Chapter 1: Little Lingxu Peak
Xuandan Sect, Vermilion Bird Peak.
"Junior Brother Han Yi, the sect rules are clear. There are only ten days left until the deadline for your courtyard at Little Lingxu Peak. I think you should start making arrangements. After these ten days, if you still haven't completed your sect mission and reached the required points, you'll have to leave the mountain."
"Furthermore, I would like to remind you that points cannot be transferred privately. You must complete the sect missions. Moreover, you cannot fake any tasks. If you are discovered, the least severe punishment is the abolition of your spiritual root and expulsion from the sect, but the most severe punishment might cost you your life."
"Sigh, I can give you a tip. I heard that at Little Raging Fire Peak, Elder Luo Qi needs a group of alchemists to test pills. Just today, they published the mission, offering generous rewards that should be sufficient for you to complete your task."
"However, this task is extremely dangerous, and as an alchemist, I am sure you are well aware of the risks involved. You should think it over carefully. As far as my authority goes, this is the most suitable solution I could find for you right now."
"Well, you can go now."
...
After leaving the Great Hall, Han Yi seemed dazed. As a cold wind blew, he shuddered and immediately came back to his senses.
First, he looked back at the busy sect administration hall that was crowded with people coming and going, spanning a vast area.
Then, he looked ahead and shuddered again, his eyes widening.
In front of him was a vast sea of clouds where spiritual cranes frolicked. Occasionally, cultivators would fly by with their swords, radiating the aura of immortals.
Han Yi pinched his thigh hard, feeling a sour pain that made him grit his teeth.
"This is not a dream."
"I actually crossed over, and the memories in my mind were not my fictional novel's outline, but the reality?"
"Hiss!"
Before Han Yi had time to think, a voice sounded behind him.
"Han Yi, that was quick. What did Senior Brother Guan say?"
Han Yi turned around and saw a young man in a gray robe similar to his own standing behind him. The young man had dark skin, and his teeth seemed to shine white.
A name floated into Han Yi's mind: Zheng Hai.
"Why are you just standing there? Say something. We need some accurate information. Senior Brother Guan used to take good care of us, so he might be willing to help."
The dark-skinned young man, Zheng Hai, asked anxiously.
Han Yi composed himself. By now, he had mostly digested the memories in his mind and connected them with what had just happened in the administration hall. He immediately understood what was going on.
He shook his head, his face showing a hint of helplessness.
"Senior Brother Guan said that this is a sect rule, and nobody can bend it."
"But he did point me towards a method."
"What method?" Zheng Hai's eyes lit up, and his face showed excitement: "I knew it. Senior Brother Guan must have a way."
"At Little Raging Fire Peak, Elder Luo Qi needs a group of sect disciples to test pills with their bodies. The rewards are generous, and I should be able to meet my requirements."
Zheng Hai hesitated for a moment, and then his face changed.
"No way, absolutely not."
"Testing pills with your body is too dangerous. I've heard that only two out of ten people can come out unscathed, and the rest would suffer a terrible fate."
Han Yi furrowed his brows, then relaxed.
He took a deep breath and said slowly, "Nevermind, I'll think of another way."
...
The Xuandan Sect is located in the Xuandan Mountain Range and is a sect within the Shu State territory of the Daqian Immortal Country.
The sect covers a vast area. In addition to the main peak, Xuandan Peak, there are nine Inner Peaks. The Vermilion Bird Peak, which Han Yi visited earlier, is one of these nine peaks. Additionally, there are over a hundred Outer Peaks.
Little Lingxu Peak is one of the many Outer Peaks.
As Han Yi entered his courtyard at Little Lingxu Peak, he felt a sense of peace and let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.
This was the most familiar place in his memory, and this sense of relaxation belonged to his current body.
He sat down in a quiet chamber where he usually practiced and began to sort out his thoughts.
It was undeniable that he had crossed over.
However, there were many mysteries and unresolved issues in this process.
He only remembered falling asleep deeply and then waking up in the administration hall of Vermilion Bird Peak in Xuandan Sect.
Luckily, his memory fusion had put him in a dazed state, which had slowed down his reaction.
Causing a scene would have been the least of his concerns, but attracting unwanted attention could have led to disaster. In the Cultivation World, making someone reveal the truth was quite easy, not to mention the existence of soul-searching methods.
The reason he went to Vermilion Bird Peak today was because his courtyard's lease was about to expire. To be more accurate, his residency rights within the sect were to be revoked in ten days due to insufficient points.
It was said that Xuandan Sect had 100,000 outer disciples and over 1,000 inner disciples.
Inner and outer disciples were mainly distinguished by their cultivation realm.
Low and middle-stage Qi cultivators were considered outer disciples, while those in the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation (above the seventh level) were considered inner disciples. Only inner disciples could reside in the nine Inner Peaks and enjoy the benefits of the Inner Peak's spiritual veins.
As for outer disciples, they reside in the outer peaks, where the spiritual veins are first and second-stage, far inferior to the third and fourth-stage spiritual veins of the inner peaks.
Furthermore, according to the sect's regulations, outer disciples must complete one hundred sect tasks and accumulate points each year to maintain their residence rights.
Of course, these one hundred points do not belong to the sect.
They still belong to the outer disciples and can be used to purchase treasures, pills, and so on within the sect.
The purpose of setting up these one hundred points is to ensure that outer disciples participate in sect affairs rather than occupying resources without contributing.
After all, the first and second-stage spiritual veins are still spiritual veins; they can support low-level cultivation families in other parts of Shu State.
Han Yi, on the other hand, was looking for his familiar senior brother Guan Di because his accumulated points had yet to be reached before the deadline approached, and he was looking for any possible leniency.
However, for some reason, the original soul in the Great Hall had dissipated, and he had transmigrated into this body.
As for the other young man outside the Great Hall, Zheng Hai, he was considered a good friend. According to Han Yi's memories, the two had joined the Xuandan Sect together, and their relationship had always been good.
But unlike Han Yi's predicament, Zheng Hai had no such worries. His alchemy skills were far better than Han Yi's, so he easily met the sect's minimum point requirements.
However, since points couldn't be transferred, even if Zheng Hai had extra points, it would be of no avail to Han Yi.
"My current identity is: Daqian Immortal Country, Shu State, Xuandan Sect, Little Lingxu Peak, outer disciple.
The current predicament is: Insufficient points, facing the possibility of losing residence.
According to the memories, as per the sect's rules, if one fails to meet the minimum point requirement, there are two options after the residence is reclaimed.
The first option is to retain the status of an outer disciple and be assigned to work in the sect's industries outside the mountain. For the next ten years, one can apply for assessments every year. The difficulty of these assessments will be higher than the tasks that require one hundred points. If one still fails the assessment after ten years, their status as an outer disciple is automatically lost, and they no longer have any connection to the sect.
The second option is to voluntarily relinquish the identity of an outer disciple, leave the mountain, and arrange for one's livelihood.
In his memories, most senior brothers who couldn't accumulate enough points would choose the first option reluctantly. However, after three to five years, they would realize their own limitations and apply to change to the second option.
For them, as well as for myself, returning to the sect after passing the assessment is too difficult.
Difficult, difficult, difficult.
Therefore, I must try my best to stay on the mountain.
At present, my only means is alchemy.
And I am just a fledgling alchemist. Even if I give it my all, it's difficult to complete the one-hundred-point task in ten days.
Do I really have to test pills with my body?
No, I'm not that stupid. The risk is too high, and I don't want to become disabled as soon as I transmigrate.
Even if my residence is reclaimed, there will still be opportunities.
As long as I am alive, there will always be opportunities."
Han Yi sorted out his situation and predicament internally.
In his previous life as an engineer, what he was best at was identifying problems and finding the best solution.
"There are always more solutions than problems."
"Nevermind, let's sleep on it and figure it out tomorrow."
When he couldn't find a solution, he would clear his thoughts, shift his focus, and then look back at the problem from a different angle to find new ideas.
This was his thinking habit from his previous life.
Located beneath Little Lingxu Peak is a second-stage spirit vein with a high concentration of spiritual energy. The courtyard, built on the peak, benefits from the spirit vein's nourishment, making it perpetually spring-like, and Han Yi feels comfortable all over.
He got up and turned to go to the bedroom, but hesitated, frowning. Reaching forward, he groped at the void in front of him, but came up empty-handed.
"What is this...?"
In his field of vision, a fiery red line slowly moved from left to right.
However, when he touched the space in front of him, there was nothing there.
In less than three breaths, the fiery red line reached the far right, flashed three times, then disappeared without a trace.
Just as Han Yi thought it was an illusion.
Whoosh!
A semi-transparent panel appeared before Han Yi's eyes.
[Name: Han Yi]
[Lifespan: 21/87]
[Realm: Late Stage of Qi Cultivation (14/100)]
[Technique: Fire Profound Skill (Beginner 23/100)]
[Skills:
Alchemy Skill (Beginner 82/100)
Spirit Void Finger (Beginner 29/100)]