He felt a dull pain in his chest.
Looking down, he saw it was an abyssal sword—its cold blade stained with crimson blood, gripped tightly in his trembling hand.
"Wha—"
The sword was buried deep in his chest, piercing straight through his heart. A jolt of panic surged through him.
A cold laughter rang from behind Kai Wusheng , making his hair stand on end.
"HAHAHA!"
Kai Wusheng's head filled with a myriad of questions. What had happened all of a sudden? Who was trying to kill him? Why did the voice sound so full of hate? And why couldn't he sense the presence of the person who stabbed him?
All these questions made his mind chaotic.
But everything ceased for a second, and then his entire life flashed before his eyes.
...
"Ah, peace at last," Kai Wusheng mumbled, staring at the blue sky. "No deadlines, no overtime, no sect elders barking orders, no endless training, and no—"
Kai Wusheng rested on the grass, drinking wine as if to declare to the world: I have no intention of doing anything today—or ever.
A blinding flash of golden light appeared in front of him. Startled, he muttered, "What now?"
When the light finally dimmed, a cute tiny figure appeared in front of him.
"Host! Host! I've found you! I am your system, the Ultimate Ascension System! Bind with me, and let's embark on your grand journey to dominate the cultivation world!"
Kai Wusheng stared at her for a moment, his expression saying Go back where you came from. Instead, he turned back to his wine. "No."
"No?..." Puzzled by Kai Wusheng's response, the system shouted, "Why reject me? I can help you dominate the world!"
"You heard me. I already know how systems work. You seem awesome, but in reality, it's exhausting—endless tasks that make me sick. In my last life, I died from working 24/7. Now that I've been given a second chance, you want me to work again like a slave?"
Kai Wusheng took a sip of wine. "Not interested."
System was shocked to see the rejection.
"Please give me a chance. I'll work harder to get better."
Flashbacks from his past life sent chills down Kai Wusheng's spine. "Working is impossible. I'll just do what I want in this life."
Her mouth fell open as she wondered why the host wasn't following the usual routine. "Host, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! You can rise above everyone, conquer the heavens, crush your enemies—"
"Yeah, no thanks. I have no enemies I want to crush." He adjusted his robes to block the sun and closed his eyes.
After being rejected multiple times.
'Is it because I'm not good enough?'
"No… no way. I must become stronger!"
Kai Wusheng cracked one eye open. "You're muttering too loud. Go away."
By the next morning, Kai Wusheng had nearly forgotten about the system.
"I've updated myself!" she declared, her high-pitched voice filled with desperation, as if her life depended on his decision.
[The Ultimate Pain System is here!]
[Beginner Task: Headbutt a wall! Host, bind with me now!]
She stared at him with glistening eyes.
'Here she goes again now my piece is ruined again. This system is annoying.'
"No, I'm afraid of pain. Go bother someone else."
"You haven't even tried yet! You could be cultivating right now, on your way to becoming a legend!"
"I am cultivating." He leaned back and smirked. "The Dao of Leisure. Very profound. Very mysterious. You wouldn't understand."
"You can't just sit around doing nothing. This is a cultivation world!" she shouted.
Kai Wusheng with an expression of indifference, said, "Exactly I'm cultivating the art of doing nothing."
Then he went to sleep.
She didn't appear for some days. Her disappearance somehow affected Kai Wusheng.
"It's so peaceful. Where did she go? Maybe she's planning something to trick me."
Kai Wusheng, sun-gazing in his usual spot, held his nearly empty gourd. The system materialized again and started smirking.
"I—" the system began but was interrupted by Kai Wusheng, who tilted his head to the side and stopped her with a hand.
"Stop it. I don't want to hear it. I'm not interested."
She laughed boastfully, speaking with unshakable determination, as if today was the day.
"Host, the system has upgraded to the Eternal Lying Flat to Conquer the World System. Just by binding with me, you can get massive rewards."
Kai Wusheng was about to reject her again.
"I don't—" But the words eternal lying flat piqued his curiosity. "Wait, what... lying flat system?"
She puffed up her tiny chest and nodded. "Yes, you don't have to do anything. Just leave it all to me."
At those words, Kai Wusheng finally stirred, raising his brows slightly.
"Lying flat? No effort at all? Sounds too good to be true. There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Are you trying to fatten me up for slaughter?"
Kai Wusheng glared at her.
She raised her tiny hand solemnly to the sky. "I swear, if I'm lying, may I crash with a bug and self-destruct!"
The corner of his lips curved upward into a faint smirk. "Interesting."
'This system does seem pretty sincere.'
"Alright, I'll give you a chance."
As Kai Wusheng agreed, the system smiled radiantly.
A translucent screen appeared before his eyes.
DING!
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully binding with the system.]
[Name: Kai Wusheng]
[Cultivation: Mortal]
[Skills: None]
[Special Bloodline: None]
[Immediate Binding Reward: Emperor's cultivation]
A surge of energy erupted within Kai Wusheng, his body glowing with an overwhelming golden light.
DING!
[Mortal → First Stage Great Emperor]
"What?! I just jumped from mortal to… the Great Emperor without any effort?!"
DING!
[Host Detected Breathing.]
[Reward Granted: Dao Fruit, Realm Breakthrough Card]
"Whoa! Even breathing can break through realms? This really is lying flat and invincible! Since I've broken through to the Great Emperor's second realm, I won't hide it anymore."
Kai Wusheng's rapid breakthroughs caused tremors that rippled across the land. The skies darkened, and a vision of heaven and earth appeared, shaking the sect to its core and alerting other forces.
"What's this tremor? Could it be a calamity?"
"Sound the grand bell. Gather all the elders. This… this might be the birth of a new emperor!"
"This power… could it be that a new emperor has been born?"
"It's even caused a heaven and earth vision. The last time we saw such a powerful commotion was 500 years ago. Quickly investigate which sect or faction this new emperor belongs to."
...
The elders discussed among themselves, while everyone began to wonder who this new Great Emperor was. Meanwhile, in the Scarlet Phoenix Dynasty, a woman shouted.
"I have foreseen the truth. Quickly report to the empress. The emperor's name is Kai Wusheng, and he is within the Starlight Cascade Sect."
Heaven and earth trembled as the legend of the lazy, invincible cultivator began.