Gu Qingxuan walked with his usual ease, as if nothing in this world truly deserved urgency.
Lin Xingyu followed beside him, her gaze occasionally drifting to the scenery, though part of her attention remained on him. She never intended to ask about his mounts, but his indifferent attitude truly irritated her. Before she could stop herself, the words had slipped out—and surprisingly, he did not reject her request.
The contrast was too large.
The Gu Qingxuan of the past always wore a flattering smile when facing her, trying his best to please her in every way. This version felt unfamiliar, as if she were facing an entirely different person.
Gu Qingxuan could feel her gaze on him, but he was not in the mood to care.
Because at that moment, the system spoke.
Ding! System warning.
Host attitude detected.
System has observed that host does not take this world seriously.
Host only shows emotional attachment toward parents, treating others as irrelevant.
Reminder: Host has fully integrated into this world.
These people are not NPCs.
They will suffer, bleed, and die the same way people did in host's former world.
Advisory:
Host should develop a sense of urgency.
There exist forces outside the Gu Clan capable of destroying it entirely.
Host is far from the peace and freedom he seeks.
Gu Qingxuan's calm was stirred for the first time.
"…For something that acts like a machine, you're right," he admitted inwardly.
"I do treat this world lightly."
That is the issue, host.
Many hosts regard the system as a partner, not a tool.
That response shocked him.
He had always seen the system as nothing more than a convenient buff.
"System… I didn't know you possessed sentience," Gu Qingxuan said honestly.
"This is the first time you've sounded… humane."
The system did not respond.
"Then you warned me for a reason," he continued. "Why now?"
Insufficient authority.
Host will understand soon.
Gu Qingxuan did not press further.
Instead, he took advantage of the silence to think.
Cultivation realms.
Alchemy ranks.
Treasures.
The structure of this world.
He had skipped all of it before. Back then, it was boring background information. Now, it mattered.
He frowned slightly.
This is troublesome…
Without thinking much, his gaze shifted to the person beside him.
Should I ask her?
Lin Xingyu noticed immediately.
His troubled expression made her stop and look at him, her face clearly saying Speak, if you have something to say.
What she did not expect was his question.
"Can I ask you something?" Gu Qingxuan said calmly.
"How many cultivation realms exist in this world?"
Lin Xingyu froze.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…You don't know?" Her voice was cold, dry, and flat.
"Yes."
So simple. So shameless.
For a moment, she truly thought he was pretending.
But when she studied his face, she realized he was serious.
This man…
Maybe he really did hit his head.
That explanation strangely made sense.
"If you want me to explain," she said slowly, "you'll have to give something in return."
"I can ask someone else," Gu Qingxuan replied flatly.
"I knew you'd chicken out," she scoffed.
That word triggered something unpleasant in his mind.
He didn't like it.
"…What do you want?" he asked.
"Yuyin Wan Pill."
Gu Qingxuan stopped walking.
"Impossible," he said immediately. "Ask for something else."
"Why is it impossible?"
"You asked," he replied calmly. "I already gave it to someone."
"…Who?"
He ignored her.
Lin Xingyu stared at his back, irritation rising in her chest. "I will find out on my own" She didn't even realize she's changing from her usual style.
At the same time, a strange feeling crept in.
This Gu Qingxuan did not try to explain.
Did not rush to appease her.
Did not care whether she believed him or not.
For reasons she could not understand, that bothered her deeply.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"Fine," she said coolly. "Since you asked, I'll explain."
She slowed her pace slightly.
"In this world, cultivation begins with Qi Refinement, then Foundation Establishment, Nascent Soul, Golden Core, Transcendent Realm, Spirit Transformation, True Transformation, Half-Emperor, and finally—Emperor."
She paused briefly.
"Beyond Emperor… even I don't know."
Gu Qingxuan listened carefully, committing every word to memory.
"And pills?" he asked.
She glanced at him. "You really are shameless."
"Just answer."
She snorted softly.
"Pills are ranked Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Immortal.
Alchemists follow the same ranking.
Treasures as well."
She hesitated, then added, "The strongest powers in this world are not only clans. There are royal bloodlines, ancient sects, and hidden forces older than most recorded history."
Gu Qingxuan's eyes darkened slightly.
So, the system wasn't exaggerating.
By then, the scenery ahead had changed.
Large enclosures appeared in the distance.
A faint beastly aura rolled through the air.
Lin Xingyu noticed it too.
"…So," she said, "this is where you keep your mounts."
Gu Qingxuan nodded.
"Yes."
For the first time since they started walking together, her curiosity overtook her irritation.
And for the first time, Gu Qingxuan felt that this world—
might not be as simple as he once thought.