Miraculous Encounter

"Absurd, simply utterly absurd! The head of one of the Five Great Families of the Bright Jade Dynasty is actually squabbling over a woman at the academy, getting himself knocked unconscious in the process, and now he has us waiting here for five hours? It is simply too ridiculous." Inside the Ren Family's massive Great Council Hall, the Third Elder, Ren Hanlin—a short, stout man with a balding head—could no longer sit still upon receiving the news. He stood up and began pacing back and forth across the hall.

His gaze drifted repeatedly toward the empty, high-seated chair in the center of the hall. An entire day had passed, and with dusk approaching, the seat remained vacant; that preposterous Family Head had yet to show his face.

"Bang!" The Fourth Elder, Ren Wenxu, whose face was as long as a horse's, glared with wide, furious eyes. "This is becoming increasingly outrageous! What does he think Elder Council Day is? He was supposed to return yesterday to prepare, yet he ended up fighting someone at the academy. If this gets out, it will be a laughingstock of epic proportions."

As the two vented their anger, a young man sitting at the very end of the table remained quiet, as if he had long since grown accustomed to such scenes.

Yet, as the two elders railed against the Family Head, a look of helplessness and disdain flickered across his face. Was it truly a case of "one generation a hero, another a worthless dog"? Under the previous Family Head's twenty years of management, the Ren Family had reached a peak of glory unseen in a millennium. Was it now destined to decline simply because it had fallen into the hands of this hedonistic young master?

Though he was not a member of the Ren Family, the thought always left him feeling deeply unsettled. For over a year, Wan Hong had represented the Sixth Master at these council meetings, and he had seen this so often that he had become somewhat numb to it.

After the two had finished venting their fury, their gazes turned toward the man sitting in the second chair below the Family Head's seat. The old man, who wore a long, thin beard and kept a somber expression, was none other than the Second Elder, Ren Junyang, who currently presided over the Council of Elders.

Ren Junyang had sat there for an entire day, only to be met with the news that the current head of the Ren Family had been brawling over a woman and ended up knocked unconscious.

"Immediately dispatch a Miraculous Apothecary to see what is going on. At the same time, send the Guard Squad. If the Family Head is conscious and unharmed, bring him back here at once. Today's Elder Council meeting must proceed, and we are adding several items to the agenda." Ren Junyang's face was as cold as still water, his long beard trembling as his internal energy surged.

If not for his decades of cultivation in emotional restraint, Ren Junyang would have wished the boy dead—but as long as he was alive, he had to be dragged back.

What kind of family was the Ren Family? One of the five founding families of the Bright Jade Dynasty, with a thousand-year legacy and currently at its most prosperous—yet it had produced such a disgrace. The dignified head of the Ren Family was actually...

"Exactly. It seems we have been too indulgent. From now on, he must return one day before the Elder Council meeting," Ren Hanlin agreed, nodding repeatedly.

Ren Wenxu's long, horse-like face remained grim. "Not only that, his daily expenses and the Family Head's special discretionary funds must be cut again. Let's see how he can cause trouble without money. He has completely dragged our Ren Family's reputation through the mud."

"Sigh," Wan Hong sighed inwardly, lifting his teacup for a small sip. Is it really true that one generation is a hero and the next a dog? Is the Ren Family truly destined to decline after reaching its peak? If this continues, the internal conflicts will surely explode sooner or later.

Sixth Master, you chose to stay away to enjoy your peace, leaving me here to suffer. This is more painful than being severely wounded on the battlefield. Watching the Ren Family decline with my own eyes... this feeling is truly...

Following the Second Elder's order, someone from the Ren Family immediately spurred a horse and galloped away, heading straight for the Jade Emperor Academy—one of the two top institutions in the Bright Jade Dynasty, also known as the "Academy of Hedonists."

"Transmigrated? Damn! Does this count as a double transmigration?" Ren Jie rubbed his aching forehead, where a bump the size of a chicken egg had formed, feeling like a unicorn's horn.

But this was no horn; it was a massive lump caused by someone smashing a hard Iron Wood bench against his head. It was only now that Ren Jie realized he had transmigrated, as information that did not belong to him began flooding into his mind.

Ren Jie felt as if his head were about to explode. The information pouring in was chaotic and messy—truly, it was absurd. There was no useful information to be found.

Chasing women, spending money, fighting, gambling...

Damn it, what is all this garbage? This guy was also named Ren Jie. What on earth had he been doing? Ren Jie was extremely annoyed, not just because of the unicorn-like bump on his head, but because of the transmigration itself. He used to enjoy reading novels and watching shows about people experiencing unique journeys in other worlds, but now that it was happening to him, it felt incredibly, deeply unpleasant.

Beyond the splitting headache, he realized his body had no special traits—no benefits whatsoever. He had left behind the familiar technological civilization of Earth, and from the jumbled memories he was absorbing, he realized this was a world completely different from his own.

The bump on his head, the influx of information, and the agitation of transmigration all gave Ren Jie a massive headache.

"Damn it!" Ren Jie slammed his fist against the wall in frustration. The next moment, his hand trembled, and he winced in pain as the wall vibrated.

What the hell is this? He was just an ordinary student, in the middle of reinstalling his laptop's operating system. He had just borrowed an external hard drive from some seniors and juniors at the academy—a drive filled with a rich collection of adult films—when everything went black, and he ended up in this strange world.

"Ah... it hurts!" The bump on his head throbbed, but the chaotic, overwhelming information flooding his mind was even worse. Unable to bear the pain, Ren Jie squeezed his eyes shut, desperate to dive into the depths of his mind to control the agony.

"Boom..." Suddenly, Ren Jie felt his consciousness leave his body—no, not leave, but enter his own mind.

In an instant, his mind felt like it was exploding. The next moment, clusters of light began to condense and assemble.

What is this? Ren Jie was completely stunned by the shifting lights before him.

From the small portion of the chaotic memories he had absorbed, Ren Jie knew that people in this world could cultivate a "Sea of Consciousness" once they reached a certain level. He had somehow entered his own Sea of Consciousness using his spiritual sense.

Gradually, the lights converged and solidified...

What on earth is this? Ren Jie was left completely dumbfounded as he looked at the object forming from the light.

A laptop. It was the very same laptop he had been reinstalling the system on just before he transmigrated, the one he had been using to copy those adult films.

Is this a joke, or am I dreaming? He had transmigrated, and instead of being given some heaven-defying magical treasure, he had brought a laptop with him? And it existed in his mind in the form of this light? This was absolutely ridiculous.

This is a scam! Moreover, from the original owner's messy memories, he knew this was definitely not Earth, nor was it a technological civilization. What use could a bare-bones computer have inside a Sea of Consciousness?

Looking at the laptop, which resembled a super-advanced light-computer from a sci-fi film, Ren Jie finally calmed down after a long while. There was no other choice; it was already done.

Ren Jie discovered that his spiritual sense was more miraculous than his eyes. With a mere thought, his sense moved close to the laptop to observe it. Aside from its material being composed of various lights, everything else remained unchanged. As he wondered how to operate it within his mind, his spiritual sense moved, and he saw the "My Computer" folder on the screen open.

"Damn, that's amazing." Ren Jie was startled. He then manipulated his spiritual sense again, and instantly, a hidden folder opened, revealing all the classic films he had painstakingly screened and selected.

But at this moment, Ren Jie felt an urge to cry. He had no mood to watch these classics at all.

He had transmigrated, and his computer had disintegrated and merged into his mind, existing like a light-computer. Yet, aside from these films he had just copied, the computer was essentially empty. While he didn't yet know exactly what was happening outside, the fragments of memory he had just absorbed told him the situation was grim. The original owner's last memory was being struck on the head with a bench—he had been beaten to death.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Ren Jie looked in shock at the bottom right corner of the laptop screen, which was formed entirely by the special light in his mind. Wireless... wireless... signal! There was actually a wireless signal! It was very weak, but it was definitely there.

At this moment, Ren Jie felt as if he had been struck by lightning. What is going on? Did the heavens let me transmigrate and still allow me to access the internet, to connect back to Earth?

This place isn't a technological civilization; where would I even connect to? Ren Jie moved his spiritual sense, and a webpage opened instantly. He tried to input a URL, but the result left him deeply disappointed—there was no response.

He then tested other communication tools—internet calls, video, chat software—but the result was the same.

"Sigh."

Ren Jie gave a bitter smile. It seemed this was just a remnant of his state before transmigrating, displaying a wireless signal from around his dormitory at the time. As he continued to absorb new memories, albeit slowly, he realized this place was definitely not Earth, nor was it a place of technology. Naturally, a Wi-Fi signal could not exist here.

A false hope. It left Ren Jie feeling incredibly lost and bewildered. He used to find the idea of entering a new world novel and exciting, but now that it had truly happened to him, the sense of alienation, confusion, and the unknown made him feel completely out of his depth.

Just as Ren Jie intended to withdraw his spiritual sense from his Sea of Consciousness and return to his new body, his "sense" suddenly froze. He stared intently at the screen. Even though he had no physical body, the feeling of focus was the same.

Because Ren Jie suddenly discovered that something new had appeared on the screen: a video player software. He remembered very clearly that he had installed the most minimalist version, and he had used this version for years; he knew exactly what the interface contained. He was one hundred percent certain he had never installed anything else.

"Open!" With a thought, Ren Jie controlled the computer to open the suddenly appeared video window.

"Boom..." In an instant, as if watching a holographic projection, Ren Jie felt his divine sense being pulled, and the next moment, he was as if placed within a strange space.

It was a vast, infinitely expansive space, and in the incredibly distant reaches, he could faintly make out a few figures.

People? No, that wasn't right. Ren Jie felt all the blood in his body rushing to his head, because the moment he caught sight of those figures in the distance, he was shocked to discover that one of them had eighteen arms and twenty-four heads, his entire body shrouded in golden light.

Heavens, what kind of person was this! There was another standing on a lotus pedestal, the back of his head glowing like a newly risen sun, his complexion sallow.

Beyond these two, there were three others opposite them. One of them appeared the most imposing, surrounded by swirling Immortal Qi as if the heavens and earth were by his side, holding a bead in his hand.

The two beside him were equally astonishing. The moment he saw them, Ren Jie felt as if his brain were about to explode, and even this new body he had obtained after transmigrating felt as if it were about to be burst apart by the blood surging to his head.

Because he had an incredibly familiar impression of the others, but when he saw the old man sitting on a Green Ox next to the one holding the bead, Ren Jie felt his brain truly about to cease functioning.

For a split second, he hadn't reacted, but upon seeing the old man riding the Green Ox, his mind cleared instantly: Tai... Shang... Lao... Jun...

The ancestor of primordial energy, the foundation of heaven and earth, the progenitor of all existence and non-existence, the embodiment of the Great Dao (the embodiment of natural laws and principles). Residing above the Thirty-Three Heavens, he was the true founding Daoist ancestor, ranked third among the supreme Three Pure Ones, also known as the "Moral Heavenly Venerable," "Old Lord of Primal Chaos," "Heavenly Venerable of Birth," "Great Emperor of Supreme Purity"...

Those eighteen arms and twenty-four heads—was that not the Bodhisattva Zhunti, one of the two Western Sect leaders?

Although he wasn't as familiar with them as he was with Lord Lao, he had at least heard of them in novels and legends. The one with the sallow complexion must be the other Western Sect leader, the Guiding Daoist.

That would mean the one holding the bead in the center, even more formidable than Lord Lao, must be the Jade Pure Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, and what he held in his hand must be the Primal Chaos Pearl...

The last one needed no guessing: the Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure...

Jade Pure Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning, Celestial Worthy of Numinous Treasure, Taiqing Moral Heavenly Venerable, plus the two Western Sect leaders, the Guiding Daoist and Bodhisattva Zhunti—the Five Great Sages!! The reason Ren Jie was so shocked was that he had a unique feeling that this was no movie, no television show, and certainly not some ordinary image. He could personally feel an indescribable sensation. Only at this moment did Ren Jie understand what true pressure was; it was a billion times more intense than a common soldier suddenly seeing the marshal he idolized standing right beside him.

If this were merely a film, Ren Jie believed that if it were a horror movie, it would absolutely scare most people to death. It was real; this feeling could not be faked...

Although it was his divine sense, Ren Jie could not move a muscle. Even though they were far away, it still made him unable to stir in the slightest...

What were they discussing? After his shock subsided, Ren Jie gradually realized that although they were incredibly distant, he could clearly see their mouths moving, seemingly debating something...

He could not hear the sound, but merely by watching their movements and sensing that distant, vast aura, Ren Jie felt his divine sense realm constantly shifting. Time was short, yet in that state of mind, it felt incredibly long. Though he heard no sound, the mere sensation made Ren Jie feel like a primate observing the actions of humans, his realm undergoing certain changes.

The more he changed, the more urgent Ren Jie's desire became to hear exactly what they were saying...

At this moment, Ren Jie finally understood the saying: "If one hears the Dao in the morning, one can die without regret in the evening." He felt exactly that; even if he were to die immediately upon hearing their voices, he would not care...

"Boom!" Just a moment later, as Ren Jie was desperately trying to hear the voices of the Five Great Sages in their Sage Dao Discussion, the scene before him suddenly changed. Ren Jie found himself "staring" at his laptop, which had turned into a brain-computer interface, and the video window he had opened earlier had vanished.

Ren Jie immediately used his divine sense to try and open the video window again, but found there was no response.

Strange, could he no longer control it? Ren Jie moved his divine sense, and the next moment, without any pause or buffering, a simple scene began: an adult film featuring a primitive man and woman...

So clear, so dynamic.

In an instant, there was sound, and the impact was definitely stronger than watching a live performance. Ren Jie was startled and hurriedly used his divine sense to turn the volume down.

Having sound was a good thing, but why wasn't the video window working properly? However, Ren Jie unexpectedly discovered that his divine sense was many times stronger than before. With his current location as the core, everything around him had expanded significantly.

Ren Jie's mind had never been this clear and sharp; even his previous confusion and fear had diminished greatly.

If the previous experience—so immersive, so wonderful, and so enlightening—hadn't been so magnificent, Ren Jie would have truly sat down to appreciate this unique primitive human reproduction art film.

Gone?

At this moment, Ren Jie also suddenly noticed that the wireless signal in the bottom right corner was gone as well.

Could they be related? How could he make that signal reappear so he could reconnect to that video...

Just as Ren Jie was thinking this, he suddenly felt a unique power surging within his body. It instantly transformed into pure energy and flowed into those signals, and faintly, Ren Jie could see the signals shifting.

Awesome! Ren Jie felt a surge of joy and used his divine sense to open the video window.

This time, there was no lack of response; the video window opened directly, the previous scene and imagery reappeared, and Ren Jie once again entered that marvelous state.

"Swish!" But after only a few seconds, Ren Jie felt the image shrink again. He clearly sensed that the power surging from within his body had been completely consumed by this video. At this moment, Ren Jie finally understood the meaning of the phrase: "a cup of water trying to put out a cartload of burning firewood."

"An expert... an expert has arrived..." Just then, Ren Jie suddenly heard someone shouting outside.

An expert? Had something happened? Had they discovered that the Ren Jie currently in this body was no longer the original one, or was there something else afoot? Hearing this, Ren Jie couldn't help but shudder. His divine sense instantly returned to his body, and he snapped his eyes open.

This look was critical. Having just emerged from the Sage Dao Discussion of the Five Great Sages, his divine sense was still in a marvelous state. As he suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, Ren Jie was dumbfounded.

Because he clearly saw a naked young beauty rushing in from outside, completely unadorned. Although she couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen years old, she was already quite well-developed. Most importantly, her figure was exquisite—curvaceous in all the right places.

Ren Jie was stunned. Could it be... could he still be dreaming, or was he watching a realistic, three-dimensional classic film within his own mind?

Otherwise, how could a beauty just walk in naked? It must be a dream; he had to be dreaming.

The book has begun, a new start, a refreshing story is coming. It still relies on the support of all you new and old brothers and sisters. As always, your support is the eternal motivation for Sheng Ji to update.