The border camp looked nothing like a place humans should live.
Low, broken walls made of mud and stone. Tents patched with dirty cloth. The air smelled like sweat, blood, and rust. Men in chains dragged rocks and chopped wood while guards with whips watched with bored eyes.
And now I, Li Qingfeng, former Fifth Prince, was one of those prisoners.
If not for the silver-haired goddess walking beside me, I would have felt like a bug waiting to be stepped on.
Yue Zhilan floated half a step above the ground, her armour shining faintly even in this bleak place. The guards didn't dare look directly at her. Some couldn't even stand properly in her presence.
One guard with a scar on his cheek tried to act tough.
"Y-Your Highness… this… this woman is…?" he asked, his voice trembling.
I smiled slightly. "My guard."
He swallowed and nodded quickly. "Y-Yes, Your Highness. Your… tent is that one. You will report to the labour team tomorrow."
He pointed with shaking hands to a small, old tent near the outer fence—almost the worst spot in camp. Before, that would have made me angry. Now, it just made me want to laugh. With Yue Zhilan here, did they really think a broken tent was my biggest problem?
We entered the tent. It was small, only a rough wooden bed, a broken chair, and a bucket. The wind came through the holes in the cloth.
I sat on the bed with a sigh. Yue Zhilan stood silently, watching me.
"Not exactly a palace," I said.
"You adapt quickly," she replied calmly. "For a mortal who has just been dragged through the mud and exiled."
"I've died once already," I said. "After that, a tent is nothing."
Her eyes flashed for a moment, like she was measuring me.
Before I could say more, the voice of the system sounded in my mind again.
"Ding. Myth System reminder: Host has one unused Random Lucky Draw."
I straightened. "System, open the lucky draw."
In front of my eyes, a translucent screen appeared. It was simple, not shining with golden dragon designs or anything like in some novels I had read back on Earth. Just a rotating wheel with small icons.
Weapons. Pills. Techniques. Bloodlines. Summons.
"Spinning…"
The wheel turned faster and faster until it became a blur. My heart beat in time with it.
"Come on, come on," I muttered. "Give me something good."
The wheel slowed. It clicked, moved a little, and clicked again. Finally, it stopped.
The pointer landed on a glowing blue icon.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host. You have obtained: Low-Grade Divine Technique – Mythic Scripture of Origin."
Words appeared in front of me.
Mythic Scripture of Origin (First Volume)
Type: Cultivation Method
Grade: Low Divine
Effect: Allows the host to cultivate spiritual energy from scratch, rebuild meridians, and break through shackles. Perfect compatibility with the Myth system. Growth potential: Unknown.
I sucked in a breath. A divine technique. Even in this era of gods and demons, most people would never see something like this.
"Divine technique?" Yue Zhilan's voice carried a touch of surprise. "Your system is more interesting than I thought."
"You can see it?" I asked.
She nodded. "I cannot see all of your secrets, but divine techniques leave traces in the laws of heaven. This one… is not ordinary."
The system spoke again.
"Would the Host like to cultivate the Mythic Scripture of Origin? First cultivation can trigger a special memory link."
"Special memory link?" I repeated.
"Yes. Note: In the memories of summoned gods and demons, the Myth System host was once someone from their past who helped them when they were helpless, weak, or betrayed. Summoned beings come from the Upper World and repay a karmic debt. Beginning the Scripture will awaken parts of that past connection."
I turned to look at Yue Zhilan.
"System says… I helped you before," I said slowly. "In your past. In an Upper World."
Her eyes turned sharp for a moment. "You… still don't remember."
"Remember what?"
She went quiet. For the first time, her cold expression softened a little.
"In the Upper World," she said quietly, "I was not a goddess of the moon spear. I was only a wounded general, hunted by my own people. I had nowhere to go. No one dared to shelter me. Only… one person did."
"Me?" I asked.
She didn't answer, but my heart already knew.
"The karmic threads tied to you are… strange," Yue Zhilan said. "Summoners like me come from a higher realm. For one of us to answer your call willingly is already against many rules. But I owed that person my life. If that person… is you in another life, then this is my chance to repay the debt."
Her words made my chest feel heavy and warm at the same time.
"System," I said softly, "start cultivation. Use the Mythic Scripture of Origin."
The tent fell silent. The next second, a flood of information poured into my mind.
Breathing methods. Diagrams of meridians. The structure of dantian. How to draw the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, how to refine it, and how to break through the mortal shell.
My body shook. Pain tore through my muscles and bones, as if invisible blades cut through blocked veins and dead meridians.
"Argh—!"
I gritted my teeth, sweat pouring down my face. I felt something inside me shatter, then reconnect, stronger than before.
Outside, the wind picked up. Thin strands of spiritual energy began to gather around the tent, like mist being pulled toward a single point—me.
Yue Zhilan stepped closer, watching with a strange expression.
"To rebuild meridians at Mortal Body Second Level…" she whispered. "This technique is truly insane."
Time lost meaning. I followed the Scripture's instructions, cycling my breath, guiding energy along the new paths in my body. I could feel it: the rotten, broken body of the Fifth Prince was being rewritten.
After what felt like hours, the pain suddenly faded.
Then—
Boom.
It was like thunder in my dantian. A wave of power spread through me.
The system voice rang out.
"Ding! Congratulations. The Host has broken through to the Mortal Body Fourth Level."
"Hidden bonus: Due to perfect compatibility with the Mythic Scripture of Origin, the body foundation has been strengthened. Future breakthroughs will receive additional rewards."
I opened my eyes. The world looked clearer. The air felt richer. Even my hearing had improved—I could hear the faint clink of chains from far outside.
I clenched my fists. Power. Real, solid power.
"Fourth level… in one sitting," I whispered.
Yue Zhilan folded her arms, the corner of her lips lifting just a bit.
"For a mortal, you did well," she said. "It seems the one I owe a debt to still lives inside you, even if you don't remember."
I sat there, breathing slowly, feeling the new strength in my body.
So this was just the beginning. A myth system that lets me summon gods and demons. A divine cultivation technique that rebuilt my meridians. A goddess from the Upper World who might be repaying a debt from another life.
I looked at Yue Zhilan.
"Then stay by my side," I said quietly. "Until I become someone worthy of that debt."
She met my gaze, her silver eyes deep like the night sky.
"As long as your loyalty line does not fall," she said softly, "I will fight for you. Once more."
The system chimed again in my mind.
"New Main Quest: Clear your name and reclaim your fate. Step 1 – Survive the border camp."
I smiled.
"Border camp, huh?" I muttered. "Then let's start here."
Under the torn cloth of the tent, in a place meant to break men's spirits, my path as a summoner truly began.