Silence fell between them.
Zhou Tianyun immediately pulled his hand back. It wasn't because he was a virgin or anything like that, but because he suddenly remembered that this woman had been the cause of his death in his previous life.
"Don't misunderstand," Zhou Tianyun said calmly, his tone almost cold."I didn't save you for personal reasons."
The woman fell silent, staring at him without blinking.
"Next week," he continued, "people will come to take you."
Zhou Tianyun turned his body halfway, as if this conversation were nothing more than a simple transaction.
"Until then," he said, "stay here quietly."
He looked back at her, his gaze brief but sharp.
"If you need anything—food, medicine, or whatever is necessary to keep you in good condition—tell me."
His voice remained flat.
"I want you in your best condition before I hand you over to the buyer."
He walked away, as if the decision was final.
The woman didn't answer right away.
Her fingers, which had been gripping the fabric of her hanfu, slowly loosened. Her shoulders, which had been held rigid the whole time, finally sagged slightly.
"Understood, Young Master."
She lowered her head a little, then added, her voice still soft but empty,
"I will stay quiet… and wait."
Zhou Tianyun ignored her and sat down on the edge of the wooden bed, his back leaning against the cold wall of the dormitory. The lantern in the corner of the room still burned dimly, its light swaying gently with the flow of air.
Slowly, his eyes closed.
—
As his consciousness sank, the world around him faded like ink dissolving in water.
Darkness.
Zhou Tianyun stood in a boundless space. There was no floor, no sky. Only a calm emptiness, silent and completely cut off from the outside world.
In front of him, a transparent panel floated.
Pale blue lines of light formed a rectangular frame.
Name: Zhou TianyunTrade Rank: Level 1Points: 0
MARKET
Exchange (50% discount on items)
A system.
Zhou Tianyun's gaze hardened.
In many stories, a system was an absolute secret. Something others couldn't see. Couldn't touch. Safe.
But his past life experience—and his survival instincts sharpened in the Blood Sword Sect—had taught him one simple thing:anything too conspicuous would eventually invite death.
That was why, since waking up in this world, Zhou Tianyun had never once tried to "summon" the system in the real world. Not with conscious thought. Not with whispers. Not with even the smallest gesture.
Only here.
In his own sea of consciousness.
A place that—at least for now—he considered safe.
His attention shifted to the second option.
Exchange.
He selected it.
Transparent text appeared before him.
[We will detect the quality of spiritual stones and convert them into points based on purity and grade.]
That morning, Zhou Tianyun had exchanged all of his sect contribution points for pure spiritual stones.
A suspicious move? Maybe.
But he had already prepared an excuse—pretending he was preparing for a cultivation breakthrough.
The Blood Sword Sect valued strength progression. No one questioned a disciple who wanted to advance.
And with the system's help—
He was confident he could survive.
Using his spiritual sense, Zhou Tianyun touched his storage ring.
In the outside world, piles of spiritual stones appeared before him.
A gentle light radiated from the crystals. Pure spiritual energy pulsed softly in the air.
He closed his eyes.
Then, with delicate control, he touched the stones using his spiritual power.
System… detect.
A few seconds passed.
Then a notification appeared.
[Detected: 5,000 Low-Grade Spiritual Stones.][After conversion: 500 Points.][Do you wish to proceed?]
Zhou Tianyun didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
In an instant—
The spiritual stones in the real world lost their glow.
Fine cracks spread across them.
The energy inside vanished completely.
Inside the space of consciousness—
Points: 0 → 500
The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
It worked.
He opened the MARKET.
A new screen unfolded.
Thousands of items were arranged in a long list, complete with prices and categories.
Weapons.Techniques.Pills.Bloodlines.Artifacts.Special constitutions.
His breathing slowed.
His hand moved quickly, filtering categories.
Techniques.Sword.Blood.Offensive.Foundation Stage.
The list instantly shrank.
Dozens of techniques appeared, each with a name, rank, and price.
[Blood Severing Sword Art – Earth Rank Low – 480 Points]An offensive sword technique. Condenses blood qi into destructive slashes.
[Crimson Pulse Breathing – Earth Rank Mid – 750 Points]An aggressive breathing method. Boosts short-term explosive power.
[Shadow Vein Piercer – Earth Rank Low – 420 Points]A blood-based vital point attack technique.
[Heaven Splitter Sword Intent (Fragment) – Heaven Rank Low – 2,800 Points]A fragment of sword intent. High risk. Extreme potential.
[Blood Core Ignition Method – Mysterious Rank – 500 Points]A Foundation Stage-specific technique. Sacrifices long-term stability for instant power surges.
The general hierarchy of techniques in this world, from lowest to highest, was:
Mortal
Yellow
Earth
Sky
Heaven
Sacred
(Each rank is divided into Low, Mid, High, and Peak.)
With this structure, Earth rank stood third—already considered mid-to-high tier in the cultivation world.
Most small sects only possessed techniques up to Yellow Rank High.
Mid-tier sects usually had one or two Earth Rank Low techniques as their core inheritance.
Sky Rank techniques were symbols of great sect power.
Heaven Rank almost never appeared in ordinary regions—usually held only by ancient clans or hidden forces.
As for Sacred Rank…
That wasn't just a technique.
It was a legend.
Zhou Tianyun narrowed his eyes.
The Blood Sword Sect officially claimed to possess Earth Rank Low techniques.
But a Foundation Stage disciple like him would never be allowed to touch such things.
He scanned the list again.
He didn't need something flashy.
He needed something that would let him survive.
Not the strongest.
But the hardest to kill.
His finger hovered in the air.
Then—
One name made his finger stop.
[Blood Sovereign Devouring Sword] – Earth Rank High – 500 Points
His gaze sharpened.
The description panel opened.
=== Blood Sovereign Devouring Sword ===Category: Sword Technique / Blood / Regenerative-OffensiveRank: Earth Rank HighPrice: 500 Points
Description:A sword technique that utilizes resonance with an enemy's blood. Every successful wound absorbs the target's blood essence, converting it into temporary recovery qi for the user.
Main Abilities:
Blood DevourEach slash that penetrates defenses absorbs part of the target's blood and vitality, accelerating stamina and qi recovery during combat.
Crimson ManifestationThe user can condense absorbed blood into temporary blood blades. These blades can be used as additional swords or fired as mid-range projectiles.
Pulse OverdriveIn critical conditions, all absorbed blood can be triggered at once to rapidly heal a portion of injuries, at the risk of foundation instability.
Requirements:Blood affinity or prior practice of blood-based techniques, and cultivation at the Foundation Stage.
Risks:Overuse may cause blood imbalance and meridian disorders.
Without thinking twice, Zhou Tianyun pressed buy.
The number in the corner of the panel changed.
Points: 500 → 0
In an instant, light flared within the space of his consciousness.
Then that light turned into a torrent of information that slammed into his mind.
The knowledge engraved itself directly into his thoughts.
He could "understand" the technique.
But at the same time—
He knew he couldn't truly use it yet.
His body wasn't trained.
His meridians weren't adjusted.
If he forced it now, he would only damage his own foundation.
It seemed that even though the system gave him a perfect blueprint—
He still had to learn it himself.
Zhou Tianyun steadied his breathing.
Then something caught his attention.
The technique… was still in the MARKET.
Blood Sovereign Devouring Sword – Earth Rank High – 500 Points.
He was slightly surprised.
Shouldn't the technique belong to him completely now?
His hand moved to another option.
Sell.
If the system bought it back… he could easily make money.
Maybe he could test its limits.
Carefully, he moved his spiritual power, trying to "sell" the technique he had just bought.
The system panel flickered.
[Technique duplication detected.][Original owner: Chu Tian][Trade Level: 4]
Zhou Tianyun froze.
Chu Tian?
The name was unfamiliar.
[Please note: Selling the same technique is prohibited without the original owner's consent.][Would you like to contact Chu Tian to negotiate the sale?]
{YES} {NO}
Zhou Tianyun's gaze hardened.
One thing became immediately clear to him.
This technique was not created by the system.
It belonged to someone else.
And the system was merely acting as a market intermediary.