John Lee's heart raced as he stood at the towering gate of Qingxuan Sect, the air thick with the scent of pine and the distant echo of chimes.

Around him, a sea of eager faces, each holding the same dream of transcending the mortal coil.

The gate loomed like a portal to another world, one where steel met steel and magic danced in the air.

But for John, it was more daunting—this world was entirely new to him, and he had no idea what to expect.

Master Wu, the sect leader, stood atop the main gate, his presence commanding and his gaze piercing.

"Welcome, aspirants!" he announced, his voice carrying over the crowd.

"Today, you will face your first test. Only those who pass can enter the gates of Qingxuan Sect and begin their journey to immortality."

John's hands were sweaty, and his mind raced.

He had to focus.

This was his chance to prove himself, to show that he wasn't just a nobody from another world.

As the crowd shuffled forward, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

The air was crisp and filled with the scent of mountain herbs, and the distant murmur of the crowd added to the tension.

Wang Tao, the stern-faced steward, called out the names of the participants.

"John Lee!" he barked, pointing to a small, well-lit clearing a short distance away.

John stepped forward, his heart pounding.

The clearing was surrounded by towering trees, and a large stone tablet stood at its center, inscribed with ancient runes.

"Your task is to solve the riddle on the tablet," Wang Tao explained, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

"Time is of the essence. Begin."

John approached the tablet, his eyes scanning the ancient script.

The others watched in silence, their faces a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

They expected a brute force demonstration of strength, not a puzzle.

But John's modern knowledge kicked in, and he quickly recognized the pattern.

It was a logic puzzle, something he had solved countless times in his old world.

Using his logical reasoning and a few hot tips from his past, John began to decipher the riddle.

The runes seemed to shimmer slightly as he worked, and a sense of anticipation filled the air.

The others exchanged puzzled glances, their expectation of a physical challenge clashed with the reality of a mental one.

As John placed the final piece of the puzzle, a soft hum filled the air, and the stone tablet glowed brightly.

The crowd gasped, and even Master Wu's expression shifted from neutrality to mild surprise.

John smiled, his confidence growing.

He had just taken the first step on his journey, and he couldn't wait to see what lay ahead.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence.

"What's this? A trick?" Liu Feng, a senior disciple, stepped forward, his eyes narrowing with jealousy.

"How did you solve it so quickly? There must be some dark magic at play!"

John's smile faded, and he turned to face Liu Feng, his eyes locking on the other man's.

"Maybe it's just a matter of thinking differently," he replied, his voice steady and calm.

"But I guess we'll have to see."

The tension in the air was palpable, and Master Wu's gaze shifted between John and Liu Feng.

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The challenge had only just begun, and John knew he had to stay alert.

But for now, he had passed the first hurdle, and the path to immortality lay ahead.

Liu Feng's eyes narrowed into slits, a venomous glint flickering within them.

This guy thinks he's so smart?

 he fumed, his fingers itching for a way to trip up the newcomer.

As John basked in the surprised murmurs of the crowd, Liu Feng stealthily sidled towards the signpost pointing the way to the next stage, the spiritual root testing grounds.

With a sly grin, he swapped the marker, sending John on a detour into the treacherous Mystic Maze.

Let's see how well your brain works in there, he chuckled to himself, melting back into the crowd.

John, oblivious to the sabotage, followed the altered path.

The forest canopy thickened, swallowing the sunlight and casting long, distorted shadows.

The air grew heavy with an earthy, musky scent, and the chirping of birds morphed into unsettling croaks and screeches.

John felt a prickle of unease at the back of his neck, a sensation honed by years of binge-watching survival shows back on Earth.

Okay, this ain't Kansas anymore, he thought, activating his ‘Survival Mode.

’ The forest floor was a labyrinth of gnarled roots and damp leaves, and the silence was occasionally broken by the rustling of unseen creatures.

John scanned his surroundings, his eyes darting from tree to tree, identifying the telltale signs of wildlife.

A subtle shift in the wind, the faint trail of crushed leaves, these were clues, not just random occurrences.

A low growl reverberated through the trees, and John’s eyes widened.

A hulking shadow slithered through the undergrowth, its eyes glowing with an eerie red light.

A wolf-like creature with jagged teeth and razor-sharp claws – definitely not a stray dog from the old neighborhood.

Time to get moving!

 he thought, adrenaline surging through his veins.

With a burst of speed, he darted behind a thick tree trunk, his heart hammering like a drum solo.

Using his knowledge of camouflage, John moved like a ghost through the forest, evading the territorial beasts by exploiting their weaknesses and predicting their movement patterns.

At one point, a large spider-like creature dropped from a tree, its hairy legs scrambling towards him.

John, remembering a bit of biology from high school, quickly threw a handful of dried leaves and dirt into its many eyes, giving him just enough time to roll away and disappear deeper into the woods.

He dodged, weaved, and at times, sprinted through the maze.

Each rustle, each snap of a twig sent his senses on high alert.

He felt like he was in a real-life video game, except this time, there wasn't a respawn button.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a clearing broke through the dense foliage, revealing the majestic entrance of the Spiritual Root Testing Hall.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he brushed himself off, a thin layer of grime covering his clothes.

John Lee blinked, the dust of an unfamiliar world settling around him.

Gone were the sterile white walls of the hospital room, replaced by a vibrant tapestry of towering trees and a sky painted in hues he’d only seen in fantasy art.

He, John Lee, a middling college student cramming for finals one minute, was now inexplicably standing at the foot of a mountain that pierced the clouds like a celestial spear.

A fluttering banner proclaimed it as Qingxuan Sect, a name whispered with reverence in the hushed conversations he’d overheard since his… arrival.

 He’d somehow transmigrated into a world of immortal cultivation, a world governed by the mystical pursuit of Qi and the clash of powerful sects.

His modern mind, however, remained stubbornly intact.

 He analyzed his situation with pragmatic detachment.

Survival was paramount.

 Joining a powerful sect like Qingxuan was the most logical first step.

The entrance examination was already underway.

Hundreds of hopefuls, most barely past adolescence, milled about nervously, their eyes fixed on the imposing figures of the sect elders.

Among them, a wizened man with a flowing white beard, Master Wu, the Sect Leader, exuded an aura of quiet authority.

Beside him, Elder Zhang, his face etched with disapproval, scanned the aspirants with a hawk-like gaze.

 John suppressed a sigh.

This wasn't going to be easy.

The first test was a physical trial, a simple obstacle course designed to weed out the weak.

 John, though never an athlete, possessed the knowledge of physics and biomechanics.

He used his understanding of momentum and leverage to complete the course with surprising efficiency, earning curious glances from some of the other applicants and a raised eyebrow from Master Wu.

The second test, a series of riddles designed to assess mental acuity, proved more challenging.

 But even here, John's modern education gave him an edge.

 He deciphered the cryptic clues with logic and lateral thinking, leaving many of his competitors scratching their heads.

This, however, caught the attention of Liu Feng, a sneering youth with an air of entitlement.

 Seeing John’s rapid progress, Liu Feng’s face contorted with envy.

He subtly altered a directional sign near John, diverting him toward the infamous Maze of Mist, a treacherous area typically avoided during the entrance trials.

Lost in the swirling mists, John cursed his naivete.

The maze was designed to disorient and trap, its shifting paths guarded by minor illusions and spiritual disturbances.

 Yet, even here, John refused to panic.

 He employed a systematic approach, marking his path with small stones and using basic principles of navigation to slowly but surely find his way out.

Finally, emerging from the maze, hours behind schedule, he stumbled upon the final testing ground: the Hall of Spiritual Roots.

 Here, aspirants placed their hands upon a crystalline orb that would reveal their affinity for cultivating Qi.

 Exhausted but determined, John approached the orb.

As his hand made contact, the crystal pulsed with an unexpected surge of energy, radiating a brilliant, multi-hued light.

The hall erupted in gasps.

 Such a vibrant display was unprecedented.

 Elder Zhang, his eyes narrowed with suspicion, pointed a bony finger at John.

 "This boy! He uses trickery! Such power is impossible for a novice!"

Master Wu, however, remained impassive.

 His gaze, sharp and discerning, locked onto John.

 “Interesting,” he murmured, a hint of intrigue in his voice.

 The journey of John Lee, the accidental cultivator, had only just begun.