Chapter 4 – Blending In Will Be Harder Than I Thought
The young man pushed open the large, golden doors of his chamber to reveal a long, dark hallway that stretched out before him. A gust of cool wind blew against his face as the stale air of his chamber was released and replaced by fresh air.
As he stepped forward, torches mounted along the walls ignited one by one as they accommodated his quick pace. The air was cool and still, and it had the faint smell of incense. Each of his steps echoed softly, and time seemed to stretch as he walked.
“That’s a neat trick.” The young man commented as he marvelled at the igniting torches. He couldn’t see a sensor, but he thought there must have been one tucked away in the dark for some reason. He still couldn’t figure out why his new body was tucked away in a sealed chamber at the end of a long hallway.
Was his new body a recently deceased person, and this was their tomb? The young man shuddered at the thought.
After what felt like hours, he finally saw a warm glow of natural light ahead. Emerging from the corridor, he found himself at the edge of a lush forest bathed in the golden light of summer. The air was warm and fresh, filled with the scent of blooming flowers and the rustle of leaves.
“Ah! This is what life is all about!” The young man said to himself as he took a deep breath of air into his new body’s lungs and let the sun shine on his face. The smile banished the last of his doubts and the lingering unease he felt at his unexpected reincarnation.
With a smile, he stepped forward, ready to embrace the journey that awaited him in his new life.
Page Break
“Blending in will be harder than I thought.” The young man whispered to himself as he saw the state of the village ahead.
He was walking down a dirt path that led out of the forest when he saw a few houses ahead. They were at the edge of a walled city, encircled by rolling hills and rice paddies. A stream ran through the heart of the village, with clear waters that added to the serene nature of the community.
What struck him immediately was just how old everything was. Not old in age, but dated in time. There was no electricity, and no cars driving on the roads. The people he spotted in the fields were all deeply tanned from the sun, and they wore straw hats and hemp or cotton clothing.
He stuck out like a sore thumb.
He knew it immediately because, as he walked, people would stop what they were doing and stare at him. Children paused their games, elders halted their conversations, and farmers looked up from their work to fixate on him.
The young man had figured his new body was exceptional, but he didn’t realize how extraordinary it would be here. His clothing was spotless, made of fine material and glowed with a shimmering light.
With no choice but to attempt to blend in, the young man adjusted his posture, softened his expression, and offered polite nods to those he passed.
Page Break
The Village Chief thought himself to be extraordinarily blessed, for he had witnessed the arrival of an immortal.
The Chief stood at the threshold of his modest dwelling and stared in awe at the young man walking down the road. Clad in radiant white robes trimmed in purple, the stranger exuded an ethereal presence that seemed to shimmer under the sun.
But what caught his eye and left him stunned was the young man’s strikingly handsome features, combined with long, black hair and eyes that held depth beyond his years.
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The Chief knew that this could only be an immortal, a cultivator who reached the highest realms and had deigned to walk in the mortal world for some unknown reason.
A mix of emotions surged in the village Chief’s chest. Respect and awe were at the forefront, but fear was also prominent. An immortal could bring prosperity or disaster, depending on their whim.
He quickly ran forward and gave the young man a deep bow.
“Master Immortal. This old man is the humble chief of this village. To witness your arrival is a blessing beyond measure. The heavens have smiled upon our village this day.” The Elder said, giving another bow while clasping his hand respectfully in front of him.
His voice trembled with awe.
The young man’s eyes widened slightly, and a flicker of surprise betrayed his shock, but he hid it well and soon, his gentle and refined expression that he had practiced in the mirror returned.
Internally, the young man’s thoughts raced.
‘Did he just call me ‘Master Immortal? I know this body his good-looking, but this is outrageous!’
‘Do I need to worry about old men cropping up out of nowhere and trying to get close to me!?’ The young man screamed in his mind, all while trying to keep himself calm and collected.
While part of his mind was filled with thoughts of crowds of old people chasing him through the streets, a larger piece was focused on what the old man had said.
The term ‘Master Immortal’ stirred one of his few memories of his past life, where he had read a novel about cultivators who strived to ascend to immortality. These individuals wielded profound powers and could fly across the sky.
Could he have reincarnated into a world like that?
Determined to test the waters, the young man responded calmly.
“I’m not an immortal. In fact, I’m not a cultivator at all.”
The Chief’s face took on an expression of profound disbelief. He straightened from his bow and studied the young man with renewed curiosity.
“Forgive this old man’s ignorance. If you are not a cultivator, then perhaps Young Master is here for the Tranquil Mountain Sect’s disciple selection ceremony?” The Chief cautiously asked, trying desperately not to offend the young man.
Even if he said he wasn’t a cultivator, it was clear that he was no ordinary person. The village could easily be destroyed if the young man were from a prominent family or was a hidden expert in disguise.
For the young man, the reply of both ‘Cultivator’ and ‘Sect.’ caught his ear.
‘Holy shit, this really is a cultivation world!’ The young man screamed in his own mind while desperately trying to retain his calm appearance.
Flying on a sword, living for hundreds of years and a half dozen other images flashed in his mind, and he couldn’t help but smile widely. Most importantly, every cultivation novel mentioned ‘Jade-like’ beauties that these cultivation sects were filled to the brim with.
The Chief, seeing the Young Master’s smile, knew that he had guessed correctly.
“Ah! Please, allow me to escort you! The Tranquil Mountain Sect’s representative arrived a few days ago and is currently selecting talents in the main square of the city!” The Chief offered eagerly, and the young man nodded his head.
Page Break
In the bustling city square, the regional Disciple Selection Ceremony of the Tranquil Mountain Sect was underway.
An Outer Sect Elder oversaw the process of trying to find talents amid the crowds of people who had shown up over the past few days.
The Elder stood on a raised dais and tried to appear imposing and wise in his perfectly clean blue robes with a white trim that signified his rank in the Sect, but anyone observant enough could see that his eyes betrayed his deep-seated boredom.
At the 10th level of Qi Condensation, he had long accepted that Foundation Establishment was beyond his reach.
But the role of an Elder, even an Elder of the Outer Sect, required a certain gravitas, and so he maintained a stern fa?ade with his hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the hopefuls.
The first test was a simple and efficient way of sifting through the sand in search of gold. Each candidate would sit cross-legged on a mat and hold a small, glass orb in their hands. These orbs were artifacts designed to react to the presence of Qi.
If a candidate could naturally sense and channel Qi into the orb by meditating, the orb would emit a light. All the Elder had to do was watch the orb, and when it lit up, the brighter the glow, the greater the natural affinity for cultivation the person had.
Things like personality, endurance, and aptitude can all be determined later. The most important part of cultivation was the ability to cultivate in the first place!
Each person was allotted four hours to complete the task, a period that felt interminably long to the Elder.
So far, he had only found three people out of thousands who could cultivate, and none of them had been particularly impressive.
The trio who passed stood to the side and waited patiently for the Elder to finish the test and take them to the sect, where they could finally begin their cultivation journeys.
The Elder took a quick glance up at the sun and determined that there were only an hour left before the ceremony ended, when a commotion below caught his attention.
