For thousands of years, the world had known peace.
Empires rose and fell, sects fought and allied, and cultivators pursued power through the ancient methods passed down by the mysterious "Great Sage" — Arin.
But one day, everything changed.
---
At dawn, cultivators across the world felt a tremor ripple through their souls.
In the next instant, a translucent window appeared before their eyes — filled with radiant light.
> [Status Window Initialized]
Name: …
Realm: …
Cultivation Path: Pending Identification…
Alignment: Neutral (Uncorrupted)
For a moment, no one dared to breathe. Then confusion spread like wildfire.
In a remote mountain sect, a golden-robed elder trembled as he stared at the glowing screen.
"Is this… a heavenly revelation?" he murmured. "A mirror of fate itself?"
Meanwhile, in the sprawling Azure River Empire, the emperor — a peak Golden Core cultivator — stood atop his palace balcony.
As he activated his spiritual sense, he found that every living being, even mortals and beasts, could see the same mysterious window.
"This… this is beyond comprehension," he whispered. "A new era has begun."
---
Before anyone could adapt to the phenomenon, pillars of dark light erupted across the world — eighteen of them.
They descended like spears from the heavens, piercing deep into mountains, deserts, oceans, and forests.
Each one twisted the land around it, forming vast labyrinths filled with distorted energy and mutated beasts.
> [A Dungeon Has Appeared!]
Location: Eastern Sands — The Scroll of Binding
Type: Artifact Core — Foreign Origin
Danger Level: Catastrophic
The cultivators were thrown into chaos.
Armies mobilized. Sects sent expeditions. Even hermits who hadn't left their caves in centuries opened their eyes.
But as soon as they approached these zones, an overwhelming aura of alien Dao pressed upon their minds — whispering promises of divinity, faith, and eternal life.
Some cultivators knelt instantly.
Others resisted, only to see their companions' eyes glaze over with devotion.
They had fallen.
---
And then, another decree appeared across the world — not as a sound, but as a truth that imprinted itself directly into every soul.
> [World System Notice]
Beings who slay the Fallen or defeat Dungeon Monsters shall receive Merit.
Merit may be exchanged for cultivation, treasures, or enlightenment.
Needless slaughter shall accumulate Karma, which hinders all progress.
Those who uphold balance shall walk the true path of cultivation.
The moment the words vanished, a storm of excitement swept through the world.
In the Emerald Sky Sect, disciples screamed in joy —
"Merit can strengthen our cultivation!"
"This is the chance to reach Nascent Soul Realm!"
Across kingdoms, cultivators who had been stuck at the peak of Golden Core felt their hearts ignite again.
For thousands of years they had been trapped — their lifespan dwindling, their progress frozen.
But now, a path forward had appeared.
---
Within a month, the world turned into a crucible.
Bands of cultivators joined forces to raid the dungeons, seeking merit and treasures.
Entire sects began purging their ranks of those who had fallen to the foreign paths.
The skies were filled with light and fire —
Golden Core experts clashing with corrupted cultivators whose bodies leaked alien Dao.
Mountains shattered. Rivers boiled.
And in the void above, Arin watched silently.
He could see the flow of merit like rivers of light weaving through the land — draining the power of the 18 artifacts little by little.
He could feel their Daos weakening, just as he intended.
Yet, deep within the dungeons, the foreign artifacts pulsed with anger and hatred, sending out waves of temptation to gather new followers.
The war for the soul of Arin's world had begun.