That was the dilemma as Xiao Chen stared at the dark, mysterious-looking "immortal pill" in his hand, feeling conflicted. He had gotten it as a free gift when he bought a "Complete Guide to Cultivation" from a Taobao shop.
The seller seemed a bit odd—after spending 250 yuan on the guide, Xiao Chen didn't expect to receive a pill allegedly capable of instant ascension to immortality.
Xiao Chen had always been fascinated by cultivation techniques and mythical legends, so he bought it without a second thought.
For three years, Xiao Chen followed the cultivation methods in the guide rigorously but saw no improvement whatsoever. While he'd memorized alchemy, talisman crafting, formation setting, and artifact forging, actual progress eluded him.
Yet he didn't give up and finally set his sights on the mysterious pill.
Once, he'd even tried to smash it with a hammer, but the pill seemed to be protected by an invisible barrier, repelling any force. No matter how much strength he used, the hammer couldn't touch it.
Was it possible that this pill held the legendary opportunity he'd longed for? He hesitated. What if it really worked? Great. But what if it turned him into something monstrous, neither human nor immortal?
That fear had kept him from swallowing it.
But enough was enough.
With a determined heart, Xiao Chen finally decided to take the plunge. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," he thought, swallowing the pill in one decisive gulp. It felt heavy as it settled in his dantian, radiating a warm, intense heat that quickly spread through his body, as though all his energy was pooling in his soul.
Soon, his mouth was parched, his head swam, and his consciousness blurred. His soul felt as if it was detaching from his body. Slowly, his mind slipped into darkness.
**Chapter 1: Tianwu Continent, The Wastrel Xiao Chen**
In the Tianwu Continent, Qin Kingdom, Qizi County, Mohe City, resided the Xiao family estate.
Xiao Chen sat atop a building in the Xiao family's rear courtyard. The sky was clear, with blue skies and white clouds under a bright sun, but Xiao Chen's mood was anything but sunny.
"If I ever get a chance to go back, I'll never buy anything from Taobao again. And if I do get back, the first thing I'll do is take down that scam artist who sold me fake 'elixirs of immortality!'"
After swallowing the supposed elixir, Xiao Chen did indeed "ascend"—just not to the Immortal Realm. Instead, he found himself in a world called the Tianwu Continent. It took him a while to understand he'd transmigrated and was now inhabiting the body of someone also named Xiao Chen. If it were a typical transmigration, he might have accepted it.
After all, aren't most transmigrators all-powerful, sweeping down countless foes with a wave of their hand, capturing the hearts of countless beauties with just one glance?
But in this world, strength was paramount, and the Xiao Chen he had taken over was a complete failure in cultivation. At sixteen, he still hadn't managed to condense a martial soul.
The Xiao family was Mohe City's most prominent clan, and Xiao Chen was the son of the family's patriarch. It sounded prestigious, but his lack of cultivation talent made him the family disgrace, a joke even among the servants. The name "Xiao Chen, the Wastrel" was known throughout Mohe City, and people sneered at him wherever he went.
"Master Xiao, the First Elder has requested your presence in the training hall for a strength test. I've delivered the message, so whether you go or not is up to you."
A voice interrupted Xiao Chen's thoughts. The speaker was a maid from the Xiao family. Without even glancing up at him, she delivered the message and walked off.
Even family servants here had cultivation potential. This maid, despite her low aptitude, had condensed her martial soul at twelve, which was still better than Xiao Chen, who at sixteen hadn't even begun. Add to that his reputation as a spoiled brat who flirted with the maids at every opportunity, and it was no wonder no one respected him.
"A maid even has the guts to look down on me. What kind of person must this Xiao Chen have been?"
The words soured his mood further. Brushing the dust off himself, Xiao Chen jumped down from the roof.
It wasn't so much the maid's attitude that bothered him, but what she'd reminded him of: the Xiao family's quarterly strength tests.
From his body's memories, Xiao Chen knew that every young member of the Xiao family was required to undergo this test every three months. The tests measured their current level in cultivation, rewarding those who advanced and punishing those who stagnated. For most, test days were occasions to look forward to, especially for the more gifted ones who hoped to stand out and gain prestige.
For Xiao Chen, however, this day was torment. Since he'd turned eight, his cultivation had stalled at the ninth level of Soul Refining, and he hadn't taken a single step forward to condense his martial soul and become a true martial artist.
For eight years, every quarterly test had been a nightmare. While he stayed stuck at Soul Refining ninth level, his peers, many his age, had already condensed their martial souls, and the more talented had even reached the peak of Martial Practitioner, ready to advance to the Martial Master level.
When Xiao Chen arrived at the training hall, he found it packed with over eight hundred young Xiao family members, all under twenty, and with the lowest cultivation level at Martial Practitioner. The Xiao family's power as the top clan in Mohe City was undeniable.
Xiao Chen slipped into a corner, hoping to keep a low profile and avoid attention.
Standing by the Spirit Testing Stone was an elderly man, the Xiao family's First Elder, Xiao Qiang. With strength at the peak of Grand Martial Master, Xiao Qiang was second only to the family patriarch, Xiao Xiong, and one of the most powerful in Mohe City.
In front of the stone was a young man, around eighteen or nineteen, who was about to begin his test. Catching sight of Xiao Chen in the corner, he smirked slightly, a trace of mockery in his expression.
"Well, it looks like my little brother Xiao Chen has already arrived. Why stay so far back? Now that you're here, why don't you go first for the test?" he said, his tone laced with mockery.
Xiao Chen forced a wry smile. Sometimes, the more you tried to avoid trouble, the more it came your way. He'd already chosen the furthest corner, yet Xiao Jian had still noticed him. Xiao Jian, his older half-brother, never missed a chance to make fun of him during these tests.
Xiao Chen had started cultivating at four. In less than a year, he sensed the flow of energy around him, and by five, he had reached the first level of Soul Refining. By eight, he was at the ninth level, almost ready to condense a martial soul. At the time, his talent was considered one-in-a-hundred-year genius-level within the Xiao family.
Back then, Xiao Jian had struggled at the fifth level of Soul Refining. All eyes were on Xiao Chen, who drew endless praise from family elders, while Xiao Jian stood forgotten, like a puppet left in the background.
From then on, Xiao Jian resented Xiao Chen. They were both sons of Xiao Xiong, so why should he be ignored while Xiao Chen basked in admiration?
Xiao Chen's luck turned after he reached the ninth level, and despite his efforts, his cultivation stagnated. Eventually, he gave up and became known as a spoiled playboy and scoundrel.
Meanwhile, Xiao Jian continued advancing. By nine, he had condensed his martial soul, and now, at eighteen, he was a peak Martial Practitioner, just a step away from Martial Master and poised to become Mohe City's youngest Martial Master.
The surrounding Xiao family members watched with smirks, waiting for the show. Every test, Xiao Jian would find new ways to humiliate Xiao Chen, and the onlookers had grown used to it. Watching this once-promising talent reduced to a laughingstock gave them a strange sense of satisfaction.