Reborn as the first crown prince of the Jing Dynasty, William Carter was swapped at birth by traitors and sent to a Daoist temple, becoming an ordinary young Daoist priest.

From crown prince to a nobody, his life plummeted, but fortunately, William Carter activated a survival system, granting him unlimited lifespan. As long as he survived life's tribulations, he would receive survival rewards.

He was nearly killed by his senior brother during martial arts practice, but survived by luck and obtained the Divine Shadow Kick.

He encountered an earthquake and was almost crushed by a beam, but survived and obtained the Nine-Seeking Heavenly Dragon Step.

When demons and monsters rampaged through the capital, he survived safely and obtained the demon-subduing treasure staff.

...

Dynasties rose and fell, demons and monsters ran rampant, martial arts ruled the world. This was a world without immortals or gods, where Daoist arts hid among the court and the wilds.

Three hundred years later.

The Jing Dynasty, at the height of its power, fell into decline. Warlords rose, the emperor became a puppet in the hands of ambitious men, the dynasty split, wars raged for decades, national strength hit rock bottom, and foreign tribes invaded, plunging the people into misery and turning the world into hell.

The puppet emperor Edward Carter came before the Daoist temple, knelt, and wept: "Your unfilial descendant is powerless to save the nation. Ancestor, please ascend the throne and continue the glory of our Jing for another three hundred years!"

Chapter 1: The Dragon Falls to the Mortal World, and the Culprit Is You

【In the first year of Kaiyuan, your father Samuel Carter founded the nation, naming it Jing. In the same year, you were born and made crown prince, but were kidnapped by traitors. Fortunately, a master saved you and you escaped disaster. You received a survival reward—Immortal cultivation technique 'Dao Follows Nature'.】

【In the second year of Kaiyuan, you were brought to Longqi Temple by the master Reverend Mason. By chance, you encountered your eldest senior brother practicing martial arts and were nearly beaten to death, but were saved by your second senior brother and escaped disaster. You received a survival reward—martial art 'Divine Shadow Kick'.】

【In the fourth year of Kaiyuan, an earthquake struck the capital, Longqi Temple collapsed, and you were nearly crushed by a beam. Fortunately, your eldest senior brother saved you and you escaped disaster. You received a survival reward—martial art 'Nine-Seeking Heavenly Dragon Step'.】

【In the fifth year of Kaiyuan, a great cold descended, and influenza ravaged the capital. You unfortunately fell ill, but your third senior sister gathered herbs and cured you, allowing you to escape disaster. You received a survival reward—miscellaneous art 'Spring and Autumn Medical Canon'.】

【In the sixth year of Kaiyuan, founding general Henry Clark rebelled and was suppressed. He hid in Longqi Temple and was discovered by you. Henry Clark attacked you, but you were saved by your master and escaped disaster. You received a survival reward—magical artifact 'Kirin Duster'.】

...

At dawn, the first ray of sunlight pierced the endless green mountains, driving away the darkness and shining on the top floor of a pavilion. An ancient bronze bell hung in midair, beside which a young Daoist priest was lost in thought.

It was twelve-year-old William Carter. Every morning before ringing the bell, he would review the experiences of his life so far to steel his resolve.

A night of martial arts practice left him drowsy, but fortunately his duty was simple: to ring the bell on time every day, reminding everyone in the temple to get up and recite the Daoist scriptures. Since taking on this task at age six, he had not encountered any more tribulations. Life became leisurely, but with the cultivation techniques, martial arts, and medical skills he had already obtained, his days were far from dull.

William Carter's survival system came from his previous life. In that life, he was a game developer who created a game with the gimmick: "If you could live forever, how long could you survive in the world of immortal cultivation?"

The player's lifespan was unlimited, but they could still be killed. On the path of cultivation, they would encounter all kinds of tribulations and temptations. William Carter himself had tried it and survived for over ten thousand years at most—it was quite a challenge.

This game was not a simple choice-based game; it required actual operation and exploration. Even if you hid in one place, you might still encounter natural disasters. In short, as the saying goes, fortune and misfortune in life are unpredictable.

After the game launched, it quickly became popular. Overexcited by the backend data, William Carter, who had been staying up late for a long time, died suddenly at his computer and was reincarnated into this life.

In this life, he couldn't guarantee whether he would truly live forever; it would take decades to find out. Until then, he had to rely on survival rewards to grow stronger—strong enough to face life's calamities.

The Dao Follows Nature technique was stuck at the second level, but he had fully mastered the Divine Shadow Kick and the Nine-Seeking Heavenly Dragon Step. The Spring and Autumn Medical Canon was vast and profound; he had memorized its contents but had yet to use it. As for the magical artifact, he had not yet cultivated spiritual power and could not use it. The treasure remained deep in his mind, waiting for him to reach the fourth level of Dao Follows Nature and refine spiritual power to wield it. For now, he only had true qi in his body, which could make his martial arts even more powerful.

Bathed in sunlight, William Carter yawned, gripped the wooden post hanging beside him, and began to ring the bell.

Dong—

The bell's sound echoed through the mountains, long and lingering, as if urging the flow of time. Together with the green mountains and clear waters, it created a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere.

He struck the bell once, paused for five breaths, and repeated ten times before letting go.

"Another day of slacking off begins."

Humming a little tune, William Carter started down the stairs. He wore a gray-blue Daoist robe, the hem fluttering in the sunlight, giving him a touch of immortal grace.

Just as he reached the bottom, a Daoist priest of about fifteen or sixteen ran over, stopping in front of him, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. He said anxiously, "Junior Brother Changsheng, something terrible has happened... A guest died in the temple last night. Master has summoned you to the Mingxin Hall..."

A death?

William Carter frowned. He knew that some court officials had recently come as guests, but he hadn't expected someone to die. Judging by his senior brother's urgency, the deceased must be of high status.