IRBTCI CH1

Mountains of varying depths and shades pierced through the drifting clouds, their distant outlines shrouded in mist. Between the peaks and fog, one could faintly see pavilions and palaces, and occasionally, a flying sword streaked by in a flash of light—an unmistakable scene of an immortal realm.

Closer by, a grand golden jade platform floated high in the air, seemingly gazing down upon the flat ground below where many Dao seekers had gathered.

Their purpose was the same: to be admitted into the famous Xuan Shan Immortal Sect and become its disciples—thus setting foot on the long path of cultivation.

The heavens were divided into twelve domains, and the earth into twelve continents. The people of these lands studied the heavens and observed the earth in their pursuit of immortality, seeking the Dao.

The Xuan Shan Immortal Sect had founded its teachings ten thousand years ago and was renowned across all twelve continents.

Though many came to seek entry each time, not all would succeed. They would first have to pass a series of trials. Simply making it through the countless mountains and valleys filled with dangers to reach the location of the sect was already the first test.

Those gathered here had all passed this first hurdle—a trial meant to test one’s innate constitution and physical endurance.

However, the examiner had yet to appear, and some of the less steady Dao seekers could no longer hold back their whispers, gathering in small groups to murmur to one another.

But Bai Lu had no companions—he stood alone in a corner.

He glanced around innocently.
Had he… been isolated?

Perhaps because Bai Lu stood out too much among these various Dao seekers. His strange, furry clothing was unusual; aside from the gemstone rings on his fingers, he wore no other adornments. His long black hair hung loose, unlike most here who had tied theirs up, yet he didn’t appear disheveled. His features were exquisite and stunning without seeming overly delicate, but the most striking were his eyes—beneath long dark lashes, the irises gleamed like molten emeralds, shimmering mysteriously with every glance.

Such eye color, along with his strange beast-like attire, made others secretly wonder if he had an extraordinary background—perhaps mixed with demonic beast blood, or maybe blessed by some strange fortune.

His unsettlingly beautiful appearance made most people prefer to keep their distance, not daring to approach.

But his eye color was not the result of fortune—it was natural.

Bai Lu was a hapless wizard from the magical world, born of mixed Eastern and Western blood, which gave him this unusual face. His name came from the Chinese solar term on which he was born.

Just a few days ago, Bai Lu had been attending a wizarding forum when he inexplicably transmigrated into this strange new world—one similar to China yet vastly different. He had arrived still in his pajamas, his broomstick broken and unusable, and had nowhere to go.

With almost no resources at hand, he’d tried fixing his broomstick in vain and then thought to find a human settlement where he could figure out a way to make a living.

But as luck—or misfortune—would have it, he’d landed near the very place where the Xuan Shan Immortal Sect was recruiting new disciples, right at the end point of the first trial. When he asked if there were any jobs available, they thought he was here to take the entrance exam.

And so, muddled and confused, he became one of the Dao seekers. Still, considering that the Xuan Shan Sect provided snacks for the applicants, Bai Lu thought it wasn’t such a bad outcome.

Thus, while the others were tense, Bai Lu had his own worries.

Because he was “isolated,” Bai Lu perked up his ears and eavesdropped on the nearby conversations:

“It’s said that the entrance trials for the Xuan Shan Immortal Sect are strict. This first stage was already a grueling ordeal. I’m not from a prestigious family—I don’t know if I’ll make it through the next rounds…”

“Don’t underestimate yourself, brother. You don’t seem like an ordinary man to me. You’re sure to pass!”

These two weren’t blindly flattering each other. If they weren’t from noble clans, they must have some natural talent—the first trial had already weeded out countless commoners.

Ah, so this really was a cultivation world. The Xuan Shan Immortal Sect sounded like one of the top schools.

Having never been immersed in this environment, Bai Lu only vaguely knew that this was an Eastern system of power, different from magic. If he’d known he would transmigrate, he would have studied those dramas his mom downloaded more seriously!

And speaking of family…
Did they realize he was missing yet?

Before transmigrating, Bai Lu had been on a video call with his dad, who claimed he’d met a powerful fortune-teller. The fortune-teller told him that Bai Lu would “marry young”… to someone more than two hundred years older.

His mom overheard and popped into the call, joking, “What, some ghost marriage contract?!”

Bai Lu had laughed back then, thinking it absurd. Sure, there were old folks in the magic world—but more than two centuries older? That’d be some earth-shattering age-gap romance. Everyone else grew old together; would he marry someone already old and ready?

Lost in thought, Bai Lu was pulled back by a voice calling out to him.

“Brother, you seem so calm—you must have great confidence.” Someone approached him, breaking the silence.

The newcomer wore a moon-white robe, hair meticulously combed, jade pendants and scented sachets hanging from his waist. His features were striking—he should have been the very image of a refined young master, except for the dark circles under his eyes, pale complexion, and the overall weariness that dulled his noble bearing.

This was the first person to actually speak to Bai Lu, but he hesitated.

Though half-Chinese by blood, Bai Lu hadn’t grown up in a Mandarin-speaking environment; his Chinese was sometimes awkward, and the people here liked to speak in archaic language that made him feel like he’d wandered into a historical drama. When he first overheard them, he’d nearly thought he didn’t understand the language at all—the longer he listened, the more his head hurt.

It was bad enough not getting modern jokes from home… but now classical Chinese?! Was the universe making him suffer all the studying he’d skipped in school?!

Anyway—at this moment, Bai Lu worried that his response might sound off.

After a two-second pause, he earnestly replied, “Thank you. You also… have great confidence!”

The other man sensed something odd…
But couldn’t quite pinpoint what, scratching his head in confusion.

Forget it. Introducing himself, he said, “My surname is Liang—Liang Mangu. May I ask your esteemed name?”

Bai Lu couldn’t help but smile, and under his green eyes the smile shone brighter.

Liang Mangu: “???”

He nervously rubbed his face. Was something on it?

“…Nothing, just fine.” Bai Lu couldn’t suppress a chuckle.

What kind of lines were these? Like straight out of a period drama.

“I’m Bai Lu,” he said at last, smiling.

“Brother Bai is extraordinary indeed. Those who passed the first trial are all bedraggled and worn—but you appear untouched by hardship,” Liang Mangu said openly, curiosity in his gaze.

More importantly, Liang Mangu hadn’t seen Bai Lu at all during the trial—only at the very end, as if the man had fallen from the sky. What remarkable skill could allow such an entrance?

You didn’t see what I looked like when I first fell down, Bai Lu thought to himself, but at least he was a wizard—cleansing spells were the most basic kind.

“I’ve had some basic training,” Bai Lu said. After all, magical basics were still basics.

“Hahaha, I knew it!”
Liang Mangu’s pale face flushed slightly with excitement. Seeing Bai Lu’s surprised look, he quickly explained, “I won a bet! Just now, I wagered with someone that although you seem delicate and don’t look like you practice breathing techniques at all, you were probably just hiding your strength.”

Bai Lu glanced at Liang Mangu’s dark eye circles, then pointed to his own under-eye area and said, “You’re hiding too. You totally don’t look like a good student.”

“…That’s not an act,” Liang Mangu said awkwardly. “I was born with a messed-up circadian rhythm—can’t wake up during the day, can’t sleep at night.”

If I’d known, I’d have put on some powder, Liang Mangu thought to himself, feeling a bit embarrassed. He straightened his neck and said proudly, “Anyway, for us to have made it to Xuan Shan Sect, our talents can’t be bad. I may not be as calm as Brother Bai here, but a senior cultivator in my family said that my physique is perfect for stargazing and divination.”

Not sleeping at night wasn’t useless after all.

What Liang Mangu didn’t mention was that his initial interest in cultivation came after hearing that meditation could improve sleep…

“May I ask what path you plan to cultivate?” Liang Mangu’s eyes gleamed with curiosity; even his dark circles seemed impatient with excitement. He’d done so much homework before coming to Xuan Shan Sect. “Alchemy? Artifact crafting? Body refinement… though you don’t seem like that type.”

Bai Lu blinked at him, eyes wide. To be honest, he had no idea what “artifact crafting” was—it sounded like auto repair to him—but probably wasn’t that literal.

He guessed it meant “what major are you picking?” or something like that.

Not knowing much about this world yet, Bai Lu carefully asked, “Is there a magic path?”

Liang Mangu looked utterly shocked. “Huh?!”

Bai Lu stood there innocently. What? Isn’t there… magic cultivation here?

“Uh… Xuan Shan Sect is a righteous sect, Brother Bai. You’re joking, right?” Liang Mangu figured Bai Lu didn’t want to chat and awkwardly excused himself.

“What did he say?” The other examinees who had made bets grabbed Liang Mangu as soon as he returned. “Did you find out?”

None of them dared approach Bai Lu except this brave soul.

“Forget it, he didn’t want to talk to me.” Liang Mangu sighed but quickly perked up again. “Hey, let’s bet on when the examiner shows up.”

Just as he finished speaking, a deep bell tolled from the golden jade platform, echoing across the sky. Jade stairs appeared out of nowhere, extending downward for dozens of meters. A young female cultivator descended on a white cloud, stopping at the end of the steps.

She looked around sixteen or seventeen, hair tied in twin buns, her face still youthful but her gaze cold as she looked down and said, “You have waited long enough. The second trial of Xuan Shan Sect’s entrance test is about to begin. Enter from here.”

“Please proceed,” she gestured to the jade stairs.

The examinees lined up two or three at a time and walked up the stairs in order. Bai Lu noticed that the ones in front only took a few steps before their forms rippled like water and disappeared, as if they had entered another world.

It felt like some kind of spatial magic—Bai Lu grew curious. He wondered how these cultivation techniques worked… if there was time, he really wanted to study them.

The first dozen or so ascended silently and nervously. But when Liang Mangu reached the stairs, he paused and asked, “Senior, are you the examiner?”

The girl glanced at him, unbothered by the title “Senior,” and replied, “I am not. The examiner is above.” She pointed to the golden jade platform.

“Thank you, Senior. Hehe.” Liang Mangu also stepped onto the stairs.

The examinee behind him couldn’t help but ask, “Senior, if we pass the trial, can we choose which master to study under?”

With the same cold patience, the girl replied, “No. Only the top three may choose.”

“…Oh. Thank you, Senior.”

“Senior, how many usually pass the trial?”

“The number varies. If no one passes, no disciples are taken that year. If all are outstanding, all may be admitted.”

“Senior, how old are you?”

“Three hundred and eighty years.”

The girl mechanically answered all the strange and random questions the examinees threw at her as they entered, her heart crying out So annoying, so annoying, so annoying—being a senior sister is the worst!

Until she saw a young man in odd furry clothes standing before her—brilliant green eyes staring at her, looking a little shy.

They locked eyes for two seconds.

Bai Lu: “Senior, when will lunch be served? Do we have to finish the trial first?”

The girl’s stiff expression cracked slightly: “?”

Bai Lu looked completely sincere and innocent—he’d only had some tea and snacks since transmigrating here, after all.