Golden Finger Arrived Late, But It Arrived

Swallowed Star World, YZ City, South Bank Residential Area

"I'm back."

Qin Hao opened the door, walked inside, and called out.

"You're back. Hurry up and eat."

Seeing Qin Hao enter, Qin Hai and his wife spoke as they began bringing the dishes out from the kitchen.

"Big brother!"

Qin Hao had just responded and put his schoolbag in his room when a small figure called out and toddled unsteadily toward him. Qin Hao hurried forward, quickly scooped his little sister into his arms, carried her to the table, and set her down on a chair beside it.

"How was your studying today?"

"Not bad. Getting into First Military School won't be a problem."

Qin Hao said this as he reflected that he had been in the Swallowed Star World for nearly eighteen years. He had never expected that he still wouldn't escape the fate of facing the Gaokao. As a transmigrator, he had originally wanted to use his foresight to make something of himself. Since childhood, he had paid attention to exercising his body and studying all kinds of classical philosophy.

However, he had entered the Limitless Martial Arts Center to begin training at sixteen, and even now, his strength was only 500 kilograms. He was still miles away from becoming a Quasi-Warrior. In a world centered around cultivation, having such average talent left Qin Hao deeply disappointed. Still, once Luo Feng entered the universe and began nurturing Earthlings later on, he would still have a chance.

After all, although his cultivation talent was ordinary, Qin Hao's studies of classical philosophy over the past few years had greatly improved his state of mind.

"Good, good. What gift do you want for your birthday tomorrow?"

Hearing Qin Hao's answer, Qin Hai and his wife were both delighted. Graduating from Jiangnan First Military School meant never having to worry about work. It was a stable path and the best choice for ordinary people.

"Birthday, birthday! Cake, cake!"

When Qin Ying heard the word birthday, her eyes lit up and she began shouting.

"A big meal will be enough, and a cake that Xiao Ying likes."

Qin Hao pinched Qin Ying's little cheeks as he spoke.

Over eighteen years, Qin Hao had completely integrated into the Swallowed Star World. After dinner, he played with his younger sister Qin Ying for a while before returning to his room to study. Like many families in South Bank Residential Area, Qin Hao's home was not large—just over forty square meters, with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It was a little cramped, but very warm.

"Knock, knock, knock. Xiao Hao, it's eleven. Hurry up and get some rest."

Qin Hao was studying when a light knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice.

"Okay. I'll finish this last bit of review, then get ready for bed."

Qin Hao replied and continued studying. Having lived one life already, he understood that for an ordinary person, the Gaokao was the moment that could change one's fate. Entering First Military School and using the resources of the military academy and army to become a warrior was currently the fastest way for him to improve his family's circumstances. Without talent, he could only rely on hard work.

At eleven-thirty, Qin Hao finished studying, tidied up, washed up briefly, then lay on his bed and closed his eyes. Yet no matter what, he could not fall asleep.

He had been in this world for nearly eighteen years. He had once wondered whether he might have a Golden Finger, a system, or a Pocket Grandpa, but after waiting eighteen years, none had appeared. Just like his birthday—April 1st, April Fool's Day—he was a transmigrator who had been played for a fool.

Still, being able to live another life and witness such a vast world, with perhaps even a chance to see the universe in the future, was not a bad life. As he stared at the ceiling, Qin Hao thought about the various novels he had read in his previous life, as well as the plot of Swallowed Star.

"Ding."

A sound rang out in his mind, pulling Qin Hao from his thoughts.

What was that sound? Qin Hao sat up, looked around, and listened carefully to the sounds nearby. In the silent night and dark room, there was no movement at all.

System? System buddy... open interface... load... activate Golden Finger... transform... He experimentally called out every code phrase he knew for activating a Golden Finger or system, but there was still no response. The slight excitement in Qin Hao's heart sank again.

Could this be pre-exam syndrome? Am I having auditory hallucinations? Forget it. Go to sleep. I still have class tomorrow.

Qin Hao lay back down. The moment he closed his eyes, he felt an extremely simple interface appear before him. There was only one button on it, with the words "Punch In."

Holy crap, the Golden Finger finally came. It made me wait a full eighteen years, and it had to activate when I turned eighteen. Could it be some kind of adults-only Golden Finger? Qin Hao opened his eyes again and sat up, his gaze filled with excitement. Any trace of sleepiness had vanished.

Calm down, calm down. Eighteen years of cultivating his state of mind allowed Qin Hao to calm himself quickly. He closed his eyes and sensed the crude interface before him. No matter how crude it was, it was still a Golden Finger, something that could change his fate. He examined the interface, but apart from the Punch In button, there was nothing else.

One-star review. There isn't even an explanation—just a Punch In button. Who knows what the rules are? Daily punch-ins, monthly punch-ins, or location-based punch-ins? I'll probably have to figure it out myself. Though he was complaining, the excitement in Qin Hao's heart was impossible to hide.

Punch in.

As Qin Hao focused on the interface before him, his thoughts stirred. The Punch In button was pressed, and words appeared.

Punch-in successful!

First annual punch-in. Obtained: Meteor Tear!

First punch-in location: Earth. Obtained: One Qi Transforms Three Purities!

As the words appeared, two streams of light flew out from them and merged into Qin Hao's body. The Punch-in interface then changed again, turning gray.

After the two streams of light fused with Qin Hao, he sensed the changes as well. Two crystals floated within his Sea of Consciousness. One was a blood-red, tear-shaped crystal, which should have been the Meteor Tear. It was one of the Golden Fingers of Qin Yu, the protagonist of Swallowed Star—a crystallization of the soul and Life Elemental Energy of Life God King Zuoqiu Mei. It contained the Soul Law and Space Law that Zuoqiu Mei had comprehended before death, and was the existence that allowed the female lead Jiang Li to become a God King.

Although the laws of the two worlds differed, a God King from the Swallowed Star World should correspond to a realm in the Swallowed Star World that was absolutely no weaker than an Eternal True God, perhaps even equivalent to a God King. After all, in both worlds, the two realms above God King were transcendent existences.

Although the Meteor Tear could not allow him to rise rapidly right now, it was a life-saving treasure and could also accelerate his cultivation. Perhaps he could even make a push for becoming a warrior before the Gaokao.

Beside the Meteor Tear was an azure crystal. Within it, three streams of light darted about swiftly, as if they might burst out at any moment. Looking at the azure crystal before him, Qin Hao was extremely curious. One Qi Transforms Three Purities was the divine ability of the saint Laozi, capable of creating three saint-level incarnations.

Then could this be that divine ability?

Even in different worlds, saints were still peak-level existences. Even the Swallowed Star World could not surpass the Great Desolation World. After all, in the Great Desolation World, a Grand Unity Golden Immortal was already an existence that transcended the river of time, immortal and indestructible, capable of controlling everything. Creating worlds and universes was nothing difficult.

With that thought, Qin Hao's consciousness approached the azure crystal. The instant it came into contact with him, the crystal shattered, and three streams of light merged into Qin Hao's body. Qin Hao gained an understanding of One Qi Transforms Three Purities. In the Swallowed Star World, One Qi Transforms Three Purities had become three incarnations of his own, to be conceived at the Planetary level, Universe level, and World Lord level respectively.

However, unlike the incarnations conceived in Swallowed Star, these three incarnations would be conceived based on Qin Hao himself. With laws as their foundation, the Three Corpses as their spirits, the three souls as their basis, and Qin Hao himself as their template, the incarnations would be conceived. Although they would only emerge at the Planetary level, Universe level, and World Lord level, the moment Qin Hao fused with the divine ability of One Qi Transforms Three Purities, they had already begun to be conceived. Their souls already existed; once Qin Hao's realm reached the required level and enough energy had accumulated, they would leave his body.

This maxes out all my life-saving methods.

Feeling the wonder of One Qi Transforms Three Purities, Qin Hao could not help but sigh. Whether it was the Meteor Tear or One Qi Transforms Three Purities, both were primarily life-saving methods. However, for Qin Hao, the most important thing at this stage was improving his strength and becoming a warrior.

I wonder when the next punch-in will be, and what rules this punch-in has. Qin Hao was quite satisfied with this crude Golden Finger, but he felt even more helpless toward its unknown rules.

I should first plan how to become a warrior. There are less than four months until Luo Feng becomes a warrior. If I want to keep up with the plot, I'll have to start risking my life. Qin Hao began calculating how to break through and become a warrior in a short time, eventually turning his attention to the Meteor Tear in his Sea of Consciousness.