Xuandan Sect, Vermilion Bird Peak.

"Han, the sect rules are clear. You have ten days left on your residence at Little Lingxu Peak, and when the deadline arrives, you should plan ahead. If you can't complete the sect mission and meet the points requirement within ten days, you'll have to leave the mountain."

"Also, I should remind you that points cannot be transferred privately. They must be earned through official sect missions. And don't even think about fabricating missions—if you're caught, at best you'll lose your spiritual root and be expelled from the sect, at worst, you could lose your life."

"Look, let me give you a suggestion. I heard that over at Little Raging Fire Peak, Elder Luo Qi is in need of a group of alchemists to test pills. The mission was only released today and the points being offered are generous enough to satisfy your requirements."

"It's just... the dangers involved are unpredictable. As an alchemist yourself, you're surely aware of the risks and benefits. Think it over. This is the best solution I can find for you with the authority I have."

"Enough, you may go."

...

Han Yi walked out of the Great Hall, his expression dazed. A cold wind blew over him, making him shiver and snapping him back to reality.

He turned around to look back at the bustling management Great Hall of the sect, wide and grand, with people coming and going.

Then he turned his head forward, shuddering at the sight, his eyes wide open.

In front of him,

a vast Cloud Sea was teeming with frolicking spiritual cranes, with the occasional cultivator speeding past on their swords, exuding an aura of the Immortal Realm.

Han Yi pinched his thigh hard, wincing as the sharp pain made him grit his teeth.

"I'm not dreaming."

"I've transmigrated. The memories in my mind—are they really not an outline for a novel I made up, but the truth?"

"Hiss!"

Before Han Yi could think further, a voice called out from behind him.

"Han Yi, you came out this quickly, how did it go? What did Brother Guan say?"

Han Yi turned around to see a young man in the same gray robe as himself standing behind him, his dark-skinned face only showing a row of shining white teeth.

A name came to his mind.

Zheng Hai.

"What are you spacing out for, speak up. It's important to know whether it's possible or not. Brother Guan always looked out for the both of us; he should be able to make some accommodations."

The anxious dark-skinned young man, Zheng Hai, pressed for an answer.

Han Yi collected his thoughts. At this point, he'd assimilated the memories in his head and connected them with what had just happened in the management hall, and he immediately understood what was happening.

He shook his head, his expression tinged with helplessness.

"Brother Guan said that these are the sect's rules, and there's no room for bending them for anyone."

"But he did point me towards a solution."

"What solution?" Zheng Hai's eyes lit up, his face showing elation. "I knew it! Brother Guan must have a way."

"Over at Little Raging Fire Peak, Elder Luo Qi requires a group of sect disciples to test pills with their bodies. The points offered are quite generous and should fulfill my needs."

Zheng Hai froze for a moment, then his face changed.

"No, that's not an option."

"The risks of testing pills with your body are just too high. I've heard that out of ten people, only two can come out unscathed. The rest... end in tragedy."

Han Yi furrowed his brow and then relaxed it.

He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Well, I'll think of another way myself."

...

Xuandan Sect, nestled in the Xuandan Mountain Range, is a sect within the Shu State of Daqian Immortal Country.

The sect covers an expansive area, consisting of the Main Peak—Xuandan Peak—and nine Inner Peaks. Vermilion Bird Peak, which Han Yi had visited earlier, is one of those Inner Peaks. Apart from these, there are over a hundred Outer Peaks.

Little Lingxu Peak is among the numerous Outer Peaks.

Han Yi walked into his courtyard on Little Lingxu Peak and felt a sense of relief. He breathed out, the tension slipping away—this relaxation belonged to the body he now inhabited.

He sat down in the meditation room he regularly used for Qi Cultivation, beginning to sort through his thoughts.

No question about it, he had transmigrated.

But there were many mysteries and unanswered questions about this world.

All he could remember was falling into a deep sleep and, upon waking, finding himself within the management Great Hall of the Xuandan Sect's Vermilion Bird Peak.

Fortunately, right after transmigration, while his eyes were open, his memories had integrated, leaving him in a daze and slow to react.

Otherwise, embarrassment would have been the least of his worries. If someone targeted him, trouble would have been inevitable, considering this was the Cultivation World. Making someone speak the truth is all too simple here, not to mention the existence of techniques like Soul Seek.

The reason for his visit to Vermilion Bird Peak today was that his courtyard residence period had expired—or, more precisely, his right to live within the sect was about to be retracted in ten days due to insufficient points.

Xuandan Sect boasts ten thousand Outer Disciples and over a thousand Inner Disciples.

Inner and Outer Disciples are mainly distinguished by their cultivation realms.

Low-level and mid-level Qi Cultivators are considered Outer Disciples, while only those who have reached the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation—seventh level or above—are considered Inner Disciples. Only Inner Disciples are permitted to reside on the nine Inner Peaks and benefit from the richer Spirit Vein energies there.

Outer sect disciples reside on the outer peaks where only first-stage and second-stage spiritual veins are found, far inferior to the third-stage and fourth-stage spiritual veins of the inner peaks.

Moreover, according to sect rules, outer peak disciples must complete one hundred sect mission points each year on their own to extend their residency rights.

Of course, these one hundred points are not surrendered to the sect.

They still belong to the outer sect disciple and can be used to purchase artifacts, pills, and so on within the sect.

The setup of these one hundred points is simply to ensure that outer sect disciples participate in sect affairs instead of squatting idly.

After all, even first-stage and second-stage spirit veins are still spirit veins, and in other parts of Shu State, they could sustain some low-level cultivation families.

Han Yi was only thinking of approaching his familiar brother, Guan Di, to inquire about possible accommodation methods because the deadline was nearing, and he had not yet reached the required points.

But for some unknown reason, he found himself transmigrating into this body just as the original soul dissipated within the great hall.

As for Zheng Hai, the youth outside the hall, he was regarded as a good friend. According to the memories, they had joined the Xuandan Sect together and always had a good relationship.

Unlike Han Yi's predicament, Zheng Hai did not have this worry. His alchemy skills were much stronger than Han Yi's, making the sect's minimum point requirement easily attainable for him.

Yet, because points couldn't be transferred, even if Zheng Hai had extra, they were of no help to Han Yi.

The current identity: Daqian Immortal Country, Shu State, Xuandan Sect, Little Lingxu Peak, outer sect disciple.

The current predicament: insufficient points, facing the possibility of losing housing rights.

According to sect rules, if one fails to meet the minimum point requirement, resulting in the repossession of their residence, there are two choices.

The first option is to retain the outer sect disciple status and be sent down the mountain to work in the sect's businesses outside, where one can apply for an assessment every year for the next ten years. The assessment's difficulty will be higher than the task of one hundred points. If one still fails the assessment after ten years, they automatically lose their outer sect disciple status and thus have no connection with the sect from then on.

The second option is to voluntarily resign from the outer sect disciple status and after leaving the mountain, make one's own living.

Most brothers who lacked points would be unwilling to accept this and choose the first option, but after three to five years, realizing their situation, they would opt for the second option.

For me, it's just as difficult.

Difficult, difficult, difficult.

Therefore, I must do everything possible to stay on the mountain.

My only means at the moment is alchemy.

And I am only a beginner alchemist. Even if I give it my all, it would be very difficult to complete a one hundred-point alchemy mission within ten days.

Could it really come down to risking my own body to test pills?

No, I wouldn't be so foolish. The risk is too great; one wouldn't even know how they died. I certainly don't want to be disabled as soon as I transmigrate.

Even if my lodging is taken back, there is still a chance.

As long as I'm alive, there are always opportunities.

Han Yi sorted through his current situation and the predicaments he was facing internally.

In his past life as an engineer, what he excelled at was clarifying the problem and finding the optimal solution as much as possible.

"There are always more solutions than problems."

"Well, a thousand thoughts at once, let's sleep on it."

Unexpectedly, when trying to find a solution, emptying the mind first, shifting the focus, and then revisiting the problem often lead to a new approach.

This habit of thinking was also from his previous life.

Below Little Lingxu Peak lies a second-stage spirit vein. The concentration of spirit energy is not low. The courtyard built on it is nourished by the spirit vein, eternally spring-like, making Han Yi feel relaxed and comfortable while within it.

He got up and was about to head to the bedroom when he hesitated slightly and furrowed his brow. He stretched out his hand and wiped through the void before him but came up empty.

"What is this..."

In his field of vision, a red line moved slowly from left to right.

When he tried to touch it in front of him, he found nothing.

In less than three breaths, the red line reached the far right side, flickered three times as if it had reached the end, and then vanished without a trace.

Just as Han Yi thought what he had just seen was an illusion.

Swoosh!

A semi-transparent panel appeared in front of Han Yi.

[Name: Han Yi]

[Lifespan: 21/87]

[Realm: Qi Cultivation Second Layer (14/100)]

[Cultivation Technique: Fire Profound Skill (Beginner 23/100)]

[Skills:

Alchemy Skill (Inexperienced 82/100)

Spirit Void Finger (Inexperienced 29/100)

]