Shenzhou Continent.
Eastern Region.
Donglin Holy Land.
Within the Sutra Pavilion, carved beams and painted halls stood in elegant order. Bookshelves were neatly aligned, and countless ancient tomes rested upon them, each emitting a faint divine radiance that filled the space with a captivating glow.
An old man slowly arranged the books on the shelves. There was a trace of helplessness in his eyes, but compared to the panic he had felt at the beginning, he had long since grown accustomed to this life.
His name was Chu Xun.
In his previous life, he had been an avid reader of novels. Unexpectedly, after an accidental death, he had transmigrated into this world—arriving in Donglin Holy Land, one of the six great holy lands of the Eastern Region—and had even become an elder.
An elder of the Sutra Pavilion.
He had been in charge of this place for sixty years.
There had been some surprise at first.
But more than that, there was relief.
Compared to the hardships of his previous life, being able to live again was already more than enough.
Moreover, Chu Xun was quite satisfied with his identity in this life. An elder of the Sutra Pavilion—ordinary in status, but stable. He was not like those transmigrators who became heaven's chosen sons, reborn failures seeking revenge, or villains fated to oppose destiny itself.
Well-read and knowledgeable, he understood clearly that such people might appear dazzling and limitless, but in truth, every step they took was fraught with danger. One wrong move, and they would fall into a situation beyond redemption.
Compared to them—
Being an elder of the Sutra Pavilion was excellent.
Ordinary.
Free.
Peaceful.
Carefree.
As long as Donglin Holy Land didn't collapse, living like this was exceptionally comfortable.
As for Donglin Holy Land going bankrupt?
In his view, that was impossible.
The Shenzhou Continent was a world where martial cultivation flourished and strength was revered.
The realms were as follows:
Body Refining Realm, Spirit Concentration Realm, Golden Core Realm, Dharma Realm, King Realm, Venerable Realm, Human Emperor Realm, Sage Realm, Quasi-Emperor Realm, and Emperor Realm.
Each realm was a natural chasm for ordinary cultivators, requiring immense time and effort to cross. Since Donglin Holy Land dared to call itself a "holy land," it naturally had a Sage-level powerhouse presiding over it.
In this era, when Emperors did not emerge and Quasi-Emperors were unseen, Sages were already the pinnacle of existence. Moreover, Donglin Holy Land had stood in the Eastern Region for over three thousand years, witnessing the rise and fall of countless other holy lands—some flourishing, others disappearing into the river of time.
Only Donglin Holy Land remained.
Transcendent and untouched.
Such a place—
Going bankrupt was nothing but fantasy.
Shaking his head, Chu Xun casually pulled out a book. This scripture—something countless cultivators outside would kill for—was everywhere within the Sutra Pavilion. Ancient texts glimmered faintly, every single one a supreme scripture.
"Innate Scripture."
Leaning back in his rocking chair, he flipped through the text. Scriptures that had once caused bloody storms in the outside world now passed quietly through his hands. But after only two volumes—
A crisp sound rang by his ear.
"Ding!"
"Read ten volumes!"
"Reward: One Realm-Breaking Pill!"
"Reward: One Life Deduction Opportunity!"
"Reward: One Investment Opportunity!"
Buzz!
A pill, white as jade and fragrant with spiritual aroma, fell into his palm.
Chu Xun's eyes remained calm and gentle. Naturally, he had awakened a system after transmigrating. However, unlike others who invested in Sons of Destiny, family fortunes, or sect luck, his system was… different.
It invested in villains.
Villains of destiny.
Different investments yielded different rewards.
Just like now.
Looking down from the pavilion, he could see disciples passing by below.
---
[Name: Li Niu]
[Age: 31]
[Cultivation: Dharma Realm]
[Luck: White (Ordinary)]
[Life Evaluation: A mediocre life. Two months later, he is accidentally injured. Realizing he can no longer break through, he leaves the sect and returns to his hometown to teach the younger generation.]
---
[Name: Zhao Zhong]
[Age: 35]
[Cultivation: Dharma Realm]
[Luck: Gray (Minor Villain)]
[Life Evaluation: Three months later, he provokes the Protagonist of Destiny, is publicly beheaded within the sect, and becomes a stepping stone for the protagonist's rise. Dies miserably.]
"What a pity."
After observing for a while, none of them were worth investing in.
Chu Xun gently shook his head.
His gaze fell once more on the pill in his hand—the Realm-Breaking Pill. By now, he had fully understood the system's rules. He simply needed to read books: ten volumes this time, a hundred volumes next time.
And these scriptures were already deeply familiar to him. He wasn't just skimming them superficially.
"Not bad," he muttered.
"Reading scriptures in the sect, investing in villains… even if I have to descend the mountain one day, I'll still have a solid cultivation base."
With that thought, his mind felt suddenly clear and open.
He looked at the pill in his palm.
Without hesitation, he swallowed it.
Instantly—
A mysterious state of enlightenment surged through him.
Everything became crystal clear.
His consciousness seemed to roam the universe itself.
The world unfolded before him.
His spiritual sense soared through the clouds, gazing downward, passing through layers of buildings. He saw the Sutra Pavilion—its carved railings and painted beams engraved with countless runes. Each rune carried profound power, interlinked into a terrifying formation. His physical body lay entrenched at the very heart of it.
"The Sutra Pavilion is truly miraculous," Chu Xun exclaimed softly.
Looking farther into the distance, he saw—
Formation after formation, centered around the Sutra Pavilion.
They rose and fell like waves.
Interwoven like a vast spider web, enveloping the entire sect.
An overwhelming momentum surged forth, so powerful that it felt as though even a Sage descending in person would be suppressed by this formation.
At that moment, Chu Xun finally understood why Donglin Holy Land had stood tall for thousands of years. With such a grand formation protecting it, who could possibly break through with ease?
Huu—
In the blink of an eye, his consciousness returned to his body.
And his cultivation—
Began to surge upward.
Body Refining Realm.
Spirit Concentration Realm.
Golden Core Realm…
In mere moments, he broke through several realms in succession.
Faced with this astonishing speed, Chu Xun remained calm. From the memories he had inherited, he knew that the original owner of this body had once stood at the peak of the Venerable Realm, only a step away from the Human Emperor Realm.
Back then, the original owner had been a peerless genius—robed in green, sword in hand, traveling the world and captivating countless admirers.
Unfortunately, he had been born in the wrong era.
He had encountered the most monstrous existence of this age—the Zhenwu Great Sage, the heaven-defying prodigy destined to become Emperor.
They had fought.
He had lost.
His Dao heart shattered.
From that day on, he faded into obscurity.
Becoming a guardian of scriptures within the Sutra Pavilion.
And that—
Had lasted sixty years.
"What a pity," Chu Xun sighed softly. Had the original owner not been so obsessed back then, with his talent, how could he have been confined to the Venerable Realm? How could he have imprisoned himself here for sixty long years?
But none of that mattered anymore.
Now that I'm here—
I inherit everything.
"Boom!"
His realm continued to break through.
Dharma Realm.
King Realm.
Venerable Realm.
Even upon reaching the Human Emperor Realm, he only paused briefly. Wisps of Human Emperor will condensed around his body, accompanied by the unique imperial aura of that realm. In the next instant, he broke through completely, standing firmly within the Human Emperor Realm.
At the same time—
High within the sea of clouds, two white-haired Daoists were playing chess. Suddenly, they sensed something and both looked up at once. Astonishment flashed across their faces.
"A breakthrough?"
"Who is breaking through?"
"The aura of a Human Emperor!"
Upon sensing that familiar presence, their astonishment turned into relief and joy. One of them stroked his beard and laughed.
"That fool… after his defeat, his Dao heart shattered and his cultivation collapsed. He hid himself away for sixty years of silent contemplation. Finally, enlightenment dawned. With such accumulation, he stepped into the Human Emperor Realm in a single leap!"
At the same moment—
To the east of the holy land.
Within the sect master's cultivation grounds.
A woman dressed in red robes suddenly opened her phoenix-like eyes. Her brows were picturesque, her gaze fixed firmly in the direction of the Sutra Pavilion. Sensing that familiar aura, joy surfaced on her delicate face.
She murmured softly,
"Sixty years… you never truly gave up on your Dao."