Chapter One: A New Arrival

"Bai Feiyu, stop struggling and accept your fate!"

Bai Feiyu opened his eyes in a daze, staring blankly at the young man before him, dressed in ancient robes, his body shimmering with special-effect-like light, sword pointed directly at him. For a moment, Bai Feiyu was utterly bewildered.

What on earth is this?

"Host Bai Feiyu detected. The Scavenger System is now at your service."

His confusion only deepened, yet at the same time, a vague premonition arose within him.

Pain surged through his body and mind at once.

As a flood of memories crashed into his consciousness, Bai Feiyu finally understood what had happened.

He had transmigrated.

In the vast world of the Fourteen Provinces, countless beings seek immortality!

This was a realm brimming with extraordinary encounters and fateful opportunities.

Among all the races, humanity was considered weak in the Fourteen Provinces. Yet, under the leadership of innumerable formidable figures, they managed to claim over half the continent.

He was now Bai Feiyu, an outer disciple of the Gui Xu Sect, at the first stage of Qi Refinement.

The former Bai Feiyu had died because, during a secret realm expedition, he had inadvertently helped a junior sister in danger. This act was witnessed by the very person now standing before him—a fellow disciple who happened to be that junior sister’s admirer.

This disciple’s name was Duan Xiao, also an outer disciple of the Gui Xu Sect. Compared to Bai Feiyu, who after three years had only reached the first layer of Qi Refinement, Duan Xiao had already advanced to the seventh layer and was considered among the leading figures of the sect’s younger generation.

At this moment, they were still within the perilous secret realm—a place where death was common, and even the sect wouldn’t bother to ask questions.

“What? Do you really want to die? I was feeling merciful, thinking I’d let you go as long as you knelt and begged...” Duan Xiao sneered, stepping forward when Bai Feiyu remained silent, assuming it was out of lingering defiance.

“Too bad. I’ll have to send you on your way myself!”

He raised his sword high.

Yet Bai Feiyu’s attention was drawn to the ground near him—a cluster of glowing orbs scattered at his side.

Instinctively, he reached out and swiped at them.

“Collected three points of Vitality. Automatically applied to heal injuries.”

“Collected the ‘Soaring Swallow’ movement technique. Automatically learned.”

“Collected ten Energy Points. Automatically used to enhance cultivation.”

A series of voices echoed in his ears, leaving Bai Feiyu momentarily stunned.

Snapping back to reality, he saw the sword descending toward him.

His body reacted instinctively. His steps traced a rhythmical path, allowing him to evade the sword with ease.

Some disciples nearby, who had been watching with pity, were left utterly dumbfounded.

“Wait a second—what movement was that? Why does it look so familiar?”

“Isn’t that the ‘Soaring Swallow’ that Senior Brother Duan used just now?”

“But Bai Feiyu’s never learned that, has he?”

“Could it be... he just picked it up?”

“Impossible!”

Duan Xiao was equally shocked to see Bai Feiyu perform the ‘Soaring Swallow’. His face darkened. “No matter when you learned it, you’ll only dodge once!”

Now with a rough idea of what was happening, Bai Feiyu glanced at the remaining light orbs on the ground and rushed over, grabbing at them all.

Again, a flurry of notifications sounded in his ear.

“Collected three points of Vitality...”

“Collected the ‘Hidden Light Sword’ technique. Automatically learned.”

“Collected ten Energy Points...”

He could clearly feel the surge of power within him, energy coursing through every limb.

Yet to the onlookers, his sudden scramble across the ground seemed utterly deranged—like he’d lost his mind.

“Haha, Senior Brother Duan, just finish him off already! Look at him, he’s gone mad!”

“Exactly! Good thing this is just our sect’s little secret realm. If disciples from another sect saw this, we’d be the laughingstock!”

Duan Xiao laughed as well, pointing his sword at Bai Feiyu.

“In that case, let me rid the sect of a fool!”

He advanced, sword in hand, as if strolling through a garden.

Bai Feiyu turned to face him, mind recalling the sword technique he’d just learned. His feet moved in a flash. Before Duan Xiao could react, Bai Feiyu seized his sword hand, twisted his wrist, and sent the blade arcing in a cold gleam toward Duan Xiao’s neck.

For a moment, shock and terror flickered across Duan Xiao’s face.

But it was already too late.

A scarlet flower bloomed. Bai Feiyu could even feel the warm spray across his cheek.

He watched Duan Xiao’s body collapse, wiped the blood from his face, and realized he felt far calmer than he’d expected. Here, in this fantastical world—especially within a secret realm—killing and being killed were part of the order.

Duan Xiao had tried to kill him.

He had simply killed in return.

There was nothing more to it.

As Duan Xiao’s life ebbed away, his eyes still wide with disbelief—never expecting to die by Bai Feiyu’s hand—the surrounding disciples fell silent.

Bai Feiyu noticed a white energy orb rise from Duan Xiao’s body—like a treasure chest dropped from a defeated monster.

He reached out and touched it.

“Gained fifty Energy Points. Automatically converted to cultivation.”

He felt the power in his dantian surging, rapidly filling him. By the standards of this world, he was now at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement.

Bai Feiyu let out a long breath, gazing at the dense forest and the disciples in pale-blue Gui Xu Sect robes around him, eyes burning with anticipation.

Fourteen Provinces, here I come!

The disciples shrank back beneath his gaze, fear gripping them. Not only could they not accept what had just happened—they now feared Bai Feiyu might turn on them next.

“Run!”

In a flash, the group scattered.

Bai Feiyu had no intention of chasing them; he needed time to process everything.

At that thought, a panel appeared before him.

Host: Bai Feiyu

Vitality: 87/100 (Below 100 indicates injury)

Cultivation: Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement

Another page appeared on the panel:

"The host can acquire various attributes and powers—including but not limited to techniques, cultivation, and weapons—by picking up items dropped during battles, defeating enemies, or finding them scattered along the way, thereby enhancing personal strength."

Bai Feiyu pondered deeply.

Isn’t this just like a game?

Except here, you’re actually living it—and death is very real.

Exhaling slowly, Bai Feiyu looked around and strode into the forest.

His gaze swept every corner, and he soon noticed that glowing orbs could be found even among the underbrush.

He made his way over, collecting every orb he saw.

"Gained one Scarlet Pearl Herb."

"Gained the ‘Black Tortoise Canon’ technique. Would you like to learn it now? (All attribute allocation outside of combat is at the host's discretion.)"

"Gained one point of Water Affinity."

"Gained..."

The further he went, the brighter his eyes became.

Piece by piece, these gains were adding up, giving him a tangible sense of advancement.

Moreover, he was gradually gaining a clearer understanding of how power worked in this world.

Boom—

Suddenly, a tremor sounded from the thickets ahead.