Chapter One: If You Don't Want to Die, Then Stop Complaining

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Su Jian had traversed worlds for over a decade, and now, as he was fleeing with his master's wife, a deluge of golden opportunities suddenly flooded his mind, leaving him with a headache.

It wasn’t that his mind was lacking in capacity, but rather that the choices were simply too difficult!

[Activate Creation Mode immediately.]

Everything that existed across all worlds was encompassed within.

[Activate Low-tier Techniques Ultimate Evolution immediately.]

Have you ever witnessed a fireball spell that could blot out the sky?

[Begin your journey as a God of Cookery.]

You will obtain the God of Cookery system, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, conquering the palates of all!

[Activate Dao Companion Link Mode immediately.]

A woman three years your senior is worth a golden brick; three thousand years older, and she will be among the immortals. Expand your horizons and embrace the future!

Su Jian declared decisively, “Only children make choices; can’t I have them all?”

A moment of silence ensued.

Regrettably, there was no response to his wish.

Just as Su Jian fell into silence, his master’s wife once again seemed intent on ending her life.

"Sob...sob..." With Zhao Qianxue’s choking sobs echoing in his ears, Su Jian felt his headache intensify. His master’s wife was truly a beauty, as radiant as plum blossoms dusted with snow in spring, as graceful as autumn orchids touched by frost, her cheeks aglow, reflecting the light of dawn on a clear pond.

In short, her beauty was beyond compare.

Yet his mind was still in utter chaos; these golden opportunities were clamoring in his head, each one vying for his favor as if a fight were about to break out.

“How about this: you accompany me to meet that senior sister I’ve never seen, and then you can die if you wish?” Su Jian suggested.

Zhao Qianxue was stunned, the atmosphere suddenly growing uneasily quiet, as if she was meeting Su Jian for the first time.

All she wanted was a few comforting words... Who could have guessed Su Jian would be so unorthodox, truly indifferent to her fate.

But in the end, she couldn’t help but retort stubbornly, “No, I refuse to live alone in this world…”

Su Jian considered for a moment and chose to respect her wishes.

After all, he already knew where his senior sister was; he would just have to prove his identity then, which would take a bit more effort.

He promptly drew the short sword at his waist and handed it to his master’s wife: “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

Zhao Qianxue said pitifully, “Little Jian, I’ve always treated you well—how could you treat me like this!”

Su Jian: “……”

Hmph, drama queen!

If you don’t want to die, stop whining.

He ignored Zhao Qianxue’s wounded expression, focusing on the more pressing matter: making a choice.

Barring any surprises, one of these systems would become the foundation on which he would stake his survival.

His current situation was dire; he was being hunted by the so-called Alliance of the Righteous.

And his identity? He was the recently accepted disciple of the master of the Azure Palace—a notorious sect that had just been annihilated by the Alliance.

The Azure Palace was, in the eyes of the Alliance, a sect of the demonic path.

But as he saw it, both sides were equally matched—one simply did things openly, the other was hypocritical, hiding behind a facade of righteousness and moral high ground.

None of that mattered, though. What mattered was how he would break through the encirclement. Fighting head-on was out of the question; even his master had been killed, so he was no match for them.

He had worked meticulously for over a decade, finally standing out among many disciples by virtue of his handsome looks and exceptional talent, earning the favor of his late master.

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In the end, the good times were short-lived... Every plan he had for the immortal path was reduced to ashes in an instant, catching him completely off guard.

At this moment, he and Zhao Qianxue had found refuge in an inconspicuous country cottage, planning to lay low for a while, select a system, and then consider their next move.

Danger lurked everywhere outside, and their pursuers numbered at least eight hundred, if not a thousand cultivators.

They certainly thought highly of him...

Fortunately, things had finally taken a turn.

He had coveted such a golden opportunity for over a decade, and now, at last, it had arrived—at precisely the right moment.

……

Su Jian began carefully reviewing the descriptions of each system. Though each was described in only a few words, he could still discern which would be the most useful.

Before long.

His gaze settled on two choices: [Activate Creation Mode] and [Dao Companion Link Mode].

The former was the most practical.

Everything in all worlds, at his disposal.

But there must be limitations, ones he could not yet perceive; his intuition told him things were not as simple as they appeared.

The latter was also tempting—link to a powerful Dao companion, and he could live an easy life.

What more could one ask for?

He had no desire to struggle for power every day; if not for lack of alternatives, he wouldn’t even have joined the Azure Palace.

Sect life was always rife with conflict.

He had learned from bitter experience the intrigues and scheming that pervaded such places.

One misstep, and he could be utterly annihilated.

Luckily, he was more skilled than most, or else he’d never have become the sect master’s personal disciple.

Unfortunately, the [Dao Companion Link Mode] could not resolve his immediate crisis. Where was he supposed to find a suitable Dao companion now?

There was Zhao Qianxue right in front of him... but her cultivation was only at the Nascent Soul stage, just one major realm above his—not enough for him to rest easy.

Besides.

She might not be willing.

As for the [Ultimate Evolution for Low-tier Techniques], it seemed rather useless. Judging by the description, it was all about flashy effects.

In other words, it was just for show.

No real change in substance.

What he needed now was something that could turn the tide in an instant.

As for the last, the [God of Cookery System]—how could it not feel inferior, placed next to the other three?

Trying to get by in a world of immortals with such a weak system—Su Jian felt embarrassed on its behalf.

Such a feeble system shouldn’t even try to show off.

Utterly shameful!

Resolute, Su Jian cleared his mind of any hesitation and silently intoned, “I choose to activate Creation Mode!”

[Your first system has been successfully bound. Your exclusive Creation Mode is now activated!]

[You may collect and convert various cultivation resources to gain Spiritual Energy Points, which can then be used to unlock items. Depending on the value of the desired item, the spiritual energy required will vary. Once unlocked, you will have permanent, unlimited use of that item.]

[You have received basic items: square stone, square timber, earth, fresh water, and fire—all with unlimited usage.]

[You may place any selected item anywhere within a radius of twenty zhang.]

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[Current remaining Spiritual Energy Points: 0]

[Your balance is insufficient; please recharge promptly.]

[Note: Items withdrawn from the system cannot be converted into Spiritual Energy Points!]

First?

Su Jian immediately noticed this key word.

So, he might have the chance to bind a second system in the future?

A hint of delight flickered across his face; he couldn’t help but give the system a mental thumbs-up.

But the basic items provided by the system felt a bit perfunctory.

This wasn’t some survival game in the wilderness—this was a world of immortals!

……

At any moment, his whereabouts could be exposed.

Danger could arrive in the next instant.

He needed to find a way to break the deadlock as soon as possible.

There was no time for hesitation.

Su Jian cast aside the clutter in his mind.

He stilled his heart and focused.

In the next moment, the system panel appeared in his mind.

Every item he could imagine was listed there, but all were grayed out, presumably because they had not yet been unlocked.

Finally, Su Jian’s gaze fell upon Heavenly Star Thunder.

[Heavenly Star Thunder: Created by the Celestial Star Artifact Sect, this item can deal significant damage to Golden Core cultivators.]

[Unlock for 3,000 Spiritual Energy Points?]

But that alone wasn’t enough...

Their pursuers included not only Golden Core cultivators but also those at the Nascent Soul stage.

Su Jian pondered for a moment, then scrolled to the functional medicines section.

[Five Venom Powder: Deadly poison, use with caution. Below the Nascent Soul, nothing survives.]

[Unlock for 5,000 Spiritual Energy Points?]

“...Still not safe enough!”

There was always the chance some unscrupulous foe would attack him by surprise.

So, for the sake of caution.

Su Jian instantly thought of another item.

[Talisman of Protection (Orange): Can withstand a full-force blow from a Nascent Soul cultivator.]

[Unlock for 10,000 Spiritual Energy Points?]

Satisfied, Su Jian withdrew from his thoughts. That should be quite foolproof.

But when he looked at his nearly empty self, he found he could no longer feel happy.

His gaze couldn’t help but drift to Zhao Qianxue beside him.