Night fell.
Jilin stood quietly on the rooftop, his gaze fixed on the brilliant lights of the distant bustling city.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a helpless and bitter smile.
"Really, this is so boring..." he murmured softly, as if speaking to himself and to the world at large.
Once, when he first stepped onto this rooftop, his heart had been filled with fear and anxiety. Yet now, that cold feeling of standing at the heights had gradually faded away.
Jilin could not help recalling the various pressures and exhaustion he had experienced in the past. The mountains of work, the conflicts in interpersonal relationships, and the unspeakable pain deep within his heart had all left him feeling powerless to bear them.
All of this appeared dry and tedious. Standing here, looking down at the bustle and prosperity of the city, he suddenly felt everything had become so distant and unfamiliar.
"Standing up here used to feel so high..." Jilin muttered to himself, as if trying to find an answer.
Perhaps because he had experienced too much, his fear of heights had been gradually worn away by time and life; or perhaps because his inner fatigue had surpassed any external fear.
Jilin's body plummeted rapidly like a kite with a broken string. The wind whistled past his ears, but his thoughts grew clearer and clearer.
At this moment, it was as if he saw his life flashing before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
Just then, a dazzling shooting star suddenly streaked across the night sky, charging straight toward Jilin like lightning. Before he could even react, pitch darkness enveloped him, and his consciousness gradually blurred...
I do not know how much time passed when Jilin slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a mysterious and unfamiliar place. All around was a lush forest, with sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves to cast mottled light and shadow on the ground.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to recall what had happened before, but his mind held only that shooting star and the instant before he lost consciousness.
"Where am I?" Jilin muttered to himself while looking around. He found no obvious wounds on his body, only a sense of dizziness.
At that moment, a "ding" sound rang out in Jilin's mind.
"Heavens Check-in System bound successfully! Host, please check your newcomer gift package."
"Sy... System..."
Jilin thought to himself that jumping off a rooftop not only hadn't killed him, but had actually earned him a golden finger system. It really was like "a small knife slicing through the backside—an eye-opener."
Complaints aside, Jilin began to check what was inside the newcomer gift package...
Before him floated a screen of light displaying three items, each accompanied by an introduction.
First, a portable space: this space is infinitely large, capable of storing an infinite number of non-living items, and features time-stoppage functionality. Whatever state an item is in when stored is the exact state it remains in when retrieved.
Second, a Worlds Identity Card: this card will automatically generate character information and interpersonal relationships for the host suited to the current plane, which will then be transmitted into the host's mind. However, the identity provided by the Worlds Identity Card is random—ranging from royalty and nobility or world protagonists, down to peddlers, commoners, and nameless extras.
Third, a one-time physique optimization: this package can improve the host's physical state to the human peak, and allows the host's existing strength to adapt unconditionally across the heavens and myriad realms.
After reading the introduction to the newcomer gift package, Jilin claimed it. Shortly after, he felt his body surge with strength, and then perceived the information transmitted by the system in his mind.
"Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils plane—wandering orphan."
"Well, what a great start—parents both dead."
"The system has detected that the host has claimed the newcomer gift package. Would you like to check in?"
"System, what kind of functions do you have?"
Jilin was an old web novel reader after all, but he still had to ask; checking in wasn't urgent, and the proper procedure had to be followed.
"Ding, this system is named the Heavens Check-in System, and can lead the host to appreciate the beautiful scenery across the myriad realms of the heavens. Furthermore, the system will issue a task in every plane."
"Only by completing the system task within the current plane can you enter the next plane."
"In addition, the host can perform one check-in within each plane. However, items, abilities, and the like obtained through check-ins can only be used in the current plane and are automatically lost upon leaving it."
"However, any items, skills, etc., that the host obtains by applying the check-in rewards themselves can become the host's permanent personal property..."
Listening to the system's mechanical reply, Jilin understood the check-in function.
That meant he could check in once in any given plane. For instance, if he obtained an eidetic memory ability through a check-in, any knowledge acquired using that eidetic memory would be retained forever.
"The heavens and myriad realms—truly magnificent. My life won't be boring anymore."
"A traveler of the heavenly planes, that sounds rather nice."
After a brief initial understanding, the Heavens Check-in System acted like an artificial intelligence, answering any question asked.
Through his inquiries, Jilin also learned where he currently was.
Jilin's current location was at the foot of Mount Leigu in the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils plane—the exact place where Xuzhu's luxurious newcomer gift package, Wuyazi, resided in the original story.
Moreover, the task for this plane was to "become number one under heaven." The system also informed him that this "number one" referred to the younger generation. People like Wuyazi, the sweeping monk, and Tianshan Tonglao were not included in this scope...
The reward obtained from checking in was a feature called "twice the result with half the effort." This feature allowed the host to easily accomplish anything, such as practicing martial arts, studying, searching for treasures, and so on...
Leaving the forest, Jilin spotted a mountain path. Walking along the path, an old man and a Go board appeared before his eyes.
This old man was Wuyazi's disciple, the abstruse-debating scholar Su Xinghe.
"This junior pays respects to the abstruse-debating scholar. I have come specifically to crack the clever Go puzzle."
The abstruse-debating scholar did not speak, simply watching the youth before him in silence. Through perception, he discovered that the youth possessed no martial arts at all, and he wondered in astonishment how the boy had learned of the clever Go puzzle, seeing as it had only recently been created by Wuyazi.
The abstruse-debating scholar did not dwell on it, figuring the boy was simply someone brought by fate. After all, the clever Go puzzle contained countless variations and was not easily solved.
The abstruse-debating scholar gently raised a hand to make a gesture of invitation.
Jilin slowly stepped forward and looked at the Go board. The board was already covered with pieces. He then recalled how the Go puzzle was described in the novel as a life-and-death game that no one had been able to solve for decades. Many Go masters had come to challenge it, only to fall into its maze, either coughing up blood and dying or losing their minds. Later, the puzzle was solved by Xuzhu and others.
Thanks to the system's physical optimization, Jilin's memory had also been greatly enhanced. He quickly recalled the method to solve the clever Go puzzle.
"Drive a person into a desperate situation and they will come back to life. Seeking one's own doom..."
"Only by letting go first can one truly possess..."
Jilin picked up a Go piece and slowly placed it down. Seeing the position where Jilin placed his piece, a sharp light flashed in the abstruse-debating scholar's eyes, as if he had never imagined that this Go puzzle could be solved in such a way.
"Splendid, splendid! People in this world are unwilling to easily let go of what they already possess, yet you do the exact opposite..."
"You have cracked this puzzle. There is someone waiting for you behind the stone door; you may go in."
Jilin cupped his hands in a salute and walked toward the cave.
Watching Jilin's receding figure, a nameless feeling grew stronger and stronger in the abstruse-debating scholar's heart. He secretly pondered: "Could it be that this Jilin was specially sent by the heavens to lend my master a helping hand?"
At this thought, the abstruse-debating scholar could not help feeling a surge of excitement and anticipation. Thus, he decided to temporarily put aside distracting thoughts and refocus his attention on the Go board before him.
Meanwhile, Jilin walked into the cave, and before long, he spotted a stone platform a short distance ahead. Seated atop the stone platform was an elderly man. The elder was draped in a white robe, his posture as upright as a pine, with an air of refined elegance. Though his face bore the deep and shallow marks carved by the years, his eyes remained as bright as stars, radiating an otherworldly wisdom.
"As expected of the number one scoundrel of the Xiaoyao Sect, this Wuyazi can still look this handsome even when beaten half to death in his old age."
Jilin sighed inwardly, then walked up to the old man and cupped his hands in a salute. "Junior Jilin has cracked the clever Go puzzle and has come specifically to pay respects to senior."
Wuyazi looked at Jilin, a trace of appreciation flashing in his eyes. He nodded slightly, indicating his approval of Jilin.
After all, following the system's optimization, Jilin's appearance had also been remodeled into one as handsome as the readers, perfectly matching the Xiaoyao Sect's standard of accepting only handsome men and beautiful women.
Immediately after, Wuyazi slightly curved his hands, and powerful internal energy surged from his palms, forming an invisible current of air that slowly drew Jilin toward him.
Jilin felt a powerful force tightly wrapping around him, his body floating forward involuntarily. When he arrived before Wuyazi, the two stood face-to-face, their gazes locking.
Wuyazi took a deep breath, then extended both palms to meet Jilin's. In an instant, surging internal energy poured from Wuyazi's palms like a tidal wave, continuously flowing into Jilin's body. This internal energy was immense, seeming boundless and endless as it rushed wildly into Jilin's meridians.
Feeling this powerful internal energy, a surge of excitement rose in Jilin's heart. He knew this was Wuyazi passing on his entire lifetime of cultivation. Not daring to be the least bit negligent, he concentrated fully on guiding this energy to circulate within his body, striving to integrate it into his own system.
As time passed, Jilin's body gradually adapted to this powerful energy. He felt his meridians growing fuller and his body becoming lighter and more agile. Meanwhile, Wuyazi silently observed Jilin's reactions, adjusting the output of internal energy according to his condition.
During this process, the surrounding air seemed to be stirred by this powerful internal energy, forming delicate swirling vortexes. The entire space was permeated with a mysterious and majestic aura, as if witnessing the birth of a great legacy.
Once the transfer of cultivation was complete, Wuyazi himself seemed to age drastically all at once.
He took a deep look at Jilin, a trace of gratification and relief flashing in his eyes. Slowly, he drew a gem ring and a yellowed scroll from his robes. With great care, he handed them to Jilin.
Wuyazi's voice grew low and solemn, just as when he entrusted his final affairs to Xuzhu in the original story: "Jilin, this ring is the token of the Xiaoyao Sect Leader; with it, you can command the entire Xiaoyao Sect. And the person painted on this scroll is the one I loved most. Find her at Mt. Wuliang in Dali, and you can have her teach you the martial arts of the Xiaoyao Sect..."
"And the other task is to avenge me by executing Ding Chunqiu, that traitor who rebelled against his master."
Jilin quietly listened to Wuyazi's dying words, his gaze firm and focused. When Wuyazi finished his last sentence, he lost all breath and passed away sitting upon the stone platform.
Feeling the surging internal energy within his body, Jilin wore a smile of unprecedented confidence. He knew deeply that this powerful force not only represented Wuyazi's legacy, but was also the driving force for his future journey.
Following that, Jilin walked out of the cave. Sunlight, like a sheaf of golden arrows, spilled across his face, illuminating his entire person with a brilliant radiance. Bathed in the warm sunshine, he felt the vitality and vigor of the mountain forest.
At this moment, Jilin was no longer the youth who had jumped from the rooftop due to a tedious life. Carrying his longing for the future, he embarked on his own plane journey. Left behind him was the beginning of a legend, as well as his own "new chapter of life..."