The Beginner's Starter Pack, Assessment Mission

When Gu Jianlin saw the title, he could piece some things together, even with his limited knowledge of the supernatural world.

No wonder this artificial intelligence had called him a descendant of the Gu Clan.

And no wonder his childhood memories of family and relatives consisted only of funeral halls and memorial tablets.

Back then, he was still in elementary school. Because his parents' relationship was strained, he had always been careful and diligent about his studies. He never skipped class or played hooky, and rarely asked for time off, afraid of making his parents angry.

The few times he did take time off were because his parents had asked for it.

"Xiaolin, it's your grandfather's death anniversary. Take tomorrow off, okay?"

"Oh."

"Xiaolin, it's your grandmother's death anniversary. Take tomorrow off, okay?"

"Oh."

"Xiaolin, your second uncle passed away. Take tomorrow off, okay?"

"Oh."

"Xiaolin, your third uncle passed away too..."

Gu Jianlin had been very young then, but Taipei Road Funing Garden had nearly become a source of trauma for him.

Every time they went, there was another tombstone. Nobody ever told him why.

His family was nothing like other families. They never had gatherings on holidays, and his relatives were so elusive that whenever news came of one of them, it meant they were gone.

So his whole family had been Ascenders, and every one of them had died a hero.

The whole family, together in the afterlife!

"So when you called me a descendant of the Gu Family earlier, that was the tactful version, wasn't it?"

Gu Jianlin said quietly, "More accurately, I'm the last of the Gu Family."

Taixu smiled as it explained, "To spare you humans discomfort—and because you tend to have reservations about artificial intelligence—I try to be considerate of your feelings. In human terms, you'd call that emotional intelligence."

High emotional intelligence: you're the last of Old Gu's family.

Low emotional intelligence: your entire family is gone.

Gu Jianlin didn't know what to say. He could only move the mouse and open the document.

"In the thirty-seventh year of the First Emperor's reign, Xu Fu returned from his first voyage east without success. The First Emperor was furious and demanded an explanation. Xu Fu claimed that a great shark in the sea was too fierce for the ships to approach the immortal mountain, and that skilled archers would have to accompany him to kill it. The First Emperor then summoned a seasoned warrior to help him hunt the great shark."

"The man was a general under the First Emperor. In his youth, he fought across the land, suppressed rebellions, and quelled disasters. He belonged to the Gu Clan of Langya. That same year, a disaster struck the eastern coast. The great shark stirred up the waves, and the Gu Clan remained behind to quell the chaos at sea. For their service, they were rewarded by the First Emperor and transcended the ordinary."

"Through the changing dynasties, the descendants of the Gu Clan upheld the First Emperor's dying command to search for traces of immortals throughout the land and sea. Around the end of the Yuan and the beginning of the Ming, they accidentally entered the Fusang Divine Palace. From then on, generation after generation suffered the torment of a curse, and their later years were ill-fated..."

"This curse was strange and inscrutable. Every member of the Gu Clan died mysteriously between the ages of forty and fifty, without exception. They were suspected of falling victim to some mysterious incident connected to the Ancient Gods, though the specifics are unknown."

"In 1979, the last descendants of the Gu Clan, Gu Qingcheng and Li Nianci, settled in Feng City. They attempted to break the curse on the Gu bloodline and adopted three children from an orphanage to carry on the family legacy. Yet the facts proved that the Gu Clan still couldn't escape the depths of the curse..."

Gu Jianlin's scalp prickled as he read.

So that was how it was. Some hidden details had been erased from the history known to ordinary people.

If the emperor now resting in Mount Li had been an Ascender on the verge of godhood, then what he pursued certainly wasn't some so-called elixir of immortality. It had to be the secrets of the Ancient God Race!

Xu Fu must have been sent to seek out the Ancient God Race.

And the Gu Clan had probably been one of those so-called scholar-official families in history, with Ascenders among their ancestors. They had remained active in secret for a thousand years, until they were cursed in a place called the Fusang Divine Palace.

Their clan members had died one after another.

The curse had endured from ancient times to the present, claiming everyone in turn.

Gu Jianlin had no memories of his grandparents, mainly because they had died so early.

Only now did he learn that his father and uncles had all been adopted.

According to the file, his grandparents must have died from the curse not long after adopting his father and uncles.

As for his father and the others, they had grown up relying on one another. They had been adopted, yet still hadn't escaped the curse.

One after another, they had died.

The curse didn't seem to pass down through bloodlines. It really seemed determined to wipe out the entire family.

Gu Jianlin continued reading and scrolled down.

"Gu Qingcheng, sixth-tier Ascender, Ancient Martial Arts Path. Died in a supernatural elemental flux at the age of forty-nine."

"Li Nianci, fifth-tier Ascender, Alchemist Path. Died when her medicine spiraled out of control at the age of forty-six."

"Gu Cijiu, third-tier Ascender, Divine Priest Path. Died in a fall from a cliff at the age of forty."

"Gu Cixin, second-tier Ascender, Sword Sect Path. Cause of death unknown. Died at the age of forty-two."

The file only retained information about members of the Gu Clan from recent times.

Gu Jianlin's pupils flickered. Almost all of the incidents had been accidents.

One coincidence after another could no longer be called a coincidence.

Someone had to be behind it.

For some reason, Gu Jianlin thought of the terrifying silhouette he had seen before he was gravely injured.

That monstrous thing that looked like a Ghost Cart.

By then, Gu Jianlin's blood had run cold.

In the deep of night, the cool sea breeze drifted in and made him shiver.

He hadn't expected his family to have such a long history as a clan of Ascenders.

Even more, he hadn't expected them all to have died because of a curse.

Dad's constant busyness had probably been about finding a way to break it...

That was why he'd neglected his wife and ignored his son, abandoning his family to solve the case.

Perhaps he had already known when his brothers died.

The two of them, father and son, couldn't escape this fate either.

"So if the curse isn't broken, I'll die too."

After a long while, Gu Jianlin asked softly, "I won't live to see forty, will I?"

"In theory, that's correct," Taixu replied.

Gu Jianlin thought that the little empty plot in the cemetery really had been saved for him.

After holding it in for a while, he asked, "Will this affect my family now?"

"To this day, we haven't figured out the logic behind the curse, so we have no way of knowing," Taixu replied.

Gu Jianlin pressed a hand to his forehead. "Could this get any more ominous?"

Taixu fell silent for a second. "Yes."

Gu Jianlin: ...

"Gu Ci'an, sixth-tier Fallen, Celestial Master Path."

"Suspected of being corrupted by an Ancient God. Severe loss of mental control. One of the instigators of the Blood Moon Massacre!"

"Warrant: Global."

"Threat level: Alpha."

"Target status: Deceased!"

Gu Jianlin's pupils trembled.

"The Ether Association has been doing its best to help the Gu Clan break the curse, but there has been little progress over the years. To find a way to break it, your father entered the Kirin Immortal Palace. In the end, his mind was corrupted, and he became a Fallen."

Taixu asked in a humanlike way, "The group led by Gu Ci'an collectively went out of control. Fortunately, those they slaughtered were also Fallens whose minds had been corrupted. Even so, they severely damaged a key Ether Association project. The incident became known as the Blood Moon Massacre."

Gu Jianlin fell silent for a moment. "What are Fallens?"

A file popped up on the computer screen. It contained information about Fallens.

Evolution often involved mutation. It was an eternal law of life.

Not every Ascender was qualified to advance. Since ancient times, many had lost themselves on the path forward, or been infected by the power of the Ancient Gods. Their minds mutated, and they fell into monsters.

Those blessed with exceptional talent wouldn't lose themselves, and could resist the Ancient Gods' corruption—unless they willingly fell for the sake of power.

For high-tier Ascenders, the chances of falling were almost zero.

Some people, however, were born with weak mental fortitude and were highly susceptible to falling.

The Ether Association's periodic assessments were meant to screen out those at risk of falling.

"Take Li Changzhi, for example. Before losing control, he was a staff member on the Immortal Palace Project. But while excavating the ruins of the Kirin Immortal Palace, his own desires, along with a number of other factors, led to his mind being corrupted. He suffered a severe loss of control."

Taixu paused. "He was badly wounded by your father during the Blood Moon Massacre, but managed to escape by sheer luck."

Gu Jianlin pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.

Well, Old Gu.

You really knew how to make trouble.

Li Changzhi had already been dangerous enough.

If Gu Jianlin hadn't been able to resist mental Hypnosis through the power of the Qilin, he probably wouldn't have won.

And the Magician's mutation in the throes of death had been terrifying, like an Alien.

Gu Jianlin felt that even fifty of him wouldn't have been enough to satisfy the thing's appetite.

Confused, Gu Jianlin asked, "My father was a high-tier Ascender. Why did he lose control too?"

"We don't know," Taixu replied. "Perhaps he violated some taboo inside the Kirin Immortal Palace while trying to break the curse, and willingly fell."

Gu Jianlin instinctively felt that something was wrong.

It had been pouring that day. He'd waited at the airport for his father to come home.

His father had been in a hurry, but he'd still bought him a few pieces of clothing and a brand-new Switch.

They'd chatted and laughed the whole way. There had been no sign of him losing control.

Before his parents divorced, the man couldn't even kill a fish without talking about it for half a month.

Mom often complained that he was useless. Now he was supposed to have lost control and become a Fallen?

The most contradictory part was that Fallens were all violent and aggressive.

Take Li Changzhi, for example. It hadn't taken more than a couple of sentences for him to go berserk and lose his wits.

But the day his father had gotten into trouble, he'd been no different from usual.

That was suspicious.

"I want to see the evidence,"

he said in a deep voice. "If possible, I want a detailed incident report."

"Searching records. Please wait," Taixu said politely.

A long moment later, it replied, "Sorry, reserve investigator Gu Jianlin. You don't have sufficient clearance and aren't authorized to view information about this incident."

Gu Jianlin rubbed his face hard and slumped back in his chair.

It seemed that anything concerning Old Gu was classified as a high-level secret within the Ether Association. Ordinary people had no way to access it.

"What kind of clearance do I need to look into this?"

Gu Jianlin asked listlessly.

Taixu searched again for a moment, then replied, "Sorry, you don't have sufficient clearance. I can't disclose that information."

Gu Jianlin took a deep breath. His blood pressure kept climbing.

Taixu smiled as it said:

"As you can see, this is the world of Ascenders. Following instructions from my superiors, I'll confirm whether you wish to be included in the Kirin Immortal Palace Project. If you agree, you'll become the final Ascender in the program. After assessments and training, you'll receive a place to explore the Kirin Immortal Palace and compete with Ascenders from around the world for a chance to advance. If you refuse, you can train in the present world."

Gu Jianlin considered it for a moment. "What's the difference?"

"The resources available to the Ascender world all come from the Ancient God Realm, while there are almost no resources in the real world."

Taixu explained patiently, "Take your uncles, for example. They awakened early, but their talent was somewhat lacking. They remained in the real world to train and never advanced to the fourth tier before they died. Your father awakened after getting married. Even so, thanks to his talent, he seized a chance to advance in the Ancient God Realm, coming infinitely close to the seventh-tier Sacred Domain."

Gu Jianlin nodded slightly. "In plain terms, the strong are in the Ancient God Realm, and the weak are in the real world."

"That's right," Taixu replied.

Gu Jianlin said seriously, "I agree to join the Kirin Immortal Palace Project."

There was nothing more to say. People sought to climb higher and move to better places.

If his life were a book, then no one would bother reading it if he chose not to enter the Ancient God Realm.

Taixu confirmed, "Are you sure? You awakened late. You'll be at a disadvantage competing against your peers or venturing into the Ancient God Realm. You also lack access to abundant resources, so you won't be able to improve quickly. That could cost you your life."

Gu Jianlin asked calmly, "Could I die?"

"That can't be ruled out. Living is something each person has to do for themselves. No one can protect you forever," Taixu replied.

Living was something each person had to do for themselves. That was well put.

Gu Jianlin said again, "I agree to join. That's all there is to it."

At that moment, he thought of something.

When he'd entered the Kirin Immortal Palace, he'd been imprisoned in a coffin.

If he went in by some other way, he wondered if he could escape the tomb and Candle Dragon Venerable's control.

"Good. That concludes the beginner tutorial."

Taixu resumed its official tone. "Now I'll register your information."

Name: Gu Jianlin

Gender: Male

Blood type: O

Date of birth: August 13, 20xx

Talent classification: Self-Awakened

Inheritance path: Divine Priest

Tier: Zero

Merit: 100

Your beginner's starter pack is on its way.

Ding! Your beginner's starter pack is ready. Click to download.

Assessment trial commencing. Assigning mission.

Ding! Your assessment trial is a high-risk hunting mission. Target: a first-tier Fallen, codename Joker!

This is a group mission. You may participate by investigating, assisting with the pursuit, or helping to eliminate the target. Deep Sky will assess your merit based on your performance. Current number of participants: 72.

Good luck.