Chereads / Cultivating to the end / Chapter 2 - Wu Zheng's Awakening

Chapter 2 - Wu Zheng's Awakening

[The system has started]

[Last life of host has started]

Wu Zheng sat in the spirit pool, gazing at a bright screen that appeared before him. The words on the screen seemed to materialize out of thin air, yet a smile adorned his face. There was no trace of surprise in his eyes; he had been anticipating this moment.

Standing up, he declared with a grin, "So, my memories are finally back at last."

Wu Zheng was a reincarnated soul, and this marked his fourth life.

In his first life, he had been a student on Earth in 2024 AD, only to die at the age of 16 from a heart disease. He vividly recalled the horror of facing death—the dread, the helplessness, watching his life slip away slowly.

Yet, to his astonishment, he opened his eyes once more, awakening in a brand new world filled with cultivators. Initially, he was ecstatic, believing himself to be the protagonist of a novel, eagerly waiting for his cheat. For 30 long years, he waited, but nothing materialized.

After enduring three decades of struggle, he resolved to forge his own path without any cheat. It took him five years to acquire a technique, and after two more years of hard work, he finally became a cultivator at 37.

However, just as he took his first step into the realm of cultivation, he received his long-awaited cheat—a system. Elated, he felt unstoppable and determined to conquer everything in his path.

With the system's myriad functions, he cultivated to the nascent soul realm within a century of starting his journey.

After reaching the nascent soul stage, he received a life-altering reward: three chances to attain the pinnacle of cultivation. But his newfound arrogance led him astray, and his insatiable thirst for fame ultimately brought about his downfall.

Provoking a higher realm cultivator, he met his demise at the age of 152.

Once again, he regained consciousness and memories after his death. This was due to the reward he had received in his previous life, which granted him three lives to pursue his cultivation journey. The system and his memories would awaken only when he embarked on the path of cultivation.

In his third life, he became a young master of a renowned clan, stepping onto the path of cultivation at 16. This time, he resolved to maintain a low profile, cultivating diligently for 12,000 years until he reached the pinnacle of his world.

Yet, he forgot that there was always someone stronger, losing sight of his original goal—the end of cultivation, not merely the pinnacle of a lower-level world. In his quest for dominance, he waged war against powerful sects, ultimately inciting the wrath of immortals who obliterated his body and soul.

By some miracle, his soul survived due to the system's protection, granting him a third chance—his final life, the day he would recommence his cultivation journey and regain his memories.

"To think that after being reincarnated in two different worlds, I find myself back on Earth," Wu Zheng mused to himself.

This time, he vowed not to be arrogant; he needed to reach the end of cultivation, not just the pinnacle of this world. But questions lingered in his mind. How had Earth transformed so drastically? He needed answers: the truth behind Earth's transformation, the identity of the five original gods, and how many years had passed since his death.

For now, he knew these inquiries could wait. His immediate goal was to cultivate and unlock a new function of the system. Each time he reincarnated, the system reset, with functions only becoming accessible as he advanced in cultivation. The higher his cultivation, the more functions would unlock.

He noticed an intriguing addition: the body realm of cultivation was now present on Earth. Upon reflection, it made sense. The absence of strong bodies in Earth's inhabitants meant they had to strengthen themselves before embarking on the path of higher realms.

People began cultivating before the age of 16 to prepare for proper cultivation after reaching that age.

Reviewing his 14 years of life on Earth, he grasped many aspects, including Earth's transformation, his family dynamics, and the power structure.

His name was Wu Zheng, born in 1205 CE, the youngest child of his father and the third child of his mother. His father, the clan leader, had three wives: Wu Zheng's mother was the first, giving him two biological siblings. His father's second wife also bore three children, while the third wife had five.

His father was a nascent soul expert, likely in the middle stages of cultivation.

Currently, he resided in the previous era of Asia, now known as the Huang Kingdom. There were five continents, each ruled by families of the five original gods.

Wu Zheng pondered the fate of these gods. Where had they gone, and why had they returned? He understood they were the ones who bestowed spirit energy and cultivation techniques upon Earth, returning 1,219 years ago. If someone had traveled from the vast universe to grant these techniques, why was it described as a return?

Moreover, all royal families across the five continents bore surnames that were common in the previous era. How had they ascended to royalty? And what had happened to transform seven continents into five?

Wu Zheng decided he would wait until he reached the nascent soul realm to uncover these truths. That new function would reveal the secrets behind Earth's current state.

For now, he needed to focus on the powerful forces within the Huang Kingdom: the Huang royal family, followed by the ten great sects and ten great clans, then the 100 high-tier sects and clans. The Wu family was considered a high-tier clan.

As for the mid-tier sects and clans, there were countless, while the low-tier factions were so numerous they lacked proper classification.

"I believe my cultivation journey will be manageable as long as I don't provoke the powers above us, as they are few and far between."

Returning to the present, he sought to claim the reward for activating the system.

[The system has started]

[Host has three choices:]

[1. Independent space for cultivation]

[2. Heaven-rank cultivation technique]

[3. Introduction to the world]

Choose [Time remaining: 44 hours, 28 minutes].