The forest was quiet again.
The massive corpse of the demonic beast lay on the ground, its blood slowly soaking into the dark soil. The smell of iron filled the air, mixing with the natural scent of moss and trees.
Standing beside the corpse, Chen Tianyu calmly wiped the blood from his sword before returning it to its sheath.
Nearby, Wang Ping was still trying to calm his racing heart.
Everything had happened too fast.
One moment he had been sitting in his small apartment on Earth, staring at his laptop.
The next moment he had been dragged into the screen, chased by a monster, and saved by a sword-wielding cultivator.
And now…
He had a system.
Wang Ping inhaled deeply, trying to appear calm.
Chen Tianyu glanced at him and spoke in a calm but slightly stern voice.
"You should leave this forest immediately."
Wang Ping blinked.
"Leave?"
Chen Tianyu nodded.
"This is the Blackwood Forest. Rank 1 demonic beasts roam near the outer region, but deeper inside there are Rank 2 and even Rank 3 beasts."
His gaze swept across Wang Ping.
"With your strength… you wouldn't survive long."
Wang Ping forced a nervous laugh.
"Y-yeah… I noticed that."
Chen Tianyu looked toward the deeper forest.
"If you had gone even a little deeper, I wouldn't have been able to save you."
The tone of his voice suggested that he was not exaggerating.
Wang Ping nodded quickly.
"Thank you for saving me."
But inside his mind, he was thinking something else.
Something was off .
Wang Ping had read the novel.
He knew who Chen Tianyu was.
*************
Although Chen Tianyu appeared to be just an ordinary outer disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, he later became one of the close allies of the main character, Mu Cheng.
But something was different.
In the original story… Chen Tianyu should already be at the seventh stage of Qi Condensation by now.
Yet earlier, Chen Tianyu had said something strange.
Wang Ping hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"You were so powerful earlier."
Chen Tianyu raised an eyebrow.
"Powerful?"
"You killed that beast in a single strike."
Wang Ping scratched his head.
"I've never seen something like that before."
Chen Tianyu chuckled slightly.
"That's only because you're a mortal."
"Mortal?"
"Yes."
Chen Tianyu crossed his arms.
"I'm merely at the fourth stage of the Qi Condensation Realm."
Wang Ping widened his eyes slightly, pretending to be shocked.
"The fourth stage?!"
Chen Tianyu nodded casually.
"In the cultivation world, that's barely the beginning."
Seeing Wang Ping's confused expression, Chen Tianyu continued speaking.
"Cultivation begins with Qi Condensation. It's the stage where cultivators gather spiritual energy from heaven and earth into their bodies."
He held up his hand and extended several fingers as he spoke.
"There are nine stages in Qi Condensation."
"After that comes Foundation Establishment."
"Then Core Formation."
"Then Nascent Soul."
His voice became slightly distant as he spoke.
"Beyond that are realms most people in the lower world will never reach."
Wang Ping nodded slowly.
But inside his mind, he was already filling in the rest.
Spirit formation .
Soul transformation.
Void integration,and more.
He had read the entire novel before it was discontinued.
He knew almost everything about the early cultivation system.
Chen Tianyu looked at him again.
"You're lucky."
"Lucky?"
"Yes."
Chen Tianyu pointed at the corpse of the beast.
"That creature was a Rank 1 Demonic Beast. Even some Qi Condensation cultivators would struggle against it."
Wang Ping swallowed.
"So… you're saying that was the weakest kind?"
Chen Tianyu nodded.
"In this forest, yes."
Wang Ping felt a chill run down his spine.
Chen Tianyu then gestured toward a narrow path between the trees.
"The nearest city is about ten kilometers from here."
"We should leave before more beasts smell the blood."
Without waiting for a reply, he began walking.
Wang Ping quickly followed.
The two walked through the forest for nearly an hour.
The deeper they moved toward the edge of the forest, the thinner the trees became.
Sunlight began to filter through the leaves.
The sounds of wild beasts slowly faded.
Wang Ping kept glancing at Chen Tianyu as they walked.
He said he's at the fourth stage of Qi Condensation…
But in the original novel he was already at the seventh stage.
His mind raced.
That means something changed.
Then another thought appeared in his mind.
A much bigger one.
The treasure.
In the original story, something enormous happened soon after this point in the timeline.
*************
A mysterious treasure appeared in the lower realm.
It wasn't just any treasure.
It was a relic left behind by the Ancient Gods Race.
When the treasure appeared, the entire cultivation world went insane.
Great sects.
Ancient clans.
Rogue cultivators.
Everyone fought for it.
The wars that followed lasted for years.
Entire cities were destroyed.
Countless mountains collapsed.
The sky itself turned red from blood.
According to the story…
Billions of people died.
But in the cultivation world…
That number was considered insignificant.
Wang Ping felt cold just thinking about it.
This world is ruthless…
The law here was simple.
Survival of the fittest.
The weak died.
The strong lived.
After years of battle, when the dust finally settled, the treasure was discovered by someone unexpected.
The weakest person involved in the entire conflict.
The main character.
Mu Cheng.
At that time, Mu Cheng was only at the early stage of Qi Condensation.
Yet he somehow obtained the treasure.
Inside it were two things.
The bloodline of the Ancient Gods Race.
And a collection of ancient techniques.
Those techniques were beyond imagination.
They allowed the cultivator to defy the heavens.
Instead of following the established paths of cultivation…
The user could create their own Great Dao.
From that moment onward, Mu Cheng's cultivation speed became terrifying.
He became stronger than anyone else in the same realm.
Eventually, he climbed to the peak of the cultivation world.
All of that…
Started with that treasure.
Wang Ping's eyes slowly narrowed.
But now…
I'm here.
He clenched his fists slightly.
Why should the main character get everything?
This world didn't belong to Mu Cheng.
The treasure didn't have his name written on it.
In the cultivation world, there was only one rule.
Whoever obtained the treasure… owned it.
Wang Ping felt a strange excitement rise in his chest.
If I get that treasure first…
Then everything changes.
His cultivation speed would become monstrous.
He might even surpass the original protagonist.
Chen Tianyu suddenly spoke, interrupting his thoughts.
"We're almost there."
The forest suddenly opened.
The massive wall of a city appeared in the distance.
Wang Ping stopped walking.
The sight was breathtaking.
The city walls were made of gray stone and stood nearly thirty meters tall. Wooden watchtowers rose above the walls, where guards stood with spears and bows.
Beyond the gates, countless buildings stretched into the distance.
People moved in every direction.
Merchants.
Travelers.
Cultivators.
The sound of shouting, bargaining, and footsteps filled the air.
Chen Tianyu crossed his arms.
"This is Riverfall City."
Wang Ping stared at it.
Even though the city was large, it wasn't particularly grand.
The buildings were mostly simple wooden structures.
Stone streets ran between crowded market stalls.
It looked like a mixture of ancient Chinese cities and fantasy worlds from novels.
Chen Tianyu glanced at him.
"You should be safe here."
Wang Ping nodded.
"Thank you."
Chen Tianyu looked at him one last time.
"You should find a place to stay."
Then he added calmly.
"In this world… be careful who you trust."
Before Wang Ping could respond—
Chen Tianyu suddenly stepped forward.
His figure blurred.
In the blink of an eye…
He vanished.
Wang Ping stared at the empty street.
"…He just left."
He sighed.
"I guess that's cultivators for you."
He turned toward the massive city gates.
Thousands of thoughts rushed through his mind.
He had a system.
He knew the future.
And the greatest treasure in the lower realm would soon appear.
Wang Ping slowly walked into the city.
The crowd swallowed him instantly.
Merchants shouted loudly.
"Fresh spirit herbs!"
"Low-grade talismans for sale!"
"Demonic beast meat!"
The smells of food and smoke filled the air.
For a moment, Wang Ping simply wandered through the streets.
Eventually, he found a small inn.
The wooden sign above the door read:
The Jade Spring Inn
Wang Ping entered.
The interior was warm and noisy.
Travelers sat at wooden tables, drinking tea and eating large bowls of noodles.
Behind the counter stood a middle-aged man with a round face.
The innkeeper looked up.
"Need a room?"
Wang Ping nodded.
"Yes."
"Two silver coins per night."
Wang Ping froze.
"…Silver coins?"
The innkeeper frowned.
"You don't have money?"
Wang Ping quickly shook his head.
"I do!"
He searched his pockets desperately.
To his surprise…
Several silver coins were actually there.
The system must have given them to me…
He handed them over quickly.
The innkeeper tossed him a wooden key.
"Second floor. Last room."
Wang Ping climbed the stairs.
The room was small but clean.
A wooden bed.
A small table.
A single window.
He sat on the bed.
Finally…
Everything became quiet.
Wang Ping stared at the floor.
Then he whispered slowly.
"System…"
A blue window instantly appeared before his eyes.
[ULTIMATE CULTIVATION SYSTEM]
Host: Wang Ping
Cultivation: Mortal
EXP: 0
See more...
Wang Ping leaned back against the wall.
"So this is really happening…"
He closed his eyes.
His mind replayed everything he knew about the future.
The treasure.
The wars.
The rise of Mu Cheng.
Then he opened his eyes again.
This time…
They were filled with determination.
"This story ended once already."
"But now…"
He slowly smiled.
"I'll write a new ending."