Chapter 1: A System Arrives—500 Years Late
Nine Provinces Continent, atop Jilei Mountain.
Dark clouds loomed, lightning streaked across the sky, and bronze-colored thunder crackled through the heavens like dragons and serpents slithering behind the storm. The oppressive might of the heavens bore down like a mountain, enough to make anyone tremble in fear.
The deafening thunderclaps rumbled like war drums right beside the ears.
A torrent of heavenly lightning poured down like liquid plasma, surging toward the lone figure standing atop Jilei Mountain. Hands clasped behind his back, the figure remained motionless, allowing the lightning to strike him without resistance.
As the tribulation ended, Jiang Li gazed expectantly at the sky.
However, there was nothing but the clear blue expanse left behind by the dissipating storm—nowhere to be seen was the golden, radiant staircase to ascension he had hoped for.
“As expected… I still can’t ascend.”
Jiang Li sighed in disappointment, his voice tinged with melancholy. This was already his fifteenth time facing an ascension tribulation.
Ascending beyond mortality was not just a myth. There was concrete evidence—after all, remnants of celestial sects, immortal artifacts, and divine techniques still existed in the Nine Provinces Continent. Even some ancient cultivators had personally witnessed the legendary Stairway to Immortality.
According to those old relics, thousands of years ago, mighty cultivators frequently ascended to immortality. As long as they overcame their tribulation, the celestial realm would send down the Stairway to Immortality, welcoming them beyond the mortal world.
Yet for some unknown reason, the celestial realm eventually stopped sending down the staircase, severing the path to ascension. Countless supreme cultivators could only lament in despair, some even withering away in regret.
Jiang Li had transmigrated to the Nine Provinces Continent five hundred years ago. With no golden finger to aid him, he relied solely on effort, wisdom, and a bit of luck. Rising from obscurity, overcoming countless obstacles, he finally reached the peak of cultivation—the Mahayana Stage, standing as the undisputed strongest in the Nine Provinces, reigning as the Human Sovereign of his era.
To transmigrate into a world of cultivation, only to be unable to ascend—what a cruel fate.
Jiang Li had occasionally wondered: if he had a golden finger, like a system or a wise old mentor residing in his soul, would his journey have been easier?
But he quickly let go of the thought. There was no point dwelling on such things. After all, golden finger or not, hadn’t he already reached the peak? And looking back, wasn’t the journey itself part of the fun?
Just then, an unfamiliar mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Host detected. The Counterattack System is now activating.]
[Name: Jiang Li]
[Age: 518]
[Title: Human Sovereign]
[Cultivation: Mahayana Stage]
Jiang Li instinctively spread out his divine sense, his body tensing in vigilance. But as he processed the voice, he froze, feeling a mix of excitement and exasperation.
He let out a laugh, half-scolding, half-amused. “System, don’t you think you’re a bit late?”
That said, it was still a system. No way was he passing this up.
[This is the Counterattack System, assisting the host in defeating anyone who has ever looked down on them.]
[Please accept your Starter Gift Pack.]
At the word “counterattack,” a deep sense of unease crept into Jiang Li’s heart. But he suppressed the feeling and said, “Accept.”
As soon as he spoke, a mountain of items materialized before him.
Sitting cross-legged, Jiang Li carefully inspected his rewards.
The moment he uncorked a small medicine bottle, a rich, refreshing aroma filled the air, calming his mind—a scent unique to top-grade pills.
20 Supreme Qi-Gathering Pills – exceptionally effective for Qi Refining cultivators.
1 Supreme Foundation Establishment Pill – ensures a flawless Foundation Establishment breakthrough.
10 Low-Grade Talismans – including two Strength Talismans, two Speed Talismans, two Concealment Talismans, and four Tranquility Talismans.
150 Low-Grade Spirit Stones – basic currency for cultivation resources.
A damaged Daoist technique: Four Ounces Moves a Thousand Pounds – a technique from the Daoist Sect, with a system note:
[Four Ounces Moves a Thousand Pounds is a secret art of the Daoist Sect. Learning this incomplete version makes you invincible at the Qi Refining Stage. Spend 100,000 Source Points to restore it.]
[Current Source Points: 0]
Jiang Li stared at the pile of items in silence.
Wasn’t this a little too… newbie?
Among the rewards, the most valuable item was undoubtedly the Daoist technique—but even that was incomplete.
“Four Ounces Moves a Thousand Pounds…?”
Jiang Li furrowed his brows. From his storage ring, he pulled out a pristine, hand-copied book of the same name.
This was a personal gift from the Daoist Sect’s Grandmaster, complete with annotations from past elders.
Most powerful Daoist arts had cultivation restrictions. For instance, the Ding Zhen Zhong Yuan technique from the Earth Sect required at least a Golden Core cultivation to activate, while the Butterfly Yin-Yang technique from the Heart Demon Sect also required a Golden Core cultivation base.
But Four Ounces Moves a Thousand Pounds had no such restriction. It focused on guiding force with minimal effort, excelling in outmaneuvering stronger opponents—making it perfect for fighting above one’s realm.
Jiang Li meticulously compared the two versions and confirmed that their contents were exactly the same.
A frown crept onto his face. “No doubt, these are good items… but why are they all for Qi Refining Stage cultivators?”
He glanced at the system panel.
“System, what’s my cultivation level?”
[Mahayana Stage.]
“Are you sure this isn’t the wrong gift pack? This isn’t the Qi Refining Starter Pack, right? This is the Mahayana Starter Pack?”
[System verification complete. No errors detected.]
“What’s my cultivation level again?”
[Mahayana Stage.]
“And what level are these rewards suited for?”
[Qi Refining Stage.]
“So, did you make a mistake?”
[System verification complete. No errors detected.]
“My cultivation is…?”
[Mahayana Stage. No errors.]
Jiang Li was speechless. “Wow, you even answer instantly now.”
He couldn’t decide whether this system was rigidly programmed or just artificially intelligent in the most annoying way possible.
Just then, a new notification popped up.
[Newbie Mission issued. This mission cannot be declined or avoided.]
[Failure Penalty: The system’s remaining functions will remain locked.]
[Locked functions include: System Shop, Spiritual Energy Infusion, Heart Demon Suppression, Spatial Movement…]
[Newbie Mission: Jiang Yixing, the clan leader’s son, has bullied you countless times. Defeat Jiang Yixing.]
Jiang Li’s mind went blank for a moment.
Jiang Yixing… that name sounded familiar. Who was he again?
Flipping through his memories, he finally remembered.
Jiang Yixing was the son of the current clan leader. After Jiang Li’s father—the former clan leader—passed away, his mother fell seriously ill and soon followed. Left as an orphan, Jiang Li became an easy target.
Jiang Yixing, born with the best talent in the family, took pleasure in bullying others—especially Jiang Li. It gave him a twisted sense of achievement. No one dared to stop him, and the old Jiang Li, too weak to fight back, had merely wallowed in resentment—until he died of anger-induced qi deviation.
And it was at that very moment that Jiang Li had transmigrated into this body.
After transmigrating, Jiang Li quickly realized that staying with his clan brought more harm than good, so he decisively left home.
That was five hundred years ago.
Looking back now, the so-called “most talented” in the clan, Jiang Yixing, at best would have reached Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. With slow and steady cultivation, he might have barely reached the late Foundation Establishment stage, but the chances of him forming a Golden Core were close to zero.
The natural lifespan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was no different from a mortal’s—about 140 years. Golden Core cultivators had varying lifespans, typically between 200 to 300 years.
No matter if Jiang Yixing had stopped at Foundation Establishment or miraculously reached Golden Core, he was long, long dead!
And the most ridiculous part? This so-called “Newbie Mission” was clearly not meant for him now!
Jiang Li narrowed his eyes. “System, what year is it?”
[Yan Calendar 4300.]
Jiang Li’s expression darkened. “It’s the year 4800!”
That was it. That was the source of his unease—this damn system was five hundred years late!
[Please refer to the system’s recognized timeline.]
Jiang Li trembled with rage.
“I demand to change the mission.”
[Mission cannot be altered.]
“Jiang Yixing is dead!”
[Please refer to the system’s recognized timeline.]
“I’m at the Mahayana Stage. You want me to ‘counterattack’ against a guy who was probably at Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment? Is that even a counterattack?!”
[Please complete the Newbie Mission.]
“Reboot system.”
[Please complete the Newbie Mission.]
“Uninstall system.”
[Please complete the Newbie Mission.]
Jiang Li nearly coughed up blood.
The moment he saw the word “counterattack”, he should have realized what was coming.
Counterattack who, exactly?!
He was the Human Sovereign, the strongest in the Nine Provinces—was he supposed to “counterattack” against the heavens themselves?!
“Useless system! What do I need you for?!”
Jiang Li decisively ignored the system. Five hundred years late, assigning a mission to fight a corpse—what was he supposed to do, defeat Jiang Yixing through sheer willpower?!
Below Jilei Mountain
Countless powerful cultivators had gathered, waiting for the Human Sovereign’s tribulation to end.
These figures were sect leaders, emperors, and ancient monsters who had lived for millennia.
Every single one of them possessed earth-shattering cultivation, and if the Immortal Realm had not vanished, they would have long since secluded themselves in preparation for ascension. Some of them had even survived their own celestial tribulations, though none had endured as many as Jiang Li.
They hadn’t come to see if Jiang Li could survive—they knew he would.
They had come to see if the ascension pathway had reopened.
But just like before, the legendary Stairway to Immortality never appeared.
A collective sense of disappointment filled their hearts.
Though they had already expected this outcome, it still left a bitter shadow in their minds.
Jiang Li descended from the mountain peak.
Even those who were terrible at reading emotions could tell that Jiang Li was deeply disappointed.
If he had merely failed one ascension attempt, he wouldn’t have minded too much.
But the sudden arrival of the system had given him hope—he thought it was a golden finger that could help him ascend.
Instead, it was a trash-tier finger.
The gathered sect leaders, despite noticing his mood, still wore smiles and congratulated him.
“Congratulations to the Human Sovereign for overcoming yet another heavenly tribulation!”
“It was nothing.”
“Even just watching from the sidelines was terrifying, yet the Human Sovereign endured it with ease. Your cultivation must have improved again!”
“It was merely luck, merely luck.”
“If the Human Sovereign could ascend, you would surely become a ruler of the Immortal Realm!”
“The path to ascension is long and arduous. We must all continue striving together.”
“The Human Sovereign must visit my sect and hold a lecture for my useless disciples! You wouldn’t refuse an old man this small favor, would you?”
Jiang Li smiled. “Senior Zhang, your teachings have always been invaluable to me. How could I refuse? I’ll visit in a few days, and we can exchange cultivation insights while the juniors listen in.”
“Ah, if only the Immortal Realm weren’t so distant and its coordinates so unstable. Otherwise, with the Human Sovereign’s strength, you could break through the boundary yourself!”
“Who doesn’t know that your Xumi Sect is the most proficient in spatial techniques? If anyone can locate the Immortal Realm, it would be you!”
Jiang Li was polite to all the sect leaders, thanking each of them one by one.
He even agreed to visit their sects and hold lectures, which made them incredibly pleased.
A Sudden Realization
After bidding them farewell, Jiang Li summoned the system again.
Something the Xumi Sect elder had said sparked an idea.
“System, can you send me to the Immortal Realm?”
[Spatial Transmission will be unlocked in future updates. This function allows the host to travel to the Immortal Realm.]
Jiang Li’s eyes lit up. “Can you send me there now?”
Finally, the system was showing some actual usefulness—maybe it wasn’t entirely trash after all!
[Please complete the Newbie Mission first.]
Jiang Li took a deep breath. “Listen, if you send me to the Immortal Realm, I can reach the Underworld through it. Once I’m there, I can find Jiang Yixing and defeat him. That counts as completing the mission, right?”
[Please complete the Newbie Mission first.]
“Just make an exception, alright? Consider it a credit-based transaction. I’ll pay you back later. You can’t seriously expect me to fight a dead guy!”
[Please complete the Newbie Mission first.]
“Useless system!”
Jiang Li was now certain—this wasn’t a golden finger, it was the heavens flipping him off.
Still, he had to figure out a way to complete the mission.
Maybe he could find someone named Jiang Yixing and beat him up.
Or he could force someone to take the name Jiang Yixing and then beat them up.
Or perhaps he could go dance on Jiang Yixing’s grave…
All valid options.
But the most reasonable plan was to return to his old home and check if Jiang Yixing was somehow still alive.
Maybe Jiang Yixing had found an immortality pill—though he would’ve needed a dozen to survive this long.
Maybe he had a miraculous encounter, allowing him to break through to Nascent Soul, where he’d have a natural lifespan of around 500 years.
After all, talent wasn’t everything.
Jiang Li himself was the best proof—if not for his relentless effort, his Heavenly Spirit Root, and his Boundless Dao Physique, he wouldn’t have reached Mahayana Stage either.