parentshiftbook Chapter 1: F-Rank Start? No, this is a Sealed Mystic Realm!
Chapter 1: F-Rank Start? No, this is a Sealed Mystic Realm!
"Have you heard? Last night, the advance team of the Dragon Kingdom's military was completely wiped out..."
In the crowd, someone spoke first.
"How could I not have heard? There are a full hundred explorers of S rank or higher."
"The swordsman Li Tiangang, who led the team, brought back the 'Nine Swords of Dugu' from the [Laughing Proudly Secret Realm] and obtained the 'Nine Yin Manual' from the [Shooting the Eagle Secret Realm]."
"His cultivation level had long reached the point of splitting mountains and stopping rivers, making him one of the most powerful beings recognized by humankind."
"They're all dead... Less than three minutes after they went in, all one hundred of their life-bound soul tablets were blown to pieces, and not a single one survived."
"It is said that the military used top-secret equipment and risked their lives to transmit back a recording of Li Tiangang before his death."
He roared inside: "Don't go to the North Sea, the sky is full of flying things! Who is Grand Tutor Wen? What are the Jie Sect... and the Chan Sect, ah..."
"hiss--"
Gasps of astonishment echoed across the playground.
For a hundred years, mysterious realms have been descending upon Earth.
Humans used this to bring back martial arts techniques, bloodlines, and rare treasures to resist alien beasts and establish a brand new martial arts civilization.
Early low-level martial arts realms such as the [Laughing at the Proud Wanderer Realm] and [Shooting the Eagle Realm] have been repeatedly explored by humans.
Bringing back a second-rate secret manual will allow one to instantly transcend social class and become a powerful and wealthy person.
Those top explorers were even revered as gods.
However, this time the [Sealed Mystic Realm] is completely different.
The national think tank searched through the remaining ancient books but could not find any records of "Chaoge", "Jiejiao", "Chanjiao", or "Grand Tutor Wen".
This is a completely unknown and mysterious place.
Its danger level is rated as...SSS+.
The highest level of danger known to humankind!
Even S-class explorers would face certain death if they went in.
These eighteen-year-old high school students who haven't even cultivated true qi yet, wouldn't they be sending themselves to their deaths if they went in?
"quiet!"
The head instructor walked up to the platform with a grim face.
"The rules of the 【Sealed Mystic Realm】 are mandatory."
"The laws of the secret realm have locked onto Blue Star, requiring each base city to select 1% of its eligible 18-year-olds to enter it."
"This is a calamity for humanity, but... it may also be a great opportunity."
"Today, our First Military High School will select 35 students to enter the [Sealed Mystic Realm]."
"The selection process begins now."
boom!
The list on the holographic screen began to scroll wildly.
In the crowd, a boy stared intently at the light screen, his fists clenched unconsciously.
His name is Lin Yuan, and he is a time traveler.
I have been in this parallel world for a full eighteen years.
The history of this world experienced a break several hundred years ago, and countless ancient myths and legends were lost.
There is no Journey to the West, no prehistoric world.
Of course... there was no deification!
Ding!
The light screen stopped scrolling, and the 35 names turned blood red, floating in mid-air.
Lin Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted.
[Lin Yuan from Class 7, Grade 12, has been selected!]
"Whoosh—"
The surrounding students scattered as if avoiding a plague, leaving a large empty circle.
More than thirty sympathetic and pitying gazes fell on Lin Yuan and the other chosen people.
"That's terrible. Lin Yuan usually ranks in the top ten in his grade in academic subjects, and now he's become cannon fodder."
"What can we do? The martial arts of the low-level martial arts realm are nothing compared to those of the [Sealed Mystic Realm]."
"He's doomed if he goes in this time."
The homeroom teacher, Mr. Wang, had slightly red eyes. He walked over to Lin Yuan and patted him on the shoulder.
"Lin Yuan, don't be afraid... fortune and misfortune are intertwined."
"Although the advance team was wiped out, intelligence says that some of them could fly through the clouds and move mountains and fill seas."
"If you manage to bring anything out alive, you'll be a hero to all mankind. Your sister will be well taken care of by the country."
Lin Yuan took a deep breath, said nothing, and nodded silently.
"All those selected, come up on stage immediately for the Soul Compatibility Test!" the head instructor shouted.
The rules of higher-dimensional realms are unique.
The explorer does not enter physically, but rather through an instrument, their soul travels and possesses the body of the native inhabitants of the secret realm.
The higher the compatibility, the higher the identity of the possessed being, and the greater the chance of survival at the start.
Thirty-five selected students were led to the execution ground and made to walk onto the high platform.
In the center of the high platform stands a black stone tablet, exuding an ancient charm that reflects the vicissitudes of time.
"The first one is Li Ming!"
A boy placed his hand on it with trembling hands.
"Buzz—"
The stone tablet glowed with a faint white light, revealing small characters.
[Compatibility: E-level]
[Possessed by: A hunter on the border of Xiqi]
Sighs rose from the audience.
"E-rank... Xiqi? That sounds like a remote, impoverished place. A hunter there would surely die if he encountered a wild beast. Useless."
The head instructor shook his head and drew an X on the list.
"Next up, Zhao Qiang!"
The stone tablet shimmered with green light.
[Compatibility: D grade.]
[Possessed by: A soldier of the Imperial Guard in Chaoge]
"Whoosh—"
A commotion broke out among the crowd.
"Chaoge!"
"The intelligence mentioned that this seems to be the core empire of the secret realm, and he has actually become a soldier in the Imperial Guard."
"With a D-level compatibility rating, he starts in the imperial city with the protection of the army. He might even be able to learn top-level martial arts. Zhao Qiang is about to defy fate."
Zhao Qiang's face turned bright red, all despair vanished, and he walked off the stage with his head held high.
Then, the students stepped forward one by one.
"Rank E: Stableman under a General!"
"Rank D: The alchemy apprentice of a wandering Taoist priest!"
Although most of them are at the lower levels of E and D, as long as they are associated with "Chaoge" or "General", they can elicit a gasp of surprise.
"Next up, Chu Tianhe!"
All eyes in the room instantly became focused.
Chu Tianhe, son of the richest man in Jiangnan Base City, is a recognized martial arts genius who is only one step away from condensing true qi.
He smiled slightly, strode to the stone tablet, and pressed down with one hand.
"boom--"
In an instant, the stone tablet burst forth with a dazzling blue light.
The rays of light shot straight into the sky, creating a magnificent spectacle that illuminated half of the playground as if it were a frozen sea.
On the holographic screen, large characters appeared like thunder:
[Compatibility: B-grade!]
[Possessed by: A subordinate general of the Yin Shang Dynasty (with 3,000 soldiers under his command)!]
Dead silence.
The playground fell into a deathly silence for a full three seconds.
"Holy crap, B-rank! It's actually B-rank!"
"A subordinate general of the Yin Shang dynasty, commanding three thousand soldiers, this is an invincible start."
"Even the S-rank experts in the advance team who went in only reached the C-rank when they possessed the body. Young Master Chu tested at the B-rank. He's going to take off in the secret realm and suppress the local lords."
The principal and chief instructor on the platform suddenly stood up, breathing rapidly.
"Okay, okay, okay!"
The principal's eyes were filled with fervor. "Tianhe, once you enter the secret realm, you must secure your position as a lieutenant general."
"With three thousand soldiers, as long as you don't provoke those immortals who ride the clouds, you'll be more than capable of protecting yourself. The future of humanity rests on your shoulders."
Chu Tianhe smiled arrogantly, his gaze sweeping over the audience.
In this perilous and mysterious realm, he starts as a general with a large army.
The others were nothing but hunters, grooms, and lackeys!
This is what social class is.
"Next up, Lin Yuan!"
Riding on Chu Tianhe's influence, the head instructor's voice was unusually gentle.
Lin Yuan walked onto the stage expressionlessly.
With such outstanding achievements before him, no one paid any attention to him anymore.
Lin Yuan extended his right hand and pressed it on the stone tablet.
one second...
Two seconds...
three seconds...
The stone tablet did not respond.
Just when everyone thought the instrument was broken, a faint light flashed from the bottom of the stone tablet with a "poof".
Text appeared on the light screen.
[Compatibility: F grade.]
[Possessed by: An alien creature...an ordinary crow on the outskirts of Xuanyuan Tomb.]
The wind stopped at that moment.
Immediately afterwards, a loud "boom" erupted, and the entire audience burst into laughter far exceeding what had been heard before.
"Hahaha, F grade! That's the lowest grade since the school was founded!"
"Crow, he's not even a human anymore, he's turned into a bird?"
"What's the point of exploring? Even an ordinary crow could be shot down and roasted by a hunter. The game is over from the start."
The head instructor's smile vanished, replaced by disdain in his eyes.
He picked up the red pen, made a heavy stroke on Lin Yuan's name, and coldly uttered two words.
"Cannon fodder. Get off here, don't embarrass yourself."
Chu Tianhe crossed his arms and looked down at him with a mocking smile.
"Lin Yuan, Lin Yuan, you always got first place in academics, we thought you were someone important. And now... just a crow?"
"Once you enter the secret realm, you'd better pray you don't fly over my Yin Shang camp. Otherwise, I will shoot you down and use you as a snack."
Among the crowd below the stage.
A young woman with a cool and aloof demeanor looked at Lin Yuan on the stage and shook her head slightly.
She is Su Meng, the school beauty, and Lin Yuan's secret crush for the past three years.
The two often spent time together in the library examining ancient books, which outsiders considered somewhat ambiguous.
But at this moment, only a resolute look remained in Su Meng's eyes.
She withdrew her gaze and turned to look at the spirited Chu Tianhe.
"We're from two different worlds now."
"A crow whose life hangs by a thread, and a promising general of the Shang Dynasty... Lin Yuan, I'm sorry, but in this era, only the strong are fit to survive."
She silently recited the words to herself, then walked towards Chu Tianhe with a smile.
"Young Master Chu, congratulations."
The air was filled with shrill laughter.
Before me was the instructor's indifference, the arrogance of others, and the betrayal of old friends.
Lin Yuan stood on the high platform, head down, without saying a word.
Everyone thought he was crying, that he was afraid, that he had fallen into the abyss of despair.
But no one knows.
At this moment, Lin Yuan bit his lip hard, using all his strength to barely suppress the urge to burst into wild laughter.
"Chaoge..."
"Xiqi..."
"The Yin-Shang Dynasty..."
"Grand Tutor Wen..."
Lin Yuan stared intently at the words on the light screen.
People in this world don't understand.
On this culturally fragmented blue planet, no one knows the true meaning behind these names.
But Lin Yuan knew.
This is not some unknown SSS+ level perilous place at all; this is something he has read countless times in his previous life... "Investiture of the Gods"!
Before his death, Li Tiangang shouted, "Don't go to Beihai!" and "Who is Grand Tutor Wen?"...
"In other words, the current timeline is when Wen Zhong was ordered to lead an expedition to the North Sea to quell the rebellion. This is the seventh year of King Zhou of Shang's reign, and the world is at peace."
"The great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods has not yet truly begun."
"The pilgrimage to Nuwa Palace, Su Daji's entry into the palace, King Wu's conquest of Zhou... everything is in the making."
Lin Yuan looked at Chu Tianhe, who was enjoying the flattery, with eyes as if he were looking at a dead object.
A subordinate general of the Yin-Shang dynasty?
Is it very strong?
Did you know that the Shang Dynasty was destined to perish?
You have joined the biggest loser camp in the entire Investiture of the Gods.
He was just a minor general who couldn't even make it to the bottom of the Investiture of the Gods list. He was only fit to be slapped into ashes by a Golden Immortal of the Chan Sect.
"As for me..."
Lin Yuan looked down and glanced at the dim F-rank.
An ordinary crow.
It sounds ridiculous.
But in this primordial world where plants and trees can become spirits and magical artifacts can gain sentience, what does a crow signify?
"In the ancient primordial world, the Demon Emperor Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor Taiyi were originally three-legged golden crows."
"In this great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods, there was also the Daoist Lu Ya, who could slay immortals and gods with just one sentence, 'My darling, please turn around.'"
"So what if it's just an ordinary crow?"
"As long as I intercept the unclaimed spiritual treasures of heaven and earth in advance, as long as I know all the plot developments, the sages' schemes, and the locations of the caves..."
"In this parallel world where no one knows about 'Investiture of the Gods,' my foresight is the greatest, most towering tree!"
Lin Yuan took a deep breath, and the gloom in his eyes vanished.