Cultivation System: Rise of the First Patriarch

Zan Yunxiao remained where he was, his gaze fixed on the distant light. The terrifying pressure he had experienced moments ago was still fresh in his mind, making him wary of taking another step toward it.

Just as he was pondering why he had appeared in this strange void, another light suddenly emerged in the distance.

Unlike the first, this one did not radiate an oppressive aura. Instead, it resembled a doorway standing alone in the endless darkness, its gentle glow illuminating the surrounding void.

Zan Yunxiao narrowed his eyes.

"Another light?"

His expression turned solemn as countless thoughts flashed through his mind. He had no idea what this place was, nor did he know whether the newly appeared light was an opportunity or another deadly trap.

After a brief hesitation, curiosity ultimately prevailed.

However, unlike before, he no longer approached recklessly.

Every step he took was slow and deliberate, his entire body tense as he remained ready to retreat at the slightest sign of danger. His eyes never left the glowing doorway, carefully observing every subtle change around it.

Although he had nearly lost his life moments ago, the mysterious void only deepened his desire to uncover its secrets.

As the distance between him and the luminous doorway gradually closed, Zan Yunxiao slowed his pace even further.

This time...

He would not allow himself to be caught off guard.

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, his surroundings blurred. Space twisted around him, and an indescribable sensation swept over his body, as though he were traveling through countless layers of reality.

In the next instant, everything became still.

Zan Yunxiao slowly opened his eyes.

Before him was yet another boundless void.

Unlike the previous one, however, this place was not completely empty. Stretching into the distance was what appeared to be a long road formed from dense streams of energy. They flowed in orderly lines, illuminating the darkness with a faint, ethereal glow.

His pupils contracted.

"What... is this?"

At first glance, it resembled spiritual energy.

Yet the more he observed it, the more convinced he became that it wasn't.

There was something fundamentally different about it. The energy was purer, sharper, and carried an indescribable aura that far surpassed ordinary spiritual energy.

Curiosity stirred within him once again.

Zan Yunxiao cautiously took a single step forward.

The instant his foot landed...

A terrifying sensation erupted throughout his soul.

It felt as though an invisible sword had pierced straight through his spiritual consciousness. The pain was so intense that even someone with his unwavering will nearly cried out.

His instincts reacted immediately.

Without the slightest hesitation, he retreated several steps, distancing himself from the strange road.

The unbearable pain vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving only lingering shock behind.

Zan Yunxiao steadied his breathing, his eyes locked onto the glowing path.

His expression had never been so grave.

"That wasn't an illusion..."

"The moment I stepped onto that road, something attacked my soul."

Zan Yunxiao continued staring at the mysterious road.

The two encounters had already taught him one thing, this place was far beyond anything he had ever experienced. Whether it was the overwhelming pressure from the first light or the invisible force that pierced his soul.

Just then, a thought crossed his mind.

"That's right... I have the System."

Over the years, the Eternal Ancestor System had solved countless hardship for him. If anyone could identify this strange place, it would undoubtedly be the System.

Without hesitation, he asked inwardly,

"System, what is this place?"

Silence.

He waited for several moments.

No familiar mechanical voice answered him.

The endless void remained deathly quiet.

Zan Yunxiao stood there with an awkward expression before letting out a helpless sigh.

"...Ignored again."

He had long since grown accustomed to the System's temperament.

Sometimes, it answered his questions immediately.

Other times...

It acted as though it didn't even exist.

There seemed to be no pattern whatsoever.

Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Zan Yunxiao gave up on waiting for a reply.

"I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything."

His gaze swept across the endless void once more.

At this point, he no longer cared about uncovering the secrets of this mysterious place.

His only wish was much simpler.

"I just hope I can leave this place."

Just as Zan Yunxiao resigned himself to finding a way out on his own, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly echoed through the silent void.

[Host, if you wish to leave, simply step forward.]

Zan Yunxiao froze.

A vein bulged faintly on his forehead.

"So you were listening all along."

The System offered no response.

The silence that followed made it seem as though the previous sentence had never been spoken.

Zan Yunxiao couldn't help but let out a helpless laugh.

"As expected..."

"This System only speaks when it feels like it."

Zan Yunxiao looked at the glowing path with visible hesitation.

The memory of the soul-piercing pain was still fresh in his mind. Although the System had told him to step forward, he wasn't about to gamble his life so easily.

After a brief silence, he asked cautiously,

"If I step forward... will I die?"

The familiar mechanical voice responded almost instantly.

[No.]

After receiving the System's reply, Zan Yunxiao no longer hesitated.

If the System said he wouldn't die, then there had to be a reason for it. Although he still couldn't understand what this mysterious place was, remaining where he stood would accomplish nothing.

With a resolute expression, he stepped onto the glowing path once more.

The instant his foot landed, the familiar pain erupted throughout his soul.

It was as though countless invisible swords were piercing every corner of his spiritual consciousness. The agony was far more intense than before, causing his face to pale instantly.

Zan Yunxiao clenched his teeth and forced himself to continue.

One step.

Then another.

Every step felt as though his soul was being shredded apart, yet he refused to stop. Sweat formed across his forehead despite the fact that this was merely his consciousness.

Several minutes passed.

Unable to endure the pain any longer, he instinctively looked behind him.

His pupils contracted.

The place where he had entered...

Had vanished.

The glowing doorway was gone without a trace.

Behind him remained only an endless sea of darkness.

"..."

A chill ran down his spine.

There was no way back.

The only path left was forward.

Zan Yunxiao took another step, then another. The pressure continued to mount, and the invisible sword intent grew increasingly terrifying. Every movement threatened to tear his soul apart.

Eventually, his body could no longer endure.

His knees buckled.

Thud.

He collapsed onto the glowing path.

His soul trembled violently as unbearable pain consumed his consciousness. Countless invisible blades seemed to stab through him from every direction, and even someone with his iron will found himself on the verge of losing awareness.

"So... this is..."

Before he could finish the thought, darkness swallowed his vision.

His consciousness went completely still.

He lay upon the mysterious path like a lifeless corpse.

. . .

Deep within the Zan Clan.

Inside the secluded cultivation cave, the silent figure seated on the stone platform suddenly opened his eyes.

"Hah!"

Zan Yunxiao gasped sharply, drawing in a deep breath as though someone who had been drowning had finally reached the surface. His chest rose and fell violently while cold sweat soaked his robes.

For several moments, he simply sat there, trying to steady his breathing.

Only after confirming that he could still feel his heartbeat did the tension in his body gradually ease.

"I... died."

The memory of the endless pain was still vividly etched into his mind.

"I really died there..."

He slowly looked around the familiar cultivation cave before letting out a long sigh of relief.

"Fortunately... I'm still alive in the real world."

Even so, the lingering fear refused to leave his heart.

His gaze gradually turned solemn.

"But what exactly was that place?"

"And why did it feel more real than death itself?"

Zan Yunxiao remained seated on the stone platform, his breathing gradually returning to normal.

The lingering fear from that mysterious place had yet to fade when he suddenly noticed something unusual.

"Hm?"

He lowered his gaze and slowly raised a hand.

A strange yet familiar feeling coursed through his body. It wasn't an increase in his cultivation, nor was it a breakthrough in his realm. Instead, it felt as though his understanding of the sword had undergone a subtle but profound transformation.

His brows furrowed.

He extended two fingers, treating them as a sword.

The moment he swung them through the air, an invisible sharpness followed the motion. Although nothing visible appeared, he could clearly sense that the attack carried a level of lethality far beyond before.

Zan Yunxiao's eyes widened slightly.

"This..."

He quickly summoned his sword from system space.

The instant the hilt settled into his palm, an indescribable sense of familiarity washed over him. It was as though the sword had become an extension of his own body, responding to even the slightest movement of his thoughts.

He casually slashed forward.

Whoosh!

A razor-sharp force silently cut through the air, leaving behind a faint crack that lingered for several breaths before disappearing.

Although the strike looked ordinary, Zan Yunxiao knew it was anything but.

Its destructive power had increased by several folds.

Not because his cultivation had advanced...

But because every slash now carried a mysterious intent.

He stood there in silence, carefully recalling the unbearable pain he had endured on that glowing path.

The invisible force that had repeatedly pierced his soul...

It had been sword intent.

Realization dawned upon him.

"So that's what it was..."

A faint smile gradually appeared on his face.

"I thought I had gained nothing from that place."

"It seems enduring that pain wasn't without reward after all."

He gently lowered his sword, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Although he had only grasped the rudiments of this mysterious power, he could already tell that every sword technique he used from now on would become significantly more destructive.