---
A warm wind drifted lazily across the Xiao Clan's east courtyard, carrying with it the fragrance of dew-slicked herbs and wild blossoms. The sun had barely risen above the mountains, painting the sky with faint ribbons of gold and amber. Beneath an ancient pine tree, a small boy sat alone—barefoot, expressionless, silent.
The boy's robes were plain, yet impossibly pristine. His face, too beautiful for his age, bore the calm sharpness of one who had already seen too much. His pupils, deep obsidian pools, reflected the world around him with unsettling clarity.
Tianzun, the fourth son of Xiao Zhan, watched the garden with a strange melancholy. Not the naïve sadness of a child, but the patient contemplation of a strategist reading the world like a scroll.
> "At this stage, the best movement technique in the clan is Wind Breaker Step. Too slow. My meridian cycle won't align with it post-Dou Zhe. I'll need to reconstruct a new pathway... unless I create my own."
A butterfly fluttered by.
He didn't move. But his mind never stopped.
> "No signs of high-tier medicinal herbs in the eastern quadrant. Either the clan's reserves are sealed, or they've declined since Xiao Yan's timeline."
> "The Xiao clan is complacent."
> "I will change that."
Just as Tianzun's thoughts wandered deeper into calculations, a soundless voice stirred inside his mind—not a whisper, not a thought, but a presence.
> 「Master…」
He blinked once.
A flicker of amusement crossed his lips. And then—
A slow, dangerous smile bloomed across his face.
> "So… you finally woke up."
---
The world around him remained quiet, birds chirping in innocent bliss. But inside Tianzun's mind, a vast black space opened like a curtain drawn back. Floating symbols, geometric circles, and panels of golden light formed, suspended in infinity.
A glowing, emotionless voice echoed in that space—void of tone, devoid of gender.
> 「System Initialization Complete. Compatibility Test Passed. Host 'Tianzun' has fulfilled minimum threshold of strategic aptitude, mental strength, and dimensional awareness. Binding completed.」
> 「Awaiting voice imprint registration... Designated title: 'Master' confirmed by host.」
Tianzun's arms remained folded across his chest. His body didn't shift. But his internal world was suddenly alive with data, light, and infinite possibilities.
> "You've been testing me," he said flatly. "Since I arrived here, you were watching."
> 「Correct. Activation sequence was delayed until host's cognitive and spiritual parameters aligned with System's sentience protocols.」
> "You mean… to see if I was worthy of you."
A pause.
Then the voice replied.
> 「Correct. The Ascendant Grand System does not serve mediocrity. It selects legends.」
> "Ascendant Grand System…"
Tianzun's smile deepened. "And yet, you still haven't told me everything."
At that moment, another voice stirred—not smooth and artificial, but rich, ancient, scarred by time. Human. Real.
It did not announce itself like the first voice.
> 「You're sharper than I expected, brat. Not bad. At least I'm not stuck with a hollow skull like last time…」
Tianzun's eyes glimmered.
> "And what would you be?"
> 「I'm not that soulless voice you just heard. That's the System Consciousness. A puppet brain. Smart, fast, perfect—but colder than the void. Me? I'm what's left of someone who shouldn't exist anymore. I am the… System Soul."
The garden, gentle and peaceful, faded into the background as Tianzun slipped deeper into the inner world.
The man's voice—the System Soul—carried weight. Like an old emperor trying not to let his pride show.
> 「I had a name once… a real one. A title that broke realms and burned skies. But that was before… Before I was sealed into this damn thing. Now I'm just a soul who whispers in the ears of monsters like you."
> "I like monsters," Tianzun said mildly. "They're honest."
The System Soul laughed.
> 「You're a clever bastard. I like that. Don't expect me to hold your hand like a babysitter, though. I'll guide when necessary. Nothing more. But… I'll admit something, kid: it's been a very long time since I felt potential like yours."
> "Don't worry. You won't be bored."
---
[System Notification – Visual Panel Activated]
Golden squares and crystalline panels floated in Tianzun's spiritual sea, forming an elegant interface with flowing celestial script:
> ✅ UNLOCKED SYSTEM FEATURES:
🎯 Mission Panel (Main & Optional)
🎲 Subordinate Summon Feature
🎓 Credit Scan & Destiny Alteration Panel
> 🔒 Locked Features (unavailable until Dou Zhe, Da Dou Shi, Dou Huang, Dou Zun, Dou Sheng…)
> 🌕 Main Mission (SSS Rank):
Raise the Xiao Clan to the Apex of the World within 100 Years
Failure Condition: Host Will Be Erased
Tianzun's expression didn't shift.
> "So you offer power… with risk. Good."
---
Subordinate Feature: EXPLAINED
> 🔹 Subordinate Summoning:
Host may summon one subordinate per summon spin using a Subordinate Card
> 🔹 Card Ranks:
🟤 Huang Rank Card = summon 1 level higher than host
🔵 Xuan Rank Card = 2 levels higher
🔶 Di Rank Card = 3 levels higher
🟡 Tian Rank Card = 4 levels higher
> ⚠️ Subordinates cannot exceed world cultivation ceiling.
> 🌀 Subordinates may originate from other animes, novels, or real-world figures.
(Adapted with memory suppression to obey host)
---
Credit Points Feature: EXPLAINED
> 📊 Character Scan:
Host may scan any character in proximity.
Green Rank = Common background (Low Influence)
Blue Rank = Side Role (Medium Influence)
Purple Rank = Major Role (High Influence)
Gold Rank = Destiny Anchor (Plot Core)
> 🎯 Changing a character's fate earns Credit Points, depending on their destiny rank and deviation caused.
> 💰 Credit Points → Celestial Shards (currency conversion).
---
> 「You've passed the test, brat. System officially acknowledges you. Time to give you your first treat.」
A new panel bloomed open with golden clouds swirling around it.
> 🌟 [Legendary Starter Spin Activated] 🌟
Tianzun narrowed his eyes as the categories spun in vibrant arcs.
> Alchemy Pack
Technique Scroll Pack
Elemental Flame Pack
Weapon Pack
Legendary Pack ← 🎯 Selected
Golden light exploded.
[You Have Obtained: Legendary Pack – Opening Items…]
---
> 📦 1st Reward:
🔥 Heavenly Flame Seed: Emperor Flame (1st Ranked Flame)
A dormant seed containing the essence of a flame that once incinerated space itself. Must be refined carefully over years. Too strong for direct absorption now.
> 📦 2nd Reward:
🎴 Pack of 20 Subordinate Cards:
2 Tian Rank
4 Di Rank
6 Xuan Rank
8 Huang Rank
> 📦 3rd Reward:
💳 10 Discount Cards for System Store:
4 × 60%
3 × 70%
1 × 80%
1 × 90%
1 × 97%
> 📦 4th–12th Reward:
(Items hidden… Require host to unlock gradually)
But the final panel shimmered faintly, gold energy pulsing ominously.
> 🔒 Final Reward (Locked):
💰 1 Trillion Celestial Shards
Condition to reveal: Reach Da Dou Shi and bind three gold-ranked fates to new destinies.
---
As the lights faded, Tianzun exhaled slowly.
> "A game of cultivation, economy, psychology, and destiny…"
He opened his palm, staring at the floating Heavenly Flame seed.
"Perfect."
---
> System: 「Would you like to bind Subordinates now?」
System Soul: 「Careful. The spin is random. Might summon someone even you can't handle yet.」
Tianzun: "Let it spin."
And so the wheel of fate began to turn…
---