Chapter One: I Have a System Too!

“Ahhhhh—!”

A scream, not a martial technique from the heavens but a piercing shriek, echoed across the sky. Birds and beasts in the surrounding forest scattered in alarm. With a splash, something fell into the water, sending droplets flying in all directions.

Chen Xiang had just experienced the sensation of flying, but now he felt utterly drained, mustering his last ounce of strength to keep his head above the surface. He looked around in bewilderment at the trees and the small lake encircling him.

Wasn’t I plummeting from Mount Tai? Is there a lake at the foot of Mount Tai? Why don’t I know about it?

“Achoo! Damn it, what is this place?” Chen Xiang muttered. He truly thought he was doomed, given the height he’d fallen from. Oddly enough, he’d only been standing on a high platform, using his hard-earned DSLR camera to capture the sunset, when, inexplicably, a tremendous force had sucked him down. He even remembered snapping the railing off the platform as he was dragged away.

He’d fallen from the platform at dusk, so there hadn’t been many people on the mountain—likely, no one had even noticed someone was missing yet.

Swearing under his breath, Chen Xiang swam toward the shore. Had it been any farther, he would’ve been too weak to make it. Collapsing onto the bank, the damp earth and fresh grass filled his senses. The shock had left him exhausted, and soon he drifted off to sleep on the grassy ground.

……

When Chen Xiang next opened his eyes, he found himself lying inside a rustic farmhouse. Though the furniture was sparse, the layout and décor were decidedly old-fashioned.

Where am I? Was I rescued?

He propped himself up, now feeling his strength returning, though his legs still trembled from the earlier fright. Standing, he noticed his clothes had been replaced by a coarse linen robe, but he hardly cared—survival was all that mattered.

Staggering out the door, he found the sky outside dim with evening. Had he slept that long?

He muttered to himself, recalling that he’d dropped from the platform just as the sun was setting.

“Hey, big brother, you’re awake?” A crisp, youthful voice reached his ears.

Turning, Chen Xiang saw a dark-skinned boy, perhaps twelve or thirteen, gazing at him curiously. In front of the boy stood a wooden stump, an axe in his hand, and chopped firewood scattered around.

But what stunned Chen Xiang was the boy’s attire: thick linen clothes and long hair, like someone from an ancient era.

“Hey, little brother, where is this place? Are you all with a film crew?” Chen Xiang asked with forced enthusiasm.

The boy looked baffled. “Film crew? What’s that? This is Wuli Hamlet, Qingfeng City, on the border of the Dongli Kingdom.”

“What? What did you say? Dongli Kingdom, Qingfeng City? Where is that? Is there such a country on Earth?” Chen Xiang’s mind spun.

The boy’s confusion deepened. “Earth? What’s that? You didn’t fall from the sky, did you? Don’t even know one of the Four Great Kingdoms, Dongli?”

Well, I did just fall from the sky—so what? Chen Xiang eyed the boy suspiciously. Was he being pranked?

The boy, meanwhile, looked at Chen Xiang with a hint of pity. Was this man an idiot?

The two stared at each other in mutual bewilderment.

“Xiaoyun, I’m back,” a gentle voice called out.

Turning, Chen Xiang saw a middle-aged woman entering with a vegetable basket. The boy was called Xiaoyun. As he greeted her, he whispered a few words in her ear.

The woman glanced at Chen Xiang, her brows furrowing as she gave him the same pitying look.

What are you two saying? Why do your eyes seem so off?

---

“Haha, madam, thank you for saving me! But may I ask, where exactly am I?” Chen Xiang, unwilling to just stand by, approached and asked again.

“No need to thank me. It’s only right to help each other. You’re in Wuli Hamlet, Qingfeng City, within the borders of Dongli Kingdom,” the woman replied with a smile.

Chen Xiang’s smile froze. Was her son simple-minded, or was she as well? There is no Dongli Kingdom on Earth. Am I not supposed to be on Mount Tai? Was I trafficked?

“Madam, have you heard of Huaxia?” Chen Xiang asked cautiously.

“Huaxia? Never heard of it. There’s no such country among the Four Great Kingdoms. Maybe it’s a small nation nearby. Where are you from?” she answered, shaking her head.

Huaxia, a small nation? What nonsense!

Suddenly, a crisp chime sounded in Chen Xiang’s mind, followed by a rapid series of system notifications.

“Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang,’ for activating the Immortal Cultivation System. The system will accompany you, ensuring you enjoy your journey in the world of cultivation and experience the wildest, most perfect life.”

“Host’s current physical condition: weak, combat power negligible, survival in this world difficult. Awarding newbie gift pack. Would you like to open it?”

As the system notifications rang out, a luminous screen appeared before Chen Xiang, displaying several data points:

Host: Chen Xiang
Realm: Mortal (weak as can be)
Experience: 0/100
Reputation: 0
Techniques: None
Profession: None
……

“Holy—!”

Chen Xiang leapt up. A system? I’ve transmigrated? Into a world of cultivation?

How incredible! He wanted to laugh out loud, then pinched his cheek as hard as he could.

“Ouch, that hurts. Not a dream…”

The woman frowned at his outburst. How could he speak so rudely? And now he was grinning like a fool and pinching himself—was he crazy?

Alarmed, she pulled Xiaoyun back several meters, speaking sternly to him:

“Xiaoyun, go get your uncle next door and tell him the man we saved yesterday is insane. Ask him to come restrain him.”

Xiaoyun glanced at Chen Xiang, still grinning idiotically, and bolted out the door in fright.

Chen Xiang, oblivious to the concern he’d caused, was still basking in the joy of transmigration with a system. Finally, a protagonist’s system was his!

And there’s a newbie gift pack, too. Time to see what treasures await.

“System, open the newbie gift pack,” he thought, feeling entirely at home with the process.

The scene shifted before his eyes, and a gift box appeared. Upon opening, it radiated light as several streams of energy emerged.

“Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang,’ for obtaining one Marrow Cleansing Pill. Consuming it will cleanse the body, making cultivation easier.”

“Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang,’ for obtaining one Everchanging Robe, which can transform into any style you can imagine and grants a five percent experience boost.”

“Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang,’ for obtaining the first chapter of the Heaven-rank cultivation technique, ‘Chaos Scripture.’ (Note: Requires all seven spiritual roots. The first chapter can be cultivated up to the Core Formation stage; further chapters are available in the system shop.)”

“System detects host has pseudo-spiritual roots of metal, wood, water, and earth. Not sufficient for ‘Chaos Scripture.’ Would you like to complete your spiritual roots?”

Chen Xiang was delighted at the messages. From this moment, he was a cultivator with a system—how awesome!

The Everchanging Robe sounded fantastic—no need to buy clothes ever again.

“Complete my spiritual roots? Of course! Hurry, I want to cultivate!” he replied eagerly.

---

“System will now complete host’s spiritual roots. Consuming the Marrow Cleansing Pill will perfect them further. Consume now?”

“Absolutely!” Chen Xiang answered.

A white pill materialized before him—the Marrow Cleansing Pill. Without hesitation, Chen Xiang tossed it into his mouth.

“Host has consumed Marrow Cleansing Pill. Please prepare a restroom. The system will fully catalyze the medicine and complete your spiritual roots.”

Suddenly, warmth spread through his abdomen, filling him with a sense of comfort.

“Wonderful!” Chen Xiang exclaimed with his eyes closed.

But then his face twisted—his stomach began to rumble ominously.

“Damn you, system! This is a trap!” he groaned, clutching his belly and calling out to the wary woman nearby, “Madam, where’s the restroom? Hurry!”

She eyed him warily, then pointed. “The latrine is over there.”

“Thank you!” Chen Xiang shouted, dashing away—he couldn’t hold it any longer!

Sure enough, after rounding a corner, he found the latrine and rushed inside.

“Whew—what a lousy system! Barely started and it’s already messing with me. Am I doomed to be tricked by it forever?” he grumbled after resolving his crisis.

“System would like to remind the host: this is not my responsibility.”

“……”

For the next half hour, Chen Xiang learned firsthand the power of the Marrow Cleansing Pill. All his recently regained strength was drained once more…

“System has completed host’s seven spiritual roots.”

“Heaven-rank technique ‘Chaos Scripture’ now cultivable. Begin cultivation?”

“Yes…” Chen Xiang answered weakly.

Falling from Mount Tai hadn’t killed him, but this half hour nearly had.

“Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang,’ for successfully cultivating the ‘Chaos Scripture.’”

Immediately, a warm current surged through his body. He could clearly sense his newfound strength, all weakness gone.

“Amazing! Incredible!” Chen Xiang cried out.

Unbeknownst to him, a crowd had gathered outside the latrine. Xiaoyun’s mother had told him to fetch their uncle, but the boy, still worried, had rallied the entire village instead.

She smacked him on the head. “You rascal, I told you to get your uncle, not the whole village! Now everyone’s bothered!”

“But mom, I was afraid uncle couldn’t handle that crazy man alone,” Xiaoyun replied, aggrieved.

At that moment, a burly man remarked, “Xiaoyunzi’s mother, that lunatic’s been in the latrine for half an hour. Are you sure he’s still in there?”

Emerging just then, Chen Xiang overheard and was speechless.

You’re the lunatic! Your whole family’s lunatics!

To be continued…