Chapter 1: System Activation
On the Dou Qi Continent, in the northwestern region of the Jia Ma Empire, lies the city of Wu Tan, home to the Xiao Clan.Beneath a clear blue sky devoid of clouds, atop a cliff on the back mountain of the Xiao Clan, a fourteen-year-old boy lay sprawled on a massive boulder. Dressed in black, the boy had his hands behind his head, one leg crossed over the other, and a blade of grass lazily hanging from his mouth. His delicate face bore a trace of confusion as he pondered the meaning of life.«Sigh… It's been nearly fourteen years already.»Who would have thought that I, Xiao Kun, would experience such a thing as crossing over into another world? And not just any world, but the universe of the wildly popular web novel Battle Through the Heavens.To top it all off, I've become the older brother of the novel's protagonist, Xiao Yan.Xiao Kun, the older twin brother of Xiao Yan, was born just a few minutes earlier. However, because they were fraternal twins, their appearances were not very similar. Despite this, they shared the same dark eyes and a youthful, handsome face.Considering his new identity, Xiao Kun found it quite favorable. All he had to do was keep a low profile, and in a few decades, once Xiao Yan ascended to the rank of Dou Di, he could easily be swept along in his rise to power.But then again, the world he had crossed into was no longer exactly the same as the one in the novel. Who knew what unforeseen changes might occur?Moreover, having entered such an exciting world, who wouldn't want to make a name for themselves? The mature and alluring Ya Fei, the intellectual Yun Yun, the seductive Queen Medusa—who wouldn't want to conquer them?Although he harbored grand dreams, his current strength wasn't up to the task.Being a transmigrator like Xiao Yan, Xiao Kun's soul was naturally strong, and his talent for cultivation was on par with Xiao Yan's. At fourteen, he had already reached the level of a four-star Dou Zhe, while Xiao Yan, after his cultivation regressed to three sections of Dou Qi, remained stuck at that level for years, no matter how hard he trained.It had been two and a half years since Xiao Yan encountered problems with his cultivation. In about six more months, he would start to recover.Although Xiao Kun knew this was because Yao Lao was absorbing Xiao Yan's Dou Qi, he couldn't say anything.For one, this might be Yao Lao's way of testing Xiao Yan. Secondly, without these three years of hardship, Xiao Yan's future path wouldn't be as smooth.Most importantly, Yao Lao was probably already awake. How could Xiao Kun possibly reveal Yao Lao's presence? He wasn't supposed to have that ability! So, it was best to let everything unfold as it did in the original novel.Ah, speaking of Yao Lao, he was Xiao Yan's golden finger, his cheat. As a fellow transmigrator, where was Xiao Kun's cheat? It had been so many years, and he hadn't seen any sign of one. Could it be that he really didn't have a cheat?Just as Xiao Kun was lamenting his lack of a golden finger, a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind:«Ding! Congratulations, Host: Opportunity Compensation System is activating.»«System binding successful.»«Congratulations, Host, you have received a Newbie Gift Pack. Would you like to open it?»«A system!»Xiao Kun was momentarily stunned upon hearing the voice in his mind, but then he quickly reacted.Joy surged through him—he hadn't expected to have a system. This was a cheat, a guarantee that would help him reach the pinnacle of power.With excitement lighting up his face, Xiao Kun asked the system, «System, what functions do you have?»As soon as Xiao Kun finished speaking, a stream of information flooded his mind.After a moment, he digested the information and understood the system's capabilities: the Opportunity Compensation System, as the name suggested, allowed him to gain compensation by giving away his opportunities—valuable items—to others. The compensation he received would vary depending on the item given.The multiplier for this compensation was random:The minimum was tenfold.It could also be a hundredfold, a thousandfold!Or even ten thousandfold, a millionfold!However, there was a restriction: once an item obtained through a critical hit compensation was given away, it could not be compensated again.But even with this limitation, the Opportunity Compensation System was incredibly powerful.Xiao Kun believed that with the Opportunity Compensation System, he could definitely become a formidable force.Suddenly, Xiao Kun remembered that the system had mentioned a Newbie Gift Pack earlier.Since he had been too surprised to listen carefully, he asked, «System, did you say something about a Newbie Gift Pack earlier?»«Yes, Host,» the system confirmed.Without hesitation, Xiao Kun said, «System, open the Newbie Gift Pack.»«Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have successfully opened the Newbie Gift Pack.»«Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained 3 Dou Wang Experience Cards.»«Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained 3 Dou Huang Experience Cards.»«Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained one newly birthed Fallen Heart Flame, one Earth Spirit Pill, one Na Ling, one Fifth-Grade Blood Lotus Pill, and one Ice Spirit Cold Spring.»Hearing the system's continuous announcements, Xiao Kun couldn't help but swallow. The system had given him so much!Xiao Kun hadn't expected the system to be so generous, bestowing him with such incredible items.«These items have been placed in the system space. Please check them at your convenience,» the mechanical system voice said before fading away.«I wonder if these items can be given away for critical hit compensation,» Xiao Kun mused.However, after inquiring with the system, he learned that items gifted by the system could not be used for critical hit compensation.Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Xiao Kun began to examine the items in the system space. The Dou Huang and Dou Wang experience cards were self-explanatory—they could grant someone the peak power of a Dou Huang or Dou Wang for a short period of time, lasting one hour.Although the time limit was short, these items were incredibly powerful, capable of saving one's life in a critical moment.As for the Fallen Heart Flame, it was an extremely valuable treasure.Although the system had only given him a newly birthed Fallen Heart Flame due to his current strength, it was still a formidable asset.On the Dou Qi Continent, different flames held a special status. They were not only the dream of every alchemist, capable of enhancing the quality and success rate of pills, but they could also greatly increase the combat power of their owner.Among these flames, some possessed unique abilities, and the Fallen Heart Flame was one of them.Ranked fourteenth on the list, the Fallen Heart Flame could temper one's Dou Qi and refine one's bones.In the alchemy world, this flame was famously known as the «Cultivation Cheat!»Once the Fallen Heart Flame was successfully refined, a type of heart fire would constantly be generated within the body, continuously tempering the owner's Dou Qi day and night, without any need for active control. It was as if the body was in a perpetual state of cultivation.Moreover, this form of cultivation was even more effective than normal training, making it unsurprising that the flame was dubbed a «cheat.»And now, Xiao Kun possessed this cultivation cheat.The best part was that, since the system provided this item, it didn't come with the restrictions Xiao Yan faced in the original story. Xiao Kun could perfectly absorb and control the flame right away.Additionally, with the Earth Spirit Pill, Na Ling, Fifth-Grade Blood Lotus Pill, and Ice Spirit Cold Spring to assist him in absorbing the flame, success was virtually guaranteed.