Wei Shun's vision drifted in a fog of darkness. Within it were words burned across his vision:
---
[ You have slain your first cultivator. ]
[ Power flows against the heavens. ]
[ Anti-Cultivator System: Initializing... ]
---
[ Host: Wei Shun ]
[ Mark Stage: Forehead - Seed of Rebellion ]
[ Kill Count: 1 ]
[ Realm Equiv... ]
[ Skill P... ]
[ Attr... ]
[ ... ]
[ ... ]
---
He tried to focus, but the lines were blurry, as if swallowed by the encroaching smoke. Then, an ethereal voice called out to him — not inside, but outside.
"You're awake. That was fast."
Wei Shun's vision slowly adjusted until the blurry object condensed into the silhouette of a towering figure.
On the side was a brightly lit, makeshift fireplace. The fires cracked as they burned the dry wooden logs placed underneath.
The mysterious man approached him, each step thumping loudly in sync with his heart.
"Who... are you? Why... did you save me?" Wei Shun's eyes twitched.
"Oh, you knew I was your savior?" The man's tone carried a hint of intrigue.
"Yes," Wei Shun responded. "Thank you for the medicine."
The man suddenly laughed, "It seems that saving you was fate itself. Fine, I'll tell you who I am."
His figure came into view, revealing that of a rugged middle-aged man. His face had a long line of scar from his forehead to his left eye. His black hair was long and messy, falling over broad shoulders lined with age.
"I am Fang Laoyun, a martial artist, and a cultivator hunter."
"Fang... Laoyun?" Wei Shun tried to recall in his mind where he had heard this name before. "Why... would you save someone like me?"
"I can see the potential brewing inside you, Wei Shun." Fang Laoyun smirked, pointing his index finger at his forehead. "You should feel this part of your head."
Wei Shun furrowed his brows and touched his forehead, realizing that something irregular was present in there. His fingers circled a small bump, weirding him out.
"What... what is this?!"
"A mark." Fang Laoyun let out a long breath, his tone cold and sharp. "But one I do not recognize."
"A mark of some sort?" Wei Shun's hands trembled.
Fang Laoyun nodded, "Cultivators would place a special mark on others using irregular techniques. Yours... has no records of it in the books."
"Am I lucky... or not?" Wei Shun asked.
Fang Laoyun chuckled, "Only you can answer that, boy. Do you feel something different in your body? In your spirit? In your mind?"
Wei Shun frowned. I do, it's the system in me. But should I tell him?
"I am unsure. Everything feels too heavy. I probably need rest, senior."
Fang Laoyun threw another log into the fire. Sparks rose, lighting up his face inside the small and damp bedroom.
"Rest if you can," he said. "But don't sleep too deep. The wilds around Dongzhou have sharp fangs everywhere."
Wei Shun leaned back against the wall, eyelids half-closed.
"We are in Dongzhou?"
"Western edge." Fang replied, "A day or so from the ruined village you came from. Caojing Village was it? I buried what was left."
Wei Shun's body trembled, his hands clenching around the blanket. For a while, neither spoke; the fire popped beside them.
"You didn't have to, senior," Wei Shun finally said.
"I didn't plan to." Fang admitted. "But leaving corpses in broad daylight will attract beasts and disease. I dislike interruptions."
Wei Shun glanced at him, surprise filling his eyes. "You say it like you have done it often."
Fang's lip twitched, and he raised an eyebrow toward Wei Shun. "Killing or burying?"
"Both."
"Then yes," Fang said. "More than I'd like."
"You have preferences?" Wei Shun was dumbfounded.
"Brat, didn't I tell you that I am a cultivator hunter?" Fang ruffled his hair, annoyance plastered on his face. Then, he noticed Wei Shun staring at him.
"You might be wondering why I do it." he shook his head and sighed.
"You hunt cultivators... as a martial artist, senior" Wei Shun muttered. "That alone sounds suicidal. Who wouldn't be surprised?"
Fang Laoyun let out a smile. "It is suicidal, true. But it's better than ignoring such injustice."
"You should understand what that means." He looked at Wei Shun, his eyes narrowing into slits.
Wei Shun didn't answer. The fire cracked again, and in its reflection, he saw the ruins of his village: his mother's hands and his father's smile.
"I do." he whispered.
Fang poked at the fire with a stick, the flame rising briefly before settling again. "Good, keep that understanding. It's the only thing that will separate you from beasts who call themselves cultivators."
The night deepened. Crickets sang their slow chorus beyond the walls, the sound soft but constant.
Wei Shun leaned back, exhaustion pressing over him. "Senior... will they come again?"
He remembered that Lingyuan Zhentian was part of a powerful organization called Tian Ming Ling. Its scale was something he couldn't quite grasp, but he knew that such figures would definitely look for him when the time came.
"They always do," Fang replied, his eyes focused on the fireplace in front of him. "The righteous. The wicked. The ones who are too scared to admit their side."
"Then what should I do?" Wei Shun asked, his voice lowered.
"Survive, live." Fang replied, his eyes sharp but not unkind. "Become stronger, learn how to move, learn how to strike. You can already endure, but you're still weak, for now."
Wei Shun nodded slowly. "So, you'll teach me?"
Fang shrugged. "If you can stand by the next morning."
He rose, stretching his shoulders, as the firelight caught the old scar that stretched across his face. "Sleep while you can. The body remembers the pain you've endured, but it also remembers the effort you've put in. We'll start with easier one, effort."
He turned away and left the bedroom, leaving Wei Shun alone with the crackling embers in the fireplace.
Wei Shun lay down, staring at the faint glow of the night sky through the window. For the first time since the tragedy, he didn't feel completely hollow. He only felt tired, angry, and alive.
System, open!
Host: Wei Shun
Mark Stage: Forehead - Seed of Rebellion
Kill Count: 1 Cultivator, 0 Spirit Veins, 0 Demon Beasts, 0 Spirit Artifacts
Realm Equivalence: Low – Qi Gathering Stage
Skill Points: 4
Attribute Points: 57
Attributes
Strength: 9 (27)
Agility: 8 (24)
Endurance: 10 (30)
Willpower: 13
Perception: 11
Defiance: 10
Core Skills
Unyielding Presence (Level 1): Immune to suppression from low-level cultivator aura.
Impervious Sight (Level 1): Outline weak points and resist low-level illusions.
Indomitable Spirit (Level 1): Ignore basic charms and bewitchments.
Qi Exterminator (Level 1): Nullify low-level qi techniques on physical contact.
Unrivaled Physical Prowess (Level 1): Strength, endurance, and agility tripled.
----
Wei Shun stared at his system panel, wondering what the wonders of his Anti-Cultivator System were that he had awakened.
His attributes looked high for a mortal, and after looking for a while, he understood that he could earn attribute points from destroying anything related to cultivation — cultivators, artifacts, beasts, and even spirit veins.
So eliminating Lingyuan Zhentian granted me... 57 attribute points?
He wondered how much more he would have earned if he had finished Mo Fengtian, too.
As his gaze lingered, new text flickered. They were brief definitions of each attribute.
---
Strength: Governs explosive muscle strength, striking power, and carrying capacity.
Agility: Affects reaction speed, movement speed, flexibility, and coordination.
Endurance: Determines pain tolerance, stamina, and the rate of recovery.
Willpower: Resistance against mental pressure, fear, and spiritual influence.
Perception: Governs all forms of senses, and the reading of enemies.
Defiance: Special attribute. Strengthens resistance against cultivation-related suppression and divine constructs.
---
After reading for a while, Wei Shun understood the usage of each attribute. He hesitated on his attribute points allocation, but then remembered that Fang Laoyun might teach him tomorrow.
[ Unallocated APs: 57 ]
Since my body is a bit tired, let's add a few points to Endurance first.
He willed the change and focused his mind on his Endurance attribute. Heat ripped through his chest and spread through his limbs. The ache suddenly dulled, replaced by steady warmth.
Endurance +10. Remaining points: 47.
"That's better..." he muttered. His eyes trailed to the Core Skills.
---
Unyielding Presence — a branch that grants the host to retain his aura and remove the suppression granted by cultivators against mortals. Cultivators cannot restrain you. Only you will restrain them instead.
Impervious Sight — a branch that grants the host to pierce through the false reality, dissipating illusions even at the highest levels. Weaknesses of others are as bright as day, no matter how others will hide them.
Indomitable Spirit — a branch that grants the host to remain unaffected by charms and mental influences applied upon it by cultivators. You are not easily affected by traumas, tragedies, and abominable sights. You will remain steadfast no matter the situation.
Qi Exterminator — a branch that grants the host the ability to completely nullify cultivation-related attacks aimed at him, regardless of source or material. Intensifies the nullification effect and extends to higher-level weapons.
Unrivaled Physical Prowess — a branch that grants the host bonus increases to their physical transformation. Intensifies and unlocks more bonuses at higher levels.
---
Each phrase resonated faintly inside him, a low hum under his heartbeat. "So these are the foundations..."
He scrolled once more and noticed a small note at the bottom.
[ Skill Points are gained through battle and effort. The harder you fight, the harder you exert properly, the more you will earn. ]
Wei Shun smirked faintly, "Effort, huh? That much I can do."
[ Unallocated SPs: 4 ]
He contemplated which of the five branches he would focus on, and realized that all of them seemed equally impressive.
I'll make the choice once I learn more about it.
He dismissed the panel and looked up to the ceiling, daydreaming about something. The light from the panel dimmed, leaving only the fire from the side.
His pulse slowed down, the mark on his forehead cooling to a faint warmth.
Outside, the wind hushed through the window. Tomorrow's training would hurt, but it would mean that he was still alive to feel it.