Ch.1 Finding The Gaming System

"The fist is like a strong arrow, the back is like a bow, the waist is like a dragon's tendon, the mind is like a tiger, the essence is boiling, and the qi begins to come out..."

Although the crisp voice is a little immature, it is full of firmness. The moon is sparse, and by the lake in a small valley, the lonely moon in the sky is reflected in the lake. There was a boy about thirteen or fourteen years old. He was practicing boxing by the lake, and he was still chanting the formulas of the boxing technique in his mouth. The movements between tossing and turning were quite mellow. Obviously, he had already practiced this set of boxing techniques thoroughly. Very charming.

Although the young man is physically strong, he is young after all. He used the set of boxing techniques with all his strength, but after about half an hour, he was already sweating profusely, panting like a cow, and stopped.

Squatting by the lake, holding up the cool lake water and washing his face, Zhuge Xiang was in a low mood. He had practiced this set of nourishing qi boxing for a whole year, but he still hadn't succeeded in comprehending the sense of qi. There was still half a month left. It's the annual recruiting conference. If he can't comprehend the sense of energy in the last half month, then he can only be an ordinary person in this life, an ordinary person who runs around for food and clothing every day.

Speaking of Zhuge Xiang's background, it can be regarded as miserable. He was lonely since he was a child, and the only relative he had was an old beggar, they lived life full of ups and downs. Then a year ago, when he was begging in front of a wealthy family, the owner not only refused to give charity but also let his dog kill the old beggar.

Holding a grudge in his heart, he stole a dagger at night. Zhuge Xiang sneaked into the rich man's house and killed all thirteen members of that family. Afterwards, a young man in ancient Chinese disciple clothes appeared and asked Zhuge Xiang if he wanted to become a master, if he wanted to eat meat, and not worry about food and clothing. Zhuge Xiang agreed and joined the Shura Sect.

The Great Qin Empire has a population of two billion, a territory of tens of thousands of miles, a strong martial arts style, and a large number of strong sects, which can even rival the royal family of the empire. The Shura Sect is one of them, and its strength can be seen.

Every year, the Shura Sect recruits 100,000 teenagers between the ages of twelve and fifteen to go up to the mountain for hard training. What they practice is a set of qi boxing. The qi boxing itself has no combat power, but it can be effective in nourishing qi. Zhuge Xiang is one of the 100,000 youths who has the talent to stimulate the essence in the body, refine and transform the energy, and comprehend the sense of energy.

It has been almost a year since Zhuge Xiang joined the Shura Sect, and in just half a month, the next group of young recruits will ascend the mountain.

On that day, Zhuge Xiang and his fellow disciples will undergo an assessment. It'll test if they have successfully grasped the essence of Qi and they will gain entry into the sect as official disciples. As handymen and servants under the sect's jurisdiction, they can sour to the heavens if they become official desiples.

Zhuge Xiang had grown accustomed to hardship since his early days as a beggar. He couldn't bear to dwell on that destitute life. As the saying goes, people are often bullied by others, but in Zhuge Xiang's perspective, it should be that the weak are bullied by the strong, much like how he and the old beggar, were unjustly subjected to a dog's attack. This experience taught him the importance of strength, and he was determined to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a disciple of the Shura Sect.

Even if, by some stroke of luck, he managed to enter the foreign affairs department of the Shura Sect, Zhuge Xiang could not accept a role as a mere underling.

"Furthermore, as time passes, more people will successfully grasp the sense of qi. After a year of practice, I should be on the cusp of understanding it. In the remaining half month, I must not falter." Thinking of the old beggar and considering this as his sole chance in life, Zhuge Xiang took a brief rest, gathered his resolve, assumed the Qi-sensing posture, and continued...

While having determination is admirable, out of the 100,000 teenagers recruited by the Shura Sect every year, only a select few can successfully understand the sense of energy within a year, making it a rare achievement. Additionally, Zhuge Xiang's natural talent was not particularly remarkable, and his practice extended into the late hours. After practicing a set of qi-sensing back and forth ten times, pushing his body and willpower to the absolute limit, even when lying by the lake and unable to move a finger, he still felt no trace of the sense of energy.

After less than half an hour of rest, Zhuge Xiang regained some physical strength. He stood up and prepared to leave. While cultivation was crucial, the initial step was to refine and transform qi. The source of qi lay in the body's essence, so maintaining good physical health was essential. Rest and moderation were key, as overexertion could lead to a depleted body, hindering the understanding of Qi. Every year in the Shura Sect, there were no shortages of individuals who exhausted themselves or, in extreme cases, perished.

As he rose to depart, Zhuge Xiang's body suddenly froze. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the bright moon's reflection in the lake, with a portion missing.

Gazing up at the night sky, the full moon shone brilliantly, but the reflection in the lake revealed a noticeable crescent-shaped void along its edge. What could this signify? Why was there a missing section of the moon in the lake? Could it be that the moon had fallen into the lake?

Intrigued by the unusual phenomenon, Zhuge Xiang removed his clothes, dived into the lake, and examined the gap in the moon's reflection closely.

As he drew nearer, Zhuge Xiang realized that the moon reflected in the lake appeared to be incomplete due to a black light within the water, overlapping with the moonlight reflection, creating the illusion of a missing piece.

Black light in a lake? How could such a thing exist? In the darkness of the lake at night, were it not for Zhuge Xiang's vantage point, the moonlight and the black light would have appeared seamlessly merged. He was certain that in the obscurity of the lake at night, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to notice this black light.

After a brief dive, when the lake had settled, Zhuge Xiang emerged with a black ring cradled in his hand. Illuminated by the moonlight, it emitted an eerie black glow.

Swimming back to the shore, Zhuge Xiang lowered his gaze to examine the ring. This mysterious black ring was crafted from an unknown metal, exuding an uncanny aura when observed. Its radiating black light clearly marked it as something far from ordinary.

"Could this be a legendary magic artifact? Was it left here?" Zhuge Xiang wondered as he held the ring in his hand.

Official disciples of the Shura Sect were entitled to possess magic artifacts, items known for their peculiar abilities, distinct from conventional weapons like swords or staffs. Given the black light it emitted, Zhuge Xiang believed it must be a magic artifact, at the very least.

A magic artifact exclusive to formal disciples of the Shura Sect? Zhuge Xiang pondered for a moment but couldn't resist the curiosity bubbling within him. He extended a finger and placed the black ring on it.

As soon as the ring was donned, it seemed to spring to life, accompanied by a sharp sensation, causing Zhuge Xiang to cry out in pain. Instinctively, he tried to remove the ring, but it clung to his finger as if it were rooted there.

The pain intensified, and Zhuge Xiang, already fatigued, felt his consciousness slipping away.

Just as his consciousness faded into darkness, a mechanical voice faintly echoed in the depths of his mind: "Scanning bones, blood, talent... Evaluating constitution eligibility and binding... Commencing 20-second countdown... System defaults... Binding successful... Welcome to the Super Game System."