Unexpected Discovery, Uninvited Guest

Meanwhile.

In the Chaos.

Lei Jun's motion of refining the opportunity paused slightly.

He laughed.

"I originally thought I'd just give him a bit of resonance, repay the opportunity, and that would be enough!"

"I didn't expect him to actually take root in the courtyard!"

"He's quite clear-headed!"

Then.

Lei Jun shifted his attention away, once again focusing on refining the opportunity.

At this moment.

It wouldn't be long before the opportunity underwent its "Return to Ancestry."

In just a little more time.

Lei Jun would be able to use this opportunity to quickly locate and find methods to reach other worlds.

Time passed in a flash.

No one knew how long had gone by.

When a fluctuation resembling that of the Space Demon God appeared within the Chaos.

Lei Jun, in that instant.

Gained profound understanding.

More crucially, in the very next moment, he found a new world.

A place distinct from the Primordial Wilderness.

This place was not large.

But it had some intriguing qualities that even made Lei Jun raise an eyebrow.

After a moment's thought.

Lei Jun uttered a single term.

"System Space?"

Within the Chaos, many things were disordered, utterly devoid of any pattern or law.

Take time, for instance.

Though measured against the Primordial Wilderness, the time Lei Jun spent refining the opportunity and causing its "Return to Ancestry" didn't seem long.

From start to finish, it was only as long as it took Yang Mei to sense the fluctuation.

And take root in the Small Courtyard.

In reality.

If a cultivator from the Primordial Wilderness were to experience Lei Jun refining the opportunity in the Chaos, they would feel an entirely different sensation.

They would perceive it as unbearably long.

As if undergoing another transformation!

Such is the Chaos.

Many experiences and rules from the Primordial Wilderness were inapplicable here.

Just as macroscopic physics, when applied to the microscopic realm.

No longer holds true.

The difference is.

Compared to the Chaos, the Primordial Wilderness is the "microscopic world"!

As tiny as a star within the vast Universe.

The distinction lies in.

The Primordial Wilderness being full of certainty, while the Chaos is indeterminate!

That aside.

If time is so disordered, how could space be any different?

Thus.

Using methods from the Primordial Wilderness to find another world distinct from it within the Chaos had a zero percent chance.

Fortunately, Lei Jun recognized this.

And adjusted in time.

From Yang Mei, he also obtained the Origin opportunity that originally belonged to the Space Demon God.

There was no denying it.

The Space Demon God truly lived up to being an outstanding figure among the Three Thousand Chaos Gods and Devils; even with Lei Jun's current cultivation, he couldn't help but marvel at the depth of the Space Demon God's comprehension of the Dao of Space.

One could say.

If the Space Demon God took one more step forward, the Dao of Space could be called the Great Dao of Space!

That is, "Proving the Dao" within Chaos!

Of course.

Even without having Proven the Dao, the Space Demon God's Origin opportunity was enough to multiply Lei Jun's speed in locating other worlds many times over.

At this moment.

Through this thread of opportunity, Lei Jun discovered a peculiar place.

If not for Lei Jun's "vast experience,"

he would have struggled to describe it.

However.

These insights of his did not originate from the Primordial Wilderness.

But from before his transmigration—

the novels he had read!

In those novels.

The protagonists who transmigrated almost always possessed a Golden Finger.

Some were fine.

Perhaps it was a certain Supreme Treasure.

Like the Chaos Bead...

But more often, it was a cheat called a "System."

At this moment.

The place Lei Jun discovered could be called "System Space"! Of course.

That is, the source of all rewards for the "protagonists" in the novels.

In other words.

After the "protagonists" completed their system tasks, the rewards came from here and appeared in the "protagonist's" hands.

Thus.

Lei Jun called it System Space.

Rather than the "protagonists'" Personal Warehouse—the two were clearly distinct.

For a moment.

Lei Jun felt somewhat emotional.

"Truly unexpected, to have such a discovery!"

"If not for the Space Demon God's opportunity, I might not have detected it so quickly!"

"And judging by the state of this space, it seems..."

"it is also searching for the Primordial Wilderness?"

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow.

Understanding dawned in his heart.

"Barring any surprises.

"If this space finds the Primordial Wilderness, "the Primordial Wilderness..."

"I fear it will be as I previously imagined—transmigrators will appear!"

"That is, 'the protagonists from the novels'!"

The Space Demon God's Origin opportunity.

Not only allowed Lei Jun to find System Space.

But also enabled him to remain undetected, unnoticed by the existence behind System Space.

And to conduct a preliminary probe of System Space.

For instance, now.

As long as he did not probe too deeply, Lei Jun could not only determine the purpose of this space but even perform a shallow inspection of its interior!

Not inspecting was fine, but once he did—

Suddenly

Lei Jun was amused.

"They came prepared!"

"Pangu Axe, Chaos Bead, Chaos Green Lotus, World-Destroying Grinding Wheel... Great Wasteland Pagoda, Heaven and Earth Mother Qi Cauldron?"

"Good heavens!"

"Supernatural artifacts from other worlds are all here!"

"Too bad..."

"They're all projections, not the originals. They need external power to be manifested!"

Because he thought it might alert the existence behind the system.

Before long.

Lei Jun withdrew his perception.

But his mood hadn't settled.

No help for it.

Just this one probe had given him much to ponder.

"As expected!"

"Can't limit myself to the Primordial Wilderness."

"The Chaos is vast. I've only just stepped out, and already I've found something!"

"It also confirms my earlier thoughts!"

"There's more than one Primordial Wilderness!"

"Besides, this System Space does have some tricks. It can obtain the Origin opportunities of Chaos Supreme Treasures from other Primordial Wildernesses and project them here!"

At this moment.

Lei Jun's mind cleared.

He had a guess.

"First, I have to say—there's no such thing as a free lunch!"

"The system might be 'helping' the protagonists, but that doesn't mean it has no agenda!"

"For example, those Supreme Treasures in the System Space, and the spiritual objects that are only projections for now—once they're all fully manifested, or when the Primordial Wilderness's power is drained dry, will those so-called 'protagonists' still be alive?"

"Even if there's Chaos beyond the Primordial Wilderness, those who rose through the system—unless they completely break free from it—will eventually be abandoned by it!"

"In other words, the 'protagonists' can be called nothing more than the system's tools."

"Or even..."

"Pigs waiting to be butchered?!"

Lei Jun thought this.

Using a very unpleasant word.

But honestly.

That was exactly how he saw it.

Because the system's motive for appearing was far too suspicious. It shows up out of nowhere, offers so-called supreme benefits, and acts as if it expects nothing in return.

As if it's purely doing good deeds.

But is that possible?

If someone had told Lei Jun this before he transmigrated, his first reaction wouldn't have been surprise.

It would've been fraud.

Not only that.

In the end, he might even have been sold and still be counting the money for them!

Anyway.

If Lei Jun had activated the system at the start of his transmigration, he definitely wouldn't have been thrilled.

Instead, he'd have thought about how to destroy the system first.

What he hadn't expected

was that the system didn't come to him.

He went to the system first!

And even...

The system's "lair"!

Of course...

It might only be one of them.

After all, there are far too many systems.

Then.

Two choices lay before Lei Jun.

Either strike first.

Or hold position.

The former offered some initiative.

But with the situation still unclear, it could instead lead to passivity later on.

Moreover, right now, everything in the System Space.

Was merely a projection.

Even if Lei Jun took it down intact, the actual gains in hand would be minimal.

One could even imagine.

That when that entity learned the System Space had been destroyed, it would certainly, at the first moment, fade away all its projections.

It might even launch a more forceful intervention.

In the end.

Lei Jun would not only gain nothing useful.

But might also alert the enemy.

"Better to wait and see!"

"Or rather..."

"Let it come to my home ground! That is, the Primordial Wilderness!"

Lei Jun was unfamiliar with Chaos.

Too many variables.

Without complete certainty, no matter what he did, the outcome would be hard to predict.

The Primordial Wilderness was different.

With his current cultivation, he could control the entire domain!

In Chaos, he might worry about being discovered by that entity.

In the Primordial Wilderness, that would not happen at all.

Lei Jun had this confidence.

He judged this because the existence that created the systems, since it needed to parasitize "protagonists" and rely on them to carry out its plans.

That meant it likely lacked the ability itself.

Or rather, could not accomplish it alone!

But whichever it was.

It all meant.

On Lei Jun's home ground, the system could not detect his presence.

"Thus."

"I shall wait and see."

Lei Jun's mind stirred, and he made a brief calculation.

Soon.

He deduced the result he wanted.

"Judging by the speed of this opportunity, when it finds the Primordial Wilderness, it will probably be..."

"Around the time the First Sermon ends?"

"That's soon!"

Thinking this.

Lei Jun's mind shifted again.

His Primordial Spirit retracted, returning from Chaos to the Small Courtyard.

Far faster than the System Space.

And from this perspective.

Lei Jun's realm was also above that system's.

Clearly.

Even systems.

Have their own hierarchy.

Lei Jun muttered to himself.

"I wonder what level this incoming system will be?"

"System?"

"Celestial Venerable, what are you mumbling about?"

"And what is a system?"

A crisp, pleasant female voice rang out, but it didn't come from any person—it came from a tree.

The Laurel Tree.

Youying, who had been in a half-secluded cultivation state, was always watching Lei Jun lying beneath the tree, which was her true body.

So.

When Lei Jun woke from his "slumber."

She.

Sensed it immediately.

Hearing her confusion, Lei Jun chuckled lightly.

"Nothing."

"You'll find out when the time comes!"

"Just an Uninvited Guest!"

At that moment.

Not only was Youying stunned, but the other cultivators who had just emerged from seclusion.

Were the same.

After Lei Jun awoke.

The cultivators in seclusion all withdrew, one after another.

Without exception.

Setting aside everything else, the mere chance at rebirth was enough to fill them with gratitude.

Let alone the opportunity to touch upon Hunyuan.

So.

No matter what, they had to express their thanks.

However.

As soon as they withdrew.

They heard Lei Jun's soft words.

An Uninvited Guest?

Could it be...

Someone like Yang Mei?

But since Lei Jun didn't seem inclined to elaborate, they didn't dare press further.

Instead, as if reading each other's minds, they spoke in unison.

"We pay our respects to the Celestial Venerable!"

Of course.

It wasn't just words.

But actions too.

For instance, the progenitors of the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans bowed their heads low, showing no arrogance, and dared not show any disrespect to Lei Jun.

To be precise, their hearts held only reverence.

Even the Spirit Roots bent slightly, as a sign of respect.

Then.

Then.

The words they spoke, though no longer in unison.

All carried the same meaning.

"Thank you, Celestial Venerable, for granting us this opportunity. Without it, I wouldn't even have my consciousness now, let alone Hunyuan! Once again, my thanks to the Celestial Venerable!"

"If the Celestial Venerable has any need of me, just say the word!"

"I would die ten thousand deaths without hesitation!"

Someone said as much.

Others, however, were far less serious.

"Celestial Venerable, forgive me—I originally wished to bow and pay my respects, but I am merely a pebble cultivating The Way of Hardness, and truly have no way to 'bend at the waist'!"

"Since that is the case..."

"Then let me kowtow ten thousand times instead!"

Having said that.

A sound of "thump thump thump" rang out, rising and falling in a rhythmic cadence.

Taking another look.

It was a tiny pebble, "bouncing in place"...