Chapter 1: The Book of Hundred Lives
The Demon Sect, Initial Sage Sect.
Layer upon layer of cloud seas surged like raging waves, with countless majestic peaks resembling islands scattered across the sea, like pieces on a chessboard.
On the outermost edge of this chessboard stood a peak noticeably shorter than the others, as if its summit had been sheared off, leaving only a flat plateau. On this plateau, flying boats rose and landed, and newly enrolled disciple candidates stood in a row.
Lü Yang was among them.
He had just transmigrated here, opening his eyes to find himself in this place. The residual memories in his body told him that his current situation seemed far from ideal.
According to the original host's memories, under the jurisdiction of the Initial Sage Sect was a country named "Chen."
Every three years, the Chen Kingdom would send a batch of disciple candidates to the Initial Sage Sect, and in return, the sect ensured favorable weather and stable imperial rule for Chen.
At first glance, this seemed like a tremendous opportunity to enter an immortal sect and pursue eternal life.
However, in reality, none of Chen Kingdom's nobility or officials were willing to come. Those sent as "blood tribute" were only impoverished commoners like Lü Yang.
After all, while thousands of disciple candidates were sent to the Initial Sage Sect every three years, the number of formal disciples never seemed to increase noticeably. Instead, disciple candidates vanished one after another, as if they had entered not a sacred cultivation ground but a bottomless abyss.
The mere thought was enough to send chills down one's spine.
"No wonder I feel so weak, like my body's been hollowed out..."
Lü Yang pinched his arm—it was all soft flesh, not a single firm muscle. Feeling worse, he tried to stand up, but a sharp pain shot through his chest.
"The original host seems to have an illness too, this illness is... damn it!"
Lü Yang cursed under his breath a few more times. This wasn't just weakness; it was a terminal illness, with only a few days left to live.
Just as Lü Yang was losing all hope, thinking he was about to speedrun death right after transmigrating, a tiny point of light appeared before his eyes. It rapidly expanded, transforming into a screen visible to the naked eye.
[Name: Lü Yang]
[Lifespan: 18]
[Cultivation: None]
[Talents: None]
[Cultivation Techniques: None]
[Divine Abilities: None]
[Treasures: None]
At this moment, looking at the system interface before him, Lü Yang felt like crying. Wasn't it said that heaven never seals off all exits? As long as I want to walk, the path is right under my feet!
System, let me add points!
Then, Lü Yang was dumbfounded.
No matter how hard he looked—left, right, up, down—he couldn't find the plus sign he desperately wanted in the skills column. There wasn't even a minus sign.
"Wait, system, where are my points to add?"
After searching for a long time, Lü Yang had to reluctantly accept a fact: the personal panel before him seemed to lack a points allocation function.
In other words, if he wanted to improve, he had to rely on his own efforts.
Lü Yang: "..."
Screw you! Before I awakened the system, you wanted me to work hard. Now that I've awakened the system, you still want me to work hard? Then what was the point of awakening the system?
System, screw you—
[Remaining Pages of the Book of Hundred Lives: 100]
[Book of Hundred Lives: Upon death, you can return to the initial time point and start a new life.]
[Upon restarting, you may choose one from your previous life's treasures, cultivation, or lifespan, or abandon all gains from the previous life to awaken a talent.]
Well I take back my words, it's fine now.
Lü Yang suddenly grew excited. A hundred cycles of reincarnation—what immense wealth was this? If used wisely, it could propel him to great heights!
"Those whose names are called, step forward."
At that moment, a sinister-looking Taoist in black robes, holding a register with a floating lantern beside him, appeared before the crowd.
"Drip your blood into the Life Lantern beside me to ignite your Life Fire. From then on, you will be disciple candidates of the Initial Sage Sect."
Hearing this, no one present showed any joy.
After all, most of those sent here had heard of the Initial Sage Sect's fearsome reputation and knew that being a disciple candidate was more a curse than a blessing.
However, the black-robed Taoist paid no mind to their thoughts, simply calling out names one by one.
"Chen Liang."
"Here!"
As the Taoist called the name, a fair-skinned, rosy-lipped young boy beside Lü Yang stood up and bounced over to the Taoist.
The boy was exceptionally good-looking, with bright, expressive eyes, and most importantly, an aura of spiritual energy even mortals could perceive. His demeanor suggested early maturity and intelligence; in the mortal world, he would have been a prodigy eagerly sought after by academies.
Sure enough, the black-robed Taoist showed an impressed expression:
"What a naturally gifted spiritual child!"
"Brother Taoist, you flatter me." The young boy bowed respectfully, his childish voice endearing and pleasing.
The black-robed Taoist laughed even more heartily.
"Excellent, excellent! Our Initial Sage Sect needs talents like you!"
With that, the Taoist lightly crossed out the name [Chen Liang] on the register.
Thump!
The next moment, without any warning, the once spiritually vibrant young boy's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
After doing this, the black-robed Taoist casually ordered:
"Take the blood and flesh to the Alchemy Hall, the bones and soul to the Treasure Refining Hall, and the internal organs to the Beast Taming Hall. Don't let such excellent material go to waste."
His few words left the disciple candidates stunned.
Seeing this, the black-robed Taoist let out a sinister chuckle. "Junior brothers, don't misunderstand."
"The Sacred Sect has always valued 'worth.' Therefore, whether a disciple is outstanding depends solely on whether they can create sufficient value for the sect."
"That junior brother earlier, a naturally gifted spiritual child with strong bones and tendons, could only create the greatest value for the sect after death. That's why he died."
"As for you junior brothers, with mediocre aptitudes, you can only create value for the sect while alive, so there's no need to worry about such things."
"Next."
The black-robed Taoist continued calling names. The people below were filled with fear but had no choice but to comply, afraid of sharing the young boy's fate and having their names crossed out.
"Lü Yang."
"Here."
Lü Yang stepped forward, his expression respectful.
The black-robed Taoist's gaze first fell on Lü Yang's handsome, refined face, initially showing delight before examining his bones and muscles.
However, he soon shook his head in disappointment.
Clearly, in his eyes, Lü Yang had nothing to offer except good looks.
"Go to the Joy Union Hall."
Not daring to ask more, Lü Yang quickly replied, "Yes."
After the assignments were completed, Lü Yang received a jade token. It was nearly transparent, engraved with his name, and seemed to contain a sealed flame within.
In addition, he was given a cultivation manual.
The manual was titled The Ode to Yin-Yang Great Joy, corresponding to the Joy Union Hall he was assigned to. It was said to allow one to cultivate true qi and step into the Qi Refining Realm.
The old attendant leading the way casually explained as they walked, "The flame inside the Life Token is your Life Fire. Remember to carry it with you at all times. The sect's formations, spirit plants, and spirit beasts recognize the token, not the person. If you ever forget to bring it when you go out and die in the sect, don't say I didn't warn you."
Soon, the group was led to a grand hall.
Before the hall stood a voluptuous, enchanting beauty in a long skirt with a slit reaching up to her thigh. Her every glance was captivating and alluring.
Gulp...
Lü Yang clearly heard someone nearby swallowing hard.
Seeing the crowd's attention, the beauty showed no shyness. Instead, she covered her mouth with a light laugh and gently lifted the side of her skirt with her delicate hand.
Beneath the skirt hung a jade token.
On it was a name: Yu Suzhen.
"This is the Joy Union Hall. I, Yu Suzhen, am considered your senior sister."
The next moment, Lü Yang noticed the beauty named Yu Suzhen's eyes light up, her gaze fixed directly on him without any concealment.
"This junior brother is so handsome; he must be a disciple of our Joy Union Hall."
Yu Suzhen chuckled softly, then swayed her slender waist, her skirt swishing as she walked step by step toward Lü Yang, the dazzling sight making Lü Yang's head spin.
"I see you're quite good-looking. Come with me; I'll explain the situation in the Joy Union Hall to you."
Lü Yang quickly clasped his hands. "Thank you, Senior Sister Yu."
"Why so formal?"
Yu Suzhen gave Lü Yang a coquettish glance, then turned and walked away, swaying her hips, stirring desire in those around her.
Not daring to look too much, Lü Yang silently followed.
"Disciples of our Sacred Sect are divided into inner and outer sects. The four outer halls—Treasure Refining, Alchemy, Beast Taming, and Joy Union—are where you disciple candidates will go."
"Only by passing the trials of the four outer halls can you enter the inner sect, receive true teachings, and become formal disciples."
"You're lucky to have entered our Joy Union Hall. You won't have to suffer like in the other three halls because the trials here are much easier..."
At this point, Yu Suzhen suddenly leaned close to Lü Yang.
"Do you want to know what they are?"
The next moment, Lü Yang felt warm breath against his ear, his nostrils filled with fragrance. Turning his head, he saw an exquisite face right before his eyes.
"Please enlighten me, Senior Sister," Lü Yang said, looking up.
"It's cultivation."
A soft, sweet voice whispered in his ear, like a lover's murmur...
Lü Yang immediately took a sharp breath.