Mythical System

Ding!

The Pathfinder of Universes System has awakened. Scanning the surrounding environment for kilometers. (T/n: exact distance not specified in raws.) No danger was perceived within the search scope.

Ding!

Respectable human, you have been selected as the one and only pathfinder. I shall now introduce you to my origins. I am a semi-intelligent system refined by a part of the almighty Hunyuan spirit‘s unconscious soul origin, currently bounded to the pathfinder’s soul. (T/n: the MTL translation of Hunyuan is proterozoic, the time between the Archean eon and the Cambrian period. But considering that it’s a multi-verse thing the chances of the word meaning proterozoic is relatively low, I will edit it later if it really means that.) The host’s original universe is the Hunyuan universe, the Hunyuan spirit is its soul. You are one of the countless human being produced naturally by the great dao law (T/n: not sure if it's a set of laws or singular.) of the Hunyuan universe. The Hunyuan spirit has been silently observing human development and growth since time immemorial.

Ding!

The boundless void unsolicitedly formed a two-dimensional universe that alternates day by day between the Hunyuan universe and the Dunyuan universe. The two universes each have their innate souls, the Hunyuan and Dunyuan spirits. The two had a peaceful relationship, forming countless things (T/n; or beings.) and the 3,000 dao laws of their universes together. (T/n: a.k.a paths.) The Hunyuan spirit was the first to awaken, mastering a total of 2,900 Dao laws. Both spirits were nearing the immortality of the same dao. Yet, the Dunyuan spirit was rather slow on the uptake, only managed to master 2,000 dao laws. Realizing the situation, the Dunyuan spirit tried its best the suppress its anxiety. However, it was unable to hold back its complicated thoughts, it secretly sneaked into the Hunyuan spirit's universe and assaulted it, purging it into disorder, wronging the Hunyuan spirit. At the time, the Hunyuan spirit was in the void, contemplating 5 dao laws. What greeted it once it went back to the Hunyuan universe was the single intact galaxy of living beings with all the other 2,899 galaxies formed by the Dao laws he mastered destroyed, millions upon millions of lives annihilated tragically. The amount of damage the Dunyuan spirit dealt with in the Hunyuan universe is irreversible. The qi of the universe, whether righteous or demonic leaked out in all directions and into the void, turned into nothingness. The large qi loss eternally blocked off all paths of advancement of Dao laws, limiting the Hunyuan spirit to its current level of proficiency. In addition, the qi loss caused all beings of the Hunyuan universe to be deprived of the right to cultivate and refine qi. Such a move angered the Hunyuan spirit to the point of no return, frantically pursued the Dunyuan spirit, going as far as using the dao laws it mastered to go straight for the kill. The two sides dealt grave injuries to the other. Although it was unable to eliminate the Dunyuan spirit directly, the Hunyuan spirit managed to wound the Dunyuan spirit to the point of falling into a never-ending sleep in the depths of the Dunyuan universe. However, before descending into slumber, the Dunyuan spirit arranged an array of unknown origins with the assistance of various creatures which forbids any foreign consciousness possessing the mastery of dao laws from entering the Dunyuan universe. As a result, it made the Hunyuan spirit temporarily pause its maniacal pursuit. Furthermore, the Chaotic Hunyuan spirit's soul was tremendously weakened, it wasn't until a time around the past hundred years did it rose amidst its rest.

Ding!

The system is at most a semi-intelligent soul program, and cannot be categorized as a consciousness. I will continuously protect you whenever you travel amongst in the Dunyuan universe while assisting you and providing you the cultivation method the Hunyuan spirit created over the past 100 years. Even though I will aid you on your journey to the ranks of the strong, there is ultimately no free lunch in the world, I believe, you too understand this basic fact. You must never forget that your status, the sole pathfinder of the honorable Hunyuan spirit. The mission that you should prioritize above all others is to gradually eliminate the creatures of the Dunyuan universe till there are less than 10,000 intelligent beings left. By then, the mysterious array will break down, allowing the Hunyuan spirit to enter and destroy the Dunyuan spirit, ending their enmity once and for all. But please rest assured, this is not a dangerous place, and none knows of your outsider status. By utilizing the system's unique effect, the Dunyuan spirit has completely fallen into eternal slumber. You can steadily cultivate and diligently rise in cultivation levels till you attain longevity. It would not be too late to destroy all creatures of the Dunyuan universe. Creatures like you, that are created by the Great Dao laws are different from the Chaotic spirits. The creatures like you can not wantonly choose dao Laws from the 3,000 dao laws to comprehend, restrained to a particular order of having to master the 2,000 dao laws the Dunyuan spirit mastered only then would you be able to learn the remaining 3,000 laws.

Ding!

Congratulations on your attainment of the System Operation Manual, the Yin Yang Qi Devouring cultivation method first volume for 1st realm, and an additional prelude to the following stages. Volume 1 of the cultivation method will be automatically inserted into your soul's memory in 1 minute. Please attentively receive the information, note that you currently have a total of two lives. Complete death can be avoided through the aid of the system. If death were to occur, as long as it is the first time, the system will transfer the host's soul to another body a thousand miles away. However, please slay living beings using the cultivation method, Yin Yang Qi Devouring to replenish soul energy. The soul energy will then be sent to the system and turn into the system's energy. At the cap of energy, the system can grant you three lives and allow you to be resurrected twice!

Ding!

Activating branch missions-unlocking criteria: entering the Dunyuan universe

Missions

-join the world of cultivation

-join a sect, swiftly familiar yourself with the sect rules

-slaughter 100 cultivators in half a year

Chain mission reward-a mysterious pill

(T/n: I deliberately formatted it like this, the raw's style was too messy.)

After the introduction spoken in Ye Feng’s mind is over, he gasped for air, slowly recovering from the shock, stood up, and his thoughts that were all over the place finally turned into calmness. Sure enough, there was no free lunch in the world.

“My head still hurts a little, I will be resting in the tent, you should continue eating, brother Tie.” Ye Feng spoke hastily.

Not bothering to wait for a reply, Ye Feng held his head, as if he is trying to elevate the discomfort the pain brought to him as he walked into the tent. He took out a quilt and beast skin mat from the public baggage. (T/n: literal public luggage that anyone in their group can use.) He spread the mat inside the tent and tossed the quilt over it, hurriedly snuck in between, waiting for the System Operation Manual and the Ying Yang Qi Devouring Cultivation method.

Ye Feng groaned in discomfort, dull pain engulfed his mind, waves of information and images flashed in his mind. Half an hour passed in his process of going through the new memories and called out in his mind: System Page.

All of a sudden, a golden screen appeared in sight, something that only he could see. The operation requires him to chant the words in his mind, in addition, words are required to be chanted at different speeds. It is a type of soul code, this practice is to make him adapt to using the system scan. Occasionally, when Ye Feng thought of the words “System Page” he would start to chant it mentally even when his thoughts were flying all over the place.

At the moment, Ye Feng is only granted access rights to see his stats on the left side of the System Page.

(T/n: the raws mentions that the stats are organized into columns.)

Name: Ye Feng

Lives: 2 (3 if counting current life) (When a death occurs to the current body, the system will transfer the soul to another, counting as 1 resurrection.)

Fixed gender: Male

Strength: 0.5

Agility: 0.5

Body constitution: 0.5

Spiritual root: Grade four

Bone age: 15

Soul state: Normal

Body state: Some bruises on the skin are detected, the body is estimated to recover in three days.

“This body quality is no better than...” Ye Feng trailed off.

The average healthy 20-year-old male mortal would have 1 as the attribute for strength, agility, and body physique. This body’s stats are only 0.5, mind you, a 15-year-old mortal male should have attributes around 0.7 to 0.8. A body whose quality was has terrible as this is quite a sight.

“Waste!” Unable to hold back his shock, Ye Feng blurted out the word that he had restrained in the depths of his mind. (T/n: the raws used “waste wood”.)

At this very moment, a person strode into the tent and started to rest in a quilt. Ye Feng‘s eyes glinted, chanted mentally on the spot: scan the attributes of the person in sight.

Ding!

Strength: 0.8

Agility: 0.7

Body constitution: 0.8

Spiritual root: Grade five

Bone age: 15

Soul state: Normal

Body state: Normal

Shit! I really am a waste, any random person that enters the tent is stronger than me. With these kinds of properties, where did the original body owner’s courage even come from? To have enough courage to enter the woods with two other people that are itching to beat you up and the previous Ye Feng didn’t even use any weapons to protect himself. It would be a miracle if someone else at the scene died that is not you...

Ye Feng sat up and glanced outside of the tent, sweeping his eyes over every single one of the people outside, reading their stats. His attributes are just a little higher than the girls outside. 15-year-old girls typically have 0.4-0.5 as their attribute, nimbler ones would be at 0.5. His action came to an abundant halt as he saw the coachman’s attributes.

Ding!

Strength: 5.5

Agility: 5.1

Body constitution: 5

Spiritual root: Grade 4

Bone age: 30

Soul state: Normal

Body state: Normal

Warning: this creature is too dangerous for the pathfinder at present. Through a stat comparison, it is highly recommended for the pathfinder to distance themselves away from the creature for 5 meters or more. The consequence for not following this warning is to be killed in a single blow by it once you clash.

The warning made Ye Feng speechless. The system‘s frigid way of informing him that he would be killed in no further than one blow is akin to rubbing salt into his wounds, indirect mockery of his current state.

Ye Feng guessed that the previous owner must be a demonic cultivator like Ye Su as he remembered his pitiful stats. Demonic cultivators would only be able to massively improve their physical attributes once they reach the peak of the Golden core realm. By then they would be able to fuse their golden cores with their bodies to boost their body attributes, it would not be much of an exaggeration to say that they are as strong as a dragon itself. According to a cultivator, cultivators in the Golden core realm are as unique as phoenix feathers and horns of mythical creatures.

These coachmen are evidently not cultivators in the Golden core realm, they can only cultivate and refine qi. A person’s body has two dantians, a dantian of Heaven and Earth individually. A cultivator would use their spiritual roots to connect with Heaven and Earth, absorbing true yang qi, refines them into his qi, and finally storing them in his upper dantian located between one’s eyebrows. The qi is then available for the cultivator to use for various Daoist techniques. A demonic cultivator, on the other hand, devours demonic beings, connects with Heaven and Earth for harvesting demonic yin qi, stores them into the lower dantian under the abdomen. This can be used to nourish the body, slowly gaining the power of demonic beasts.

With the help of martial arts that requires demonic yin qi, one would be similar to those martial artists in the wuxia novels of Earth. Having the ability to defeat ten, hundred, thousands, and tens of thousands. This however does not mean that demonic cultivators have no flaws, demonic cultivators that are the cream of the top can only live up to around 100 years at most.

Ye Feng’s Yin Yang Qi Devouring cultivation method gathers true yang qi and demonic yin qi at the same time. The path of demonic cultivation has a total of 10 stages, reaching the peak is the furthest a human can go, being 10 times stronger than an average person. A human, in the end, cannot change their essence.

Regardless the Hunyuan spirit that has mastered a total of 2,900 Dao laws is not convinced by this mindset. It thinks that demonic yin qi too can develop like the true yang qi that cultivators use. It believes that as long as humans find a method of mutating human blood and demon blood into devil blood, humans would be able to continuously break through bottlenecks. (T/n: Yao=demon race, Mo=devil race)

Humans can then break past the power limits of the human body, gather demonic yin qi without end, and increase their lifespans by fusing their blood with demon blood. The blood fusion grants the human half of the outside blood owner’s lifespan, the blood fusion cannot be between a pair of pure humans. (T/n: pure humans that haven’t fused blood.) An example of this would be human fusing blood with a dragon with 10,000 years of life, after fusion, the human would receive 5,000 years of life.

During the ancient times of the Hunyuan universe, there used to be a genius demonic cultivator that reached the 60th stage, nicknamed the Demon Ancestor. A single fist would shatter mountains and rivers alike, a foot could turn the Earth into pieces. A fight he was involved in blew up a planet. The genius is strong, but he is a demonic cultivator and they have ordinary lifespans. He could only seek to fuse his blood, but this method cannot make you gain immortality. Dragon blood fusion makes you live 5,000 years longer at most. Understanding this made the genius pursue the strong and chaos until he is besieged and killed by a cultivator. A part of the Yin Yang Qi Devouring cultivation method is inspired by his and his disciple's experiences.

Ye Feng cannot help but muse of the Hunyuan spirit‘s astonishing wits, using others' creations for personal benefits. The Yin Yang Qi Devouring cultivation method can refine a small part of the killed creature’s Qi this applies to any being that has cultivation, these functions made the cultivation method surpass going into seclusion by leaps and bounds. However this method is frighteningly similar to leveling up methods in games, Ye Feng can’t help but wonder if the Hunyuan spirit was influenced by video games on Earth?

Ye Feng thought of the consequences of ever releasing this method to the public. It is estimated that the entire Dunyuan universe‘s order would be toppled and the world will be purged into a dark era. Would humans still respect cultivators? No, they won‘t. Even if one is to embark on the path of a blood refiner, they would be able to increase their lifespan to 5,100 years at most as the dragon clan‘s maximum lifespan is 10,000 years.

Ye Feng turned his train of thought focus towards the demon race, their bodies which possess vast amounts of the demonic yin qi with the qualifications to walk on the demonic path to refine Qi. But they do not have access to the Yin Yang Qi Devouring cultivation method that is created from the mastery of 2,900 Dao Laws and the Hunyuan universe‘s creatures' life experiences. Besides, their pride would never permit them to taint their blood with that of a human’s, preventing them from breaking the limit. From the experiences of countless demonic cultivators, demonic yin qi is useless for prolonging life. One can only prolong life by cultivating with the true yang qi.

This is why even the most powerful dragon race would need to cultivate the true yang qi to become stronger. Moreover, it seems that the more a race is inherently strong or long-lived, the more difficult it is to reproduce. It was as if such deflects are a law that every creature must obey. If this natural occurrence does not exist, humans would not be able to dominate the land, demonic creatures would have continued their reign from the olden eras and wreaked havoc.

Nautical twilight, the world is shrouded in a serene aura, Ye Feng sat up, enduring the biting cold, and observed his surroundings. The tent‘s only sounds are steady breathing produced by its occupants that have long fallen asleep, including Lin Tie that slept next to him.

Nautical twilight is the time of the day when demonic yin qi is the richest. Out of the two general types of qi, demonic yin qi is the liveliest and the qi easier to connect with. As I just started to cultivate, I should choose the times when qi gathering is the most convenient and noon is the time true yang qi is the richest.

I should start cultivating today, there is no chance to kill and devour beings for now. I can only mediate to gather true yang qi and demonic yin q from heaven and earth, there‘s no time to waste. Ye Feng thought as he calmed down, sat down in criss-cross fashion, hovered his hands in a lotus position in front of his abdomen, and slowly closed his eyes.

An hour later, Ye Feng felt a wave of dizziness take over him. He then recalled that in the introduction of the Yin Yang Qi Devouring cultivation method the soul would be very weak in the first realm’s first stage. The cultivator can then meditate for up to one hour at most. This changes slightly once the cultivator reaches the second realm, the amount of time they can meditate in a day would be 2 hours. However, for every hour you mediate, you must take a rest of half an hour before continuing. (T/n: this applies to all realms.) The same goes for the devouring function of the cultivation method, Ye Feng can only devour creatures for the same amount of time he can use to meditate, going over the time limit goes not give any benefit. Without the devouring function of the Yin Yang Qi cultivation method, the difference is like the difference between heaven and earth itself.

After dinner, Ye Feng had secretly asked the coachmen about the cultivation realms of the Dunyuan universe. And found out that the cultivation realms are: Qi gathering, Foundation establishment, Light opening, Golden core, and Nascent soul. Every realm is then further split into 10 stages, every stage reached grants 100 years of life. So cultivating to the 10th stage of the Qi gathering realm would be 1,000 years of life, Foundation establishment 10th stage is another 1,000, following this pattern, by the time a cultivator reaches Nascent soul, they would have 5,100 years of life. It is no different from the years gained through fusing blood with a dragon, as the road to the end of cultivation is long, there would naturally be more years gained in from reaching the newly discovered realms.

Driven by curiosity, Ye Feng had additionally inquired about whether the world of cultivation ever had people that managed to become immortals. The coachmen have not seen records of people becoming immortals, however, trust that sooner or later a cultivator will become an immortal or demon through breakthroughs.

After all, all the current cultivation realms were discovered by the people of the past, who protected mortals from the demonic beings while simultaneously yearning for their longevity. There was only the Qi gathering realm at first, but later on, the esteemed Shang Guan Qian Yu broke through and found the Foundation establishment realm revealed the method of breakthrough. Over time, the currently known realms were uncovered one by one, including the legendary Nascent soul realm.