Chapter 8: Blessed with Immortal Fortune
Lin Tianlu was anything but calm.
Mount Taiyi had vanished… because he had absorbed it?!
This…
A mountain, residing within his body. Wouldn’t that cause some serious internal issues?
He grimaced, tentatively reaching out with his mind to touch the ethereal peak within him.
To his surprise, there was no resistance. It felt intangible, like a phantom image rather than a solid object.
But as he observed it more closely, he noticed faint wisps of spiritual energy rising from the mountain, merging with the energy already circulating within him.
The amount was minuscule, but it was undoubtedly beneficial.
…
After repeated confirmations, Lin Tianlu finally relaxed.
At least for now, the mountain within him posed no threat. It was just… unexpected. Hua Shuya’s casual remark about “immortal powers” had turned out to be true. He had somehow absorbed an entire mountain.
He couldn’t help but feel a surge of embarrassment.
But then…
He threw back his head and laughed, a genuine sense of excitement bubbling up within him.
His transmigration had gotten off to a rough start, with that first day on the mountaintop a near-death experience. The bone-chilling cold, the gnawing hunger… it had been truly miserable.
But from that near-death experience, he had emerged transformed. He had become what the scholar he had replaced had yearned for: an immortal.
Fate worked in mysterious ways.
“I’ve been given a second chance… I have to make the most of it.”
The initial thrill of discovery gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of calm determination.
Perhaps it was the influence of the spiritual energy flowing through him, or perhaps it was the tranquility of his surroundings. Whatever the reason, he felt a sense of peace he hadn’t experienced in years.
He opened his eyes and walked over to the table, his gaze lingering on the objects he had brought with him from Mount Taiyi.
“If that mountain truly housed immortals, then these must be artifacts of some kind.”
They hadn’t reacted in any unusual way before, perhaps because he hadn’t been channeling his spiritual energy.
He decided to experiment.
He focused his mind, trying to summon the energy within him.
To his frustration, it proved more difficult than he had anticipated. The energy was there, vast and potent, but controlling it was like trying to tame a wild beast. It took all his concentration to gather a faint spark of light at his fingertips.
“I need practice. I have the potential, but I lack the knowledge, the techniques.”
He would have to find some cultivation manuals, some guidance on how to harness this power.
Right now, he was nothing more than a novice, a dabbler in the arts of immortality.
He could handle a few stray ghosts, but that was about it.
He sighed, focusing the energy in his fingertips onto the broken sword lying on the table.
This world seemed to be teeming with supernatural threats. He might never encounter another spirit like the one in the forest, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some means of defense.
He had to see if he could activate these artifacts with his spiritual energy…
HUM!
The sword vibrated slightly.
Lin Tianlu’s eyes widened in excitement.
It was working!
Even in its broken state, this sword, a relic of a bygone era, still held some power. He just needed to—
CLATTER!
The sword slipped from his grasp, falling to the floor with a dull thud.
Lin Tianlu stared at it, dumbfounded.
He picked it up again, cautiously touching it with his fingertips.
The sword rose into the air, wobbling precariously.
And then, it fell again.
“…”
Was his hand a magnet or something?
He sighed in exasperation.
He poked the sword at the stone floor.
Clink, clink.
Two small white marks appeared on the stone.
Well, at least it was made of metal.
“I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up,” he muttered, setting the sword aside.
He picked up the jade flute, examining it closely.
An instrument of the immortals… surely it required spiritual energy to function.
He took a deep breath, channeling his energy into his lungs and mouth. He placed his lips against the mouthpiece and blew gently.
“Preeeee, preeeee, prrrrrrrrrrrrt—”
He lowered the flute, his face expressionless.
It sounded even worse than before. And it smelled faintly of mildew.
Whoever crafted this flute… they clearly lacked musical talent.
No, they were probably tone-deaf.
That left the broken jade pendant and the Go board.
He tried channeling his energy into the stones and the board, but nothing happened.
It seemed the Go set was just that: a game, a form of entertainment for the immortals who had once resided on Mount Taiyi. The jade boxes that held the stones were sturdy, which was why they had survived the passage of time.
But the pendant…
Tinkle!
As he infused it with his energy, the dull jade fragments suddenly flared to life, emitting a soft, ethereal glow.
Lin Tianlu’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Finally, something that works!”
He examined the pendant closely, his heart filled with anticipation.
But nothing else happened.
He tapped it, shook it, even threw it against the wall, trying to trigger some kind of reaction. He mimicked hand gestures he had seen in movies, hoping to activate some hidden power.
But it remained inert.
He slumped back in his chair, defeated.
It had absorbed the dark energy released by the spirit’s destruction, so he had hoped for something more… something spectacular.
But it seemed to be nothing more than a fancy, spirit-powered flashlight.
He longed for a mystical weapon, a legendary artifact, something worthy of his newfound status as an immortal. But as he glanced at the objects scattered across the table, he couldn’t bring himself to complain.
He had been blessed with an incredible opportunity. To ask for more would be greedy.
He would keep these items close, as reminders of his journey.
“I’ll find a craftsman in town. Maybe they can repair them.”
He walked over to the window, gazing out at the moon, now hidden behind a veil of clouds.
He was starting to feel at home in this world, despite its dangers and mysteries. There was a part of him that still yearned for his old life, for the familiar comforts of his former world. But he had accepted his fate, embracing the unknown with a newfound sense of purpose.
“It’s a shame there’s no one to play Go with,” he mused, his fingers itching to pick up the black and white stones.
No…
He was in Changling County now. He had time to learn.
It would be far more dignified than playing five-in-a-row against himself.
“But aside from leisure activities, my priority is cultivation.” He held out his hand, watching the faint sparks of energy dancing across his palm.
“To possess such power and not know how to use it… it would be a waste. If I can master the arts of immortality in this world, explore its wonders, then my transmigration will have been worth it.”
He would have to interact with the locals, see if there were any clues to the whereabouts of other cultivators.
Perhaps, through fate or chance, he would encounter others like him.
“Although, with my current level of skill, I’d probably be laughed out of any respectable sect.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe I should lay low for a while, focus on honing my scholarly skills.”
His conversations with Hua Shuya had nearly exhausted his limited vocabulary of ancient Chinese.
If he kept pushing it, he would start slipping into modern slang. He didn’t want to ruin the ambiance by accidentally blurting out a “holy crap” in the middle of a conversation.
Knock, knock!
A sharp rapping sound echoed from the front gate, startling him out of his thoughts.
He frowned, wondering who would be visiting at this late hour.
“Coming!”
He hurried through the courtyard, his footsteps echoing on the stone path. He reached the gate and pulled it open.
