The golden altar floated in Xiao Tianjue's soul-sea. Its cracked surface glowed like it was carved with the words of gods. Every rune had an ancient power that made the air in his mind vibrate with it.
Words appeared in front of him, and each stroke burned itself into his mind.
[Myriad Summoner System Initialized.]
Host recognized: Xiao Tianjue.
He blinked. Then his lips curled into a smile that had cost him two weeks' worth of ramen money to chase a limited banner.
"HAHA! Yes! I knew it! You tried to kill me with noodles, but you couldn't keep me down, you scammer! A system! "Peak transmigrator starter pack" has been bought!
The altar throbbed again. The voice that came next was not a man or a woman; it was a cold, mechanical sound that would not take no for an answer.
[Tutorial Active.]
Explaining functions to host…
Golden runes lit up in order, and lines of light moved in front of his eyes.
[SP — Summoner Points]: The system's currency. You can only get them by selling things, beast cores, or treasures to the altar.[Draws]: You can use SP to perform summons. Higher cultivation means that rare cards are more likely to show up. Each draw cost 100 SP.[Card Types]:Consumable Cards are one-time-use items like techniques, potions, talismans, and traps. You can draw duplicates. Allowed to stock up. Extra copies can be combined into consumables of a higher rank.Summon Cards (Permanent) are beings that are different from each other and live in other worlds. There is only one of each summon. You can't get duplicates.[Qi Consumption]: Summons use up the host's Qi while they are active. The higher the rank, the faster the drain. The summon goes away if Qi runs out. Too much Qi can kill the host.[Cultivation Upgrade]: SP may be used to breakthroughs. Costs go up a lot at each stage.[Summon Relationship]: Summons have free will. The way the host treats people determines whether they like them or not. Favor has an effect on obedience and work.
The altar pulsed one more time.
[Card Rarity Classification]
F-Rank (Gray): Lowest grade. Minor effects, basic utility.E-Rank (Green): Common. Small combat effects or weak healing.D-Rank (Blue): Uncommon. Reliable combat consumables.C-Rank (Purple): Rare. Strong techniques, mid-tier pills.B-Rank (Gold): Elite. High-tier treasures or scrolls.A-Rank (Orange): Epic. Sect-shaking summons or items.S-Rank (Crimson): Legendary. Awe-inspiring summons or consumables.SS-Rank (White-Gold): Mythic. Sect-destroying powers.SSS-Rank (Black-Void + Starry Glow): Divine. Reality-breaking, feared across realms.
Xiao Tianjue's jaw dropped, and then he started to laugh manically.
"Farming SP? Draws? Consumables and summons? Breakthroughs? LOL! This is the real Dao of Pay-to-Win! God, you beautiful scammer, you turned my addiction into a path to growth!"
The altar didn't answer, but the runes lit up as if they were sighing.
[Host has been given the title of Provisional Summoner. Initial cultivation insufficient. Newbie Assistance will be granted.]
The golden words came back.
[Newbie Gift Pack Available.]
[Performing 10x Summon…]
Ten cards floated above the altar, each one shining with a different color of light that showed how rare it was. They spun slowly, leaving streaks across his soul-sea.
Xiao Tianjue's fists were like those of a man at a casino table.
"Come on, Heaven. Don't trick me this time!"
First card: A faint green glow.
[Ember Spark — E-Rank Consumable]
A flicker of flame. Deals minor fire damage.
Second card: Another green glow.
[Stone Skin — E-Rank Consumable]
Temporarily hardens skin, reducing damage.
Third card: A surge of blue light.
[Venom Fang — D-Rank Consumable]
Coats weapon with poison. Duration: 30 seconds.
Fourth card: Another blue glow.
[Spirit Binding Chains — D-Rank Consumable]
Immobilizes target for three seconds.
Fifth card: A soft green shimmer.
[Minor Healing Elixir — E-Rank Consumable]
Restores small injuries and Qi.
Sixth card: A dim gray flicker.
[Smoke Bomb — F-Rank Consumable]
Creates a smokescreen. Duration: 10 seconds.
Seventh card:Blue radiance.
[Spirit Talisman — D-Rank Consumable]
Releases a burst of spiritual energy. Moderate damage to weak beasts.
The altar shook. The eighth card blazed with a crimson glow so bright it seared his soul.
A tall warrior spirit with scarlet armor and twin blades dripping with ghost blood stepped out of it. His aura was a storm of battlefields, a form of slaughter.
[Crimson Blade Spirit — A-Rank Summon Card]
Permanent Summon. Unique entity — duplicates cannot be acquired.
The warrior's eyes, which looked like molten steel, glared at Xiao Tianjue.
"So, you are the one who calls me? Weak. Delicate. Not even worth my knives."
Xiao Tianjue's smile was as wide as his ears. "SSR pull done! Hahaha!"
The ninth card spun. Its edges dripped black light speckled with stars, as though it held an entire cosmos within. The soul-sea quaked under its presence.
A figure in a cloak appeared, silent and suffocating. His eyes were like a bottomless pit that swallowed all the light of creation.
[Eternal Sage of the Void — SSS-Rank Summon Card]
Permanent Summon. Unique entity — duplicates cannot be acquired.
The Sage's whisper was soft, but it made all thoughts go away.
"Pathetic host. A worm that is dancing with borrowed teeth. Don't think that borrowed power is your own."
Xiao Tianjue's heart skipped a beat. He was sweating cold on his back. His bravado only wavered for a moment.
Then the figure disappeared, leaving behind silence.
The tenth card flipped, glowing blue.
[Qi Recovery Pill — D-Rank Consumable]
Restores 20% of Qi instantly. One-time use.
The altar got darker. The cards turned into tiny bits of light, and their power settled in his soul-sea.
Xiao Tianjue sat cross-legged under the dead clan tree, shaking from pain, but his smile showed that he was completely sure of himself.
"Other cultivators work hard for years, begging Heaven for chances. What about me? I farm SP, roll gacha, and call bosses from other worlds."
He made fists. His eyes were full of pride.
"This group calls me trash? Okay. Then I'll cheat them all. I won't let even Heaven get away from me. This is my Path—the Path of the Myriad Summoner System!"
The altar throbbed once, as if it were happy.
And so, the Xiao Clan's trash took his first step down a road that would change the world.