Early Morning
Nuwa Temple at Chentang Pass
The main hall, shrouded in incense and bustling with voices, had a small figure carved out of jade-like perfection kneeling before the statue. It was none other than the recently born Nezha.
But Nezha was no longer the original Nezha—he had transmigrated.
In his previous life, he had been idle at home, happened to hear about a meteor shower, and thought he might as well join the fun and make a wish for wealth and a stable, respectable job.
Unexpectedly, he became the "lucky winner" who was physically taken away by a silver meteor. After drifting aimlessly in Outer Chaos for quite some time, he finally transmigrated into Nezha.
Well, at least the wish was fulfilled.
Becoming the third son of a General, wealthy (√)
Reaching "Body to Saint" status as the Three Altars Sea Meeting God, a stable and respectable career (√)
Meteor, oh meteor, thank you very much!
In hindsight, his ability to reincarnate wasn't bad at all, but the experiences he had in Chaos made Nezha no longer content to follow the original story's path.
If you've transmigrated already, who would still want to be a mere 'civil servant'?
Besides, he had a transmigrator's standard perk—a golden finger.
It wasn't a system or an old grandpa living rent-free in his head—it was that same meteor that brought him here.
The meteor, in fact, was a high-speed fragment of the Creation Jade Scroll and the Chaos Pearl, and it was these fragments that had protected his True Spirit at the final moment and ferried him through Chaos.
Although he didn't yet know their exact uses, Nezha, as an avid reader in his previous life, knew all too well what tier these two items belonged to. Weren't they much more useful than some generic system? The only thing he had to worry about was being cracked open like a loot box by those Old Deng-types for gold coins.
So, on the very night of his birth, Nezha immediately ran to the Nuwa Temple, knelt before the statue, and poured his heart out in hopes of becoming her disciple.
Everyone knows that in the Mixed Primordial, other than being personally strong, the most important thing is having a solid backing. Since he planned to give up being a Chan Third Generation, he had to strive to become Wa's Second Generation instead.
Being the sole heir? What a sweet deal—just look at Taiqing's Xuan Du!
Outside the hall, an old Daoist with his hair in twin buns and dressed in a Daoist robe weaved through the crowd, but the people around seemed completely oblivious to his presence.
The old Daoist stepped into the main hall, paid his respects to the Nuwa statue, and approached Nezha, earnestly saying, "Nezha, the Sect Leader of our Chan Sect is also a Saint. Why insist on Lady Nuwa?"
"If you join my sect, I will teach you all the magical treasures in my possession. Wouldn't that be delightful?"
Nezha thought to himself: This old man, while not bad to me in the original tale, ultimately just wanted to use me as a pawn to fend off calamities.
In the end, it led to me cutting my flesh to return it to my father and scraping my bones for my mother, becoming a lotus-body with no chance at the Great Dao—all partly because of your scheming and indulgence.
But outwardly, he didn't want to offend the Chan Sect, so he responded with the utmost sincerity, "At my birth, my father pointed a sword at my brow—not like a father. My mother did not intervene—not like a mother. Lady Nuwa is the Mother of the Human Clan; she is also my mother. It is only natural for me to seek apprenticeship under her."
As he spoke, he placed the Huntian Silk and Qiankun Ring he had on him in front of Taiyi.
Taiyi was left utterly speechless by this argument. Unless Lady Nuwa explicitly refused to accept Nezha, he dared not utter another word—what stature did he have to compete with Lady Nuwa for a disciple?
Looking at Nezha's resolute young face, he picked up the treasures and left, determined to consult his own teacher on what to do next.
Meanwhile, as Nezha delivered his declaration, two consciousnesses in Chaos began communicating.
"The reincarnated Spiritual Pearl child is so exquisitely adorable. As an old woman, I think taking him in wouldn't be bad at all."
"No way, I'm only interested in collecting adorable young girls!"
"Isn't Nezha just as cute as those girls?"
"Still no. If I take him in just because he asked, wouldn't that make me look completely spineless as a Saint?"
"But I really find this little one endearing."
"Absolutely not—it's my main body, my decision!"
Bang!
In the Lishan Palace, the Lishan Old Mother, seated on the Cloud Platform, banged her cane fiercely, ending the "friendly exchange" with her main body.
Nezha, unaware that his childlike form had scored high marks with the Lishan Old Mother, continued his heartfelt kowtowing, sincerely hoping to join the ranks soon.
Five years passed in the blink of an eye.
During these years, Nezha, aside from seeking a master, would occasionally help heal those who seemed pitiful or pleasing to his eyes, such as the elderly woman before him.
The old woman had lost her soldier son long ago, and her daughter-in-law had remarried elsewhere. Years ago, she came to the Nuwa Temple to pray, simply wishing to live a few more years so she could take care of her four-year-old grandson, Gou Dan. Touched by her plight, Nezha used his mana to heal her. Ever since, whenever she came to worship, she'd earnestly pray for Nezha to be accepted by Lady Nuwa.
The old woman left, after offering Nezha her prepared food and respectfully bowing to the Nuwa statue while holding her young grandson's hand.
After finishing the wild vegetable rice ball in his hand, Nezha felt that today, like the past five years, was just another ordinary day. For someone who had drifted through Chaos, five years wasn't long at all, but today's events brought him face-to-face with an elderly woman radiating kindness and exuding an air of nobility.
Sensing something in her gaze, as though she saw him as her cherished grandchild, Nezha dropped to his knees in profound reverence: I've made it!
The old woman graciously accepted his bow, speaking kindly, "Good child, are you willing to come with me?"
Nezha, fully prepared, placed the letter he'd written on the cushion and nodded firmly three times.
Smiling warmly, the old woman took Nezha's chubby little hand and, in a single step, arrived before a grand palace.
Following the old woman, Nezha tried his best to observe, but he couldn't make out the interior of the palace. He could only perceive the intricate decorations and the stunning tapestry of gemstones forming a flowing image of the sun, moon, and stars.
Before they even got close, the door opened on its own, and a female immortal wearing a lotus crown and a blue embroidered gown stepped out.
First, she respectfully bowed to the old woman, then greeted Nezha with a sweet smile, reminding him of the Senior Sister who welcomed him during university orientation in his past life.
Nezha returned the smile sweetly.
The old woman led them into the main hall, seating herself atop a jade seat. With benevolence, she said, "I am the Lishan Old Mother. While traveling, I noticed your exceptional root bone and pure nature, as well as your unwavering heart for the Dao. Are you willing to take me as your teacher?"
Nezha promptly knelt and kowtowed, loudly declaring, "Disciple Li Nezha pays respect to Teacher. May Teacher's divine longevity be boundless!"
Nezha wasn't foolish—who else would dare to take someone directly from the Emperor Wa Temple other than her?
The Old Mother was very pleased. Nezha wasn't just adorable; he was clever too. Excellent, excellent.
With the apprenticeship complete, the weight in Nezha's heart finally lifted. He wanted to show his prized treasures to his teacher.
The Lishan Old Mother chuckled, lightly tapping Nezha's forehead with a finger as she said, "Every ten days, I will teach a lecture on the Dao. Feel free to ask me anything you don't understand."
With that, she turned and vanished.
That single tap carried immense information. Even with Nezha's Divine Soul, the sheer volume made him dizzy for a moment before he recovered.
The blue-gowned "Senior Sister" pinched his chubby little cheeks and said, "I am Lady Nuwa's steed, Qingluan. From now on, you can call me Sister Xiaoqing."
She then efficiently arranged food and accommodations for Nezha.
Watching the enthusiastic Sister Xiaoqing, Nezha secretly marveled at his own charm at such a young age. One smile, and he'd already won over the big boss's chauffeur and secretary.
After Xiaoqing left, Nezha finally had the chance to carefully inspect the information in his mind.
Within it were not only cultivation techniques but also instructions on how to use his "golden finger."
Long live Teacher!