God-Tier Choice: Start by Going Berserk

Kunlun Mountains, shore of the East Sea, Golden Ao Island.

This place is the dojo of the Supreme Pure Sage, Sect Leader Tongtian. With the Myriad Immortals paying homage, the Interception Sect's fortune is at its peak, unrivaled throughout the Primordial World.

At this moment, on the Outer Sect Affairs Plaza, thousands of Outer Sect Disciples stand in solemn silence, each face carrying a hint of excitement and... a faint, underlying unease.

This is because half a month ago, in the Jade Palace beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Sages of the Three Religions gathered to discuss the Investiture of the Gods. Per the Dao Ancestor's decree, the Heavenly Court is empty and requires three hundred and sixty-five righteous gods; all disciples of the Mystic Sect must enter the tribulation.

The phoenix cries on Mount Qi, the Zhou Dynasty is destined to rise, and the fortune of Cheng Tang is nearing its end. This is the Heavenly Tribulation, and also... the tribulation of falling for the disciples of the Mystic Sect!

Among the crowd, a young man named Chen Changsheng has a pale complexion, yet deep within his eyes hides a sense of terror that is completely out of place with his surroundings.

He is not a person of this world.

Three days ago, he had just arrived on these shores. Before he could even feel happy, he opened his eyes to find he had become a cannon fodder Outer Sect Disciple of the Interception Sect, possessing only mediocre talent and a cultivation base at the Earth Immortal Realm.

What terrifies him even more is that he has read the Romance of the Investiture of the Gods thoroughly and knows clearly that, including himself, almost every immortal on this island will be wiped out in the near future! Either they will lose their freedom by being placed on the Investiture of the Gods, or they will be beaten until their souls are scattered!

"Silence!"

On the high platform, Senior Brother Steward Zhang Feng's voice rings out like a bell. His gaze sweeps across the crowd, carrying a trace of imperceptible coldness.

"You all know that the Investiture of the Gods is imminent and the killing tribulation has begun. Although our Interception Sect is known for having a myriad of immortals paying homage, the quality of our disciples is uneven. We must temper ourselves, remove the dross, and select the essence!"

"Currently, three thousand miles away on the banks of the East Sea, the 'Flowing Fire Meteor Abyss' is experiencing frequent anomalies. The earth fire has spiraled out of control, spawning a large number of Fiery Fiend Spirits that are wreaking havoc on the human race. There are also signs of ancient ruins appearing. This place is filled with both danger and opportunity, making it the perfect location for your trial!"

"This 'Purge the Flowing Fire Abyss' is a training exercise granted to you Outer Sect Disciples by the Interception Sect! This mission serves three purposes: first, to purge the fiend spirits, stabilize the earth veins, and accumulate merit; second, to explore the ruins and seek your own destiny; third, to hone your combat abilities and improve your cultivation through actual battle!"

"This is a duty for fellow disciples to work together, and also a supreme immortal opportunity for you to fight for resources and attain the Dao of longevity! If you can achieve great results, the sect will not be stingy with rewards; magic treasures, pills, and superior divine abilities shall all be bestowed!"

His words leave the crowd feeling stirred, as if they can already see a future where merit is bestowed upon them and the Great Dao is within reach.

Chen Changsheng, however, feels a chill run through his entire body.

It's here... it's finally here! The suicide mission has arrived! he screams frantically in his heart.

To hell with your resources and immortal opportunities—that's just flowery talk!

In Chen Changsheng's mind, nothing is more important than his life. Taking on this mission is absolutely out of the question.

Sure enough, a faint, imperceptible sneer curls the corners of Zhang Feng's mouth on the high platform as he begins to read the list. His gaze sweeps over Chen Changsheng from time to time.

"Li Hu!"

"Disciple is here!"

"Wang Mang!"

"Disciple is here!"

As each name is called, the chosen disciples puff out their chests, as if they have received a great honor.

Chen Changsheng's heart sinks lower and lower. He remembers that Zhang Feng has always had a grudge against him; this list for the "suicide vanguard" would definitely not "miss" him.

"Chen Changsheng!"

The cold voice rings out like a death warrant.

Chen Changsheng's body stiffens, and countless thoughts flash through his mind in an instant.

Refuse? Given Zhang Feng's character, he would definitely slap him with a charge of "disrespecting the sect," and might even kill him on the spot.

Agree? That is a dead end; going there is just serving as rations for the great demons!

What to do? What to do!

Just at this critical moment, a cold, mechanical voice explodes in his mind.

[Detected that the host is facing a life-or-death choice. The Cowardly Path to Sainthood System is officially activated!]

[God-Tier Choice has been enabled. Please make a decision immediately:]

[Option One: Respond with head held high and march toward death. Accept the mission and fight for the righteousness of the human race. Reward upon completion: A plaque inscribed with 'Loyal Martyr of the Interception Sect'. Survival probability: 0.01%. Danger level: Crimson - Certain Death!]

[Option Two: Refuse publicly and berate Zhang Feng. Use words to expose his sinister intentions and seek justice. Reward upon completion: Title 'King of Trash Talk' (Temporary). Survival probability: 10%. Danger level: Scarlet - Nine Deaths, One Life!]

[Option Three: Desert the post and pretend to suffer from 'Qi Deviation'. Use physical discomfort as an excuse to avoid this conscription. Reward upon completion: One hundred years of cultivation and the divine ability 'Innate Stealth Technique'. Survival probability: 99%. Danger level: Emerald - Safe and Worry-Free!]

It's here! The transmigrator's golden finger!

Chen Changsheng does not hesitate for a second.

A plaque of a loyal martyr? King of Trash Talk? Screw your grandfather! I just want to live!

"Chen Changsheng, are you deaf!" Seeing his lack of response, a cold glint flashes in Zhang Feng's eyes as he shouts sternly.

Just as everyone's eyes focus on Chen Changsheng, waiting to see how he will respond.

Chen Changsheng moves.

He rolls his eyes back violently, his face instantly turning the color of a pig's liver, and his body begins to tremble violently like a sieve.

"Ugh... ah..."

A strange, unintelligible roar erupts from his throat, followed by a surge of pure mana running wild and out of control within his body, his aura becoming chaotic to the extreme.

"Pfft—"

A mouthful of fresh blood (actually just squeezed out by biting his tongue) sprayed wildly, and Chen Changsheng's legs went limp as he fell straight backward.

With a "thud," he slammed heavily onto the ground, limbs twitching and foam bubbling from his mouth, looking like a miserable wretch who had suffered a cultivation deviation and was on the verge of kicking the bucket.

The entire Affairs Platform fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events.

How could someone who was perfectly fine a second ago suddenly suffer a cultivation deviation?

Zhang Feng was also dumbfounded. He had imagined Chen Changsheng begging for mercy, making excuses, or even resisting, but he never expected him to "collapse" on the spot.

"Playing... playing tricks!" Zhang Feng's face turned livid as he instinctively barked.

Yet, Chen Changsheng's aura was currently weak, his magic power scattered, and his eyes tightly shut; to anyone watching, he looked like someone whose cultivation had gone awry, resulting in damaged dao foundations. Every disciple present had seen such signs of cultivation deviation before, and it was impossible to fake.

"Senior Brother Zhang," a disciple nearby spoke up cautiously, "Junior Brother Chen... I fear his cultivation has gone wrong, his mind lost its guard, leading to this deviation."

"Indeed, looking at him like this, let alone going down the mountain to act as a protector, it's hard to say if he can even keep his life."

The surrounding whispers made Zhang Feng's face flush red and then pale.

He couldn't possibly press an attack against someone who was already "half-dead," could he? If word got out, wouldn't it be said that he was narrow-minded, forcing a fellow disciple into a cultivation deviation on the spot?

"Hmph! Useless trash!" Zhang Feng could only squeeze two words through his teeth before flicking his sleeves in frustration. "Since this is his fate, we'll change the person! Zhao Si, you go in his place!"

Zhao Si, having been called out, turned pale, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept.

The murder plot aimed at Chen Changsheng came to a dramatic end in a way no one could have anticipated.

Soon, the hundred selected disciples, led by Zhang Feng, departed on clouds in high spirits.

On the Affairs Platform, only a few familiar disciples remained, scrambling to carry the "unconscious" Chen Changsheng back to his simple cave dwelling located in a corner of Golden Ao Island.

After settling him on the stone bed, the group sighed a few times before dispersing.

The cave dwelling returned to silence.

The next second, the "dying" Chen Changsheng leaped up from the stone bed, full of vigor, showing not a shred of having suffered a cultivation deviation.

Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully making a 'Gou Dao' choice, perfectly avoiding a mortal calamity!

Rewards issued: One hundred years of cultivation! Divine Ability 'Innate Stealth Technique'!

A torrent of pure magic power appeared out of thin air, surging into Chen Changsheng's limbs and bones. His bottleneck at the Late Earth Immortal stage, which had been stagnant for a long time, was instantly shattered!

Peak Earth Immortal!

Early Heavenly Immortal!

Mid Heavenly Immortal!

His cultivation soared wildly as if riding a rocket, only slowing down once it reached the Mid Heavenly Immortal stage.

Chen Changsheng felt the unprecedented power within his body, his heart filled with wild joy.

This system is amazing!

At the same time, a profound stream of information flowed into his mind—it was the method for the 'Innate Stealth Technique'. With a thought, he circulated his magic power, and his aura instantly retracted, transforming him from a Mid Heavenly Immortal cultivator back into that unremarkable Early Earth Immortal.

Perfect!

"Zhang Feng, oh Zhang Feng, go ahead and lead them to their deaths." Chen Changsheng curled his lips into a cold sneer and sat cross-legged to stabilize his surging cultivation.

He knew that from this day on, in this perilous Primordial World, he finally had the capital to survive.

And all of this was merely the beginning.