The Immortal Ascension Episode 1

How two blockheads become physician disciples

The episode starts with narrator telling how he became a cultivator. He goes back 200 years when he and best friend enter a race to become members of seven mysteries sect. They both are poor, illiterate, and know the only way they can help their families is to place in this contest. They are only known as blockhead until old enough to participate. So today the two friends become Han Li and Zhang Tie. Luck was not with them and they were diverted to be disciples of a doctor. They are taken to a beautiful remote location and tested to see if any value to their mentor. Han Li can cultivate but his friend cannot. So Han Li bargains for both of them to stay and the doc offers to teach Zhang Tie mammoth skin. He also promises to teach them how to read and write. If they can level up, he will pay them the same as seven mysteries sect members so they are happy to be able to send home money to pay off their families’ flour debt. They have three rules to follow. They must pay attention to everything in their surroundings, they are not to interfere with the locals and they must recite and level a mantra. One year later Han Li has reached tier 1 and can read and write. He is becoming too smart so the doc hides the books. Zhang Tie’s skin is developing folds like elephant so he is progressing in strength. Moving on to level 2, Han Li finds a green bottle while herb hunting and learns it collects moonlight. They both know to hide this from the doc. A run in with a couple traitors results in the doc throwing one over the cliff so both now know the doc has hidden martial arts skills. He also has a black entity following him around wanting the leveling to go faster. The doc has a dark secret and is not the benevolent mentor they thought he was. He does help them learn medical skills and herb growing and preparation, but he isn’t as forthright with why he is willing to train them. Han Li is approaching level 3 when episode ends. The drama is very like learning the rules of a video game and how to level up. Fortunately many familiar with the story are explaining things of the cultivation world in comments. It is an interesting premise as their mentor is also their nemesis

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