Thunder roared across the sky.
Dark clouds gathered above the mountains like a massive ocean.
Rain poured endlessly.
Inside a dense forest, a young man lay on the muddy ground.
His clothes were torn.
Blood stained his chest.
His breathing was weak.
This young man was Su Lin.
Just a few hours earlier, he had been chased by a group of bandits.
Originally, Su Lin was just an ordinary villager from Green River Village.
He had no cultivation talent.
No powerful background.
No family influence.
To the cultivators of this world, he was nothing more than an ant.
And tonight, he almost died.
Footsteps echoed through the forest.
A group of rough-looking men appeared.
They were the bandits who attacked him earlier.
One of them laughed.
"That brat should be dead by now."
Another spat on the ground.
"He dared resist us. Serves him right."
They approached the body.
But suddenly—
A strange golden light flashed across Su Lin's body.
His fingers twitched.
Then—
His eyes opened.
Golden light shined inside his pupils.
At that moment, a mysterious voice echoed inside his mind.
{Absolute Enlightenment System Activated.}
Su Lin froze.
System?
Was he hallucinating?
Before he could react, countless streams of information flooded his mind.
Ancient techniques.
Cultivation methods.
Combat arts.
Heavenly laws.
All of it appeared clearly in his thoughts.
It was as if his mind had suddenly expanded thousands of times.
Su Lin gasped.
"This..."
"I understand everything?"
The bandits noticed his movement.
One of them shouted.
"He's awake!"
Another drew his sword.
"Kill him."
The leader stepped forward with a cruel smile.
"Kid, you should've stayed dead."
He raised his blade.
But Su Lin slowly stood up.
His body trembled slightly.
Yet his gaze was calm.
Inside his mind, the system spoke again.
{Beginner Reward Granted.}
{Absolute Foundation Technique obtained.}
{Cultivation initiated.}
A strange energy suddenly surged inside Su Lin's body.
The surrounding spiritual energy began flowing toward him.
The bandits stopped.
"What the hell?"
Wind started swirling around Su Lin.
Leaves flew across the forest floor.
Then—
His body released a powerful aura.
The system announced:
{Qi Gathering Realm – Level 1 achieved.}
Su Lin clenched his fist.
Power.
Real power.
For the first time in his life, he felt it.
The bandit leader frowned.
"A cultivator?"
"Impossible."
Su Lin slowly raised his head.
His eyes glowed faintly.
The system displayed information.
[Enemy Analysis
-Bandit Leader
-Realm: Qi Gathering Level 2
-Weakness: Right shoulder injury]
Su Lin smiled faintly.
"So this is how it works."
The bandit leader grew impatient.
"Enough nonsense!"
He rushed forward.
Sword raised.
But Su Lin calmly stepped aside.
His movement was smooth and precise.
Then—
He punched forward.
BOOM
The bandit leader flew backward and slammed into a tree.
The other bandits froze.
"W-what?!"
Su Lin looked at his fist in surprise.
His body felt light.
Every movement felt natural.
The system spoke again.
{Combat Experience Acquired.}
The remaining bandits panicked.
"Run!"
They turned to escape.
But Su Lin stepped forward.
Spiritual energy gathered in his palm.
[Heaven Shattering Palm.]
He struck the ground.
A wave of force erupted.
The bandits were blasted away instantly.
Silence filled the forest.
Rain continued falling.
Su Lin stood quietly.
His breathing slowly stabilized.
Moments later, the system appeared again.
{Mission Completed
-Enemies Defeated
-Reward:
-100 System Points
-Beginner Storage Ring
-Spirit Sword (Base Grade)}
A ring appeared in his hand.
Su Lin stared at it.
His heart pounded with excitement.
"So this is the Absolute Enlightenment System..."
He looked toward the distant mountains.
Beyond those mountains existed the world of cultivators.
Powerful sects.
Ancient empires.
Immortal legends.
Before today, that world had been unreachable.
But now—
Everything had changed.
Su Lin's lips curled into a confident smile.
"From today onward..."
"I will walk the path of cultivation."
"And one day..."
"I will stand above the heavens."
Lightning flashed across the sky.
The journey of the future Master of the Universe had just begun.