Chu Huaizhi had not left the Fourth Ring.
The plan had hit a snag—he hadn’t obtained nearly as much as he wanted, so now he had no choice but to go get it himself.
After wrapping up all his affairs, Chu Huaizhi made his way to the Sacred Stele.
The Wu Clan civilization had already been awakened, which meant he still had five chances left.
A beam of golden light shot out from the Stele, enveloping Chu Huaizhi completely, as if verifying his identity.
Once the verification was complete, four small squares materialized before him, colored orange, yellow, blue, and purple.
The four squares floated silently, just within reach, waiting for him to make his choice.
Chu Huaizhi’s eyes flickered. Only four?! Which civilization had been awakened again? And by whom?
He issued a command to his adjutant, then reached out and selected the purple square.
The purple square suddenly expanded, engulfing him entirely.
Chu Huaizhi was well-acquainted with this process. He quickly adapted to his new body, and his lost five senses returned one by one.
The first to come back was his hearing.
“Xiao Chu, hurry up! The Divine Venerable is about to select direct disciples—no restrictions on sect, no restrictions on cultivation level, no restrictions on age. Everyone has a chance! This is a heaven-sent opportunity—you absolutely cannot miss it!”
Chu Huaizhi’s vision gradually cleared, and he saw himself standing on a flying sword, surging forward with a crowd of people in one direction.
The speed of the flying sword was about the same as a B-grade planetary hovercar—likely limited by his personal cultivation level.
Based on the memories in his current body, Chu Huaizhi deduced that he had chosen the Second Prehistoric Epoch—the era of cultivation civilization.
After the Wu Clan’s failed attempt to break the formation, They had influenced the direction of the second civilization’s evolution through some unknown means.
The Wu Clan had focused on strengthening the self—the powerful among them could split heaven and earth and shatter the void itself.
But even so, the Wu Clan at their peak had still failed.
By the Second Epoch, They had gradually learned from past mistakes and decided to use the physical body as a medium to channel cosmic energy—which they named spiritual energy.
Chu Huaizhi glanced at the person who had just spoken—a young man in a green robe with his hair tied up in a small bun, secured with a crown. His name was Bai Zuo.
The “Divine Venerable” he mentioned was the most powerful being of this civilization.
“The Divine Venerable hasn’t taken a disciple in years. Why the exception this time?”
“The Divine Venerable has his reasons—how could we possibly know?” The young man spoke righteously, but privately sent a voice transmission.
“My old ancestor heard a little rumor—don’t go telling anyone else. They say the Divine Venerable has been trying to ascend for a long time, but after many attempts, he still hasn’t found the right method. Taking a direct disciple this time is apparently his breakthrough opportunity.”
So, the disciple’s fortune wasn’t as profound as others might think. Still, being the Divine Venerable’s direct disciple—just that title alone would let you strut across the eight wastelands and four seas without fear.
Besides, when one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. What if the disciple won the Venerable’s favor and got taken along for the ascension?
Chu Huaizhi quietly followed the crowd to a celestial mountain.
The mountain looked as if it had been sliced off at the waist by a sword—the summit was bare and incredibly spacious, surrounded by swirling clouds and mist.
Chu Huaizhi jumped off his flying sword, pulled a talisman from his storage pouch, and handed it to the gatekeeper.
“Sword Gate, Chu Huaizhi, Foundation Establishment Level One. You’ve purchased a basic ticket for Trans-World Immortal Vessel No. 103. The basic ticket does not include immortal cuisine, medical services, guided tours, or other add-ons. Would you like to upgrade your ticket?”
Chu Huaizhi counted his meager spirit stones. “No, thank you.”
The gatekeeper said nothing more and let him through.
Bai Zuo was waiting for him up ahead. “Sigh, too bad the Divine Venerable won’t let us set up a Stellar Teleportation Array—otherwise we’d save a ton of time.”
Chu Huaizhi said flatly, “Even if there was one, I couldn’t afford the activation fee.”
Stellar Teleportation Arrays were usually built where spirit veins converged, and each activation consumed a massive amount of spiritual energy.
Those within the array could cross billions of star systems in an instant, transporting hundreds of people at once.
Aside from the exorbitant cost, there was nothing wrong with it. Too bad—Chu Huaizhi’s current incarnation was poor! And joining the Sword Gate only made him poorer.
As the two waited in line for the Immortal Vessel to descend, the managers of the Immortal Ferry suddenly bustled around two women and a man, steering them past the crowd straight to the very front.
Seeing familiar faces, Chu Huaizhi raised an eyebrow.
Bai Zuo spotted them too and clicked his tongue. “Same people, different fates—some are born right on the celestial mountain! See that? That’s the Lin family. The one holding a little girl in her arms is Lin Jingqiu—the chief designer of the Trans-World Immortal Vessel. Her immortal artifacts and elixirs are in such high demand, they can’t keep up with orders! She’s the cream of the younger generation!”
“Too bad the Lin family’s spiritual energy might be running out. That little girl Lin Jingqiu’s carrying is called Lin Xiaohe—the youngest of the Lin family. She was born with a mental deficiency. The Lin family has tried everything, consulted every healer, but nothing’s worked.”
Gossip—the best tool for bridging the gap between people.
Other passengers waiting in line chimed in.
“It’s not a mental deficiency—it’s soullessness! The Lin family used their top-tier immortal artifacts as a bargaining chip to visit the Immortal Physician. The diagnosis was that Lin Xiaohe has no soul.”
“So she’s basically just an empty shell? Can she even live past a hundred?”
“With immortal herbs sustaining her, a century or two shouldn’t be a problem.”
“They’re heading to the Divine Venerable too? Great—now we’ve got even more competition.”
Lin Jingqiu was extraordinarily gifted—already a Grandmaster-level Refiner and a Master-level Alchemist.
As for Lin Xiaohe—a soulless child who could never walk the immortal path—there was no way she’d be chosen by the Divine Venerable.
Chu Huaizhi stared fixedly at the Lin family’s figures, a question nagging at him: What exactly had Lin Xiaohe done inside the Sacred Stele? Why did she end up with this soulless condition?
He had a hunch that the disciple chosen by the Divine Venerable would be the Chosen One of this civilization’s epoch.
Through years of research, Chu Huaizhi understood the Sacred Stele far better than Lin Xiaohe did.
He knew that if he could become the Chosen One of this civilization—even just a candidate—it would increase the number of Awakeners.
The Wu Clan’s awakening had been incomplete; it had been missing the most crucial element.
“Xiao Chu, stop staring. The Divine Venerable isn’t picking disciples based on strength—it’s all about fate. Everyone has a chance.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the winds and clouds began to churn. The sky was silently torn apart, and a massive shadow crushed the clouds beneath it.
The Trans-World Immortal Vessel descended slowly, as majestic as a jade mountain emerging from the mist.
Ancient spirit patterns were carved into the vessel’s hull, their glow neutralizing the pressure of descent, until it finally hovered a hundred zhang above the mountaintop.
Spiritual light pulsed from the ship’s underside, spreading ripples of pressure like tidal waves, accompanied by faint celestial music.
“The Immortal Vessel is here! Line up and board!”
The vessel had an automatic recognition system. As soon as Chu Huaizhi boarded, he was guided to the lowest deck—a giant bunk room.
One room, three tiers—top, middle, bottom—each tier sleeping ten people.
But no one was lying down. Those who had entered earlier all sat cross-legged. Even on the lowest deck, the spiritual energy was richer than in many other places.
Chu Huaizhi wore a grim expression and picked the most corner spot he could find.
He’d been a Marshal for so many years—he’d never lived this poor!
Up in the Immortal Vessel’s top suite, Lin Jingqiu gently laid her little sister on the bed, a decision firming in her heart.
Life really can’t be spent too recklessly—discipline is essential.
She’d only been indulgent for less than a month, and her body was already sounding the alarm.
