Kunlun Mountains, East Sea Coast, Golden Ao Island.
This was the dojo of Sect Leader Tongtian, the Supreme Pure Sage. The Interception Sect boasted Myriad Immortals Paying Homage, its fortune flourishing beyond compare in the Primordial World.
At this moment, on the Outer Sect Affairs Plaza, several thousand Outer Sect Disciples stood solemnly. Every face bore a trace of excitement... and faint unease.
Because half a month ago, in the Jade Palace beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, the Sages of the Three Religions had jointly discussed the "Investiture of the Gods." By decree of the Dao Ancestor, the Heavenly Court stood empty and required three hundred and sixty-five righteous gods. All Mystic Sect disciples would be drawn into the tribulation.
Phoenix Cries on Mount Qi; the Zhou Dynasty was destined to rise, while Cheng Tang's fortune had run out. This was the Heavenly Tribulation, and also... a tribulation of death for Mystic Sect disciples!
Amid the crowd, a young man named Chen Changsheng had a pale face, though deep in his eyes lay a terror completely out of place with those around him.
He was not from this world.
Three days ago, he had just come ashore and had not even had time to rejoice before opening his eyes to find himself transformed into cannon fodder—an Outer Sect Disciple of the Interception Sect with mediocre talent and cultivation only at the Earth Immortal Realm.
What terrified him even more was that he had thoroughly read Romance of the Investiture of the Gods. He knew clearly that nearly all the Jie Sect Immortals on this island, himself included, would soon die! Either they would be listed on the Investiture of the Gods and lose their freedom, or they would be beaten until their souls scattered!
"Silence!"
On the raised platform, Senior Brother Steward Zhang Feng's voice rang like a great bell. His gaze swept over the crowd, carrying a trace of barely perceptible coldness.
"You all know that the investiture is imminent, and the Killing Tribulation has begun. Though our Interception Sect is known for Myriad Immortals Paying Homage, the quality of our disciples varies greatly. We must temper ourselves and press onward, pruning away the dross to preserve the finest!"
"By the East Sea, three thousand li away, the Flowing Fire Meteor Abyss has frequently shown signs of unrest. The earthfire veins have gone out of control, breeding great numbers of Fiery Fiend Spirits that wreak havoc among the human race. There are even suspicions that ancient Ruins have emerged there. Danger and opportunity coexist in this place, making it the perfect trial ground for you all!"
"This Purge the Flowing Fire Abyss will be a trial bestowed by the Interception Sect upon you Outer Sect Disciples! This journey has three purposes: first, to purge the fiend spirits, stabilize the earthfire veins, and accumulate Merit; second, to explore the Ruins and seek your own fated opportunities; third, to temper your combat abilities and improve your cultivation through real battle!"
"This is the fellowship of sect brothers advancing hand in hand, and also your supreme immortal opportunity to seize resources and attain the Dao of Changsheng! Should your gains be substantial, the sect will not be stingy with rewards. Magical treasures, pills, and superior Dao techniques may all be bestowed upon you!"
The speech stirred everyone's blood, as though they could already see Merit settling upon them and the Great Dao stretching before them.
But Chen Changsheng felt cold all over.
It's here... it's finally here! The mission that sends people to their deaths is here! he screamed inwardly.
Resources? Immortal opportunities? They sure made it sound nice!
To Chen Changsheng, nothing was more important than his life. Taking on missions was absolutely out of the question.
Sure enough, Zhang Feng curled his lips into an imperceptible sneer and began reading the list. His gaze occasionally swept over Chen Changsheng.
"Li Hu!"
"This disciple is here!"
"Wang Mang!"
"This disciple is here!"
One name after another was called. Every disciple selected held his head high and puffed out his chest, as if they had received some tremendous honor.
But Chen Changsheng's heart sank bit by bit. He remembered that Zhang Feng had always held a grudge against him. There was no way this list of the "suicide vanguard" would leave him out.
"Chen Changsheng!"
The cold voice rang out like a death warrant.
Chen Changsheng's entire body stiffened as countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Refuse? With Zhang Feng's narrow-mindedness, he would certainly pin the charge of "disrespecting the sect" on him. He might even kill him on the spot.
Agree? That was an even surer path to death. Going there would mean becoming food for the great demons!
What should he do? What should he do!
At that critical moment, a cold mechanical voice exploded in his mind.
[Detected that the host is facing a life-or-death choice. The Cowardly Path to Sainthood System has officially activated!]
[God-Tier Choice has been activated. Please make a decision immediately:]
[Choice One: Answer proudly and march generously to your death. Accept the mission and fight for the greater good of humanity. Reward upon mission completion: one "Loyal Martyr of the Interception Sect" plaque. Survival probability: 0.01%. Danger level: Crimson Red—certain death!]
[Choice Two: Refuse publicly and angrily denounce Zhang Feng. Expose his sinister intentions with your words and seek justice. Reward upon mission completion: "King of Trash Talk" title (temporary). Survival probability: 10%. Danger level: Scarlet Red—Nine Deaths, One Life!]
[Choice Three: Flee before battle and pretend to have "gone berserk." Use physical discomfort as an excuse to evade this summons. Reward upon mission completion: one hundred years of cultivation, Divine Ability "Innate Stealth Technique." Survival probability: 99%. Danger level: Emerald Green—safe and worry-free!]
It's here! The golden finger of a transmigrator!
Chen Changsheng did not hesitate in the slightest.
A loyal martyr plaque? King of Trash Talk? To hell with that! All I want is to stay alive!
If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author. It may have simply been renamed!
"Chen Changsheng, are you deaf?!" Seeing that he had yet to respond, a cold gleam flashed in Zhang Feng's eyes as he shouted sharply.
Just as everyone's attention focused on Chen Changsheng, waiting to see how he would respond.
Chen Changsheng moved.
His eyes suddenly rolled back, his face instantly flushing the color of pig liver as his body began trembling violently like a sieve.
"Urgh... ah..."
An incoherent howl came from his throat. Immediately afterward, a surge of pure mana rampaged uncontrollably through his body, throwing his aura into utter chaos.
"Pfft—"
He spat out a mouthful of blood—actually squeezed out after biting his tongue—and his legs gave way. Chen Changsheng fell straight backward.
With a heavy bang, he hit the ground hard. His limbs twitched, foam spilled from his mouth, and he looked like someone who had gone berserk and could die at any moment.
The entire Affairs Platform fell into deathly silence.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden scene.
He had been perfectly fine a moment ago. How had he suddenly gone berserk?
Zhang Feng was also dumbfounded. He had imagined Chen Changsheng begging for mercy, arguing his case, even resisting—but never had he imagined that Chen Changsheng would simply collapse on the spot.
"P-pretending... pretending to be possessed!" Zhang Feng snapped instinctively, his face turning livid.
But Chen Changsheng's aura was weak, his mana scattered, and his eyes tightly shut. To anyone watching, he looked severely injured, as though something had gone wrong with his cultivation and his Dao foundation had been damaged. Everyone present had seen such signs of going berserk before. There was no way to fake them.
"Senior Brother Zhang," a disciple beside him said cautiously, "Junior Brother Chen... likely encountered a problem in his cultivation and lost control of his mind, which led to him going berserk."
"Yeah, looking at him, forget going down the mountain to protect anyone. It'll be hard enough for him to keep his life."
The murmurs around him made Zhang Feng's face alternately flush red and turn pale.
He could not possibly make trouble for someone already "half-dead," could he? If word got out, people would say he was narrow-minded and had forced a fellow sect brother into going berserk on the spot.
"Hmph! Useless trash!" Zhang Feng could only force out two words through clenched teeth in the end. He angrily flicked his sleeve. "Since his fate is such, replace him! Zhao Si, go in his place!"
Zhao Si's face turned pale when his name was called, but he could only accept with gritted teeth.
A killing trap aimed at Chen Changsheng thus ended in a dramatic fashion that no one had expected.
Before long, the hundred selected disciples followed Zhang Feng away on clouds, high-spirited and full of vigor.
Only several disciples familiar with Chen Changsheng remained on the Affairs Platform, hurriedly carrying the "unconscious" Chen Changsheng back to his crude cave dwelling in a corner of Golden Ao Island.
After settling him onto the stone bed, they sighed a few times and dispersed.
The cave dwelling returned to silence.
The next second, Chen Changsheng, who had supposedly been "on his last breath," sprang up from the stone bed, full of energy and showing not the slightest sign of having gone berserk.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully making a Dao of Survival choice and perfectly avoiding a certain-death tribulation!]
[Rewards distributed: one hundred years of cultivation! Divine Ability "Innate Stealth Technique"!]
An incomparably pure torrent of mana appeared from nowhere and surged into every part of Chen Changsheng's body. His Late Earth Immortal bottleneck, which had been stagnant for so long, was instantly broken through!
Earth Immortal peak!
Early Heavenly Immortal!
Mid Heavenly Immortal!
His cultivation soared madly as if aboard a rocket, only gradually stopping at Mid Heavenly Immortal.
Chen Changsheng felt the unprecedented power within his body, and his heart filled with wild joy.
This system was amazing!
At the same time, a profound stream of information flowed into his mind—the method of the Innate Stealth Technique. With a thought, he circulated his mana, and the aura around him instantly withdrew. From a Mid Heavenly Immortal cultivator, he once again became an utterly unremarkable Early Heavenly Immortal.
Perfect!
"Zhang Feng, Zhang Feng, just take them and go die," Chen Changsheng said with a cold smile, then sat cross-legged and began stabilizing his rapidly increased cultivation.
He knew that from this day onward, he finally had the means to survive in this dangerous Primordial World.
And all of this was only the beginning.
At the request of many readers, an ad-free VIP membership feature has now been introduced.
Click to view
Before you continue