A surge of indescribable emotions crashed against his heart like a cosmic tide: elation, excitement, grievance, and even a hint of absurdity. The waves had been still for nearly ten thousand years. Now they rose into a towering tempest!
How long had he waited?
More than ninety thousand years!
From the confusion of his transmigration, to the heady triumph of unifying a planet, to the desperate struggle of a slave, fighting to survive in the arena until he won his freedom, built a family, and protected his corner of the world... Through those long years, he had countless times, in the stillness of the night, let himself imagine!
He had imagined that one day, a voice might ring out in his mind and grant him the power to shatter every shackle!
But as the years passed, then the centuries and millennia, that fanciful dream had long since been buried deep in his heart. He had even come to think of it as a ridiculous joke.
He had long accepted that all he could rely on was the War Blade in his hand and the will tempered through countless brushes with death!
Systems, wise old masters, invincible cheats... They were all ethereal legends, things that belonged to the truly chosen. They had nothing to do with a transmigrator like him, who had struggled for ninety thousand years without even reaching the threshold of a Domain Lord.
He had even accepted that his talent was limited and that this was simply his fate. He had planned to spend his final two hundred years putting his affairs in order, then calmly walk toward the end of his life.
But just as he had almost given up on his fantasies entirely and resigned himself to death!
Just as his lifespan was nearly exhausted, with fewer than two hundred years left on the clock!
It! Had! Actually! Come!
An indescribable ache surged into his nose. Even Lu Ming, whose resolve had been honed for ninety thousand years, nearly lost his composure.
"System, oh system..."
Lu Ming spoke inwardly, almost through gritted teeth.
"You really are a master of time management! You picked this moment... If you'd shown up a few decades later, even my ashes would've gone cold! Are you here to see me off, or to extend my life?!"
"Or is it that your binding conditions can only be met once the host has fallen into utter despair and stands on the brink of death? Isn't your activation threshold a little too high?!"
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in a Lightning Flash, while not even a moment passed outside.
His eyes, dulled by his failed breakthrough and dwindling lifespan, now blazed with light. All his weariness, helplessness, and despair vanished, replaced by a radiant vitality that seemed almost like rebirth!
Though he still didn't know exactly what the Sacrifice Return System could do, the word "system" alone was enough to fill a transmigrator with boundless imagination and confidence!
Hope!
At the end of his life, he had finally glimpsed a chance to break the shackles of fate and truly roam the star seas!
At that moment, the phantom of the Intelligent Life Azure Kite was still waiting respectfully in place, completely unaware of the momentous change in her master's state of mind.
Lu Ming forcibly tamped down his nearly boiling emotions. His face remained as calm as still water, betraying nothing, though a trace of barely concealed fervor lingered deep in his eyes.
He looked at Azure Kite, his voice as steady as ever.
"Azure Kite, have them wait in the side hall. I'll be there shortly."
"Yes, Master."
Azure Kite replied respectfully, and her phantom slowly faded away.
The secret chamber was once again occupied by Lu Ming alone.
"System! System!"
Lu Ming called out inwardly.
"Are you there? Open the panel!"
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a pale blue screen with a futuristic design silently unfolded in his field of vision, its layout simple and clear.
[Sacrifice Return System] Host: Lu Ming Realm: Universe Level, Ninth Rank Available Sacrifices: 1 (Automatically replenishes once per year) Bound Items: None [Sacrifice] [Warehouse] (Empty)
Simple!
Straightforward!
As expected of a system!
Lu Ming's heart began to pound faster despite himself, and he focused his thoughts on the [Sacrifice] option.
A flood of information poured into his mind, explaining the system's core function.
A moment later, Lu Ming slowly opened his eyes and let out a long, long breath, releasing the pent-up weariness of ninety thousand years. His eyes flashed with a startling brilliance!
"So that's how it works! Brilliant!"
He couldn't help but murmur in admiration. The system's rules were simple and direct, yet its power was so outrageous it defied the heavens!
Anything the system judged to belong to him could be sacrificed: cultivation manuals, divine weapons, precious treasures, even a stone or a blade of grass!
After the sacrifice, the system would return items at a random multiplier based on the offering's value!
The multiplier ranged from a minimum of two times to a theoretical maximum of... ten thousand times!
The returned item might be a higher-tier version of the same kind as the offering, something entirely different but of roughly equivalent value, or even an unexpected special reward!
"Ten thousand times..."
Lu Ming licked his dry lips, feeling his breath grow hot.
It was terrifying!
Sacrifice a Ganwu Coin and get ten thousand back?
That sounded outrageous, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't much.
But what if he sacrificed a low-grade secret art and received a heaven-defying tome in return?
What if he sacrificed a plant spirit that could extend his life by a hundred years and received a cosmic divine fruit?!
The possibilities and room for maneuver were so vast that they could drive any being mad!
"I've struck it rich... This time, I've really struck it rich!"
Ninety thousand years of cultivation and self-restraint crumbled in the face of this heaven-defying cheat.
No wonder it was called the Sacrifice Return System. The name was plain, but the function? Magnificent!
"Wait, it automatically replenishes once a year. Does that mean I can only make one sacrifice per year? Can I save them up?"
Lu Ming noticed another crucial detail. He would have to test that later.
None of that was the point. The point was that with this system, he now had limitless possibilities!
"No time to waste. I'll test the sacrifice function now."
What should he sacrifice first?
After this sacrifice, he would have to wait another year. Time was life to him now.
He had to sacrifice something that would be as useful to him as possible.
Precious treasures?
His recent breakthrough had used up nearly all of them, and what remained was ordinary.
What should he sacrifice...?
His divine sense sank into his World Ring. He still had some supplies: a few commonly used recovery potions, a few Origin Force weapons, some Universe Coins, and several secret arts he had either mastered completely or considered beneath him...
These things were valuable, to be sure. Any one of them could stir up a frenzy among Stellar Level or even early-stage Universe Level cultivators if it ended up on the market.
But as the first sacrifice to this heaven-defying system, Lu Ming felt... they weren't quite good enough!
"For my first sacrifice, I have to maximize the benefits! Ideally, it'll directly solve my most pressing problems..."
Lu Ming furrowed his brow as his mind worked faster than ever.
What were his biggest problems?
His life was nearly over! He couldn't break through!
What could address both of those problems directly?
Just as his thoughts began to stall, his eyes unconsciously passed over the smooth Black Jet Gold wall. It clearly reflected his figure: a stern face, eyes bright with excitement, and a body marked by ninety thousand years of hardship.
Wait!
His body?!