"Wu Jun, remember, you might not be the most talented, but you still have a knack for being stubborn. Be persistent and chase your dreams," an old man in his 60s said, his voice trembling as he held the hand of a young man, Wu Jun, during his final moments.
Wu Jun held his father's hand, tears welling up in his eyes. "Yes, Father."
Suddenly, a mysterious voice echoed in the room. "Hey!"
Wu Jun looked around, bewildered. His gaze darted in all directions, but the room was empty except for him and his father.
"Get up, you old man!" Another voice filled the air, accompanied by a sharp, searing pain near his ribs. It felt as though he had been kicked hard, sending him tumbling as if he had fallen off a cliff.
Feeling dizzy, Wu Jun clutched his head tightly and slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurred with disorientation. As the haze lifted, he was met with a breathtaking sight.
Before him, a colossal ship hovered in the sky, like a behemoth suspended in the heavens. A grand ramp extended from the ship's side, allowing passengers to descend with an air of majestic arrival.
A burly man stood at the ship's entrance, a sly smirk on his face as he peered down at Wu Jun and the others who had just disembarked.
Wu Jun, still bewildered, tried to gather his wits. "Are you alright, Brother Jun?" a young man with a sly, snake-like face asked, approaching him and extending a helping hand.
"Who... where are we?" Wu Jun's voice wavered with uncertainty. Just moments ago, he had been at his father's bedside, and now he found himself in an unfamiliar place, facing a colossal airborne vessel.
"What? Did you hit your head when you fell from the ship?" The young man's tone was a mix of concern and amusement. "Don't you remember? We've arrived at the Golden Moon Island."
Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain surged through Jun's head, as if an invisible force was piercing into his very brain. It was a sensation he couldn't ignore.
Unfamiliar memories, like a cascade of images, flooded into his mind. He felt overwhelmed as he experienced visions of a life that was not his own.
Jun was left stunned and disoriented, grappling with the deluge of memories that had just been thrust upon him.
Clutching his head tightly, he tried to make sense of the inexplicable memories. It became clear that he had been transmigrated into the body of another person in a different world.
This world was a realm of cultivation, a place he had only ever encountered in the books and tales of his previous life.
These vivid, alien recollections revealed that the body he now inhabited once belonged to a man named Wu Jun.
This Wu Jun had been a registered disciple of the illustrious Overlord Spear Sect, one of the most prosperous sects in the immortal world.
Although he possessed meager talent, he had secured his place in the sect through his father's connections.
Over a span of 55 years, he had devoted himself to cultivation, with the lofty goal of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm.
Sadly, Wu Jun's attempt to reach the Nascent Soul Realm from the Golden Core Realm failed miserably, and he ended up in the second stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.
As a result, the Overlord Spear Sect expelled him because, in the immortal world, if you can't reach the Nascent Soul Realm, you're sent to the mortal world.
"I remember Golden Moon Island..." Wu Jun mumbled, trying to stand up with the help of the sly-faced young man. However, he felt dizzy again, and his vision faded slowly.
"Brother Jun! Someone needs to borrow immortal crystals from you," the sly-faced young man shouted near Jun's ear.
"Where?" Jun woke up in a hurry and looked around. They were in a motionless carriage, with no one else inside except for the sly-faced young man.
Realizing he had been tricked, Jun gave the sly-faced young man a narrow-eyed glare.
"Brother Jun, don't give me that look. I had no choice; you wouldn't wake up," the sly-faced young man grinned mischievously, as if he was teasing Jun.
"Sure," Jun mumbled as he held his head, trying to recall the identity of the sly-faced young man from the memories he had received.
Slowly, he remembered that this sly-faced young man, named Shu Meng, was like a sworn brother to Jun.
They had entered the immortal sect together as registered disciples and were known for their lack of talent.
With their low chances of reaching the Nascent Soul Realm due to their mediocre spiritual roots, they had resorted to running a loan business in the sect, lending immortal crystals to their fellow disciples.
They had tricked many disciples from ordinary backgrounds and used them to gain more resources.
Jun, with even poorer spiritual roots than Shu Meng, had no option but to resort to these activities, along with receiving resources from his clan.
Jun might have been an untalented member of his clan, but he had an advantage – he was the son of the Patriarch's favorite concubine, which made it easier for him to obtain resources.
Both Jun and Shu Meng had attempted to reach the Nascent Soul Realm together, but they ultimately failed.
No matter how many resources they had gathered, Jun and Shu Meng had little to no chances of entering the Nascent Soul Ream.
"Brother Jun, what's bothering you so much?" Shu Meng observed Jun's unusual behavior with a worried look. They had gone through thick and thin, only to end up in a lower realm with their dreams shattered. Shu Meng feared that Jun might lose hope and make wrong decisions.
"It's nothing, Meng. I was just thinking about what I should do from now on," Jun replied, looking down, still unsure if he should believe what he was experiencing.
"What's there to think about? You might as well give up on cultivation and lead a regular mortal life," Shu Meng's words were blunt but carried a kernel of truth.
With Jun having Mortal grade medium-level spiritual roots, it seemed nearly impossible for him to regain his previous cultivation level in this life, especially after suffering from qi deviation.
"Hmm, I'll consider it," Jun said with a bitter smile. He couldn't quite grasp the idea that he had been transmigrated to another world just to live like an ordinary mortal while watching others succeed in their cultivation.
"Suit yourself," Shu Meng said, opening the carriage door and stepping outside.
Outside, a plump middle-aged man in ostentatious attire awaited them, his excitement evident as he regarded Jun and Shu Meng as if they were here to solve all his problems.
"Welcome, esteemed banished immortals. I, Cheng Yi, wholeheartedly welcome you on behalf of the City Lord," Cheng Yi said, bowing politely while cupping his hands in greeting to Jun and Shu Meng.
Even though Jun and Shu Meng had been expelled from the immortal world, they were still former disciples of an immortal sect, so Cheng Yi had to show them courtesy.
"Thank you for receiving us, Manager Cheng Yi. I'm Shu Meng, and this person in the carriage is Jun. I hope you're aware of the purpose of our visit," Shu Meng said, also bowing politely to Manager Cheng.
"Don't worry about that, Brother Shu Meng. I've already prepared the place you requested," Cheng Yi assured them.
Upon hearing Cheng Yi's response, Shu Meng's eyes brightened, and he expressed his gratitude. "Brother Jun, come out."
Jun stepped out of the carriage and greeted Manager Cheng Yi with a polite nod.
He had been a bit confused at first, but he soon realized the situation when he saw the emblem that Manager Cheng Yi was wearing.
It signified Manager Cheng Yi's role as an official directly under the City Lord of Golden Moon City.
From Shu Meng and Manager Cheng's conversation, Jun figured out that Shu Meng had arranged a house for him.
"Please follow me. The house is not far from here," Manager Cheng said, leading them to a simple two-story shop house.
In front of the house, there was a tranquil lake, and the back was surrounded by large oak trees.
They entered the shop house, giving it a thorough look. The ground floor was for business, while the upper floor was for living.
"So, what do you think?" Manager Cheng asked, a mischievous smile on his face.
"It's good enough. What about the rent, though?" Jun was satisfied with the place, and it seemed Shu Meng had anticipated that Jun wanted to start a business since he couldn't cultivate anymore.
"It will be 4 spirit stones per year," Manager Cheng replied with a sense of relief that someone was finally willing to rent the place.
"Alright, I'll take it." Jun produced four spirit stones from his storage ring and handed them to Manager Cheng.
In this mortal world, spirit stones served as the currency, quite different from the immortal world, which used immortal crystals.
"It's a relief you don't have those lofty dreams of reaching the top again, Brother Jun. People like us shouldn't chase the impossible," Shu Meng said with a heavy heart.
Jun remained silent, gazing at Shu Meng with a blank expression.
"Setting that aside, what are your plans now?" Jun inquired.
"What else? I'll become a temporary instructor at the Azure Dragon Academy until I reach the Foundation Establishment Realm," Shu Meng responded.
Despite his past qi deviation, he still remained in the peak stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, which meant he had a chance to reach the Golden Core Realm in this lifetime.
"I wish you all the success," Jun said with a hopeful smile. After a brief conversation, Manager Cheng and Shu Meng bid their farewells, leaving Jun standing by the lakeside, gazing at his reflection in the water.
Jun's hair had begun to turn white, and wrinkles etched across his face, signaling that he had used up most of his lifespan and wouldn't live past 100.
His hands trembled, and he took deep breaths, feeling uncertain about his emotions.
Should he be thrilled that he had transmigrated or should he be disheartened that he couldn't cultivate in this world?
In this moment of peril, a voice resonated in his mind.
Ding!
[A suitable host for the 'Trading System' has been found.]
A mysterious hologram screen appeared before Jun, providing a solution to his current dilemma.
A broad smile spread across his face as he gazed at the screen with excitement.