[Perspective: Arya Chen]
The rhythm of the journey was a monotonous sway. The iron rimmed wheels of the Chen Family carriage ground against the compacted dirt of the Grand Northern Road, a relentless crunch that became the soundtrack of my days.
I sat alone in the silk lined interior. It was a luxurious conveyance, built to withstand the rigors of long distance travel and designed to project the power of the family.
Ten elite guards rode in a tight formation around the carriage. They were the public face of the Chen Family's martial strength…veterans of the Foundation Establishment realm.
They rode in silence, their spiritual senses constantly sweeping the tree lines for bandit ambushes or rogue beasts.
Their vigilance was commendable, but ultimately unnecessary.
My own spiritual sense extended far beyond their limited range.
I could feel the heartbeat of a squirrel in a burrow a mile away. If a threat approached, I would know long before my guards even drew their swords.
I spent the hours reviewing the intelligence reports Feng Li had delivered before my departure.
The aftermath of the Spirit Cauldron Sect's destruction and the Jin Family's collapse had created a chaotic vacuum, just as I had predicted.
The minor sects were scrambling, their alliances shifting like sand.
My father was moving aggressively to secure the pill market, leveraging our highly efficient formulas.
By the late afternoon of the second day, the terrain grew harsher. The rolling hills jagged upward into rocky peaks.
We were entering the outer territory of the Ironspine Mountain Range.
"Young Master," the captain of the guard called out from beside the carriage window. "We are approaching Thunderpeak Citadel. Shall we halt for the night, or press on through the pass?"
"Press on, Captain," I replied.
"Understood, Young Master."
The city was a hive of activity, a massive forge dedicated to the creation of weapons and artifacts. It was densely populated with cultivators, artisans and merchants.
"System," I commanded internally. "Activate Celestial Luck Scan."
[Command Acknowledged. Initiating Wide Area Scan.]
The entire Citadel of Thunderpeak was rendered in a three dimensional wireframe. Thousands of auras pulsed within its walls.
A vast sea of Grey Luck…the mundane mortals and low level workers. Hundreds of steady White Luck auras…the skilled artisans and ranking guards of the Lei Family.
I found a few strong White auras, likely core members of the Lei Family. I even spotted a Purple Luck near the center of the city, undoubtedly the aura of Patriarch Lei Bao or one of his Nascent Soul Ancestors.
But then, my focus caught on blue Luck.
"System," I murmured, a cold smile touching my lips as the carriage continued its relentless pace, leaving the Citadel behind. "Prepare a subsystem."
[Perspective: Lei Tian]
The small room in the apprentice quarters smelled of metallic tang that coated everything in Thunderpeak Citadel.
Lei Tian lay on a thin mattress, staring blankly at the rough hewn wooden ceiling.
Every breath he took was a stabbing agony in his ribs. His right eye was swollen shut, a purple and a shallow cut traced a line across his cheekbone.
He was a cultivator at the Initial Stage of Foundation Establishment. He should have been able to heal these minor injuries with a few hours of meditation.
But his spiritual energy was depleted, his meridians aching and sluggish from being repeatedly slammed into the dirt of the training yards.
"Trash," he whispered through gritted teeth. "Branch family trash."
That was what they called him. The main family disciples, the sons and nephews of the elders.
They strutted through the forges with their high grade spirit tools and their arrogant sneers, looking at him as if he were a particularly unpleasant insect that had crawled in from the rain.
He had come to the Citadel with such high hopes.
He and Xiu'er.
Xiu'er.
The thought of her name twisted the physical pain in his ribs into an ache in his chest.
They had grown up together in a small branch compound three hundred miles south of the Citadel.
They had practiced the basic forging techniques side by side, sharing meager resources, dreaming of the day they would be recognized by the main family.
They were childhood sweethearts. Their parents, seeing their bond, had happily formalized their betrothal before they left for the Citadel.
They were supposed to conquer this place together.
But the Citadel changed people. Or perhaps, it just revealed who they truly were.
Xiu'er had a talent for inscribing minor wind runes. It wasn't a world shaking ability, but it was delicate work that caught the eye of Elder Lei Ming, a prominent figure in the inner forges.
Within a month, she was moved from the apprentice quarters to a comfortable room in the inner courtyard. She was given better tools, purer ores and access to advanced manuals.
And she began to drift away.
At first, it was just missed meals.
"I have extra forging practice, Tian," she would say. Then, it was avoiding him in the courtyards. And recently...
Lei Tian squeezed his good eye shut, a tear leaking into the bruised flesh.
Recently, he had seen her walking with Young Master Lei Jian, the arrogant son of the Second Elder.
Jian was a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with a cruel streak and a reputation for treating branch family members like dirt.
Lei Tian had approached them, calling out to her. "Xiu'er!"
She had frozen, her face draining of color. She had looked at Lei Jian, panic in her eyes.
"Xiu'er?" Lei Jian had drawled, looking Lei Tian up and down like a piece of spoiled meat. "Is this true, Junior Sister Xiu? You are promised to this... mud scraper?"
"I..." Xiu'er had stammered, shrinking away from Lei Tian. "It was... a childhood arrangement. Made by our parents. It... it means nothing."
Lei Jian had laughed.
"I should hope not. A woman of your rising talent associating with a branch family loser? It would be a stain on your future." He had turned to his sycophantic followers. "Teach this mud scraper a lesson about approaching his betters."
The beating had been humiliating and entirely one sided. Xiu'er had watched for a moment before turning and walking away with Lei Jian, never looking back.
Now, Lei Tian lay in his dark room, his body broken and his heart shattered. He was exactly what they said he was: trash.
He wished he could just disappear. He wished he could go back to the branch compound, before the Citadel, before he realized how small and pathetic he truly was.
Suddenly, the darkness of the room was pierced by a blinding light.
It seemed to erupt directly from the ceiling, a solid beam of brilliant blue energy that shot downward faster than thought.
It struck Lei Tian squarely in the center of his forehead.
He screamed, arching off the mattress, his eyes flying wide open. He expected pain, burning agony, the fatal strike of an assassin sent by Lei Jian to finish the job.
Instead, a voice echoing with the weight of eons, boomed within the very center of his mind.
[Mortal vessel located. Compatibility parameters: Optimal.]
[Initializing sequence...]
Lei Tian thrashed on the bed, panic seizing his throat.
"What... what is this?!" he screamed. "A demon? A possession?! Help! Somebody help me!"
The voice ignored his panic, continuing its inexorable proclamation.
[I am the Plundering System. An artifact of supreme power, forged by Celestial entities beyond the confines of this mortal realm. I have drifted through the void for a million years, seeking a host whose soul resonates with the frequency of absolute ambition and unyielding retribution.]
[I have found you.]
"A... a treasure?" Lei Tian asked, his panic stuttering. "A Celestial treasure? But... I am just a... trash."
[The heavens do not recognize 'trash'. They recognize potential. You have been chosen.]
A translucent blue interface materialized in his vision, hovering inches from his face.
[System Name: The Plundering System.]
[Do you wish to bind with this entity and claim your destiny?]
[ACCEPT] / [DECLINE]
Lei Tian stared at the glowing words.
"What... what happens if I accept?" he asked, his mental voice trembling. "What do you do?"
[The Plundering System is designed for absolute conquest.]
[Primary Function: The Host may slay any cultivator. Upon their death, the System will plunder their cultivation base, their innate talent and their unique physical bloodlines, integrating them entirely into the Host.]
Plunder their cultivation? Steal their talent?
It was a concept so utterly heaven defying, that it took his breath away. If he killed a genius, he became the genius. If he killed an elder, he took their lifetime of work in an instant.
[Secondary Function: Total Cultivation Concealment. The Host's true power and plundered abilities will remain absolutely hidden from all detection methods utilized in this realm.]
[As a gesture of good faith and to ensure the survival of my newly chosen Host, I shall initiate a preliminary restoration sequence.]
A wave of soothing energy flooded out from his mind, washing through his battered body.
The stabbing pain in his ribs vanished. The throbbing ache in his swollen eye receded, the bruised flesh knitting together and healing in a matter of seconds.
The sluggish Qi in his meridians suddenly flared to life.
Lei Tian sat up, his eyes wide. He touched his face, his ribs. The injuries were healed. He felt stronger than he had in months.
It wasn't an illusion. It was real. The power was real.
A hysterical laugh escaped his lips. The fear was burned away by the sheer light of sudden hope.
"You... you really are a treasure," Lei Tian whispered, his hands shaking as he looked at the blue screen. "A great treasure."
[Will you bind with me, Lei Tian? Will you take what this world has denied you?]
Lei Tian thought of Lei Jian's arrogant sneer. He thought of the mocking laughter of the main family disciples.
He thought of Xiu'er's face as she turned her back on him, walking away with a man who treated him like dirt.
It means nothing.
Her words echoed in his mind, but they no longer brought a hollow ache.
They had beaten him down because he was weak. Because in this world, power was the only truth and he had none.
But now... now he had a way to take theirs.
"Yes," Lei Tian said, his voice filled with a newfound resolve. "I accept."
[Binding complete. Welcome, Host Lei Tian.]
The blue screen shifted, displaying a new set of information.
[Host Profile]
[Name: Lei Tian]
[Cultivation: Initial Stage Foundation Establishment]
[Talent: Mortal Grade (Mediocre)]
[Physique: None (Mortal Body)]
[Bloodline: None]
Lei Tian stared at his own stats. They were pathetic.
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