Chapter 4 – Defying Fate

A celestial woman with a jade-like complexion and a serene, saintly aura floated in the air.

Her beauty was unparalleled, clad in a glimmering glass-like dress, she resembled the Nine Heavens Maiden, captivating onlookers who couldn't bear to look away.

Even Lin Jichen, who had seen her a decade ago, couldn't help but take a few extra glances.

But he never thought about flirting with her; this woman was extraordinary, a guide on the path of immortality and the mastermind behind "Tale of Immortal," Nuwa.

（Proofreader:In Chinese mythology, Nuwa is known as the mother of the earth, the god of nature who created all things.）

Those who dared to speak to Nuwa carelessly never met a good end.

Many players, lured by Nuwa's looks and figure, disrespected her.

Some tried to hit on her, others begged to cling to her coattails, and a few even had the audacity to think of molesting her.

The consequences were dire. Those who made inappropriate advances were locked in a dark cell for a few minutes if their words weren't too filthy.

Those who made vulgar and lewd comments not only faced a day or two in the cell but also suffered a permanent reduction in their charm upon logging back in.

And for those who attempted molestation, they faced a seven-day confinement and a permanent charm reduction.

Moreover, upon release, all NPC affection levels turned negative, they couldn't accept quests, and their attributes halved for a week.

Many had fallen victim to this.

In his past life, Lin Jichen had done such things, but he wasn't lecherous; he believed Nuwa held hidden quests or rewards.

So he pestered Nuwa relentlessly, inquiring about these secrets countless times.

Eventually, Nuwa grew tired and confined him for a few minutes, and he learned his lesson.

Reborn, Lin Jichen certainly wouldn't repeat such foolishness.

He waited quietly for her to speak.

Nuwa's eyes calmly met his, and as she spoke, it was like listening to the music of the heavens.

"Mortal, do you truly wish to embark on the path of cultivation?"

"Yes," Lin Jichen replied.

"Tell me your name."

Without hesitation, Lin Jichen answered, "Lin Jichen."

In his past life, his ID was Lin Aijie, which spoke volumes to those who understood the term 'simp.'

Now reborn, Lin Jichen just wanted to be himself.

"Since you've decided to step onto the path of immortality, I shall bestow upon you an opportunity. What you make of it is entirely up to you."

Here it comes! The starting talent is about to be revealed!

Lin Jichen's eyelids twitched.

If he wasn't mistaken, he would receive a mediocre innate talent just like before, called "Business Prodigy."

The talent's effect was simple: a 10% reduction in spirit stones spent at all town shops.

In other words, it was just a money-saving feature with no other use...

Such a talent was best suited for a game merchant, but Lin Jichen had no interest in that and had to carry this mediocre talent on his journey of cultivation.

Yet, even with this, he had managed to become one of the top-tier experts in "Tale of Immortal," the number one magic cultivator.

"Fine, Business Prodigy it is. Innate talent isn't everything. With my knowledge of 'Tale of Immortal,' even with a lousy start, I can still turn the tides." Lin Jichen comforted himself.

Nuwa raised her hand, and a stream of rosy light entered Lin Jichen's body, assessing his constitution.

For some reason, what should have been a quick check took much longer this time.

The light lingered inside Lin Jichen for half a minute before finally dissipating.

Just as Lin Jichen grew puzzled, the game notification sounded.

"Congratulations on obtaining the innate talent 'Defying Fate'!"

Lin Jichen was stunned. Why wasn't it Business Prodigy?

Was it because of his rebirth?

Or did the Jade Pendant help him?

With this thought, Lin Jichen quickly checked the description.

"Defying Fate": Born against the heavens, defying the natural order, blessed with extraordinary destiny.

Just these twelve words let Lin Jichen know this was no ordinary talent.

In his ten years in "Tale of Immortal," he had never heard of anyone receiving such a talent.

He read on eagerly.

The talent had three effects.

"Born Against the Heavens": Those born against the heavens, like a phoenix reborn from ashes.

All innate attributes are at their maximum, but with each death, all innate attributes decrease by 10%.

"Defying the Natural Order": Those who defy the natural order are envied by the heavens.

With each major breakthrough, all attribute bonuses are doubled, but a heavenly tribulation is guaranteed, and failure means the soul is scattered.

"Extraordinary Destiny": Those with an extraordinary destiny are always accompanied by opportunities.

With each major breakthrough, an additional random talent is awarded, and each time a major realm is broken through, a 'Heavenly' level condition must be completed.

After reading the talent description, Lin Jichen was silent for a few seconds, then overwhelmed with joy.

He hadn't expected his rebirth to change even his talent.

Defying Fate, this talent was invincible!

Although the talent came with benefits and dangers alike, for Lin Jichen, these were trivial matters!

Great opportunities always come with great risks.

If he lacked the heart to face these challenges, he might as well not have been reborn.

He could just find a piece of stinky tofu and headbutt it to death.

"The talent has been bestowed upon you, now you must choose your appearance."

As Nuwa spoke, she raised her hand.

A projection screen appeared, displaying Lin Jichen's image.

Beside it were many hairstyles to choose from.

This was similar to character customization in online games.

However, in "Tale of Immortal," one couldn't change their face; they were stuck with their given appearance and could only choose a hairstyle suitable for the world of immortals.

There were loose hair, tied hair, flat buns.

There were also explosive hairstyles like the one from "Friends" or the protagonist's bun from "The Legend of Sword and Fairy," and more.

One could even choose to be bald, have a shaved head, or sport dreadlocks.

In short, any hairstyle was possible, and hair color could be chosen too.

In his past life, Lin Jichen had encountered many non-mainstream players with red or green hair.

This time, Lin Jichen chose a half-loose hairstyle with a hair crown, which suited his face and gave him an elegant and suave look.

In his past life, he had been foolish, thinking he was tired of being handsome and that anything would do in the game.

So, he chose the explosive hairstyle like that of "Storm Riders."

Only to find out later that the higher the looks, the easier it was to gain the affection of NPCs of the opposite sex.

His explosive hairstyle had significantly lowered his already high charm.

This time, Lin Jichen wouldn't make the same mistake.

Appearance confirmed.

Next, a scroll appeared in front of Lin Jichen.

The scroll unfurled on its own, revealing a map.

The map was divided into four sections.

They were marked: Yongning Province, Yuehua Province, Mu Xian Province, and Huafeng Province.

These four provinces were the starting points players could choose from.

The map of "Tale of Immortal" was vast, and these four provinces were just the tip of the iceberg.

The rest of the map was highly dangerous and required high cultivation levels to explore.

The four provinces, aside from their names, had no descriptions.

Players could pick at will.

Though they seemed similar, Lin Jichen, as someone who had been through it before, knew there were secrets hidden within.

These four provinces were each suited to one of the four mainstream professions in "Tale of Immortal": magic cultivation, medical cultivation, artifact cultivation, and physical cultivation.

Yongning Province was most suitable for magic cultivators; Yuehua Province was most suitable for medical cultivators; Mu Xian Province was most suitable for artifact cultivators; Huafeng Province was most suitable for physical cultivators.

It wasn't to say that it was absolute.

In fact, any profession could shine anywhere.

However, each of the four provinces hid special opportunities unknown to others, which were not available on other continents.

For example, in Yongning Province, there were opportunities left by powerful magic cultivators.

These included various rare-level magic treasures, supernatural powers, and immortal pills that only magic cultivators could use.

The other professions had similar opportunities.

However, such opportunities were hard to come by, and the triggering and completion conditions were very strict. Luck and strength were both essential to seize these opportunities.

Lin Jichen first needed to determine which profession he would pursue.

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