Jiangnan Base City, main urban district.
The morning sun filtered through sparse clouds, scattering golden flecks across the courtyard of a detached villa, where every inch of land was worth a fortune.
A breeze stirred, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees and dispelling the chill left over from the night.
Lin Yuan lounged in a specially made wicker chair, swirling an expensive fruit juice with ice in his hand. A pair of sunglasses rested on his nose, and he was sprawled in a state of utter relaxation.
"Now this is the life..."
Lin Yuan sighed contentedly, gazing at the blue sky through his sunglasses, his heart full of emotion.
For ordinary people, in this era of rampant monsters and constant danger, simply staying alive was the greatest stroke of luck.
But for Lin Yuan, these leisurely days off were among the few perks of being an Honorary Inspector of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.
That's right, an Honorary Inspector.
Though the word "Honorary" meant he had no real power, such as the authority to mobilize the military, his status still placed him firmly among the top tier below those beyond the War God level.
At first, Lin Yuan, who wanted nothing more than to slack off, had refused the seemingly glamorous but endlessly troublesome job.
What kind of joke was that?
Being an Inspector meant attending meetings, dealing with sudden beast tides, and having countless eyes on him. How could that compare to hiding away to cultivate on his own and enjoy life?
Unfortunately, his talent in this life was just a little too absurd.
At only twenty-two, his physical fitness had reached the High-level War God level.
His power amplification had reached an astonishing 4.5 times, and his blade technique had attained the level of subtle mastery.
His rocket-like rise had directly caught the attention of the world's strongest man—Hong.
Under Hong's personal "care," Lin Yuan could only accept the title of Honorary Inspector with tears in his eyes, becoming the "peerless genius" everyone in the Extreme Martial Arts Hall and the global martial arts community loved to talk about.
But—was that really all that impressive?
"A genius? That's only because you've never seen the real universe."
Lin Yuan took a sip of juice, the corner of his mouth curling in self-mockery.
Only he knew that he was a transmigrator.
Twenty-two years ago, he had been born into this world called Swallowed Star.
At first, he'd been full of ambition, dreaming of punching Hong, kicking Thunder God, leaving Earth, and conquering the universe.
Reality, however, had slapped him hard across the face.
No system, no wise old mentor, no portable pocket dimension.
Aside from the handsome face his parents had given him in this life and a martial arts talent that was indeed top-notch, he had no cheat or other advantage. Without any opportunities in the universe, all he could do was go with the flow.
Relying on the mental strength he'd developed over two lifetimes and his foreknowledge of the plot, he'd trained like a madman, finally reaching the High-level War God level at the age of twenty-two.
In the eyes of Earthlings, that was a miracle. But in the vast universe, it wasn't even a ripple.
"Before long, that big fellow, the Golden Horned Beast, is going to show up..."
Thinking of the terrifying Starry Sky Behemoth that could swallow half a Base City in one bite, Lin Yuan felt his scalp tingle.
A High-level War God? In front of the Golden Horned Beast, he'd be no different from an ant. Even Hong and Thunder God would either die or be crippled when the time came.
"Whether it's Blue Star or the Devouring World, there's never a moment of peace."
Lin Yuan thought to himself, setting down his juice.
He knew his place. His talent was decent, but compared with Luo Feng, who had the "protagonist's halo" and was destined to become a Hunyuan Lord...
His own talent was just a slightly bigger firefly!
So why work himself to death?
"Rather than exhaust myself fighting for my life, I'd be better off finding a chance to latch onto Luo Feng..."
An extremely tempting plan took shape in Lin Yuan's mind.
According to the intelligence he'd received, Luo Feng had entered the world's top training program, the Elite Training Camp, just a few days ago. Right now, Luo Feng was still a fledgling just learning to spread his wings—the perfect time to invest in him!
With Lin Yuan's current status and strength, becoming Luo Feng's "understanding big brother" or "protector" would be a piece of cake.
Once Luo Feng left Earth, seized the Golden Horned Beast's body, and joined the Virtual Universe Company...
As his "good big brother," Lin Yuan could freeload a few resources, become an Immortal God, or even get a guaranteed spot as a Universe Venerable. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
"Now that's the right way to be a transmigrator!"
The more Lin Yuan thought about it, the more workable it seemed. He even felt like giving Luo Feng a thumbs-up in his mind.
After all, compared with that certain fellow in the neighboring story who was always declaring, "You have a death wish," Luo Feng's character really was beyond reproach.
Apart from seeming like a "great villain" and being ruthless and decisive in his methods, he was genuinely devoted to his family and friends.
Latching onto someone like that was safe, reliable, and sure to pay off!
"It's settled! I'll go to Hongning Base City in a couple of days and visit Luo Feng under the pretext of an inspection."
Lin Yuan snapped his fingers, his spirits lifting at once. He could almost see himself lounging on a Universe Venerable's throne and enjoying eternal life.
Just as he'd settled on this grand plan to "lie back and latch onto someone powerful"—
Suddenly!
"Ding!"
A crisp electronic chime, as if ringing from the depths of his soul, burst into his mind without warning.
Lin Yuan's hand jerked as he reached for his juice. The ice cubes clattered against the glass.
His whole body jolted as if he'd been electrocuted, and he nearly sprang out of the wicker chair.
Then a cold, mechanical voice—one that somehow sounded incredibly pleasant to him—echoed in his mind:
[Host detected to have reached the High-level War God level. Bone age: twenty-two. Talent assessment: "Excellent."] [Activation requirements met...] [The Strongest Path System is now officially activated!] [Binding system... Binding successful!] [In view of the host's outstanding talent and having reached the War God level through personal effort, the beginner's gift pack has been automatically placed in the system inventory. Please check.]
The air seemed to freeze in that moment.
The breeze stopped. The leaves no longer swayed.
Even the car horns from the distant street seemed to fade away.
Lin Yuan stayed half-risen, his sunglasses slipping halfway down his face and exposing eyes as wide as bells. He stared blankly at the empty space in front of him, his head buzzing.
A full half minute passed.
Lin Yuan suddenly straightened up, took a deep breath, and blurted out a choice phrase in Chinese:
"What the hell?!"
He rubbed his ears in disbelief, making sure he hadn't imagined it.
"System? Is that you, system?"
"You bastard... couldn't you have shown up thirty years later?"
Lin Yuan couldn't help screaming inwardly.
Twenty-two years!
Did you have any idea what those twenty-two years had been like for me?
I'd risen before dawn and trained through freezing winters and scorching summers. Where were you when I fought monsters in the Wilderness Zone until I was covered in blood?
Where were you when Lord-level Monsters chased me through the mountains like a dog?
Now I've mastered powerful techniques and gained fame and fortune. I'd just decided to kick back, latch onto someone powerful, and enjoy life, and then you show up?
The system didn't respond to his complaints. Only the translucent, pale-blue screen floating before him proved that this wasn't a dream.
The screen displayed only a few clear options: [Personal Panel], [Quest List], [System Inventory].
Lin Yuan's mouth twitched uncontrollably as he tried to rein in his emotions, which had been on a roller coaster.
He might have been cursing up a storm, but his body was still very honest.
After all, it was a system!
The standard equipment of a transmigrator, a miraculous tool for defying fate!
He shook his head, temporarily shoving his plan to "latch onto someone powerful and become a hanger-on" into a corner.
If he had the chance to become the powerhouse himself, who'd want to settle for being a hanger-on?
"Whew..."
Lin Yuan let out a long breath and sat back down in the wicker chair, his gaze gradually sharpening.
"The Strongest Path System? Sounds pretty impressive."
He rubbed his hands together, a long-forgotten feeling of anticipation welling up inside him. He cautiously thought to himself:
"Open the beginner's gift pack."
The mechanical voice rang out again.
[Beginner's gift pack opened. Rewards received:] [Reward 1: Spiritual Force awakened! The host's Spiritual Force level has been directly raised to the "peak of the High-level War God" level!] [Reward 2: Tier 3 Telekinetic Weapon—"Arc Wheel" (includes a basic control technique)!] [Reward 3: Universal Language basics and an introduction to the universe!]
As the voice faded, Lin Yuan felt a sudden, earth-shaking boom in his mind, as if the world had been created anew.
Boom!
A vast, cool, mysterious energy appeared out of nowhere in the depths of his sea of consciousness.
His sea of consciousness, already powerful but with no awakened Spiritual Force, seemed to have an entire ocean poured into it.
The power swept through his body, seeping into every cell and every inch of bone.
Pain!
A sharp, swelling ache washed over him, followed by an indescribable sense of pleasure.
His senses expanded without limit.
With his eyes closed, he could clearly "see" the veins on every blade of grass in the courtyard, hear an ant crawling a hundred meters away, and sense the path of every speck of dust drifting through the air.
His body, already exceptionally powerful as a martial artist, seemed to break through some kind of shackle as it was nourished by Spiritual Force.
At the same time, fragments of obscure knowledge poured into his mind, as if carved into his very bones: the Universal Language, along with instructions for controlling the Arc Wheel, a telekinetic weapon.
He didn't know how long it took for that sensation of having knowledge poured straight into his mind to gradually fade.
Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, two flashes of cold light seemed to flicker deep in his pupils, their intensity unsettling.
He lowered his head and looked at his hands, giving the slightest command with his mind.
Whirr—
The stainless-steel spoon on the table beside him rose into the air without warning. It twisted and warped in an instant, then crumpled into a lump of scrap metal...
In the next instant, an invisible force compressed it into a sheet of iron as thin as a cicada's wing.
Perfect control, down to the finest detail!
A peak High-level War God Spiritual Force user!
On Earth, Spiritual Force users were already two minor levels stronger than martial artists of the same rank.
A peak High-level War God Spiritual Force user was already a true member of the "Invincible War God" ranks on Earth. With his bizarre abilities, he could even threaten someone at the Planetary Level!
"This feeling..."
Lin Yuan clenched his fist, sensing the vast, ocean-like power in his body. The corners of his mouth kept rising, and his previous desire to "lie back and relax" immediately crumbled halfway.
He discovered that he seemed to be... just a tiny bit stronger than before!
"System, you may be a little late..."
"But you're so worth it."
Before you continue