“It wasn't real. Just a dream, just a dream” he said to himself trying to ease his frazzled mind from the vague but horrifying nightmare that was already beginning to slip between the fingers of his memory.

Today was a good day. He wouldn't let a stupid nightmare ruin it for him because today was the day the assessors would visit his tiny village. Today was the day he altered the trajectory of his life.

The rooster outside crowed as dawn broke. I don't think I'll ever truly get used to this he mused as he rose from his straw cot of his tiny shared room. The scratchy material poked out from under his worn bed coverings.

“You two get up!” he called to his younger twin brothers, the other occupants of the crowded room, huddled up together on a cot. “It's morning.”

He quickly made his way out of the small house, the meager morning light creeping in as he left the room. The atmosphere outside was somewhat gloomy but even the chilly mountain air, couldn't put a damper on his excitement.

“Mornin Ma, Pa!” He called to his parents.

The said persons were outside, his mother Jiang Meiying sat at the stove stirring what looked to be a scrap vegetable soup.

Mmmh a definite favorite.

His father Jiang Baofeng was already prepared for a day out in the fields, his hoe already perched on his shoulder.

“Ah, Tao, you're full of energy today heh?” the older man chuckled at Jiang Tao's lively attitude.

“Today is the day, huh?” he mused out loud. “I've never told you before but I tried out for one of these sect recruitments”

Jiang Tao's brows raised skeptically, “Really?”

“Of course! Becoming a cultivator is a common dream round these parts”

“So what happened?”

“I didn't make it, didn't have the talent for it. Becoming a cultivator is not a sure thing for people like us, if it doesn't work out today. I hope you can take it on the chin and keep moving” the man said sagely.

Tao scowled but couldn't deny that his father's words held some merit. No, I'll succeed. I have to I don't think I'll settle for anything else.

Jiang Baofeng ducked as a flying piece of footwear whizzed past his head. “Ayah! I was giving my son some advice, you crazy woman!” he cried out indignantly.

“Tao don't let this lazy dog demotivate you! You didn't inherit any of his talentlessness!” Jiang Meiying spat pointing her other shoe at her husband.

“You're my son and you’ll succeed!”

An involuntary grin found its way across Jiang Tao's face. His heart swelled at the encouragement.

He truly loved these guys, being born to peasants might not have been the best of circumstances but they had raised and loved him, and for that, he'd always be eternally grateful.

Chuckling as scarfed down the flavorful vegetable soup, “Don't worry Pa I'll succeed for sure.”

“Alright I'm off to the fields, you better succeed boy but know I'm proud of you regardless,” the older man said with a smile before turning to leave for the fields.

Minutes later the youngest members of the household stumbled out. “Mama, I'm hungry.” Jiang Ren and Jiang Feng were his younger twin brothers, energetic and cheerful.

They were certainly a highlight, one of the best parts of this new life. It was pretty special being a big brother after being an only child in his first life.

“Bring your bowls it's vegetable soup,” she said.

He focused on his own soup and quickly scarfed it down, he had to get to the village square. The assessors were sure to be there by now.

“Thank you for the meal ma!” Jiang Tao said, rising from his wooden stool. “I should get to the village”

----------------------------------------

Persimmon Peak was a small hillside village located in the northeastern Ironfang mountains. An unremarkable village that boasted large rice terrace fields, with a bustling population in the tens of thousands Jiang Tao was very skeptical of the small qualifier.

Still, from what he had come to learn of this new world, he assumed any preconceived notions he held about this world were bound to be wrong.

The village square buzzed with activity as hordes of villagers gathered to see the imperial contingent, a unique sight in these parts.

The open recruitment had drawn quite the crowd, most Tao assumed came to witness the spectacle but those within the eligible age had turned out in great numbers too.

He was pretty sure every child in the village bar those under the age of 7 had shown up. From the sons of the village chief to the destitute orphans he'd see in the streets sometimes, it looked like everyone wanted to try their hand at this.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The Assessor he assumed was the leader stood above the crowd, clad in the most gorgeous set of robes Jiang Tao had ever seen in his life.

That material is likely worth more than the entirety of Persimmon Peak. he thought glibly.

And that's just a low-ranking servant of the dominion. The thought hardened his resolve to not accept the fate of becoming a pig farmer.

The man in the front began to recite from the gleaming scroll he had procured from his fellows. Wow…That paper is seriously shiny. Tao couldn't help but note.

“Words from the Emperor, The radiant sovereign of the Western Sun Dominion. His Sacred Majesty has proclaimed the reestablishment of the Glorious Imperial sect; The Celestial Illumination sect!” The Assessors' powerful voice rang out, easily projecting itself to very far back of the crowd.

“As such, his Sacred Majesty the Apex of the dominion extends this opportunity to those with deep talents, powerful wills, and potent roots. To walk the path to immortality alongside his Illustrious progeny. Families of those selected will be handsomely compensated ”

The scale of this golden opportunity couldn't be understated. A guaranteed path to power and longevity if not immortality.

Alongside royalty? Damn. Jiang Tao couldn't help but imagine it. Seeing the chief of Persimmon Peak felt pretty noteworthy whenever it happened but actual nobility, scratch that Royalty. The thought made him dizzy.

The assessor continued to speak. “The testing is simple, we will test your roots, innate talent, and qi potential.” He said before gesturing to his left side where some attendants lifted some sort of device.

“This artifact is a qi divination artifact, it will help us measure those qualities.” The artifact was a pearlescent orb nestled atop the shell of an ivory tortoise inlaid with an unidentified red gemstone.

“All you'll have to do is channel a sliver of your qi into it. Very easy to do even for backwater peasants. Begin”

At his command, the artifact was slowly lowered into a cleared space. The head assessor nodded at the village chief.

The man responded by pushing forward 4th son, Cao Jun. He approached the orb with a careful air and settled his hands upon it, with a nod from the assessors he channeled his qi into it.

The device lost its pearlescent hue as it glowed, its color went to a pale salmon color and changed once more as it settled on soft gray, flashing the same color twice and the previous salmon once.

“Silver.” The lead assessor remarked dispassionately. “Middling talent, middling potential, and weak roots. Next!” The boy's face fell at the disappointing results.

The testing progressed this way with most possessing below-average talent, a few with middling talent, and a handful with outstanding talent, even then only one had all three (talent, Qi potential, and roots) at that level.

Still, she wasn't granted acceptance, she looked satisfied regardless even the assessors in their unflappable glory seemed mildly surprised.

Guess someone from the Boonies having stats that good is pretty rare. She’ll probably have her pick of sects. Jiang Tao thought appreciatively.

Tao watched as the boy in front of him walked up to the artifact, the results were the same as the majority; below-average talent. He exhaled slowly trying to release the nervous energy he felt in his bones. He’d succeed, He had to.

He eyed the device warily; it was his turn, and a pit had suddenly formed in his stomach.

That thing is the only thing that lies between becoming a cultivator and a life as a hog farmer. His legs felt leaden as he stepped up to the divination artifact.

His hands trembled slightly as he placed them on the cool surface of the orb. Only one way to find out I guess

“Please, for once in this shitty new life may things work out” Jiang Tao muttered under his breath as he channeled his Qi into the smooth crystalline artifact.

The orb lost its pearlescent hue as it darkened before lighting up with a soft glow as it changed color.

Vermillion to silver to a light blue, he didn't dare look down. The color changed again to a light purple then to brilliant crimson, then a more brilliant green.

The assessor gasped, such talent was outstanding, but the orb was not finished as the color changed once more to bright azure before settling on a rich golden hue.

The gathered crowd was dead silent waiting for the judgment of the stunned assessors. Jiang Tao cracked his eyes open and gazed down at the golden orb as it pulsed thrice.

Gold... What does gold mean? He wondered. He looked to the nonplussed assessor for guidance.

The man gave him a long searching glance before clearing his throat “Extraordinary Talent, Extraordinary Qi potential, and Exceptionally potent roots!” he announced.

“It is with the emperor's authority that I grant you admission to the Celestial Illumination sect!”

Jiang Tao's heartbeat thundered in his ears, He made it. He got accepted, and he was going to be a cultivator.

Holy fuck! he thought as he fell onto his butt, his legs had turned to jelly. The surrounding crowd was in an uproar as people cheered or gasped in disbelief.I did it? I got accepted!

He blinked in disbelief. He’d been confident, but doubt had crept in after seeing so many fail.

Of course, I did it! I was fucking reincarnated here. It'd be strange if I wasn't exceptional in some way. He tried to rationalize as he got up from off of the ground.

“The odds of finding such heaven-defying talent in the western reaches…” the head assessor said in astonishment.

A hand seized his wrist and ushered him behind the assessors to where the rest of the Imperial retinue was situated.

There the attendant who led him there addressed the group that waited there. “A passer, inner disciple. Introduce yourself” he said before giving Tao a strong push forward. He stumbled a bit from the force of the push.

EXCUSE YOU?! he thought indignantly at overly rough treatment before quickly composing himself, looking towards the gathered crowd of Imperial officials.

They stared at him expectantly, he couldn't help but swallow thickly as he quickly bowed.

“T-this one's name is Jiang Tao, honored ones.” he cringed as he stuttered.

“How fortuitous, a passer and an inner disciple at that. Very fortuitous.” said the man, who looked to be the leader of the contingent at least judging by the look of his luxurious and ornate crimson robes.

“Xiao Wei, see the boy to his home. Compensate his guardians if he has any, We’ll set off in the next hour” he delegated to an attendant.