["Wanderer, sir, please cease this pointless delay and make a contract with me to complete the mission immediately!"]
"Impossible! Send me back now!"
In a dilapidated Taoist temple, a young man with deep, dark eyes was shouting angrily, seemingly to himself.
The young man had clear, handsome features with an innate heroic air. A black headband was tied around his forehead, and an ancient long sword hung at his waist.
His name was Ling Wuji, family name Ling, given name Wuji.
This ill-fitting name was the whimsical creation of his deceased father. Regardless, he was a pure son of Huaxia, born in the modern world and raised in the Nine Provinces.
Seven days ago, he woke up to find himself in this strange world, and then...
[Ding! Wanderer Ling Wuji, welcome to the Cangxuan Realm. I am your Guide Immortal Spirit. You may address me as 'Taixu'.]
[Demons, ghost cultivators, evil spirits, immortal sects, mythical beasts—in this bizarre and magnificent world of cultivation, I will assist you in surviving and breaking through.]
[Please make a contract with me to set right what has been thrown into disorder, and freely journey through this world.]
Ling Wuji remembered clearly that when this entity said the words "set right what has been thrown into disorder," its voice was so faint it was almost inaudible, much like the trap clauses written in tiny print on a shady merchant's contract.
How could he possibly fall for such a trick!
"Listen, I'm not interested in crossing into a cultivation world. Choosing between burning out in the rat race and risking my life in another world—even an idiot knows which to pick! Send me back now; I have people depending on me back home."
["Of course. Make the contract and complete the mission, and I will return you to your original world."]
"Damn it!"
Ling Wuji was so angry the corners of his eyes twitched.
A couple of days ago, he could have continued to stall and test Taixu's patience, but now that was no longer an option.
"You! Come out! Hands on your head, no resistance!"
"You there, squat down! I told you to squat down, didn't you understand?"
"Hand over all your spirit stones and talismans!"
The noise from outside grew louder. Ling Wuji peered through a crack in the door.
Several cultivators wearing bamboo hats were holding spirit rods, going door to door arresting villagers and looting valuables. They were almost at the rundown temple where he was hiding!
Yes, this village was unfortunately being raided.
"Damn it, send me back now!"
Ling Wuji's face was gloomy, his voice now carrying a hint of killing intent.
["Are you really going to stand by and watch this village be plundered? You have inherited the memories of this world's Ling Wuji. They are not false."]
"Ridiculous. Even immortal spirits have learned to use moral coercion these days?"
He felt his temples throbbing, but the other's argument wasn't without merit. His memory did contain additional fragments.
These extra memories revealed he was an abandoned infant, with black hair and black eyes as his most distinctive features.
In the Cangxuan Realm, such characteristics belonged solely to the Tianque Remnants.
This clan had produced many Sacred Lords who had protected the legacy of humanity since ancient times.
Ling Wuji was naturally regarded as a future Sacred Lord, receiving the villagers' reverence.
Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. The village elders treated him as their own, carefully guiding him. The village children saw him as a role model, following his whimsical cultivation ideas as if they were divine decrees.
These memories felt as vivid as real experiences, familiar yet subtle.
["There is one point I should clarify. I was not the one who brought you to this world; you did it yourself."]
["The moment your consciousness replaced that of this body's original owner, the Heavenly Fate began to shift."]
["Setting right what is disordered is your duty. Saving this village is also your karma."]
Ling Wuji weighed his options and finally let out a helpless sigh:
"One demand, one question."
["Speak."]
"Do not interfere with my actions."
"And what's in it for me?"
["Each time you complete a mission, you will obtain a mysterious and powerful divine ability that will help you traverse the Cangxuan Realm with ease."]
"Expected. What else?"
["You will receive a profoundly mystical Heavenly Book and Jade Scroll that will automatically record your legends for eternity."]
"Not interested. What else?"
The Immortal Spirit Taixu fell silent. Just as Ling Wuji was about to state his own terms, a虚幻 image suddenly appeared in his mind.
It was a woman with jade-like bones and an icy demeanor, heroic and imposing, with long, dark blue hair.
She wore only a close-fitting, plain white upper garment that outlined the proud curves of her chest and the smooth lines of her waist.
At that moment, she was removing the guards from her legs, revealing a slender foot clad in a moon-white silk stocking, glistening with a faint sheen of perspiration.
Even though it was just a mental projection, Ling Wuji could feel an intense wave of feminine vitality washing over him. It left him breathless for a moment, speechless.
["Besides, you can also—"] "Wait, wait, wait. What was that? Aren't you going to explain?"
["I thought you weren't interested, so I skipped it."]
["She is the leader of those rogue cultivators outside. Defeat her, and you may have a chance to make her your Dao companion."]
"Tsk..."
["Well then, I will continue to explain the benefits you can receive."]
"No need." Ling Wuji tightened the headband on his forehead. "I suddenly think pretending to be a Sacred Lord to uphold justice in the world sounds quite interesting."
["..."]
["Let me confirm: you agree to make the contract, correct?"]
"Let me also confirm: you will not interfere with my actions, right?"
After three seconds of silence, they spoke in unison:
"Of course!"
["Of course."]
The next moment, a soft, glowing light enveloped Ling Wuji's body.
[Ding! Wanderer Ling Wuji, you have formed a contract with the Guide Immortal Spirit Taixu.]
[Scanning Wanderer's bone structure and information...]
[Scan complete!]
Name: Ling Wuji Male, 20 years old Origin: Outerworld Guest Alignment: Neutral Realm: Mortal
A young man living in a border village with somewhat distinctive features. You have awakened in his body; it is your duty to continue his destiny.
Skills: Deception 81% (Grandmaster), Insight 73% (Top Tier), Performance 65% (Top Tier), Strategy 60% (Top Tier), Diplomacy 55% (Proficient), Crime 55% (Proficient), Swordsmanship 19% (Beginner)... (47 skills total) Physique: Medium Agility: Medium Spiritual Root: Poor Divine Sense: High Fortune: Good Command: Good Overall Evaluation: Medium
[Binding Heavenly Book and Jade Scroll...]
[Binding complete!]
[Your Heavenly Fate has been recorded in the Heavenly Book and Jade Scroll.]
Ling Wuji focused his mind and flicked his finger.
A jade scroll with a sandalwood axis materialized in his palm, unfurling on its own:
Time: Second Month of the 3,240th Year of the Xuanhuang Calendar Location: Fengzhu Village, border of the Yunmeng Marquisate, Great Yin Dynasty, Cangxuan Realm Background: Half a year ago, the ruler of the Great Yin Dynasty, Emperor Ying Hao, suddenly passed away. Crown Prince Ying Che colluded with the Duke of Zhennan to launch a palace coup in an attempt to control the first heir, Imperial Princess Ying Mingyu, and usurp the throne.
Imperial Princess Mingyu's brother, the Second Prince Ying Zhao, mobilized the Imperial Guards to resist, bringing civil war to the brink. Amid the chaos, the Imperial Princess Mingyu escaped the capital under the protection of her close guards, and her whereabouts are unknown. Subsequently, both princes sent large numbers of cultivators to search for the missing Imperial Princess under the pretext of protection.
Warning: Due to various unforeseen factors, the civil war originally expected to end within half a year has been indefinitely prolonged. You must set right what is disordered.
Heavenly Fate Rectification: Recapture the divided territories of the four Guardian Dukes of the East, South, West, and North, seize the imperial capital Ziwei Yuan, end the turmoil, and unify the dynasty.
Time limit: Three years (1094 days/1095 days) Mission Objectives: End the civil war: 0/1 Recapture the Northern Territory - Cangxuan Guardian Duke's domain: 0/1 Recapture the Southern Territory - Duke of Zhennan's domain: 0/1 Recapture the Western Territory - Baiqiu Guardian Duke's domain: 0/1 Recapture the Eastern Territory - Qingluan Guardian Duke's domain: 0/1 Capture the imperial capital Ziwei Yuan: 0/1
Current Phase Missions:
1. Repel the cultivators invading Fengzhu Village: 0/1
2. Locate the whereabouts of any royal heir: 0/1
Completing the phase missions will allow you to choose to end this journey, settle rewards, and temporarily return to the original world.
Ling Wuji closed the jade scroll, and Taixu's voice sounded again.
["Before you act, I suggest you use the jade scroll to appraise the sword at your waist."]
Ling Wuji looked slightly surprised but still took down the long sword for appraisal.
A soft light swirled, and several lines of cloud-shaped script appeared on the blank jade page.
Ling Wuji narrowed his eyes slightly: "So it's this kind of trope. A bit cliché, but I'll take it."
He paused and asked, "How renowned is the Tianque Remnant Clan in this world?"
["Their name shakes the world, enough to silence crying children at night."]
"Good grief."
Ling Wuji wasn't surprised at all.
What exactly is a Sacred Lord? Isn't it just someone who barges into a cave dwelling, loots the last spirit stone, and then debates the Dao with the owner?
"Wah, you villain! Let me go!"
"You little brat, get out here!"
The chaos outside was now right at their doorstep, less than ten steps from this dilapidated temple.
Ling Wuji quickly browsed through the various functions of the Heavenly Book and Jade Scroll, then pressed the long sword close to the scroll. The sword turned into a stream of light and merged into the scroll.
"Taixu, do you have anything else to say?"
["Wanderer, welcome to the bizarre and magnificent Cangxuan Realm."]
["Please act without restraint and stir up the winds and clouds!"]
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Ling Wuji's mouth as he slowly pushed open the wooden door.
"Without a doubt."