In the shrouded depths of a certain mountain range, where misty veils danced across the rugged peaks and ancient, gnarled trees twisted towards the sky like skeletal fingers, a boy lay on the ground with clothes that looked like tattered rags, his body smeared with blood, and a sword mark on his abdomen that seemed to whisper tales of a brutal fate. He slowly opened his eyes, "Ah..!" A searing agony ripped through his abdomen, and his hands instinctively clamped over the wound as if trying to stem the torrent of pain.
After the searing pain finally began to subside, clarity gradually returned to Qichen's eyes. He exhaled deeply and muttered to himself, "So... I've really been reincarnated." His voice carried both surprise and a faint melancholy.
His name was Qichen, a mere menial disciple of the Tiandou Sect—a sect known for its vast size and complicated hierarchy. At only twelve years old, he had lived a life of constant humiliation and struggle. Just earlier that day, he had received his monthly ration of pills, the only glimmer of hope he had for breaking through to the Bone Strengthening realm. While returning to his quarters, he was ambushed by a few outer disciples—individuals he had clashed with in the past. They demanded his pills, but Qichen, proud and unwilling to yield what little he had, resisted. That choice cost him his life.
They ruthlessly destroyed his dantian and dragged his body out of the sect's territory, tossing him into a remote area crawling with demonic beasts, hoping he'd be torn apart and eaten, leaving no trace behind.
"Sigh…" he let out another deep breath.
Such a fate wasn't unusual. While outer disciples were forbidden from directly killing menial disciples within sect grounds, taking them outside and letting nature—or beasts—do the job was a loophole too often exploited. The rules protected people in name only.
As he lay on the cold ground, trying to process everything, a strange and unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Master!"
Qichen's eyes widened. "Who's there?!" he shouted instinctively, jerking his head around to scan the desolate surroundings. There was no one in sight—only eerie silence and the rustling of leaves. Confused and thinking he was hallucinating, he shook his head and tried to calm his frayed nerves.
But before he could collect himself, a stabbing pain surged through his entire body.
"AHHH!" he screamed as his body convulsed uncontrollably. The agony was unlike anything he had experienced—his blood seemed to boil, his bones cracked and reshaped themselves, and his torn dantian pulsed as if something new was being constructed. He was undergoing a complete transformation—his very core was being reforged.
Suddenly, twelve radiant colors exploded outward from his body in waves of brilliant light. The lights surged into the sky like divine fire, sacred and terrifying all at once. An overwhelming pressure blanketed the entire mountain range. Every living creature—human or demonic beast—trembled under the aura, and many collapsed on the spot, unconscious or worse.
The sacred light enveloped Qichen completely, surging through him and intensifying the pain. He tried to hold on, teeth clenched, but it was too much. After what felt like an eternity—but in truth was just a quarter of an hour—Qichen finally lost consciousness.
But even in that unconscious state, something incredible was happening.
His cultivation was rapidly stabilizing. The chaos within his body resolved into perfect order. His shattered dantian mended itself and expanded far beyond its original size, while a powerful sea of qi began to form. By the time the light dimmed and the mountain range returned to silence, Qichen had already broken through to the first level of Qi Condensation.
The entire area was blanketed in an eerie quietness—so complete that it felt unnatural, as though the very air had frozen in time. If anyone had been there to witness it, they would've been struck with a primal fear and fled without looking back. That profound silence stretched on for ten whole hours, as if the world itself was holding its breath in reverence or fear.
Eventually, the twelve-colored light faded into nothingness, and Qichen's fingers twitched.
He slowly opened his eyes. "What… what happened?" he muttered, his throat dry and voice hoarse. When he noticed that his dantian had fully healed, he gasped. The extent of the transformation he had undergone was unimaginable.
Had he been able to observe his own body, he would have seen a spectacle no cultivator would believe: his blood vessels shimmered with light, his bones glowed faintly, and even his organs pulsed with ethereal color. His entire being emitted twelve unique hues in harmony—something that defied every known cultivation law.
"I broke through… I'm in the Qi Condensation realm?" he said, still in disbelief. According to what he remembered from both lives, the Qi Condensation—or Qi Sea—realm signified the beginning of true cultivation. It was where a cultivator opened their dantian and formed a sea of qi.
In that realm, the color of one's qi sea signified their potential. The commonly known qi seas included: white, red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple. Among these, purple was the highest among lower cultivators. But then there were three legendary qi seas—the blood red, the seven-colored, and the golden qi sea.
The blood red qi sea was rare, granting a 75% chance of eventually stepping into the immortal realm. The seven-colored qi sea granted 85%, while the golden qi sea, the most revered of all, boasted a 95% chance.
But Qichen's wasn't just one color. His qi sea displayed twelve distinct colors—an anomaly so absurd that even legends dared not whisper of it.
"Master!" the voice sounded again.
Qichen's surprise was less intense this time. "Who are you?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
"I am speaking from within your sea of consciousness," the voice replied calmly.
"My… sea of consciousness?" he echoed, puzzled.
"Yes, Master. I am the Mariad Universe Extraction System. I was originally bound by the laws of the universe to find and guide chosen individuals. However, during my latest journey to locate a new host, an unknown force intercepted and redirected me. That force… bound me to you."
Qichen was stunned. In his previous life, he had been an avid fan of cultivation novels, and he knew what a system was. A grin almost cracked across his face—until the rest of the explanation hit him.
"So… you were forcibly bound to me?" he asked, concerned.
"Yes. But rest assured, Master. Though I am no longer linked to the universal rules, I retain all my core functions—and even some additional abilities. Now, your survival is tied to mine. If you perish, so do I."
Qichen exhaled with relief. "Alright then. What can you do?"
"You can check in once every month. Completing missions will grant additional check-ins. As your cultivation increases, the cooldown period between check-ins will also shorten."
"Great!" Qichen said, excitement building. "Do I have a chance to check in now?"
"Yes, Master. You are eligible for one check-in this month."
"Perfect. Check-in now!" he said without hesitation.
"Understood. Extracting… Extraction complete. Master, you have obtained:
—The Chaos Sword of Annihilation
—A God-level storage ring
—The Omnia Orb
—An Immortal Emperor peak-realm puppet
—And one million top-grade spiritual stones.
Here are their descriptions:"
CHAOS SWORD OF ANNIHILATION: The first and only Chaos Treasure of its kind. Can only be wielded by the will of the chaotic universe or one chosen by it. Currently sealed in your sea of consciousness.
OMNIA ORB: A transforming orb capable of becoming any clothing, armor, or weapon. Possesses the ability to restrain spiritual aura, block mental probes, and protect from illusions and elemental attacks. Its potential grows with your strength.
IMMORTAL EMPEROR PEAK-REALM PUPPET: Crush the accompanying card to summon a peak Immortal Emperor-level puppet for assistance in battlle.
BOUNDLESS STORAGE PAGODA: A Chaos-level storage pagoda with three floors, each possessing different abilities. Experiment to discover its other functions.
Qichen's jaw slackened in awe. While he couldn't fully use all of them yet, they represented an untouchable advantage over his peers.
Inside Qichen's sea of consciousness, an even more surreal scene unfolded. A vast cosmic galaxy floated in stillness, its stars sparkling in a beautiful yet chaotic formation. At its heart was a slowly rotating twelve-colored lotus—each petal glowing with an individual hue.
Suddenly, a sword appeared—dark, ancient, and radiating the power of total annihilation. It hovered, then moved toward the galaxy's edge, as if seeking to escape. But the moment it touched the boundary, it shuddered violently and retreated. It returned to the lotus, paused, and gently rested on it.
Qichen, unaware of this phenomenon, was busy contemplating whether or not to use the puppet card.
"Do you have a name?" he asked suddenly.
"No, Master. I never had a name," the voice replied softly.
"Then from now on, I'll call you Xiao Yu," Qichen said, smiling. "You sound like a girl anyway."
"Thank you, Master! I shall be Xiao Yu from now on!" The system's voice brimmed with excitement and warmth.