I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

In the 351st year of the Zhou dynasty.

Summer.

Xuan'an City was suffering from drought, with no rain for two consecutive months.

The Luo River had dried up, revealing a stone figure on the riverbed with inscriptions on it.

Because the inscriptions were so taboo, the villagers didn't dare to remove and sell the figure, and instead, they reported it to the city's cultural heritage bureau.

A team of more than a dozen experts was assembled to date the stone figure and to plan its protection and promotion.

Xiao Ran was one of them, having just graduated and entered the department not long ago. As a rookie in the bureau, he was responsible for carrying fishing rods, stools, tents, and other tools on his back.

Upon reaching the site.

Xiao Ran set down the fishing gear and also squeezed in to take a look at the stone figure.

About five to six feet tall, its facial sculpture had turned into abstract art due to the long-term erosion by the river water, but the inscriptions on its chest were clear.

"The drying Luo River, the world revolts!"

Expert Dong said, "Looking at the script, it seems to be from the pre-Qing period, at least two thousand years ago. Back then, the most famous rebel army recorded was the Black Turban Army."

"Old Dong makes sense, but there is another line of text below..."

The stone expert pointed at the inscription and said, "Been here, and then there's a string of communication numbers afterwards, this definitely doesn't resemble the style of ancient times."

Xiao Ran also noticed that on the stone figure it was written: Been here, with a communication number 1-9-9-****.

"Could it be fake? But looking at this script and the craftsmanship, it doesn't seem forged!"

Expert Dong walked around the stone figure twice, discussing it with the stone expert for a long time. Yet, they still couldn't understand the reason behind it, and they couldn't find any similar messages in ancient books.

In ancient times, scholars who visited a place often left behind poems, and occasionally inscriptions or paintings, known as "leaving one's mark" to show off their literary grace. Read latest chapters at empire

Nobody has ever heard of someone leaving a "Been here" message, let alone with a communication number—utterly vulgar, unfilial!

Once Officer Zhao from the publicity department saw the experts puzzled, he lit up and said, "Perhaps this is a good opportunity, to publicize this mystery and let cultural relics enthusiasts nationwide try to solve it."

"Xiao Zhao has a good idea. This could be the first 'Been here' in the history of cultural relics."

Expert Dong clearly understood the implications and nodded slightly. "Research on cultural artifacts is tedious and complicated, and no matter how much we publicize it, it's tough to resonate with netizens. This 'Been here, communication number,' however, is very grounded, and might spark quite a discussion!"

"Exactly, Teacher Dong is right."

Officer Zhao felt this was feasible; publicity work wasn't easy to execute, needing to be serious yet lively, akin to a colorful patch of black.

"First, let's formally announce the stone figure's existence, sparking discussions about the riddle of the ancients. Then, create some memes, suggesting historical figures have all 'been here'..."

Being grounded means blending in with the common people, but this presupposes that one holds a high position.

Netizens discovering that historically great poets and literati were just as vulgar in their "Been here" as ordinary people would surely find it endearing.

The intricacy of it all gave off a sense of enticing good families to lower their standards!

"It might just be a trending topic. If it becomes an expression like 'Simply delicious,' it will definitely attract many tourists to Xuan'an City. The National Dynasty is becoming increasingly wealthy, and there are plenty of idle people on the internet!"

Officer Zhao was very ambitious, always seizing opportunities for promotion, and called his colleagues from the TV station to film from various angles.

Xiao Ran, who was about the same age, was naturally a laid-back person; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen a comfortable job like Qingshui Yamen at such a young age, where his daily work involved accompanying leaders in tea tasting and fishing.

Hearing the experts describing it as miraculous, he took out his phone, snapped a few photos, and sent them to the "Nine Provinces Cultivation Chat Group."

Picture, picture, picture.

Xuan Miao the Daoist: "A new unsolved mystery in the world of archaeology: Did ancient people also have communication numbers? Are they transmigrators or from an ancient civilization?"

The Nine Provinces Cultivation Chat Group was set up by a group of cultivation enthusiasts.

Xiao Ran used to be an avid fan of cultivation novels, dreaming of immortality because, after all, youth is wasted without a bit of rebellion. Thus, he collected many cultivation groups on the internet and joined them one by one.

Ninety-nine percent of such chat groups died a swift death on the grand path, and over the years, only this one remained active.

The core reason was that the group didn't have many members, and the group owner required members to have at least read one Daoist classic, or they would soon be kicked out.

Rebellious teenagers only thought about defying fate and wouldn't settle down to read. To this day, the group barely had a hundred members!

The group owner, Daoist Xuan Ling, was a bona fide Daoist priest who was said to have been born amidst auspicious purple clouds, and the first word he uttered was: Immortal!

Xiao Ran, in his peak rebellious phase, was utterly astonished and deeply believed that Daoist Xuan Ling was a true cultivator. Following his advice, Xiao Ran had read many classics from Daoist sages.

His current laid-back personality was probably influenced by this, as non-striving is the highest realm in Daoism.

Daoist Xuan Ling: "Is this real? Where was it found?"

Send current location.

Xuan Miao the Daoist: "Bottom of Luoshui River, I'm at the scene right now."

Daoist Xuan Ling: "This location is about three hundred miles away from that immortal's relic. It seems that the Luoshui River really did have immortals cultivating in secret!"

Seeing the group owner's words, Xiao Ran felt both ashamed and unsurprised, as the other party was a true believer in the existence of cultivation.

Most other group members, including Xiao Ran himself, were past their rebellious years and had come to terms with reality.

Cultivation didn't exist; the Daoist scriptures were somewhat useful, providing solace when one felt troubled.

Xuan Miao the Daoist: "If it was left by an immortal, why not try to invite them over? Maybe they really exist?"

"Well said!"

Daoist Xuan Ling didn't take this as a jest; instead, he took the suggestion very seriously. Searching with the communication number, to their surprise, actually yielded a result.