The moon shone brightly over the forest as Lin Feng dashed through the underbrush, panting like a dying dog. His robes flapped behind him, and the stolen Nascent Soul Pill was clutched tight in his hand.
Behind him, the furious elders of the Cloud River Sect pursued relentlessly. Spiritual pressure rolled across the forest, shaking the trees and making Lin Feng's knees tremble.
System: "Great cardio session, Host! If you keep this up, you might actually live long enough to regret your life choices."
"I already regret them!" Lin Feng wheezed. "This is all your fault!"
System: "Fault? I prefer to call it personal growth. Running from powerful cultivators builds character!"
"Character doesn't matter if I'm dead!"
System: "Small detail. Focus on the positive, Host—you've got a Nascent Soul Pill! That's like finding a treasure chest in a death trap. Lucky!"
Lin Feng cursed under his breath. He knew he wouldn't last much longer if he didn't come up with a plan. The spiritual suppression from the elders was already making it hard to breathe, let alone escape.
A (Terrible) Plan Forms
As Lin Feng raced through the forest, he spotted a river cutting through the dense foliage. His eyes lit up.
"I've got an idea."
System: "Oh no. Please don't do anything stupid."
Lin Feng ignored the system and sprinted toward the riverbank. Just as one of the elders closed in, Lin Feng launched himself off the edge, plunging headfirst into the rushing water below.
The cold shock of the river hit him like a hammer. The current dragged him along mercilessly, but at least the spiritual pressure eased as the elders were momentarily left behind.
System: "10 out of 10 on the dive, Host! But, uh… minor problem."
Lin Feng kicked against the current, barely keeping his head above the water. "What now?!"
System: "I forgot to mention—this river runs straight through the Venom Mist Swamp. Lots of angry, poisonous things in there."
Lin Feng's heart sank. "You've got to be kidding me."
System: "On the bright side, the elders probably won't follow you. No one's dumb enough to enter the swamp!"
Lin Feng let the river drag him along, muttering curses under his breath. With his luck, he'd probably run into something worse than the elders.
Entering the Venom Mist Swamp
After what felt like hours, Lin Feng finally washed up on the muddy shore of the swamp. He coughed up water and dragged himself onto solid ground, shivering from the cold. The air here was thick with a strange, sweet scent—a warning of the deadly poisons floating around.
System: "Welcome to the Venom Mist Swamp! Population: mostly things that want to eat or poison you. Please enjoy your stay!"
"I hate you," Lin Feng grumbled.
System: "I know. But hey! Look on the bright side—you're alive! And no one's chasing you anymore!"
Lin Feng pushed himself to his feet, squelching through the mud. His clothes were soaked, and his body ached, but at least he still had the pill. He pulled it from his robe and stared at it. The pill glowed faintly, its power humming against his fingertips.
"This better be worth it…" Lin Feng muttered.
System: "Oh, it will be! One bite of that pill, and boom—Foundation Establishment Realm, here we come!"
Lin Feng's stomach growled. He hadn't eaten in over a day, and the thought of instant power was hard to resist. But then, he hesitated. Something didn't feel right.
"Are you sure there won't be any side effects?" Lin Feng asked suspiciously.
System: "Define side effects."
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes. "You know what I mean. Is this going to explode my meridians or something?"
System: "Highly unlikely! It's more of a… 90% chance of success."
"And the other 10%?"
System: "Well… you might attract some attention from the heavens. Minor stuff! Don't worry about it."
Lin Feng groaned. "This is going to end badly, isn't it?"
System: "You miss 100% of the risks you don't take, Host!"
With a deep breath, Lin Feng sat down cross-legged on the muddy ground and popped the pill into his mouth. The moment it touched his tongue, a surge of spiritual energy exploded through his body, spreading like wildfire. His meridians screamed in pain, but the power was undeniable.
The Breakthrough… and a Problem
For a moment, everything was perfect. Lin Feng felt his cultivation base rise, breaking through the bottleneck of the Qi Condensation stage. The power of the Foundation Establishment Realm washed over him, filling him with strength he'd never known.
System: "Congratulations, Host! You did it! Welcome to Foundation Establishment! Now you're only 999 realms away from true immortality."
Lin Feng grinned. "I actually did it…"
But then, the sky above the swamp darkened. Thunder rumbled ominously, and the air became heavy with an oppressive force.
System: "Uh-oh."
Lin Feng's grin faltered. "What do you mean uh-oh?"
System: "Remember that tiny 10% chance of attracting the heavens? Well… surprise!"
A bolt of golden lightning cracked across the sky, heading straight for Lin Feng.
"WHAT THE—" Lin Feng barely had time to roll out of the way as the lightning slammed into the ground where he'd been sitting, leaving a smoking crater.
System: "Oh yeah, forgot to mention—Foundation Establishment with stolen treasures? The heavens really don't like that."
"YOU THINK?!" Lin Feng shouted, scrambling to his feet.
The clouds rumbled again, and more bolts of lightning began to gather.
System: "Well, Host, you've got two options: Run for your life, or… nah, just run."
Lin Feng didn't need to be told twice. He turned and bolted deeper into the swamp, the sound of heavenly thunder chasing after him.
System: "Look at it this way, Host—you wanted to get stronger, and now the heavens themselves are acknowledging you!"
"If I survive this, I'm going to kill you!"
System: "Love the enthusiasm! Now keep running, champ!"