NOVEL NEXT Chapter 001:
Chapter 001: Celestial Being Descends:
Chu Xiao was utterly baffled.
Originally, he was just passing time by buying a gaming pod to try out the highly anticipated global sensation, Taicang Realm, which claimed to be the pinnacle of gaming technology.
Earlier, as the game was about to launch, Chu Xiao entered the gaming pod, eager to log in immediately when the servers went live.
But unexpectedly, the moment he got in, before he could even start the game, he suddenly found himself transported to another world.
Yes, he was certain—this wasn’t just entering the game. He had actually transmigrated.
There was no game interface, no exit button, and he even possessed the original owner’s memories in this new body.
What left Chu Xiao dumbfounded was that he now found himself in the very world of Taicang Realm!
Before logging in, he had taken the time to review the game’s basic backstory, which matched perfectly with the memories of this body’s previous owner.
This was a high-fantasy martial arts world with an incredibly terrifying upper limit of power, an expansive map seemingly infinite in scope, broadly divided into five regions: the Eastern Frontier, the Southern Wilderness, the Northern Territory, the Western Desert, and the Central Continent.
In this world, countless martial artists and sects pursued the ultimate goals of immortality and invincibility, dedicating their lives to cultivation.
The martial sects were ranked from ninth grade, the lowest, to first grade, the highest. Martial arts techniques followed the same grading system.
Other intricate details were exactly the same as Taicang Realm!
The body Chu Xiao now possessed belonged to a man named Chu Shenxiao, whose name differed from his by just one character.
From his inherited memories, Chu Xiao drew one conclusion: this man was cursed with terrible misfortune!
He was born in a small country in the Eastern Frontier called Xuan Country, the ninth son of the king. His mother died in childbirth, and his elder sister, overcome with grief, left home only to die shortly after.
The king deemed him inauspicious and confined him to the Cold Palace, forbidding him from leaving. His only companion was a blind old eunuch who took care of him.
At age ten, out of curiosity, he stepped outside the Cold Palace for the first time and encountered the king. Surprised to remember he had another son, the king decided to care for him a little and even considered moving him out of the Cold Palace.
But within days, Xuan Country was destroyed by an alliance of neighboring nations. The royal family was slaughtered, and the blind eunuch narrowly saved Chu Shenxiao, hiding him in a remote town where they lived cautiously in seclusion.
After this tragedy, Chu Shenxiao realized his misfortune brought calamity and dared not form bonds with others. He remained confined, practicing the martial arts of Xuan Country while the eunuch took care of his daily needs.
However, his talent was mediocre, and after more than a decade of practice, his cultivation showed little progress.
Recently, feeling stifled indoors, he ventured out and accidentally fell off a cliff.
A classic trope—but he didn’t die.
Instead, he found a mysterious seven-colored fruit. Not knowing what it was, he ate it. When he woke up, his body was possessed by Chu Xiao.
“Damn it, if I’m going to transmigrate, couldn’t I at least be the protagonist? Why am I cursed with such terrible luck?”
Chu Xiao muttered to himself.
“Chu Shenxiao—just the name screams villain. Protagonists have surnames like Ye or Lin and cool names like Fan or Feng.”
“A walking calamity, no family, no sisters, and such a pretentious name. Clearly a mob character destined to give the protagonist experience points.”
As Chu Xiao grumbled, he wandered to a riverbank to wash his face and clear his head.
Then, he froze.
Before him was a man of otherworldly beauty…
Even with tattered clothes and disheveled hair, the ethereal aura exuded by this figure was undeniable.
Fair-skinned yet far from effeminate, with radiant eyes, dazzling teeth, and perfectly sculpted features that seemed to glow. His gaze shimmered with the light of distant stars.
Such an immortal-looking man!
Chu Xiao couldn’t help but admire the reflection. Then, surprise flickered in his eyes.
This person… seemed familiar.
Was this… Chu Shenxiao?
In other words, himself?
Hurriedly, he touched his face, and the reflection mimicked his movements. Although the original Chu Shenxiao had been good-looking, this level of handsomeness was unprecedented.
The facial features were the same, but somehow, they were exponentially more striking.
Could it be the fruit?
Chu Xiao considered the possibility.
Whatever the reason, it wasn’t important.
He slapped his forehead. “With a face this stunning, maybe I’m not destined to be a villain. Perhaps I’m the chosen one!”
He chuckled to himself, taking the whole transmigration ordeal quite well. After all, he had no parents, no siblings, and no major attachments in his previous life. Life wasn’t terrible but wasn’t particularly joyful either. The prospect of a fresh start in an intriguing world excited him.
Just as he accepted his new reality and started planning his next steps, a voice echoed in his mind, leaving him stunned.
“Taicang Realm officially launched. Welcome, esteemed new player…”
“Beginning character creation… Existing character detected: ‘Chu Shenxiao’… Login successful.”
“Character charm value maxed at 100, meeting the unique achievement condition. Title awarded: ‘Celestial Being Descends.’”
“Unique achievement completed. Awarded one ‘unique item’ draw opportunity…”
Before Chu Xiao could react, a string of system notifications popped up, and his character logged in automatically.
A status panel materialized before him:
…
Character Name: Chu Shenxiao
Gender: Male
Title: Celestial Being Descends (Grants the wearer the appearance of a celestial being. Every movement exudes perfection and immortal aura. Charm value remains at maximum under all circumstances.)
Affiliation: None
Identity: None
Cultivation: Condensed Aperture Stage
Spiritual Cultivation Talent: 23 (Mediocre)
Physical Cultivation Talent: 28 (Mediocre)
Comprehension Talent: 39 (Slightly Gifted)
Charm: 100 (Eternal Legend)
Cultivation Technique: Mysterious Water Serenity Technique (7th Grade)
Martial Skill: Mysterious Heart Water Manipulation Technique
…
Looking at the panel, Chu Xiao hesitated for a moment before instinctively interacting with the system interface.
The first thing he checked was the system menu. Scrolling down, his suspicions were confirmed: there was no exit button.
“As expected, I’ve transmigrated,” he murmured.
But the existence of a game system left him questioning the nature of this world.
Was it truly real, or merely a simulated game?
Was he a player, or an NPC? If killed, would he respawn like a player or die permanently like an NPC?
The uncertainties gave him a slight headache.
No matter. He decided to make the best of the situation and see what his unique achievement reward would be.
“One unique item draw. Draw now?”
Chu Xiao immediately selected “Yes.”
“Drawing…”
[Congratulations! You have obtained the unique skill: Heavenly Emperor’s Aura Reading Technique (Unique)!]