Kong Shi was startled witless.

As the outcast, the trash, he was always subject to ridicule and violence. And the main offender had always been his elder cousin Ling Bo. They played a game of brother-in-arms on the surface, but in reality they couldn't help but antagonize one another. Ling Bo was lofty and arrogant, Kong Shi was weak but untiring.

With his superior talent and cultivation he would beat Kong Shi to an inch of his life whenever they playfully 'sparred'. Fist have no eyes after all.

But today was different.

Long Bo would never miss a chance to taunt or mock Kong Shi, never! With his troupe of thugs and bullies he would vehemently oppress him. Even with Xiao Murong -Ling Bo's public crush- present, he would leave Kong Shi no face whatsoever.

Kong Shi could call it a stroke of luck if the amount of bruises can be counted on one hand.

Nonetheless, he endured. He endured all the pain and used it to temper his will. He would go beyond everyone else and leave them in his dust; someday, in the future.

As for right now, he felt absolutely terrified. Ling Bo's crescent eyes locked onto him as prey, his lips beaming with a predatory smirk.

Kong Shi felt his skin crawl and he involuntarily took a step back, his back leaning against the older Xiao Murong.

"Morning Junior Brother Kong. A wonderful day we are having, aye?", Ling Bo spoke with a warble in his tone.

Kong Shi nodded on impulse, giving a nervous smile.

"Truly, a good day to practice. I had not expected to see Senior-Apprentice Brother Ling so early.", Xiao Murong came to his rescue.

As always her eyes held no trace of affection or good-will when she laid her gaze on Ling Bo.

Though contrary to Kong Shi's and Xiao Murong's expectation so did Ling Bo's eyes. They remained unfazed and callous, looking over Xiao Murong as if she were just a pebble on the roadside. He gave a playful wave with his hand before returning to his seated position.

"Mind waiting together for teacher Zhu Long? Today should be endurance training, right?", Ling Bo tilted his head with an amicable smile.

Neither Kong Shi nor Xiao Murong could fault his behaviour so they both sat beside him, giving a compulsory: "Alright."

The three youngsters closed their eyes, none of them knowing what the other is thinking.

Ling Bo had already reviewed the 'Plot' options and now openned up the 'Postbox'.

In his mind's eye a rotating chest drew a beautiful arc. A tail of sparkling stardust was left in its wake before it stopped right infront of him.

This was the 'Introduction Set', stored in a plinthed box with exquisite gems stuck to it. It made one wonder how the system presents its gifts later down the line.

Ling Bo rolled his eyes at the unnecessary glamour and snapped the lid back, a gilden light blinding his eyes. If not for Kong Shi stopping me I would have nearly forgotten you...

Introduction Set:

50 MC Points Premium Voucher for one Weapon below 50 MCp. Plot Armor increase of 5% 'Aesthetics' unlocked in Main Menu

MC points available: 60

What a nice harvest! Ling Bo cackled but kept his calm on the surface as a gilded token and a thin paper slip flaoted in his mind.

The sizable chunk of points as well as the weapon freebie would provide a good foundation, but what Ling Bo really excited was the 'Aesthetics' option. He feared he would change into a flower boy once he sheds his mortal husk, a very glum prospect. After all, he liked looking manly and not like a freshly shaved p*ssy.

So while Xiao Murong and Kong Shi remained in the dark about Ling Bo's inner machinations, he began looking through the crowded weapon section.

Sorting them by price and capping them out at 50 he got presented with a vast collection of goodies.

As the badass he was he solely focused on the heavy weaponry. It may be cliché but Ling Bo be damned if the image of him towering above a mountain of corpses with a gargantuan sword strapped to his back didn't sound awesome.

Call it the bitter delusions of youth and men but everyone wanted to look heroic once in a while.

The weapons that intrigued him were as follows:

Rusted Babel (45)

A massive abomination of a spear weighing in at 3000 jin. With a mind-boggling length of 10 feet your enemies will be torn apart before they see you coming.

This rust coloured spear is a tyrant amongst its peers and needs at least the strength of the Early Crystal Core realm to be hoisted into the air.

Twin Moons (50)

The ash-grey Liuxingchui come with an astronomical weight of 5000 jin each. With an extendable reach of up to 80 feet you can shatter skulls from a mile away.

Overbearing and brute is the Twin Moons dogma. To withstand their thirst for carnage, bones and flesh one needs a strength beyond the Crystal Core realm.

Obelisk (45)

Another abominable weapon topping out at 7700 jin. The Obelisk is a refurbished strength-measuring Pillar commonly found in sects.

Without any edge it functions more as a demolition tool with high destructive potential but it needs just as much muscle mass to move.

A Peak Crystal Core practicioner might be able to handle it. [Evolvable]

Eventually Ling Bo had to put down his hopes of obtaining such a behemmoth of a weapon momentarilly. Although the 'Evolvable' feature of 'Obelisk' sounded enticing, he neither had the strength nor the means to hide such a giant from prying.

So, logically, he once more visited the 'Cultivation' section.

To choose a dual cultivation sounded tempting as well, but as someone with a modicum of common sense he knew that overall it would be slower than to focus on just only one path.

He was about to select 'Trials of the Iron Peaks' of the physical path when he paused and swept through the subsidiary cultivation methods.

Most of them held an additional effect such as enriching the natural essence he absorbs, facilitating the uptake or even condensing it for future use.

Slowly his eyes moved over the dozen crystal slips and coarse scrolls, withered guides and forgotten manuals. They rested for a moment and then moved further down, this continued for a good while. Until!

Profaned Castle, The High God's Opprobrium (0)

Banished from the Ninth Heaven, taboo of the Seventh Hell.

A cultivation method for the most heretic, the lone barghest wishing onto eternity ruin and damnation. You will be hunted, you will be shunned.

Is anyone brave enough to glimpse into the void?

Now if that ain't the stuff MC's are made off?! And It's for free!!!

Although Ling Bo felt a tad bit apprehensive from the prosa and verbosity he had this gut feeling that this is it. This was Ling Bo's chance to reach for the pinnacle, it was simple intuition that told him.

He took a long breath and then purchased his first item, expectantly waiting as a single sheet of scorched parchment slowly maundered over. It stood still in the air before rushing with blinding speed between his brows.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ling Bo screamed as pain took control of his senses, every fiber of his being curling and screaming about the harrowing torture.

Able to compare his momentary pain with the soul rending agony of having your mind crushed by memories, Ling Bo could safely say that this was ten-times worse. It was an indescribable pain, a white-hot pain, one that seeped into his bones and corroded them from within.

Reading of people stalwartly enduring this inhuman torment Ling Bo could only sneer in derision. Who are they kidding!?

He could not even bear to stay conscious were it not for the damned pain that kept him awake through the entire ordeal. Had his spiritual form teeth they would have all but shattered, his capillaries would have burst and his lungs caved in.

Fortunately the process only took a few seconds before the pain subsided and Ling Bo could stop focusing on not dying. He felt a warmth spread from his scalp down to his body, accumulating in his Dantian and then...

*PENG!*

It shattered... And pain in magnitude incomparable to the first wave assaulted him.

Ding! Ding!

Quest completed: Purchase an item from the Martial Shop.

Reward: 10 MC points!

Ding! Ding!

Hidden quest completed: Stumble upon a mythical legacy.

Reward: 100 MC points! +10% Plot Armor!

Ding! Ding!

Hidden quest completed: Cripple yourself by accident!

Reward: 50 MC points! +35% Plot Armor!

Goddamn! Ling Bo managed to squeeze out that last thought before he fell unconscious.