[Wei Chang's POV]
[This system's function is as the name suggests. By signing in, you can receive rewards. You can sign in at specific locations or complete system-issued tasks to earn rewards. Sign-ins and tasks are graded as White, Green, Red, Black, Purple, Gold, Violet-Gold, and Rainbow.]
"Hmm~ the system's functions are pretty straightforward. That's good."
My mood was now completely different from the anxiety-ridden state I was in a moment ago.
"Hey system, I can't go around looking for people or places to sign in, right? Do you have a map or something for marking locations?"
'If this Sign-in system only allowed me to sign in at specific locations, that would be very limiting. I can't just run around the whole world, could I?'
The system didn't answer directly. Instead, a screen suddenly appeared before my eyes, visible only to me.
The screen displayed many points where I could sign in, even marking locations like Heavenly court, Earth Prison (Hell) and even Buddha's palm. Although, I didn't have the power to go to those places to sign in yet.
I zoomed in on the screen and located myself, and surprise surprise... You have what?
A sign-in location was right in front of me.
But that wasn't the surprise because my name written on screen was...
Name: Sun Wukong (Locked)
(Please Note: Haven't earned it yet)
And with the mountain, which is Mount Haguao.
My face flushed with renewed excitement and something deeper—reverence, maybe. Or disbelief.
"Sun Wukong?" I breathed.
The name glowed faintly on the translucent screen before me. Not bold or flashing, just there—like a truth that had always been waiting beneath the surface.
Locked.
I stared at it for a full minute, letting the weight of it sink in.
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven.The Monkey King.The one who rebelled against heaven itself.
And now... my name?
No. Not yet. The system was clear—"Haven't earned it yet."
My chest tightened. Not out of fear, but anticipation. Like standing on the edge of a great storm and knowing—somehow—that I wasn't going to be swept away.
I was going to ride it.
But right now, a question that I voiced immediately.
"Hey system, don't you have a newbie gift bag or something? I've seen other systems with those. You don't have one, do you?"
System: "..."
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving the Newbie Gift Bag: Rainbow-Grade Sign-In Gift Bag.]
The system's mechanical voice rang out again, and I froze in shock!
"Holy shit! System, you're the best! It's actually the highest-grade Rainbow-Grade Sign-In Gift Bag!"
My face was now permanently etched with an expression of pure joy.
Honestly, I hadn't expected my system to be so generous. I was originally planning to haggle a bit, maybe get a small ability to improve my situation. But now, all I can say is, "System, You're freakin' amazing!"
Just then, a rainbow-colored card appeared before me, radiating a brilliant light.
"System, how do I use this?"
After examining the card carefully. I asked the system.
My heart was pounding with excitement, and my voice came out screeching.
[The host needs only to touch the card with their finger to open the gift bag.]
Even though the system's mechanical voice was devoid of emotion, to me it sounded like the most seductive thing I'd ever heard. Like honey on the edge of a blade. A treasure chest right before a boss fight. My entire monkey body was trembling—not with fear this time, but unfiltered anticipation.
"Alright... here goes nothing."
I reached out with one trembling, clawed finger and touched the card.
The moment I did, the world around me fell away.
The card emitted a blinding light that scattered in all directions. A small bead-like marble flew out from the card and soared before me.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for opening the Rainbow-Grade Gift Bag and obtaining the Primordial Qi Core.]
[Name: Primordial Qi Core]
[Type: Cultivation]
[Grade: Rainbow]
[Description: A one and only Supreme Qi Core that merges Heaven and Earth essence into a single circulation path. Rooted in the origin of Dao, it grants the bearer an eternal foundation, unshakable by mortal or divine laws. Suitable for all races, it allows adaptation to any cultivation method and is especially compatible with divine beasts and ancient bloodlines.]
I stared at the floating description as if it had personally reached out and slapped me across the face.
"Primordial… Qi Core?"
I blinked once. Twice.
"System... are you messing with me?"
[No.]
Even the system sounded deadpan, which only made it feel more surreal. I had expected something like: 'Basic Monkey Fist Lv.1' or maybe 'Banana Summoning Scroll'—but this?
A Rainbow-grade, universal cultivation treasure? In the newbie gift bag?
It was like logging into a new MMO and getting a divine-tier weapon from the tutorial box.
For a moment, I was dead silent.
"…System," I whispered. "Are you trying to marry me?"
Because this wasn't a starter pack. This…was a damn proposal.
I looked at the Primordial Qi Core hovering in front of me, its rainbow-hued glow softly pulsing like the heartbeat of a god. It wasn't just glowing—it was resonating. With me. With something deep in my bones, like the echo of a forgotten truth.
And just like that, I felt it.
A pull.
Not physical, but spiritual. Like gravity—but it was pulling me inward.
"System," I said again, slower this time. "You're not just trying to help me survive out here. You're trying to turn me into a damn legend."
The system remained silent. But that silence said more than a thousand affirmations.
It was confidence.
Absolute, divine, unchallenged confidence.
"Alright then…"
I reached out.
The moment my clawed hand touched the bead, it didn't shatter or explode or vanish. It merged with me.
With a soundless rush, the Qi Core melted into my chest, and the world convulsed.
Colours bled. Sounds sharpened. My breath hitched as every nerve in my monkey body lit up like a bonfire doused in gasoline.
BOOM—
An explosion of energy rippled outward, flattening the surrounding mist like a giant had stomped the forest floor. Trees bent. Birds took flight. The river momentarily surged backwards.
Inside me, something ancient and eternal clicked into place.
I fell to my knees—not in pain, but in awe.
My veins burned with power, not agony. The very essence of heaven and earth was rushing into me, threading through my bones like liquid lightning, like a river carving through a canyon older than time itself.
My heart thundered—not just in rhythm with life, but with the Dao.
This… this was cultivation.
But not the kind taught in scrolls or temples.
This was raw.
Untamed.
Like a beast waking from slumber, or a sun being born behind my ribs.
[Ding! Primordial Qi Core successfully integrated.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have entered the Foundation Establishment realm(9th).]
[Due to the Primordial Qi Core's nature, cultivation has been perfectly harmonized. No flaws or bottlenecks will occur unless externally induced.]
Foundation Establishment?
"Can I know about the cultivation realms and their stages?"
I was still panting from the rush—knees in wet earth, chest heaving like I'd just outrun a divine beast. But I needed to know. If I were now in the Foundation Establishment realm (9th)... what came next? How far did this path go?
The system didn't make me wait.
[Ding! Cultivation Realms Overview Loading...]
A new interface unfolded in my vision like ancient calligraphy brushed onto a living scroll. The words shimmered with ethereal light:
[🌿 Mortal Cultivation Stages]
1. Qi Refining (1 - 12 Meridians) – Absorbing external Qi to strengthen the body.
2. Foundation Establishment (1 - 9 Levels) – Establishes a core path of cultivation. Solidifies foundation for advanced realms.
3. Core Formation (1 - 9 Levels) – Cultivator forms a golden core of Qi; greatly enhances lifespan and power.
4. Nascent Soul (1 - 9 Levels) – Soul detaches from the body, forming an independent consciousness.
5. Soul Transformation (1 - 9 Levels) – Control over laws and energy expands. Capable of affecting large-scale phenomena.
🔥 Earth Realm Cultivation
6. Spirit Severing (1 - 9 Levels) – Break limits of self. Transcend physical identity to forge spiritual path.
7. Void Ascension (1 - 9 Levels) – Merge with heaven and earth. The body becomes a vessel for higher Dao.
8. Unity Realm (1 - 9 Levels) – Fuse body, soul, and Dao into one seamless existence. Each breath changes the world.
🌌 Heaven Realm Cultivation
9. Immortal Ascension – Step into divinity. Cultivator no longer bound by mortal law.
10. Celestial Being (Initial Stage, Intermediate / Middle Stage, Advanced Stage, Supreme Stage, Peak Stage) – True divine existence. Recognized by heaven.
11. Empyrean Lord (1 - 9 Levels) – Rules laws of heaven and fate. Capable of collapsing dimensions with a gesture.
12. Dao Ancestor / Supreme Monarch – Known only in myth. Said to be able to rewrite existence itself.
[Note: Some realms may differ across races and sects. This list is a standard overview.]
I blinked slowly, absorbing the weight of what the system had just revealed. My mind was spinning faster than a demon's cyclone.
From Qi Refining all the way to Dao Ancestor… twelve realms, each more impossible than the last.
"Twelve realms," I muttered under my breath. "And I'm just at Foundation Establishment 9th level... barely scratching the surface of immortality."
The notion of stepping foot into the Celestial Being stage felt like a lifetime away—maybe even a hundred lifetimes.
But the sheer scope of this path… it lit a fire in my chest I hadn't felt since I first gripped a controller in that cramped apartment.