Though his eyes remained hollow, the Basic Clairvoyance Talisman granted Lan An vision sharper than that of an ordinary person. He could discern every minute detail around him, down to the tiniest ant crawling on the ground.
Lan An began to assess his body. His first impression was its gauntness, a result of years of hardship. Yet, living within the Lan Clan, an Eighth-Tier cultivation force on the Bing Tian Continent, where the spiritual energy was among the finest, his skin retained a fair complexion. His body, tempered by endless manual labor since childhood, was remarkably sturdy. At sixteen, he stood nearly 1.8 meters tall—a rare asset left behind by the original "Lan An."
He then turned his attention to his surroundings. He was in a small wooden room, barren except for a pile of straw on the floor that served as his bed. Nearby sat an unfinished bowl of rice and a cup of plain water.
With a thought, Lan An's vision pierced through objects within a 300-meter radius, vastly expanding his perception. He realized he was in the servant quarters of the Lan Clan. Countless similar rooms surrounded his, but his was undoubtedly the most dilapidated. Even common servants had proper beds.
Lan An felt no strong emotions about this. Compared to the horrors this body had endured, such conditions were trivial.
His attention shifted as he detected two shadowy figures lurking 200 meters away, staring toward his shack. Thanks to the Basic Clairvoyance Talisman, he discerned their cultivation levels: both were at the Mid-Stage Qi Refining realm.
"Hmph, Lan Wu's lackeys, no doubt," Lan An sneered. Given Lan Wu's status, it was pathetic that he felt threatened by a "useless" cripple like Lan Nan, even assigning two Mid-Stage Qi Refining cultivators to monitor him. It revealed Lan Wu's petty, narrow-minded nature.
The Qi Refining realm was the first step for cultivators, allowing them to absorb heaven-and-earth spiritual energy to temper their bodies and souls, thereby increasing their strength. Even an Early-Stage Qi Refining cultivator could effortlessly lift objects a hundred times their body weight.
The original Lan An had been tormented to death by young Lan Clan members who had just entered the Qi Refining realm. They hadn't even used their full strength, treating him as a plaything for their amusement. After all, he carried the patriarch's bloodline, and as long as Lan Po Lei hadn't ordered his death, no one dared kill him outright. This was likely why Lan Wu had spared him thus far.
According to Lan An's memories, the Bing Tian Continent divided cultivation into eight realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Void Refining, Body Integration, and Tribulation Crossing. Each realm was further split into Early, Middle, Late, and Peak stages.
Lan An's cold-blooded father, Lan Po Lei, was a Late-Stage Void Refining powerhouse, a figure who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the mightiest overlords of the Bing Tian Continent. Meanwhile, Lan Nan's "convenient" younger brother, Lan Wu, at just fifteen, had reached the Early-Stage Golden Core realm with dual Ice and Lightning spiritual roots. Hailed as the Lan Clan's top genius, he was the envy of all.
"It's time to start summoning and see what can set me on the path to becoming an Overlord," Lan An mused. He had initially planned to use a Minor Teleportation Talisman to escape the Lan Clan before summoning, but the talisman's random teleportation posed risks. As a mortal, landing in a perilous region or beast-infested wilderness would mean certain death under claws far crueler than those of humans.
"The most dangerous place can be the safest," he reasoned. "With two watchers outside, as long as I stay in this room, they won't know what I'm doing."
Lan An decided to perform the summon within his shabby room.
"I advise Young Master not to summon the Forbidden-Grade technique first," Jin'er, hovering beside him, said with utmost seriousness.
"Why not?" Lan An asked, trusting her intentions but curious.
Jin'er took a deep breath, her tone grave. "Every Forbidden-Grade technique is a unique existence in the universe, towering above the heavens and suppressing eons. Since the Primordial Era, their mere mention has sparked bloodbaths, with billions of lives lost in the struggle to claim them. The Heavenly Dao itself rejects Forbidden-Grade techniques, unleashing Heavenly Tribulations whenever they appear, and it will stop at nothing to destroy their wielders."
Lan An wiped imaginary sweat from his brow, grateful he hadn't rashly summoned such a terrifying entity. Still, he trusted the System had a plan, given it had granted him this opportunity.
As expected, Jin'er continued, "Forbidden techniques have their own spirits. In your current state, even with the System's aid, you cannot fully subdue one. After summoning, the System will seal the technique in a separate space, allowing you to absorb it gradually over time to build your strength steadily. This also shields you from the Heavenly Dao's scrutiny."
Lan An nodded. It was the best approach, avoiding the gaze of something as fearsome as the Heavenly Dao.
"Understood. Let's start with the Mysterious-Grade martial skill summon," Lan An ordered.
Martial skills were techniques cultivators used for offense, defense, or support. While they varied widely, those with powerful offensive capabilities were the most coveted.
"Host confirms summoning a Mysterious-Grade martial skill?" the System's mechanical voice prompted.
"Yes," Lan An replied without hesitation.
Clang! "Initiating random summon of a Mysterious-Grade martial skill: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…"
Clang! "Host has obtained Supreme Mysterious-Grade martial skill: Four Spirits Soul Guardian Technique. Temporarily stored in System inventory."
"Excellent!" Lan An exclaimed, thrilled to have summoned a Supreme-grade skill. His luck wasn't half bad.
Eagerly, he summoned the skill with a thought. A four-colored jade pendant appeared in his hand, intricately carved with four mythical beasts intertwined: a majestic tiger radiating ferocity, a steadfast tortoise as unyielding as a mountain, a valiant bear exuding indomitable spirit, and a noble phoenix unmatched in elegance. The carvings seemed alive, pulsing with vibrant souls.
"How do I cultivate it?" Lan An asked Jin'er impatiently.
"For System-provided martial skills in jade form, Young Master must bind it with a drop of blood," Jin'er answered casually, unfazed by a skill that, to her, was insignificant compared to higher grades.
Lan An bit his fingertip, letting a drop of blood fall onto the pendant. The blood was swiftly absorbed, and four radiant beams shot from the pendant into his forehead. A flood of information poured into his mind, and the pendant dimmed, crumbling to dust. Evidently, the skill could only be transmitted once.
Four Spirits Soul Guardian Technique
Rank: Supreme Mysterious-Grade
Origin: Signature skill of the Beast Martial Heavenly Sovereign in his youth
Function: Condenses heaven-and-earth spiritual energy into soul beasts, each corresponding to a spiritual root—Tiger for Metal, Tortoise for Wood, Bear for Earth, Phoenix for Fire. A cultivator with all four spiritual roots can wield the four spirits, becoming nearly invincible among peers.
The influx of information caused a brief pang of pain, but Lan An's expression soured at the skill's harsh requirement. "It needs four spiritual roots to unleash its full power? That's stricter than some Heaven-Grade skills I've heard of."
"Naturally," Jin'er chirped. "With all four soul beasts unleashed, its power surpasses some ordinary Heaven-Grade skills. But the cultivation conditions are so demanding that each beast is rated only as Supreme Mysterious-Grade. You've struck gold this time, Young Master."
"I see. But without a spiritual root, I can't cultivate it yet. Let's move on to summoning the Earth-Grade artifact," Lan An said, undeterred. He trusted the System wouldn't let him down.
Clang! "Host confirms random summon of an Earth-Grade artifact?"
"Yes."
Clang! "Initiating Earth-Grade artifact summon: 8, 7, 6, 5…"
"Three seconds longer?" Lan An asked Jin'er.
"Yes, higher-grade summons take more time," she confirmed with a nod.
Clang! "Summon successful. Host has obtained Mid-Tier Earth-Grade artifact: Spirit Realm Pearl. Temporarily stored in System inventory."
"Mid-Tier Earth-Grade?" Lan Nan murmured. A lemon-sized pearl appeared in his hand, its emerald-green surface so smooth it could serve as a mirror, faintly glowing. Curiously, he caught a subtle, feminine fragrance emanating from it, causing an awkward stir in his lower body.
"It doesn't seem that powerful," Lan An said, embarrassed, redirecting his attention to Jin'er for an explanation. Her knowledge was vast.
"Don't underestimate it, Young Master. This is likely a cultivation-support artifact," Jin'er said confidently.
"Alright, let's bind it." Drawing on his experience, Lan An dripped blood onto the pearl. A profound connection formed, as if the Spirit Realm Pearl had become an extension of his body, fully under his control. Without the System, a mortal like him attempting to bind an Earth-Grade artifact would have been suicidal.
Spirit Realm Pearl: Mid-Tier Earth-Grade Artifact
Origin: One of the personal treasures of the Time Moon Empress in her youth
Function: Creates a personal space capable of housing living beings and triples the speed of absorbing heaven-and-earth spiritual energy compared to the outside world.
Lan An burst into laughter, overjoyed. "Incredible! Truly worthy of Earth-Grade!" The pearl's abilities far exceeded his expectations. Even in the Eighth-Tier Lan Clan, young disciples cultivated in Spirit Gathering Arrays that tripled spiritual energy absorption, but those arrays were costly and immobile. The Spirit Realm Pearl, portable and equally effective, was a treasure even Lan Wu couldn't dream of, not to mention its ability to house living beings.
Without hesitation, Lan Nan activated the pearl with a thought. His body vanished, and the pearl shrank to less than a speck of dust, falling to the floor of his room. Even if Lan Po Lei himself searched, he'd be hard-pressed to find it without meticulous effort.
Inside the Spirit Realm Pearl, Lan An surveyed the space—a 500-square-meter room with ground and sky mimicking the outside world, though devoid of a sun.
"What a marvelous artifact, but without a spiritual root, I can't sense the spiritual energy here," Lan An sighed.
"Such a tiny space," Jin'er remarked, appearing beside him and pouting. "The Time Moon Empress was stingy in her youth."
"It's just Mid-Tier Earth-Grade, but it's already impressive," Lan An said with a wry smile. Jin'er's standards were sky-high.
Recalling the pearl's feminine scent, he casually asked, "Who are the Beast Martial Heavenly Sovereign and the Time Moon Empress? They sound like formidable figures."
Jin'er shrugged dismissively. "They're countless times stronger than Lan Po Lei, but they're not from this continent. Whether you meet them depends on fate. They might even be dead—no one can say for sure."
"Fair enough," Lan An said, shaking off thoughts of the alluring scent. He had no time for distractions. His priority was to grow stronger, fast.
Taking a deep breath, his eyes blazing with determination, Lan Nan declared, "Begin the summon for the Forbidden-Grade technique."