Time crawled slowly.
The number 3997 on the luminous screen ticked down second by second. The air in the room remained quiet; outside, there were only the crowing of roosters, the snorting of buffalo from the old pen, and the sound of the wind softly whistling through the thin door crack.
Jade sat cross-legged on the floating spot of light before him, her hands placed on her knees. Her posture resembled a young lady practicing etiquette in her boudoir, yet her eyes shone like glazed jade—sharp yet tranquil.
"While waiting for the summoning, you should gain a basic understanding of this world to avoid unknowingly violating taboos."
He nodded, saying nothing.
Jade pointed toward another circle of light. A series of three-dimensional images appeared, displaying brief lines of text, each line carrying a faint luminescence like fireflies in the misty night.
"First, let's discuss the hierarchy of cultivators. As mentioned, there are eight major realms, each divided into four minor stages: Initial, Middle, Late, and Perfection. Initial is the stage of entry, and Perfection is the peak of that minor stage."
She pointed to the lowest tier.
"Qi Condensation is the entry realm, where one absorbs spiritual energy to temper the body, enhance Qi and Blood, and open the Energy Meridians. A cultivator in the Middle stage of Qi Condensation can already lift stones weighing hundreds of catties, leap ten meters high, and run across fields like the wind. Upon reaching the Late stage, their Qibecomes stable, the body begins to develop disease resistance, is less susceptible to poison, and injuries recover ten times faster than a mortal."
"Foundation Establishment is the first transformation. Spiritual energy crystallizes within the body, and the meridians are perfected. Someone who reaches the Late stage of Foundation Establishment does not require food or drink, can enter seclusion for months, and can withstand mortal weapons without serious injury."
He remained silent, but his eyes showed a subtle shift in focus.
Jade continued:
"Golden Core—spiritual energy condenses into a Core; internal power is vast as the deep sea. At this stage, one can control objects to fly, glide through the air for several meters, break iron with bare hands, and project their voice ten miles away. A person who achieves Golden Core Perfection is considered a master capable of founding a sect in a small county."
She raised her hand again; the light rotated, showing the image of a person in white robes, pushing back a collapsing mountain with one hand.
"Nascent Soul—one gives birth to Divine Sense and condenses a Primordial Spirit. Attacks can shatter walls and break mountains, killing within a hundred-meter radius, pursuing souls across space, and controlling flying swords with a mere thought."
"By Soul Transformation, one can summon spirits to possess their body, command the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and single-handedly resist an army of ten thousand. Soul Transformation cultivators are often Sect Masters, Clan Chiefs, or high-ranking guests invited by nations."
She didn't stop.
"Void Refinement—one can transform into shadows, conceal themselves in mist, cross spatial barriers, traverse continents, taking steps that span hundreds of miles, and striking without leaving a trace."
"Integration—Spirit and Body merge. The soul can leave the body for hours without death, and their magical power shakes the heavens, giving them the power of life and death over an entire sect."
"Tribulation Crossing is the peak of all cultivators under the heavens. When one attempts to reach this stage, the Heavenly Tribulation descends, bringing ten thousand bolts of lightning. If they succeed, they may gain eternal life and ascend; if they fail, not even ashes will remain—their soul scattered and annihilated."
Jade spoke slowly, but every word fell like a stone into water, creating ripples of deep contemplation.
He was silent. In his mind, every realm, every phrase, seemed to be engraved into his very bones. These were not fantasies, but the laws of the world he now inhabited.
A moment later, Jade continued:
"Furthermore, you must know about medicinal pills, Dharma Treasures, and weapons."
A series of items appeared on the luminous screen: jade bottles, long swords, armor, talismans—each carrying a faint spiritual luminescence.
"Pills are categorized by grade: Mortal, Mysterious, Yellow, Earth, Heaven. They range from healing injuries, increasing cultivation, extending lifespan, to resurrecting the soul, with each type further divided by quality from low to high."
"Dharma Treasures and weapons follow the same order. Dharma Treasures possess a spirit of their own and are controlled by spiritual energy. Weapons focus on destructive power. Some can break a Formation with a light tap, while others can cause a mortal's head to explode just by emitting a screech."
He listened attentively, not interrupting.
Jade spoke softly:
"Besides Spiritual Cultivation (the most common), there are Body Cultivators who use their flesh to defy heaven and earth, Soul Cultivators who use their souls to influence all things, Talisman Cultivators, Formation Cultivators, Artifact Forgers, and Alchemists. Each system has its own Heavenly Dao. The higher you climb, the harder it is to find fellow practitioners."
Outside, sunlight was beginning to filter through the thatched roof. On the luminous screen, the countdown showed the last few dozen seconds. The air in the room suddenly trembled slightly. A faint spiritual light filled the air, the gentle pressure of which made his throat immediately dry.
Jade looked up:
"It is about to begin."
The moment the number reached zero, a pillar of light descended from the void, splitting into two counter-rotating vortexes. A blood-red scroll with black copper edges slowly materialized. Beside it, a nine-layered luminous sphere of agate stone floated in the air.
Jade stood up, her hands clasped before her chest:
"Forbidden Grade Cultivation Technique: The Dragon-Fairy Lineage Ancient Scripture." "Forbidden Grade Dharma Treasure: The Nine-Fold Bright Eye."
...
The luminous screen dissolved, and the cold, emotionless voice of the System once again echoed in his mind.
"Host, do you wish to accept the Dragon-Fairy Lineage Ancient Scripture?"
He did not hesitate; he nodded.
An instant later, the surrounding space abruptly shifted. His soul felt as if it were being violently yanked from his flesh, momentarily leaving the material world and sinking into a bizarre spatial layer. His vision blurred, and his body became weightless.
Ten thousand silver-lighted chains suddenly appeared in the void, rushing in like a swarm of snakes to tightly bind his soul. The fierce pulling force from all directions made it impossible for him to resist or even utter a sound. All that remained was a profound and sacred feeling, as if he were being summoned by some ancient power.
The space transformed.
He was dragged into a hazy, indeterminate world where the sky was ash-gray and the light flickered as if from the distant past. There was no land, no sky, only a vast, undulating void like mist, rippling like the surface of a disturbed lake.
In the center of this space, a colossal object materialized.
A silent, ancient bronze jar, nearly thirty meters high, stood majestically like an old tower between heaven and earth. Its surface was carved with ancient runes, the deep etchings vaguely showing images of dragons, cranes, tortoises, and phoenixes—sacred creatures from legend.
Every carved line contained a solemn, profound aura, carrying the scent of years that had buried countless generations. However, the jar's exterior was not intact; many areas were damaged and cracked, the ancient bronze shell gray and peeling, with clear signs of time.
He floated in mid-air, his soul trembling not from fear, but from the ancient pressure emanating from the jar, like a mountain suppressing his will.
At that very moment, a beam of golden light shot directly from the jar into his glabella (the point between his eyebrows).
In an instant, countless lines of text, diagrams, cultivation formulas, and training paths were all carved directly into his soul. He had no time to resist, nor the chance to refuse.
Accompanying this was a deep, thick voice, like the sound of a thousand-year-old drum, reverberating throughout the space:
"Descendant of the Dragon-Fairy Lineage. You are qualified." "Dragon-Fairy Lineage Ancient Scripture, First Layer: Open Heaven – Establish Earth."
Immediately afterward, the bronze jar lightly shook once.
The gray, peeling surface on the jar's western corner suddenly lit up, the intricate crack lines seemingly cleansed by the light. A clear rune appeared: the image of a white crane spreading its wings, its head held high, feathers lightly floating, spiritual energy gathering around it. The light radiated vaguely, purifying the silent space.
The jar ceased its movement.
His soul was instantly pulled back. The hazy space shattered like a broken mirror, and he returned to his body in the old house.
He exhaled a long, heavy breath, drenched in cold sweat.
His body felt as if it had just endured a severe injury, yet it was filled with an unprecedented lightness and clarity. He clearly felt that his dantian had opened.
A core of energy deep within his lower abdomen was now spinning like a crescent moon, spiritual energy gathering and revolving like a steady stream of water, bringing a sensation that was both hot and cool, warm and full of vitality.
From within the dantian, a faint trace of lightning attribute briefly flashed and disappeared, as if a small bolt of dormant lightning resided there. Jade reappeared in mid-air, her eyes brighter than usual:
"Destiny Attribute: Lightning. Activated."
At this moment, he had officially advanced into the Middle Stage of Qi Condensation. He clenched his fists, clearly feeling his physical strength surging. His Qi and Blood circulated without obstruction, and his skin felt hot as if ignited by a flame, but without pain—instead, it was a powerful sensation, like being reborn.
Inside his meridians, spiritual energy began to flow steadily, circling gently but powerfully.
No longer a mortal, he had now officially set foot on the path of cultivation.