The Grand Charlatan

After Su Xiaoxiao and the village shaman left, Jiang Chen quietly returned to the mecha. He was here to retrieve the Seven Star Sword Technique scroll that Su Xiaoxiao had offered.

This was a genuine cultivation world, and the massive red star in the sky was the celestial realm, towering above.

To ordinary mortals, the celestial realm floated in the heavens, beautiful, brilliant, and shrouded in mystery. It was filled with the most potent spiritual energy in the universe, the strongest immortals and demons, and the most precious treasures. Everyone yearned to ascend to the celestial realm. The mortal realm, which was nearly a hundred times smaller than the celestial realm, was far weaker and merely orbited around it. There were seven such mortal realms, varying in distance from the celestial realm.

However, to Jiang Chen, the so-called celestial and mortal realms were merely neighboring planets, akin to Earth and the Moon or the Sun and the nine planets.

As for cultivating immortality, it was all due to a mysterious force called "Yuan Qi" flowing through the world. The process of cultivation could be summarized as refining essence into energy, refining energy into spirit, refining spirit into unity, and refining unity into the Dao.

The Nine Realms of Cultivation were: "Initial Dao," "Dao Transformation," "Dao Extension," "Primordial Dan," "Primordial Infant," "Primordial Spirit," "Return to Emptiness," "Unity," and "Dao Harmony" — the nine stages a cultivator must pass through to reach the immortal domain.

Without the sudden intrusion of mechas, this would have been a world of immortals and demons, ancient and mystical, with flying swords and profound teachings.

Now, as Jiang Chen found himself inexplicably in this world under Zhang Dazhuang's identity, he had to adapt to the situation, whether he liked it or not, or risk being trampled.

"Ha…"

In the lounge, Jiang Chen moved swiftly, like a gust of wind, darting around as sword lights flew in all directions, merging seamlessly with his movements. His steps were as intricate as a dance, perfectly synchronizing with the sword lights and embodying a sense of the Dao.

"Celestial Sword Kill!"

Suddenly, Jiang Chen's movement changed, and he shot forward like a sharp star, sword light merging with him, reaching top speed in an instant.

"Whoosh…" With one final strike, Jiang Chen sheathed his sword and looked at what he had been using—a mere stick he had picked up from the roadside.

"Ha ha ha ha, I've already made such progress with the Celestial Sword. I truly am a prodigy," Jiang Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, laughing triumphantly.

A person who has just begun cultivation can already be considered at the early stage of the Initial Dao, but Jiang Chen was evidently much more exceptional than the average cultivator at this stage. Though the initial stage was relatively simple, achieving progress required extraordinary talent and ability. Jiang Chen's rapid grasp of the Seven Star Sword Technique's first form could only be described as astonishing.

In fact, Jiang Chen, or Zhang Dazhuang, had a high cultivation talent. He was supposed to become an entry-level disciple of the Yushan Sword Sect last year. Driven by desperation, he had initially joined the sect's selection with a mere hope. To his surprise, he excelled in all the trials. However, because of his outstanding performance, a seemingly innocent woman targeted him. She used her body and sweet words to gain Zhang Dazhuang's help, and she emerged successful while Zhang Dazhuang fell short.

At that time, Zhang Dazhuang had no regrets. He believed that with another year, he would surely succeed in the Yushan Sword Sect's selection and achieve both his ambitions and romantic desires.

But he never expected that the woman had already attached herself to a prominent disciple of the Yushan Sword Sect. Fearing retaliation, she drugged Zhang Dazhuang during the selection last month, leading him to attempt an assault on a young girl. As a result, Zhang Dazhuang was expelled from the sect and lost his chance forever.

The world is cold and unfeeling. When Zhang Dazhuang first attempted to join the sect, the villagers had ignored him, believing he had no chance. But once they heard of his high talent, they all tried to curry favor with him, claiming kinship and providing funds for his exam. When Zhang Dazhuang returned in disgrace, these same people turned on him, demanding repayment. This had led to the scene Jiang Chen faced upon waking.

"Once I'm powerful, I'll settle scores, and take revenge. The first on my list is that despicable woman, and the second is that pretty boy. Hmph!" Jiang Chen thought as he rested after his sword practice.

Three days later, another so-called auspicious day arrived. All the villagers were summoned to the area around the mecha for the grand sacrificial ceremony.

"Contributions are being collected. The more you give, the more sincere your offerings will be."

"The great demon manifests, bringing blessings to every home…"

"Just a few days ago, the great demon opened its eyes, its gaze reaching the heavens. You all saw it in your dreams. I, Zhang Dazhuang, am renowned for my reliability and credibility."

Jiang Chen, holding a large plate, eagerly went from house to house collecting money.

Su Xiaoxiao, who was on the edge of the crowd, looked on with a peculiar expression. To her, Jiang Chen resembled nothing more than a charlatan. Yet, he was indeed the one chosen by the great demon and was successful in the sacrificial rites.

The villagers, now full of gratitude, bowed and offered money, begging Zhang Dazhuang to speak favorably of them to the great demon. They had completely forgotten their previous harshness towards him.

Especially the village shaman, who was extremely devout. He held his staff high and said, "Great Shaman, this staff has been passed down for four hundred years. It will be useful for the sacrificial rites."

Jiang Chen glanced at it dismissively. It was nothing more than a shabby piece of wood, neither gold-plated nor adorned with jewels. He pushed it aside, saying, "Not needed, not needed. Just give me gold and silver."

The village shaman was stunned. His staff was his lifeline, the source of his faith. He couldn't believe it was so disregarded by the great shaman! He had devoted his life to the rites, yet none had ever shown signs. But Zhang Dazhuang managed to manifest every time. Could it be that he was truly the great shaman?

Overwhelmed with guilt, the village shaman felt unworthy of his role. He realized he had never understood the true essence of the rites, while Zhang Dazhuang seemed to embody it.

Jiang Chen paid no mind to the village shaman and approached Sai Dafu. A few days ago, Sai Dafu had been injured by the fallen mecha and was still being carried. He was a corpulent man, and his companion, Sai Xishi, was his perfect match.

"Brother Dazhuang, this is our contribution, all in gold, one hundred taels. Is it enough?"

As soon as Jiang Chen walked in, Sai Xishi quickly approached with a tray of gold ingots.

"Not bad, not bad," Jiang Chen said, his mouth watering as he took the money and prepared to leave.

Sai Xishi asked anxiously, "Brother Dazhuang, with such a sincere offering from our family, do you think the great demon will grant my wish?"

Jiang Chen tensed up and asked, "What wish?"

Sai Xishi replied, "To be with you."

"Pfft!" Jiang Chen spat out blood in shock and angrily said, "Don't trouble the great demon with this! If you keep pushing, he might just stomp you to death!"

With that, Jiang Chen turned and walked away. He was fed up with the endless troubles. After this deal, if Su Xiaoxiao didn't invite him to Yushan, he would leave regardless.

Sai Xishi was reluctant to give up and tried to push through the crowd to chase Jiang Chen, but was stopped by Sai Dafu's stern voice, "No nonsense during the sacrificial ceremony. We'll discuss your matters later."

Sai Xishi had no choice but to restrain herself.

At that moment, the villagers preparing for the sacrificial rites were unaware that a group of distinguished individuals had arrived outside their village.

The group consisted of only seven people, all dressed in the robes of sect disciples, with swords at their waists and riding on high steeds. Their demeanor was haughty and aloof. Particularly notable was the leader, who rode not a horse, but a towering white tiger with glowing eyes.

This tiger was no ordinary beast but a fearsome demon beast, known for its claws and appetite for human flesh. Yet, it sat meekly under its master, showing no resistance.

"Master, the great demon's remains are ahead, and the head is the most crucial part," reported a young disciple in his twenties, who had first discovered the demon's head and felt proud of his achievement.

The leader, a middle-aged man in purple robes, had fierce, sharp glints in his eyes. He smiled coldly and said, "Excellent. Since the head is crucial, and to avoid any delays, let's take it ourselves before the sect's people arrive."

"Understood!"

The six disciples responded in unison, their expressions relaxed.

Retrieving something from an ordinary village was not a challenge for them. The only concern was how to transport the great demon's head.

Suddenly, the group came to a halt.

"Yushan Sword Sect?" The middle-aged man in purple frowned. Not far ahead stood Su Xiaoxiao, tall and alluring, making her presence unmistakable. She stood out not only because of her ethereal beauty but also because she was wearing the Yushan Sword Sect disciple's robes.

Several young male cultivators were already captivated by Su Xiaoxiao's curvaceous figure. When they saw her pure and delicate face, their spirits were lifted.

The leading disciple whispered, "Master, when I first found this place a few days ago, there was no sign of her."

The middle-aged man in purple asked, "Was she truly not here, or did you simply miss her?"

The young disciple lowered his head and said, "I found the great demon's head immediately and reported it to you, so I didn't check if there were any Yushan people around."

Another disciple said, "Master, debating this now is pointless. The Yushan Sword Sect and we have always been at odds, and this place is so close to their sect. What should we do?"

The middle-aged man's face was as cold as ice. This urgency to retrieve the great demon's head was due to its importance. The Emperor had decreed that all sects should investigate the great demon's remains thoroughly. The sects, in turn, could not afford to delay.

Since this was the Yushan Sword Sect's territory and they were also searching for the demon's remains, if they didn't act quickly, Yushan might seize it first.

With a fierce glint in his eyes, the middle-aged man in purple said grimly, "Go check if there are more Yushan people around. If it's just her… hmph!"

"Understood!"

Four young disciples responded and moved to scout the area, while the middle-aged man led the remaining two directly towards Su Xiaoxiao.

Soon, Su Xiaoxiao noticed these newcomers, and their arrival made her otherwise composed face show a hint of alarm.