Azure Wind City, Li Family Residence.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully transmigrating with the Experience System.]
Inside a quiet room, a young man dressed in blue stared blankly at a shimmering, transparent screen hovering before his eyes. More precisely, he was staring at a system interface that seemed to float in mid-air.
"I've transmigrated? What the hell… How did this happen?" Li Yun muttered, his voice trembling with disbelief. Just moments ago, at least in his own memory, he'd been hurrying to meet his very first girlfriend for a date. He'd been on his way to the restaurant where they'd planned to meet when…
"I was struck by lightning!" Li Yun suddenly recalled the incident in vivid detail. It had been a bright, cloudless day, sunlight blazing down, and yet, out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning had come crashing down on him.
"Damn you, Heaven! Of all the eight billion people on Earth, you had to pick me to transmigrate?" Li Yun cursed the unseen forces that had flipped his life upside down. But after a few moments of venting his frustration, he forced himself to calm down.
Deep down, Li Yun understood there was no turning back. In all the countless web novels he'd devoured, he couldn't remember a single transmigrator who'd managed to return home. He knew he'd have to adjust quickly if he wanted to survive.
Just then, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind. His eyes widened as he absorbed the new information.
"I've transmigrated into someone with the same name, Li Yun, a member of the Li Family here in Azure Wind City," he whispered to himself. But as he sifted through the memories of this other Li Yun, his mood darkened.
The body's original owner was a direct descendant of the prestigious Li Family. Yet, despite his noble bloodline, he had been unable to cultivate at all, becoming the laughingstock of the entire clan.
The family had poured countless cultivation resources into him, hoping he would awaken some hidden talent, but all their efforts were in vain. No matter how much time or treasure they invested, Li Yun simply couldn't cultivate.
Eventually, the situation became so dire that the family was on the verge of expelling him. Only the support of one influential elder kept him from being thrown out of the Li Family residence altogether.
Yet, it wasn't as though Li Yun had simply loafed about, living off the Li Family's resources without giving anything in return.
In a powerful clan like the Li Family, no one could afford to exist as dead weight. Determined to carve out some worth for himself, Li Yun chose to walk the path of alchemy. Through relentless effort, he managed to earn the rank of junior pharmacist.
Unfortunately, his small achievement sparked resentment. One of the Li Family's geniuses, who had long enjoyed mocking Li Yun as worthless trash, could not stomach seeing the "family disgrace" rise even slightly.
Under the pretext of offering him some 'pointers,' the so-called genius attacked him instead, inflicting severe injuries. Those wounds ultimately claimed Li Yun's life, opening the way for the transmigration of the current Li Yun's soul into this body.
"You never gave up until the very end. I won't either. I'll carry your name to the pinnacle of this world. Rest easy now." Li Yun whispered this solemn promise to the lingering remnant of the body's original soul.
Indeed, Li Yun had managed to become a junior pharmacist. Just a week earlier, he'd successfully refined his first junior-level potion and obtained official recognition for his skill.
Over the past several days, he had thrown himself into his studies, striving to hone his craft and reach the rank of senior pharmacist. So far, however, he had yet to break through.
It wasn't that Li Yun lacked talent in alchemy. Rather, his obstacle lay in a cruel limitation of his own body, he was born with a physique entirely devoid of elemental attributes.
On the Martial Dragon Continent, individuals without an attribute constitution were considered ordinary people, destined for mundane lives. Ordinary people could not cultivate martial arts, nor could they become powerful practitioners.
This curse of being born with a no-attribute constitution was also the fundamental reason Li Yun could not cultivate. His body was essentially useless for gathering or channeling spiritual energy, leaving him unable to walk the path of a martial cultivator.
Generally, one of the fundamental requirements for becoming a pharmacist was to be a cultivator. For that reason, it was nothing short of astonishing that Li Yun, born with a physique lacking any elemental attributes, had still managed to achieve the rank of junior pharmacist.
If he could somehow advance further and become a senior pharmacist, his status within the Li Family would undoubtedly rise alongside his accomplishments.
However, for someone like Li Yun, an ordinary person without attributes, the prospect of reaching the level of a senior pharmacist was little more than an impossible fantasy. To most people, it was a pipe dream with no hope of ever becoming reality.
In truth, several years earlier, countless people had tried to persuade Li Yun to abandon his ambition of becoming a pharmacist altogether. His pursuit had come at a high cost: in his relentless efforts to master alchemy, Li Yun had burned through vast amounts of medicinal herbs and precious resources.
Had he not poured his wealth into buying ingredients to refine intermediate-level potions, he would have accumulated enough riches by now to make many in the Li Family envious.
But because he'd spent nearly everything he had, Li Yun was left with almost no savings. All that remained to his name were a few meager gold coins, barely enough to cover daily expenses, let alone the hundred gold coins required just to purchase the materials for a single body-tempering potion.
"Da da da!"
Just then, the rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor.
'Someone's coming,' Li Yun thought, quickly turning to open the door.
As the door swung open, his expression softened into a warm smile. A man in gray robes stepped into the room, his face familiar and comforting.
"Third Grandpa!" Li Yun exclaimed, recognizing him instantly.
The man in gray was Li Zhen, Li Yun's third grandfather and his biological grandfather as well. Aside from his familial bond, Li Zhen was also one of the nine elders who held authority within the Li Family.
"Refining medicine again, are you?" Li Zhen asked gently, sniffing the air as he stepped into the room. The subtle, bitter-sweet fragrance of herbs lingered around them, giving away Li Yun's recent activities.
Li Yun let out a long sigh and nodded. "Yes. The marrow cleansing potion failed… again." His voice carried both frustration and helplessness. It was the very potion the body's original owner had been trying to refine before meeting his tragic end.
The marrow cleansing potion was no simple concoction, it was a basic senior-level potion. Successfully refining it would mean Li Yun had officially advanced to the rank of senior pharmacist, a significant leap forward.
"Don't lose heart," Li Zhen said with an encouraging smile. "Senior-level potions aren't easy to perfect. As long as you keep trying, there's hope. One day, you'll succeed."
Despite his comforting words, Li Zhen harbored deep doubts. He knew too well how slim the chances were for an ordinary person, lacking any elemental attributes, to refine a senior level potion. Yet he would never discourage Li Yun from trying.
Li Zhen valued something even more than the possibility of Li Yun becoming an intermediate pharmacist: Li Yun's unyielding determination. That resilience was a rare and precious trait.
It was largely thanks to Li Zhen's quiet support that Li Yun was even able to keep pursuing his dream. Without his grandfather's help in supplying herbs and ingredients, Li Yun would never have been able to afford the costly materials needed for repeated attempts at refining potions.
"I'll keep working hard, Third Grandpa!" Li Yun said firmly, his eyes shining with resolve.
Li Yun was already sixteen this year, which meant he would soon have to attend the Li Family's Coming of Age Conference, a significant milestone marking the transition from childhood to adulthood.
According to the strict rules of the Li Family, any member, whether from the direct bloodline or a branch family, who reached adulthood without an attribute constitution or cultivation talent was forced to leave the clan compound. Such individuals were typically dispatched to far-flung regions of the family's business empire to serve out their lives in obscurity.
Those sent away rarely returned, nor did they have any real future. It was a fate everyone dreaded, a silent exile from the heart of the family.
Originally, Li Yun, with his attribute-less physique, would have had no hope of remaining within the family estate. But his status as a junior pharmacist, combined with Li Zhen's steadfast support, offered a small glimmer of hope.
Of course, if Li Yun could somehow advance to senior pharmacist before the Coming of Age Conference, everything would change. In a powerful clan like the Li Family, senior pharmacists were highly valued. The entire Li Family boasted only three senior pharmacists.
In fact, if Li Yun achieved that rank, the family might cling to him so tightly that even if he wanted to leave, they'd refuse to let him go. But time was short, only two months remained until the Coming of Age Conference. The odds of him advancing so quickly were all but nonexistent.
"Good. I will see you later." Li Zhen left seeing his grandson working hard while sighing.
Li Yun drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Everything felt like a whirlwind, the shock of transmigrating, the flood of memories from the previous Li Yun, and the sheer weight of it all threatened to overwhelm him.
[Ding! Host has been detected to possess the Primal Chaos Physique.]
'Primal Chaos Physique?' Li Yun's brows knit in confusion. Until this moment, he'd believed the body he'd inherited was utterly worthless, a body with no elemental attributes, incapable of cultivation. Yet it turned out everyone had been wrong. His body was not trash, but a rare, special constitution that simply hadn't awakened. That was why he'd been unable to cultivate.
[Ding! Condition for awakening the physique: spin the magic wheel.]
Suddenly, a luminous wheel materialized on the system's transparent screen in front of him. Its colorful segments were inscribed with enticing rewards, things like a god-level bloodline, a divine cultivation technique, the Fire Spirit Body, a Divine Ascension Pill, and countless other legendary treasures.
'So I have to spin this wheel to awaken my physique…' Li Yun thought, his gaze sweeping over the incredible items displayed. Any one of these prizes would be enough to incite a bloody war across the Martial Dragon Continent.
Without overthinking it, Li Yun reached out and spun the wheel. In his mind, it didn't matter which reward he received. Whatever he won would be the key to awakening his dormant physique, and right now, nothing mattered to him more than finally being able to cultivate like everyone else.
With the Experience System at his side, he was certain that once he could cultivate, nothing would stand in his way.
The wheel spun rapidly, colors blurring into a dizzying whirl. After several tense seconds, its speed began to slow.
Li Yun's eyes widened as the pointer ticked past several options before finally clicking into place.
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for awakening the Primal Chaos Body.]
The moment the notification chimed, Li Yun felt a rush of power explode within him. Heat spread through his veins, tingling with vibrant energy. His heart pounded, exhilaration bursting across his face.
"I can finally cultivate!" he shouted, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles whitened. 'Li Yun, leave everything to me now.'
[Ding! Congratulations to Host for obtaining the Supreme Foundation from the Magic Wheel.]
"Supreme Foundation…" Li Yun murmured, as a flood of new information streamed directly into his mind. His entire body trembled with excitement as the details settled into place.
According to the knowledge granted by the system, possessing the Supreme Foundation meant he would never encounter bottlenecks in his cultivation, provided he had enough resources.
In simpler terms, if he acquired sufficient spiritual materials and treasures, he could instantly ascend to the very peak of the Martial Dragon Continent, doing nothing more than absorbing and refining those resources. Such was the terrifying power of the Supreme Foundation.
"With this, my cultivation speed will be countless times faster than anyone else's…" Li Yun whispered, stunned by the implications. He understood perfectly how heaven-defying this was.
Ordinarily, martial artists had to tread carefully when advancing to higher realms. They needed time to stabilize their breakthroughs, consolidate their cultivation, and build a firm foundation. Rushing ahead risked leaving their cultivation base unstable, which could severely limit their future progress.
But for Li Yun, with the Supreme Foundation, none of those limitations existed. He could advance freely, unhindered by the obstacles that plagued ordinary cultivators. His path was wide open, stretching toward the pinnacle of the world.
[Ding! Novice gift pack awarded. Does the Host wish to open it?]
"Of course I do." Li Yun grinned.
[Ding! Novice gift pack opened. Congratulations to the Host for receiving: High-Grade Mortal Rank Iron Pulse Fist Art, the formula for the Marrow Cleansing Potion, 1,000 gold coins, and a basic iron sword.]
"The formula for the Marrow Cleansing Potion!" Li Yun's eyes lit up with fierce excitement. The previous owner of this body had devoted himself to refining that very potion, failing again and again, and ultimately dying in the attempt. Now, in one stroke of luck, Li Yun had obtained the exact formula that had eluded his predecessor.
[Ding! Host has triggered the novice quest: 'Tough Alchemist Path.' Would you like to accept the quest?]
"Tough my ass," Li Yun snorted. "Of course I'm accepting it!"
[Ding! Host has accepted the novice quest. Quest has begun.]
Without wasting a second, Li Yun opened up his character interface and tapped into the quest details.