A startling beginning

When Lin Yan opened his eyes, people surrounded him, a dense mass surging forward like a tide.

Caught in the crowd, he had no choice but to run along with them.

"What the hell?"

His mind went blank.

All he remembered was being in his study a second ago, engrossed in a newly acquired copy of the Cantong Qi. How had he ended up in this godforsaken place the very next second?

The dirt-and-stone path beneath his feet stretched as far as he could see.

Towering stone walls rose on either side. It felt as though he were inside an enormous underground tunnel.

"Hey! New guy, get out of the way!" A burly man with a brutish face shoved him impatiently.

Lin Yan stumbled and nearly fell.

Only then did he come to his senses-he was wearing completely unfamiliar casual clothes, and his body felt strangely light, almost unreal.

Where was this? A kidnapping? A prank?

As he ran, he frantically scanned his surroundings.

There were all sorts of people: some in suits, some carrying huge packs, and even one dressed as a ninja.

Wait... a ninja outfit?

Lin Yan's heart lurched. Following that figure with his gaze, he spotted a little boy in green shorts carrying a fishing rod, a silver-haired kid riding a skateboard, and someone blond wearing blue traditional clothing...

His breath caught.

"No way..."

Lin Yan's gaze locked onto a tall man in the crowd wearing clown makeup.

The man had fiery red hair and the faintest hint of a smile on his lips, but his eyes swept over the people around him like a venomous snake's, as though choosing his prey.

Hisoka!

The thought exploded in Lin Yan's mind like a thunderclap.

This was... the Hunter Exam!

Had he transmigrated? Into the world of Hunter x Hunter?

The realization sent a chill through him, leaving his hands and feet icy. This was no peaceful slice-of-life world. People died here at the drop of a hat.

Never mind the vicious criminals-even the Hunter Exam itself had a terrifyingly high death rate.

"Calm down, calm down..." Lin Yan forced himself to breathe deeply.

He was an ordinary young man from modern society. Aside from having studied a few Daoist classics, he was practically helpless. In a place like this, he was the lowest kind of cannon fodder. He might not even make it through the first phase.

I have to survive. The thought emerged in his mind with absolute clarity.

He began recalling the original story. The first phase was an ultralong-distance marathon, and the examiner was Satotz. As long as he followed the main group and didn't fall behind, he had a chance of passing.

With that in mind, he stopped letting his thoughts run wild and began adjusting his breathing. When he had read the Zhuangzi, he had learned a method called Heel Breathing, which emphasized deep, long breaths that reached all the way to the heels, conserving as much energy as possible.

He tried slowing his breathing, planting each step firmly and relaxing his body as much as he could.

As he ran, he suddenly sensed something unusual.

There seemed to be a faint, warm current flowing slowly through his body in time with his breathing. It was weak, like a strand of spider silk, barely perceptible.

What... was this?

Something stirred in Lin Yan's mind. Having studied Daoist classics in his previous life, he was more than familiar with the concept of qi.

As the ancients said, life depended on a single breath. Could this current be the legendary qi?

In this world, it should be called... Nen.

A bold idea began taking shape in his mind. If Nen was qi, could the Daoist theories he knew so well-the theories of refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and the Golden Core Great Way-also be put into practice in this world?

The thought set his heart ablaze.

He wasn't from this world. He had neither the Zoldyck Family's talent nor Gon's animal-like instincts.

His only advantage was the complete theoretical framework for cultivation in his head, brought from another world.

Perhaps this was his only chance at survival, and the only path available to him.

I'm going to cultivate immortality!

Once that thought appeared, he could no longer suppress it.

He would use this world's Nen to forge an unprecedented path along the Golden Core Great Way!

Just as excitement surged through him, a clear voice came from beside him.

"Hey, mister, you run really strangely."

Lin Yan turned and saw the little boy carrying the fishing rod-Gon-watching him curiously.

"Do I?" Lin Yan smiled, trying to look as friendly as possible. "It's a way to keep running longer."

"Really? I want to learn too!" Gon's eyes sparkled.

"Well... it takes a long time to learn," Lin Yan said evasively. He could hardly tell him it was a Daoist breathing method.

Just then, the silver-haired kid on the skateboard-Killua-rolled over and said coolly to Gon, "Idiot, don't just talk to strangers. This guy looks really weak. Don't let him drag you down."

Lin Yan rubbed his nose and didn't argue.

Killua was telling the truth. He really was weak right now.

He said nothing more and silently followed the crowd. As he ran, he continued sensing that faint trace of qi within him, trying to guide it with his mind along the meridian pathways he knew.

It was difficult. The current refused to obey, like a mischievous child. But he didn't give up, trying again and again.

Time crept by. Fewer and fewer people remained around him, many having collapsed from exhaustion. Lin Yan was reaching his limit too. His lungs burned, and his legs felt as heavy as lead.

The gap between theory and practice was too great. He knew how to conserve his energy, but his body was too weak to endure exercise this intense.

Just as he was about to give up, he suddenly felt the unruly current within him grow a tiny bit stronger and begin circulating on its own, easing his exhaustion.

The effect was negligible, but it was real!

Lin Yan's spirits lifted.

It worked! His theory was right!

It was as though he had seen the first glimmer of dawn in the darkness. This path could work!

He gritted his teeth, squeezed out his last ounce of strength, and stubbornly clung to the back of the group. He knew that only after passing the Hunter Exam and learning true Nen could his Golden Core Great Way truly begin.

To survive, and to follow that path toward immortality, he had to keep going!

At last, light appeared ahead in the tunnel.