The Undying Immortal System - Chapter 1: Life 1, Age 26
The Undying Immortal System
Chapter 1: Life 1, Age 26
Dying is hard. No matter how many times I experience it, it doesn't get any easier.
I could say that the first time was the worst, but that would be a lie. I've had many deaths worse than the first. Still, the first time I died was the only time I truly believed it would be my end. That was a different kind of pain.
My first life was long ago. So long ago that I can barely remember anything about that time anymore. After my first death, in the lives that followed, I endured years of pain and suffering. Once I found my footing, though, I also found joy and wonder in a new world. All of this, of living innumerable lives in another world, has made my first life feel so distant. So… detached.
I've even forgotten my name from that first life. It's disappeared in the long river of time.
I only really remember one thing from that life. I had a sister.
I can't remember anything about her anymore, not even her name, but I remember caring about her. She was my only family at the end. Allowing these memories to fade is one problem I have not yet fixed. Not yet. Forgetting makes living easier.
When I died, it was sudden. My sister had gotten into some kind of trouble, and I was in a hurry to save her. It was rushing that led to my death.
Maybe it's strange that I don't even remember the details of how I died, but I have died so many times since then. All I remember anymore is that I had a sister, she was in trouble, and I wanted to save her.
I do, however, remember what came next.
My consciousness floated in an empty void. Everything was nothingness. I could not see, or everything was black. I could not feel. There was nothing to feel. Time passed, but it was impossible to know how long I stayed there.
What is your desire?
I had no ears, but the question echoed through my mind. The voice was commanding, as if all things should listen when it spoke. It was the entity I would later come to know of as the Earthly Dao. It was a being that controlled, not ruled, but controlled, an entire world.
My final thoughts echoed through my mind. I wanted to live. I wanted to live for my sister.
That is compatible. I can grant you a new life. You will have the chance to see her again. You will even have the power to help her in any way she requires, eventually.
Do you accept this blessing?
Yes!
Agreement noted.
Sensation crashed into me.
I was kneeling. The ground beneath me was packed dirt. A gentle wind blew through my hair. The air smelled clean, as if I were in the countryside in early spring.
I opened my eyes to see that I was in a large courtyard filled with people kneeling on the ground. There had to be dozens of us lined up in tidy rows. Everyone had their eyes closed and looked like they were in deep meditation.
I was so shocked I shouted something and tried to bolt to my feet, but I stumbled.
"闭嘴!"
At the head of the courtyard, a middle-aged man stood on a small platform and glared at me. I had no idea what he was saying, but his 'shut the hell up' face didn't need any translating.
I quickly shut the hell up. I didn't know what was happening, or why I suddenly appeared here, but I would try to play my part until I could understand.
I tried to get back into the kneeling posture everyone else was in, but my discomfort was obvious. Fortunately, not long after my outburst, everyone else in the courtyard began to open their eyes. When the last person awakened, the man up front shouted again.
"起立!"
Everyone started to stand, so I followed along.
The large courtyard we were in was surrounded by red-plastered walls nearly eight meters tall. The area of packed dirt we had been kneeling on was surrounded by a border paved with large gray bricks. At the head of the courtyard was the carved, dark wood platform the shouting man stood upon.
To the left of the platform was a massive red double door that was several meters tall. It was adorned with seven rows and seven columns of large brass studs laid out in a rectangular grid.
The group was herded out of the courtyard. The scenery barely changed as we entered onto a wide road paved with the same gray bricks. The same red walls sealed off both sides of the road. We could only go forward or back into the courtyard we just left. The man guided us down the road and through a few crossroads, but the tall red walls were everywhere, completely blocking our sight.
Along the way, we passed several more large, studded doors, but nearly all of them were closed. Only a single one was open. Beyond, there seemed to be an idyllic garden trapped within the red walls of a prison. A breeze brought the smells of fresh flowers and a spring day, but we quickly passed it by.
No sounds escaped these walls. All that could be heard was the trod of feet as we marched through this maze.
Our group was taken to a remote corner of the complex. We were led to a new area completely enclosed with the same high walls. The ground was cobbled with the same bricks, but they seemed loose-fitting, and some slipped as I walked over them. This area had around fifty tiny wooden shacks crammed together in tight rows. At the far end of the rows of houses was a large square of sandy soil.
At this point, the man leading us started talking and giving directions, but I couldn't understand a word he was saying. Eventually, everyone in the group started entering different houses, so I just went with the flow. I picked a house at random and entered it.
From the outside, the building looked to be a small shack made of rotten lumber. Inside, the place was cramped and dirty. The wooden floors looked like they had seen the passing of millennia. They were cracked and broken in several places, and they were completely worn through almost everywhere. Patches of stone and soil could be seen in many places, and weeds had begun growing in the corners. The place had the musty odor of mildew.
The only thing inside was a rolled-up sleeping mat. The total square footage of the house was barely enough room to completely unroll the thing.
I hadn't seen anyone leaving a house after entering, so I decided to sit down and wait until I heard movement outside. It wasn't comfortable, but at least I had a bit of privacy to think.
"What the hell is going on," I muttered to myself.
My question went unanswered as I sat there alone. I began to think about the events of the past hours. Already, thoughts of my previous life had become fleeting. If I didn't concentrate, my mind didn't want to return to that life. It wanted to focus on the here and now. When I did concentrate on that life, I felt remorse for forgetting, but my thoughts would always drift away from it. The cares and concerns from before didn't seem to matter anymore.
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More prominent in my thoughts was the voice in the void. I had accepted its 'blessing'. I would only learn what that meant in time.
I waited in my small room for what felt like days, but it was likely less than an hour. When you are stuck in an unfamiliar new environment, have no idea why, and don't have a clue what you should do, your sense of time can get a little screwy.
I wasn't gaining anything by just sitting around, I decided. I needed to get out there and try to figure something out.
I stood up and walked outside.
The small residential area was empty, and everyone was still holed up in their own tiny houses. I made a circuit of the courtyard, but aside from the rickety wooden houses, all I found was a large unpaved area of packed sandy soil.
I had to ask myself 'What should I do?' I could try opening someone's door and forcing my way in, but that seemed like a bad idea since I couldn't understand the few words I had heard so far. I could go back to my room and wait, but that felt too passive.
I walked up to the large gateway we had entered through. Two large red doors covered in brass studs blocked my path. I knew that had to mean we were not supposed to leave, but what choice did I have?
I didn't hesitate. I went forward and pulled with all my strength to force them open. They were heavy and did not want to move. I put all my weight on the copper ring that served as a door handle and pulled with everything I had. It wasn't much, but the door did begin to budge. That was all that was needed.
After the doorway cracked, a man on the other side pushed it fully open. He must have been guarding the passage.
He yelled something at me that I didn't understand, and I said something to him that he didn't understand. He yelled at me again, and I yelled at him… You get the idea. In the end, it wasn't long before he started seeing red. In a fit of anger, he punched me directly in the center of my chest.
I've been punched before, and it might have hurt, sure, but a punch isn't that bad. That's what I thought, at least. This guy's punch directly caved in my chest. It was a sharp pain. In a way, I barely felt it as my mind blanked shortly after he hit me.
It was only a little satisfying when, at the very end, I saw the guard's eyes widen in shock and a little fear. He had just killed one of his charges. Good luck explaining that one.
You have died. Calculating…
You died as a Martial Disciple 1. 10 credits awarded.
Total Credits: 10
Sensation crashed into me.
I was kneeling. The ground beneath me was packed dirt. A gentle wind blew through my hair. The air smelled clean, as if I were in the countryside in early spring.
I opened my eyes to see that I was in a courtyard full of people all kneeling on the ground. It was all the same. With all the neat, tidy rows of people.
I was so shocked I shouted something and tried to bolt to my feet but stumbled.
"闭嘴!"
At the head of the courtyard, the exact same middle-aged man stood on a small platform and glared at me. I had no idea what he was saying, but again, his 'shut the hell up' face didn't need any translating.
This same thing had happened to me not more than a few hours ago, so you would think it wouldn't be so surprising. I was now starting to worry. I was pretty sure I'd died twice in less than a day.
With the pressure from the bastard in front of us, and the fear that he would quickly cause a third death, I decided to just shut up.
Everything played out the same as it did last time. We got up, walked for a while, then entered our tiny houses. This time, I decided not to go for a walk so quickly. I sat there and tried to figure out what I should do. That's when I heard the same semi-robotic voice again.
System initialization complete.
Welcome to the Undying Immortal System.
10 credits available. If you wish to make a purchase, simply say 'System'.
"What? Who are you?" I asked quickly.
I received no response. I waited for a bit but still heard nothing more. I decided to try getting more information.
"What is the Undying Immortal System?" I asked. No response.
"What are credits?" No response.
"System, I would like to make a purchase," I finally tried.
What would you like to purchase?
"What is available?"
Would you like to purchase basic information about the products available for purchase? The cost is 1 credit.
That told me something, at least. I could buy information. The fact that I had to buy information about what I could buy was not very happy making, though.
"Yes, I want to buy that."
Purchase confirmed. 9 credits remaining.
The System can be used to purchase anything. You can learn new skills, change your body, acquire items of powerful magic, or anything else. Everything you purchase will come with an associated cost. The greater its effect on the world, the more expensive it will be. Credits are the most basic form of System currency, and their use is limited to things that affect the mortal world.
"System, I would like to spend credits. I want to be sent back home."
Processing…Your current balance is too low to begin calculating the cost of teleportation back to your home world at this time.
Ok, I needed more credits, but at least it was a possibility for the future.
So, what did I need?
"System, I want to understand the languages of this world."
The cost of learning all languages extant in the Nine Rivers Continent is not possible to calculate at this time.
"Okay, what about just learning the local language."
The cost of learning the Western Han Language is 100 credits.
That wasn't good. How could I get the credits I needed?
"Sys—" I began before being cut off.
Processing… An external entity has discounted the price of learning the language. Cost 1 credit.
"Buy it!" I said, before thinking too much.
Purchase confirmed. 8 credits remaining.
Knowledge slammed into me. It left me a little woozy, but in my daze, I still inherently understood that I knew an entirely new language. It felt like I was born knowing it. Thinking in this new language almost felt more natural than thinking in the one spoken my entire life.
After regaining my senses. I returned to a crucial point.
"System, what did you mean about an external entity?"
The cost of that information is not possible to calculate at this time.
"Why did I receive a 'discount'?"
The cost of that information is not possible to calculate at this time.
I felt like I was hitting my head with a rock. I decided to try something else.
"System, how do I earn more credits?"
The cost to learn basic information about how to earn more credits is 1 credit.
"Ok, Purchase it."
Purchase confirmed. 7 credits remaining.
You will be rewarded credits upon your death. The number of credits received will reflect your cultivation level at the time of your death. The higher your cultivation, the more credits you will receive.
SYSTEM WARNING: Quick, repeated, intentional deaths may result in administrative action.
That warning didn't sound great. I didn't want to die in the first place. I had done that twice already, and even if the second time was rather quick, it wasn't an experience I enjoyed.
Deciding not to linger on thoughts of death, I put any further questions for the system aside for the time being. I needed to understand what was happening in the world around me. I stood up and confidently walked out of my tiny one-room house.
My back-and-forth with the system didn't actually take too long. In fact, I exited my room even earlier than I had in my last life. So, of course, there was still no one out and about. I decided to try my luck with the gate guard again. Hopefully, he wouldn't kill me this time.
The gate was just as hard to open this time, but again, the guard helped after I got it started.
"What are you doing? No one is allowed out," he said, glaring at me.
I was nervous, but when I was able to understand him, I was so happy I started smiling.
"Yes, sorry, I just wanted to know what's going on."
"What?" His voice was tinged with anger and annoyance.
"Sorry, I'm just not sure what I should be doing."
"Go back inside and sit down!" he yelled at me.
Not wanting to die again, I quickly backed away and did a quick two-step back to my little house. That guy had anger issues, and it would do no good to poke the bear.
Just as I reentered my row of houses, the door of the first house opened up and a young man walked outside. He was wearing a red hanfu robe that was covered in bright gold embroidery. The cuffs of his robe were tied tight against his wrists with elegant leather straps. His long hair was done up in a tight bun at the back of his head.
"What are you doing?" he asked annoyed. Then, he glared. "It's you. First, you were a nuisance during the ceremony. Now, you bother us during our meditation. Let this daddy teach you how to behave," he said in a flat voice.
I wanted to respond, but before I could, he rushed toward me and punched me directly in the chest. Like with the guard, my sternum broke and my ribs snapped. Something must have punctured a lung because I couldn't breathe, and I began coughing up blood.
When the guard had killed me before, he was at least powerful enough to end me quickly. This time, I wasn't so lucky. My body collapsed to the ground. I tasted only copper. I felt only pain.
In front of me, all I could see was a pair of embossed leather boots.
I was able to turn my head and look up at the face of my killer. This boy didn't show the signs of surprise and worry the guard had. His face held only a malicious smirk.
You have died. Calculating…
You died as a Martial Disciple 1. 10 credits awarded.
Total Credits: 17
The Undying Immortal System - Chapter 2: Life 4, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
The Undying Immortal System
Chapter 2: Life 4, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
Sensation crashed into me.
This time, however, I was prepared. I did not scream out. I did not fall over. I did not move.
Having died three times now, my mind was… blank.
I was still uncomfortable in the kneeling posture, but I could at least hold it. When you start in the correct position, it is much easier to stay in the correct position.
"Rise!" the middle-aged man barked.
I, along with everyone else, stood up. This time, I was able to much more easily blend into the crowd.
"Follow!"
We again began to walk the same path back to our houses. Now that I could understand everyone, I was hoping to listen in on conversations around me to get a better feel for what was going on, but no one was talking. I hadn't noticed this the last two times. However, the walk wasn't too long, and we quickly came to the residential area where that guy gave his little speech.
"Your qi has awakened, and you have all received your blessing from the Heavenly Dao. Find a house and meditate on the nature of your blessing. In two hours, we will begin taking you to be tested. Do not cause any trouble during this time."
That last sentence seemed to be directed at a small group of young men. Standing in the center of that group was the red-robed youth who had just killed me.
I went inside my little house and sat down to think. I had two hours. In two hours, someone would take me out to be 'tested'. I wasn't sure what that involved, but I could guess they would probably like to know about this system I had access to. Oh, and the fact that every time I died, I would be sent straight back to the start of all this.
I didn't know all the dangers this place held, but the fact that I died two times in quick succession told me it wasn't safe. So, I would try to keep my cards close to my chest. No reason to tell people things they didn't need to know.
'Blessing' was the same word the voice in the void had used, which meant that my blessing was the System and ability to reincarnate. I would not be sharing that information with them, so I needed to have another answer ready to go. I didn't know what a normal blessing would be, nor how to fake one. Fortunately, I had an easy way to solve this problem.
"System, I want to know about blessings from the Heavenly Dao."
The cost of information about the Heavenly Dao and its blessings is not possible to calculate at this time.
Alright, so that's not happening. How about…
"System, I want to know common knowledge and beliefs about blessings from the Heavenly Dao. Things everyone knows, or think they know, about the topic."
Information on beliefs regarding blessings from the Heavenly Dao. Cost 5 credits.
That suggests there is hidden information that is extremely important. Something to keep in mind, but not something I can act on at the moment.
"Purchase!"
Confirmed. 12 credits remaining.
It is commonly believed that a blessing of the Heavenly Dao can be nearly anything. Blessings enhance the blessed in some fashion. A weak blessing may allow the blessed to know how much to water a plant. A strong social blessing may allow the blessed to charm everyone they meet.
The most prized blessings typically enhance a person's martial prowess. An example would be gaining the ability to create a tiger out of fire that would fight alongside the blessed. However, such blessings are rare and are only obtained by the truly virtuous.
Credits expended. Transaction complete.
I had 12 credits. It was not enough to buy any heaven-defying blessing. I could buy something simple and try to pawn it off as my blessing, but then I would definitely be seen as worthless. I decided it was better to play up the mysterious angle. 'My blessing could be anything, probably something really cool, just wait and find out!'
I would just tell them I didn't know yet. Incompetent or mysterious had to be better than worthless.
That settled, I did have some credits burning a hole in my pocket. If I wasn't going to spend them on a 'blessing', what did I need?
Knowledge, I decided, knowledge about this godsforsaken place where I can be killed on a whim. Why was I being killed so nonchalantly?
"System, I want to know about this body. Who am I, where did I come from? Just give me the basic information."
Information regarding the identity and history of the host's body. Cost 1 credit.
At least it was still cheap. "Purchase."
Confirmed. 11 credits remaining.
The former occupant of the body was named Su Fang. He was born into the Su Clan of the Western Wastes of the Nine Rivers Continent. The Su Clan is the sole ruler of the entirety of the Western Wastes, and they are currently unchallenged in their dominion.
Su Fang was an orphan born into a remote branch family of the clan. He was barely considered a member of the clan, and his identity as a member provided no benefits. If he were to become powerful, or even have the possibility of a bright future ahead of him, that would all change. The clan always welcomes someone of their blood who has potential, no matter how distantly related they are.
The second problem for Su Fang was that his body was in terrible condition. His genetics did him no favors, giving him a somewhat small and frail body naturally, but that was compounded by malnutrition and illness. No one had any hopes for his future.
When he turned 16, he was brought to the Su Clan training compound along with every other child of the clan his age. It has a training center where the Su Clan awakens their children's qi and teaches them how to use it. This allows a select few to gain great power and become the future pillars of the clan. Every clan member, no matter how distantly related, is required to attend. The clan does not want to miss out on a future prodigy.
During the Awakening Ceremony, clan elder Su YuanFei sent sparks of qi into the bodies of all the participants to try to assist in empowering the blessing. Su Fang's body, being frail and ill, could not handle this process and collapsed. At the moment of his death, he was blessed. His final wish was 'to die so that another may live.'
Credits expended. Transaction complete.
And that was that. That was how I ended up in his place. Depressing story, and I had to figure out how to pick up the pieces of his broken life.
I'd been dying from a single punch from those pricks. I knew that couldn't be normal. What I just learned about this being a rather frail and disease-prone body was likely the cause.
From the information I had received, I felt that the clearest path forward was to make the Su Clan value me. They were the unquestioned rulers of this entire area, and it sounded like they could raise their children to be prominent members of society. However, the Su Clan would only value me if I seemed like a prodigy in their eyes. With this body, that was never going to happen.
"System, I want something that will heal my body so that I am at least average among my peers."
Would you like to purchase a Rank 1 Healing Pill? The cost is 10 credits.
It looked like I would only be able to buy one thing. A minor healing pill, is that what I really needed? I asked for something to heal my body, but was that enough? Could I make it stronger?
"System, I would like to buy something that can both heal my body and make it stronger, giving me strength equal to or greater than others my own age."
Would you like to purchase a Rank 1 Strengthening Pill? The cost is 25 credits.
That was a bust. To get one strengthening pill I would need to die three times. I could always try that in the future.
"Buy the Rank 1 Healing Pill."
Purchase confirmed. Item deposited in storage. 1 credit remaining.
I sat there, but no pill appeared.
"Where is my pill?" No response.
"System, give me my damn pill!" No response.
"System, how much for information about the location of my pill."
Would you like to purchase basic information about the System storage space? Cost 1 credit.
"No, damn it." I could figure this out on my own.
A storage space, a place that stores items purchased from the system. It wouldn't be a physical location, that didn't make any sense. So, it had to be something like an inventory in a video game. So, how did you open it, and how did you take things out?
"Inventory," I said. Nothing happened.
"System Inventory." Nothing.
"System Storage." No.
Maybe it's not voice command. Maybe I just will it to happen.
I focused my mind on wanting to take a pill out of storage. I tried to visualize a pill moving from 'somewhere' and appearing in my hand.
A small, round pill appeared in my hand.
I was pleasantly surprised when it worked. Instead of immediately swallowing it, I tried to put the pill back into storage, but nothing I did had any effect which meant the storage was probably only one way.
"Here's to you, Su Fang," I said, tossing the pill in my mouth.
Energy surged through my body. Bones that were slightly out of place were moved back into alignment. Microcracks in them that I would have never noticed disappeared in an instant. The many lingering problems caused by malnutrition slowly disappeared.
I felt like I had been reborn, again. The constant low-level pain I had barely noticed had vanished. Maybe I would still die to a single punch, I had no idea, but I definitely felt like I had more of a future now.
As I waited in my small house, I began doing a few basic exercises. There was barely any room to move, but I still wanted to get adapted to my new body as best I could. Basic sit-ups and push-ups gave me a sense of my current strength. It still wasn't high, but I was at least able to complete a dozen push-ups before my arms gave out. I performed a little shadowboxing to help with my muscle coordination.
We had been told someone would come to take us for 'testing' after two hours. The testing may have started then, but I was clearly not high on the priority list. After nearly four hours someone finally came and opened my door.
"Follow me," he said in a neutral voice.
I exited my room. Time to see what future I had on this Nine Rivers Continent.
The Undying Immortal System - Chapter 3: Life 4, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
The Undying Immortal System
Chapter 3: Life 4, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
The guard led me out of the residential area and into a side courtyard near its entrance. This was a much smaller area, but it had the same gray brick and red wall design. It contained only a single building which had an administrative air to it.
It was a wooden building that had been painted a bright red. The building sat half a meter above the ground upon a thick, marble foundation. Red columns were spaced all along its perimeters to help hold up a two-tiered yellow ceramic tile roof. Diverse designs were painted in gold on the red walls, and complex, multicolored patterns adorned the eaves and the brackets that ran between the columns.
I was guided up a few marble steps and into the building. Inside, I found a rather small front room.
The middle-aged man from the previous ceremony, Su YuanFei, sat at the back of the room, overseeing the proceedings. In the middle of the room was a clear orb resting on a pedestal. To the right, a scribe sat at a table taking notes. Finally, behind the orb was an elderly man I had not seen before.
I wasn't sure about the proper etiquette for this situation, so I gave the elderly man a slight bow and approached. I decided not to speak since that was usually the best course in an unknown environment. If they decided I acted rudely, I would just have to die and try again.
Fortunately, it didn't come to that. When I neared, the elderly man spoke.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"Su Fang."
I heard the scribe writing this down.
"Place your hand on the orb and channel your qi into it."
Not sure exactly what that meant, I did my best. I placed my hand on the orb and tried to will something into it. Nothing happened. After a few moments, the man spoke again.
"Concentrate on your dantian, in the core of your body. Pull from there and push into the orb."
I did as he said. I didn't feel much, but I could feel something. A faint trickle of energy flowed out of me and into the orb. As it did, the orb began to sputter weakly with a faint glow of a mix of colors.
"Zero elemental affinity," the elderly man said. The scribe wrote this down.
"What can you tell us about the blessing you have received?"
Having thought about this question, I decided to say something where hopefully they would think there would be more to come. I couldn't help but think something would be better than telling them I learned nothing.
"My entire life my body has been weak and frail. After the blessing, I can feel that there is new strength in my body. Old pain has ceased, and I feel I am regaining the strength I should have. I believe there may be more to this blessing, but that is all I know right now."
The old man gave me a look, and I could feel energy from him lightly probe my body. After that, he nodded to the scribe.
"He will be given the Earth Heart Mantra and returned to his original quarters."
Then, he looked back at me and spoke in a disinterested voice.
"The new disciple tournament will be held in three months. If you do not place in the top sixteen, you will be expelled from the clan. Leave."
I wanted to speak up and ask a question, but the guard who had led me in began pulling me away. After a second of surprise, I followed behind. We entered a side room where another scribe was sitting in front of several piles of bamboo scrolls.
"Earth Heart," the guard said with a touch of disdain.
The scribe handed over a scroll from the largest pile.
"We will send someone to retrieve this in two weeks. You have that long to learn it. Do not lose or damage this scroll."
I nodded and was pulled away by the guard. He took me back to the residential area but didn't follow me back to my house. He probably went to grab the next person in line.
Sitting back down in my house, I needed to decide how to proceed.
Being expelled from the clan for not placing in the top sixteen sounded harsh, but it did make some sense. The Su Clan was huge, and I was an orphan from a twig of a branch family. At some point, they would have to start pruning who was considered actual family members. It might not feel fair, but it did make some sense.
The new encounters had shown me new areas where my knowledge was lacking, and as long as I knew about a problem, I could solve it, and the fact that I had zero affinities seemed like it was going to be one. I didn't know what affinities were, or how they would help me, but that testing showed they were considered important. I only had 1 credit, so there wasn't much I could do. At most, I could use it to fill in a bit of missing knowledge.
"System, I want knowledge of affinities."
You can only afford common knowledge of what people believe about affinities. The cost is 1 credit.
"Purchase."
Purchase confirmed. 0 credits remaining.
In this world, there are many forms of energy. The most common form of energy is qi. It exists everywhere in the air around you. Similar to light or electricity, qi is a form of pure energy.
There are many different forms of qi. Using light as an analogy, there are many different 'wavelengths' of qi that give it different 'colors.' Examples of this are the five basic elements: fire, water, earth, metal, and wood qi. Other forms of qi include lightning, demonic, and spirit qi.
Affinity allows a cultivator to control the type of qi that matches their affinity. They can then pull that energy into themselves, empowering and strengthening their body. While rarer affinities may offer some benefits, they are generally seen as less useful, as their matching qi type may be lacking or insufficient in the environment.
Credits expended. Transaction complete.
I considered the Earth Heart Mantra I was given. It was used to cultivate earth qi. Would cultivating earth qi affect me differently than, say, fire qi? I wanted to ask, but I didn't have any more credits.
Every time I died, I was told I was getting points because I reached Martial Disciple 1. When I asked about gaining more points, I was told that I would get points based on my cultivation level. It sounded like my cultivation level could be improved by using this Earth Heart Mantra to pull in earth qi. If I were to pull in qi and strengthen myself, I would eventually become Martial Disciple 2. That would earn me more credits when I died without running afoul of the System's 'no intentional death' edict. I didn't plan on dying, but I knew it would happen sooner or later, so I needed to make the most of it.
Affinity was a body's ability to control different kinds of qi, and by having zero affinity with everything, I was basically at the bottom of the bottom. My control of qi barely existed, and I would have a very hard time advancing in rank at all.
For most people, this would mean the end of the road. However, as the Su Clan was no doubt aware, everything could change when blessings were considered. A powerful blessing could easily make up for lacking affinities.
For me? It meant I needed to make a plan. I was given an earth qi technique, so I might as well start there since I didn't know enough to pick between the five basic affinities the System had listed. Rarer affinities sounded interesting, but if they were less useful without a proper environment, I would hold off on them until later.
"System, I want to improve my earth qi affinity."
Temporary Low 9-star Earth Affinity. Cost 10 credits.
"Fair enough. System, I would like to improve my earth qi affinity by two steps."
Temporary Mid 9-star Earth Affinity. Cost 35 credits.
From a little more prodding, I found affinities started at low nine-star and increased through low, mid, high, and peak. Then, they advanced to low eight-star. Presumably, they would continue to at least peak one-star, which may or may not be the highest. I couldn't check that far. Importantly, each increase in affinity became more expensive the higher you went. Going up to just low eight-star would cost 260 credits, a 100-credit increase over the 160 needed for peak nine-star.
I considered this. Did I need to commit suicide dozens of times to get a usable affinity? I didn't want to do that. Memories of my last death lingered in my mind. Also, I was sure committing suicide twenty-odd times in a row was exactly what the System had meant when it warned me against "quick, repeated, intentional deaths."
So, I needed to find ways to quickly improve my cultivation, thus improving my credit gain. The key would be affinity, so I would start there. Improving to low nine-star was cheap, and I could certainly afford that after a single death at any time.
"System, I want to improve my earth qi affinity such that it stays improved after every restart."
Permanent Low 9-star Earth Affinity. Cost 100 credits.
There it was. Ten deaths to afford even the worst affinity if I didn't want to have to rebuy it every time I died.
Processing… An external entity has discounted the price of increasing your affinity. Cost 10 credits.
Note: This discount will only be applied to the first affinity you permanently upgrade. However, future upgrades to this affinity will also be discounted to 10% of their regular price.
Only the first affinity… Did I want to focus on earth qi?
This wasn't a decision I could rush. I was sure I could spend even more credits to change the affinity set to permanent in the future, but better to try to walk the right path from the beginning.
I didn't even have the credits for this now anyway, so it would have to wait for the future in any event.
My goal moving forward would be simple. Push as far as I could. Learn as much as I could. If there was a risk, take it. Better to learn and die so I was prepared for the future. I didn't want to die. Even with the resets. But I would.
That said, for the near future I wouldn't exactly be doing anything death-defying. I would be sitting on my rear trying to pull in energy while having little to no ability to do so.
The Undying Immortal System - Chapter 4: Life 4, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
The Undying Immortal System
Chapter 4: Life 4, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
For the next several days, I practiced the Earth Heart Mantra alone in my tiny house. In reality, I didn't do much more than sit there and wait. Meals were delivered by servants, but they never stuck around to chat. It was a somewhat miserable existence. I tried my best to cultivate, but it seemed like with zero affinity making any progress was going to be more difficult than I had expected.
Fortunately, on the fifth day, things changed. Everyone was brought to the large dirt square behind the houses, the imperiously named 'Martial Arts Training Yard'.
As we gathered, I noticed one thing that was a little strange. A few children were missing from the group, including the red-robed prick who beat me to death a few days ago. Putting that together with the look of superiority he gave me the last time we met, I could guess that the elites had been separated out for special training. Good news for me it seemed.
An older man with a more military bearing stood in the middle of the yard and began giving orders.
"Alright, quiet! Space out and circle around," he shouted. "For the next three months, you will all be undergoing extensive martial arts training. Every hour of every day you will either be exercising, cultivating, or recovering. After three months, many of you will no longer be members of my clan. If you want any hope of remaining one, you will push yourself to do your best at every moment. If you do not want to be one, you will still push to do your best at every moment, because if you don't, the moment you leave this place you will learn what it's like to live as a commoner. Basic martial skills are a necessity."
"This training won't just be hard. It will be deadly. If you relax for even a moment, you might find out that it was your last. Now, time for a little demonstration," he said, with an evil glint in his eye, "do we have any volunteers?"
Everyone froze. No one wanted to be the first to offer themselves up for a beating. After waiting a few beats, I decided to make a move. Was it stupid? Sure. Did I care? Not really. What was the worst that could happen?
I stepped forward.
"I volunteer."
"Excellent," the instructor said, seeming truly satisfied. "Attack me!"
Again, I briefly froze, but after only a moment I moved. I was no professional, but I had learned a bit of fighting in my first life. I wasn't a UFC contender, but I was confident enough to take down a street tough. I knew I probably wouldn't be able to win, but if I could put on a good show, maybe I could earn a little respect.
I rushed forward and punched out with my left fist at the man's chest. It wasn't a feint, but it also wasn't a full-power hit. I had to force him to raise his arms for a block. As he did, I pivoted and swung my right fist at his mid-section. This was again blocked.
I worked as hard as I could, throwing out a punch or kick whenever I saw a potential opening. The man easily blocked everything. He didn't even bother to dodge or redirect the force of my attacks. He just stuck out a palm and batted me away.
"Good, it seems like at least someone knows a little about fighting," the instructor said happily. Then, his slight smile flashed into a sudden scowl. "Too bad you don't listen. I told you that if you relax for even a moment you might die!"
Suddenly, he punched.
The blow hit my head, stunning me. If this man was even close to as strong as the guard I had met earlier, he could kill me in a single hit, but he didn't. He spent several slow, agonizing minutes tenderizing my flesh. One bone after another snapped as he pummeled me. I wanted him to stop, but I couldn't speak.
Finally, my body fell limply to the dirt ground.
"This is your lesson for today. In this training, slacking for even a moment means death."
Every breath I took was painful. No one even gave me a second look.
You have died. Calculating…
You died as a Martial Disciple 1. 10 credits awarded.
Total Credits: 10
I sat back down in my house. Nothing made a sound, which was nice. Waking from death was starting to become routine, but it still wasn't easy. The memories of bleeding out in the dirt lingered. Coming to during the awakening ceremony was more difficult than it had ever been before, but coming back to this tiny house had almost become relaxing.
I laughed mirthlessly. My purchase of that healing pill had been a waste. I was back in the same spot I started, same terrible body, ten credits poorer.
I thought about buying another one, but there was no point in wasting money. Better to see if I could complete this new encounter without it first.
I did my best to repeat everything that I did in my last life. I didn't have a healed body this time, but I still claimed it was healed. It didn't seem to make any difference to the examiner. The extra few days of practice with the Earth Heart Mantra didn't make any difference. I was still unable to make any progress.
So, when we all gathered around the Martial Arts Training Yard again, everything was pretty much exactly the same as last time.
"Now, time for a little demonstration," he said, with an evil glint in his eye, "do we have any volunteers?"
Learning that volunteering meant death, I wisely chose to keep silent. I did my best impression of a stone, letting time pass by as the murderer in front of me waited for someone to kill.
"Hmpf, not a single person brave enough to even demonstrate what they know," the man said in a disgusted tone. "Fine. You! Step forward and show me something."
The bastard was pointing right at me. Apparently, I was the designated whipping boy for today. Sparring with him was almost certain death, so when I stepped forward, I just began air boxing. Trying to demonstrate my punches and kicks for him.
"What the hell are you doing? Get over here and fight! NOW!"
I didn't want to go. Something shoved me forward. I managed to balance and get into an attacking stance. It didn't matter.
You have died. Calculating…
You died as a Martial Disciple 1. 10 credits awarded.
Total Credits: 20
Again… why? The suffering didn't get any easier. Knowing what was happening only made it worse.
I needed to calm down. I needed to talk it out and work through the problem.
"Why did I die?" I asked myself in my tiny house. I looked at the floor and began tracing cracks in the wood with my eyes.
"Because a huge prick forced me to fight him. But he could have picked anyone. He picked me. He wanted to kill me. Why?" I stared straight ahead at the barren wall and rickety wooden door. "Why is too difficult. Not enough information. What can I change so that it doesn't happen again?"
I thought through the options of what I could change. The easiest would be to simply stand in a different spot. That would be free, so it would allow me to save my credits. It was also likely meaningless. There was no way it would work.
Should I try it? It was a variable I could easily change. If it didn't work, all it meant was another death. Another painful, trauma-inducing death. I didn't want to experience that again, but it was worth checking. The credits from that death would be beneficial, and the System couldn't complain that the death was 'intentional.'
I shuddered.
"Yes… death… hurts," I told myself, "but I have to experiment to understand what variables are important."
…
You have died. Calculating…
You died as a Martial Disciple 1. 10 credits awarded.
Total Credits: 30
"Okay, nothing to do with where I was standing." I took a heavy, unsteady breath when I arrived back at my house. "At least now I know. So, what's left? Why am I being targeted?"
I thought of three possibilities. One: my background. Something special about my background, or just the fact that I'm an orphan, makes me the best target for this little lesson. Two: my actions. Something about the way I act between revival and this demonstration gets me targeted. Three: my skill. Zero affinity and no demonstrated blessing. This makes me worthless in the eyes of the higher-ups. Better to kill me now to at least extract some educational value.
I couldn't do anything about one, or should I say, doing something about one would likely cost serious credits.
As for two, while I could change how I acted, I didn't know what actions might be causing such a reaction. More information would be nice so I could run tests, but I didn't know what to change. Also, I truly did not want to suffer at that bastard's hands again.
Number three, then. If I wanted to survive, I needed an affinity or blessing. That way I would at least have some amount of perceived value.
I could only purchase a permanent affinity increase once, though. At least, only once at a discounted price. Was this the right time? No, better to learn more before wasting an opportunity. Purchasing one-time upgrades would burn credits, but with any luck, the knowledge gained would be worth it.
I also needed that healing pill. I wouldn't survive long without it, but buying one every time would add up. Of course…
"System, I want to buy a minor healing pill that will reappear after every death."
You want to purchase a healing pill that will return to the storage space after each death. The cost is 200 credits… Processing… An external entity has discounted the price. Cost 20 credits.
The price wasn't bad. I had 30 credits, so I could buy that and still have enough for a one-time earth affinity boost. Was that the right thing to do? What were the chances of still getting targeted with the lowest-level affinity?
"Getting the next level would only be 25 more credits…" I told myself, "It's only three more deaths."
As long as it was that guardsman, three more deaths wouldn't be too bad. When he killed me, it was painful, but it ended quickly. I could endure that. I could only hope the System didn't punish me.
You have died. Calculating…
You have died. Calculating…
You have died. Calculating…
You died as a Martial Disciple 1. 10 credits awarded.
Total Credits: 60
System Warning: Quick, repeated, intentional deaths detected. Further actions may result in an administrative response.
I collapsed in my house. I was mentally exhausted. Three rapid deaths. How bad could it be? It felt like my soul had begun to fracture.
Yes, I was reborn. I was in perfect health. But I still felt myself die. It still lingered in my thoughts.
"Never again. I don't want to do that ever again."
Centering myself, I focused on what I needed to do at that moment.
"System, I want to buy a minor healing pill that will reappear after every death."
For a healing pill that will return to the storage space after each death, the cost is 20 credits.
Purchase confirmed. 40 credits remaining.
"System, I want to buy the mid nine-star earth affinity that only lasts this lifetime."
Temporary mid nine-star earth affinity. The cost is 35 credits.
Purchase confirmed. 5 credits remaining.
I felt the changes in my body. It was hard to describe. It just felt like my body was more real than it was before. Like… like I was moving through the world now, whereas before I was more like a ghost.
"We will see. Hopefully, this works."
The Undying Immortal System - Chapter 5: Life 10, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
The Undying Immortal System
Chapter 5: Life 10, Age 16, Martial Disciple 1
"What is your name?" asked the elderly man at the testing orb.
"Su Fang."
"Place your hand on the orb and channel your qi into it."
This time, not only did I know what to do, but the action came much easier. Qi flowed from my dantian and into the orb. A dull brown stone appeared in its center.
"Earth affinity. Middle of nine-star," the elderly man said. His voice sounded only slightly kinder than in the past. Honestly, I didn't know what a 'good' result would be in this test.
"What can you tell us about the blessing you have received?"
"The healing and slight strengthening of my body," I said. Playing the mysterious angle didn't work at all, better to try to appear straight-forward.
"Hmm, works with the earth affinity. Very well, give him the Earth Heart Mantra and return him." This wasn't much different than the past, but the faint hint of praise gave me hope.
As before, I picked up the scroll and returned to my tiny house. At this point, I didn't really need the scroll anymore. I already knew what it said. Practicing it this time, however, was different. As I followed the instructions, I could feel a significant difference.
The Earth Heart Mantra had you move the qi inside your body in a specific way. The first step was to move it towards your right upper arm and effectively create a whirlpool. The goal of this was to pull qi from outside the body and trap it within the muscles. At the same time, you had to create what was basically a filter, allowing only earth qi into the body. The higher the purity of earth qi, the more effective it would be.
In the past, this was extremely difficult for me. Concentrating my qi into one part of my body was difficult. Creating a whirlpool to pull in qi was nearly impossible. Creating any kind of effective filter was completely beyond my comprehension.
This time, however, it all seemed to just work. Moving the qi and creating the whirlpool was as simple as breathing. I was able to quickly reach the point where my body would pull qi from the air. The moment I did so, though, I immediately stopped. Pulling in qi at random would do more harm than good. I needed to filter it first.
Actually…
From what I could tell, it seemed like the qi I pulled in was already at least fifty percent earth-attributed. My affinity with earth was helping me here. It was still bad to gather qi at random, but maybe not a dealbreaker? Still, I should try to do it correctly.
I worked to form the pattern from the scroll. My attempt looked… close? As I pulled qi through it, the pattern quickly collapsed. So, not so easy. Still, it was just a matter of practice.
"Is this worth the effort though?" I suddenly asked myself. What was the point of working so hard to purify it and only pull in earth-attributed qi? As I had learned from the scroll, it was supposed to make the qi more powerful. If a chaotic mess of qi was pulled in when cultivating, it would interfere with the earth qi, negating most of its benefits. The purer the qi, the more effective it would be. Extremely high qi purity could result in qi that was several times as effective as low-purity qi. This was why a strong, pure foundation was important.
However, I continued to consider. Did that matter right now? What was my current goal? To become the strongest person in the world or to just advance one step forward, gaining experience and credits along the way.
The scroll said that if one's qi purity was too low, they would be stuck as a Martial Disciple forever, but it also seemed to suggest that one could become a Peak Disciple no matter how pure their qi was.
So, I could become a Peak Disciple, learn everything I could from the experience, die, and collect the credits for a high cultivation. Then, the next time around start with an even higher affinity. I would live a series of lives that slowly built upon one another.
Was I okay with this strategy? It meant I would be purposefully sending myself to my death. This wasn't suicide, and while the death was premeditated, it shouldn't run afoul of the System's restrictions. Still…
"I think it's what I have to do," I told myself. "As long as I have time in between, I will be fine."
I thought about the viability of the plan. The qi filter was something I would need to learn, even if purity wasn't something I concerned myself with at the moment. It seemed like a waste not to practice it for the future.
So, yes, practice it, maybe an hour a day, but the focus needs to be on simply grabbing as much qi as possible and advancing as far as possible. That seems like the way to gain the most from each reset.
I walked to the Martial Arts Training Yard with determination. I was still only a Martial Disciple 1, but I could feel the qi in my right arm surging. It was nearing a breakthrough. In only a few more days I would finally see what it meant to be a Martial Disciple 2. Hopefully, I would get them.
"Now, time for a little demonstration," the instructor said with a murderous air about him, "do we have any volunteers?"
I, like everyone else, remained silent. I wasn't about to risk putting myself forward.
"Hmpf, not a single person brave enough to even demonstrate what they know," the man said in a disgusted tone. "Fine. You! Step forward and show me something."
The bastard was pointing right at… someone else?
Huh… it worked. Not being seen as completely worthless by the clan had at least one benefit it seemed.
The unfortunate victim of this lesson was rather… unfortunate. Thankfully, it wasn't me this time. I just stood there with a crowd of sixteen-year-olds and watched as one of our number was beaten to death in front of us. This place was just… wrong.
"This is your lesson for today. In this training, slacking for even a moment means death!" He gave all of us a meaningful look. "Now, pair up and fight. I want to see if any of you have any possibility of being worthy of my clan in the future."
Slowly the crowd started to move as people began to pair off. My neighbor and I just nodded at each other and moved into position to begin sparring. At that moment, a roar ripped through the yard.
"What the hell are you doing! What was that!? I told you to fight, not play around! Looks like you didn't understand my little demonstration earlier."
The instructor charged over to a pair that was on the other side of the yard. As soon as he arrived, he kicked out and broke one guy's arm. Then, he reached out, grabbed the other guy's arm, and broke it in half.
"If you aren't using those to fight, you don't need them anymore," he said with disdain. "Now, everyone, get back to fighting. And do it like you mean it!"
This was not training. This was abuse. This wasn't about teaching us to become fighters. It was about suppressing and breaking us. Was he trying to turn us into soldiers? Impossible. There was no way this could build an effective fighting force.
Still, I knew better than to openly question anything at this point. I was stuck in this place. I had to learn how to survive. Survival came before trying to understand and/or change the socio-political landscape.
I focused my mind and was relentless. I did everything I could to beat my sparring partner into a bloody pulp. None of us had any special cultivation power. It was all about base martial prowess. As I said before, I was no master fighter, but I could take out a street tough. The child I was forced to fight didn't have a chance.
Even though I had a clear advantage, I kept my attention on everything around me to a paranoid degree. I knew that bastard was just waiting for an excuse to take me down, so I wouldn't give him one. At least, I wouldn't let him say I was too 'relaxed.'
This 'training' lasted for two grueling hours. Finally, it was over.
"Congratulations, you survived day one. I will be back in a week. If you have not improved, you will be retired from future sessions. Consider this week my gift. Cultivate and train hard, children. Your three months have just begun."
The following days, I pushed myself hard. I didn't worry about practicing fighting. In my mind, I had enough of a lead on these kids that I wasn't worried about them getting in an extra month of practice. No, I focused on cultivating my qi with the Earth Heart Mantra which would strengthen my body and lock in a few extra future credits.
Just two days after our little training session I made my first breakthrough. The qi in my right upper arm muscles became so dense that I was unable to continue.
The next step was to find the acupoint in my arm. According to the scroll, it was supposed to be on the outside of the arm near where the arm muscles and shoulder muscles make a natural divot. I was supposed to be able to find this point by moving the qi around slowly and finding a place where it kind of became sticky.
This took me several days on its own. It was easy to get fed up with the process. Basically, I was slowly groping around in the dark trying to feel something when I had no idea what I should be feeling. It wasn't until the third day that I succeeded.
After that, the process was brutally simple. Concentrate my qi into a sharp point and stab from the inside of my arm, through the acupoint, and outside my body. This seemed like something only the reckless would try without proper guidance and supervision, but I didn't have that luxury, and I didn't really care if I messed it up. I just needed to learn from it and do better the next time.
As I stabbed, I could feel qi pour out of me. Nearly everything I had worked for so long to gather vanished in a few heartbeats. There were no visible signs I had done anything to my arm, but it felt like I was left with a gaping spiritual wound through which the dregs of my remaining qi began to trickle out.
Finally, with what little energy I had remaining, I reconstructed the qi whirlpool in my arm, pulling energy in instead of letting it flow out. I should mention here, again, that I was supposed to create an effective filter so that only earth qi was pulled in, but I didn't bother. That was something I would deal with in the future.
Qi poured in at several times its previous rate. It had taken me days to fill my arm with qi before. Now, it took only a few hours. In what felt like no time, I was back to my peak, with one arm brimming with qi.
Before, I had to consciously hold the qi whirlpool in place and focus on cultivation. After breaking through, this became like an autonomous bodily function. The qi in my right arm would constantly replenish itself whenever it ran low.
I had reached Martial Disciple 2.
There was no time to sit around. I needed to start on the left arm.
By the time our week of training was over, I had made what I thought was considerable progress on reaching Martial Disciple 3. It was a bit harder to pull in energy to my left arm than it had been when working on my right arm. It felt like there was almost a form of magnetic repulsion at work. But each day, the qi was becoming denser. It was only a matter of time.
As we arrived at the training yard, the instructor looked at me in surprise. An honest-to-gods smile appeared on his face. It seemed like he was actually happy, not just derisively happy, when he saw me. Since I was the only one that seemed to generate this reaction, I could guess that I was the only one to make a breakthrough this week. I felt kind of proud of myself.
"Alright, pair off and fight!"
This time, he actually gave a few pointers on how to fight better. Shocking.
A couple of kids did end up getting brutally beaten by him, but no one died. I didn't know if I was adapting or just developing Stockholm's syndrome, but things did seem to be looking up.
"Stop! Circle around!" he finally shouted after a few hours.
"Some of you are actually progressing nicely, so I have good news for you. In two weeks, it will be the end of your first month of training. At that time, there will be a small competition.
"You may have noticed that several people you started with are not here at the moment. During their evaluation, they were graded as having exceptional potential, so they have been receiving specialized training. At the end of the month, you will be free to challenge them for their position. If you can defeat one of them, you will get their spot and all the resources that come with it. Train hard."
As we were dismissed, everyone began to walk back to their home, but as I was turning away, I was stopped by our instructor.
"Keep up with your current efforts," he said encouragingly. "I look forward to seeing you challenge for a spot at the end of the month."
I smiled and bowed to him.
It was a rough start, but maybe everything was beginning to work itself out.