Zhang Ze, an ARPG player of the highest caliber, a bug-finding machine, the holder of the world record for fastest game completion, the grand master of wheelchair strategies, and a map-completion obsessive with a hundred-percent compulsion.
He died, and game developers all over the world breathed a sigh of relief.
But he came back to life, and this time, the Cultivating Immortality sects of the Land of Four Continents were the ones in trouble.
The Sword Sect, Seventh Sword Pavilion.
Elder Li had been really troubled lately because this batch of Disciples was simply too difficult to manage.
The Sword Sect had seven Sword Pavilions. Yet in recent years, the Qingjing Land where their Seventh Sword Pavilion stood had suffered a decline in Talent, and the quality of the recruited Disciples grew worse with each passing year.
Take this year, for example. There were thirty-two young Outer Sect Disciples, twenty-nine of whom had mediocre aptitude. The remaining three had excellent Talent, but they were all Living Fathers.
The First was named Lin Feng, and he was practically a calamity given human form.
Within half a month of joining the Sect, he had antagonized three male Inner Sect Disciples, beaten six fellow Outer Sect Disciples, and angered four Outer Sect instructors into illness.
Whenever anyone scolded him, he would stiffen his neck and act just like a stubborn donkey, spouting all kinds of arguments. After walking a hundred or so paces away, he would invariably say, “Don't bully the poor young man.”
The second was Chen Qin, the Sword Sect Master’s Youngest Daughter.
Because the Sect Master was several thousand years old and still shamelessly improper, Chen Qin’s Seniority was frighteningly high.
By Seniority, more than half the Elders of the Seventh Sword Pavilion had to call her Grandmother—and still be two generations junior to her.
For some reason, she had gotten into a fight with her father and was now Running Away From Home to the Seventh Sword Pavilion.
She even insisted on becoming an Outer Sect Disciple.
Yet she did not Cultivate at all, spending every day sightseeing in the mountains and rivers, with no one daring to provoke her.
She was also incredibly troublesome. Even a dog passing by would be dragged over by her, petted Two times, and then released.
As for the last one...
Thinking of the Disciple named Zhang Ze, Elder Li’s hand trembled, and he yanked out two handfuls of his beard.
When this young master first joined the Sect, he had been fairly restrained. He never missed Morning Class or evening class, Cultivated diligently, and had a mouth as sweet as if it had been smeared with honey, winning over Old Wang, who managed the Library Pavilion, until the man treated him like his Grandson.
But recently, he had suddenly revealed his true nature, moving as nimbly as a mountain spirit and disappearing without a trace all day long.
Whenever Elder Li happened to see him, Zhang Ze was either jumping off a cliff in the Back Mountain, diving in the cold pool halfway up the mountain, or rubbing himself against a wall.
When asked, he would simply say that he was exploring a Hidden Map.
Elder Li grumbled inwardly, “I, Laozi, have been Cultivating Immortality in this Sword Pavilion for three hundred years. How come I never knew there was a Hidden Map?”
The most troubling part was that these three Living Fathers had originally each caused trouble on their own, with Lin Feng and Chen Qin in particular being as incompatible as fire and water.
Yet a few days ago, no one knew what kind of bewitched soup Zhang Ze had given them. Now the three of them went everywhere as a group, and their destructive power had increased severalfold.
Especially with Chen Qin as a shield, this Little brat Zhang Ze became even more reckless.
Still, of the three, Zhang Ze was the only one who seemed worth saving.
After calculating for a while, Elder Li made up his mind.
The Back Mountain of the Seventh Sword Pavilion, Little Divine Peak.
At this Moment, atop the mountain, the three Living Fathers Elder Li had mentioned were sitting on a Green Stone, gazing at the distant Sea of Clouds, admiring the clouds and listening to the wind. In front of them were melons, fruits, pears, peaches, fine wine, and delicious food.
The wine was excellent. It was an immortal-grade vintage Chen Qin had taken from her father’s storehouse when she Ran Away From Home. To Mortals, it prolonged life and extended longevity; to Cultivators, it replenished essence and strengthened the foundations.
Lin Feng seemed to have had a few too many drinks. His face had taken on a healthy flush as he rose with his cup and toasted Chen Qin.
“Indeed, Senior Brother handled things poorly the other day and offended Junior Sister. Today, Senior Brother apologizes to you.”
“Ha, it’s fine, it’s fine. We became acquainted through fighting.” As she spoke, Chen Qin raised her cup, but did not drink.
Sitting between the two, Zhang Ze gnawed happily on a mutton leg. Seeing the two of them return to peace, he grinned from ear to ear.
【Lin Feng and Chen Qin’s Favorability increased to indifferent. Hidden Condition achieved. Hidden final Achievement unlocked: I Love Peace】
【Chen Qin’s Favorability with you increased to friendly. Hidden Condition achieved. Hidden final Achievement unlocked: Immortal and Demonic Dao Companions】
【Lin Feng’s Favorability with you increased to friendly. Hidden Condition achieved. Hidden final Achievement unlocked: Galloping Together】
【Required stay duration reached. Little Divine Peak Map unlocked. Little Divine Peak Map exploration rate: 10 percent】
【The Sword Sect Outer Sect Map’s Mist has been fully dispelled. Map exploration rate: 50 percent. Reward Issued】
【Hidden Quest refreshed: Old Li Is Furious. Forced acceptance. Return to the Outer Sect Martial Arts Hall within thirty minutes.】
【Quest failure penalty: Be hung up and beaten by Elder Li for three days. No one can save you. Quest completion reward: None.】
【Regardless of whether it is completed, the Subsequent Quest will be unlocked.】
Upon seeing the last line, Zhang Ze’s expression changed drastically. “You two, I have an Urgent Matter. I have to leave first.”
Before Chen Qin and Lin Feng could say anything, Zhang Ze had already leaped behind a pine tree and activated the Hidden Teleportation Array he had found while completing the Map.
His figure flashed and vanished before Lin Feng and Chen Qin’s eyes.
With forty seconds remaining on the Countdown to Quest failure, Zhang Ze saw Elder Li on the Martial Arts Hall training ground, Carrying an Iron rod and searching everywhere for him.
“Where did you go? Why didn’t you attend Morning Class or evening class?”
Elder Li looked Fierce and Evil, glaring at Zhang Ze with flames practically shooting from his Eyes.
“I went to the latrine. My stomach hasn’t been well lately—deficient qi, weak spleen, too much dampness, and my stools have been somewhat sticky.”
“Enough! Stop Quibbling with me. You reek of alcohol. Go, roll over and Meditate. You are not allowed to leave the Martial Arts Hall even one step before dawn tomorrow.”
Elder Li struck the Iron rod against the ground, making Zhang Ze Shiver three times.
“Oh.”
At this Moment, the time for evening class had already passed, and only a few female Disciples On Duty and cleaning remained in the Martial Arts Hall.
Zhang Ze made a grimace at the prettiest one among them, then found a well-ventilated, cool spot and sat down cross-legged.
Half a Shichen later, Elder Li appeared Behind Zhang Ze Like a Ghost, silently holding the Great Rod.
Only after confirming that Zhang Ze was indeed Meditating and Regulating Breathing rather than sleeping did he nod in satisfaction and turn to leave.
Once Old Li had left, Zhang Ze opened a narrow slit in his closed Eyes.
【Hidden Quest: Old Li’s Trial, completed. Subsequent Quest opens tomorrow. Rewards accumulated.】
Zhang Ze looked at the Panel that had popped up before him and found it interesting. He had not expected Old Li to have a Hidden Quest as well.
After Rising from the Coffin, Zhang Ze Discovered that he had been reborn in a vast world of Cultivating Immortality.
As expected, Zhang Ze saw his System Panel.
It listed all kinds of detailed data about his Body, and he could even allocate points to make fine adjustments.
But the main storyline had only one task: Cultivating Immortality and Ascending to Heaven.
As a fanatical gamer, if he could treat Cultivating Immortality like a game, then failing to Clear the Game would mean dying for nothing a second time.
That was why Zhang Ze had been diligent in Cultivation and sweet-tongued during those first few days.
It was just that the Progress of his daily Cultivation and Meditation was Scary slow.
Zhang Ze looked at the main-story Mission Progress bar, which was Almost impossible to see the end of, and at the tiny bit of Cultivation Level he accumulated through daily Cultivation.
After doing a Simple calculation, he felt that even if he Cultivated until death, he would probably only reach the Golden Core stage.
Grinding Experience as the Sword God of Ten-Mile Slope had no future.
Zhang Ze became dejected for several days.
That was until he accidentally made Contact with Chen Qin and activated a Hidden Achievement.
【A Chance Encounter】
Only then did he Discover that his Sly System had hidden Achievements, Side Quests, and Map exploration.
Like the main storyline, these Side Quests had only a Quest name, though some occasionally came with time requirements.
But to complete them, he had to trigger them actively himself.
Expecting the System to give him a Prompt and lead him along? Not a chance!
People needed to exercise their own initiative.
And so, from that day onward, the twin scourges of the Seventh Sword Pavilion Outer Sect became the three calamities of the Outer Sect.