The Arranged Protagonist

Eastern Pole Continent, Jianghai Region, southeastern corner, Qingshanfang.

Qingshanfang had only twenty or thirty households. The only thing worth noticing was the great parasol tree at the village entrance, which carried an ancient, weathered air.

There had always been a legend here: before the Heavenly Emperor Era, a Heavenly Emperor had once emerged from this place.

On that night in the year 6000 of the Heavenly Emperor Era, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly changed drastically. The elements began to riot, and dozens of multicolored fragments shot into the sky. By chance, one fell outside the village.

Blind Lu, who had been wholly focused on playing his zither beneath the Ancient Parasol Tree, seemed particularly strange. He carefully put away his zither and walked beyond the village. No one knew what happened outside that night.

The next day, Blind Lu sang and played his zither as usual. The difference was that there was now an infant on his back. That child was Lu Chen.

Lu Chen was already eighteen this year. According to the saying across the continent, "Ten years to gather qi, a hundred years to regulate breath," his peers were nearly entering the Breath Regulation Realm, yet he had not even stepped onto the path of cultivation. If he could not successfully enter the Qi Gathering Realm by eighteen, the Celestial Lake would be sealed shut completely, and he would never again have the chance to cultivate.

Lu Chen had been different from other children since he was young. First, he had been exceptionally intelligent, able to learn anything at a glance. Second, as a child, he had dreamed every night of mighty cultivators battling within his mind. Those mighty cultivators had said that he too would become a cultivator and that they would always wait for him beyond the domain.

But everything changed after Lu Chen failed his first Baptismal Test at the age of nine. Day after day, the townspeople mocked him, saying he was indulging in wild fantasies. At first, Lu Chen could still retort a few times, but gradually he became despondent. Every day, only the neighbor's Little Doggy and the Twin Fish Token he had carried since childhood remained by his side.

Later, Blind Lu said that as long as Lu Chen could comprehend the true meaning of the two phrases, "What are heaven and earth? What is cultivation?" within ten years, he would be able to set foot on the path of cultivation. But if Lu Chen still could not comprehend them or pass the Baptismal Test within those ten years, he could only honestly live out his life as an ordinary person.

Thus, those two phrases accompanied Lu Chen for nine years. During that time, he set many cultivation goals for himself.

"To cultivate so I can roam the martial world." "Failed the baptism, mocked by others."

"To cultivate for justice under heaven." "Failed the baptism, mocked by others."

"To cultivate for great love under heaven." "Failed the baptism, mocked by others."

"For wisdom..."

"For love..."

"To dominate the world..."

Without exception, all of them failed. Lu Chen was mocked every step of the way, but because his own clansmen from Qingfang Village looked after him, he eventually let it go. His state of mind gradually became calm and peaceful.

This year was the tenth year. Lu Chen was troubled now. Two days later would be his final chance. If he still could not cultivate successfully, he would truly become a laughingstock. Ten years to gather qi hung over his heart like a nightmare.

"Ahhh! What exactly is it? I really want to cultivate! Heavenly Emperor, if you can sense me, give me a hint!" Saying this, Lu Chen bowed toward the Ancient Parasol Tree.

Just then, the Twin Fish Token Lu Chen had worn since childhood suddenly flashed red, illuminating an anthill beneath the great parasol tree.

Ant after ant climbed up the Ancient Parasol Tree. They climbed up, fell down, climbed up, fell down. Gradually, some ants reached the treetop, while some exhausted themselves to death on the ground. Yet countless ants still fought to climb upward.

At the sight, Lu Chen's eyes suddenly lit up. He shouted, "Grandpa! Grandpa! I understand! This is cultivation! Cultivation is fighting against heaven and earth, fighting against all things!"

Just then, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and lightning flashed as thunder roared.

Blind Lu looked at Lu Chen and shook his head. Listening to the thunder outside, he did not answer him, merely saying faintly, "It's about to rain heavily. Go prepare for the Baptismal Test two days from now." As soon as Blind Lu finished speaking, torrential rain began to fall outside.

Lu Chen truly could not understand why his grandfather had not answered him this time. He only assumed he was right and happily returned to his room.

That evening, Blind Lu stood on the back mountain and looked toward Lu Chen's room. He said, "Everything is ready, yes? Tonight is the final day. There cannot be the slightest mistake."

A voice came from behind him. "Yes. Lord of Ceremonies has prepared everything. Tonight, we can complete the Young Master's final reinforcement of the Celestial Lake. The Twin Fish Plate will merge with the Young Master." If Lu Chen had been here, he would certainly have recognized this person as Little Doggy, who had always accompanied him.

Blind Lu listened to the words from behind him and nodded. "By the count of days, it has already been eighteen years, hasn't it? Time truly flies."

"Yes, my lord. It has been eighteen years. Ever since Our Emperor shattered the passage beyond the domain and ascended, we have waited here for the Young Master's arrival. Our first step is finally about to be completed. At last, we no longer have to pretend to be ordinary people. Hahaha!"

Blind Lu glanced at the person behind him and said, "Do not grow lax. Seize these final days. We do not have much time. It is time to prepare for the next step."

"Yes, Lord of Ceremonies."

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Lu Chen took the Twin Fish Plate, bade the villagers farewell, and followed Blind Lu to the place in town specially designated for Baptismal Tests.

As noon arrived, three cultivators emerged from beside Celestial Lake. Dressed in Daoist robes, their gazes swept over the crowd. These three Daoists had been sent down by nearby sects to assess whether children who had reached the age of nine possessed talents suitable for cultivation, and to select gifted children to bring back to their sects for training.

The three cultivators looked over those awaiting baptism. There were more children eligible for the baptism this year than in previous years, but they knew clearly that perhaps only one-tenth, or even one-hundredth, of them would possess the talent for cultivation. Just then, the leader saw Lu Chen and immediately sighed. It was the tenth year. This child's perseverance was remarkable, but this was his final chance.

Lu Chen looked at the enormous Celestial Lake. This was not his first time here. It could be said that he was more familiar with this process than anyone else on the continent. Just then, Lu Chen shouted at Celestial Lake, "I, Lu Chen of Qingshanfang, will definitely become an immortal cultivator, seize from heaven, and contend with earth!"

Lu Chen's voice drew the attention of those around him. Someone recognized him and said, "Yo, isn't this the trash who hasn't become a cultivator even after ten years? Why, are you still here to try again after all these years? Aren't you afraid of failing again?"

Lu Chen's state of mind was no longer as weak as it had once been. He ignored that person.

Seeing that Lu Chen did not speak, the man's words became even more cutting. "Yo, the trash has a temper now? Stop dreaming. You're trash. No matter how hard you persist, you'll still be trash."

At this moment, the leading cultivator stopped the crowd's commotion and said, "I am Daoist Ru Fa of the Skyfire Sect. I will preside over this Baptismal Test. The two beside me are young disciples of my sect. Our sect sent the three of us to oversee this baptism in order to choose youths of outstanding aptitude for the sect. Should any of you display exceptional talent during the coming test, you may choose one of our three sects to join and cultivate within it."

When Daoist Ru Fa began speaking, Lu Chen already knew what he was going to say, and recited it along with him without missing a word. This seemed to be the only thing Lu Chen had learned over the past ten years. Though it was merely a simple cultivation system and cultivation method, Lu Chen knew it backward and forward.

"It's the same few lines every year. Can't he change it up? How boring." With that, Lu Chen sat beside Blind Lu to rest and wait for Daoist Ru Fa to finish explaining.

Four hours later, Daoist Ru Fa finally finished speaking and had everyone participating in the baptism enter Celestial Lake to await the start.

When it was finally Lu Chen's turn to enter, Daoist Ru Fa looked at Lu Chen, who had come for ten years already, and could not bear it. He reminded Lu Chen to relax his whole body after entering and carefully experience whatever he saw. If Lu Chen could cultivate, he would bring him back to the sect. If he could not, he could still live happily as an ordinary person.

Lu Chen looked at Daoist Ru Fa. Over the past ten years, Daoist Ru Fa had given him considerable help, and Lu Chen thought well of him. Thus, he nodded heavily in agreement and gratitude.

Once everyone had entered Celestial Lake, the three cultivators exchanged nods. They aimed the Heavenly Net in their hands at Celestial Lake and formed hand seals. The lake swiftly began to churn, gradually releasing thick mist that obscured the situation within. Having done all this, the three cultivators sat down cross-legged where they stood and waited for the baptism to end.

Inside Celestial Lake, Lu Chen discovered that there was another world within. It was entirely different from what he had seen during his previous baptisms. The surroundings were empty, with only himself there.

Lu Chen drifted aimlessly through the lake.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He saw an enormous stone stele appear at the center of the lake. A massive image was carved across the entire stele, and beside it were written the words: The Heavenly Emperor Defied the Heavens and Slashed, Reopening the Era.

Lu Chen carefully studied the image and began to experience it earnestly. Slowly, the image began to twist and change.

Raging flames ignited across the ground, and countless people fled from disaster. In the sky, seven children jointly held up a gigantic compass and shot a beam of light toward a hideous demon, its fangs bared.

Just as Lu Chen prepared to continue watching, the image suddenly shifted. Thousands, then tens of thousands of cultivators rose from the ground. Each raised their own magical treasure and released their demon beasts, connecting the compass to the earth. Endless rays of light spread from the compass.

Then the image shifted again. The cultivators from before had all vanished, replaced by lakes scattered everywhere. The continent also began to brim with life, and cultivators increased once more.

Seeing this, Lu Chen recalled his dream. This image was basically identical to what he had seen in his dream, but the scenes in his dream had been even crueler than those in the painting.

Just then, Lu Chen suddenly felt feverish all over, as though something was trying to emerge from his body.

Lu Chen tightly clutched his chest as his body began to tremble. Three beams of red light shot from his brow, waist, and ankle, circling around him before finally connecting to the compass.

Lu Chen's body twisted more and more violently. Minute after minute passed. The red light had long become so brilliant that it engulfed him, yet Lu Chen still gritted his teeth and endured. At this very moment, someone outside Celestial Lake was watching Lu Chen's current condition.

That person was Blind Lu. No one knew what method Blind Lu had used, but a faint glow radiated from between his brows, allowing him to see the situation inside Celestial Lake with perfect clarity.

Blind Lu looked at Lu Chen, now surrounded by red light, shook his head, and muttered softly, "It seems it still failed. We will have to find another way."

Just as Blind Lu prepared to withdraw his divine ability, his eyes brightened slightly at Lu Chen's movement. He said in a low voice, "It is enough. Without being tainted by external force, he activated the Twin Fish Token himself."

Blind Lu began playing the zither. This was a melody he had prepared long ago to help Lu Chen successfully open the Celestial Lake. The zither music was gentle and tender, piercing straight into Celestial Lake.

Inside Celestial Lake, Lu Chen was still holding on with bitter difficulty. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, his hand suddenly seized the Twin Fish Plate on his chest amid his convulsions.

As though he had grasped hope—or perhaps as a defiant refusal to accept ten years without being able to cultivate—Lu Chen shouted, "My name is Lu Chen, Lu Chen of Qingtian Workshop! I will definitely become an immortal cultivator!" Then he fell unconscious.

As though responding to Lu Chen's cry, the Twin Fish Plate emitted a red light from its fish eyes. It wrapped around Lu Chen's entire body and severed the red light, while Lu Chen's twisting body gradually relaxed.

At that moment, waves of zither music came from outside the lake, gentle and tender. When the music reached Lu Chen, it only circled around him and no longer spread outward.

A few minutes later, Lu Chen gradually regained consciousness, and the Twin Fish Plate dimmed along with it.

Lu Chen rubbed his head. "It's Grandpa's zither music, but I don't think I've ever heard this tune before."

Lu Chen looked around. The place was packed with people, and everything from before had vanished. There was no small island, no stone stele. Aside from his head feeling as though it were about to explode, everything else seemed like an illusion. The current situation was already similar to the baptisms of the past ten years.

Lu Chen found it strange that such an illusion had appeared, but he could not figure out what had happened for the moment. He could only inspect himself where he stood and wait for the baptism to end.

He began examining his body. It was slightly stronger than before, and his strength had increased somewhat as well. In particular, his body seemed to be connected to the world, allowing him to sense the movements of all things. Beyond that, there were no other unique changes.

After examining his body, Lu Chen closed his eyes and began to rest.

Lu Chen thought he had finally opened the Celestial Lake successfully, but he never expected that a tragedy was only just beginning. This was merely the first step of his arrangement.