villain with the highest combat power in the entire book was severely injured by him, and his cultivation level dropped significantly.
Thinking of this, Ye Chi couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
If he were killed by the villainous male protagonist, wouldn't that go against his original intention of surviving?
It seems he has no choice but to cling to this powerful figure, whether he wants to or not.
...
Cen Dao didn't really care about the humiliation and bad comments from these mortals. Firstly, he had lived to such an old age and had experienced all kinds of setbacks, so he was already used to such provocations and they didn't bother him. Secondly, he could tell at a glance that these young masters definitely didn't have the aptitude for cultivating immortality. Even if they insisted on embarking on the path of immortality, they would only stay at the Foundation Establishment stage or even the Qi Refining stage for the rest of their lives, and might even suffer from qi deviation as a result.
In his eyes, these people were no different from the dead. Since that was the case, there was no need to argue with the dead.
But he never expected that someone would speak up for him.
“A group of people bullying one person, that’s clearly the act of villains, isn’t it?” The young man’s voice was tinged with laughter. He looked up, but the newcomer’s eyes were cold. The other person’s clothes were even more shabby than Cen Dao’s, but that couldn’t hide the light in his eyes. “You think you can cultivate immortality with this? Qinglian Sect is really in dire need of talent.”
The few cannon fodder who had been mocking him looked at him with dissatisfaction. They had originally intended to retort, but upon realizing that he, like Cen Dao, was also a beggar, they changed their tone and sneered, "Another beggar? If the Qinglian Sect can accept lowly people like you, then it's truly in dire need of talent. I advise you to give up, lest you find out later that you have mixed spiritual roots and end up crying back to your cardboard box."
Those words were truly unpleasant. Ye Chi raised an eyebrow, and Cen Dao glanced at him and shook his head: "Fellow Daoist, there's no need to argue with them. They're just a bunch of people who can only boast about their words."
"Who are you talking about?!"
Cen Dao looked over expressionlessly: "It seems you're quite self-aware."
The cannon fodder's faces flushed red. They were pampered and spoiled, their parents never daring to criticize them much. Their lives had been incredibly smooth sailing until now, but now they were rendered speechless by a beggar, their faces contorted in ugliness. Ye Chi smiled; it seemed the male lead had quite a sharp tongue.
The two ignored the furious cannon fodder and walked ahead.
"Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist. May I ask your name?" Cen Daoke asked politely. He had a good impression of people who would help those in need.
Ye Chi smiled innocently: "My surname is Ye, and my given name is Chi. May I ask what your name is, fellow Daoist?"
Cen Dao nodded: "My name is Cen Dao."
“I will remember Fellow Daoist Ye’s kindness.”
Ye Chi wasn't in the mood for small talk, and replied perfunctorily with "Not at all," before shutting up. Cen Dao wasn't a talkative person either, and the two of them walked up the mountain in silence.
The Qinglian Sect is located at the top of the mountain, while the disciple selection conference is held halfway up the mountain. After walking up a flight of stairs for a while, you will see a large platform where many people gather.
Most of them came seeking immortality and enlightenment, each with a sword at their waist, looking dashing and heroic. Even those from poor families would try their best to buy their children slightly decent clothes, hoping to leave a good impression on the immortals. Therefore, on the huge platform, these two ragged beggars stood out conspicuously.
Although the cultivation world doesn't care much about appearances, everyone generally agrees that one should dress formally for such occasions; they've never seen anyone so casual.
However, most people only glanced at it a few times before looking away out of boredom. Ye Chi was quite comfortable being stared at. He yawned, walked to the side, sat under a tree, closed his eyes for a short rest, and waited for the conference to begin.
After about two quarters of an hour, when no one else came up the mountain, a magnificent voice rang out and spread throughout the Sendai: "The disciple selection conference has officially begun."
Ye Chi opened his eyes at this moment. Cen Dao was not far from him. Seeing that he was awake, he said, "The selection has started. Aren't you nervous?"
"It's alright." Ye Chi had a foxtail grass he had casually picked from the roadside dangling from his mouth, looking carefree.
Just as Cen Dao was about to say something, the ground beneath his feet suddenly trembled, interrupting him. Ye Chi quickly braced himself, while some of the inexperienced teenagers burst into tears from the sudden turn of events.
"What is that?!"
A sharp scream came from the crowd. Ye Chi subconsciously looked up and saw a sword aura carrying a chill suddenly ripped through the sky, shattering the gathered clouds. Everyone was stunned. Even though he had watched many TV dramas depicting grand scenes in modern times, Ye Chi felt his legs go weak when he suddenly saw the real thing.
As expected of the cultivation world... none of them are easy to deal with.
Cen Dao frowned: "Such a powerful spiritual current..."
"Look, what's that?"
Someone pointed to a snow-white figure not far up the mountain and exclaimed in surprise.
No one knew when this person appeared; all they knew was that he was already standing there when they spotted him. Clearly, the man in white had no intention of hiding; he took a step and instantly teleported onto the platform.
The immense pressure rendered everyone almost unable to move.
Only when you get close can you see the man's face clearly. He is tall and slender, half a head taller than Ye Chi. His phoenix eyes reflect a sharp coldness. He is handsome, but he looks too fierce. At this moment, with a stern face, he looks even more unapproachable.
His gaze casually swept over everyone before he slowly spoke, his voice as clear as a cold spring: "I am Ya Feiyu, the peak master of Tianxue Peak of the Qinglian Sect, and I am an examiner for this selection competition."
"Not bad." He closed his eyes slightly and said indifferently, "You have the talent to have endured my pressure until now."
"My test is very simple. You only need to withstand my pressure for a quarter of an hour to pass."
Ya Feiyu flicked his sleeve and sat down under the stone table by an unnamed flowering tree, casually brewing tea, his gaze never even falling on them.
Ye Chi had a bad feeling the moment he saw this person.
Then Ya Feiyu introduced himself, and he immediately realized something was wrong.
Ya Feiyu is the villain with the highest combat power in the entire book, possessing the cultivation level of the Tribulation Transcending stage, just one step away from ascension. Logically speaking, such powerful individuals are usually in seclusion preparing for a breakthrough, and Ya Feiyu in the original work is no exception.
He shouldn't have been here. The person who should have come to assess them was Shen Qinghe, the peak master of Rumeng Peak, one of the seven peaks of the Qinglian Sect, who would later become part of the male protagonist's harem.
He wasn't the only one surprised. The disciple beside him, while enduring the pressure of the Tribulation Transcending stage, said, "Shouldn't the Peak Master of Tianxue Peak be in seclusion? Why did he suddenly come out..."
"I deliberately chose to come during the day he was in seclusion, how could I have such bad luck? I give up."
"I can't go on, Peak Master! I'm quitting!"
In just a few breaths, more than half of the people had disappeared.
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