Chapter 1: The System

Within a secluded mountain cave, a young man clad in white lay curled upon the ground, his eyes half-closed, his body stained with blood and filth.

Outside the cave, a young nobleman in resplendent attire gazed at the entrance. After a few cold laughs, his face twisted into an expression of utter disdain.

“Hmph, so much for being a peerless Fire Spirit Root. Now that I’ve destroyed his Qi Sea, he’ll be nothing but a cripple from here on out.”

Behind the nobleman stood several men dressed as cultivators. At once, they chimed in obsequiously, “Exactly, that brat should’ve known his place. Daring to oppose Young Master Zhou—now that his Qi Sea is shattered, let’s see how arrogant he can be in the future.”

“Indeed, he’s just a lowly outer disciple who happened upon a bit of luck and thought he could rise above Young Master Zhou. He must have grown tired of living.”

“That Xuan Yuan Pill is no trinket for the likes of him. To defy Young Master Zhou’s will...”

As the jeers and mockery continued, one of the cultivators wore a more solemn expression. He glanced at the nobleman and spoke hesitantly, “Young Master Zhou, Lin Hao was, after all, a favorite in this round’s inner sect selection. If we simply leave him here…”

“No matter. In this world, only strength is revered. The sect won’t care about a cripple,” Zhou replied with a cold smile, his eyes lingering on the ornate box in his hands. “Besides, once I take this Xuan Yuan Pill, I’ll surely ascend two realms at once. Even the inner sect seniors will show me respect—let alone for something as trivial as this.”

With that, Zhou paid no further heed to Lin Hao’s fate and departed. The remaining cultivators exchanged glances, then hurried after him.

Only after they had all left did the young man within the cave, his expression composed, suddenly open his eyes.

“Damn it, finally done! What a ridiculous mission!”

Sitting up, Lin Hao could not help but curse aloud. As he moved, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

“Ding. Host’s physical body detected to be damaged. Initiating automatic repair…”

“Ding. Host’s Qi Sea detected to be damaged. Initiating automatic repair…”

“Ding. Host’s spirit root detected to be missing. Initiating automatic repair. Loading spirit root…”

With each chime, Lin Hao’s face darkened. The reason he had ended up in such a miserable state was none other than the absurd mission his system had assigned him days ago.

“To think I had to lure someone into destroying my own Qi Sea! Completing missions these days is just too much trouble.”

He opened the system’s control interface, muttering to himself. He’d received this so-called “system” half a month prior. With its help, his cultivation had soared to the tenth layer of Qi Refining in just a few days, and he was on the verge of breaking through to Foundation Establishment and joining the inner sect. Yet, just as the grand inner sect selection approached, the system saddled him with this infuriating task, forcing him to abandon his plans.

He could not help but glance out of the cave with a pained expression. “That Xuan Yuan Pill… a hundred mission points, all for nothing. Now it’s cheap spoils for that bastard Zhou Yichen.”

Biting his lip, Lin Hao’s eyes grew cold. The mission might have required this sacrifice, but Zhou Yichen would pay dearly for what he’d done—once Lin Hao set matters here to rest, he’d reclaim every debt.

Just as these thoughts flickered through his mind, the system’s tone abruptly shifted, now light and cheerful.

“Ding. Congratulations to the host for completing the first main quest. Reward: 1,000 mission points. Spirit root quality raised to Earth Grade. Additional reward: one Spirit Root Enhancement.”

As the final word fell, a radiant golden light enveloped Lin Hao. Under its glow, his wounds began to close, the bloodstains on his garments vanished, and in an instant, he looked as fresh as if newly dressed.

“Spirit Root Enhancement?” Lin Hao’s eyes lit up at the system’s prompt. Since obtaining the “Spirit Root Growth System,” he had grown accustomed to rewards like techniques and pills, but this was the first time he’d heard of such a prize.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the control interface, a translucent window shimmered into view, displaying several options, each with a different description.

“Scorching Pain: Increases fire-type technique damage by ten percent; immunity to basic fire damage.”

“Heart of Flame: Increases training speed for fire spirit root by ten percent; higher efficiency in absorbing spiritual energy.”

“Destruction Extension: Increases the attack range of fire techniques by ten percent; improves penetration damage.”

…

Studying the options, Lin Hao’s expression grew solemn. He understood well that these choices differed from ordinary mission rewards; the consequences would shape his path of cultivation. He could not afford to choose rashly.

After much deliberation, he selected “Scorching Pain.” With the system’s aid, training speed was not a concern, and a broader attack range was of little use at present.

“Ding. ‘Scorching Pain’ selected. Spirit root enhancement in progress…”

Almost immediately, Lin Hao felt his blood boil, as if molten lava surged through his veins. An intense, burning pain radiated through his entire body, making his scalp tingle and his muscles tense involuntarily.

Boom!

Just as he thought his fingers would be seared numb by invisible flames, a wave of unparalleled comfort swept through him. It was as if every pore opened wide, greedily drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy. His mind grew clearer than ever before.

“So this is what it feels like to have an enhanced spirit root?” Lin Hao marveled, stretching out his right hand and casually waving it before him.

At his gesture, a surge of fiery energy welled up in the air, and a crimson lotus bloomed, illuminating the entire cave as if it were daylight.

Delighted by the sight, Lin Hao strode toward the exit, commanding in his mind, “Open character status panel.”

At once, his interface shifted, and a translucent window appeared before his eyes, listing his current stats.

Host: Lin Hao
Realm: Tenth Layer of Qi Refining (Beginner)
Spirit Root: Innate Fire Spirit Root (Enhancement Level 1; hidden attributes locked—please advance your realm soon.)
Spirit Root Quality: Lower Earth Grade
Technique: Elementary Taiching Purple Profound Art (Note: Elementary arts can only be trained to early Foundation Establishment; advanced techniques must be exchanged at the system store.)

Affiliation: Outer disciple of the Clearwind Sect
Mission Points: 1,540
Main Quest 1: Participate in the inner sect selection and emerge victorious.
Main Quest 2: Take revenge on Zhou Yichen and the disciples of Clearwind Sect.
Side Quest 1: Reclaim the Xuan Yuan Pill that was stolen from you.
...

“Damn it! This system is really out to get me!”

Upon seeing the side quest, Lin Hao’s face turned ashen. Avenging himself upon Zhou Yichen was one thing, but reclaiming the lost Xuan Yuan Pill? If that bastard had already consumed it, was he supposed to make him cough it up?

The thought alone made Lin Hao feel queasy. He spat and cursed, “Damn, just thinking about it makes me sick. I’d better hurry!”

Casting aside further hesitation, Lin Hao spurred his movement technique and dashed down the mountain.

Yet just then, several figures rushed up the path he’d taken earlier. The instant they spotted him, their faces twisted in shock, and as if they’d seen a ghost, they cried out, “Lin… Lin Hao, you’re not dead?”

“Dead?” Lin Hao narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing each of them in turn.

He recognized these men—they were the same Clearwind Sect disciples who had helped Zhou Yichen ambush him. Yet Zhou himself was absent, and their uneasy demeanor suggested they were up to something.

Piecing together their words, Lin Hao quickly understood and sneered, “What’s this? Did you all go to the trouble of climbing the mountain just to see if I was truly dead?”

He stressed the word “dead,” and the cultivators’ faces turned grim, their eyes glinting with malice.

One of them exchanged a glance with his companions and took a step forward, his expression ferocious. “And if we did? If we could destroy your spirit root and Qi Sea once, we can erase you from this world for good!”

As he spoke, the group advanced as one, forming a semicircle to surround Lin Hao.

“Oh? Aren’t you afraid of punishment from the sect?” Having completed his task, Lin Hao no longer regarded these men as a threat; his tone was calm.

At this, the cultivators burst out laughing. “Ha! You, a cripple, expect the sect to stand up for you? Do you even know whom you’ve offended? As long as Young Master Zhou…”