《Inferior Cultivation System》


 Chapter 1: An Unfamiliar World

    Standing alone at one of the highest mountain peaks in the world, a handsome young man gazed at the heavens with a confident smile on his face and a powerful aura surrounding his body.


    "Today, I shall ascend to godhood and achieve true immortality¡ª I shall become a real Immortal!"


    Bang!


    As though the heavens responded to Xiao Yu''s words, it thundered with countless lightning that flashed across the boundless sky, almost as though it was angered by Xiao Yu''s words that dared to challenge the almighty heavens.


    Once the sky was covered in lightning snakes, a sudden bolt of lightning that was as thick as an adult''s body appeared and descended upon Xiao Yu''s figure, causing the area around him to melt instantly.


    One would expect Xiao Yu to melt with his surroundings, but not only did he remain unscathed, even his clothes were also left untouched, almost like the lightning strike had completely missed him.


    "Is this all you''ve got for me? I guess even the almighty heavens cannot stop me from ascending today!" Xiao Yu laughed out loud.


    The heavens suddenly rumbled with a roar, and even more lightning strikes began descending upon Xiao Yu''s figure without stopping this time.


    A few minutes later, the lightning finally stopped when the mountain Xiao Yu once stood on had been completely melted.


    "Not bad, I suppose¡­" Xiao Yu casually patted his clothes as he hovered in the middle of the melted mountain, looking rather nonchalant.


    The lightning strikes did not continue even many seconds later, almost as though it had given up on destroying Xiao Yu for trying to defy it.


    However, a phenomenon suddenly occurred with the lightning crawling across the sky changing in colors, turning red, then green, then purple, and a couple more unique colors.


    In just a few moments, the boundless sky was filled with rainbow-colored lightning, shocking the people around the world.


    Xiao Yu shook his head when he saw this, and he sighed, "Why don''t you just give up? I have defeated 9,000 Minor Tribulations, 900 Major Tribulations, 90 Supreme Tribulations, and 9 Heavenly Tribulations. You can''t defeat me, so you can stop embarrassing yourself now."


    However, Xiao Yu''s words only further enraged this rainbow tribulation, and a couple of seconds later¡ª


    BANG!


    A massive rainbow that was shaped like a dragon flew at Xiao Yu''s figure at the speed of light, yet Xiao Yu was able to watch it approach him with relative ease, and in less than a split second, the rainbow dragon consumed Xiao Yu''s figure.


    One would expect such a powerful lightning strike to shake the world, but to everyone''s surprise, the world remained still even after the rainbow tribulation.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Yu couldn''t feel anything even after being struck by the rainbow tribulation¡ª not even a tickle, and he found that to be a bit weird.


    Then he realized that he was still inside the rainbow tribulation and that it wasn''t going away like a normal tribulation.


    "Scatter for me!" Xiao Yu decided to release his aura and destroy the rainbow tribulation by himself, but he quickly realized that he was unable to release his cultivation base, almost like he''d suddenly lost all of his powers!


    "What kind of tribulation is this?" Xiao Yu frowned at his ominous-feeling situation.


    It was at this moment a bright light suddenly flashed before Xiao Yu''s eyes, forcing him to close his eyes for a brief moment.


    Xiao Yu slowly opened his eyes a few seconds later, and to his surprise, he was no longer surrounded by destruction but a clean and unfamiliar place instead!


    "Where is this place? It looks like a park¡­ How did I get here?" Xiao Yu looked around with a calm but puzzled expression on his face.


    After looking around for a few seconds, Xiao Yu was suddenly assaulted by a major headache.


    "Agh! Is this the effects of that tribulation?!"


    Xiao Yu was nearly brought to his knees by the pain, something he hasn''t experienced in centuries, but he''d managed to endure it to the end.


    Once the pain subdued, a subtle but crisp noise resounded inside his head.


    Ding!


    <Welcome to Earth, Otherworlder!>


    "What? Earth? Otherworlder?"


    Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows when he saw the words floating before his eyes.


    <Installing ''Guide to Earth'' and ''Guide to System''>


    After the words disappeared, Xiao Yu could feel information being fed into his mind by a mysterious power, and since he didn''t have his powers, he was unable to resist it.


    Thus, Xiao Yu could only stand there and allow this information to flow inside his head.


    This world was called Earth, and it is operated by a mysterious phenomenon known as a ''system''¡ª a cultivation system that gives quests to people, allowing them to earn reputation and money, and it can even help them become cultivators with unique powers.


    Furthermore, there are three different types¡ª or levels¡ª of cultivation systems that exist in this world, each giving various quests and unique rewards depending on the type of system.


    The three types of systems are the ''inferior'' cultivation system, ''advanced'' cultivation system, and lastly, the ''superior'' cultivation system.


    The majority of people in this world, about 90 percent, have the Inferior Cultivation System. About 9 percent have the Advanced Cultivation System, and finally, less than one percent of people in this world are gifted with the Superior Cultivation System, and these people are also known as ''Cultivation Geniuses''.


    "Earth¡­ This seems like an entirely different world. Did the rainbow tribulation bring me here because it couldn''t defeat me? What a damn coward..." Xiao Yu remained relatively calm despite his unprecedented situation.


    After the information stopped flowing into his head and Xiao Yu understood his situation, he began wondering what he should do at this point.


    ''I don''t seem to have my cultivation base anymore¡­ Did the rainbow tribulation also take that away? No¡­ I can still feel it within my body¡ª I just cannot use it for some reason. Is this some sort of seal? Hmm¡­''


    Other than the initial surprise, Xiao Yu remained level-headed throughout this entire time. As a powerful cultivator who has seen and experienced many crazy and unexplainable things in the mythical cultivation world, he knew how important it was for one to remain calm at all times.


    Xiao Yu proceeded to look around with more attention. He doesn''t seem to be in a hostile environment for the moment.


    He then tilted his head to look at the bright sky and spoke in a resolute voice, "You can throw me into another world. You can even seal my powers. However, you cannot prevent the inevitable. Once I find a way to return home and break this seal, I shall ascend to true immortality and seize the heavens!"


    A few seconds later, another notification appeared.


    <Character Evaluation Completed>


    <Installing ''Inferior Cultivation System''>


    <Installation Completed>


    Ding!


    [Name: Xiao Yu]


    [Age: 21]


    [Cultivation System: Inferior]


    [Cultivation: First Level Qi Apprentice]


    [Occupation: N/A]


    [Reputation: F]


    [Wealth: 0]


    [Cultivation Points: 0]


    Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows after seeing that he''d been ''gifted'' with the Inferior Cultivation System.


    "Inferior? Is this ''system'' broken or what? I am a cultivation prodigy that has surpassed everyone and stood at the peak of the cultivation world in just ten thousand short years, compared to the other ''geniuses'' that took millions of years! How could I possibly have an inferior system?" Xiao Yu shook his head at the system that has eyes but cannot see Mount Tai.


    "And why does it say I''m only 21 years old? Is it because of the Eternal Youth Elixir that I''d consumed when I was around that age?"


    Ding!


    <New quests available!>


    <Quest #1: Do 100 pushups>


    <Time limit: 24 hours>


    <Completed: 0/100>


    <Quest #2: Run 10km>


    <Time limit: 24 hours>


    <Completed: 0/10>


    <Quest #3: Defeat a Cultivator around your level>


    <Time limit: 7 days>


    <Completed: 0/1>


    Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows. How does completing these quests help one to cultivate? His interest in this mysterious system was piqued. However, he was not really in the situation to do quests.


    He proceeded to ignore the quests to ponder what he should do now that he''d been randomly transported to this world.


    ''My powers are sealed and I don''t have anyone to rely on in this foreign world. I should find a place to settle down for the moment and figure things out from there.''


    As Xiao Yu pondered, someone suddenly shouted in the distance, "If you can defeat me, I''ll give you 1,000 dollars! Only one hundred dollars to fight me! Only Third Level Qi Apprentice and below!"


    Xiao Yu turned around to see a young man shouting not far in the distance.


    ''Dollars? That should be this world''s currency.'' Xiao Yu thought to himself.


    No matter which world it is, money is almost always essential in one''s life.


    ''I need money, and I can get that if I defeat him. However, I don''t have the money to fight him¡­'' Xiao Yu pondered for a moment.


    He then turned to look at the bench nearby, where an old man was casually feeding a bunch of pigeons.


    After thinking for a few seconds, Xiao Yu calmly approached the old man and the birds, and to the old man''s surprise, the pigeons didn''t fly away like they normally would, almost like they didn''t notice Xiao Yu''s presence.


    "Excuse me, do you think I can borrow 100 dollars from you? I would like to challenge that young man but I don''t have any money on me. I''ll return what I''d borrowed from you and double it," Xiao Yu asked the old man with a friendly smile on his face.


    The old man looked at him with a pondering expression before turning to look at the young man in the distance.


    "You''re only at the First Level Qi Apprentice. How are you going to defeat him, who is two whole levels ahead of you?" The old man asked him in return.


    "Oh? You can see my cultivation level?" Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows.


    "No, but I can tell from your subtle aura." The old man said.


    "Interesting¡­ And what cultivation are you if you don''t mind me asking?" Xiao Yu then asked.


    The old man then mumbled, "Show cultivation level."


    A transparent screen then appeared on top of the old man.


    [Fifth Level Qi Foundation]


    ''Oh? So you can do something like this as well? How interesting¡­'' Xiao Yu''s interest in the system grew stronger.


    "Anyways, to answer your question earlier, how I am going to defeat him¡­ You''ll know once I defeat him." Xiao Yu said with a confident smile on his face. "I have never lost in a fight before¡ª even if their cultivation is above mine."


    "Is that so?" The old man chuckled before nodding, "Very well, I like your confidence. Even if you lose, it''s only a hundred dollars. Take it."


    The man then mumbled, "Transfer one hundred dollars."


    Another screen popped up, but this time it was in front of Xiao Yu.


    <You have been offered 100 dollars>


    <Do you accept?>


    "Accept." Xiao Yu said.


    Ding!


    <You have received 100 dollars>


    [Wealth: 0 ¡ú 100]


    "Thank you. I''ll be right back with 200 dollars." Xiao Yu said to the old man before turning around and approaching the young man who had started fighting someone a couple of moments ago.


    Whoosh!


    The young man tossed a quick and powerful punch at the challenger, sending him flying a couple of meters away.


    "Hahaha! Nice try! It''s just 50 dollars if you want a second try!" The young man said to the loser.


    "I-I''m fine¡­"


    The loser stood up with difficulty before scurrying away with a somewhat flushed look on his face.


    "Does anyone else want to have a try?! Only 100 dollars! Defeat me to get ten times more!"


    "I''ll fight you."


    Xiao Yu said as he approached the young man.


    "Looks like we have a new challenger! Show me your cultivation!" The young man looked at Xiao Yu with a bright smile on his face.


    "Show cultivation level." Xiao Yu said.


    [First Level Qi Apprentice]


    "First level? Hahaha! Are you sure you want to fight me? Show cultivation level!"


    [Third Level Qi Apprentice]


    Xiao Yu looked at the young man''s cultivation that was two levels above his with a calm look on his face.


    "Yes, I''m sure." He nodded a second later.


    "Don''t say I didn''t warn you." The young man said, and he continued, "It''s 100 dollars to fight me."


    Xiao Yu then said, "Transfer one hundred dollars."


    "Accept!"


    [Wealth: 100 ¡ú 0]


    The young man quickly accepted, and then he said, "Come inside the ring. If you leave this area at any time during the fight, it''s an automatic loss."


    Xiao Yu calmly stepped inside the ring that was created with white chalk, and he proceeded to stand there casually with his hands behind his back, acting very comfortable and relaxed.


    The young man couldn''t care less about Xiao Yu''s seemingly confident appearance and said, "Let''s begin!"


    Whoosh!


    The moment the fight began, the young man thrust himself forward alongside his fists that aimed directly at Xiao Yu''s face.


    Just as the fist reached his face, Xiao Yu tilted his head just enough so that the fist narrowly dodged him, and then his legs began moving in a unique fashion, instantly moving behind the young man.


    Once he was behind the young man, Xiao Yu raised his legs before shooting his feet forward, kicking the young man directly on his bum.


    "Ah!"


    The young man shouted in pain as he was shoved outside the ring.


    "Since you''ve stepped outside the ring, it''s an automatic loss." Xiao Yu said in a calm voice, still with his hands behind his back.


    Ding!


    <You have completed Quest #3>


    <You have been awarded 50 dollars and 1 Cultivation Point!>


    [Wealth: 0 ¡ú 50]


    [Cultivation Point: 0 ¡ú 1]


    "Y-You little¡­" The young man gritted his teeth in frustration. He wanted to beat Xiao Yu senseless after that embarrassing loss, but there were too many people watching them.


    "Transfer 1,000 dollars!" The young man said in a reluctant voice.


    "Accept."


    [Wealth: 50 ¡ú 1,050]


    "Thanks." Xiao Yu said as began walking away.


    "Wait a moment!" The young man suddenly said, and he continued, "Let''s fight again! You don''t have to pay me this time, and if you win, I''ll give you another 1,000!"


    Xiao Yu looked at the young man silently for a mere second before nodding his head, "Okay. Let''s do it."

 Chapter 2: A New Home

    After Xiao Yu agreed to fight him again, the young man returned to the ring and took a moment to prepare himself.


    "Whenever you''re ready." Xiao Yu spoke in a calm voice, still with his hands behind his back.


    Taking a deep breath, the young man narrowed his eyes at Xiao Yu, and after a moment of stillness, he suddenly rushed forward.


    "Ha!"


    The young man threw a couple of quick jabs at Xiao Yu''s face.


    However, in Xiao Yu''s eyes, these quick jabs looked rather slow, almost like the young man was moving in slow motion, allowing him to dodge them with ease.


    When the young man realized that none of his attacks were connecting, he suddenly took a large step towards Xiao Yu, closing their distance, before throwing a powerful punch that was many times quicker and more powerful.


    "Power Strike!"


    A thin layer of spiritual energy known as Qi gathered at the young man''s fist as it propelled forward.


    Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows when he saw this, but he wasn''t surprised or impressed. There was just something weird with the way the young man used his spiritual energy¡ª it seemed unnatural.


    ''Is this attack assisted by the system?'' Xiao Yu wondered inwardly as he casually dodged the young man''s attack.


    After dodging the attack that caused the air to explode, Xiao Yu used his movement technique to move behind the young man once again.


    "You think I''d fall for the same trick twice, you little bastard?!"


    The young man suddenly twisted his body and did a wide swing with his fist.


    However, to the young man''s surprise, he''d hit the empty air as Xiao Yu was not behind him when he turned around.


    And right as he realized this fact¡ª


    "Ah!"


    The young man suddenly felt a familiar painful feeling on his bum, but it was on the other side this time, and he was immediately sent out of the ring for the second time.


    "H-How is this possible?! How did you get behind me like that?!" The young man was in disbelief as he stared at Xiao Yu who had magically appeared behind him like a ghost.


    "You''re outside the ring, it''s my win." Xiao Yu said, not even bothering to explain what had happened.


    Of course, the spectators there witnessed exactly what had happened.


    After Xiao Yu dodged the attack and went behind the young man, he didn''t stop and continued to move, circling around the young man, almost as though he''d predicted that the young man would turn around.


    The young man gritted his teeth in frustration, and he said, "Three thousand! Fight me fair and square and I''ll give you two thousand more, so three thousand dollars in total!"


    "I have defeated you fair and square, though." Xiao Yu said in a calm voice.


    "You know what I mean!" The young man exclaimed.


    Xiao Yu stood there and pondered silently for a few seconds.


    He then nodded and said, "Alright."


    The young man immediately smiled, and he went back inside the ring for the third time.


    "Whenever you''re ready." Xiao Yu said.


    Hearing Xiao Yu''s words, the young man rushed at him once again.


    Seeing this, Xiao Yu retrieved one of his arms that had been hiding behind his back this entire time and pulled it backward, almost like he was preparing for a punch.


    The young man ignored Xiao Yu''s obvious intentions and proceeded to throw his own punch. In his mind, there was simply no way a cultivator two levels below him could defeat him in a fair fight.


    "Hah!"


    The young man launched his attack, and Xiao Yu released his own punch at the same time, meeting the young man''s fist in the air half a second later.


    Pop! Crack!


    The sound of bones cracking could be heard after their fists connected, and the young man immediately pulled his arm back whilst screaming in pain after feeling intense pain in his knuckles, feeling as though he''d punched a steel wall!


    "Aaaaah!"


    The young man kneeled on the ground and curled into a ball with sweat appearing all over his forehead.


    Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows at this scene. He didn''t expect the young man''s fist to be so fragile and had accidentally destroyed his knuckles when their fists collided.


    Even though his cultivation base was sealed, Xiao Yu was a true cultivator who didn''t neglect to train his physical body, so his body was as strong as a treasure by itself. And while he didn''t spend too much time training his body to extreme levels, it was strong enough to deflect common weapons such as daggers and knives with a quick muscle flex.


    "Can you continue?" Xiao Yu asked the young man in a non-sarcastic voice.


    "Does it look like I can continue?!" The young man quickly shouted back.


    "It''s just a broken fist. You''re not going to die over a minor injury like that. But if you cannot continue, then it''s my win."


    "Fuck you! Take your damn money and get out of my sight! Transfer 3,000 dollars!"


    <You have been offered 3,000 dollars>


    <Do you accept?>


    "Accept."


    <You have received 3,000 dollars>


    [Wealth: 1,050 ¡ú 4,050]


    After accepting the money, Xiao Yu walked out of the ring and away from the young man without turning around, returning to the old man sitting by the bench a few moments later.


    "I must say, young man, you''ve exceeded my expectations." The old man laughed with a smile on his face once Xiao Yu approached him.


    "I''m here to return your money, and since I earned more than what I''d expected, as a show of gratitude for lending me money, I''ll give you more than we agreed on. Transfer 500 dollars."


    However, the old man merely shook his head and said, "You can keep it, young man. Think of it as a small gift from me."


    <Transaction has been declined>


    "If that''s your decision, I won''t be humble and keep the money." Xiao Yu nodded.


    And he continued, "By the way, I am new around this area and am currently looking for a place to stay. Do you know where I can go to rent a house or something?"


    "You''re looking for a place? How long do you intend on staying there? And what''s your budget? I may know a place." The old man asked him.


    "I don''t know how long I''ll stay. As for my budget, less than four thousand."


    "So whatever you just earned, huh? Follow me." The old man scattered whatever bird food he had in his grasp before standing up and walking away.


    Xiao Yu didn''t ask any questions and followed the old man.


    Once they reached the streets, Xiao Yu was stunned by the box-shaped objects moving on the road.


    ''They look like carriages, but I cannot sense any spiritual energy coming from them. How do they operate?'' Xiao Yu was intrigued by these box-shaped objects known as cars, as this was his first time seeing such unique-looking treasures. Furthermore, there were so many of them, making him doubt whether they were really treasures or not.


    "What are those things with the wheels?" Xiao Yu decided to ask the old man.


    "Huh? Are you talking about the cars? Is this your first time in a city, young man?" The old man looked at him with raised eyebrows.


    "Cars, huh¡­"


    <Installing ''Guide to Automobiles>


    Information began flowing into Xiao Yu''s head again, teaching him the basics about cars almost instantly.


    A few minutes later, literally two blocks away from the park, the old man stopped in front of a 3 story tall building at the corner of the street and said.


    "I''m the owner of this house, and I''ve been thinking about renting out the third floor for a while now. You look like a sincere and trustworthy one, so if you''re looking for a place to stay, I can rent it to you for three thousand dollars a month. It may seem a bit expensive, but you won''t find another place in this area with this kind of price. It has a balcony, two bedrooms, one living room that''s also a kitchen, and one bathroom." The old man said to him.


    Xiao Yu looked at the building for a moment before nodding, "Okay. I''ll take it."


    "Are you sure? You haven''t even looked at the place yet. Come, let me give you a quick tour." The old man proceeded to show Xiao Yu around the house.


    Inside the house, there were many unfamiliar objects that Xiao Yu has never seen before.


    "What do you think?" The old man asked him after the tour.


    ''Albeit a bit small, I am not in the position to be picky.'' Xiao Yu thought to himself before nodding his head.


    "I''ll take it."


    "Okay then. Then let me show you the contract."


    "Initiate landlord''s authority, create a lease for one month."


    Ding!


    A transparent screen with the contract for renting the house appeared before Xiao Yu. Inside the contract stated the rules he must abide by as a tenant, the cost of rent, as well as a few other things.


    ''So as long as I don''t break the rules, even the landlord cannot kick me out until the lease is up, huh? How does the system regulate this?'' Xiao Yu wondered.


    "What do you think? If you agree to the terms, you can immediately move in."


    After taking a moment to read it, Xiao Yu nodded, "I accept the terms."


    Ding!


    <3,000 dollars has been deducted to pay for your rent at Wang Mu''s Residence>


    [Wealth: 4,050 ¡ú 1,050]


    <You are now a tenant at Wang Mu''s Residence>


    <Time left: 30 days>


    <Installing ''Guide to Residency''>


    "Thank you, young man. If you want to stay longer after your lease ends, just let me know and I''ll make another one for you. By the way, my name''s Wang Mu, a retired old man who does nothing but feed the pigeons all day." Wang Mu laughed.


    "My name''s Xiao Yu, and as you can guess, I came from a faraway place."


    "Nice to meet you, Xiao Yu."


    Wang Mu extended his hand for a handshake, and Xiao Yu shook it with a calm smile on his face.


    --


    Author''s Note: Since I''m writing three novels at once and this is not my priority at the moment, don''t expect daily chapters. Though, I will still try my best to release at least one chapter a day. Also, the chapters are longer for this novel. Thanks for reading.

 Chapter 3: Cultivation Shop

    "If you need anything or have any questions, just find me on the first floor. If I''m not at home, I''ll most likely be at the park feeding the pigeons." Wang Mu said to Xiao Yu.


    Xiao Yu nodded, and Wang Mu left the place shortly later.


    Once he was alone, Xiao Yu sat on the floor in the living room in the lotus position and proceeded to ponder about his current situation.


    After being struck by that mysterious lightning tribulation, he''d been transported to this unknown world known as Earth. Furthermore, there is this unfathomable power known as the ''system'' that seemingly oversees this entire world, almost like a god of sorts.


    "Before I try to look for a way home, I should learn more about this system¡­" Xiao Yu mumbled to himself.


    "Guide to System."


    Ding!


    Some basic information regarding the system appeared before him. First is the Quest system. Quests can appear randomly or be purchased with Cultivation Points. Upon completing a Quest, one can earn wealth, reputation, and even more Cultivation Points.


    The difficulty of quests can vary as well as the rewards, and those with a higher rank system such as the Superior Cultivation System would earn more rewards even if they complete the same quest as someone with an Inferior Cultivation System, allowing them to improve faster, hence their title as Cultivation geniuses.


    The next most important thing regarding the cultivation system would be the Cultivation Points, which has a variety of uses, such as using it to increase one''s cultivation base or cultivation techniques.


    "Cultivation Points, huh. How does one cultivate with these points?" Xiao Yu mumbled to himself.


    Ding!


    <Installing Guide to Cultivation!>


    <Cultivation Points required for Second Level Qi Apprentice¡ª 10 CP>


    "So I can use these Cultivation Points to increase my cultivation base without any cultivation techniques and without actually cultivating? What kind of blasphemy is this?" Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows.


    In his eyes, cultivators who don''t cultivate by absorbing the spiritual energy or Qi in the world are mere phonies that can''t be considered as a real Cultivator.


    "With that being said¡­ If my cultivation technique doesn''t work in this world, I will also have to rely on this system to restore my cultivation¡­" Xiao Yu sighed.


    Since his cultivation base is only sealed, it means he only needed to remove the seal to restore his original cultivation base.


    ''I haven''t had the chance to look at my cultivation¡­''


    With that in mind, Xiao Yu closed his eyes and cleared his thoughts. He then examined his body with what little spiritual energy he had in his body.


    "T-This is?!"


    Xiao Yu''s eyes snapped open with a surprised look on his face after looking at his body.


    "Heavens! I have another Dantian in my body! Does this mean I have two cultivation bases in one body? How is this possible?" Xiao Yu cried out loud from shock.


    A Dantian is what contains one''s cultivation base. Cultivators absorb the spiritual energy in the world, which gathers inside the Dantian. Without a Dantian or any spiritual energy inside, a Cultivator is no different than a mortal with no powers.


    However, a Cultivator cannot have more than one Dantian inside their body¡ª at least this is what Xiao Yu believed to be the case this entire time.


    If one can have two Dantians and two separate cultivation bases in their body, what does that mean? Double the power? Double the stamina? That would be too heaven-defying! There is simply no way the mighty heavens would allow such a thing to exist! However, that is exactly what''s happening in Xiao Yu''s body right now¡ª two cultivation bases!


    "How interesting¡­" Xiao Yu mumbled with a smile on his face.


    After taking a deep breath, he recalled the cultivation technique that he''d used for thousands of years that helped him reach the peak of cultivation in his previous world, and he began trying to cultivate in this world as well.


    "Primordial Essence Refining Scripture."


    The spiritual energy around Xiao Yu immediately began gathering around his body before quickly being absorbed into his body and towards his Dantian.


    The Primordial Essence Refining Scripture is an ancient and priceless cultivation technique that Xiao Yu had obtained by chance when he was a mere mortal, and it not only allowed him to absorb only the purest spiritual energy in the air but it also helped him refine the spiritual energy, increasing its effectiveness overall.


    And within four hours after he started cultivating, Xiao Yu could feel a burst of refreshing energy coming from his Dantian that spread all over his body, strengthening his muscles, bones, cells¡ª everything. In other words, he''d experienced a breakthrough in cultivation, reaching a new level and gaining more power.


    "So my cultivation technique still works in this world. How relieving¡­" Xiao Yu sighed afterward.


    "Let''s see my status now¡­"


    Ding!


    [Name: Xiao Yu]


    [Age: 21]


    [Cultivation System: Inferior]


    [Cultivation: First Level Qi Apprentice]


    [Occupation: N/A]


    [Reputation: F]


    [Wealth: 1,050]


    [Cultivation Points: 1]


    "Huh? First Level Qi Apprentice? I''m certain that I just had a breakthrough." Xiao Yu was puzzled when he saw his cultivation status.


    After pondering for a bit, he came up with a possible conclusion, "Did it not register my breakthrough because I didn''t use the system to cultivate? If this is the case¡­ What happens if I cultivate normally and cultivate using the system?"


    While his theory sounded plausible, there was only one way to confirm it¡ª to cultivate using the system. However, he didn''t have enough Cultivation Points for a breakthrough.


    Xiao Yu looked at his remaining quests.


    "100 pushups and a 10km run, huh?"


    Xiao Yu stood up from his lotus position and began doing pushups shortly later.


    Less than a minute later, he completed all 100 pushups at once.


    Ding!


    <You have completed Quest #1>


    <You have been awarded 5 dollars!>


    [Wealth: 1,050 ¡ú 1,055]


    "What? Where''s my Cultivation Point?"


    To Xiao Yu''s surprise, unlike previously, he didn''t get any Cultivation Points after completing the quest.


    "So not every quest gives Cultivation Points, huh?" He sighed.


    Sometime later, Xiao Yu left his apartment and began running around the block, circling the street until he''d ran 10km.


    Since he wasn''t familiar with this world, he didn''t dare to travel too far, especially when his cultivation was lacking, to say the least.


    While Xiao Yu ran in circles, he examined the surroundings.


    The tall buildings and their refined structure. The speeding carriages known as cars. The people and their unique fashion. And while there were people wearing hanfu clothes and robes just like him, it looked more modern.


    It took Xiao Yu an hour to finish all 10km, mostly because he''d jogged half of the distance to look at the scenery and familiarize himself with this world.


    Once he was done, the system greeted him.


    Ding!


    <You have completed Quest #2>


    <You have been awarded 10 dollars!>


    [Wealth: 1,055 ¡ú 1,065]


    ''Only 10 dollars? Are you kidding me? What kind of quest do I have to complete in order to obtain Cultivation Points?'' Xiao Yu shook his head at this system.


    After completing the quest, Xiao Yu went back home where he continued to cultivate for the rest of the night.


    The following morning, the system woke Xiao Yu up from his cultivation at sunrise with new quest notifications.


    Ding!


    <New Quests available!>


    <Quest #1: Do 100 squats>


    <Time limit: 24 hours>


    Xiao Yu glanced at the quest for a brief second before ignoring it.


    "Show cultivation level."


    [First Level Qi Apprentice]


    "As I thought¡­ It remains the same even though I''d just reached the 3rd level," he sighed afterward.


    Xiao Yu stood up a moment later and stretched a bit before he started doing squats¡ª one hundred of them.


    Ding!


    <You have completed Quest #1>


    <You have been awarded 5 dollars!>


    [Wealth: 1,065 ¡ú 1,070]


    "..."


    Xiao Yu was speechless. If he continues getting these unrewarding quests, who knows how long it''ll take him to collect 10 Cultivation Points.


    "The system mentioned that I could buy quests with my Cultivation Points, how do I do that?" Xiao Yu wondered.


    And just as he thought that, almost as though the system could hear his thoughts, a notification appeared.


    Ding!


    <Installing ''Cultivation Shop''>


    <Installing ''Guide to Cultivation Shop''>


    A few moments later, Xiao Yu looked through the Guide to Cultivation Shop.


    "One can use Cultivation Points to purchase cultivation techniques and new quests in the Cultivation Shop. One can also gamble with their Cultivation Points for a random cultivation technique or quest." Xiao Yu read the guide with a pondering face.


    "Open Cultivation Shop."


    Ding!


    [Cultivation Shop: Cultivation Techniques or Quests?]


    "Quests."


    Ding!


    [Quests Shop]


    [Elementary-rank: 1 CP]


    [Profound-rank: 5 CP]


    [Spirit-rank: 50 CP]


    The rank determines the difficulty of the quest, and the CP is the number of Cultivation Points required to purchase that quest. Of course, the quests given are random, and only the difficulty of the quest is guaranteed.


    "Purchase Elementary-rank Quest."


    Ding!


    <You have purchased 1 Elementary-rank Quest from the Cultivation Shop>


    [Cultivation Points: 1 ¡ú 0]


    <New Quest available!>


    <Quest #1: Defeat a Cultivator around your level at the Cultivator''s Tower.>


    <Time Limit: Unlimited>


    "Cultivator''s Tower? What''s that?" Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows at this unfamiliar word.

 Chapter 4: Cultivators Tower

    "Oi, tell me more about this Cultivator''s Tower." Xiao Yu spoke out loud as though he was speaking to someone.


    However, there was no response.


    "So either I cannot communicate with the system or I need to fulfill some kind of criteria before I get a response." Xiao Yu mumbled.


    A few moments later, Xiao Yu left his apartment and knocked on Wang Mu''s door on the first floor.


    Wang Mu appeared before him moments later with a bag of pigeon food in his hands, clearly prepared to head to the park to feed pigeons.


    "What''s the matter, young man?" Wang Mu asked him.


    "I got a quest related to this place named Cultivator''s Tower. How do I get there and what kind of place is it?" Xiao Yu asked him.


    "Cultivator''s Tower? You mean to tell me that you''ve never heard of the Cultivator''s Tower?" Wang Mu looked at him with a surprised expression.


    Xiao Yu shook his head silently.


    "Even if one only recently became a cultivator, they should still know about the Cultivator''s Tower, as it is one of the most important places in this world." Wang Mu said.


    "Unless you lived in the mountains or something for your entire life, that is¡­"


    Wang Mu suddenly recalled that Xiao Yu didn''t know about cars until very recently, so there was a good chance that he''d come from the mountains where there were only trees and animals.


    "Come with me, young man. I''ll take you to the Cultivator''s Tower." Wang Mu said as he left his apartment and locked the doors, still with the bag of bread crumbs in his hands.


    Xiao Yu nodded his head and followed Xiao Yu outside, where they proceeded to stand by the sidewalk.


    "What are we waiting for?" Xiao Yu asked him a moment later.


    "The taxi." Wang Mu said.


    "Taxi?" Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows.


    Wang Mu suddenly raised his hand a couple of minutes later, and a yellow car stopped right next to them a few more moments later.


    "Hope in." Wang Mu said to Xiao Yu as he opened the door in the back and entered the car.


    "..."


    After a second of hesitation, Xiao Yu entered the car with Wang Mu.


    "Where to?" The middle-aged man sitting behind the wheels in the front asked them.


    "The closest Cultivator''s Tower." Wang Mu said.


    "Roger, boss."


    The driver stepped on the pedal and began driving the car.


    Xiao Yu felt his body being pulled back by an invisible force as he experienced riding a car for the first time in his life. Even though they were very similar to carriages, the riding experience felt completely different.


    "How does it feel to ride in a car for the first time?" Wang Mu asked Xiao Yu with a smile on his face.


    "I don''t know how to describe it." Xiao Yu said, his gaze fixated at the window.


    Fifteen minutes later, the taxi stopped beside the sidewalk, and the driver said, "We have arrived. It''ll be 15 dollars for the ride."


    After paying the bill, Wang Mu left the taxi with Xiao Yu.


    "This is the Cultivator''s Tower." Wang Mu said to Xiao Yu after walking a few steps and standing in front of a large office building that took up the entire block, literally.


    Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows, and he said, "Which part of this is a ''tower''?"


    While the building was spacious without a doubt, with only three floors, it didn''t really qualify to be called a ''tower''.


    "This isn''t the real Cultivator''s Tower. Follow me. You''ll find out later." Wang Mu said as he approached the building''s automatic doors.


    Ding!


    The doors opened themselves the moment they got close.


    Once inside, Wang Mu headed straight for the reception area and said to the worker behind the desk, "My friend here is new to the Cultivator''s Tower. Can you help him out and give him a tour?"


    The young lady working behind the desk nodded her head, "A tour will be 100 dollars."


    "Consider this my treat, young man." Wang Mu said to Xiao Yu before paying the pill.


    "Thank you. Please, wait a moment."


    The receptionist proceeded to pick up the phone on the desk and called someone.


    "Yes, we have a guest that requires assistance and a tour."


    A few moments later, someone approached them from behind; it was a beautiful young woman wearing traditional clothes.


    "Welcome to the Cultivator''s Tower, my name is Bei Bei, and I will be your guide for today. May I have your name?"


    "My name''s Wang Mu, and my friend here is Xiao Yu. He''s never been to the Cultivator''s Tower before."


    "I understand. Please, follow me." Bei Bei said to them before turning around and walking towards the doors at the end of the building.


    On the other side of these doors, it was a long and wide hallway with tables and seats on each side, almost like a cafeteria, and there were at least a hundred people there, and all of them emitted auras that were unique to cultivators.


    Further down this hallway were what appeared to be shops that sold specifically medicines and¡­


    "Weapons?" Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows when he saw these weapon shops, as they looked somewhat out of place.


    "The Cultivator''s Tower is a mythical place where Cultivators can fight each other and earn money and treasures through bets and the point system." Bei Bei suddenly started explaining, and she continued, "If you don''t like to fight, you can also bet on the fighters and earn money that way."


    "Mythical? What''s so mythical about this place?" Xiao Yu asked after hearing her odd choice of words.


    Bei Bei smiled and said, "There is nothing mystical about this place, as there are countless buildings like this one across the world that have access to the Cultivator''s Tower¡ª the real Cultivator''s Tower."


    Xiao Yu''s eyebrows remained raised as he was still puzzled about this place.


    "It''ll be much easier to understand if I just showed you the place. It''s just right ahead."


    A few moments later, they crossed the doors at the end of the hallway and entered another room.


    However, it was a spacious room with nothing but large devices scattered all over the room.


    "These devices will take us to the Cultivator''s Tower." Bei Bei said to them before approaching it and standing on its platform.


    Wang Mu didn''t say anything and followed Bei Bei, standing on the platform.


    "What are you waiting for, young man?" Wang Mu beckoned him.


    Xiao Yu nodded his head and approached the platform, his interest piqued.


    Meanwhile, standing on the other devices, a middle-aged man spoke out loud, "Teleport to Cultivator''s Tower."


    Whoosh!


    The middle-aged man disappeared like a ghost half a second later.


    ''Is this thing a teleporter?'' Xiao Yu wondered to himself as he stood on the device.


    Once everyone was on this platform, Bei Bei said, "Teleport to Cultivator''s Tower."


    The moment Bei Bei''s sentence ended, Xiao Yu''s view blurred for a good second before becoming clear again.


    When that happened, Xiao Yu realized that he was no longer inside the room with the devices. Instead, he''d been teleported to this extremely vast and indoor area that was crowded with people.


    Ding!


    <Installing ''Guide to Cultivator''s Tower''>


    "Welcome to the ''real'' Cultivator''s Tower." Bei Bei said to him.


    "Before I tell you more about this place, you should know that the Cultivator''s Tower exists in an entirely different dimension from our own world that was created by the system, and the only way you can access this place is through the teleporters at the Guild Halls¡ª the building we were just in. I guess you can even call this place another world."


    "Another world¡­" Xiao Yu mumbled, not really surprised by the reveal as he''d personally experienced traveling to another world very recently.


    "As for how people knew how to build the devices that teleport us to this place¡ª the system picked certain individuals and gave them the means to create the devices. You may think this place is incredibly ancient, but in reality, the Cultivator''s Tower has only existed for a couple of hundreds of years, so it''s relatively new."


    Hearing such words, Xiao Yu couldn''t help but ask, "What about the system? Do you know how it operates or why it exists?"


    Bei Bei shook her head and said, "Trust me, you''re not the only person to have asked that question as it''s a question that has remained unanswered since ancient times. Yes, the system has existed since we can remember, and even the most historic tales have mentioned the system. It might be a question we''ll never have an answer to, and most people have long stopped caring about how or why it exists and treat it as though it''s nature."


    "I see¡­" Xiao Yu mumbled.


    It appeared to him that this system was more mysterious and mythical than he''d expected. However, as a stubborn Cultivator who has never given up until he reaches his goals, even if it means offending the heavens, Xiao Yu won''t stop until he unveils everything about this system that might be his only way to his original world.


    "Anyways, follow me. I''ll show you around." Bei Bei said to them as she began walking.


    --


    Author''s Note: Chapters are taking longer than expected since I''m still deciding on what direction I want to take this novel. Once it''s decided and I have a clear image for this novel, the updates will be much quicker. Thanks for your patience.