Chapter 1
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 1: Anping Taoist Palace
In the Great Spirit Dynasty, during the 1199th year of the Awakening era, a Bloody Moon loomed in the sky, dyeing the world in blood.
The next year, bathed in the Bloody Moon’s glow, evil spirits and strange beings emerged frequently across the Great Spirit Dynasty. Monsters and evil spirits spread chaos endlessly, with towns being slaughtered becoming commonplace.
To combat the Bloody Moon’s chaos, the Great Spirit Dynasty’s royal family joined forces with powerful clans from nineteen states to create the Taoist Palace system.
—Within these nineteen states, the imperial court established thirty-six Taoist Palaces to train Qi Practitioners against evil spirits.
Among these Taoist Palaces, thirty-three were ordinary while three held higher status.
All children and teenagers aged thirteen to fifteen were required to undergo testing for Spiritual Roots Talent.
Those found gifted would be enrolled in the Taoist Palaces, receiving resources and training from the court and prestigious families.
Wuzhou’s Anping City housed a sizable Taoist Palace, and today was its opening day.
…
"Stop shoving…"
"Move aside—let me through…"
"Father, rest assured. I’ll manage on my own."
The Taoist Palace’s entrance overflowed with carriages and crowds today, though most spectators had come to gawk or bid farewell to children. Genuine Taoist Palace disciples remained scarce.
In any world, those capable of cultivation were rare—perhaps one in ten thousand.
Mu Lin felt both excitement and relief. Not only was he among the fortunate few, but today also marked his departure from his grandfather to cultivate independently at Anping Taoist Palace.
"Grandfather, don’t worry. I’ll take care of myself and cultivate diligently."
"Good, good, good!"
The pale-faced elder smiled warmly at Mu Lin’s promise.
Clutching Mu Lin’s hand, he rambled through endless advice before finally pressing a worn pouch into the youth’s palm. "One hundred eight Spirit Stones," he murmured. "Use them if needed. Tell me immediately if you require anything at the palace."
The old man’s kindness left Mu Lin conflicted, but he swallowed his emotions and said farewell.
Walking away, Mu Lin finally relaxed.
The elder had treated him exceptionally well—surrendering most of his savings, vowing to exhaust himself securing resources. Yet Mu Lin had only wanted to escape, feeling like an ungrateful wretch.
But he had no choice.
This Mu Lin’s soul wasn’t the original.
To gather cultivation resources so the original wouldn’t fall behind, the elder—a Qi Practitioner himself—had worked for powerful clans across cities, battling evil spirits.
This dangerous work meant he couldn’t keep the original host nearby.
For safety, he’d settled the boy in the prefectural capital—a place meant to avoid most dangers.
Yet evil permeated this world too deeply. Even the capital offered no absolute safety.
Days earlier, the original host had perished during a supernatural disturbance.
Only then did the current Mu Lin—a transmigrator—inherit the body.
Worse yet, the original soul had fractured during the incident, leaving Mu Lin with only partial memories.
Facing the old man, Mu Lin remained cautious, particularly since the elder was a Qi Practitioner.
Fortunately, the old man had come to cultivation later in life and wasn’t particularly strong.
Many victims of that strange chaos had suffered soul damage, drastic personality changes, or mental impairment.
Mu Lin’s ordinary condition amidst this turmoil didn’t stand out.
This very ordinariness kept him from being exposed before the elder.
Still, being near a Qi Practitioner kept Mu Lin on edge despite avoiding suspicion.
Now free from the old man’s presence, he finally breathed easier.
"After six months at the academy filling knowledge gaps, I’ll face him without fear next time."
While walking and lost in thought, Mu Lin collided with someone in a sudden "thump".
Turning, he saw a comical sight: a sweaty, round-faced youth buried under towering parcels trudging through the Taoist Palace.
"My fault, brother! Didn’t see you there!"
The flustered boy bowed awkwardly, his trapped arms causing several bundles to tumble. Sweat dripped faster as he struggled.
Mu Lin chuckled and gathered the fallen items. "No harm done. Need help?"
"Absolutely! You’re my sworn brother now, different parents be damned…"
The cheerful Anping City native immediately launched into chatter while they walked. Between complaints about overpacking parents and local gossip, Mu Lin gleaned useful information:
"Mu, hear about the Ji family’s legitimate daughter entering the Taoist Palace? Catching her eye could change our lives…"
"Our class has three first-class talents and nineteen second-class ones…"
Zong Xiu’s chest puffed slightly at the last part. Mu Lin arched an eyebrow.
"You’re second-class?"
"Pure luck! What about you?"
"Third-class."
"First for geniuses, second for standouts, third for regular folks… Not bad! Even third-class can achieve greatness. The Night Watch commander started third-class…"
The walk to accommodations took half an hour of meditation time. Exhausted from carrying bundles and recent illness, Mu Lin sighed in relief at their destination.
With the steward’s help, each claimed private quarters. Though mere Taoist Palace students, their quasi-noble status granted better treatment than martial academy trainees crammed in barracks.
Zong Xiu’s endless chatter revealed more perks: "After first year, we pick bodyguards from martial academies. Rumor says many are noble-born beauties…"
Mu Lin edged away from his leer. "Guards can refuse, remember. We need strength, not eye candy. After graduation comes demon-hunting – life or death work."
Zong Xiu paled at the reminder. "Evil spirits… They say you can’t even kill those things…"
Pe551
👀👀👀