It was midnight. The moon hung high in the sky, its pale light spilling over the earth like a thin layer of frost.
At the back mountain of Longhu Mountain.
A young Daoist sat cross-legged, silently recalling the mental cultivation method his master had taught him during the day.
"Heaven and Earth's Mysterious Source, the root of all qi…"
As he recited the incantation in his mind, he guided the qi within his body.
With the flow of qi, faint specks of golden light gradually emerged across his body.
But the golden glow barely lasted before it scattered, dissolving like evaporating mist and vanishing without a trace.
The young Daoist was named Gojo. The technique he practiced was the Celestial Master Mansion of Longhu Mountain's supreme art—the Golden Light Incantation.
His master was none other than the sixty-fourth Celestial Master of the Celestial Master Mansion, Zhang Jingqing.
"Still not working…"
Sensing the changes within his body, Gojo opened his eyes and let out a quiet sigh.
"I didn't expect my talent as a transmigrator to be this poor."
That's right—Gojo was a transmigrator.
A few years ago, after arriving in this world, he had no ability to survive in the wild and ended up fainting from hunger in the mountains.
Fortunately, Zhang Jingqing, who had been heading down the mountain, found him and saved his life.
Seeing that Gojo had no parents and no means of survival, Zhang Jingqing took him in as a disciple and brought him back to the Celestial Master Mansion.
Once he joined, and after meeting Zhang Zhiwei, Tian Jinzhong, and Zhang Huaiyi, Gojo realized—
He had transmigrated into the world of Under One Person.
Watching Zhang Zhiwei, who had already begun to show his brilliance and stood undefeated among his peers, Gojo's desire to cultivate only grew stronger with each passing day.
After all, troubled times were approaching. Even if he stayed on Longhu Mountain his entire life, there would still be danger.
He needed the strength to protect himself.
And so, Gojo began to study desperately.
He listened attentively whenever his master taught. During his free time, he sought out Zhang Zhiwei and his senior brothers to ask questions whenever he was confused.
But due to his utterly ordinary talent, problems that Zhang Zhiwei, Zhang Huaiyi, and Tian Jinzhong found simple often took Gojo days to comprehend.
As a result, his progress lagged far behind Zhang Zhiwei and the others, no different from that of the many ordinary disciples.
"If I can't even master the Golden Light Incantation now…"
"Does that mean I'll have no choice but to stay on Longhu Mountain forever?"
"After all… this isn't a safe world."
Recalling the events that would unfold in Under One Person, Gojo took a deep breath, firmed his resolve, and closed his eyes once more, circulating the qi within him again.
If his talent wasn't enough, then he couldn't afford to slack off.
If he wanted to live safely in this dangerous world, he had to put in far more effort than others.
If talent fell short, then effort would make up for it!
As long as he kept practicing, accumulating progress day by day, he would eventually master the Golden Light Incantation!
—
At the same time…
A tall Daoist with a somewhat wild and unrestrained hairstyle sat cross-legged atop a rock, his gaze fixed on Gojo in the distance.
Beside him stood an elderly Daoist with a sturdy build, his hair and beard neatly groomed.
This elder was Gojo's master—Zhang Jingqing.
And the one seated beside him was Zhang Zhiwei.
Watching the golden light once again flicker across Gojo's body, Zhang Jingqing softly asked,
"Zhiwei, what do you think of your junior brother Su?"
"Junior Brother Su, huh~"
Zhang Zhiwei yawned, scratching the back of his head before replying,
"His talent may be average, but he works hard. Whenever he doesn't understand something, he asks humbly. He's a good person."
Among all the disciples, Zhang Zhiwei was the strongest and had the deepest understanding of the Celestial Master Mansion's spells.
Because of this, whenever Gojo encountered something he didn't understand, the person he asked most often was Zhang Zhiwei.
Over time, the two naturally developed a close relationship.
"Works hard, huh…"
Hearing Zhang Zhiwei's answer, Zhang Jingqing recalled a past conversation he'd had with Gojo.
He had once asked him why he trained so diligently.
Gojo's answer had been simple—
He wanted the power to protect himself.
A reason that might seem trivial to others had, when spoken by Gojo, felt incomparably sincere.
Pulling himself from his thoughts, Zhang Jingqing said slowly,
"Gojo… is also a child with a bitter fate."
"Master!"
Ignoring him, Zhang Jingqing continued,
"Zhiwei, do you think he trains this desperately because of what he experienced before?"
"Master!"
"You insolent disciple!"
"I'm thinking about your junior brother, and you keep interrupting me!"
Annoyed by Zhang Zhiwei repeatedly calling out beside him, Zhang Jingqing lost his temper and smacked him on the head.
"Master!"
Clutching the spot where he'd been hit, Zhang Zhiwei pointed forward with his other hand and said,
"Junior Brother Su… he fainted!"
Zhang Jingqing froze for a moment, then hurriedly looked in the direction Zhang Zhiwei was pointing.
Sure enough, Gojo—who had just been cultivating moments ago—was now unconscious, collapsed on the ground.
"What?!"
"You insolent disciple! Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
Zhang Jingqing smacked Zhang Zhiwei again before pushing off the ground and rushing toward Gojo.
Zhang Zhiwei looked utterly wronged.
"I was just about to tell you, but you didn't give me a chance!"
"I'll deal with you later!"
Zhang Jingqing said as he reached out to check Gojo's pulse.
"Thankfully, he only fainted from overexertion. A bit of rest and he'll be fine."
After saying that, Zhang Jingqing shot Zhang Zhiwei a fierce glare.
—
Gojo slowly regained consciousness.
The scene before him was not the familiar ceiling he expected, but a dark space filled with mist.
In the distance ahead, a faint light flickered.
Drawn to it, Gojo instinctively walked forward.
"Oh~"
"Another newcomer, huh."
A familiar voice came from ahead.
Gojo looked in the direction of the voice.
By a campfire, two people were seated.
The one on the left looked similar to him, though his frame was slightly thinner.
The one on the right… looked almost identical to the one on the left, but with a much more robust build.
Seeing the two figures, Gojo froze.
For some reason, after just a single glance, a thought rose uncontrollably within him—
Those two people… were him.
Sensing his gaze, the person on the right seemed to understand his thoughts. He stood up, pulled Gojo over to the campfire, and said,
"That's right!"
"We are you! And you are us!"
"We are Gojo—spread across the myriad heavens and worlds!"
"Even if one of us doesn't have talent…"
"As long as we stack together—"
"We are geniuses!"
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