After The Death Escape and Ascension, The Male Protagonist of Long Aotian Went Crazy - Chapter 1

Green mountains stretched endlessly, with wisps of cloud and mist drifting between the peaks.

A deep, resonant bell tolled from the mountaintop.

Today was the disciple-recruitment day for the Xuan Yin Immortal Sect.

This sect was the most sought-after place in the cultivation world—
not only because it stood as the foremost of all immortal sects,
but also because it was guarded by none other than the legendary Immortal Lord Shuyu,
the one who, ten thousand years ago, had cleaved apart a cliff with a single sword strike and sealed away the Demon.

Speaking of Immortal Lord Shuyu, her deeds were so numerous one could talk for three days and nights without finishing.

The Xuan Yin Immortal Sect only recruited disciples once every hundred years.
Rumor had it that this year, Immortal Lord Shuyu herself would be taking on a disciple—
so the crowd gathered was even greater than in years past.

The mountains were filled with shifting shadows of people.

A water-mirror spell reflected the masses gathered at the foot of the mountain.

Several elder immortals sat observing the mirror.

The Sect Master, Chi Qingxuan, swept his gaze across the assembly, frowning slightly.

“Has the Immortal Lord not arrived yet?”

A disciple bowed in embarrassment:
“Immortal Lord said… there’s no need to wait for her. She will appear only at the very end, during the final disciple selection.”

Shuyu and Chi Qingxuan had once studied under the same master—senior sister and junior brother.

Knowing his senior sister’s temperament, Chi Qingxuan nodded and asked no further, turning his attention back to the mirror.

At the mountain’s base, young heirs from various clans buzzed with chatter.

And the topic most hotly discussed, of course, was Immortal Lord Shuyu herself!

【Immortal Lord, why are you even here?】

High on a pair of towering trees, a hazy figure lounged lazily—
none other than the person being gossiped about, Shi Hua—Immortal Lord Shuyu.

At present, she existed only as a wisp of divine soul.

The reason she was here went back three days earlier.

The whole cultivation world knew that Immortal Lord Shuyu had already reached the Tribulation Stage—
one step away from transcending lightning and ascending to the higher realm.

Unfortunately, her luck ran sour.
She failed to endure her heavenly tribulation, nearly suffering complete soul annihilation.

It was then that a System appeared, bound to her, and saved her life.

She struck a deal with the System:
she would help it push the “plot” forward, and in return, the System would help her ascend.

As for this so-called “plot”—

According to the System, the world she was in was just one among countless small worlds.
Each small world had a Child of Destiny, commonly called the male lead.

But something had gone wrong with this world.

The “vicious female supporting role,” who was supposed to oppose the male lead, had gone missing.
As a result, the male lead’s immortal path couldn’t progress.
The world itself was starting to malfunction,
so the Heavenly Dao sought external aid.

The System answered the call, selecting Shi Hua—
the strongest cultivator of the realm, at the very ceiling of power—
to act in the role of the villainess.

To the System, Shi Hua’s cultivation was unmatched, her beauty peerless—
she was the perfect candidate.

Shi Hua weighed her options and agreed.

The plot was simple enough:
on the path of the Dragon-AoTian male lead, someone always popped up to act arrogant and get crushed.
The vicious female supporting role was exactly such a stepping stone.

After suffering countless torments and murder attempts from this villainess,
the male lead would steadily grow stronger, reveal his brilliance,
draw countless female cultivators to him,
eventually dominate the world,
and spend a lifetime in loving union with the heroine.

As for the villainess?
Naturally, she would be skewered through the heart by the male lead’s sword.

Shi Hua finished reading the plot with only one thought:

What utter dog-bl00d nonsense!

It was the same trite story mortals had been spinning in tavern tales for centuries—
and now she was expected to live it out herself.

“One sword through the heart… I’m not actually going to die from that, am I?”

She still wanted to ascend! She couldn’t afford to just die for nothing.

The System gave her full assurance:

【Of course not! When you reach the ‘stabbed-through-the-heart’ ending, I will assist you in ascending immediately. This is already agreed upon with the Heavenly Dao.】

“Fine then!”

Shi Hua had crawled out from the lightning crater, cleansed herself with a hand seal,
her fair face resolute.

Ascension—she would make it happen!

Back to the present.

The Xuan Yin Sect’s recruitment was underway, and the Dragon-AoTian male lead was among the candidates.

According to the System’s description, the male lead’s entrance carried a natural, kingly aura—
no need for extra embellishment; just standing there, he would be extraordinary.

But Shi Hua had been sprawled on the tree for half an hour,
and she saw no one remotely fitting the description.

“Where is this so-called male lead of yours?”

The System was silent.

She scanned the entire crowd again—still no trace.

That was odd. Wasn’t he supposed to come here to join the sect?

【…Maybe he’s still on the way.】

Shi Hua sneered. He’d better be.

She’d been baking in the blazing sun on this tree for half an hour already—
nearly wilted.

Normally she secluded herself in her own Immortal Abode;
if not for this plot, she’d never have bothered showing up!

With a flick of her fingers, she conjured a leaf and laid it over her face.

“We’ll talk once your male lead actually arrives.”

The System sulked silently.

Where had things gone wrong?

The noon sun blazed hottest.

Shadows lengthened, and fewer people remained below.

Light filtered weakly through the leaves, lazily falling across Shi Hua’s pale-blue skirts.

She was nearly dozing off when—

【Immortal Lord! Immortal Lord! Your male lead has arrived! Wake up and see for yourself!】

The System’s excited voice boomed in her mind.

Shi Hua felt the urge to hit something.
No—hit the System.

Still, this was her mission target.

Shi Hua pushed herself upright, bleary eyes peering downward.

She blinked. Once, twice.

Had she not woken properly?

“You… are sure it’s him?”

Her doubt was understandable. Even the System, upon seeing clearly, went dumb.

The figure below wore embroidered silk robes,
a gold lock around his neck,
a spirit bangle at his wrist,
a jade pendant at his waist,
swaggering like he owned the world.

Everything about him screamed one word:

Rich!

Shi Hua could hardly bear to look.

Where had this spoiled second-generation heir come from?

【Y-Yes. Positive.】

Shi Hua sighed faintly, eyes fixed on the youth’s back.

“Very well. Let’s see what makes him worthy of being this world’s so-called male lead.”

The male lead’s entrance did indeed draw attention—
though more from the blinding glare of his wealth than from any aura.

Wei Shizhou looked around, satisfied at their stunned faces.

Perfect. That was the reaction he wanted.

What stupid cultivation? Whoever wanted it could have it.

He just needed some excuse later to get himself kicked out of the sect—
and then the world was his playground.

He was happily fantasizing about his future life when—
someone suddenly clapped him on the shoulder.

Wei Shizhou gave a sidelong glance. “What is it?”

The newcomer also wore fine robes, not as ostentatious,
but still clearly from a wealthy house.

“My name is Xie An,” the boy said cheerfully, slinging an arm across Wei’s shoulder.

“Looking around this crowd, you’re the one I feel most kindred with.”

Wei brushed his arm off with obvious distaste.

But Xie An didn’t mind, prattling on:

“Who do you want to take as your master?
You know who I admire most?”

He squinted at the mountaintop, voice full of pride.

“It’s none other than the one who cleaved the cliff and sealed the Demon—Immortal Lord Shuyu!

This time she’ll be recruiting too. I swear I’ll become her most prized disciple! Hahaha!”

Wei gave him a strange look.

Admiring Immortal Lord Shuyu?
That so-called vicious supporting role?

Was this guy brain-damaged?

He considered warning him. After all, Xie An would one day be his close brother-in-arms.

But in the end, Wei kept silent.

Not far away, Shi Hua lazily watched the two youths.

A cool glint flashed in her eyes.

This male lead… seemed off.

【Immortal Lord, he said he wants to be your disciple!】

Shi Hua arched a brow. “Too bad. I only intend to take the male lead as disciple.”

【Correction: he is your male lead.】

“… …”

Shi Hua folded her arms, silent.

The boy seemed to harbor some grievance toward her.

Not sure where she’d offended Wei Shizhou, Shi Hua decided to test him.

Her immense spiritual pressure suddenly poured down.

The young cultivators staggered under the weight.

The first trial of Xuan Yin Sect recruitment was to climb the Immortal Steps—
steps laid with Shi Hua’s very own pressure.

She deliberately added several more layers atop Wei Shizhou.

【Immortal Lord, what are you doing?!】 the System screeched.

Shi Hua’s lips curved faintly. “Can’t you see?”

【…】

If it knew, would it still be asking?!

The System was losing its mind. Its host was utterly unpredictable!

Meanwhile—

“You alright?” Wei asked, steadying Xie An.

Everyone had staggered under the sudden pressure.
Was the sect testing them secretly?

“You didn’t feel that?” Xie An asked, surprised.
The pressure here had definitely increased—likely on purpose.

But Wei hadn’t felt a thing…

Xie An’s gaze dropped to the jade at Wei’s waist.

Ah. So that was it.

Clearly this wealthy family had spared no expense.

“What pressure?” Wei asked blankly.

Xie An shook his head. “Never mind. Let’s just pass these trials first.”

Wei raised his head, staring at the lofty Immortal Sect above.

So this was the immortal gate.

To join the Xuan Yin Sect, one had to pass three trials.

The Immortal Steps were the first.

The second was neither too hard nor too easy.

Mortals were prone to greed. Greed bred demons.
This second trial tested one’s heart and Dao-mind.

If one’s Dao-heart wavered, one could not pass.
Such people were unfit to be disciples of Xuan Yin.

For a Dragon-AoTian male lead, such trivial heart-tests were nothing.

Shi Hua, however, intended to truly test him in the third trial.

—Slaying a demon beast.

The System had praised him to the skies, calling him the greatest talent the cultivation world had ever seen,
saying he’d shine brilliantly during this recruitment, sparking sects to compete over him.

Before binding to the System, Shi Hua herself had been considered among the very top prodigies.

No—wait. Not her?

Her gaze wavered for a moment.

Why had she suddenly thought that?

Could there truly be someone above her?

She racked her mind but could not recall.

【Immortal Lord, what’s wrong? The male lead has already gone on to the third trial!】

“…Nothing. Let’s go.”

In today’s world, demon beasts ran rampant,
bringing endless slaughter to the mortal realms.

Thus every sect had a strict rule:

Cowards unable to face a beast head-on were not accepted.

The third trial was designed to weed such people out.

Without the courage to confront demons, how could one ever protect the common folk?

Shi Hua found a comfortable spot to recline.

Time to see what tricks this Dragon-AoTian male lead really had.

The demon beast here wasn’t real—
it was a construct of Chi Qingxuan’s spiritual power.

A Green-Eyed Sky-Swallowing Python, at Foundation-Establishment level.

Most of these clan heirs were already near Foundation stage,
so facing such a beast wasn’t difficult—
the true challenge lay in killing it.

The python stretched six zhang long, rising as tall as the surrounding trees.

Its sweeping tail churned up dust and rubble.

“Cough, cough!”

Xie An stumbled out, covered in grime, eyes wide.
“They expect us to kill this python?”

He was still one step short of Foundation stage;
facing such a beast was tough.

“Wei Shizhou?”

He thought Wei was still inside and immediately rushed back in—
only to collide with other fleeing cultivators.

In the choking dust, the python’s massive shadow loomed clear,
its emerald eyes locking onto them.

Xie An sucked in a sharp breath and bolted, dragging others with him.

“Wei Shizhou! If you can hear me—run!!”

Retreat was the wisest strategy!

Charging headlong into it was suicide.

The python was one of the rare beasts capable of fighting above its level.

Panting after a long sprint, Xie An finally slumped to the ground, exhausted.

The few cultivators he had pulled along were deeply grateful.

“Xie An?”

From above came a calm voice.

Xie An looked up, dumbfounded—
Wei Shizhou was lounging casually on a tree branch.

“You—how are you here?!”

He thought Wei was still in the fight!

“I can’t beat a Sky-Swallowing Python. If I went in, I’d just be in the way.”

Wei looked utterly justified.

All the front-liners were Foundation cultivators;
for them, still in Qi-Refining or without cultivation, rushing in was pointless.

Xie An choked.

It was… true.

But still—

“No! I’m determined to take Immortal Lord Shuyu as my master. I can’t let them steal the spotlight!”

Wei’s expression turned complicated.

He could tell Xie An wasn’t joking.

This guy genuinely wanted to be Immortal Lord Shuyu’s disciple.

Wei hadn’t met this so-called vicious villainess yet.
Judging her solely from a storybook seemed rash.

But everything else from that storybook had proven true so far.

He’d even investigated her title himself.

“…Fine.”

Wei dropped from the tree.
For the sake of his future brother-in-arms, he’d lend a hand.

“Xie An, come closer.”

“You’ve got a plan?”

The two of them huddled together, whispering conspiratorially.

Nearby cultivators perked their ears, trying to overhear.

【Immortal Lord! Look, the male lead is plotting! I knew it—he’s still the male lead after all!】

Shi Hua’s interest stirred.

So, the boy who had acted the spoiled heir now suddenly showed shrewdness?
The contrast was stark.
And very unlike the Dragon-AoTian hero the System had described.

Could it be that this male lead was hiding some unknown secret?

Meanwhile, the python bellowed furiously,
its tail whipping away a swath of cultivators like scattering beans.

Xie An rushed to pull them back up.

The python grew angrier, rising high,
its massive shadow engulfing them like ants.

Its cold hiss echoed in every heart.

Xie An was terrified too, but he knew all this was being watched from above.
So he braced himself.

Immortal Lord! Watch me!

And as for Wei Shizhou, the so-called Dragon-AoTian male lead?

He quietly slipped to the very back of the group,
intending to blend in and muddle through.