"Hmm, what happened here?" An arrogant young man dawned in blue walked into a clearing of the testing grounds. Crouching down, the young man analyzes what seems to be hints of a scuffle.
A fight that appeared relatively recent at that.
"Interesting," he smiles as he picks up a shard of ice from the earthen forest floor. It's translucent surface glimmering in the mid daylight as it slowly melts in the warmth of the young man's long fingers. "It must have been quite a fight."
"Host, it appears we've missed our opportunity," a small iridescent pearl flew out from the man's long sleeves.
Standing upright, he brushes off the remaining liquid with a white handkerchief as he grinned at the floating pearl. "Hmm, that's true. However, that doesn't mean all is lost."
Following a trail of footsteps and broken branches, the young man stopped as a glimmer of light caught the corner of his eye. "What do we have here?" Pushing aside a few branches, a pile of participant badges lay quietly in the shade.
"Huh, what luck." Not even bothering to check to see if it was a trick, the young man leisurely picked up the strings of the badges. Their wooden and jade bodies clinked together as he lifted them in the air with a victorious smile. "Looks like we didn't miss anything at all."
Thank you, gold finger, the young man's smile grew wider.
"Host, you're too careless," the pearl scolded as it flew around the young man, "that could have been a trap!"
"Relax, Zhuang Zhi," the man smiled as he began to count up the point value of his hidden prize. "If there were a threat, I would be able to handle it. And, what's the point of having you if you can't detect any primitive traps?"
"Still," the pearl scolded. "This system can only do so much. Everything that you do is on your own volition. We can only-"
"Yes, yes. Guide me through all the major plot points," the man gave an exasperated sigh. "I know, I know. I've read it all in the contract."
"Host. This system feels as if you're not taking this as seriously as it is. If you fail to achieve your final goal due to you're carelessness, then-"
"My soul will be obliterated and would have no chance of reincarnation. Yes, I've heard."
"Host."
"Don't worry," the young man waved off. "I'm not the type to make myself suffer, you know." He swore that he would never let himself taste failure ever again.
Having been nothing but a loser in his past life, always second best compared to his cousin; he refused to himself be second in this lifetime.
Perhaps sympathizing with his misfortune, heaven granted him a second life as he found himself reborn into a new life.
After his reawaking that he realized he was in the novel that he was last reading: Heaven's Storm.
It followed the life of a weak and powerless man who suddenly gained massive strength after being deemed as trash since birth.
When he had entered the body of the protagonist, Long Yuan, he was at the brink of death after another one of his father's concubines poisoned him.
However, as luck would have it, the poison didn't kill him at all.
It only catalyzed his ultimate breakthrough!
As soon as Long Yuan felt pure power coursing throughout his whole body, he knew no one could bully him any longer.
From then on, Long Yuan would gather talent like a sponge. Nothing would be able to calm the brewing storm that was Long Yuan.
In the novel, not long after seeking revenge on all those that did him wrong, the original Long Yuan went out to explore the world beyond the confinements of his house.
Gathering ancient hidden treasures in numerous sacred realms, winning the hearts of countless influential beauties, and advancing to a peak in his cultivation in which he will finally be able to ascend to the immortal realm to claim what was rightfully his:
The throne of all the Nine Heavens!
Now he was reborn as Heaven's Blessed Son himself, that would guarantee smooth sailing for the rest of his life!
Money, women, power!
All would be at his fingertips in no time.
At that point, no one would dare look down at him ever again. In any case, they will just be measly ants in his eyes!
Although he hadn't finished reading the entire novel, it was coming to a close anyway. The final arc would be when the hero and his allies would face off his greatest rival of time in an ensuing war.
Although many would die, it would be but a small matter. After all, this bloody war would only heighten Long Yuan's fame and cultivation on a new level!
It was a necessary sacrifice in his eyes.
Besides, he had no fear of dying in this bloody war, as the author would need to answer to a lot of furious readers if he decided to kill off the protagonist of his novel.
"This will be a breeze," Long Yuan was sure of it.
"Host, let me remind you, although you have the body of the protagonist along with all his quirks; your soul is still considered a foreign entity, an intruder," Zhuang Zhi lectured. "Therefore, you are still able to die, just like anyone else."
"Hmph," Long Yuan frowned. "Who dares challenge me other than little cannon fodder. Thanks to my golden finger, any attempts to harm me will be futile. It's like a fly trying to attack a dragon; what can it do other than be a mere annoyance."
"Host…"
"Zhuang Zhi, do you have no confidence in me? Haven't I succeeded in the last events with flying colors?"
Zhuang Zhi remained silent.
"Blah, great," Long Yuan harrumphed. "You ruined my good mood. Whatever, let's just get this trial over with."
Activating the participant badge, the rest of the badges began to tremble as they floated into a circle around Long Yuan.
Within seconds, Long Yuan flashed away, off to his second trial.
---
"Looks like we have a little intruder," an old man mused as he observed an ant that managed to climb its way onto his table. Its tiny body wanders here and there atop the surface until it notices the plate of roast duck off to the side.
Within seconds, it started to speed towards the direction of the plate.
The old man watched as the ant sped towards the plate on its tiny legs, hunger in its little beady eyes.
However, just before it could take a bite of the succulent flesh. The duck was gone, and all that was left was merely a few dry bones. Not a single sliver of meat was left behind, nor a drop of oil.
It was if the duck was a mere illusion.
As expected, the ant circled the plate of bones, dumbfounded.
"Ah, you're too, burp, slow," the old man sighed in contentment as he wiped the remains of the duck from his face.
Suddenly, an inconspicuous bronze mirror that laid nearby began to blink brightly on its smooth surface.
"Ah, what do they want now," the old man sighed as he tapped the mirror's face, leaving a small greasy stain. Instantaneously, a figure of a young man in light grey robes appeared.
"Greetings to Grandmaster Luo Yu Xing," the young man cupped his hands as he bowed at the waist.
"Blah, what does your master want now," the old man grumbled as he picked his teeth with a toothpick.
The young man didn't seem fazed at the old man's impolite attitude and faintly smiled. "Sect Master asked if Grandmaster wishes to pick a disciple this year."
"Tsk, for the last few decades, Yun Cai Peak had yet to produce any promising talent," the old man rolled his eyes. "This year will be no different."
"Grandmaster," the young man calmly smiled. "Sect Master is worried that you will ascend without an heir. Sect Master and the rest of Yun Cai Peak's masters implores you that at least pick one disciple from this year's admission."
"Hmph," the old man grumbled as he picked pieces of food from his messy beard. "Fine. Just this once. If I don't find any that interest me, then tell your master to stop nagging me.
"Thank you, Grandmaster," the young man bowed once again. "We will be looking forward to seeing your attendance at the disciple selection."
"Oh, and one more thing," the old man interjected. "Make sure to tell your master that this grandmaster wants the first pick of this year's admissions, should I find something good."
"Of course, Grandmaster. Anything else?"
"No, that will be all," the old man dismissed.
The young man bowed for the third time before his image faded away, leaving the mirror's face dull once more.
"Hmph," the old man harrumphed. "I wonder what talent would arrive this year." After years of facing the same routine of disappointment and disinterest, he couldn't help but feel that something big was going to happen. "Ah, let's see where the wind will take us till then."