Chapter 1

Player: Lin Yuan

Level: 0

Experience Points: 0/1

Talent Traits: None

...

Lin Yuan lay on the bed, staring blankly at the translucent screen floating in midair before him.

He had truly time-traveled, it seemed.

He had come from the familiar Blue Star to a somewhat distorted, so-called Azure Star, and had even acquired a time-traveler's exclusive cheat?

A game panel?

It looked a bit rudimentary, with only a few items for reference, but it was simple and easy to understand. In a word: level up to get rewards.

And the rewards...

Did they seem to be so-called talent traits?

This is getting interesting.

Lin Yuan executed a carp kipper-flip and sprang to his feet.

Wasn't this just a monster-grunting and grass-mowing minigame? He understood this inside and out.

Back in his past life's era of short videos, he had played quite a few brainless minigames, so he possessed a bit of experience.

Now it had simply been converted into a real-life version...

As for why he accepted the reality of time-travel so easily?

There was no help for it; the current general environment was just like this.

Those capable of becoming protagonists either had both parents deceased or both parents acting as powerhouses.

Unfortunately, Lin Yuan belonged to the former.

With no attachments, it naturally didn't matter which planet he found himself on—life, after all, was about living wherever one was!

Besides, based on the brief information he had gathered since his arrival, this so-called "Azure Star" was far from simple; it was much more interesting than Blue Star.

"Five hundred years ago, the Astral Realm invaded..."

"Heaven and earth underwent drastic changes, and high-level cosmic starry sky energy..."

"Human predecessors pioneered the Starry Sky Martial Arts System, giving birth to a massive number of Starry-Sky Warriors..."

"Starry-Sky Warriors refine cosmic starry sky energy, vastly improving their physical fitness, effortlessly possessing a hundred thousand catties of brute force, and speeds surpassing tigers and leopards..."

"Even more, those with profound cultivation can fly through the skies and escape the earth, split mountains and sever cliffs, their sword's cold light illuminating fourteen provinces..."

"This is the 'Era of Stellar Changes'!"

"A brilliant great age belonging to Starry-Sky Warriors!"

Recalling the basic situation of this world, Lin Yuan couldn't help yearning for it, his blood boiling uncontrollably.

A world like this was the place he ought to have come to...

Who didn't have their youth?

Who hadn't longed for transcendence?

And who could fail to yearn for a heroic life of flying through the heavens, escaping the earth, and living unrestrainedly?

In his past life, he could only dream about it, but now...

Lin Yuan had truly and tangibly arrived in a high-martial-arts world!

"Since I've made this trip, if I were still to live mediocrely and accomplish nothing all my life, wouldn't that be far too boring?"

The corners of his mouth curled upward.

His bright eyes erupted with a trace of extreme desire.

The next day, Lin Yuan took a trip to the Hunter Association and officially registered as a professional hunter.

The so-called hunter was actually an official institution under the system of the Azure Star Human Federation.

In the Era of Stellar Changes, the world entered the stellar-martial era.

Starry-Sky Warriors stood high above, possessing the most formidable martial might, top-tier social status, and privileges.

Everyone wanted to become a Starry-Sky Warrior.

Yet reality was cruel; not everyone possessed the aptitude to become a Starry-Sky Warrior.

On the contrary, those who had the opportunity to become towering Starry-Sky Warriors were ultimately only a small minority.

It was practically one in a thousand, incomparably rare.

Most people cultivated for a lifetime, yet could only be reduced to "hunters," missing out on the doors of the Stellar Martial Path.

The difference between a "hunter" and a "starry-sky warrior" lay in whether or not they had refined their natal stellar force!

The Stellar Martial Path began with body tempering.

Body tempering had four steps: first was skin tempering, second was tendon refining, third was blood tempering, and the last was marrow cleansing.

After these four steps, body tempering reached grandmastery and foundation establishment perfection, leaving no weaknesses from the inside out. With a tough and resilient physical body capable of withstanding the invasion of violent cosmic starry sky energy, one finally gained the qualification to begin attempting to refine their natal stellar force and transform into a true Starry-Sky Warrior!

Otherwise, if body tempering failed to reach grandmastery and one forcibly circulated the breathing technique, absorbing the universe and heaven and earth's starry sky energy into the body, it would only yield the opposite result and cause them to explode and die.

Therefore, anyone could practice the Body Tempering Realm, but not everyone could achieve grandmastery and perfection.

Some people possessed outstanding aptitude and innate talent, perhaps achieving body tempering grandmastery after six years of schooling, refining their first wisp of natal stellar force, and attaining the status of a Starry-Sky Warrior.

While more people were mediocre in aptitude and devoid of special strengths—let alone six years, even twelve or dozens of years would pass without them achieving body tempering grandmastery, naturally cutting them off from the Stellar Martial Path.

Most people of this sort transferred their occupations to become "hunters."

Because even if they couldn't achieve body tempering grandmastery, a dozen or so years of body tempering cultivation still allowed their physical bodies to undergo prolonged training, granting them formidable strength that ordinary people did not possess!

"The first step, skin tempering, trains the skin and membranes of the whole body, possessing four hundred catties of force!"

"The second step, tendon refining, hammers the tendons and bones within the body, possessing eight hundred catties of force!"

"The third step, blood tempering, refines the blood until it resembles lead and mercury, possessing two thousand catties of force!"

"The fourth step, marrow cleansing, washes the bloodlines and jade marrows, rendering the tendons and bones of the whole body translucent, possessing four thousand catties of force!"

"When the four steps are completed, body tempering is perfected, and even relying solely on the physical body grants ten thousand catties of brute force!"

One had to admit that Azure Star's Starry-Sky Martial Arts System still possessed quite a few extraordinary aspects.

Even in the initial apprentice realm, reaching profound depths allowed one to wield ten thousand catties of brute force; placed in an ordinary low-martial-arts world, they would probably be top grandmaster figures.

Yet here, it was merely the threshold of the true Stellar Martial Path...

"In a single morning, I broke through the womb's delusion; today I finally know that I am myself..."

Lin Yuan felt boundless emotion.

In truth, he hadn't time-traveled today; he had already been in this world for eighteen years.

Born through reincarnation, whether due to the meddling of the world's consciousness wishing to "eliminate" him—an otherworldly visitor—and purge the virus, Lin Yuan had fallen into the legendary "womb's delusion" right at birth, muddle-headed and ignorant of his true self.

He merely assumed he was an indigenous resident of Azure Star, stumbling along until he reached eighteen.

Until today, an accidental mishap allowed him to shatter the womb's delusion, awaken the true self of his past life, and unlock his own exclusive cheat.

"Game panel..."

"Judging by its introduction, the function is very simple—it's just a very ordinary monster-grunting and level-grubbing stream. Once experience points are full, one can level up, and every level-up allows one to draw a reward."

Lin Yuan possessed strong adaptability. Having understood everything, he immediately sprang into action to test what was on his mind.

Becoming a hunter was the first step!

"Where do experience points come from?"

"Nothing more than fighting monsters..."

"And monsters... the fierce beasts of this world should count, right?"

Lin Yuan quickly found a target.

Hunters, hunters—what did they hunt?

In his past life on Blue Star, they hunted various wild beasts and living creatures, whereas on Azure Star, those were powerful fierce beasts!

"That mysterious cosmic starry sky energy didn't just benefit humans; the endless wild animal life across the land has all undergone evolution as well."

"Or should I say... mutation?"

After registering his hunter identity, Lin Yuan sat in the corner of the hunter hall, flipping through the complimentary hunter manual.

It clearly and distinctly recorded the characteristics, strength, and most valuable parts and materials of various mutated fierce beasts within the wilderness zone—

"Ferocious Gray Rabbit, an ordinary herbivorous mutated fierce beast. Possesses strong jumping ability, excels in leg-thrusting combat, and has relatively weak force. Adults possess around four hundred catties of physical strength, with no special valuable materials. Only its flesh and blood taste delicious, deeply loved by many families..."

"Bloodthirsty Dire Wolf, an ordinary predatory mutated fierce beast. Adult body length approaches nearly three meters, with a shoulder height of one meter five. Excels in speed, possesses sharp fangs and claws, and any casual strike carries a thousand catties of force. However, its defense is rather poor, making it the premier first choice for many blood-tempering apprentices to practice their skills..."

"Tyrant Ferocious Tiger, a top-tier predatory mutated fierce beast. Mutated from the king of beasts, its physical fitness reaches the pinnacle of mutated fierce beasts, possessing ten thousand catties of brute force. None other than marrow-cleansing apprentices who have achieved body tempering grandmastery can contend with it. Its tiger bones, tiger whip, tiger heart, tiger tendons... are all top-grade fierce beast materials of considerable value..."

From the weakest herbivorous mutated fierce beasts all the way to the top predatory king—the tyrant ferocious tiger—several thousand large and small varieties were all recorded on the roster. The various kinds of information were quite comprehensive, causing Lin Yuan to click his tongue in wonder.

Good grief, as expected of monsters from a high-martial-arts worldview; even an ordinary little rabbit possessed four hundred catties of explosive force?

Placed in his past life on Blue Star, this could probably rival some top boxing champions!

Without a certain level of body tempering cultivation, he truly wouldn't be able to handle these outrageously absurd experience monsters.

Fortunately, he wasn't an ordinary person with trussed hands and feet either—or rather, because of the existence of the magical cosmic starry sky energy in this world, even the physical fitness of ordinary people surpassed that of his past life on Blue Star.

Any random ordinary person who hadn't cultivated could still possess two hundred catties of physical strength. As long as they began body tempering cultivation, even if they only completed the simplest first step of the skin tempering stage, their physical strength value could immediately soar to four hundred catties.

Mm, they could roughly put up a fight against the weakest ferocious gray rabbits in the wilderness zone...

What kind of hellish joke was this?

Naturally, Lin Yuan wasn't an ordinary person either.

Being able to register as a hunter meant that his body tempering cultivation had at least reached the third step, the Blood Tempering Stage, otherwise he truly would not have been qualified to step into the Wilderness Zone.

Yet that was only the extent of it.

Lin Yuan's talent in this lifetime was ordinary, and his aptitude was mediocre.

Even though he had been able to enter a martial arts high school to study and cultivate for free under official benefits, after six years of hard work, he had only barely broken through the third step of body tempering—the Blood Tempering Stage, possessing the strength of a thousand catties.

Placed on the Blue Star of his past life, he might have been considered strong, but on Azure Star, this powerful and extraordinary world that was gradually drawing close to the cosmic high-martial arts domain, he could only be regarded as blending in with the crowd.

Truly formidable heaven-favored children had already stepped into the fourth step of marrow cleansing six years in, or had even reached body tempering grandmastery, refining their first strand of natal stellar force to become true starry-sky warriors.

Those like him who barely broke through the third step after graduating from high school college entrance examinations were a dime a dozen, belonging to the most ordinary category, and barring any accidents, they were basically cut off from the stellar martial path.

Fortunately, heaven never cuts off all avenues of escape.

Lin Yuan had awakened his true self after all, unlocking a magical game panel and regaining the qualification to charge toward the stellar martial path!

The Wilderness Zone...

After registering his hunter identity, Lin Yuan did not delay too long. Following a slight preparation, he directly stepped onto the exclusive train heading toward the Wilderness Zone.

After getting off the train, Lin Yuan walked through the Wilderness Zone.

At that moment, he wore a black combat suit, wore a communication bracelet on his hand, carried a hunter backpack on his back, and had an ice-blue battle sword brightly strapped at his waist. He was fully armed with a fierce momentum.

These were all professional hunter pieces of equipment, cast using special craftsmanship. They possessed a certain degree of defense, complete functions, and carried a very expensive price tag.

Yet there was no help for it; if a worker wishes to do good work, he must first sharpen his tools.

A hunter was a highly dangerous profession after all, and he was a noviceto boot; how could he not prepare thoroughly?

We'll just have to see if this game panel delivers. Otherwise, if I go out on this trip and come back empty-handed, I'm going to lose even the shorts off my back...

Lin Yuan felt a pang of heartache.

It was simply too expensive. This combat suit alone cost him twenty million Azure Coins, and the Ice-Blue Battle Sword cost another twenty million. Adding in the other communication bracelet, hunter backpack, and some short spear projectile necessities, a complete set added up to a full sixty million!

All his previous savings had only amounted to a little over one hundred thousand, which was simply not enough. In the end, he had to take out a loan of five hundred thousand just to scrape together a complete set of equipment.

It could be considered all in.

That infuriating Hunter Loan actually carries a full 20% interest rate...

Lin Yuan gnashed his teeth.

20% interest!

In other words, even though he only borrowed five hundred thousand, when the time came to finally pay it back, it wouldn't just be fifty thousand, but a full six million—wait, sixty million!

With one go round, it fleeced him of one hundred thousand Azure Coins!

It was nothing short of infuriating.

Yet there was no help for it; this was necessary early-stage expenditure. Without a good weapon, without a life-saving combat suit, to charge bare-handed into the crisis-ridden Wilderness Zone?

Then it would be hard to tell who was the hunter and who was the prey...

Let's set a small target first, kill a rabbit to test the waters, and incidentally check out the quality of the game panel...

Lin Yuan was very prudent, daring only to set his sights on the weakest Ferocious Gray Rabbit.

If it were any other hunter, even killing a hundred gray rabbit fierce beasts would not recoup the cost, resulting in a loss that outweighed the gain.

However, Lin Yuan was different.

His primary objective was not hunting, but leveling up!

Only by killing monsters to accumulate experience points could he fill the experience bar to level up, and only after leveling up could he receive rewards.

If the game panel delivered and the rewards were good enough, perhaps he could turn the tables in a single bound!

At that time, once his strength improved, he would have the certainty to deal with those more powerful fierce beasts rather than anxiously rushing out of the novice village now just to throw his life away...

Soon, he discovered his target—

On the grassland, Lin Yuan crept stealthily through the grass, the Blue Ice Battle Sword already unsheathed as he stared deathly at a gray rabbit leisurely eating grass not far away.

As expected of the Gray Rabbit Plains being hailed as the best safe training map for novices; I've only been here a moment and already found a target.

Yet...

Wasn't this rabbit a bit too large?

Lin Yuan's eyelid twitched.

He saw that this gray rabbit was round and roly-poly, its gray fur exceptionally smooth, and its body massive. Its two ears were huge and drooped to the ground, almost as tall as an adult.

If someone called it a tiger, people would actually believe it...

Knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial; seeing it once beats hearing about it a hundred times...

Are we certain a big guy like this only has four hundred catties of physical strength?

Lin Yuan harbored some doubts, but with no better options available, he could only bite the bullet and go.

Instead of charging up immediately, he stealthily drew the short spear from his back, gathered all his physical strength, and seizing the right moment, unleashed a fierce, full-strength throw—

"Swish!"

Driven by the explosion of a thousand catties of force, the sharp metal short spear was like a black lightning bolt that pierced the air, instantly puncturing dozens of meters of space and directly impaling this gray rabbit that had been concentrating on its meal to the ground, blood splattering five paces away.

Killed in a single strike!

Until its death, it hadn't even discovered where the crisis came from. The formidable strength matched with the sharp metal short spear was like a heavy sniper rifle bullet, instantly tearing apart its heart, lungs, and chest.

Beautiful!

Lin Yuan breathed slightly, his eyes filled with excitement and thrill.

This was his first hunt.

Even though it was only the weakest Ferocious Gray Rabbit, the significance was extraordinary!

Of course, the most important thing was—

Player has killed a Ferocious Gray Rabbit, experience +1...
Experience is full, congratulations on leveling up to Level 1.
Please draw your Talent Traits...