Chapter 1: I am a transmigrator, but I am not the protagonist

"Strive for thirty days, be happy for a lifetime!"

"Fight for the Immortal Examination, have no regrets in this life; climb over the Immortal Examination, pursue excellence!"

"Roam the Nine Continents and Four Seas as I please, master the three methods and two techniques, a lifetime of prospects begins here!"

"..."

Slogans for the Immortal Examination were plastered in every corner of Nanshan No. 4 High School, and the tense atmosphere of the exam seemed to have affected everyone on campus.

Not just the students, even the head teacher was no exception.

At this moment, Li Xiang, the head teacher of Class 10, Grade 12, was earnestly outputting to his students:

"There is less than a month left until the Immortal Examination. Look at yourselves—do you look like candidates for the Immortal Examination?"

"Some of you, don't think that just because you can't get into a Dao Academy, you can just give up on yourselves!"

"Even if you only perform excellently in the literary examination, there is still a chance to get into a Dao Academy."

"Don't tell me you really want to be eighty years old, watching the classmates around you all looking like eighteen, having attained the Dao and immortality..."

Lin Mo, sitting in the front row, reached out to wipe the spit off his face, then looked up at the increasingly agitated head teacher on the podium, wanting to speak but hesitating.

He silently opened the "Plum Blossom Yi Numerology: Compulsory Book 2" in front of him, stood it up to block Head Teacher Li's spit attack, and then sighed in his heart.

Attaining the Dao and immortality, eternal youth...

If these eight words had appeared when he had just transmigrated, they would have absolutely had a fatal attraction for him.

The pity is that he had already lived through his eighteenth year in this world, and had long since ceased to hold any expectations for such ethereal things as "seeking the Dao and immortality."

It wasn't that "seeking the Dao and immortality" didn't exist.

Quite the contrary.

Ever since a thousand years ago, an immortal cultivation game titled "After the Great Desolation" merged with the reality of the Diyuan Star.

Within the Nine Continents, immortals were no longer just legends and stories, but existed in the world in reality.

In just a short thousand years, Diyuan Star had become a world where technology and immortal cultivation coexisted.

Here, seeking the Dao and immortality, and attaining the Dao to become an immortal, was everyone's ultimate pursuit.

Lin Mo, a transmigrator from a parallel world, was no exception.

It was just that after muddle-headedly spending eighteen years in this world, not only had he not gotten closer to his goal, but he was getting further and further away from it.

All of this was because of two words—

Talent.

Even though almost everyone possessed an immortal cultivation system, those who could step onto the immortal path were still as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, one in ten thousand.

Very clearly, Lin Mo had not become that one in ten thousand, but had become one of the ten thousand denominators.

His panel attributes were roughly as follows:

【Name: Lin Mo】

【Dao Age: 18/108】

【Realm: Qi Refinement Level 2 (249/300)】

【Spirit Root:

Metal (22%)

Wood (19%)

Water (20%)

Fire (20%)

Earth (19%)】

【Root Bone: 15 (No special constitution)】

【Comprehension: 20】

【Appearance: 95 (As handsome as the reader)】

【Cultivation Technique: National 108th Set of Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique · Level 2】

【Spells:

1. Basic Sword Art (Low-Rank): 112/1000

2. Fire Control Technique (Low-Rank): 110/1000

3. Rain Summoning Technique (Low-Rank): 109/1000

4. Kui Star Stance (Low-Rank): 320/1000】

【Evaluation: A piece of trash with a bit of looks.】

This was his panel.

Not a single spirit root's purity value reached above 60%; simply put, they were all mixed spirit roots.

Five Elements spirit roots, all present, all trash.

Comprehension, root bone, neither was anything to show off.

Cultivating for over ten years, he had only barely reached Qi Refinement Level 2.

Wanting to rely on such aptitude to get into a Dao Academy—without any accidents, there probably wouldn't be any accidents...

A self-deprecating smile appeared on the corner of Lin Mo's mouth.

Good news: Transmigrated.

Bad news: The protagonist is not me.

Who is the "protagonist"?

On the podium, head teacher Li Xiang happened to call his name:

"You should all learn from Ye Chen. Three years ago, he entered Nanshan No. 4 High School as a transfer student, ranking last in the entire grade."

"But three years have passed, he has worked hard to cultivate, and now he is already at Qi Refinement Level 5, almost at Level 6, ranking in the top three of the grade!"

"With such strength, getting into a Dao Academy is almost a certainty. Has he slacked off even a little? He is still the first to arrive at the cultivation room every day, and the last to return to the dormitory..."

Listen to that!

From last place to top three in the grade.

From trash to getting into a Dao Academy.

If this isn't a proper "protagonist template," what is?

Of course, if it were just this, Lin Mo wouldn't say the other party was the "protagonist."

The real reason was that the other party was a system-certified 【Child of Luck】, a title even scarcer than an immortal cultivation genius.

Born to fulfill a destiny, defying heaven to change fate.

This was the characteristic of the 【Child of Luck】.

It was also why the other party, despite having "mediocre aptitude," could counterattack.

From last place to top three in the grade, becoming one of the most dazzling candidates in this year's Nanshan No. 4 High School exam.

Lin Mo turned his head and glanced at Ye Chen, who was sitting by the window in the second-to-last row.

Facing the envious gazes cast by his classmates and the head teacher's praise, the latter remained calm and unruffled.

However, Lin Mo, having lived two lives, still caught a trace of smugness on the other party's face.

He didn't think anything of it; even if the other party was smug, what of it?

Others had the capital!

Besides envy, Lin Mo only felt envy.

Cultivation aptitude is not something one can control, not to mention his was lacking by more than just a little bit.

He sighed silently in his heart.

Head teacher Li Xiang's earnest advice came to an abrupt end when the late-night self-study bell rang, and then he left the classroom with the teaching materials after throwing out a "some people should take care of themselves."

Leaving behind a group of students with bitter expressions, discussing and complaining to each other.

"Head Teacher Li is such a middle-tier person, lecturing with this nonsense again. If I could get into a Dao Academy, do you think I wouldn't want to?"

"Exactly, exactly. If hard work were useful, what would we need geniuses for?"

"I'm so envious of Ye Chen. A Child of Luck, his future achievements will probably leave us several streets behind."

"More than several streets? By the time you die of old age, others will still be enjoying their puberty!"

"Damn! The immersion is too strong, stop talking, I can't take it!"

"..."

In fact, the number of students who could get into a Dao Academy was already very few.

Lin Mo's aptitude was poor, and the aptitude of the other students in the class wasn't necessarily much better.

Most students were similar to him, with a pile of mixed spirit roots on their panels, and their cultivation speed was as slow as a snail crawling.

Among these candidates in Class 10, Grade 12, about 50% were only at Qi Refinement Level 1, about 30% were at Qi Refinement Level 2, and the remaining less than 20% were basically all at Qi Refinement Level 3.

In the whole class, there were fewer than 5 people above Qi Refinement Level 3.

Like Ye Chen, who was at Qi Refinement Level 6, there was only one in the whole class.

And even the most ordinary Dao Academy admission standard started from the mid-stage of Qi Refinement, which was Qi Refinement Level 4.

Those students at the peak of Qi Refinement Level 3 might be able to reach the minimum admission line for a Dao Academy if they worked hard.

As for those below that, don't even think about it.

That's why everyone was so envious of Ye Chen, because they all knew that after leaving the school gate, they would be separated by an unimaginable gap.

Watching everyone crowd around Ye Chen as he left the classroom, his deskmate Zhang Da curled his lips and couldn't help but say:

"This Ye Chen is really lucky, to actually be able to awaken the 【Child of Luck】 title. Now it's settled, he's truly become a phoenix flying out of a chicken coop!"

After finishing, Zhang Da suddenly remembered something and continued to say to Lin Mo:

"By the way, Mozi, I've made an appointment with the guys in my dormitory to go to Longtan Temple this weekend to pray. Do you want to come along?"

Lin Mo shook his head and said:

"Qi Refinement Level 2, what's the use of praying to gods and Buddhas? Don't tell me I'll be able to get into a Dao Academy just like that?"

Zhang Da's cultivation realm was the same as his, both stuck at Qi Refinement Level 2.

Zhang Da shrugged indifferently and said:

"What if it works? Maybe the elders of the Dao Academy will think I'm extraordinary, have exceptional talent, and am ridiculously handsome... and finally admit me as an exception?"

Lin Mo glanced at his plain-looking face and complained:

"Extraordinary and exceptional talent are understandable, but isn't this 'ridiculously handsome' referring to me?"

Zhang Da made a cutting sound:

"My charm, you don't understand a damn thing!"

"Just ask you one thing, are you going this weekend?"

Lin Mo shook his head: "Not going. If I had that time, I might as well stay in the cultivation room for a while longer."

Seeing that he really didn't want to go, Zhang Da didn't force him, just said:

"Fine, then Daddy will pray for you while I'm at it. Don't thank me, loving my son is what Daddy should do."

After finishing, he didn't wait for Lin Mo to "counterattack" and slipped out of the classroom in a flash.

Lin Mo chuckled, you little brat, I'll deal with you tomorrow!

Unlike Zhang Da, who lived on campus, he was a day student.

So he didn't pull out the seven-wolf belt from his waist to chase after and teach this unfilial son a lesson, but instead tidied up his desk a bit, walked out of the classroom, and headed toward the school gate.

Just as he walked out of the school gate, the spirit machine in Lin Mo's bag vibrated. He didn't need to look to know it was a message from Lin Mu.

He took it out and glanced at it, and sure enough, he was right.

He clicked on the message and swiped open the interface—

【Mother】: "Little cub, is late-night self-study over? The peaches in the orchard are ripe these two days. I picked a basket and mailed it to you. Remember to sign for it tomorrow."

【Mother】: "This was bought last year for a fake spirit stone. I heard it's a new variety cultivated. Eating it is good for cultivation. Eat a few more, don't let them go bad."

【Mother】: "By the way, if it's really useful, tell me, and I'll save two more baskets for you..."

Long message after long message kept coming, until Lin Mo replied with one word: "Okay," and Lin Mu paused belatedly.

But after a while, she still couldn't help but send another sentence: "If you're tired, go back and rest early. Take care of your health."

Lin Mo looked at the message on the screen and sighed helplessly.

Thinking back to those years, he was also high-spirited.

Relying on the advantage of early wisdom, he didn't pay the expensive school selection fee and relied entirely on his own strength to get into Nanshan No. 4 High School, which ranked in the top five in Xichuan Province.

Lin Fu even held a three-day banquet in his hometown, believing that he would definitely become the first immortal student in the village to get into a Dao Academy.

At that time, Lin Mo's status in the village vaguely exceeded that of the village chief's goose that had lived for two hundred years and almost became a spirit.

It's just a pity that good times don't last.

The high spirits of those years were finally brutally beaten by the cruel reality!

Every time Lin Fu came home and looked at him, he would sigh, and then be glared at fiercely by Lin Mu, running into the courtyard to sigh...

Thinking of this, Lin Mo couldn't help but hum a few times:

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years..." Forget it, cough, cough.

Not a "protagonist," saying this is easy to get slapped in the face.

Lin Mo shook his head, walking toward the school gate while skillfully opening the fast video app with his finger, preparing to brush up on some human artistic behavior.

However, just after opening the app, he was hard-controlled by the first short video on the interface—

Like to send blessings, Buddha blesses you...

Damn! Monitored by the smart machine again!

Lin Mo complained in his heart, his finger flipping quickly on the screen.

"You were right to brush this video, you will be in May..."

"Destined person, you won't brush this book for no reason..."

"Leave your name, and wealth will descend within three days..."

"..."

Why is it all this!

Lin Mo was speechless. He didn't expect that even after transmigrating, he still couldn't escape the Great Monitoring Technique.

He didn't know how many times he had liked such small videos that send blessings.

Just sending "receive good luck" was no less than a thousand times.

And the result?

No getting rich overnight, no ascending in one day.

Even the number of times he got a "come again" on a beverage cap could be counted on one hand, the highest prize amount for a scratch-off was no more than five yuan, but he hit the first prize for the gold-wrapped jade scam every time...

He sighed and was just about to close the screen when his finger suddenly slipped and accidentally clicked on an advertisement next to the video.

A pop-up window flashed out immediately:

【Ding! Do you want to install the "Press 1 to Add Merit" mini-game?】

Press 1 to add merit? Does liking add luck?

Lin Mo curled his lips and complained in his heart about this kind of unscrupulous mini-game.

Just as he was about to click the cross, he suddenly remembered what his deskmate Zhang Da had just said.

If you don't go to pray to Buddha offline, shouldn't you arrange one online?

Lin Mo originally didn't believe in these things. He had liked so many before and sent so many "receive good luck" messages, but he hadn't seen any change in his cultivation or wallet.

It was just that the Immortal Examination was imminent, making his already dead heart restless again.

Forget it, a mini-game won't cost much data...

Thinking this way, his finger moved from the cross to the 【Yes】 install button.

Just as his finger pressed down, a current suddenly flashed across the phone screen.

Then, with a "clatter," the phone screen went black.

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment, then a look of anger appeared on his face.

"Damn! There's actually a virus..."

Before he could finish speaking, a bolt of thunder suddenly sped toward his face from the black screen of the phone.

It was so fast that he couldn't dodge it at all.

Lin Mo subconsciously closed his eyes, but the expected pain didn't come. Instead, an electronic voice rang in his ears:

【Ding! Congratulations to the player for installing and binding the "Merit Wooden Fish" system.】 ===== CHAPTER 2 =====