The seventeenth year of the Qian Yuan era.
Red Flame Country, Qing State, Riverside Sect.
At the edge of the sect's cliff, Shen Mo lay looking at the glorious fiery clouds in the sunset sky, his heart filled with a sense of confusion.
I have really... travelled through time.
He sighed quietly in his heart.
Ten days ago, he was just an ordinary office worker on Earth, struggling with a 996 work schedule during the day, and writing novels online at night to help with the household expenses. Life was boring but peaceful.
Unexpectedly, ten days ago while working overnight, his vision suddenly went black. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in this unfamiliar world.
"In this world, there are demons and monsters, as well as World-covering Immortals," Shen Mo sorted through the memories of the original host in his mind and muttered.
According to the original host's memory, this world was just like the one in the martial arts fantasy novels from his previous life. The land was vast, extending countless miles, inhabited by innumerable creatures. Immortals could prolong their lives by a thousand years, and powerful beings could move mountains and drain seas.
However, all this had nothing to do with Shen Mo. Those were the elite amongst the elites, the chosen few, the stars of the stage in novels. As a disciple responsible for guarding the gate of the Riverside Sect, Shen Mo was just a pathetically weak existence in the cultivation world, nothing more than a foil for the talented.
His talent for cultivation was not good; at the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, his cultivation still remained at the standard of the Fifth Level of the Body Refining Realm. He had no idea in which year or month he would have the opportunity to break through to the Qi Gathering Realm. This rate of cultivation progress, even among the outer disciples of the Riverside Sect, was not outstanding.
His parents had also been disciples of the Riverside Sect in their early years. Like Shen Mo, their talents were mediocre. After cultivating the Body Tempering Realm to its Perfection stage, they could not find an opportunity to break through.
Twenty years ago, Shen Mo's father, Shen Yuanchang, together with his mother, Liu Chunan, decided to venture deep into the demonic beast territory in Linjiang Mountain, seeking an opportunity to break through. They hoped to successfully break through to the Qi Gathering Realm and become an inner disciple of the Riverside Sect. But once they left, they never returned.
When his parents died, Shen Mo was only seven or eight years old, without any support in the Riverside Sect. Luckily, his parents had a close friend in the sect named Chen An. This Uncle Chen, after decades of cultivation, had become an Outer Deacon of the Riverside Sect and had some authority. Over the years, he took good care of Shen Mo. It was thanks to this relationship that Shen Mo was able to get the job of watching over the mountain for the sect, receiving a monthly salary from the sect for his cultivation.
But the road to cultivation is tough and requires endless resources. Despite receiving help, Shen Mo's cultivation progress after twenty years of hard work was still not significant.
It really is... pathetic.
Thinking about the bitter experiences of the original host over the years, he couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. In his previous life, although he was not a winner in life, his parents were at least alive and well, and life was fulfilling and happy. The experiences in the original host's life, on the other hand, were quite miserable.
While lost in his thoughts, the sound of something cutting through the air, moving from far to near, interrupted Shen Mo's thoughts. He looked up.
High above the sky, figures cloaked in purple robes were stepping on Flying Swords, turning into streaks of light, breaking through the cloud sea, and returning through the air.
It's Uncle Chen leading the team back.
Shen Mo instantly recognized the identities of these people. The purple robes were the exclusive clothing of the Riverside Sect's inner disciples. Leading the team was a lean middle-aged man with half-gray hair. This man was Chen An, Deacon Chen, who had taken great care of Shen Mo in the sect.
Three days ago, Uncle Chen led a team of new inner disciples deep into Linjiang Mountain to hunt demonic beasts. Their return now suggests a substantial harvest.
Shen Mo carefully observed and saw some disciples carrying demonic beast corpses, looking energetic and ambitious, and he admired them in his heart.
But soon, this admiration was overwhelmed by fear again.
I remember when they set off, Uncle Chen had brought a team of more than twenty people, and only thirteen have returned.
Without a doubt, the seven inner disciples who didn't return must have been eaten by the demonic beasts.
The cultivation world is indeed perilous.
Shen Mo's heart tightened slightly, and he shook his head with a bitter laugh.
In his previous life as a web novel author, Shen Mo had quite a few imaginations and aspirations about the world of martial arts and fantasy. But now, after truly traversing through time, he felt the cruelty and difficulty of this martial world.
The Riverside Sect boasted one hundred thousand disciples and held the position of the number one immortal sect in Qing State. Every year, countless people came to pay their respects and become disciples, like fishes crossing a river. But most of them could only become outer disciples unrecognized by the sect and spend their whole lives stuck in the Body Tempering Realm. Those who truly advanced to the Inner Door barely numbered one in a hundred.
Even if they stepped into the Inner Door, they were not free from concerns. The road to cultivation is difficult and requires vast resources. Although the Riverside Sect provided a monthly allowance to assist disciples in cultivation, it wouldn't support idlers. To advance to a higher Realm and gain more powerful abilities, one had to find all possible ways to acquire Spirit Stones and cultivation resources.
Hunting demonic beasts outside was one of the most common ways for the Riverside Sect's inner disciples. Cultivators hunted demonic beasts, took the Demon Cores, and sold the demon corpses to exchange for Spirit Stones and buy cultivation resources. On the other hand, demonic beasts were not just moving experience packets and naturally put up resistance. Although many Qi Gathering Realm cultivators, by relying on hunting demonic beasts, successfully obtained the resources to advance their cultivation, many more lost their lives within the Linjiang Mountain Range teeming with demonic beasts. Like Shen Mo's parents, they never returned, and no news came from them either.
"The Riverside Sect was established over a thousand years ago. Throughout these hundreds of years, there have been over a million disciples entering the sect, but most of them died halfway. Only tens of thousands have truly risen to become inner disciples. Those who have cultivated to the Spirit Sea Realm and become Elders within the sect can be counted by the dozens, let alone those who are at the Golden Core Realm, the sect's strongest protectors."
The Skills of great cultivators to move mountains, fill seas, and travel through the void were enviable indeed. However, success was built on countless bones. Each cultivator who aspired to reach these heights had to claw their way out from myriad mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
With my Talent and aptitude, I shouldn't be too hopeful of becoming a powerful figure.
Shen Mo thought to himself with a clear understanding of his capabilities, As a bottom feeder in the cultivation world, the mortality rate is too high. It's better to go back to the mortal world and become a wealthy man.
He had this thought as soon as he crossed over here. These last few days, as Shen Mo continued to assimilate the memories of his original host and understand the brutality and hardships of the cultivation world, his conviction in this thought only grew stronger.
Rather than living in fear every day, figuratively tying his head to his waistband, and scrambling for resources everywhere to seize that slim chance of becoming superior, it was better to completely lie low. At least he could live a peaceful life, enjoying the hundred years of Lifespan in this different world without having to worry about being killed at any moment.
"Mo'er, have there been improvements in your cultivation recently?" A full and robust voice came; it was Chen An, the Outer Deacon of the Riverside Sect who had just returned, a good friend of Shen Mo's parents.
"There hasn't been much progress." Shen Mo paid his respects to Chen An and responded with a bitter smile, "My cultivation has been stuck at the Fifth Level of the Body Refining Realm for three years now. I've been trying hard to break through this stage in the past few days, but I always feel that my foundation is not stable enough to achieve that breakthrough. Sorry to disappoint you, Uncle Chen."
"Don't worry, don't worry." Chen An, hearing this, patted his shoulder and said, "The path of cultivation is difficult; it's not surprising to lack progress for several years. You just need to work hard and persist, and one day you will achieve success."
"Uncle Chen, this path of cultivation is too dangerous. With my average Talent… I'm afraid I won't achieve much in this lifetime." Shen Mo cautiously worded his thoughts and then imparted them: "I was thinking, rather than struggling in the sect, it's better to return to the mortal world, become a wealthy idler, and spend the rest of my life."
"You want to leave?" Chen An was taken aback, then his expression turned to one of stern disappointment. "Do you know, if you leave the Riverside Sect, you will lose your chance at immortality in this lifetime? So many mortals, to seek immortality, forsake families and cast off their careers. Yet, you, in the face of a little setback, wish to backtrack!"
As an elder, Chen An sternly said, "Back then, your parents ventured into the Linjiang Ridge to seek a chance at a breakthrough, and they never returned. Before they left, they asked me to take care of you if they didn't come back. For their promise, I have been diligent over the years, hoping that someday you will break through to the Qi Gathering Realm, set foot on the true path to immortality, and fulfill the wishes of your parents. How can you willingly accept such a downfall! And cut off your own path to immortality!"
Chen An wore a stern expression and chastised him. Then he took out a jade box from his bosom, handed it to Shen Mo, and said in grave earnest, "This expedition has yielded some gains. I came across someone selling Qi Gathering Pills in the Market. Thinking that this elixir would greatly benefit the training of a Body Tempering Realm cultivator, I bought it for you. There are three Qi Gathering Pills in this box. You should take one every month in conjunction with your cultivation and strive hard. These three Qi Gathering Pills should be enough to advance your cultivation to Layer VII of the Body Tempering Realm. Remember, practice diligently, do not disappoint the legacy of your parents! I will return in three months to check on your progress."
Having completed his speech, Chen An turned around and transformed into a streak of light, leaving the gate of the mountain without further discussion.
"Thank you, Uncle Chen." Shen Mo, having been thoroughly lectured, awkwardly accepted the jade box containing the Qi Gathering Pills. Watching Chen An's departing figure, he sighed inwardly.
The night fell and the stars twinkled in the firmament.
Shen Mo was sitting cross-legged, holding a Qi Gathering Pill in both hands, his mind a mix of sensations.
The Qi Gathering Pill was the best Elixir for those in the Body Tempering Realm. It was said that one could break through by just using one. It was very costly. If you were to buy it in the Market, one would at least have to spend thirty Lower Grade Spirit Stones. This was no small sum even for a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator. Chen An had prepared three for him, which showed he truly treated Shen Mo as his own nephew.
However, while Shen Mo was moved, he also felt enormous pressure due to Uncle Chen's high expectations. He didn't truly believe that someone of his Talent, cultivation, and abilities could carve out a bloody path in the harsh world of cultivation. Yet, Uncle Chen had such high hopes for him.
Forget it, let's cultivate first and think about leaving the Riverside Sect another time.
Suppressing his distracting thoughts, Shen Mo swallowed a Qi Gathering Pill.
GULP!
As the elixir entered his body, the medicinal power gradually unfolded. A warm current spread continuously, causing Shen Mo to feel a faint, aching distension throughout his meridians. Shen Mo didn't dare to slack off; he quickly activated his fundamental cultivation technique, the Heavenly Origin Technique, gradually absorbing the surging medicinal power.
As he gradually absorbed the medicinal power, Shen Mo's body trembled, and his mind felt like something suddenly exploded.
**Destiny!**
Two large, gilded characters gradually imprinted on his retinas.
Destiny? What is this?
Shen Mo was slightly stunned. Before he could react, the two gilded characters dissipated, transforming into a panel detailing various aspects of his fate.
**Destinied Lord: Shen Mo**
**Destiny Disc: Four White, One Grey, the remaining two are not yet clear.**
**Special Destiny: Robust (White): Your vitality is good; your strength and constitution make you more robust and resilient than ordinary people.**
What is this...?
Shen Mo looked at the panel attributes that appeared in front of him, looking a bit baffled.
System?
He tried calling out tentatively, but no one answered. So, he had to explore by himself, ponder over the information that appeared before his eyes, and figure out what this thing was capable of.