Mysterious Resurgence: I Cultivate Anomalous Immortality in a Chaotic World

Chapter 1: Eerie Descent
Flower Market.
In a mental hospital situated in the mountains.
A youth wearing a blue and white patient uniform sat cross-legged on the bed and sighed helplessly, “Still not working…”
His name was Zhang Qian. Two months ago, he was sent to the mental hospital for self-harm, diagnosed with delusion. Even his parents thought he was crazy.
These years, he had swallowed herbs raw, sought immortals and asked questions, even attempted to open the Ren and Du Meridians himself, but the effects were not ideal.
But Zhang Qian still firmly believed he was not sick. He believed he could definitely cultivate immortality, “Just missing an opportunity…”
“Zhang Qian, time for meal.”
The nurse interrupted Zhang Qian’s muttering, handing him a plate of steaming meal through the small window in the door.
“Mortals, disturbing my cultivation again.” Zhang Qian reluctantly got off the bed, took the plate and glanced at it before shoving it back, “I told you I’m not sick. Keep this pill for yourself!”
The nurse was about to explain when a doctor wearing glasses patted her shoulder, “Let me handle it.”
“No use whoever comes!”
The doctor walked to the door and asked seriously, “Zhang Qian, do you really believe in the existence of immortal cultivators?”
“Mayflies cannot discuss ice with summer insects. You mortals can laugh if you want.” Hearing this, Zhang Qian ignored it and indifferently walked back to the bed.
Experiences over many days had taught him that reasoning with these people was pointless unless he truly succeeded; no one would believe his words.
“I see, what a pity for this secret manual of mine.” The doctor sighed pretentiously with regret and pulled out a book, patting it in his hand.
“Oh?” Zhang Qian became interested, “What secret manual?”
The doctor shook the book in his hand at Zhang Qian, “I often save lives in jianghu and unexpectedly met a seriously injured expert. Knowing his time was short, he passed the sect secret manual to me and asked me to find a successor. What a pity, I thought you could take on this great responsibility.”
Zhang Qian looked at the secret manual, somewhat incredulous, “If it’s really a secret manual, why don’t you practice it yourself?”
The doctor shook his head and sighed, “This is no ordinary secret manual. It’s said to contain the secret to becoming an immortal. Ordinary people probably lack the talent.”
With that, he sighed again, “Oh well, that kind of genius is one in ten thousand. How could it appear in our small hospital?”
Seeing the doctor about to put away the secret manual, Zhang Qian finally believed he was not joking and immediately dissuaded him, “If you believe in me, let me try. I formed a top-grade golden pill at 16, but my mom was misled by villains who said it was a gallstone and had it removed, causing me to lose all my cultivation. Give me the secret manual, and I can definitely succeed!”
“This…” The doctor hesitated repeatedly before solemnly handing the secret manual to Zhang Qian, “Alright, since you have this determination, I’ll believe in you.”
Zhang Qian cupped his fists and looked gratefully at the doctor, “Thank you, Senior, for your trust. I will not fail your expectations!”
Taking the secret manual, Zhang Qian couldn’t help flipping through it back and forth. The blue cover and yellow pages were ancient and elegant, with 《Cultivate Immortality Secret Manual》 written boldly on the cover.
“The Great Dao is the simplest; the ancients did not deceive me.” Zhang Qian couldn’t help flipping open a page to read, “So obscure, it must lead straight to the origin of the Great Dao.”
“Remember to take the pills on time; they will help your practice. Wish you early enlightenment and ascension in broad daylight!” The doctor pulled the stunned nurse, closed the observation window and meal slot, and left the room with several other students taking notes.
On the way, the little nurse looked at the doctor with admiration, “Director Liu, you’re amazing. Your method is so effective. Patient 9919’s delusion has always been our problem, but you easily found a solution.”
“Heh, delusion patients are also victims of illness. I just tried to understand him.” Director Liu smiled and explained, then turned to the students taking notes behind him, “Hope you can use this as an example to help more patients.”
The students nodded repeatedly, but someone raised a hand timidly and asked, “Director Liu, what book did you give him exactly? He won’t cause problems practicing it, right?”
“Just a 《Tao Te Ching》, what problems could it cause…”
The sound gradually faded away. In an unnoticed corner, a strand of black and white qi quietly emerged and wobbled into Zhang Qian’s body.
……
One morning, Doctor Qian was hunched over sorting files as usual.
A figure suddenly appeared at the doorway, “Doctor Qian, what are you doing here?”
“Who!” Doctor Qian whipped his head around and sighed in relief upon seeing Director Liu at the door, “Old Liu, you walk so quietly, you scared me to death…”
He patted his chest to catch his breath, completely unaware that outside the door was already dim, “You know I have heart disease; that almost took my old life.”
“Since you’re sick,” Director Liu walked into the room unhurriedly and placed his hand on Doctor Qian’s shoulder, “let me heal you.”
……
Zhang Qian in the patient room did not notice the changes outside.
At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, solemnly sensing the changes in his body.
“Fifteen days, I’m finally going to succeed…” He concentrated his spirit and felt an inexplicable strength growing in his body, gathering into a stream of white warmth, “Is this the legendary true qi?”
“I told you cultivating immortality is real and feasible. Why doesn’t anyone believe it?”
Zhang Qian opened his eyes and discovered that the surroundings were covered in mottled mold spots. The originally bright fluorescent tube was now dim and flickering.
“Senior? Senior!”
After shouting a few times with no response, Zhang Qian pulled the door open a crack and poked his head out.
The corridor lights seemed mixed with dust. The clear windows were pasted over with newspapers. The once bright corridor now appeared dim, and both ends of the corridor vanished directly into darkness.
Seeing this, Zhang Qian knew he had probably been possessed by evil. But he wasn’t afraid even when practicing martial arts before; now entering the dao through martial arts, he had even less to fear.
“Just don’t know where Senior is now. Without cultivation, he might be in danger.” Thinking this, Zhang Qian yanked open the door and walked out. The light above flickered, and the surroundings were so quiet he could hear the “sizzle” from the lamp.
At the window, layers of newspapers sealed it shut. Most of the newspapers had indistinct writing, but all faintly printed “Chujiang City Seventh Hospital.”
Zhang Qian searched his mind but couldn’t recall any city with that name. But China was vast, so it was normal for there to be cities he didn’t know.
Zhang Qian tried pushing the window, but it didn’t budge. Unwilling to dwell, he swung his fist at the glass.
However, the glass didn’t shatter. His punch made no sound, and his fist felt no impact.
“Something there.”
Undeterred, Zhang Qian channeled the warm flow to his arms, turning it into a layer of white light covering his fist. He punched again, and the glass shattered with a “crack,” breaking into fragments that dissipated in the air.
“But not much.”