Nathan felt his entire existence pulling apart like thread being sucked into a black hole. The blinding white light swallowed him, and for a moment, his vision—if he could call it that—was pierced by a brightness so sharp it felt like needles stabbing his eyes.
Then, suddenly…
Softness. Warmth. Grass.
Nathan blinked his new eyes open slowly. The first thing he saw was a bright blue sky painted with long swirls of white clouds, drifting lazily like cotton suspended in the heavens. A gentle breeze brushed across his skin.
He lay there for a moment, stunned, letting the light soak into him. After so long trapped in the empty void, the simple sight of the sky felt unreal… almost too beautiful.
"Okay…" he muttered to himself. "Not dead. Not in a void. Definitely not Kansas. Progress."
He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted. He looked around.
A massive green field stretched in every direction, almost glowing under the sunlight. Tall grass swayed like waves, and somewhere far away, he could hear birds chirping. The air was fresh—cleaner than anything he'd smelled on Earth.
That's when a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
DING.
> [Congratulations, host, for successfully arriving in the EAST CONTINENT of the cultivation world.]
Nathan grinned.
"So this place really is the East Continent," he thought. "And I really transmigrated."
He couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself. He died once and somehow respawned into a cheat-code world. Not everyone could say that.
---
Before Nathan could stand, the system continued speaking in his mind:
> [We are currently located near IAN CITY, which was founded by Jaxon Ian 15,000 years ago.]
Nathan blinked.
"Fifteen thousand years ago? That's older than every history textbook I ever slept through."
He dusted grass off his arms.
"System, tell me more about this world."
The system responded instantly.
> [This world is also called EARTH. However, it is six times larger than the Earth of your previous life.]
Nathan's jaw dropped.
Six times.
He hadn't even explored one country on his old Earth, let alone imagined a world this big. The thought alone made him dizzy with excitement. A world six times larger meant six times more adventures, danger, and—hopefully—beautiful women. Probably.
The system continued:
> [IAN CITY is the smallest city in the EAST CONTINENT. The current king is Jacob Ian.
There are seven continents in this world:
SUN CONTINENT, MOON CONTINENT, STAR CONTINENT, SOUTH CONTINENT, NORTH CONTINENT, WEST CONTINENT, and EAST CONTINENT.
SUN, MOON, and STAR CONTINENT form a triangle in the center, surrounded by the SOUTH, NORTH, WEST, and EAST CONTINENT.]
Nathan took a moment to process all of that.
A seven-continent mega-world?
The center three forming a triangle?
Founded cities thousands of years ago?
This world was massive—like, stupidly massive.
The system continued:
> [Each continent is separated by vast oceans. The world consists of 60% ocean and 40% land. Normal people cannot travel between continents without flying artifacts or high-level cultivation allowing flight.]
Nathan's eyes sparkled.
"People can fly!? Like actual flying!?" he shouted.
> [Yes. One must reach the IMMORTAL HUMAN stage to fly independently.]
Nathan felt a shiver of excitement.
"System, tell me about the cultivation stages. Everything. Leave nothing out."
The system obliged.
---
> [Cultivation is divided into four realms:]
---
1. Mortal Realm
Qi Condensation (10 levels)
Foundation (10 levels)
Core Formation (10 levels)
Nascent Soul (9 levels)
Origin (9 levels)
True Martial (9 levels)
Tribulation Stage (early, mid, late, peak)
---
2. Immortal Realm
Immortal Human (early, mid, late, peak)
True Immortal (early, mid, late, peak)
Immortal Lord (early, mid, late, peak)
Immortal King (early, mid, late, peak)
Immortal Emperor (early, mid, late, peak)
---
3. Saint Realm
Saint Immortal (early, mid, late, peak)
True Saint (early, mid, late, peak)
Saint King (early, mid, late, peak)
Saint Emperor (early, mid, late, peak)
---
4. God Realm
God (early, mid, late, peak)
True God (early, mid, late, peak)
Supreme God (early, mid, late, peak)
God King (early, mid, late, peak)
---
Nathan stared into the distance, overwhelmed.
"So many levels… so many realms…"
He shook his head.
"I wonder how far I can go…"
> [Do not worry, host. The SUPREME SECT SYSTEM will assist you in building the strongest sect and reaching the peak of cultivation.]
Nathan let out a breath of relief.
"Good. Because I definitely can't do this alone."
The system chimed again:
> [Additionally, lifespan varies greatly between cultivators and ordinary people.]
"Oh? How long do people live here?" Nathan asked.
> [Ordinary humans: 90–100 years.
MORTAL REALM cultivators: +50 years per stage.
IMMORTAL REALM cultivators: +100 years per stage.
SAINT REALM cultivators: +150 years per stage.
GOD REALM cultivators: +500 years per stage.]
Nathan's eyes widened.
"That means… if I reach Saint Realm… I could live over a thousand years."
He let out an impressed whistle.
"No wonder no one wants to stay weak here."
He then asked, "What about the lords of the continents?"
The system answered:
> [Strongest: SUN CONTINENT lord, Easton Shen — Peak Saint King.
MOON and STAR CONTINENT lords — Mid Saint King.
SOUTH, NORTH, and WEST CONTINENT lords — Early Saint King.
EAST CONTINENT lord, Kole Cryston — Peak True Saint.]
"So the East Continent is the weakest…" Nathan muttered.
"That means it's probably a good beginner area. Like the tutorial map in games."
Nathan was about to continue asking questions when a soft breeze brushed his skin. Making him shiver.
And that's when he froze.
A very cold breeze.
On very bare skin.
He slowly looked down.
And his entire soul left his body for the second time.
"I… I'm naked."
He stared at himself.
Completely.
Utterly.
Naked.
"What the actual f***, SYSTEM!?" he shouted, jumping to cover himself even though no one was around. "Why am I naked!? Where are my clothes!?"
> […]
The system went silent.
Nathan felt the urge to punch something.
"This is how you welcome your host!? With a full-body jumpscare!?"
He covered himself with both hands, shivering as the wind brushed against him again.
"System," he growled, "explain. Now."