Ye Fan was driving his Maybach along the Fengtian Expressway, watching the overcast sky outside his window, feeling a wave of irritation rising within him.
"It surely isn't going to rain? The weather forecast didn't mention any rain." He muttered to himself.
As soon as his voice trailed off, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled across the sky as a torrential downpour lashed down. Ye Fan had no choice but to slow down and drive with extreme caution.
Right at that moment, two beams of light suddenly appeared ahead, swaying left and right, and within a matter of seconds, they closed in to less than ten meters from Ye Fan.
Ye Fan failed to react in time. He only felt his car shudder violently before a massive impact hurled him right out of the vehicle.
He felt as though he were flying, and then realized he was floating in mid-air.
Looking down, Ye Fan saw his own unrecognizable corpse and the car that had crashed into him.
"Damn it, and here I thought it was Odin!" Ye Fan cursed, then looked down at his own hands.
Thinking to himself with surprise, Ye Fan wondered, "Is this what out-of-body experience feels like? It actually feels pretty good."
Before long, Ye Fan felt his soul growing weaker and weaker, as if it might dissipate at any moment.
Just as Ye Fan's soul was on the verge of fading away, a sudden burst of brilliance erupted, as though the entire world had been illuminated.
Then, everything returned to peace; both Ye Fan's corpse and his soul vanished without a trace.
Slowly opening his eyes, Ye Fan found himself in a pitch-black space. A soft chime sounded in his ear: "System binding to host... Binding successful."
An interface suddenly materialized before his eyes, and Ye Fan silently thought, "Open."
[Host: Ye Fan]
[Cultivation: None]
[Available Worlds to Traverse: 1]
[Origin Coin: 2]
[Dharmic Treasures: None]
[Origin Coin: The system consumes Origin Coins to traverse the heavens and myriad realms, and they can also be used to enhance the host's aptitude. Furthermore, every time a traversal occurs, the system provides a portion of the universal currency for that world and arranges an identity.]
Note: The identity is basically a blank slate with no connections or background, and if currency is insufficient, Origin Coins can be exchanged for local currency. The currency varies by world, and inquiries can be made.
Looking at the information on the screen, Ye Fan nodded slightly, then looked around and asked with a heart full of confusion, "Where am I right now?"
The system replied, "The host is currently in the System Space."
After a moment of contemplation, deciding not to ask any further, Ye Fan stated directly, "Begin the traversal!"
...
Snow Moon Country, Yangzhou City.
Holding a cup of tea, Ye Fan sat at a table inside a tavern, looking through the window at the bustling streets below.
He pondered to himself: What kind of world is this anyway? There are Martial Souls, but no Martial Soul Hall.
Judging from the news over the past few days, all he knew was that he was currently in Yangzhou City, where the Lin Family, Xu Family, Zhao Family, and Qian Family resided. The system hadn't given any hint as to which world this was.
"Hey, have you guys heard? That notoriously good-for-nothing young master of the Lin family got kicked out of the Yunhai Sect by his cousin! Tsk tsk tsk, I heard he flew several meters away!"
"Whoa! Really? That's explosive!"
Hearing these words, Ye Fan thought to himself: A good-for-nothing? This must be the protagonist.
"Ding! Key character Lin Feng detected. The current world is the world of *Peerless Martial God*."
Looking out the window, Ye Fan calculated in his mind: *Peerless Martial God*? Is this that Lin Feng who transmigrated here and eventually attained the Realm of Martial God?
Although this guy is deeply loyal and values relationships, during the early and middle stages, aside from beautiful women, everyone who gets close to him doesn't fare very well. Well, even some of the beauties have it pretty miserable.
"Sigh, your information is outdated. A nephew of mine in the Lin family said that a few days ago, Lin Feng knocked Lin Yun right off the martial arts stage with a single move!"
"Ah, since Lin Feng is this strong, how did he end up getting kicked out of the sect by his cousin with a single kick?"
"Word has it that Lin Feng's cousin is very likely to break through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Martial Realm this year!"
"Lin Feng's cousin is terrifyingly powerful, simply terrifying!"
Hearing these conversations, Ye Fan already had a preliminary understanding.
He walked out of the tavern and strolled through the market in Yangzhou City, buying a foundational cultivation manual and some food,
after which he returned to a small courtyard he had rented in a relatively secluded area on the east side of Yangzhou City.
After finishing his meal, Ye Fan sat with the foundational cultivation manual in his hand, reading for a while, only to find that he couldn't quite understand it. He thought to himself, "System, consume Origin Coins to enhance my aptitude."
The system replied, "Ding! 1 Origin Coin consumed. Host's aptitude has been enhanced to one-in-a-ten-thousand."
Lowering his head once more, Ye Fan concentrated intently on the foundational cultivation manual in his hands, as if trying to carve every single character into his mind.
Closing his eyes gently, his state of mind gradually calmed down, as though he were merging into the surrounding world.
As Ye Fan entered a meditative state of cultivation, his body gradually relaxed, and his breathing grew steady and deep.
The primordial energy between heaven and earth seemed to be attracted by some mysterious force, slowly pouring into his body along his limbs and bones. Like trickling streams, this primordial energy nourished Ye Fan's meridians, muscles, and bones.
Time quietly slipped away, and two hours passed. Slowly opening his eyes, Ye Fan halted his cultivation.
He took a deep breath, then exhaled a plume of milky-white turbid air through his nose. This turbid breath carried a trace of impurity, as if the accumulated dregs within his body were being purged.
Ye Fan felt an unprecedented sense of refreshment course through his entire being, instantly invigorating his spirit.
This feeling was beyond description in words—much like a long-awaited rain after a severe drought, bringing him incomparable comfort and exhilaration.
"So this is the cultivation of a martial artist! What a truly wondrous experience!"
Sensing the surging energy within his body, Ye Fan was filled with excitement.
Clenching his fists tightly, he squeezed with force, and a series of crisp, firecracker-like snaps rang out. A powerful force erupted from his fist.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Fan directed his gaze toward the fist in his hand. With a gentle wave, his fist traced a fierce arc through the air, stirring up a whistling sound.
Following his movement, the surrounding air seemed to be stirred into a small vortex.
With a thought from Ye Fan, a long black sword suddenly materialized beside him.
The blade was pitch-black as ink throughout, shimmering with a mysterious radiance, while the hilt was embedded with a dazzling gemstone that resembled the brightest star in the night sky.
Observing the black sword in his hand closely, Ye Fan discovered that the blade was covered in dense, intricate runes. These runes emitted a faint glow, giving off an unfathomable and mysterious aura.
When Ye Fan tentatively touched the runes with his finger, he immediately felt a bizarre wave of energy.
Ye Fan thought to himself: A Sword Martial Soul? Though, it feels somewhat different.
Puts the black sword back into his body, feeling the formidable energy within him, Ye Fan nodded with satisfaction: "I have now stepped into the First Layer of Qi Martial Realm, even though it's just the beginning."
A moment later, Ye Fan re-entered a meditative state to resume cultivation. Amidst the ink-black night, a faint cluster of milky-white radiance, resembling a dim firefly, emitted a gentle glow.
For those individuals possessing exceptional talent and formidable strength, the speed of cultivation is exceptionally rapid.
They are able to rely on their own ability and potential to draw in the surrounding heaven and earth primordial energy, converging it around themselves to form a unique halo.
In this magical setting, Ye Fan felt as though he were in an isolated world, completely cut off from the clamor and turmoil of the outside.
He immersed himself in cultivation, devoting his entire being to it, feeling the nourishment of the heaven and earth primordial energy and the enhancement of his strength.
Every breath was filled with vitality and vigor, and every wispy trace of energy blended into his body, becoming the source of his growth.
However, Ye Fan was not satisfied. He knew that the Qi Martial Realm was merely the initial stage.Above it lay the Spirit Martial Realm, Xuanwu Realm, Heaven Martial Realm, Venerable Martial Realm, Martial Emperor Realm, Emperor Realm, and Saint Realm.
Each realm possessed its own unique characteristics and challenges.
As the sun rose from the edge of the sky, sunlight streamed through the window and landed on Ye Fan's face.
"Third Layer of Qi Martial Realm, the foundation is stable. But from the looks of it right now, breaking through again will take some time. I'll go out to the streets later to buy some weapons and soft armor, and I also need to buy another movement martial skill... The money given by the system isn't much left..."
Opening his eyes and sensing the abundant Yuan Power within his body, Ye Fan let out a breath.
...
On the street, Ye Fan walked leisurely until he arrived in front of a blacksmith's shop, where he came to a halt.
The sound of rhythmic hammering drifted out from the blacksmith's shop. Standing at the entrance, Ye Fan inquired, "May I ask if custom weapons and soft armor can be made here?"
Hearing the voice, the blacksmith walked out from the back of the shop, glanced at Ye Fan, and said, "Customizing is possible, but the prices might be a bit steep.
Besides, I can only forge some ordinary weapons. If you want something better, I'm afraid I won't be able to help."
Nodding in response, Ye Fan said, "That's fine, as long as the quality is good. Everything else is not an issue."
Seeing how straightforward Ye Fan was, the blacksmith cut straight to the chase and asked, "Then what kind of weapon does the customer want?"
Pondering for a moment, Ye Fan replied, "I want a sword. Let's call it Stardust."
Upon hearing this, the blacksmith immediately answered, "You got it!" With that, he turned around and headed back into the blacksmith's shop to resume his work.
Ye Fan once again came to the place where he had purchased the foundational cultivation manual last time, and selected another movement martial skill named "Lingyun Step".
Although this martial skill was merely the most basic kind, it was already sufficient for Ye Fan.
Returning home, Ye Fan eagerly opened the manual for Lingyun Step, studying the illustrations and key points in detail.
The illustrations clearly displayed the details of every movement, while the key points explained in depth how to coordinate Yuan Power and breathing with the movements to achieve the optimal effect.
Ye Fan began practicing in the courtyard. Starting with the simplest movements, he slowly grew familiar with his body's coordination and sense of rhythm.
As time progressed, he gradually mastered more complex movements and was able to combine them fluidly.
His speed grew increasingly fast, and his physique became more and more agile.
At the same time, Ye Fan also discovered that his consumption of Yuan Power was effectively controlled, allowing him to sustain high-intensity cultivation for much longer periods.
After a period of arduous training, Ye Fan finally mastered the essence of Lingyun Step. He could effortlessly shuttle back and forth through the courtyard, and even leap across various obstacles.
Simultaneously, Ye Fan continued to practice the Cloud-Breaking Sword Style martial skill he had purchased a few days prior—a set of sword techniques focused primarily on rapid attacks, making it well-suited for achieving swift victory on the battlefield.
Two months had already passed, with Ye Fan devoting himself to relentless cultivation every day.
Just a few days prior, he had retrieved the Stardust Sword and the soft armor.
The Stardust Sword was silver-gray throughout, with starlight-like radiance faintly shimmering across the blade, giving it an exquisite appearance.
The soft armor was light yet resilient, neither hindering movement nor failing to provide sound protection.
Putting on the Stardust Sword and wearing the soft armor, Ye Fan stood in the courtyard, feeling the changes brought by the equipment.
As he gently waved the Stardust Sword, the tip of the blade swept through the air, kicking up a series of subtle air currents, as though the sword itself possessed a life of its own.
Silently in his mind, Ye Fan thought: "System, display the personal panel."
Host: Ye Fan
Cultivation: Sixth Layer of Qi Martial Realm
Martial Skills: Cloud-Breaking Sword Style (Great Accomplishment), Lingyun Step (Great Accomplishment)
Cultivation Manual: Foundational Cultivation Manual (Yellow Tier, Low Grade)
Origin Coin: 1
Looking at the panel, Ye Fan thought to himself: I can begin the traversal now. He then said, "System, consume 1 Origin Coin to begin the traversal."