"Trash! You are nothing but waste!"
The sharp insult echoed in Ye Tian's mind as he jolted awake.
He found himself lying on a hard wooden bed in a dilapidated hut. The air was thick with the smell of medicinal herbs and old blood.
Ye Tian clutched his head. "This... this isn't Earth."
A surge of memories flooded his sea of consciousness.
He had transmigrated to the Tianwu Continent. He was now an Outer Sect Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect.
But his identity? A piece of trash!
He was born with "blocked meridians" and a "shattered spirit root." At sixteen years old, he was still stuck at the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation. In this world, the strong were respected, and the weak were ants.
"Heavens!" Ye Tian cursed, looking at his skinny arms. "I transmigrated into a cripple? Where is my Golden Finger? Where is my cheat?"
As if responding to his call, a mechanical sound rang out in his soul.
[Ding! Host detected. Binding the God-Level Choice System...]
[System binding successful!]
Ye Tian's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "A System! Finally, my time has come to soar into the heavens!"
[The System helps the Host tread the path to the peak. Choices trigger rewards.]
BANG!
Before he could investigate further, the wooden door shattered into splinters.
A burly youth wearing the grey robes of an Outer Disciple strode in, arrogance written all over his face. He was flanked by two lackeys who looked at Ye Tian with disdain.
"Ye Tian, you waste!" the youth barked. "I heard you received your monthly distribution of Spirit Stones. Hand them over to this Young Master, and I might spare your dog life!"
Ye Tian narrowed his eyes. This was Wang Hu. A 3rd Layer Qi Condensation cultivator who bullied the original owner to death.
Wang Hu sneered. "What? Are you deaf? A toad lusting after swan meat thinks he deserves resources? A piece of trash like you is wasting the Sect's spiritual energy just by breathing!"
Ye Tian felt a coldness rise in his heart. In the cultivation world, mercy to an enemy was cruelty to oneself.
Suddenly, the System screen manifested before him.
[Ding! Host is being provoked by an ant. Please make a choice!]
[Option 1: Swallow your anger. Hand over the Spirit Stones and kowtow three times. Reward: "Turtle Shell Technique" (Low Earth Grade Defense).]
[Option 2: Flee like a stray dog. Jump out the window. Reward: "Cloud Fleeting Steps" (Movement Art).]
[Option 3: Courting Death! Slap Wang Hu across the face and teach him how to behave. Reward: "Supreme Chaos Body" + 10 Years of Cultivation Base!]
Ye Tian's lips curled into a cold sneer.
Option 1 meant losing all "Face." A cultivator lives for Face!
Option 2 was cowardly.
Option 3... was the only path for a Sovereign!
"Wang Hu," Ye Tian spoke indifferently. "You count as a fart? You dare bark in front of me?"
Wang Hu froze. He couldn't believe his ears. This trash usually trembled in fear.
"You... you are courting death!" Wang Hu roared, his face turning purple. "I will cripple your Dantian and break your limbs!"
Wang Hu circulated his Qi. A faint white glow surrounded his fist as he punched toward Ye Tian's chest.
"System, I choose Option 3!"
[Ding! Choice confirmed. Distributing Reward: Supreme Chaos Body!]
BOOM!
A terrifying energy exploded within Ye Tian's Dantian.
The impurities in his marrow were instantly incinerated. His blocked meridians were blasted open like a flood breaking a dam.
Qi Condensation 2nd Layer...
Qi Condensation 4th Layer...
Qi Condensation 6th Layer!
In the time it took for a spark to fly off a flint, Ye Tian broke through five realms!
Wang Hu's fist was inches away. To the old Ye Tian, it was lightning fast. To the current Ye Tian, it was as slow as a snail crawling.
Ye Tian didn't dodge. He simply raised his hand and slapped.
PA!
The sound was crisp and loud.
Wang Hu didn't even have time to scream. The slap connected with his face, sending him flying out the door like a broken kite. He smashed into a tree, coughing up mouthfuls of blood mixed with shattered teeth.
The two lackeys were petrified. They trembled like quails in winter, staring at Ye Tian as if they had seen a ghost.
"Senior Brother... Wang Hu... was defeated with one slap?"
Ye Tian clasped his hands behind his back, looking down at them with an aloof expression. His aura was profound and unfathomable.
"Scram," Ye Tian said coldly. "Or do you want me to cripple your cultivation too?"
The lackeys shrieked in terror, dragging the unconscious Wang Hu away.
Ye Tian took a deep breath, feeling the surging Qi in his body.
"From today on," he whispered, looking at the sky, "I, Ye Tian, will rise above the Nine Heavens. Anyone who blocks my path... kill without mercy!"