Chapter One: The Sect of Five Elements

At the summit of the Five Elements Sect’s mountain, a boy of eleven or twelve gazed out at the ever-shifting sea of clouds, his face lost in confusion as he murmured to himself, "Who am I, really? Am I Chen Yi the cultivator, or Chen Yi from the modern world? Is this a past life and present life, or a journey of the soul across worlds?"

Chen Yi was twelve this year, an outer disciple of the Five Elements Sect. He had been here for nearly three years. Three years ago, an inner disciple from the sect went out to temper himself and, upon noticing Chen Yi’s decent aptitude, brought him back to the sect to cultivate. Accompanying him was the village chief’s son from his own village.

When his parents learned of this opportunity, and considering Chen Yi’s innate frailty, they consented to let the inner disciple take their son away to this great sect of cultivation, hoping not for immortal achievements, but simply for their child’s health and safety.

The Five Elements Sect was one of the six great immortal sects—a colossal force in the world of cultivation with a history spanning millions of years. As one of the six great sects, it housed thousands upon thousands of outer disciples at the Qi Refining stage, countless inner disciples at Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul stages, as well as elders at the Divide Spirit, Spirit Transformation, Integration, and Great Perfection stages. Even the sect master was at the peak of Great Perfection, and there were numerous ancient beings at the Tribulation Crossing and Loose Immortal stages. The sect’s founder, Master Five Elements, was a figure of dominance in the higher realms.

The Five Elements Sect was nestled within the heart of the Celestial Dragon Mountains, the greatest mountain range in the cultivation world. The peaks soared in majesty, so high that their summits were invisible from afar. The entire range was shrouded in mist year-round, ancient giant trees covered every slope, their branches entwined with lush green vines that resembled dragons coiling and frolicking—imbuing the mountain with a truly otherworldly aura.

Around the core of Celestial Dragon Mountain, seven peaks stood tall, their positions mirroring the Big Dipper in the heavens. These were: Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Kaiyang, Yuheng, and Yaoguang Peaks.

These seven peaks formed a natural Big Dipper formation, encircled in such a way that they created a formidable array, both for defense and attack. The Big Dipper Formation was a fusion of killing and trapping formations, serving as the sect’s protective barrier. It could entrap or destroy any cultivator below the Celestial Immortal level. At the heart of the formation lay the Five-Colored Stone, the sect’s guardian artifact, said to be a celestial treasure brought down by Master Five Elements himself—a rare and precious item even in the immortal realm.

Although Chen Yi had spent nearly three years here, due to his weak constitution, his cultivation had only reached the second stage of Qi Refining and he had been unable to break through to the third. Most boys who entered the sect at the same time as him were already at the third stage, and a few with outstanding talent had reached the fifth or sixth stage, almost catching up with disciples a generation ahead.

A month ago, striving to break through, Chen Yi secluded himself with pills he had saved for months. At first, things went well, but as he attempted to overcome the barrier between the second and third stages, he could make no progress, and eventually ran out of pills. Anxious and frustrated, his energy spiraled out of control. After coughing up blood, he lost consciousness.

When he awoke, a day and a night had passed. Fortunately, his cultivation kept him from starvation, but he was nearly scared to death. For within his mind, he now possessed the memories of a modern Earthling—also named Chen Yi—who had been born on that blue planet, grown up, attended school, worked, loved, married, and experienced all the joys and sorrows of life, until his accidental death.

That memory contained many wondrous things: airplanes soaring through the skies, ships traversing the oceans, telephones that carried voices across thousands of miles, guns that killed with a single shot, and computers with the power to simulate the workings of the universe.

Having grown up within the Five Elements Sect, these marvels filled Chen Yi with curiosity. He even fantasized about bringing such things into the world of cultivation. Of course, that was impossible—he had seen them, but did not know how to create them. Perhaps, if his cultivation grew strong enough, he might one day succeed.

The Earthly memories benefited him, broadening his perspective, deepening his understanding of life, and strengthening his mind. Yet as these memories merged and clashed with his present self, his mind throbbed with pain, as though it would split apart. For days, his head felt ready to burst and visions plagued him. The outer disciples who cultivated alongside him often overheard him muttering strange words, and began to suspect his seclusion had damaged his mind.

This sudden flood of memories brought him days of suffering, but it was not without reward. As the memories integrated, the very foundation of his soul doubled in strength—now at least twice as strong as that of his peers. The pain had condensed his soul, giving him a spiritual force comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. From then on, he need no longer fear soul attacks from those at his own level.

This fortuitous strengthening of his soul was a rare opportunity indeed. A person's soul is fixed at birth and rarely grows stronger, unless one encounters a priceless treasure of heaven and earth—something far beyond the reach of someone like Chen Yi.

Not only had his soul grown, but his comprehension had soared as well. Cultivation relies on both aptitude and insight—while his aptitude was not poor, it was not extraordinary. This stroke of fortune, however, would allow him to reach greater heights on his path.

With his newfound understanding, Chen Yi's outlook and thoughts underwent a profound transformation. Though his appearance was still that of an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy, his spirit had become that of a seasoned adult. An air of calm and maturity now surrounded him, quite at odds with his youthful face.