Xuanyuan Continent. Heaven Ridge Vein. Eclipse Region.
Deep within the lush forests nestled inside the majestic Heaven Vein Mountain Range lay a forbidden land no living soul had ever stepped into. A natural qi barrier wrapped around it—silent, merciless—obliterating anyone who carried even the faintest ill intent.
At the edge of that ancient forest yawned a massive cave. Its interior glowed faintly under waves of dense, heaven-defying spiritual qi. Seated at its center was a man with long silver hair—almost platinum—eyes closed, his presence radiating pure heavenly qi that rolled outward like an unending tide.
A mechanical voice echoed through the stillness.
[ Reporting ]
[ Host: Yan Qing ]
[ Age: ??? ]
[ Host has completed ten years of closed-door seclusion. Congratulations—cultivation has reached Peak Nascent Soul. ]
The silver-haired man's eyelashes trembled, his eyes opening slowly. Ten years had passed, yet his expression didn't shift. To him, it really had felt like a single blink.
Bits of old memories slid through his mind: smoke filling a tiny apartment, his dog's frantic barking, red flames licking up the walls. He remembered shoving the animal out a collapsing doorway—then a burning support beam crashing down onto his skull.
A horrible way to die… but the pain felt distant now.
This world, though—it was everything he once imagined a cultivation world should be.
Right before the system dragged him into this cave, he'd caught a fractured glimpse of the outside: a towering mountain piercing straight into the clouds, a floating island glimmering faintly on the horizon, vegetation shaped unlike anything on Earth—grass like clovers, flowers with transparent leaves, fruits resembling peaches but shimmering blue.
If he'd had even a moment longer, he would've been overwhelmed by wonder.
But according to the system, he had been cultivating nonstop ever since transmigrating, locked away in this cave for a decade. His memories of everything beyond these stone walls were faint, fog-like.
More notifications chimed.
[ Generating rewards for completion of host's first system directive ]
[ 1× White Flowing Robe ]
[ 1× Time Array Tome ]
[ 1× bundle of Spirit Stones ]
[ 1× Living Quarter in Sky-Reach City ]
[ System Beginner Gift will be issued upon host's arrival at assigned residence ]
A soft shimmer washed over his body. The robe materialized, layering neatly atop his inner garment and cleansing every speck of dust from him.
"So I need to leave this cave and head to that living quarter?" Yan Qing asked, his tone steady, almost detached.
[ Affirmative ]
He exhaled. "System… you dragged me in here the moment I transmigrated. How am I supposed to know where this city even is?"
[ Reporting. Current location: Innermost sector of Heaven-Vein Deepest Forest. Distance to objective: Nine thousand five hundred twenty-seven li. ]
His expression stiffened. "…That's four thousand kilometers. That's basically half a continent on Earth."
[ Host is Peak Nascent Soul. Host may ride natal weapon to fly. ]
"Huh. I can do that?"
[ Affirmative. The book awarded to host is host's natal weapon. ]
Yan Qing stared at the unassuming tome that appeared in his palm. "Most people get swords… and I get a book?"
[ Reporting. Host's compatibility aligns with Array Branch. Host is now a respectable array master. ]
"I see…" He flipped the book over, unimpressed. "Still feels like I should've gotten a jade scroll. This looks cheap."
[ Reporting. Content is too basic to be stored inside a jade scroll. ]
His eyebrow twitched. Was his own system roasting him?
But another problem remained. He didn't understand arrays. He didn't understand this so-called "natal weapon." And he had absolutely no idea how he was supposed to ride a book.
"How do I use it?"
[ Open the book. It will connect to host's sea of consciousness. ]
Magical enough.
The moment he opened it, his mind unfurled into an endless cosmos—constellations swirling across a boundless night, runic pathways threading between stars. Knowledge he had never encountered before poured into him. His body went still as his consciousness throbbed with new understanding.
[ Synchronization complete. Host may command the book at will. ]
Yan Qing's gaze sharpened.
"Take me to fly."
The tome lifted from his hand, expanding in a ripple of blue light until it was large enough for four people to sit comfortably. Dreamlike radiance rippled across its surface.
Okay… that was actually awesome.
He stepped onto it without hesitation. A protective aura flickered to life around him.
[ Reporting. Estimated travel time to objective: Four hours, thirty-six minutes. Error margin: Forty seconds. ]
"Will I be able to go faster later?"
[ Affirmative. ]
The book ascended, gliding toward the cave entrance—
But then space trembled.
A deep, bone-shaking hum rolled across the cavern. Yan Qing's eyes snapped upward just as a colossal crack tore open in the air—like reality itself had been sliced apart. Blinding light erupted from within, swallowing the cave, the mountain, the air—
—and him.
The void pulled him in effortlessly.
And the silver-haired cultivator vanished without a single trace.