The Arranged Protagonist

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

Qingshanfang has about twenty to thirty households. The only thing worth noting in this place is the large parasol tree at the entrance of the village, which exudes an ancient aura.

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

On the night of the 6000th year of the Heavenly Emperor Era, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly changed drastically, and the elements began to riot. Colorful lights and dozens of fragments shot straight into the sky. Coincidentally, one fragment landed outside the village.

Blind Lu, who had been playing the zither under the ancient parasol tree with great concentration, seemed particularly strange. He carefully put away his ancient zither and walked towards the outside of the village. That night, no one knew what happened outside the village.

The next day, Blind Lu was still singing and playing the zither as usual. The difference was that there was an infant behind him. This child was Lu Chen.

Lu Chen is now eighteen years old. According to the saying on the continent, "ten years of Qi Gathering, a hundred years of Breath Regulation," his peers are already close to entering the Breath Regulation Realm, but he has not yet embarked on the path of cultivation. If he cannot successfully enter the Qi Gathering Realm by the age of eighteen, the Celestial Pool will be completely sealed, and there will be no possibility of cultivation.

Since childhood, Lu Chen has been different from other children. Firstly, Lu Chen was exceptionally intelligent and learned anything he was taught instantly. Secondly, when he was young, he would dream of powerful cultivators fighting in his mind at night. The powerful cultivators in his dreams told him that he would also become a cultivator and would always wait for him outside the domain.

However, all of this changed when Lu Chen failed his first Baptismal Test at the age of nine. Lu Chen was ridiculed daily by the people in the town, who called him delusional. At first, Lu Chen could retort a few times, but slowly, he became dispirited and melancholic. The only companions who could accompany him every day were the neighbor's little doggy and the Twin Fish Plate he had worn since childhood.

Later, Blind Lu said that as long as Lu Chen could comprehend the true meaning of "What is heaven and earth, what is cultivation" within ten years, he would be allowed to embark on the path of cultivation. However, if Lu Chen still could not successfully comprehend these words and pass the Baptismal Test within ten years, he would have to live his life as an ordinary person.

Thus, these two sentences accompanied Lu Chen for nine years, during which he also set many cultivation goals.

"Cultivate to roam the world."? "Failed the baptism, ridiculed by others."

"Cultivate for justice in the world." "Failed the baptism, ridiculed by others."

"Cultivate for great love in the world." "Failed the baptism, ridiculed by others."

"Cultivate for wisdom..."

"Cultivate for love..."

"Cultivate to dominate the world..."

These endeavors had undoubtedly failed, and Lu Chen had been laughed at all along. However, because he was cared for by his fellow villagers in Qingshan Village, Lu Chen eventually let go of his worries, and his state of mind gradually became peaceful.

This year is the tenth year. Lu Chen is currently troubled. In two days, it will be his last chance. If he still cannot cultivate successfully, he will truly become a laughingstock. The ten-year deadline for Qi Gathering has become a nightmare that haunts Lu Chen's heart.

"Ahhh, what is it? I really want to cultivate. Heavenly Emperor, if you can sense me, please give me a hint." As he spoke, Lu Chen bowed to the ancient parasol tree.

At that moment, the Twin Fish Plate that Lu Chen had worn since he was a child suddenly flashed with red light, illuminating an anthill under the ancient parasol tree.

One ant after another climbed up the ancient parasol tree, climbing up, falling down, climbing up, falling down. Slowly, some ants climbed to the treetops, some ants died of exhaustion on the ground, but there were still countless ants scrambling to climb up.

Seeing this, Lu Chen's eyes suddenly lit up, and he shouted loudly, "Grandpa, Grandpa, I know! This is cultivation! Cultivation is fighting against heaven and earth, fighting against all things!"

At that moment, dark clouds gathered in the sky, accompanied by lightning and thunder.

Blind Lu looked at Lu Chen and shook his head. Listening to the thunder outside, he did not answer him, but simply said, "It's going to rain heavily soon. Go and prepare for the Baptismal Test in two days." As soon as Blind Lu finished speaking, heavy rain began to fall outside.

Lu Chen couldn't understand why his grandfather didn't answer him this time. He just thought he had said the right thing and happily walked back to his room.

In the evening, Blind Lu stood on the back mountain, looking at Lu Chen's room, and said, "Is everything ready? Tonight is the last day. We absolutely cannot make any mistakes."

A voice came from behind him, "Yes, Lord of Ceremonies has prepared everything. Tonight, we can complete the final strengthening of the Celestial Pool for the Young Master, and the Twin Fish Plate will merge with the Young Master." If Lu Chen were here, he would definitely recognize this person as the little doggy who had been with him all along.

Blind Lu listened to the words of the person behind him and nodded, "Counting the days, it's been eighteen years, hasn't it? Time flies."

"Yes, sir. It's been eighteen years. Since Our Emperor broke through the extraterrestrial passage and ascended, we have been waiting here for the Young Master's arrival. Our first step is finally about to be completed. We don't have to pretend to be ordinary people anymore, haha."

Blind Lu glanced at the person behind him and said, "Don't be careless. Hurry up in these last few days. We don't have much time. We need to start preparing for the next step."

"Yes, Lord of Ceremonies."

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

Just as noon arrived, three cultivators emerged from beside the Celestial Pool, dressed in Daoist robes, their gazes sweeping across the crowd. These three Daoists were sent by nearby sects to assess the talent of children under nine years old to see if they were suitable for cultivation, and to select some children with excellent potential to bring back to the sects for training.

The three cultivators looked at the waiting crowd. This year, there were more children who could undergo the baptism than in previous years, but they knew in their hearts that perhaps only one-tenth or even one-hundredth of them would have cultivation talent. Just then, the leader saw Lu Chen and immediately sighed: It's the tenth year. This child has great perseverance, but this is his last chance.

Lu Chen looked at the vast Celestial Pool. This was not his first time here. He could say that he was more familiar with this process than anyone else on the continent. At that moment, Lu Chen shouted loudly at the Celestial Pool, "I, Qingshanfang, Lu Chen, will definitely become an immortal cultivator, snatching from heaven, fighting against earth!"

Lu Chen's voice attracted the attention of those around him. Someone who recognized Lu Chen spoke, "Yo, isn't this the trash who hasn't become a cultivator in ten years? Why do you want to try again this year? Aren't you afraid of failing again?"

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

Seeing that Lu Chen did not speak, the person's words became even more sarcastic, "Yo, the trash has a temper? Don't even think about it. You are just trash, and you'll still be trash no matter how hard you try."

At this moment, the leading cultivator stopped the crowd's commotion and said, "I am Ru Fa Daoist of the Skyfire Sect. This Baptismal Test will be led by me. The two beside me are young disciples of my sect. This time, the sect has sent the three of us to preside over this baptism to select outstanding youths for the sect. If your talent is exceptional during the upcoming test, you can choose one of our three sects to join and begin your cultivation."

When Ru Fa Daoist spoke, Lu Chen knew what he was going to say, and he repeated it word for word. This seemed to be the only thing Lu Chen had learned in the past ten years. Although it was just a very simple cultivation system and method, Lu Chen had memorized it by heart.

"It's the same few words every year. I wonder if they'll ever change them. How boring." With that, Lu Chen sat beside Blind Lu and began to rest, waiting for Ru Fa Daoist to finish explaining.

Four hours later, Ru Fa Daoist finally finished speaking and asked all those participating in the baptism to enter the Celestial Pool and wait for it to begin.

When it was finally Lu Chen's turn to enter, he looked at Lu Chen, who had been coming here for ten years, with a sense of pity. He reminded Lu Chen to relax his body after entering and to carefully experience what he saw. If Lu Chen could cultivate, he would take him back to the sect. If he couldn't cultivate, he could still live a happy life as an ordinary person.

Lu Chen looked at Ru Fa Daoist. Ru Fa had provided him with a lot of help over the past ten years. He had a good impression of Ru Fa Daoist and nodded heavily in thanks.

Once everyone had entered the Celestial Pool, the three cultivators exchanged glances and nodded. They aimed the Heavenly Net in their hands at the Celestial Pool and formed hand seals. The Celestial Pool began to churn rapidly, gradually emitting a dense fog that obscured what was happening inside. After completing their actions, the three cultivators began to meditate in place, waiting for the baptism to end.

Inside the Celestial Pool, Lu Chen discovered that this place was extraordinary. It was completely different from what he had seen in previous baptisms. The surroundings were empty, and he was alone.

Lu Chen drifted aimlessly in the lake.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He saw a giant stone tablet appear in the middle of the lake. The entire stone tablet depicted a massive scene, with the words "Heavenly Emperor's Counter-Slash, Re-establishing the Era" written beside it.

Lu Chen carefully examined the image, beginning to absorb it with concentration. Slowly, the picture started to twist and change.

Fierce flames erupted from the ground, and countless people fled from the disaster. In the sky, seven children jointly held a giant compass, shooting a beam of light towards a ferocious demon with exposed fangs.

Just as Lu Chen was about to look further, the scene suddenly shifted. Thousands, tens of thousands of cultivators rose from the ground, each raising their own magical artifacts and releasing their demonic beasts. They connected the compass to the earth, and light continuously emanated from the compass.

At this moment, the scene shifted again. The cultivators from before were gone, replaced by numerous lakes. The continent also began to teem with life, and the number of cultivators increased.

Seeing this, Lu Chen was reminded of his dreams. This painting was basically the same as what he saw in his dreams, but the scenes in his dreams were even more brutal than in the painting.

Just then, Lu Chen suddenly felt a burning heat all over his body, as if something was about to burst out from within him.

Lu Chen clutched his chest tightly, his body beginning to tremble. Three beams of red light shot out from his eyes, waist, and ankles, revolving around Lu Chen before finally connecting to the compass.

Lu Chen's body writhed more and more violently. Minutes ticked by, and the red light had already become so intense that it enveloped Lu Chen. Yet, he gritted his teeth and persisted. At this moment, outside the Celestial Lake, another person was observing Lu Chen's situation.

This person was none other than Blind Lu. Blind Lu, using some unknown method, caused a faint glow to emanate from his brow, allowing him to see the situation within the Celestial Lake with perfect clarity.

Seeing Lu Chen surrounded by red light, Blind Lu shook his head and muttered, "It seems it failed again. I'll have to find another way."

Just as Blind Lu was about to withdraw his spiritual power, he noticed Lu Chen's movements and his eyes brightened slightly. He whispered, "It's enough. Without being corrupted by external forces, he activated the Twin Fish Plate himself."

Blind Lu then began to play his zither. This was a piece he had prepared long ago to help Lu Chen successfully open the Celestial Lake. The melody was gentle and soft, piercing directly into the Celestial Lake.

Inside the Celestial Lake, Lu Chen was still struggling. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, his hand, while twisting, suddenly grabbed the Twin Fish Plate on his chest.

As if grasping onto hope, or perhaps resisting the injustice of being unable to cultivate for ten years, Lu Chen shouted loudly, "My name is Lu Chen, Lu Chen of Qingtian Workshop! I will definitely become a cultivator!" and then fell unconscious.

The Twin Fish Plate seemed to sense Lu Chen's cry. A red light emanated from its fish eyes, enveloping Lu Chen's entire body and severing the red light. Lu Chen's writhing body slowly relaxed.

At this moment, the sound of a zither drifted from outside the lake. It was gentle and soft, reaching Lu Chen and merely surrounding him, no longer spreading outwards.

A few minutes later, Lu Chen slowly regained consciousness, and the Twin Fish Plate dimmed.

Lu Chen rubbed his head. "It's Grandpa's zither music, but I've never heard this piece before."

Lu Chen looked around. The area was packed with people. Everything from before was gone – no island, no stone tablet. Apart from the explosion-like sensation in his head, everything else seemed like an illusion. The current situation was similar to the baptismal tests he had undergone for the past ten years.

Lu Chen was very puzzled as to why such an illusion had appeared, but he couldn't figure out what had happened for the moment. He could only stay put, examine himself, and wait for the baptism to end.

He began to observe his own body. It was slightly stronger than before, and his strength had also increased a bit. Especially his body seemed to be connected to the world, allowing him to sense the movements of all things. Other than 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 succeeded in opening the Celestial Lake, but he didn't realize that a tragedy had just begun. This was only the first step in the plan arranged for him.