The system waddled along behind Shi Zhaorong as he left his cave residence.
Although it knew the world of cultivation in the novel like the back of its hand, it was still deeply shaken when it witnessed the written descriptions on the screen come alive before its very eyes.
Looking across the entire human world of the Great Wilderness, the highest ranking powers were undoubtedly the sacred grounds belonging to the Five Saints. Below them stood the Seven First Class Immortal Sects, followed by the various second and third class sects.
The Xuanzhen Sect was one of those Seven Upper Sects. It was situated along the third spiritual vein of the Yunxiu Mountain Range, which was also the thickest and most powerful of the mountain range’s spiritual veins. All the sect’s buildings had been constructed above a sea of clouds, earning the place its beautiful reputation as an “Immortal Island Above the Clouds.”
At the main peak, the majestic principal hall was enveloped in a sea of clouds and multicolored rosy light. Its vast structure appeared and disappeared among the shifting mist, making it impossible to glimpse its entire form and inspiring a profound sense of reverence.
Two luan birds, one blue and one scarlet, frequently soared and danced around the principal hall. They were the spiritual pets of the Xuanzhen Sect’s sect master and also served as the divine guardian beasts protecting the sect.
The surrounding peaks, slightly lower than the main peak, were where the disciples lived and cultivated. Pavilion towers and waterside terraces could be glimpsed through the mist, surrounded by blooming flowers, lush clusters of plants, flying waterfalls, and flowing springs. Every peak possessed its own distinctive scenery, and no two were quite alike.
From time to time, cultivators returned from the outside world while riding their magical artifacts. They landed on Tingyun Platform, the designated landing area around the sect, before proceeding on foot to their destinations.
After all, the laws of the Xuanzhen Sect explicitly prohibited disciples from flying through the air without permission within the sect’s territory.
As Shi Zhaorong walked along the corridor, he had barely taken a few steps before his senior brothers and sisters began appearing from every corner, one after another, all gathering around him.
“Junior Brother Zhaorong! Where are you going?”
“Junior Brother Zhaorong, are you going to attend Peak Master Li’s lecture on the Dao seven days from now?”
“Junior Brother Zhaorong, there’s a trial to exterminate demonic creatures in a month. Are you going to participate?”
“Junior Brother Zhaorong…”
“Junior Brother Zhaorong…”
“Junior Brother Zhaorong, I’ve forged a new magical artifact! Would you like to take a look?”
“Junior Brother Zhaorong, I’ve made a new dress! Why don’t you try it on, too?”
Something strange seemed to have slipped into that conversation.
Shi Zhaorong was soon completely surrounded by people. With so many voices talking over one another, he could barely make out who was saying what.
“Please forgive me, Senior Brothers and Sisters. I still need to visit my master. We can discuss anything else later.”
“You’re going to see Peak Master Du? Ah, I’ve just remembered that I haven’t extinguished the fire in my forging furnace. I should head back first.”
“I still have sweet potatoes roasting in my alchemy furnace! I’d better go back, too.”
“Sweet potatoes? Wait for me! I’m coming as well!”
In the blink of an eye, everyone who had gathered around him had dispersed.
It wasn’t that Junior Brother Zhaorong lacked charm. The problem was simply that his master’s reputation was far too intimidating.
The sect master of the Xuanzhen Sect was afraid that an excessively indulgent uncle would spoil his nephew rotten. Therefore, rather than personally taking Shi Zhaorong as his disciple, he had carefully selected Du Wujin, a Great Ascension Realm master renowned as the strongest cultivator below the Golden Immortal realm, to become the young master’s teacher.
“Great Ascension” referred to Du Wujin’s cultivation realm, while “master” indicated that he had comprehended the Great Dao of an entire cultivation lineage.
Cultivators of this level stood only one final step away from becoming Golden Immortals. All they needed was for the right opportunity to arrive before they could undergo heavenly tribulation and ascend to immortality.
And what made Du Wujin famous, besides his formidable strength, was his extreme strictness.
He was especially fond of teaching through actual combat. Of all the disciples who attended his lectures on the Dao, every single one of them left with a bruised and battered face, with the sole exception of Shi Zhaorong.
As for why Shi Zhaorong could walk away without a single injury, it certainly wasn’t because he was so powerful that he could rival a master who had accumulated centuries of combat experience through countless battles.
It was simply favoritism.
Shi Zhaorong had come to see Du Wujin to inform him of his departure.
At this point in the story, the male lead had yet to join an immortal sect and was wandering the Great Wilderness alone, gaining experience through his own adventures. If Shi Zhaorong wanted to find him, he would have to venture into the Great Wilderness himself.
As they made their way toward Du Wujin’s cave residence, the system reviewed everything it knew about the original novel.
In the original story, Shi Zhaorong and the male lead, Meng Shu, had first encountered each other at the Sword Trial Assembly.
When a divine artifact appeared in the world, it attracted the attention of several sects, all of which began competing to claim it. The male lead, an uninvited outsider, suddenly intervened in the contest and snatched the artifact away. Shi Zhaorong, who had been assigned to oversee the situation and keep the competing parties in check, stepped forward to stop him, only for the male lead to escape.
That first confrontation had left a deep impression on both of them. Each had been astonished to discover that someone of their own generation could possess such extraordinary abilities.
From then on, the two began clashing with each other, both openly and behind the scenes. Their rivalry continued until Shi Zhaorong was struck by a bento box that came hurtling down from the heavens, cough, cough, until he was killed off by A Big Goose Stewed in a Milk Pot in a secret realm.
There were three main reasons for the conflict between Shi Zhaorong and the male lead, Meng Shu.
The first was the grudge Meng Shu had formed with Shi Zhaorong’s followers. The second was the irreconcilable conflict between the Xuanzhen Sect and the forces operating under the male lead’s command. The third involved a complicated romantic entanglement between Shi Zhaorong, the male lead, and an important female supporting character.
The grudge between the male lead and Shi Zhaorong’s followers would indirectly lead to Shi Zhaorong’s downfall, causing his mother to swear eternal enmity against Meng Shu and pursue him relentlessly.
Meanwhile, the conflict between the Xuanzhen Sect and the male lead’s forces would eventually lead to the decline of the Xuanzhen Sect itself.
As for the entanglement between Shi Zhaorong, the male lead, and that female supporting character, A Big Goose Stewed in a Milk Pot had been so engrossed in writing exhilarating battles and cultivation breakthroughs that he had completely forgotten about the love triangle. Even when Shi Zhaorong died, the matter had never been explored in any detail.
However, the foreshadowing had already been laid. It might become a hidden danger in the future, and it was not something that could simply be ignored.
The defensive formation surrounding Yunque Peak had not been activated, so Shi Zhaorong walked straight into the courtyard.
Du Wujin had just finished practicing his swordsmanship. Wearing his training clothes, he sat cross legged beneath a pine tree, quietly contemplating the essence of the sword.
His exact age was unknown. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be somewhere in his late twenties, perhaps approaching thirty. His features were handsome, dignified, and strikingly well defined.
“Master, I’m leaving the sect for a while,” Shi Zhaorong announced without any preamble.
Du Wujin, who had been meditating, opened his eyes. He asked only two words.
“Who’s going?”
Shi Zhaorong answered, “Me.”
Du Wujin remained silent, his face cold and expressionless. The murderous aura he had cultivated and refined over several centuries settled deep within his gaze, making him rather intimidating to behold.
Shi Zhaorong supplied another name. “Chenbi.”
This was the maidservant dressed in green, his most capable and trusted housekeeper.
“Yinruo.”
She was Shi Zhaorong’s personal guard, the most basic guarantee of his safety.
Du Wujin still said nothing.
Shi Zhaorong knew perfectly well that if he directly announced that he intended to leave the sect alone, without anyone supervising him, his departure would never go smoothly. That was why he hadn’t revealed all his traveling companions at once. He had hoped that by gradually adding one person after another, he could eventually persuade Du Wujin to accept the arrangement.
Unfortunately, the tactic didn’t seem to be working.
Only one final bargaining chip remained.
“And this goose.”
What goose?
Following the direction in which his disciple pointed, Du Wujin blurted out without thinking, “Where did you find such an ugly goose?”
“Actually, it’s rather cute once you get used to looking at it.” Shi Zhaorong gently stroked the system’s dejected goose head. “It’s my new pet. Its name is System, and it’s quite intelligent. According to its own introduction, it’s extremely delicious.”
Its own introduction said it was delicious?
Du Wujin couldn’t understand what his disciple was talking about.
The system panicked. [You didn’t need to mention that last part!]
Besides, System was its identity, not its name. But after thinking about it for a moment, it decided to abandon the explanation. Being called System wasn’t too bad, either. It couldn’t allow Shi Zhaorong to come up with names entirely at his own discretion.
Shi Zhaorong didn’t forget to introduce Du Wujin to the goose, either. “This is my master. He’s a little old, but he’s very powerful.”
Du Wujin was speechless. “There’s no need to introduce me to a goose.” He waved his hand dismissively. “As for leaving the sect, that’s out of the question. You can take two people with you at most, “
Shi Zhaorong emphasized, “And one goose.”
His disciple’s interruption took half the force out of Du Wujin’s originally decisive refusal.
“In any case, your uncle and your mother will tear me apart if I let you go.”
Shi Zhaorong didn’t think that was a problem at all. “I’ll explain everything to my uncle.”
As for his mother, she was far away, beyond the reach of the heavens and the emperor. There was nothing to worry about.
Seeing that his disciple had completely ignored everything he had said, Du Wujin felt his temper rising.
“Did you come here just to inform me of your decision?”
“Yes.” Shi Zhaorong nodded earnestly. “Master, you’re so poor that there’s no need for you to give me any pocket money.”
So poor?
The dignified master of the Great Ascension Realm had just suffered a devastating blow from his own disciple.
Du Wujin desperately wanted to clarify that he was a figure who stood only one step away from becoming a Golden Immortal. The resources at his disposal were beyond the imagination of ninety nine percent of all cultivators in the world.
But the truth was that, compared with Shi Zhaorong, he really was poor.
[Is your master all right?] the system quietly asked as they made their way away from the cave residence. It had the feeling that Du Wujin seemed rather upset.
Shi Zhaorong spread both hands helplessly. “Sigh. There’s really nothing I can do about it this time. I can’t take him with me.”
The system didn’t think that was what Du Wujin had meant at all.
After leaving Yunque Peak, the human and the goose arrived at Yunlai Peak, where the sect master resided. The surroundings were quiet and unadorned, with a bamboo residence concealed deep within the shadows of towering trees.
Du Wujin was a cultivator approaching the Golden Immortal realm, whereas the sect master of the Xuanzhen Sect was a genuine Golden Immortal whose strength ranked among the very best of all Golden Immortals in the present age.
Yet even in front of such a supreme figure of the Great Wilderness, Shi Zhaorong opened his mouth and announced, “Uncle, I’m leaving the sect for a while.”
“No.”
Ji Rujun had already received the news. Without even asking for an explanation, he immediately rejected the request.
He sat casually behind a bamboo curtain, dressed in a simple Daoist robe. At first glance, he looked no different from an ordinary young man.
This was the realm of returning to simplicity and naturalness, where the extraordinary became indistinguishable from the ordinary.
Shi Zhaorong continued speaking as though he hadn’t heard the refusal. “I’m going out for a while.”
Since a hard approach hadn’t worked, Ji Rujun decided to try a softer one. He began playing the victim.
“If I just let you leave like this, your master and your mother will tear me apart. Don’t you feel even a little sorry for your poor uncle, “
Shi Zhaorong had heard this particular speech countless times before. He interrupted his uncle before the man could finish casting his emotional spell.
“I’m leaving shortly.”
All these years before Shi Zhaorong was even born, his uncle had somehow managed to survive without being torn apart by either his mother or his master. Clearly, his uncle’s vitality exceeded their combined attacking power, so there was no need to worry.
Ji Rujun could no longer maintain his composure.
“Did you come here just to inform me of your decision?”
Shi Zhaorong thought about it for a moment. If Ji Rujun insisted on expressing his concern in some tangible way, then,
“You can lend me the Xuantian Instrument.”
This was one of Ji Rujun’s natal magical treasures, and it was a divine artifact.
Since Shi Zhaorong had gone so far as to ask for the Xuantian Instrument, it seemed he had given the matter considerable thought. Ji Rujun finally began taking the situation seriously.
“Think carefully about this. Once you leave, you won’t be able to watch the new performances at Miaoyin Tower.”
Shi Zhaorong remained unmoved. “That’s all right. I’m not particularly interested in watching theatrical performances.”
Most of the time, he only accompanied the people around him because they wanted to watch.
“You won’t be able to read the new chapters of The Legend of the Great Thousand Heroes, either. Your favorite novel is about to be updated.”
Shi Zhaorong replied, “I can save the chapters up and read them all later.”
The moment the system heard the phrase save the chapters up, it shuddered. It only relaxed after realizing that they weren’t talking about its own novel.
Wait. The boss reads serialized novels, too?
That didn’t quite fit the image it had formed of him.
“Then what about the Qiong Yu carriage you’ve already ordered? It will arrive in another three months. Are you going to abandon that, too?”
Shi Zhaorong fell silent.
Ji Rujun assumed he had finally managed to make his nephew hesitate. However, what he heard next was a sigh.
“Uncle, I’m only leaving for a while. I’m not saying that I’m never coming back.”
Once the carriage arrived, it would simply remain at the ferry terminal. It wasn’t going to disappear.
Shi Zhaorong had also seen through his uncle’s calculations.
“Uncle, even if you bring up the next issue of the Thousand Mechanisms Annual of Extraordinary Artifacts, it won’t work.”
Every two years, Thousand Mechanisms City collected the upcoming artifact forging plans of all registered artifact refiners and compiled them into a book called the Thousand Mechanisms Annual of Extraordinary Artifacts.
The book contained the most ingenious ideas and imaginative designs conceived by the finest artifact forging masters throughout the entire cultivation world. Shi Zhaorong never missed an issue, and he always used it as an opportunity to go on a massive shopping spree.
When even the Thousand Mechanisms Annual of Extraordinary Artifacts failed to tempt him, Ji Rujun finally realized that his nephew was absolutely determined to leave this time.
He had run out of ideas.
“Where are you going?”
Shi Zhaorong was stumped by the question.
He genuinely had no idea where he was going yet.
He turned his head and looked at the system.
[Beidang Mountain, in Yanzhou.]
“Beidang Mountain, in Yanzhou,” Shi Zhaorong repeated the system’s answer.
Their exchange of glances drew Ji Rujun’s attention to the inconspicuous grey goose standing beside his nephew.
Shi Zhaorong promptly introduced it. “This is my new pet. Its name is System, and it’s quite intelligent.”
Ji Rujun didn’t respond.
The pet is intelligent, but my nephew doesn’t seem to be.
Shi Zhaorong, for his part, also introduced Ji Rujun to the system.
“This is my uncle. He’s my biological uncle, quite old, and extremely powerful.”
Ji Rujun couldn’t help commenting, “There’s no need to introduce me to a goose.”
After sulking silently for several seconds, he reached into the spatial universe contained within his sleeve and pulled out a large pile of magical treasures. Every single one radiated such brilliant light that not one of them appeared to be below the Immortal Artifact level.
He examined a couple of them, then quickly grew too impatient to continue choosing. With a sweep of his sleeve, he tossed the entire pile to Shi Zhaorong.
Among them was the Xuantian Instrument that Shi Zhaorong had specifically requested.
“I’ll give you three months. Go and return as quickly as possible.”
Shi Zhaorong accepted the magical treasures but didn’t respond.
Ji Rujun urged him impatiently, “Why aren’t you saying anything? At least promise me!”
Shi Zhaorong was unwilling to accept a time limit.
“I’ll come back when I get bored.”
“One year. No longer than that. If you haven’t returned by then, I’ll personally go and drag you back.”
“Uncle.”
Shi Zhaorong called Ji Rujun’s name for no apparent reason.
“What is it now?”
“You’ve never won a single game of hide and seek against me.”
And every time he lost, he stubbornly insisted that he had deliberately gone easy on his nephew to save face.
Shi Zhaorong simply didn’t believe that Ji Rujun would be able to catch him.
Ji Rujun’s face turned an increasingly dark shade of green as he struggled to contain his frustration.
Shi Zhaorong couldn’t bear to see him like that.
His uncle was rather pitiful, too. As his nephew, he supposed he could afford to be a little more considerate.
“Three years at the latest. I promise I’ll be back within three years.”
Ji Rujun detected the faint hint of indulgence in his nephew’s tone. The corner of his mouth twitched.
“Did you come here on your mother’s behalf to torment me? Hurry up and leave before I change my mind!”
The moment his nephew left, Ji Rujun’s expression crumpled. This time, he wasn’t pretending to be pitiful.
Three years.
His elder sister could skin him alive several times over by then.
He needed to come up with a convincing excuse as quickly as possible, something that would fool her when the time came.
However, his elder sister wasn’t the only person who wanted to tear him apart.
Shi Zhaorong had barely been gone for a short while when Du Wujin stormed into Ji Rujun’s bamboo residence. He planted both hands firmly on the table and demanded furiously, “Are you serious? You actually let him go? If something happens to my precious disciple, are you going to compensate me for it?!”
The cloud carriage soared across the sky.
Inside the carriage, Shi Zhaorong leaned against a soft cushion with his eyes closed, resting comfortably. The golden folding fan in his lap tapped against his leg at irregular intervals, revealing just how pleasant his mood was.
The original novel had been written from the male lead’s perspective, which meant there was only a limited amount of space devoted to the supporting characters.
From the descriptions in the text, readers knew that Shi Zhaorong was an aloof and highborn young master, a formidable obstacle standing in the male lead’s path during the early stages of the story. He was also the precious darling whose death would prompt an immensely powerful Shi family elder to take revenge on his behalf.
However, very few readers paid attention to the fact that he was only two years older than the male lead. No matter how noble and distinguished his background might be, he was still just a young man in his early twenties.
In the outer compartment of the carriage, Chenbi sat cross legged on a soft couch, her head bowed as she embroidered a sword sheath. A woman dressed in a long, dark teal green skirt leaned against her shoulder, dozing peacefully. Judging by its style, the sword sheath was probably intended for her. This woman was none other than Yinruo, Shi Zhaorong’s personal guard.
Neither of them had raised any questions about Shi Zhaorong’s decision to leave the sect this time.
Their young master rarely expressed a desire to go out and explore the world. Since he finally wanted to leave, they might as well let him do as he pleased. Asking too many questions and dampening his enthusiasm would only be counterproductive.
As they approached their destination, the flying shuttle gradually descended. The surrounding clouds parted, revealing a vast expanse of mountains and rivers stretching endlessly beneath the sky. Mountain ranges overlapped one another, a great river wound through the land like a silken ribbon, and the setting sun sank toward the western horizon as a thin veil of mist slowly enveloped the surroundings.
The Great Wilderness had two meanings. In the broader sense, it referred to the entire continent. In the narrower sense, it referred to the vast, uninhabited regions lying between the various settlements where human beings lived.
The Great Wilderness resembled an immense, boundless ocean, while human cities were like scattered islands dotted across its surface.
Hidden within those uninhabited regions were countless ancient ruins, rare treasures, extraordinary demonic beasts, spiritual trees, immortal herbs, and other wondrous resources. Even the most powerful immortal sects in the world had been unable to explore every corner of these lands. As a result, countless possibilities remained for those who came after them.
According to the development of the original plot, the male lead, Meng Shu, was currently traveling through the Beidang Mountain region of Dongzhou, searching for ways to improve his strength.
Considering that the plot was unlikely to be accurate down to every single minute and second, the system suggested that they get to the location of an opportunity the male lead would need ahead of time and wait for him to arrive.
By the time they reached their destination, night had completely fallen.
Standing at the edge of the cliff, Shi Zhaorong gazed down at the scene before him with a faintly puzzled expression in his eyes.
“This is the spiritual herb he’s been searching so desperately for?”
Right in front of him grew a slender, spindly herb. It clung to the very top of a crack in the cliff that was more than a zhang wide. The plant had only two or three leaves, each no wider than half a finger, and a tiny flower bud about the size of a fingertip had only just begun to emerge.
It looked terribly malnourished.
[Yes.] The system confirmed.
It had been only a single day, yet several more glittering ornaments and magical treasures had already appeared on its body. At present, it had become a grey goose adorned from head to toe in dazzling jewels and precious accessories.
Shi Zhaorong sighed. “He really is a pitiful child.”
In his eyes, a spiritual herb of this grade was practically indistinguishable from ordinary wild grass. If someone had to fight over something like this, then they were indeed in desperate need of charity.
The system began explaining the details.
[This is called a Tempered Jade Flower. It’s a medicinal herb that strengthens the bones and tempers the body. It might not be of much use to you, but given the male lead’s current cultivation level and physical constitution, it’s exactly what he needs.]
The appeal of a cultivation progression novel lay in watching the protagonist overcome difficulties, defeat monsters, and steadily grow stronger. It was much like playing a game. If someone joined the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect right at the beginning and immediately gained the ability to cheat their way through everything, there would be little fun left in the experience.
[We’d better hide first. If you stand here in plain sight, he’ll mistake you for someone else who has come to seize the treasure, and he won’t show himself.]
In the original novel, the cultivation realms were divided into eight stages: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Void Refinement, Body Integration, and Great Ascension. Above these were the realms of Golden Immortals and Saints.
The male lead was currently at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining and was preparing to establish his Foundation. Shi Zhaorong, on the other hand, had already reached the Golden Core stage, placing him far beyond the level of the current area.
Moreover, the Tempered Jade Flower wasn’t a treasure worth risking one’s life over. If the male lead realized that he had no chance of obtaining it, he would simply give up and leave without hesitation.
Shi Zhaorong found the system’s suggestion unnecessarily troublesome.
“I could just have Yinruo capture everyone who approaches this place.”
The system had no doubt that Yinruo, a cultivator at the Spirit Transformation realm, possessed enough strength to overwhelm practically anyone in this area. However, the male lead was no ordinary person and couldn’t be judged by conventional standards.
[That approach isn’t foolproof. The male lead possesses extraordinary luck and has access to all sorts of strange life saving methods. No matter how dangerous the circumstances become, he always manages to escape with his life. What if Yinruo fails to capture him and accidentally provokes his hostility instead? That would only make things more difficult.]
Shi Zhaorong considered the suggestion briefly before accepting it.
“All right. You know more about him than I do, so I’ll listen to you.”
[Author’s Note:]
Our cool and aloof male lead will make his appearance in the next chapter!