Chapter 7 –Exiled
Her voice echoed inside his head, urgent and heavy.
"Host… your battle has damaged the system's stabilizer. The barrier that hides you from the cultivation world has broken. You are being expelled from the System Realm."
"No—wait!" Ruhan shouted, reaching into the empty air.
But before he could move, a surge of light exploded around him, swallowing everything.
---
Moments Later…
A dull ache spread through his body. Cold grass pressed against his back.
Ruhan opened his eyes to see a sky far more vivid than any he'd known in the System Realm—a rich blue scattered with drifting clouds. The air carried the smell of wet earth and wild flowers.
He sat up slowly, muscles screaming from exhaustion. His robes were torn, streaked with dirt and blood. The wounds from the library battle were still fresh.
"I… I'm out," he muttered, the realization sinking in. "This is the real world."
A chime rang in his mind.
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System Interface Booting…
User Status: EXILED FROM SYSTEM REALM
Restrictions Lifted: Full access granted.
---
A translucent screen formed in front of him:
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User: Zhen Ruhan
Title: Timewalker
Race: Human (Time-Bloodline – Unknown)
Cultivation Type: Qi Cultivator | Body Cultivator
Realm: Mortal Realm (True Cultivation World)
Level: Core Formation Stage III
Body Cultivation: Bronze Flesh Stage II
Bloodline Status: Locked (Dormant)
Attributes:
Strength: 92
Vitality: 90
Agility: 85
Perception: 83
Temporal Affinity: 97
SP: 120 / 150
Skills:
Temporal Invisibility (Lv. 1): Vanish for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute.
Chrono Burst (Lv. 1): Slow time in a 5-meter radius for 3 seconds.
Temporal Clone (Lv. 1): Summon a duplicate that copies basic attacks for 10 seconds.
Moment Step (Lv. 1): Instant short-range teleport.
Note: System visibility is locked to Host only.
---
"So… this is it," Ruhan whispered. "No more simulations."
The world around him pulsed with life—dense spiritual mist hung low over the forest floor, each breath filling him with raw qi.
Then Mei Lin's voice came, softer now, but clear.
"Host, this is your first step outside the System Realm. I cannot follow you physically, but I will guide you when I can. Be warned—death here is permanent."
"Why now?" Ruhan asked. "Why throw me out?"
"The Fractured Ones pushed the system's laws to their limits. That battle proved you're ready. Your existence here is no longer forbidden."
Ruhan clenched his fists. "Then I'll make this count."
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A Glimpse from Above
A sudden shadow swept over him. He looked up.
A massive crane-shaped beast flew overhead, its wings blazing with crimson fire. Three robed cultivators stood upon its back.
One of them peered down.
"Do you know that man?"
Another shook his head. "No sect markings. His qi feels… strange."
"Should we investigate?"
The last one smirked. "If he survives the beasts of this forest, maybe he's worth recruiting."
They passed without another word, leaving only heat and wind in their wake.
---
"To them, I'm a nobody," Ruhan muttered.
"Your cultivation is unique," Mei Lin replied. "That will attract curiosity… and danger."
He smiled faintly. "Then let's find my path."
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The First Objective
Another screen appeared before him:
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Objective: Survive First Contact
Suggestion:
Locate a sect or city.
Hide your time-based skills.
Gather allies.
Optional:
Join a sect under false identity.
Learn local cultivation techniques.
Reward: SP + Rare Skill Unlock
---
Ruhan's gaze shifted to a faint golden line now glowing on the ground, pointing toward the distant mountains. Somewhere there, faint lights flickered—possibly a city or sect stronghold.
"Mark the closest sect," he ordered.
The golden line shifted, leading into a steep valley.
"Be careful, Host," Mei Lin warned. "The monsters here wear human faces too."
Ruhan stepped forward without hesitation, the forest whispering around him—whispers of forgotten cultivators who once bent the rivers of time… and were erased from history.
But one had returned.
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End of Chapter 7