There Really Was a Cheat?

Li Yao watched Li Wenbin stride away, clapped his hands, and turned toward the classroom.

Along the way, every student who saw him looked as if they had seen a ghost and hurried out of his path.

"Did you see? Li Yao beat up both Yang Xiaoran and Lin Yun today!"

"Holy crap, seriously? Wasn't he her lapdog?"

"Lapdog? More like a lapdog awakened. He was fierce today—he even talked back to Director Liu."

"Keep your voice down. Don't let him hear you."

Li Yao listened to the chatter, pleased with himself.

As he walked, he thought, Wasn't getting a cheat supposed to be part of transmigrating?

An old grandpa? A system? A little blue bottle?

Li Yao kept calling out in his mind, hoping for some kind of response.

But several minutes passed—not a damn thing.

Who said transmigrators always get a cheat? Come out and take a beating!

Just then, a sudden ding rang in his head.

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have unlocked the Prominent Family System!"

Li Yao froze midstep. No way. A cheat?

"Host identity detected: grandson of a Martial Saint, son of a Martial Emperor. Background Value function activated."

He stood rooted to the spot, his head buzzing.

"Scanning host's background..."

"Scan complete. Host's current Background Value: 100,000 points."

"Background Value: Each time the host uses his family background to resolve a problem, he earns a Background Value reward. Background Value can be exchanged for superpowers, cultivation techniques, pills, Spirit Artifacts, and other items."

"System shop unlocked. Host may browse it at any time."

Li Yao was dumbstruck.

"A system?" he muttered. "I really got a cheat?"

He quickly glanced around. Thankfully, no one was paying attention to him. He took a deep breath and hurried into the classroom.

Several classmates were already studying. When they saw Li Yao enter, they lowered their heads and pretended not to notice him.

Li Yao didn't care. He went straight to his seat, sat down, closed his eyes, and said in his mind, System, open the shop.

A translucent blue panel appeared before his eyes, packed with items.

"Heaven-Rank Cultivation Technique: Nine-Turn Profound Art — Background Value: 50,000 points"

"Earth-Rank Cultivation Technique: Primordial Unity Art — Background Value: 30,000 points"

"Spirit Artifact: Heaven-Piercing Sword — Background Value: 80,000 points"

"Pill: Marrow-Cleansing Pill — Background Value: 10,000 points"

"Superpower: Fire Control — Background Value: 20,000 points"

"Superpower: Lightning Control — Background Value: 25,000 points"

Li Yao's eyes nearly popped out.

"Damn, that's a lot of good stuff." He swallowed and checked his Background Value again. 100,000 points.

"That's enough to buy quite a few things." He rubbed his hands together excitedly.

Still, he held back and read the instructions for earning Background Value first.

"Ways to earn Background Value:"

"1. Use your family background to resolve a problem: 100–10,000 points each time."

"2. Publicly reveal your family identity: 50–500 points each time."

"3. Complete system missions for generous rewards."

"4. Successfully slap someone in the face: earn an additional reward based on the severity."

Li Yao couldn't help grinning.

"This system really knows what I like."

He was still savoring the thought when his phone suddenly buzzed.

He took it out and saw a text message.

"Young master, the old master wants you to come home tonight."

Sender: Li Wenbin.

Li Yao raised an eyebrow.

Go home? The old master wants to see me?

He thought it over. He had only just transmigrated and still wasn't familiar with this world. Going home would give him a chance to ask the old master a few things.

Besides, his system had just awakened. Maybe going back would trigger a mission.

He was about to reply when his phone buzzed again.

"Young master, the old master says he has something to discuss with you. Please make sure you come home tonight."

Li Yao replied, "Got it. I'll be back tonight."

He slipped his phone into his pocket, leaned back in his chair, and gazed at the sky outside the window.

Looks like there's a good show coming tonight.

The old master had never been this insistent about making him come home before.

I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing back in my original world.

It had felt great while it lasted, but now, alone in his chair, Li Yao couldn't help sinking into sadness.

"Ding! No need to worry, host. This system can take you back to your original world."

"Really?"

Li Yao felt like someone drowning in icy seawater who had suddenly caught hold of a lifeline.

He desperately needed even a sliver of hope.

No matter how good this world was, he didn't belong here.

"That's right, host. But first, your Background Value must meet the requirement for returning, and you must reach this world's highest cultivation realm."

The system's voice cut off, and Li Yao felt as though another bucket of cold water had been dumped over him.

This world's highest cultivation realm?

The world Li Yao had transmigrated into was one where Spiritual Energy Revival had occurred and demons ran rampant.

A hundred years ago, Spiritual Energy Revival had quietly swept across the globe.

Plants and animals changed first, growing bigger and faster, developing intelligence...

Every country responded quickly, and the chaos caused by those early mutations was soon suppressed.

But then came the second wave, the third...

Only when humans began awakening superpowers and becoming martial artists did the situation start to ease.

But human nature carried its own evil, and good and bad people alike awakened superpowers.

There were always people who gained great power and stopped respecting their country or anyone else. They wanted to be the ones who didn't have to eat beef.

Civil wars and external enemies steadily shrank the territory humanity held, while its population began to plummet.

Then Li Yao's grandfather, Li Fuhai, appeared. Single-handedly, he shouldered the tottering Dragon Nation.

He first quelled the internal unrest. After breaking through to Martial Saint, he led the others in reclaiming the territory that had once belonged to their country.

Later, a Demon Saint Realm powerhouse emerged among the demons. A balance formed between the two sides, and Li Fuhai spent year after year guarding the border, devoting himself heart and soul to the Dragon Nation.

Cultivation in this world had since developed into an established system.

Aside from those with superpowers, the most common path was the martial path.

It began with Martial Masters of the First through Ninth Ranks.

After breaking through from Ninth Rank Martial Master came Martial Venerable, Martial King, Martial Sovereign, Martial Emperor, Martial Saint, and Martial God!

Li Yao was only a Third Rank Martial Master. There were still more than a dozen major realms between him and Martial God.

How many years would it take before I could go back?

The flame of hope that had just kindled went out again. Li Yao slumped in dejection.

"Host, time flows differently in this world and your original world. One year here is only one day there."

The system's voice rang out at just the right moment.

"Really, system?"

"This system never cheats the young or the old, and it never lies."