Immortal Dynasty Hounds

Chapter 1: If Martial Arts Fails, Cultivate Immortality

I once dreamed of traveling to the end of the world with my sword.

Later, all that remained was the dream.

Lian Shanxin, having failed countless times, finally accepted reality after casually tossing his ornately decorated longsword to the ground.

When people are pushed to the limit, they can do anything, but they're not good at math or martial arts.

Having lived two lives, Lian Shanxin began diligently practicing martial arts after learning of its existence, including legendary immortals. What boy doesn't harbor a martial arts dream? Girls might too, and his armor-layering skill is activated.

After practicing martial arts for more than ten years, Lian Shanxin still hasn't broken through the first stage of martial arts, the Body Tempering Realm. He's still at the level of strengthening his muscles and bones and improving his blood and qi.

In the words of her mother, He Miaojun:

“Son, you have to accept the fact that you are a martial arts failure. The second realm of martial arts is the Meridian Opening Realm, which requires opening up the meridians in your body, initially sensing and guiding the primordial energy of heaven and earth into your body to form internal strength. Your meridians were blocked by birth, and I was injured when I was pregnant with you, which caused you to be born with deficiencies. Without a great opportunity, you will not be able to cultivate internal strength. You will be stuck in the Body Tempering Realm for your whole life. Don’t waste your energy.”

His mother said this when he was six years old and just started learning martial arts.

Lian Shanxin didn't believe it when he was six, and he still didn't believe it when he was sixteen. Now he's eighteen, and if he still doesn't believe it, he'll be too old.

So he changed his dream: "Fine, since martial arts won't work, I'll cultivate immortality."

He Miaojun was amused by her son: "You're quite adaptable, aren't you?"

Lian Shanxin also felt great: "What's the use of learning martial arts? Cultivating immortality is much more promising. If you can cultivate immortality, who would practice martial arts? I've decided to bring my talent to the world of cultivation."

He Miaojun patted Lian Shanxin's head, her eyes full of pity: "Son, cultivating immortality is a legend from a thousand years ago. The world has changed drastically, and now martial arts reign supreme. There are countless martial artists in the world, but only a handful of immortal cultivators. You must know that immortals are hard to find, and they rarely set foot in the mortal realm. How easy is it to find a path to immortality?"

“It’s not that difficult.” Lian Shanxin’s gaze was calm and his tone was composed, clearly indicating that he had been thinking about this for quite some time: “Mother, immortals are indeed hard to find, but there is one place where immortals definitely exist.”

He Miaojun's gaze froze: "You mean the imperial court?"

"Yes, the imperial court must have deities suppressing its fortune."

The dynasty of Yu the Great has been passed down for thousands of years.

Lian Shanxin, who understands the historical cycle, was shocked when he learned that the Yu Dynasty had a lifespan of a thousand years. How did a thousand-year-old dynasty resolve the inevitable contradictions?

He was fine until he learned about the existence of gods.

While the veracity of rumors about immortals elsewhere is unknown, there are certainly terrestrial immortals within the imperial court who possess the methods for cultivating immortality.

In a world of high martial arts, it would be strange if the imperial court could suppress all sides and stand firm for thousands of years without the presence of a deity.

The Great Yu Dynasty was terrifyingly powerful, and its foundation was even more extraordinary. The legendary elixirs and divine weapons were just legends in the martial arts world, but they had always circulated within the imperial court.

However, joining the imperial court comes at the cost of losing one's freedom, and martial artists are inherently drawn to freedom. A strong imperial court doesn't guarantee strength upon joining. Therefore, most talented individuals with martial arts aptitude who don't want to be bound by constraints choose to cultivate their own martial arts, thus forming part of the martial arts world.

For Lian Shanxin, there was nothing wrong with living a carefree life in the martial arts world. But joining the imperial court would open up even more possibilities.

"Is joining the imperial court something you can just do as you please?" He Miaojun reminded her, "There are countless people in this world who want to become officials in the imperial court, and there are also many unrealistic people like you who want to pursue immortality through becoming officials. Very few succeed. Joining the imperial court is no easier than cultivating martial arts."

"Mother, I'm not good at martial arts. You're not good at taking the civil service exam." Lian Shanxin was very confident.

He Miaojun didn't understand: "Where do you get your confidence from?"

You're cheating, and you're confident.

"I do not agree with your joining the imperial court."

He Miaojun was usually a loving mother who spoiled Lian Shanxin, but now her tone was very stern: "The court's lackeys are despised by people in the martial arts world. Moreover, once they enter the court as officials, they will face struggles a hundred times more dangerous than those in the martial arts world. The danger is too great, and I absolutely disagree."

Lian Shanxin wanted to explain, but He Miaojun turned and left, giving him no chance to persuade her.

However, the couple coordinated well. Just as He Miaojun stormed off, Lian Shanxin's father, Lian Shan Jingcheng, strolled over leisurely.

Lian Shan Jingcheng is a typical middle-aged man with a pale face. In his youth, he relied on his looks to get married to He Miaojun, a wealthy woman. With He Miaojun's support, he opened a medical clinic called "Huichuntang". Therefore, he has never had much say in his family.

Of course, in Lian Shan Jingcheng's words, he manages the big affairs in their family, while He Miaojun manages the small affairs.

However, Lian Shanxin has never seen anything major happen to his family since he was a child, so I don't know if his taking the civil service exam counts.

"Father, you are the head of the family, you must uphold justice for me."

Lian Shanxin tried to help Lian Shanjingcheng stand up and not embarrass men.

Lianshan Jingcheng also overheard Lianshan Xin and He Miaojun's conversation. Regarding Lianshan Xin's idea of ​​taking the civil service exam, Lianshan Jingcheng advised him from the sidelines: "Xiao Xin, you want to enter the court as an official, but do you know what methods are available to become an official in our Great Yu?"

"Of course I know. Either I find someone to recommend me, or I take the imperial examination myself."

Lianshan Xin had already inquired about it.

Recommendation: In name, it was to recommend talented people to the court, so that they could enter the court and become officials directly without going through the imperial examination. The purpose was to prevent talented people from being overlooked.

“You can’t get through the recommendation route,” Lian Shanjingcheng reminded him. “Our family is just an ordinary family.”

Lian Shanxin glanced at Lian Shan Jingcheng and complained, "That's because you didn't work hard enough. If you were the governor of Jiangzhou, I would be the recommended talent." Lian Shan Jingcheng didn't refute, but just smiled and continued, "Then the only path left is the imperial examination, but not everyone can take the imperial examination. To take the imperial examination, you need to have a background in an academy."

"I know."

You need a university degree to take the civil service exam.

There is no difference in essence.

“In Jiangzhou, there is an academy with a thousand-year history—Bailudong Academy. As long as I enter Bailudong Academy, I can use my academy background to take the imperial examination. Moreover, as one of the four great academies in the world, Bailudong Academy cultivates both literature and martial arts, and each year's chief disciple receives a Qi Condensation Pill. If I can obtain a Qi Condensation Pill, I can skip the Meridian Opening Realm and directly condense true qi to become a martial artist of the third realm.”

Although Lian Shanxin had decided to bring his talent to the cultivation world, cultivators were indeed hard to find; he had never seen one since he was a child.

Based on his understanding, even within the imperial court, there were probably only one or two powerful immortals who could rival any nation, and they were not easy to meet, let alone obtain their inheritance.

Therefore, it's not unreasonable to settle for second best and continue pursuing one's martial arts dream.

He's just that easy to talk to.

Lian Shan Jingcheng had a long story to tell: "Only 'Celestial Masters' can refine Qi Condensation Pills, and the White Deer Cave Academy can only receive two each year. One Qi Condensation Pill can create a Qi Condensation Realm martial artist. With such a miraculous pill, Xiao Xin, do you think you have a chance to obtain one?"

“Every top student of Bailudong Academy receives a Qi Condensation Pill. As long as I join Bailudong Academy and become the top disciple, I will naturally receive one.”

Lian Shanxin's confidence did not affect Lian Shanjingcheng in the slightest.

Lian Shan Jingcheng shook his head and said, "Let alone how difficult it is to become the chief disciple of Bailudong Academy, just getting into Bailudong Academy is already very difficult. The only son of Chairman Qu of the Chamber of Commerce next door failed the entrance exam for Bailudong Academy for two consecutive years. Your academic performance is about the same as his. As for getting into Bailudong Academy based on martial arts performance, you need to be at least under 20 years old and at the Meridian Opening Realm, while you are only at the Body Tempering Realm."

Lian Shanxin dismissed it: "President Qu should also reflect on why his only son failed to get into Bailudong Academy after two years of trying. Isn't it because he doesn't have enough money? If he were the richest man in Jiangzhou, he could have easily bought his way into Bailudong Academy with money."

Lian Shan Jingcheng: "...Son, now it seems that you are indeed suitable to serve as an official in the court, but your father has not worked hard enough."

"It's alright, as long as you two don't hold me back, I still have to rely on myself to get into the academy."

Before today, Lian Shanxin had never given up on learning martial arts on his own, just in case a miracle happened.

But as Lu Xun said, you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket.

The infamous "information broker" Xie Ruolin has a classic line: "If I put two gold bars here, tell me which one is noble and which one is filthy?"

Lian Shanxin has now come to his senses: "Two Qi Condensation Realm martial artists, one achieved it through his own efforts, and the other through taking drugs, but aren't the results the same?"

Before he turned eighteen, he could believe that hard work would pay off.

Now that he's eighteen, he's grown up, and it's time to believe that drugs are more important than hard work.

What he needs to consider is how to get the drugs.

He had made two preparations in advance for this.

Lian Shanxin's confidence was not something that Lian Shanjingcheng and He Miaojun quite understood.

The two whispered to each other in the clinic.

He Miaojun: "Xiao Xin has devoted most of his energy to martial arts training over the years, and he also has to find time to learn medicine from you. Although he is also diligent in his studies, he is simply too busy to manage everything, so his grades are only average. Where does he get the confidence to get into Bailudong Academy?"

Lian Shan Jingcheng thought for a moment and said confidently, "Don't worry, Madam, Xiao Xin is just like me."

"How to say?"

"Blind confidence."

He Miaojun: "..."

"Once he's rejected by Bailudong Academy, he'll realize that obediently inheriting our family's Huichuntang is the best choice. Talented scholars, beautiful women, emperors, and generals are all stories in novels. For ordinary people like us, being ordinary is a blessing."

Lian Shan Jingcheng's words were praised by He Miaojun: "That's right, ordinariness is a blessing. The son's name is wrong, he is too ordinary."

As they gradually felt relieved, a scholar in blue robes walked into the clinic.

"Excuse me, are you the skilled physician Lianshan?" the scholar asked.

Lian Shan Jingcheng was a skilled doctor, quite well-known in Jiangzhou, and many people came seeking his treatment. Especially after he demonstrated his ability to restore a man's virility on one occasion, "Huichuntang's" business increased fivefold.

Lian Shan Jingcheng greeted him with a smile: "Young Master, you were looking for me?"

The man looked somewhat familiar, and Lian Shanjingcheng suspected that he was a repeat customer.

Does someone so young already have a hidden illness?

Are young people these days becoming weak so early?
"No, I'm looking for your son."

Lian Shan Jingcheng was taken aback: "Looking for Xiao Xin? What do you want with him?"

"Bailudong Academy is about to enroll new students. I have come here on the orders of my master to deliver the admission letter to Young Master Xin."

(End of this chapter)