In a vast verdant forest, the sounds of birds chirping could be heard.
The sun loomed over the forest, casting bright rays of light over a small clearing in the forest.
In this clearing, dozens of humans could be seen groaning in pain and discomfort.
They were dazed, a feeling of sickness and dizziness overwhelming them.
"Ughhh..."
"What... happened?"
Students mumbled, trying to regather themselves.
Yang Shen held his head, thinking to himself:
"Ugh... teleportation is really an unpleasant experience—just like how it was described in the novel..."
He then began surveying his surroundings and quickly realised where he was.
"It seems nothing has deviated from the story... we've likely teleported into the same forest in the novel."
Yang Shen glanced around for a moment longer.
After his headache became more manageable, he began to organise his thoughts.
"Following the plot, the Blazing Sky Sect would discover the otherworlders and lead them back to the sect."
In a few hours, disciples of the Blazing Sky Sect would have been sent out to investigate the spatial fracture.
In all cultivation novels, sects were organisations consisting of people who pursue the Dao, paving a road to reach immortality.
Different sects hold different ideologies and practises, however, all of them would hold a method to accumulate power as a cultivator!
After finding a group of mortals wearing strange clothes at the the site of the spatial fracture, the disciples of the Blazing Sky Sect would lead them back to their sect, get the talent of the otherworlders appraised, and potentially rope some of them into the sect.
Yang Shen pondered slightly and gave a cursory glance to an unassuming boy who was busy gathering himself like the rest.
"In the novel, he would get his talent appraised and be labelled as trash. However, his childhood friend who had a very high talent would convince the sect to let him join..."
Due to his childhood friend's talent, it wasn't too hard to convince the sect.
Such a development is fitting for the child of heaven—the protagonist!
After he sorted out his thoughts, Yang Shen was already thinking of some plans that would help his cultivation or bring advantages to him.
He quickly remembered something.
"If my memory is correct, there should be a Grade 3 herb I can pick up before those disciples reach this place!"
In the novel, as the disciples were leading the otherworlders back to their sect, a disciple had discovered a herb near a place with reddish soil due to the mistake of one of the otherworlders.
Yang Shen already formulated a plan, his lips curving into a smile.
"Heheh, if I find the herb before they do, I can keep it for myself by simply hiding it in a different location and picking it back up when I get the opportunity!"
If Yang Shen gets this rare herb, he'll already be in a better position than all the otherworlders.
Whether he sells it, or consumes it, or gives it to Lin Yue to make her even more indebted to him, it would be very beneficial for his cultivation!
With that decision quickly made, whilst everyone was still disoriented, Yang Shen slipped passed everyone's senses and walked into the sprawling forest.
...
Wandering through the forest, Yang Shen used his memory to navigate. With the position of the sun, he walked in the direction of the Blazing Sky Sect.
He knew the herb would be found in this direction as the disciple had only found it by accident on the path leading to the sect.
Eventually, he reached a section of the forest with reddish trees.
However, he knew this was not the place as the soil didn't have a red tinge as well.
Yang Shen muttered with some expectation.
"I'm close..."
After walking for a few more moments, going left, retracing his steps after realising it wasn't the right direction due to the trees becoming normal, then going a little to the right...
He had finally found it!
"Red soil!"
Immediately, Yang Shen cautiously stopped moving.
"I must take this slow and be very cautious, lest I experience the same tragedy in the novel!"
Yang Shen had vividly remembered this herb because of it.
Whilst the otherworlders were being led by the disciples, they had reached this same spot Yang Shen was.
However, one of the otherworlders had stepped on the herb buried in the dirt, causing it to explode and instantly killing the unlucky guy due to the nature of the herb.
It was quite comedic in the novel as the pieces of flesh and guts were sent flying onto a few unlucky people—Yang Shen had quite a twisted sense of humour.
However, it was not funny at this moment as he could very well experience that same fate and become nutrients for the soil he was standing on!
"Stupid herb... and twisted cultivation world! Why do I have to deal with a landmine herb the moment I cross over?!"
Couldn't it be a regular herb with strong magical properties?!
Yang Shen lamented slightly before steeling himself.
"Whatever! If I die or run away today, it simply means I was fated to be nothing more than a background character!"
And frankly, settling as an insignificant background character despite the vastness of this world was an idea Yang Shen detested.
In his previous life, Yang Shen had lived his life as an ordinary person.
Why?
Because his aspirations were too high for a life of a mere hundred years!
Poverty, wealth, kinship—such things were brief, an experience only worth remembering.
Yet, even in memory, those experiences would vanish like thin air.
Where was the satisfaction in that—knowing that despite all your struggles and hardships—you can never change the fate of mortality?
Thus, in such a world, why bother in achieving something more than a comfortable and satisfactory life?
However, this world had brought him opportunities and a vaster sky that could contain his aspirations!
The path of cultivation!
He would pursue the dao, and walk the path to reach immortality!
Only such a path could bring out his true self!
Eternal life, power, women—all shall be his on this journey of his!
With that thought, Yang Shen took a firm step forward near the edge of the red soil.
While he was courting death for benefits, he still wasn't someone who had brain damage and would mindlessly play with his life.
He would meticulously search for this herb!
With that in mind, he knelt down and began observing the soil for anything unusual.