Death arrived without warning.
Li Chen's last memory of Earth was painfully ordinary—standing at a bus stop, phone in hand, calculating whether crossing the road five seconds earlier would increase or decrease his odds of getting hit by a car. He never reached a conclusion.
When he opened his eyes again, the sky was wrong.
It was too vast, too deep, like a bottomless ocean of blue pierced by drifting islands and streaks of sword-light that carved the clouds apart. The air felt sharp, as if every breath contained invisible blades brushing against his lungs.
Li Chen froze.
This is bad.
He lay on cold stone, his body unfamiliar—lighter, stronger, humming faintly with a power he had never possessed before. Memories flooded his mind not as confusion, but as certainty.
This was the Azure Sword Continent.
This body belonged to a sixteen-year-old outer disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
And today… was the day of the Outer Disciple Life-and-Death Trial.
Li Chen's pupils shrank.
"No, no, no," he whispered hoarsely. "This has to be a joke."
The trial was infamous. Outer disciples were thrown into the Sword Burial Forest, a place filled with demonic beasts, unstable sword qi, and—most dangerous of all—other disciples. Survival for three days meant promotion. Death meant… well, death.
Li Chen swallowed.
I transmigrated… into a death world.
As panic rose, something else awakened within him.
A pressure—ancient, domineering, and sharp beyond reason—surged from his bones, his meridians, his very soul. For a brief moment, the surrounding sword qi trembled, as if bowing.
Li Chen felt it instinctively.
The Supreme Sword Physique.
A legendary constitution whispered of only in ancient records. A body born to walk the Path of the Sword, destined to dominate all sword cultivators beneath heaven.
The heavens had made a mistake.
"Send it back," Li Chen said softly, his voice trembling. "I don't want it."
His memories told him what sword cultivators believed.
A sword cultivator advances without retreat.
A sword cultivator fears nothing—not pain, not blood, not death.
Better to die standing than live kneeling.
Li Chen hugged his knees.
"I strongly disagree."
A loud bell echoed across the sect, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Outer disciples!" a voice boomed from the skies. "Enter the Sword Burial Forest. The trial begins now!"
Panic exploded.
Li Chen scrambled to his feet and followed the crowd, his heart pounding like it wanted to escape his chest. Around him, other disciples wore expressions of excitement, ambition, and barely restrained bloodlust.
"Finally," one laughed. "I'll step on a few people and rise today."
"Whoever blocks my path," another said coldly, "will regret it."
Li Chen edged away from them.
Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.
The forest entrance loomed ahead—a massive stone gate engraved with countless sword marks, each radiating killing intent. As Li Chen crossed the threshold, the world shifted.
The air grew heavy. Trees twisted unnaturally, their leaves thin and sharp like blades. Sword qi drifted everywhere, invisible yet deadly.
A scream sounded somewhere in the distance.
Li Chen immediately crouched.
"Too soon," he muttered. "Way too soon."
Other disciples scattered, charging deeper into the forest in search of beasts and opportunities. Li Chen did the opposite. He slipped behind a massive tree, pressed his back against it, and slowly slid down to the ground.
First rule of survival, he thought. Do not be noticed.
As he calmed his breathing, he became aware of something strange. The sword qi around him—normally wild and aggressive—seemed to soften, gathering around him like a loyal guard.
Li Chen stiffened.
"Oh no."
He tried to suppress it. The moment he did, the sword qi condensed further, forming faint, shimmering threads that hovered obediently at his side.
It was as if the forest itself was acknowledging him.
"Stop that," Li Chen whispered urgently. "You're going to get me killed."
The sword qi ignored him.
Suddenly, footsteps approached.
Li Chen's blood ran cold.
Two disciples emerged from the undergrowth, swords drawn, eyes scanning the area.
"I sensed sword intent here," one said. "Strong."
Li Chen's heart nearly stopped.
That's not good. That's very not good.
He did the only reasonable thing.
He held his breath and prayed.
The sword qi around him trembled slightly—then vanished, sinking into his body like it had never existed.
The two disciples frowned.
"Must've been a fluctuation," the other said. "Let's move."
They left.
Li Chen waited ten full minutes before daring to breathe again.
When he finally exhaled, his legs were shaking.
"…Okay," he whispered. "New rule. Never, ever let that thing leak out again."
A rustling sound echoed nearby.
Li Chen's soul nearly left his body.
A demonic beast burst from the bushes—a Black-Fanged Wolf, eyes glowing red, body wrapped in sword-scarred fur. It lunged straight at him.
Li Chen screamed.
He turned and ran.
He didn't think. He didn't strategize. He ran like his life depended on it—because it did.
The wolf snapped at his heels, jaws missing him by inches. As Li Chen fled, his fear sharpened, compressing into something strange and focused.
Behind him, a whisper echoed.
Sword.
A thin line of light flashed.
Without realizing how, Li Chen's foot kicked a loose stone. The stone flew—not randomly, but perfectly—piercing straight through the wolf's skull like a blade.
The beast collapsed instantly.
Silence.
Li Chen skidded to a stop, staring at the corpse with wide eyes.
"I didn't mean to do that."
The air trembled. Sword qi surged toward him like a tide.
Li Chen backed away slowly.
"Nope. No. Absolutely not."
He bowed to the corpse.
"Sorry. Thank you. Goodbye."
Then he ran again—deeper into the forest, away from danger, away from destiny, away from the path the heavens had prepared for him.
Unbeknownst to Li Chen, high above the forest, several elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect opened their eyes at the same time.
"A supreme sword intent has awakened," one whispered.
Another laughed softly. "The Dao has finally chosen."
Deep within the Sword Burial Forest, Li Chen sprinted for his life, tears streaming down his face.
"I don't want to be chosen!"