Started Five Hundred Years Late

Nine Provinces Continent, atop Ji Lei Mountain.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, bronze-colored heavenly lightning flickering amid the clouds like dragons and snakes crawling behind the black veil, divine and ghostly alike. Heavenly might piled up like mountains, enough to make anyone tremble with fear.

The rumbling thunder was like drums beating beside his ears, deafeningly loud.

Vast heavenly lightning poured down, turning into electric plasma and surging toward the figure standing with his hands behind his back atop Ji Lei Mountain. The figure let the heavenly lightning strike him, remaining as immovable as a mountain.

After the Thunder Tribulation, Jiang Li looked hopefully toward the sky.

Yet there was only the clear sky left behind after the dark clouds dispersed, not the glittering golden Immortal Ascension Ladder he had hoped for.

"Sure enough, I can't ascend."

Jiang Li muttered dejectedly, full of melancholy. This was his fifteenth time undergoing the Ascension Tribulation.

Ascending through tribulation was no illusory legend, but something supported by clear evidence. Even now, the Nine Provinces Continent still had immortal legacies, immortal artifacts, Immortal Techniques, and those ancient relics who had seen the Immortal Ascension Ladder.

According to those ancient relics, great cultivators ascended often in the Nine Provinces Continent several thousand years ago. So long as they passed the Heavenly Tribulation, the Immortal World would send down the Immortal Ascension Ladder to receive them.

Yet for some unknown reason, the Immortal World had stopped sending down the Immortal Ascension Ladder, severing the path of ascension and leaving countless great cultivators beating their chests in regret before dying in gloom.

Jiang Li had transmigrated to the Nine Provinces Continent five hundred years ago. Without any cheat, he had risen from humble beginnings through hard work, wisdom, and luck, overcome every hardship and obstacle, and finally cultivated to the highest realm on the Nine Provinces Continent, the Mahayana stage. He had become the current Human Emperor, the undisputed number one person of the Nine Provinces Continent.

Having transmigrated to a cultivation world, being unable to ascend truly was a regret.

Jiang Li had once thought that if he had possessed a cheat—such as a system, or an old grandpa carried at his side—perhaps he could have taken fewer detours.

Then he let it go. What was the point of thinking about that now? Cheat or no cheat, had he not still reached his current position? Besides, looking back now, were those extra detours not a kind of enjoyment as well?

Host information detected. Counterattack System activating.

Name: Jiang Li

Age: 518 years old

Identity: Current Human Emperor

Cultivation: Mahayana stage

A mechanical voice rang beside Jiang Li's ear.

Jiang Li instinctively spread out his Divine Sense and assumed a vigilant stance. But once he heard the voice clearly, he froze for a moment. Something between excitement and helplessness welled up in his heart, and he laughed as he cursed, "Didn't you come a little too late, System?"

Laughing and cursing aside, he still had to open the system.

This system is the Counterattack System. It assists the host in defeating all those who look down on the host.

Please receive the Newbie Gift Pack.

Hearing the word "counterattack," Jiang Li felt a deep unease, but he still suppressed it and said, "Receive."

As soon as he spoke, a huge pile of items appeared out of thin air before him.

He sat down cross-legged and began taking stock of them.

The moment he opened the small medicine bottle, he could smell a delicate fragrance that even elevated his state of mind. This was the scent unique to top-grade pills.

Twenty Top Grade Qi Gathering Pills, exceptionally effective for those in the Qi Refining Stage.

One Top Grade Foundation Establishment Pill, capable of helping someone in the Qi Refining Stage achieve perfect Foundation Establishment.

Ten low-grade talismans, including two Strength Talismans, two Divine Speed Talismans, two Concealment Talismans, and four Calming Mind Talismans.

One hundred and fifty low-grade Spirit Stones.

A damaged Daoist Art, "Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds," with the system thoughtfully providing an annotation beside it.

"Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds" is a secret never passed down by the Dao Sect. Learn the incomplete copy to become invincible in the Qi Refining Stage. Spend 100,000 Origin Points to complete it.

Current Origin Points: 0

Jiang Li looked at the huge pile of items in silence.

Wasn't this Newbie Gift Pack a little too newbie?

Jiang Li carefully inspected the items. The most valuable one was probably this Daoist Art, which looked tattered and worn. Not only was it shabby, it was also an incomplete volume.

"And 'Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds'..."

Jiang Li pondered for a moment, then pulled a brand-new book from his Storage Ring. Its title was also Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds.

The Dao Sect Master had personally copied this out and gifted it to Jiang Li. It even contained the insights and annotations of the Dao Sect's various senior figures.

Generally, extremely powerful Daoist Arts had cultivation thresholds. For example, the Heavy Earth Sect's "Cauldron Suppresses the Central Plains" required Golden Core mana to activate. The Heart Demon Sect's "Butterfly Transforms Yin and Yang" likewise required Golden Core mana.

The greatest advantage of "Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds," however, was that it imposed no restrictions on spiritual energy. It emphasized power following the heart, using weakness to overcome strength. It was exceedingly suited for fighting above one's realm and was one of the rare Daoist Arts with no threshold.

After carefully comparing the two books and confirming that their contents were identical, Jiang Li could not help asking, "They really are all good things, but why are these all for people in the Qi Refining Stage?"

"System, what is my cultivation?"

The mechanical voice sounded.

Mahayana stage.

"Did you give me the wrong Newbie Gift Pack? This isn't a Newbie Gift Pack for the Qi Refining Stage. It's supposed to be a Newbie Gift Pack for the Mahayana stage, right?"

Verification complete. No error.

"What is my cultivation?"

Mahayana stage.

"What level of person is the Newbie Gift Pack you gave me suited for?"

Qi Refining Stage.

"Was it given by mistake?"

Verification complete. No error.

"My level..."

Mahayana. No error.

"Fine." Jiang Li was speechless. "You're even answering before I finish asking."

Jiang Li did not know whether to call this system rigid or intelligent.

Newbie mission issued. This mission cannot be refused or avoided.

Failure penalty: The system's remaining functions cannot be unlocked.

The system's functions include: shop, spiritual energy infusion, avoidance of inner demons, spatial movement...

Newbie mission: Jiang Yixing repeatedly bullied you by relying on his status as the clan chief's son. Please defeat Jiang Yixing.

Jiang Li's mind filled with question marks.

Jiang Yixing... that name sounded so familiar. Who was that again?

Only after searching back through his memories to the beginning of his transmigration did Jiang Li remember who Jiang Yixing was.

Jiang Li's father had been the previous clan chief. After his father died, only an orphan and a widow remained. His mother then passed away from severe illness, leaving Jiang Li without father or mother.

After his parents died, Jiang Yixing relied on being the current clan chief's son to bully people everywhere. Jiang Li was the one he most enjoyed bullying, as it gave him an inexplicable sense of accomplishment. Jiang Yixing also possessed the best talent in the entire clan, so no one could say much. Jiang Li himself was a good-for-nothing; after being bullied, he did nothing but curse heaven and blame others all day. In the end, he died from rage attacking his heart.

That was when Jiang Li had transmigrated over.

After transmigrating, Jiang Li determined that staying in that Lineage brought harm and no benefit, so he directly left home.

That had happened five hundred years ago.

From his current perspective, Jiang Yixing's so-called best talent in the clan would at most have allowed him to reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. Then, by grinding away bit by bit, he might reach Foundation Establishment Late Stage. His chances of achieving Golden Core were infinitesimal.

The natural lifespan of the Foundation Establishment Realm was no different from that of mortals: one hundred and forty years. The natural lifespan of the Golden Core Stage varied from person to person, ranging from two hundred to three hundred years.

Whether Jiang Yixing had ultimately reached Foundation Establishment or Golden Core, he was now dead beyond dead! More importantly, no matter how he looked at it, this newbie mission was not meant for his current self to complete!

"System, what era is it now?"

Yan Calendar 4300.

"It's Yan Calendar 4800 now!"

Jiang Li finally understood where his unease and sense of incongruity had come from. This lousy system had activated five hundred years late!

Please use the time recognized by the system as the standard.

Jiang Li trembled with rage from head to toe.

"I demand that the mission be changed."

The mission cannot be changed.

"Jiang Yixing is already dead!"

Please use the time recognized by the system as the standard.

"I'm at the Mahayana stage now. Is it appropriate for me to beat up a Jiang Yixing who may be in Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment? Is this called a counterattack?!"

Please complete the newbie mission.

"Restart the system."

Please complete the newbie mission.

"Uninstall the system."

Please complete the newbie mission.

Jiang Li nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

When he had first seen the word "counterattack," he should have guessed it. What kind of damned Counterattack System was this? As the current Human Emperor and the strongest person in the Nine Provinces, who was he supposed to counterattack against?

"What useless garbage of a system! What do I need you for!"

Jiang Li resolved to ignore the system from then on. It had booted five hundred years late, and it was asking him to defeat a dead man. How was he meant to defeat him? With spiritual victory?

At the foot of Ji Lei Mountain, countless powerful cultivators waited for the Human Emperor to undergo tribulation. Some were leaders of great sects, some were rulers of Imperial Dynasties, and some were ancient monsters who had lived for thousands of years.

The cultivation of these Sect Leaders and Old Ancestors could be said to shake heaven and earth. If the Immortal World had not vanished from sight in this age, they would have long since entered seclusion and calmed their minds in pursuit of tribulation and ascension. A few had even passed the Ascension Tribulation, though their number of tribulations was far from comparable to Jiang Li's.

They had not come to see whether Jiang Li could pass the tribulation, but to see whether ascension might be possible after it.

Yet this tribulation was likewise destined to disappoint them. After the Ascension Tribulation, the legendary Immortal Ascension Ladder did not appear.

Immortality was beyond reach. This thought inevitably arose in the hearts of the Sect Leaders and Old Ancestors.

Though they had expected it long ago, a faint haze still settled over their hearts.

Jiang Li flew down from the mountaintop. Even someone unskilled at reading expressions could see the disappointment in his heart.

Had he merely failed to ascend after one tribulation, Jiang Li would not have been so disappointed. But then this system had suddenly appeared, making him think he had gained some cheat that could help him ascend—only for it to turn out to be a useless cheat.

The Sect Leaders and Old Ancestors naturally saw Jiang Li's unusual state of mind as well, but they still put on joyous expressions and congratulated him.

"Congratulations to Human Emperor Jiang for passing another Heavenly Tribulation."

"Not at all, not at all."

"Just watching from the side was enough to make us tremble with fear, yet Human Emperor Jiang passed through it unharmed. Your cultivation must have advanced again!"

"Just luck, just luck."

"If Human Emperor Jiang can ascend, you will surely become an overlord in the Immortal World as well!"

"The road to ascension is blocked and long. We must all work together."

"Human Emperor Jiang, you must come to this old man's sect and hold a lecture for those disappointing juniors, explaining your cultivation insights. You must give this old man some face."

"What are you saying, Senior Zhang? Jiang remembers your teachings deeply. In some days, I will exchange cultivation experiences with Senior Zhang and let the juniors listen in."

"It is a pity that the Immortal World is too distant from us, its location uncertain and the World Barrier too thick. Otherwise, with Human Emperor Jiang's cultivation, it might not be impossible to break open the World Barrier by force!"

"Who does not know that your Mount Sumeru lineage is most adept in the Space Dao? If anyone can locate the Immortal World, it can only be you!"

Jiang Li was very courteous toward these Sect Leaders, thanking them one by one and agreeing to visit their various sects in the future to hold lectures and impart his experience. This delighted the Sect Leaders greatly.

After parting from the Sect Leaders, Jiang Li summoned the system again. Old Buddha of Mount Sumeru's words had just given him an idea.

"System, can you send me to the Immortal World?"

The system will unlock the spatial teleportation function later. It can take the host to the Immortal World.

"Can you send me there now?" Jiang Li was overjoyed. This system still had some use after all. It truly was worthy of being a cheat.

Please complete the newbie mission first.

Jiang Li patiently explained to the system, "Send me to the Immortal World first. From the Immortal World, I can reach the Underworld. I'll find Jiang Yixing in the Underworld and defeat him. That way, I can complete the mission."

Please complete the newbie mission first.

"Make an exception. Can't I buy on credit? You can't possibly expect me to beat up a dead man."

Please complete the newbie mission first.

"Lousy system!"

Jiang Li felt that this was not a cheat, but heaven giving him the middle finger.

While cursing the system for being useless, he thought about how to complete its mission.

For instance, he could find someone named Jiang Yixing and beat him up. Or find someone and force him to call himself Jiang Yixing, then beat him up. Or dance on Jiang Yixing's grave...

Of course, those were all backup plans. The first option was naturally to visit his old home and see whether Jiang Yixing was still alive. Perhaps he had obtained a Longevity Pill—though one would not be enough; he would need more than ten—and barely survived until today. Or perhaps some expert had poured enlightenment directly into him, allowing him to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. With the Nascent Soul Realm's natural lifespan of around five hundred years, he could just barely still be alive now...

In any case, aptitude was not the sole determining factor. Jiang Li himself was a fine example. If not for his diligent cultivation, along with a tiny bit of help from his Heavenly Spiritual Root and Immeasurable Dao Body, he would not have cultivated to the Mahayana stage.