The Han Clan's ancestral square buzzed with excitement. Children lined up nervously, their parents whispering from the sides. Today was the Awakening Ceremony—the day every thirteen-year-old touched the Spirit Stone, awakened their Cultivation System, and learned their rank.
"This year's batch seems promising."
"I heard there are at least two B-ranks."
"Maybe even an A-rank!"
The air was filled with anticipation.
Han Li stood quietly among them, his face calm. His younger sister, Han Yue, tugged at her sleeves nervously, but her eyes shone with hope.
The elder's voice rang out. "Step forward, place your hand on the Spirit Stone, and awaken your system!"
One by one, children walked up. Each time a child pressed their palm against the stone, light would shine into the sky.
A faint green glow—D-rank.
A steady yellow—C-rank.
Then a brilliant blue—B-rank!
When Han Yue's turn came, she walked up with trembling steps. The moment her hand touched the stone, a dazzling blue pillar of light burst upward.
"B-rank talent!" the elder announced with pride. The crowd cheered. Her parents beamed with joy, already imagining her glorious future.
Next was Han Li.
He walked forward steadily, placed his palm on the stone, and waited.
A faint gray shimmer flickered. Then—silence.
The elder's lips curled in disdain. "E-rank."
The crowd erupted in whispers.
"Trash…"
"Poor child."
"Such a pity compared to his sister."
Han Li withdrew his hand, face blank. Inside, his thoughts were cold and sharp.
So it's the same result as my previous life.
Mocked, discarded, branded useless.
He turned and walked back to his place, ignoring the looks of pity and contempt.
---
That night, Han Li sat cross-legged in his room. His eyes flickered with cold light.
"System," he whispered.
A crisp chime rang in his mind.
[Cultivation System Awakening Complete]
[Initializing Virtual Space…]
The world spun. His body vanished from the room.
When his vision cleared, Han Li staggered, his breath caught in his throat.
He stood in a realm vast beyond imagination.
Towering mountains reached into endless skies. Rivers surged like dragons. Winds howled across boundless plains. Above him, three heavens shimmered faintly; beneath his feet, seven continents stretched into the horizon.
A complete world.
Han Li trembled. His lips parted, but no words came out.
"This… this is my virtual space?"
[Warning: Detected Virtual Space Level — SSSSS]
[Error: Cannot compare to existing records]
His hands shook violently. His heart raced. No wonder the Spirit Stone could not measure me. This is far beyond what the clan can comprehend.
Then he froze.
In the distance, a faint golden figure shimmered within the land. A formless, hazy spirit with ancient eyes.
Han Li's body went cold. A Virtual Spirit?!
His mind roared. Virtual Spirits only appeared when cultivators died—the remnant will of their space, left behind to guide successors. Yet he was alive.
"How… how can I already have one?"
He stared at the vast but barren world. No spirit creatures, no plants, no resources. Just empty land.
The Virtual Spirit remained silent, its gaze heavy, eternal.
Han Li's breathing steadied. His fear turned into resolve. Slowly, his lips curled into a cold smile.
He lowered his voice, reciting softly:
> "The world casts me aside as trash,
But my heart burns with an eternal flame.
Mountains shall break, rivers shall dry,
Yet I will endure, unchanging, undying.
Life is fleeting, power decays,
I alone will walk the path that never ends.
Eternal life… I will seize it with my own hands."
His voice echoed across the barren world.
Han Li clenched his fists, eyes shining with cold ambition.
"They see me as nothing. Let them."
His gaze swept across the vast emptiness, as if claiming it all.
"This space is mine. This life is mine. And this time—"
His words were like steel.
"I will reach Eternal Life."
---