Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 559 - 554 Promotion Path, Head of Zhenyuan Division_1
Jia Ren learned from Bao Datong about the ways to become a Cultivator.
Without the Daoist Tablets and the Great Qian Official Seal, even obtaining a Cultivation Technique would be useless; one could not set foot on the path of Cultivation.
There weren’t many ways to become a Cultivator.
The first was the imperial examination route to become an official. However, this path was not easy to tread.
The Daqian Kingdom had been established for tens of thousands of years, and social classes had long been cemented. To gain recognition in the imperial examinations and become an official was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
The nominal slots for the imperial examination, held once every five years, had long been divided among the influential families. Ninety-nine percent of people would be eliminated at the very first hurdle.
Even serving as their dogs would be difficult.
To become a Cultivator through a Taoist Temple, one either needed an extremely high Spiritual Root talent, starting as a Daoist Boy. With good fortune, after passing multiple tests and selections, there was only a slim chance of success. Without background and power, even those with Superior Grade Spiritual Root would be squeezed out by others, losing the opportunity. Only those with the extremely rare Top Grade Spiritual Root had a hope of changing their social class.
Of course, if you could offer enough benefits, you might receive the impartation of Daoist Tablets from a Taoist Temple. Though it might be the lowest grade, at least you could become a Cultivator.
Most channels to become a Cultivator were sealed off, leaving only the last route provided by the Daqian Kingdom: the Zhenyuan Office.
Ordinary people who entered the Zhenyuan Office were mostly cannon fodder to attract Bizarre Demons, dying on their first lure mission. If they survived three years, the Zhenyuan Office would then grant Daoist Tablets, allowing them to become Cultivators. After receiving Daoist Tablets, one would stay in the Zhenyuan Office until death at the hands of Bizarre Demons.
If an ordinary person did not have a steadfast heart for seeking the Dao and lacked connections, the Zhenyuan Office was their only chance. The Daqian Kingdom forcing people to their deaths would only lead to passive and negligent attitudes. By blocking other advancement channels, the Zhenyuan Office became the last hope to become a Celestial Master. Those unafraid of death would continuously flock to it, becoming an endless supply of cannon fodder against Bizarre Demons.
This tactic was indeed clever!
The Void Storm’s end was unpredictable. Mo Lin had greatly damaged his vitality and needed to recover. Jin Sheng had not awakened. For the short term, Jia Ren would have to stay in this world.
This world has Bizarre Demons, yet it maintains order. It must possess methods for dealing with Bizarre Demons, which are worth learning. Beyond that, there are the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures of this world, such as the Zhenjie Xuanstone.
With the Sealed Land shattered, although many treasure fragments had been collected, it was impossible to obtain enough Zhenjie Xuanstones through secret techniques. The Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower’s upgrade to a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure required a significant number of Zhenjie Xuanstones. Moreover, the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower’s spatial capacity wasn’t enough; it had reached its limit for containing Bizarre Demons. To expand the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower’s space, a considerable number of Zhenjie Xuanstones were needed. If they could be obtained from this world, it would naturally be a good thing.
The cultivation resources in different Cultivation Worlds varied. There might even be a chance to find Heavenly Spirit Materials extinct in the Mysterious Realm, as well as supreme treasures for advancing to the Body Integration Realm.
Since I have come to this place, I must make full use of it and seize this hard-won opportunity. My Spiritual Power comes from the Mysterious Realm and is different from that of this world. There’s no guarantee that Daqian lacks the means to detect ’alien’ Spiritual Power. An identity that blends into this world would make actions more convenient and help avoid trouble.
For a commoner, neither the path of the imperial examination nor the Zhenyuan Office was appealing; rising from obscurity took too much time. Securing a spot through "donation," not to mention the dubious origin of the wealth, would still subject him to restrictions from the Dao Talisman Jade Credential.
All three paths do not align with my preferences.
The solution Jia Ren thought of was "Substitute One Thing for Another": obtaining another person’s official title and replacing their acquired Daoist Tablets. His Cultivation Level would not be limited to the Qi Refinement Realm or Foundation Establishment Stage. By changing his identity, it was possible to rise from the Divinity Transformation Stage to the Lianxu Stage. Having an official identity in the Daqian Kingdom meant having power. With a command, people would naturally collect the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures he desired.
This is the most convenient and fastest way I can think of. However, deceiving the Dao Talisman Jade Credential is the biggest problem. Whether I can successfully deceive everyone remains to be seen; I’ll have to experiment with Daoist Tablets to find out.
"Do you know about the Crow God Cult?" Jia Ren asked, thinking of the Lianxu Stage Cultivator who had killed the Qian Long Guard. That man had not followed Daqian’s path yet possessed cultivation. It seems one can gain cultivation qualifications through paths similar to the Crow God Cult, without following Daqian’s way.
"The Crow God Cult is a heretical cult," Bao Datong said, his face filled with indignation. "They wreak havoc throughout Daqian territory, blood-sacrificing living beings. They are immensely evil..." His hatred for the Crow God Cult stemmed not from a desire to protect the Daqian Kingdom, but because his tenant farmers were neglecting their farming to join the heretical cult, causing him financial losses.
"Do you know how members of the Crow God Cult become Cultivators?" Jia Ren inquired. "Are there many similar heretical cults?"
The Crow God Cult is labeled heretical by the Daqian Kingdom. They don’t follow the same path and don’t use Daqian’s methods, yet they can still obtain cultivation qualifications.
"The Crow God Cult worships the Crow God. Most are believers. Only by becoming Divine Servants or Divine Messengers can they become Celestial Masters," Bao Datong explained. "Similar heretical cults include the Lifeless Cult and the Thousand Eyes God Cult. Some heretical cults are even involved with Bizarre Demons."
Jia Ren listened silently.
These heretical cults can’t possibly be mere mortal sects; otherwise, they wouldn’t have survived in the Daqian Kingdom to this day. Do all these factions have their own methods of creating Cultivators? Could there be more than one top-tier Immortal Treasure? The heretical cults worship Bizarre Demons... Does this world also have Sinful Denizens? Can they transform into Bizarre Persons? It’s better to recover my strength first, then make further plans.
Jia Ren gained a general understanding of this world. He decided to first try if he could deceive the heavens and take control of a Dao Talisman Jade Credential. If this plan succeeded, he could claim this world’s nature’s spiritual energy for his own use.
Bao Datong respectfully presented a white jade credential. "This is the Daoist Tablets."
The restrictions on these white jade Daoist Tablets are not complicated; they can be easily broken. Yet, there’s a unique power within that inspires dread. This hidden power is the source of a mortal’s ’acknowledgment’ by heaven and earth, enabling the use of nature’s spiritual energy.
Jia Ren tried to alter his aura to match Bao Datong’s and establish a connection with the tablet.
This object is merely inanimate, not even qualifying as a Magic Artifact. How could it possibly compare to the divine consciousness of someone in the Lianxu Stage? The only concern is the trace of aura hidden within, connected to the Daqian Kingdom, seemingly imbued with an inexplicable majesty of heaven and earth.
Jia Ren didn’t confront this formidable force directly. Instead, taking advantage of the situation, he attempted to assimilate its internal aura. He felt that nature’s spiritual energy was no longer as foreign to him. With a thought, a thread of nature’s spiritual energy was absorbed into his body.
The nature’s spiritual energy in this world is different from that in the Mysterious Realm. After the Spiritual Energy is transformed, although it can be freely manipulated, it feels like a system program with backdoors. I am only a second-level user with access rights; above me, there are others with even higher privileges. Not only that, but it has begun to adversely affect my Heavenly Treasure Spirit Power.
Jia Ren was wary of this kind of nature’s spiritual energy. After confirming he could absorb and utilize it, he expelled it from his body. He had not found a way to fully assimilate this nature’s spiritual energy for his own use. He would not rashly absorb such Spiritual Energy into his body again.
Cultivators in the Divinity Transformation Stage and the Lianxu Stage could manipulate nature’s spiritual energy, drawing upon it to enhance their Spells and Divine Skills.
"Limited by the grade of the Daoist Tablets, the amount of nature’s spiritual energy that can be absorbed is restricted. Although I am a Lianxu Stage Cultivator, I cannot perfectly control nature’s spiritual energy; my control range is only about a ten-foot area..." This was the limitation imposed by the grade of the Daoist Tablets. Bao Datong had spent a fortune to buy the lowest grade, white jade Daoist Tablets. People in control of such Daoist Tablets rarely reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. With the Daoist Tablets, you’ve obtained the right to use nature’s spiritual energy. It’s like opening a small faucet on a large dam; you can only harness the Spiritual Power flowing out of that small tap. These are upper limits and shackles that cannot be broken. The best solution is to replace them with Daoist Tablets of a higher grade. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"Deceiving the heavens can be done, but what about the ’Substitute One Thing for Another’ method?" Deceiving the heavens merely involved disguising his aura as Bao Datong’s, borrowing the other’s ’rights.’ ’Substitute One Thing for Another,’ however, meant having his own aura replace Bao Datong’s aura within the Daoist Tablets, bringing it under his complete control. This way, he wouldn’t need to continue impersonating Bao Datong to use the Daoist Tablets and manipulate nature’s spiritual energy. If the plan succeeded, the path ahead would be smooth. If it failed, the only option would be to find new Daoist Tablets or a Great Qian Official Seal and continue the deception. "Let’s begin!"
Jia Ren quietly extracted Bao Datong’s aura from the Daoist Tablets, made subtle alterations, and then replaced it with his own.
The Daoist Tablets vibrated incessantly, a powerful aura and will clashing within, unsettling to the soul.
"How dare you, reckless fiend, covet the Daoist Tablets!" The voice was thunderous, like heavenly lightning, shaking one’s very core.
If a Qi Refining Stage Cultivator had been subjected to this pressure, his very soul would have been displaced, his spirit scattered. But for a Lianxu Stage Cultivator, even in a weakened state, it was all bluster with no real power. It was like a breeze passing by, posing no threat at all. "Just because it is recognized by heaven and earth, it cannot be changed?"
Jia Ren’s ’Substitute One Thing for Another’ plan thus ended in failure.
It seems I can only continue to masquerade as someone else, impersonate their identity, and misuse their Daoist Tablets and the Great Qian Official Seal.
From the direction of the yamen, signs of a disturbance arose; several figures emanating Spiritual Power Fluctuations were rushing towards the Bao residence. The matter of the Daoist Tablets attempting to change hands had drawn the attention of the Wuhu City officials, who had dispatched Cultivators to capture the lawless fiend.
What a nuisance!
With the attempt to alter the Daoist Tablets having failed, Jia Ren didn’t linger in the Bao residence. Using the Bewildering Spirit Bead to conceal his tracks, he disappeared without a trace.
He wasted no time and immediately headed to the Zhenyuan Office, rushing towards the location emanating the aura of a Golden Core Stage Cultivator.
Undoubtedly, Jia Ren had set his sights on the position of Wuhu Town Abyssal Chief. The Zhenyuan Office was responsible for subduing and capturing Bizarre Demons. Its head was the individual with the highest Cultivation Level in Wuhu City and held the most coveted seat of power there.
By assuming this identity, I can understand how the Daqian Kingdom deals with Bizarre Demons. I can also use the authority of this position to take control of subdued Bizarre Demons for my own use. I would have free access to the treasure vault of the Wuhu Town Abyssal Office, secretly lining my pockets with useful treasures. Could there be a better identity? As for the Zhenyuan Offices in larger prefectural cities, it would be better to recuperate for a while, regain my peak strength, and then consider changing identities. It wouldn’t be too late then.
Yan Yuankang was meditating within his residence, surrounded by a dense Restrictive Formation, impenetrable by anyone. As he approached a critical moment in his cultivation, a sudden pain struck the back of his head, and he lost consciousness. He was then thrown into the Heaven and Earth Mountain and Sea Pearl.
It didn’t take Jia Ren long to find the corresponding Great Qian Official Seal and the Wuhu Town Abyssal Chief’s seal in Yan Yuankang’s Storage Bag. Using the Bewildering Spirit Bead to mimic Yan Yuankang’s aura, Jia Ren smoothly took control of the seal.
From this day forth, I am Yan Yuankang, the Wuhu Town Abyssal Chief.
