Consciousness was like a coin tossed into the abyss of a deep, silent sea. As it plummeted, it shattered the barrier between reality and the virtual.
This was the Domain of Cultivation. Location: Cherry Blossom Spirit Spring — Yellow Grade, Spring No. 9.
"Dugu Lu" sat cross-legged at the center of a silent, roaring torrent. Surrounding him was no ordinary water, but countless crystalline, geometric runes spiraling in a rhythmic dance.
These data streams, representing the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth, were as heavy as liquid mercury. They clung to his virtual shell, oozing slowly into his simulated neurons.
It was a process of brutal restructuring.
Inside his mind's eye, dim nodes of consciousness were ignited one by one. Every pulse felt like a precision hammer strike against his soul. He could clearly "see" the chaotic noise being filtered out, replaced by a power known as "Order."
He raised his hand, his fingertips brushing the void. Ripples of shimmering gold radiated outward.
"The Great Dao is simple; all laws return to One."
A line of ancient, glowing script flickered briefly within the ripples. This was the Law of Cultivation unique to the Domain—a truth capable of making the soul tremble.
One Year Ago – The Reality.
Sensory input snapped back to the real world, bringing with it a damp, stifling heaviness and the bitter scent of medicinal herbs.
The year was A.D. 2179. Beneath the surface of a peaceful era lay a suffocating web of high-precision technology.
In the lower-tier districts, neon signs hissed in the drizzling rain. A modified food truck stood parked by the curb, its rusted body reflecting the decadent glow of the city. A flickering sign hung on its side: "Xian-Xian Mobile Herbal Pharmacy."
"Ah Lu, the extraction of this batch of Angelica isn't pure enough. Raise the temperature by 3°C."
Behind the counter, inside the cramped brewing room, the "Hacker" Shen Can grunted as he tinkered with a crude heating furnace.
Back then, they spent every day guarding this truck, selling bitter herbal brews to the poor souls who couldn't afford "Neuron Repair Fluid." They did it all for one reason: to save enough for a basic Implant Chip.
Finally, on a certain dusk, Lu Lu obtained his "Dream Key."
Wiping the sweat and grease from his forehead, Lu Lu gazed at the tiny chip in his palm.
In an era where neuron activity determined one's social class, a "nobody" like him could only rely on these "plant fibers"—ancient herbal dregs—to slowly strengthen his nervous system.
Even with modern purification, the gap between traditional decoctions and the corporate-made "Neuron Repair Fluid" was a chasm that few could ever cross.
That night, after extracting the next day's herbs with Shen Can, Lu Lu retreated to the "Meditation Room" inside the truck.
He pressed the low-grade chip against his forehead and interfaced it with his computer.
Instantly, distorted, flowing runes began to dance across his retinas.
[Domain of Immortals: ON!]
An ancient, powerful voice boomed from the depths of his mind. Lu Lu slipped into a deep slumber.
System Login Successful!
[Domain Calendar: Dao Year 1365]
[ID: Dugu Lu]
[Realm: Mortal]
[Neuron Activity: 59 (Below average by 99.7%)]
[Spirit Root Grade: 0]
[System Evaluation: Having just registered your Spirit Root, you are merely a withered leaf drifting against the current.]
One year in the real world equaled 365 Dao years in the Domain of Cultivation.
The "Dao Year 1365" was merely a timestamp marked by human computer systems.
In truth, it had only been four years since humanity discovered the Domain. In those four short years, this mysterious realm had become the core of human existence.
No one knew how long the Domain had actually existed, but to ordinary "salted fish" like Lu Lu, this virtual world was the ultimate cradle of dreams.
The Domain was not a simple string of binary code.
While the public viewed it as an immersive VR game, it was actually a "High-Dimensional Information Space" left behind by an ancient, hyper-advanced civilization.
In this world, three standards reigned supreme: Realm, Neuron Activity, and Spirit Root.
The "Spirit Root" was the passport to this high-dimensional space. As long as a being's neuron activity reached 50, whether they were human, alien, or an AI with self-awareness, they could register a cultivation aptitude within the Domain through the guidance of chips and programs.
It all traced back to three years ago, A.D. 2176, and the most mysterious scientist in history—Dr. Min Dou.
He had announced the discovery of the Domain and collaborated with mega-corporations to develop the hardware and chips required for synchronization.
Then, the Great Pioneer vanished, leaving behind the invention that drove all of humanity into a frenzy.
There was a physical link between reality and the Domain.
The higher one's Realm in the Domain, the stronger their neuron activity became in reality. This didn't just mean a longer lifespan or sharper intellect; it meant the ability to touch higher-dimensional mental spaces.
However, evolution was expensive.
The scions of wealthy clans could guzzle military-grade "Neuron Repair Fluid" while wearing top-tier chips to cultivate.
They even participated in collective meditation sessions aided by precision machinery.
Meanwhile, poor kids like Lu Lu could only rely on forgotten relics—boiled herbal soups—to clumsily and painfully build their neuron activity, drop by drop.
When Lu Lu opened his eyes, he no longer saw Chinese or English.
He saw the independent language of the Domain. Though the chip translated it instantly, Lu Lu knew that once those characters appeared, he was in a grand, cruel world of immortals.
Today, Dugu Lu stood at the edge of the square where the Great Sect Recruitment Ceremony was being held.
Above, countless cultivators soared through the sky. These were the "Qi Sensing Stage" experts—those with neuron activity over 100, capable of manipulating the world's Qi with their will. They had just passed the selections and were heading to their respective sects to begin their formal initiation.
Before such a magnificent scene, Dugu Lu felt like a candle flickering in a storm. Since entering the Domain, his neuron activity had only risen from 50 to 59. With no resources and no background, he could only work part-time in a small Blacksmithing Shop to earn Soul Jades, hoping to buy low-grade pills to temper his neurons.
In the Domain, Soul Jades were the only hard currency.
Whether in ancient shops run by "NPC" natives or markets built by players, these shimmering blue stones were the foundation of everything.
For players, they could be traded for immortal resources or even cashed out in the real world. For the high-dimensional natives, it was their lifeblood.
Dugu Lu had worked day and night for three months just to save 6 Soul Jades. This pittance couldn't even buy a single Haste Talisman, yet it represented three months of blood and sweat.
As Dugu Lu turned to leave the square, a scruffy old man blocked his path.
Dugu Lu's pupils contracted. He sensed a violent surge of energy.
A panel instantly projected onto his retina:
[Personal Status Panel]
ID: Dugu Lu
Realm: Mortal
Signature Skill: Mortal Martial Arts – Blade of the Skin
Spiritual Power: 1,527
Estimated Combat Power: 734
[Target Detection Panel]
Native: Black Dragon
Realm: Unknown (Difference too vast to sense)
Signature Skill: Immortal Art – Black Fang Hand
Spiritual Power: 97,250
Estimated Combat Power:77,304
"Kid," the old man said, a glint in his murky eyes.
"My name is Black Dragon, Sect Master of the Black Dragon Sect. Do you want to reach the Qi Sensing Stage?"
Dugu Lu's heart hammered against his ribs.
The old man didn't pull out gold or jewels. He simply held a charred, reddish herb, letting a dangerous aura seep through his fingers.
"Join my Black Dragon Sect as a Medicine Tester. Monthly stipend: 30 Soul Jades.
If your life is tough enough to survive, I'll help you cross the threshold of 'Qi Sensing' myself."
Nearby, the elite disciples preparing to fly off sneered with disdain.
To them, a "Medicine Tester" was a job for the dead. Sacrificing one's neurons to some shady native for a measly 30 Soul Jades? He had to be starving for money.
Dugu Lu fell silent.
He did the math. Three months of smithing earned him 6 jades. Here, the monthly pay was 30. More importantly, those "righteous" sects wouldn't even look at someone with neuron activity below 100.
But this crazy old man offered a path.
"I'll do it!"
Lu Lu spat out the words calmly.
It was a gamble. He knew that to flip his fate in an era where neurons defined destiny, working a "normal" job was impossible.
Being a Medicine Tester was lethal, but joining this powerful, eccentric old man's sect might just be his only chance.