Lin Hao stood in the center of his laboratory, his eyes fixed on the ancient jade that glowed faintly before him. As an ordinary university student, his curiosity was piqued by the mysterious artifact, which he had stumbled upon in a hidden corner of an ancient market. The seller had claimed it was a relic from the primordial era, imbued with incredible power.
"Is there truly something extraordinary about you?" Lin Hao murmured, his fingers brushing the surface of the jade. In that instant, a bone-chilling sensation surged through his body, and before he could react, the world around him twisted and shattered like a torn canvas.
"What is happening?!" Lin Hao cried out, but it was too late. His vision blurred, his ears filled with screeching noise, and his body was dragged into an endless vortex.
When his consciousness returned, he found himself lying in a strange forest. Towering, ancient trees surrounded him, and the sky above was a deep, otherworldly purple, dotted with distant flickering lights that enveloped the world in an ethereal glow.
"Where am I?" Lin Hao struggled to his feet, brushing the dust from his clothes, his mind brimming with confusion and fear. Glancing down, he saw the jade still clutched in his hand, now radiating an even more intense light, as though trying to communicate with him.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached from the distance. Lin Hao turned to see a group of people clad in peculiar attire rushing toward him. Their hands gripped long swords, and an extraordinary aura exuded from them, as if they were one with the world.
"Who are you, and why are you here?" the leader, a middle-aged man, demanded, his sword trembling slightly, ready to strike.
Lin Hao raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "I'm Lin Hao. I don't know where I am. I… I suddenly appeared here," he explained hastily.
The man frowned, scrutinizing Lin Hao before finally sheathing his sword. "This is the territory of the Celestial Mechanica Sect. How did you trespass into our domain?"
"Celestial Mechanica Sect?" Lin Hao asked, bewildered. He had never heard of such a place.
Sighing in frustration, the man shook his head. "Come with us. You won't be leaving anytime soon."
Thus, Lin Hao was brought to the Celestial Mechanica Sect. What he discovered was a world starkly different from his own. The sect was nestled within colossal mountains, and massive flying vessels glided across the skies, glistening with metallic sheen. Here, the blending of ancient cultivation and interstellar technology created a realm unlike anything he had ever known.
However, Lin Hao's time at the sect was fraught with hardship. Despite his efforts to cultivate, his spiritual roots were barren, unable to absorb even the faintest wisp of energy. His failure earned him ridicule from other disciples, even those of lower standing.
"So you're the spiritual cripple, Lin Hao?" sneered a group of elite disciples one day, blocking his path with mocking grins. "You'd better leave before you embarrass yourself further. This sect isn't for the likes of you."
Clenching his fists in fury and despair, Lin Hao struggled to understand why he had been thrust into this world only to be denied its very essence. Just as hope seemed lost, the jade in his hand flared with blinding light, and a voice echoed in his mind.
"Stellar Cultivation System activated. Host: Lin Hao. Welcome to the world of interstellar cultivation."
With the Stellar Cultivation System now accessible, Lin Hao's journey took a breathtaking turn. But how would he master this power, and what secrets did the system hold? The answers would unfold in the next chapter.