Morning light filtered through the cracked ceiling of the small house. Su Yang stirred beneath his blanket, his body no longer aching, his breath steady.
He sat up slowly.
"I'm… fine."
He stretched his fingers, flexed his legs, then stood up and walked to the wooden mirror beside the bed. His reflection looked sharper. The hollowness around his eyes had faded.
"So it wasn't a dream."
A soft chime rang in his mind.
[Status: System offline.]
[Mission: Body tempering stage]
[Reward: Activation of System]
He chuckled. "I never thought I'd hear that outside a game…"
Memories rushed back—of long nights in his past life, sitting in front of a screen, grinding dungeons, building characters, managing stats, and hoarding in-game currency. It had all felt like escape… until now.
"This is my life now."
He stood quietly for a moment.
"To grow stronger, I need a cultivation manual. But where?"
His thoughts drifted to Lu City—the Martial Arts Hall. That was the place where cultivators came to buy skill scrolls, manuals, pills, and weapons. But there was a catch—everything cost a fortune.
Su Yang grabbed the pouch left by Su Yan. When he opened it, his eyes widened.
[You received: 1,000 gold coins.]
"She really left everything behind... for me."
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
Each gold coin was worth a hundred silver coins—enough to feed a family of three for years. He couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"I'll use it well, Su Yan. I'll walk this path now."
After gathering a few herbs from the backyard and locking his door, Su Yang began walking toward Lu City.
As he reached the edge of the village, a familiar voice called out.
"Su Yang! Where are you going, child?"
He turned to see an elderly woman standing near her fence, holding a basket of herbs. Her back was slightly hunched, but her eyes were kind. She had once helped him and Su Yan settle here when they were younger.
"Grandma Lin," he greeted warmly. "I'm heading to the city."
"Is that girl Su Yan going with you?"
Su Yang's smile faded.
"No… She's gone. She won't be coming back."
The old woman sighed deeply. "She was always quiet, that one. Never smiled, never played. Just stayed in the house like a shadow." Her eyes narrowed. "Don't you hate her for leaving you?"
Su Yang paused. He thought of the poison that had once clouded this body's thoughts, of betrayal and bitterness.
"I did," he said honestly. "But I've changed. We don't know what others carry inside them. Trust has to be earned… not assumed."
The old woman nodded slowly.
"You speak like an old man trapped in a young face."
"Maybe I am," he smiled, then bowed. "Take care, Grandma Lin."
The journey took nearly an hour. When Su Yang reached the tall walls of Lu City, his breath caught.
Even now, its scale impressed him. Great banners fluttered from towers. The main gate thrummed with life—families, merchants, warriors, and monks shuffled forward, laughing, haggling, and shouting. Carts filled with fruits, grain, herbs, and weapons passed by.
The air smelled of roasted duck and incense, mixed with sweat and steel.
After waiting in line, Su Yang paid 20 bronze coins and entered the city.
"This place… It feels alive."
Children played near vendors. A group of cultivators in grey robes passed by, laughing loudly. Beggars sat near alleyways, but even they had calm faces—Lu City offered opportunity.
Su Yang walked through streets lined with training halls, potion shops, weapon stores, and tea houses. Finally, he reached a building with a golden plaque:
[Martial Arts Hall]
He stepped inside.
A lady in a red robe stood at the reception counter.
"Welcome, traveler. How can I help you?"
"I want a cultivation manual."
She looked at his worn robes, eyebrow raised—until he took out the gold pouch.
Her smile brightened. "This way, sir."
She led him to a large chamber with towering bookshelves. Scrolls and books were arranged by elemental affinity and tier.
"Cultivation manuals start at 300 gold coins," she said gently. "We have ones for fire, wind, water, ice… you name it."
Su Yang's throat tightened. 300? For one manual?
"No wonder only nobles cultivate easily…"
Still, he began browsing. Each scroll had a small crystal that glowed when he touched it.
[Match Rate: 42%]
[Match Rate: 56%]
[Match Rate: 61%]
None of them passed 70%. He was about to give up—until a black-and-gold book caught his eye.
"All-Element Cultivation Manual?"
He touched the book.
[Ding! Suitable Manual Found – Match Rate: 80%]
[Would You Like to Learn This Manual? (Yes/No)]
His heart pounded. "Yes."
[Manual Learned: All-Element Cultivation Manual (Yellow-Low)]
[Passive Effect: Able to absorb and refine basic spiritual energy from any element.]
Su Yang turned to the attendant again, holding the dusty old manual in his hands. The cover was worn, the edges torn, and unlike the other books, it carried no flashy aura or elemental glow. Yet something about it called to him.
The attendant's expression shifted. Her friendly smile disappeared, replaced by a look of concern and… fear.
She leaned in slightly and asked in a low voice, "Sir, are you sure you want to buy this?"
Su Yang furrowed his brows. "Why do you ask that?"
She hesitated, then spoke slowly. "Because, sir… this manual isn't like the others. It's the most difficult cultivation method we have. It covers all elements—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, ice, metal, wood, even void and poison... but no one has succeeded. Everyone who's tried has met a tragic end. No one knows why."
She pointed to the faint golden seal on the manual's spine.
"It was placed here personally by a Privileged Master of the sect. But even they warned: this path leads to ruin for the unworthy."
For a moment, silence hung in the air.
Then suddenly—
[Buy it. It will be the most perfect cultivation method for you.]
A deep, resonant voice echoed in Su Yang's mind. It was calm but powerful—like thunder whispered through a mountain cave.
Su Yang's eyes widened. He clutched the manual tighter.
"The dragon… It's speaking to me again."
His heart pounded. Despite the warning, despite the risks, something inside him stirred. A force... a destiny.
"I've already died once. What's left to fear?"
With calm conviction, he looked the attendant in the eyes. "I'll take it."
The woman hesitated, clearly disturbed, but nodded. "As you wish, sir. I'll mark it for purchase."
"Do you have martial techniques?"
"Yes," she said. "Attack, movement, or support?"
"Attack."
She brought him to another section. Su Yang selected:
[Mountain Splitting Punch – Yellow Mid-Tier Martial Art]
Cost: 200 gold coins
He paid it.
She reached for a small token from beneath the counter—a seal of acknowledgment. "May your path be strong… and safe," she added quietly.
Su Yang turned back one last time to look at the shelf.
"A path no one dares to walk…"
He placed the manual into his pouch.
"Then it's mine alone."
"Half my pouch is gone…"
Still, he wasn't finished. He crossed the street to the Alchemist Hall and bought:
10 body-tempering pills (10 gold each) = 100 gold
Books on Alchemy, Runes, Formations, and Blacksmithing = 200 gold
He now had 200 gold left—but his mind was rich with possibility.
As he left Lu City, walking back under the falling dusk, he whispered to himself:
"I've started. Now I need strength, wisdom, and patience."
The path of cultivation wasn't a race.
It was a storm waiting to be tamed.
3 chapter
🧭 System Updates
[New Skills Unlocked:]
• Cultivation (All-Element Manual)
• Martial Art: Mountain Splitting Punch
[Item Inventory Created]
• Body-Tempering Pills ×10
• Basic Alchemy Book
• Basic Forging Book
• Rune Foundations
• Formation Symbols 101
[System Function: Store – Locked]
• Unlock condition: Reach Body Refinement – Small Stage
📜 Chapter: The Road of Blood and Spirit
As Su Yang stepped out of Lu City's north gate, the last light of the sun painted the sky in hues of fire and gold. The wind carried the scents of the martial world—metal, sweat, herbs, and power.
His pouch felt lighter—only 200 gold
coins remained.
"I've learned the manual… but I had to pay for the martial art myself."
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
[System Notification: Martial Art Technique Slot Available]
[Learn via System? Cost: 50 SP]
[SP: 0]