At first, after transcending and realizing that he carried a system, Shen Yuan was ecstatic.
In his previous life, he had no ties and no regrets after he transcended. However, the world he now inhabited seemed peaceful on the surface, but its history was turbulent, filled with numerous myths and legends.
If he could embark on the path of cultivation in this lifetime and potentially achieve immortality, wouldn't that be more interesting than his previous mundane life?
What's more, Shen Yuan now had a system as an aid – a staple of a protagonist. Although Shen Yuan did not consider himself a man of destiny, he had the confidence to establish his place in this world, thanks to the help from the system.
However, before he could get through the newbie tutorial phase, a shocking event took place right before his eyes.
Following the newbie tutorial, he joined a hidden sect, only to discover that the sect had been extinct for ten thousand years. What should have been manageable newbie guidance had turned into a disastrous start.
Of course, if it were merely a matter of not being able to join the sect, Shen Yuan would let it slide. After all, his greatest reliance was the Immortality Ascension system. Even without a sect acting as a pillar of support, everything would still be manageable as long as he had the system.
However, the key issue was…
Newbie Guidance: Head to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range with the Immortality Ascension Token to join the Falling Clouds Sect and you'll obtain the "Purple Clouds Elemental Qi Refinement Method".
The newbie tutorial still showed as incomplete in red on the system interface.
"What on earth is wrong with your newbie guidance, system? The sect had been extinct for ten thousand years. Where am I supposed to complete the tutorial?"
The system interface was a blur, seeming to be stuck somehow. After quite a while, a string of text popped up.
System: the host can access the Falling Clouds Sect with the Immortality Ascencesion Token and complete the newbie tutorial mission.
Shen Yuan's eyelid twitched uncontrollably, a sense of powerlessness rising within him.
He had been in contact with the Immortality Ascension system for half a year now, and during this time, he realised that the system didn't have any intelligence to speak of; it provided answers purely based on pre-set logic.
In comparison, Xiaoaibuddy could be considered a genius.
Now, the benefits from the hidden sect were gone, but as long as he has the "Purple Clouds Elemental Qi Refinement Method", Shen Yuan can still cultivate on his own - at most, his cultivation progress would be slower.
Having formed his words, Shen Yuan tried another way of asking.
"If I fail to complete the newbie tutorial mission, where else can I acquire subsequent cultivation techniques?"
System: The host should first complete the main and side missions.
Shen Yuan's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "How can I complete main and side missions?"
System: Please complete the newbie tutorial and join the sect, then you will be able to start the main and side missions.
"I knew I shouldn't have been hopeful about this artificially unintelligent system."
Shen Yuan's face darkened, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself bitterly.
With the newbie guide being stuck in such an unexpected way, Shen Yuan could only pin his hopes on the Falling Clouds Sect's grotto heaven, sacred ground that lay before him.
Having produced the Almighty Earth Immortal who had lead the sect to ascend, the Falling Clouds Sect must have had some foundations. Perhaps, if he looked carefully within, he could find techniques for Refining Essence to Qi Transformation.
At that point, he wouldn't have to rely on the artificially unintelligent system; Shen Yuan would be able to continue his cultivation on his own.
With this in mind, Shen Yuan carried his backpack and boldly stepped past the barrier of the grotto heaven.
Although he was stepping on solid ground, the spatial change when crossing the barrier of the grotto heaven made Shen Yuan feel a wave of dizziness, as if the world was spinning upside down. If Shen Yuan hadn't been many times stronger than an ordinary person by setting foot on the path of cultivation, he certainly wouldn't have been able to keep his footing.
It was only after he had stood still and adjusted slightly, that Shen Yuan truly started to examine this grotto heaven.
The grotto heaven was a realm in itself, but there was no sun. The fragmented sky above was lit by a white light illuminating the grotto heaven.
The key part of the grotto heaven on the ground was a majestic mountain peak. This enormous peak, which reached straight into the clouds, seemed to be broken off by a supreme force and formed a huge abyss on the ground.
Shen Yuan navigated through the ruins of pavilions and terraces, surrounded by a decayed atmosphere. Yet, all he saw were empty, desolate scenes with not a single corpse or piece of clothing in sight.
Upon pushing open a wooden door, he found a broken loft desk with a wine pot and a dust-covered jade cup. The grotto heavens had preserved their original form over these ten thousand years, allowing Shen Yuan to witness the scene just before the disaster struck -- someone was still at the table, toasting and drinking heartily.
Yet, as calamity descended, it was as if all inhabitants were erased by an invisible hand.
Sensing an inexplicable chill, Shen Yuan dared not touch the gold and silver objects recklessly, instead, he quickened his pace to search for useful books.
However, as he delved deeper, a bigger puzzle confronted Shen Yuan.
Within the entire grotto heavens, all books related to cultivation had their words erased, leaving behind only blank volumes.
Whether it was golden paper, silver inscriptions, stone stele carvings, or the legendary jade strips imbued with divine sense, all had been completely erased.
Shen Yuan spent a whole day searching throughout the grotto heavens, only to find a few diary-like books and a golden scroll enshrined in a grand hall.
Due to his fear of the barren grotto heavens, Shen Yuan didn't linger after completing his search but instead, left the grotto heavens and temporarily set up camp outside.
Sitting by the campfire, he attracted night insects and small animals with its light, and occasionally, wild cats and squirrels would perch on nearby trees, curiously observing Shen Yuan.
Flipping through the diaries, Shen Yuan felt relief for having intensely studied the ancient script of the world during the past few months since contact with the Artificial Intelligence System enabled him to barely understand the content of these diaries.
The diaries were mostly written by disciples of the Falling Clouds Sect, particularly those at the very bottom of the hierarchy.
The content primarily included achievements of fellow disciples, their infatuations, and their unfortunate defeats in sect competitions.
The only useful information might be some hints concerning minor spells, yet there was still no substantial cultivation content.
With his last glimmer of hope, Shen Yuan unfurled the exquisite golden scroll.
However, upon seeing its content, Shen Yuan's hope turned into disappointment. The scroll held no cultivation techniques, just a series of names.
With the knowledge he had gathered recently, he managed a half-guess, half-understanding read of the first few characters at the top of the scroll.
"Sect Masters Directory?"
Shen Yuan's gaze moved to the end, only to discover that the area which should have contained names was blank, exactly like the erased cultivation content.
Shen Yuan heaved a long sigh, his face filled with disappointment.
Unable to find any cultivation content in the ruins of the Falling Clouds Sect, his journey to the Cloud Mist Mountain Range could only be deemed a complete failure.
"It seems I will have to return and see if I can find the following techniques elsewhere. The Artificial Intelligence System can't be relied upon."
With these thoughts, Shen Yuan was about to throw the diaries and scroll into the fire, but decided against it after some consideration.
The artifacts left behind by the Falling Clouds Sect from ten thousand years ago were antiquities in their own right. Such things were best kept hidden due to their uncertain origins. However, they were also worthy of being collected.
He glanced at the blank spot at the end of the Golden Scroll and, on a sudden whim, picked up a piece of charcoal from the campfire and used it to write his name.
"Even though the Falling Clouds Sect has been wiped out, surely there's no harm in leaving my name to fulfill my fantasy of being a Sect Master?"
The partly burnt charcoal broke apart during the writing, leaving crooked characters that marred the elegant ancient charm of the Golden Scroll.
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang in Shen Yuan's ears.
System: After enduring trials and tribulations, the host has been listed in the "Sect Masters Directory", with no opposition from the ancestors, elders or elders of True Teachings in the sect.
System: Congratulations to the host for becoming the current Sect Master of the Falling Clouds Sect, completing the hidden achievement: Sect Master. Reward: Earthly Destroyer Divine Power - Pot's Heaven!
System: The host has successfully joined the Falling Clouds Sect as Sect Master, completing the beginner's guide. Reward: "Purple Clouds Elemental Qi Refinement Method".