lthough Lan An had racked his brains, he still could not find any way to escape his current desperate situation. With both eyes blinded and his body heavily injured, his lowly status left him with almost no options.
Therefore, when the System's voice rang out, it felt like receiving a warm blanket while freezing in the snow, or a cup of cool water in the middle of a scorching desert. His excitement was completely understandable.
"Ding! Host binding successful. Congratulations, Lan An, for becoming the master of the Overlord System."
The mechanical voice sounded in his mind once more. Without needing much thought, Lan An immediately spoke:
"I want to escape my current predicament. Is there any way?"
The moment his words fell, a faint illusory figure instantly appeared floating beside him.
Although Lan An was blind, the moment this figure appeared, its image was miraculously transmitted into his mind. It was a tiny little loli, no bigger than an adult's palm. She had glossy black hair, large sparkling eyes, delicate eyebrows, a small exquisite nose, cherry-red lips, fair pink skin, and two adorable dimples. She wore a luxurious golden long dress, noble yet extremely cute.
"Greetings, Young Master. I am the representative of the Overlord System. From today onward, I will assist you."
The little loli opened her small mouth, revealing neat white teeth as she spoke. Her voice transmitted directly into Lan An's mind, sweet and clear like a flowing spring, incredibly pleasant to the ear. Even the pain from his wounds seemed to ease slightly.
"Are you the artifact spirit of the System?" Lan An thought for a moment and asked through his mind. In his previous life, he had read many xianxia novels and knew that powerful treasures often had artifact spirits to assist them.
"You can think of it that way," the little loli replied casually, as if she understood his thoughts.
Lan An was not displeased. He secretly guessed that his current authority was still too low to learn more detailed information.
"Do you have a name? Having a name would make communication much more convenient, right?" he continued.
"Please bestow a name upon me, Young Master!" The little loli's eyes lit up with anticipation as she spoke in a soft, childish voice.
"You wear a noble golden dress and possess an extraordinary aura. From now on, you shall be called Kim Nhi. Also, just call me Young Master. Calling me Master feels too unfamiliar."
Lan An spoke calmly. Having lived two ordinary lives, he felt uncomfortable being called "Master" by such a little girl.
"Thank you for bestowing me a name, Young Master. Hehe~" Kim Nhi smiled sweetly, clearly very pleased with her new name.
"Alright. Is there any way for me to escape my current predicament? And how does the Overlord System work?" Lan An went straight to the main issue.
His current situation was like a candle flickering in the wind. Receiving the System was a massive blessing for a transmigrator. Failing to make full use of it would be foolish. He did not care whether the System had any hidden motives. After all, he had nothing left to lose.
Kim Nhi knew he wanted to get to business and seriously explained:
"The Overlord System will do whatever it takes to help its master become a true Overlord. In this world where the strong prey on the weak, the only way to become an Overlord is naturally to become the strongest. To grow stronger, Young Master can complete various missions issued by the System to obtain corresponding rewards. In short, the System will do its utmost to pave the path for Young Master to become an Overlord. However, how exactly you walk that path will still depend on yourself."
"Of course, the System has only just awakened and is currently at Level 1, so its functions are still limited. Young Master must continue growing stronger to upgrade the System. The higher the System's level, the more functions it will unlock, thereby shortening your path to becoming an Overlord."
"That is already very good," Lan An nodded in satisfaction. He understood the principle of relying on one's own effort and did not want to become overly dependent on the System like the overpowered protagonists in the novels he read in his previous life.
"Ding! First main quest activated: The Beginning of an Overlord. Rewards unknown. Failure penalty: Death and System disappearance."
"Quest details: Within one hundred years, dominate the Ice Heaven Continent, subdue the two great Ninth-Grade forces, and use the Ice Heaven Continent as the first stepping stone on your path to becoming an Overlord."
"Ding! Branch quest activated: Dragon Entering the Vast Sea. Reward: One designated summons of an Earth-grade item. Failure penalty: Imprisoned by the Lan Clan for five years."
"Quest details: The host is constantly under Lan Yu's surveillance and seen as a thorn in his side. Leaving the Lan Clan means escaping Lan Yu's sight, allowing you to seek opportunities to grow."
"Ding! System's first awakening reward: Newbie Gift Package x1."
A series of mechanical sounds rang out. After listening, Lan An decisively ignored the two quests for now. What he cared about most was the Newbie Gift Package. Whether he could complete those missions depended entirely on what was inside this gift package. As for Lan Yu targeting him, that was within Lan An's expectations. After all, as a useless waste, having someone like him as an elder brother was nothing but a stain on a genius's life.
"Young Master, quickly open the gift package!" Kim Nhi urged excitedly, clearly very curious as well.
Lan An secretly nodded and thought: "Open the Newbie Gift Package."
"Ding! Confirm opening of Newbie Gift Package?"
"Confirmed," Lan An answered without hesitation.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for opening the Newbie Gift Package. You have obtained: One random summons of a Forbidden-grade cultivation method, one random summons of an Earth-grade treasure, one random summons of a Profound-grade martial skill, 3 Healing Pills, 3 Minor Teleportation Talismans, and 1 Basic Clairvoyance Talisman."
"Ding! All obtained items will be stored in the System's storage space."
"Oh my heavens! Even a Forbidden-grade cultivation method appeared!" Kim Nhi cried out in shock. Her usual noble and graceful demeanor completely vanished. Her small mouth hung wide open, her eyes nearly popping out, and her tiny body trembled violently with excitement.
Lan An was stunned. According to the memories of the original body, cultivation methods, martial skills, and weapons in this world were divided into five grades: Spirit, Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, with Spirit being the highest and Yellow the lowest. So what exactly was a Forbidden-grade cultivation method?
"Is a Forbidden-grade cultivation method really that powerful?" Lan An swallowed hard and asked Kim Nhi.
"How could it not be? It is an existence at the absolute peak! Compared to Forbidden-grade, Spirit-grade and Heaven-grade are all trash, Young Master, do you understand?" Kim Nhi still had not calmed down from her excitement.
"It seems the System is determined to build you an immeasurably solid foundation. Young Master, you must work hard! You must work extremely, extremely hard!"
Kim Nhi spoke in a long, excited torrent, her little face flushed red. Clearly, following a master with such boundless prospects made her unable to contain her joy. She did not forget to encourage Lan An, because she knew just how difficult it was to cultivate a Forbidden-grade method.
Lan An was deeply shocked. He had not expected the two words "Forbidden-grade" to be this terrifying. After all, one of the reasons the Lan Clan could become an Eighth-grade force was their inherited cultivation method, the Falling Moon Ice Sutra, which was a high-stage Heaven-grade method. Not only could it perfectly temper the foundation of Ice-attributed cultivators, its power was also incredibly domineering, capable of freezing even the moon itself.
It was said that once, an assassination organization led by a Soul Transformation expert tried to kill the young clan master Lan Yu. This enraged Lan Polei, who personally used the Falling Ice Palm from the Falling Moon Ice Sutra, turning a thousand-mile area into a frozen wasteland. Nearly three thousand assassins were turned into ice sculptures that shattered in the snow, with no survivors.
As for Spirit-grade methods, he had only heard rumors that the two Ninth-grade forces, Heaven Mountain Fairy Realm and the Ice Mystic Empire, possessed them. However, those were merely legends with no confirmation.
"Forbidden… Forbidden-grade…" Lan An repeated the words. Since Kim Nhi had no reason to lie to him, this kind of cultivation method was truly terrifying. He absolutely would not miss this chance to soar to the heavens in a single leap.
"Summons? So the cultivation method and other rewards are obtained randomly?" Lan An asked another crucial question. This step would decide his fate, so he dared not be careless.
"Yes. For example, you currently have one chance to randomly summon an Earth-grade treasure. You may prefer swords, but you might end up summoning a blade instead. Treasures are also divided into Low, Middle, and Peak grades. What grade you get will depend on your luck," Kim Nhi explained.
"Then what about the cultivation method? If I accidentally summon an evil demonic technique, would I have to become a devil?" Lan An's expression turned slightly unpleasant. He did not want to become a bloodthirsty demon.
"You don't have to cultivate it if you don't want to. Besides, what's wrong with demonic techniques? Cultivation methods themselves are neither righteous nor evil. It all depends on the person who uses them," Kim Nhi puffed her cheeks, clearly a little dissatisfied with Lan An's prejudice against demonic paths.
Lan An suddenly saw the light. He realized he had been too narrow-minded compared to the little loli before him. Cultivation methods were not inherently good or evil. He silently engraved this principle in his heart.
"First, let's heal these wounds."
With a thought, one Healing Pill appeared in his palm. Without much hesitation, Lan An endured the pain all over his body, put the pill in his mouth, and swallowed it. He immediately felt a storm of spiritual energy spread throughout his body. Countless internal and external injuries rapidly closed, and the bruises and swelling on his face disappeared.
Spiritual energy was the most fundamental cultivation resource between heaven and earth. Cultivators relied entirely on absorbing the spiritual energy of the world, and the prerequisite for doing so was possessing a Spiritual Root. That was why a person without a Spiritual Root like Lan An had ended up with such a tragic fate.
Only now did one realize that Lan An possessed an extremely handsome appearance. He had sharp sword-like eyebrows, a high straight nose, and thick lips that carried a trace of unruliness.
After all, Lan Polei was the Clan Master of the Lan Clan. Both his bearing and appearance were extraordinary. Although Lan An's mother came from a mere fifth-grade family, the fact that she could catch Lan Polei's eye meant her beauty was unquestionable. Inheriting the bloodline of such parents, Lan An's appearance was naturally outstanding. It was just a pity that his mother passed away too early, so he barely had any impression of her face.
"What a miraculous pill," Lan An stood up, feeling refreshed all over. Only his eyes remained blind, preventing him from seeing himself or his surroundings.
With another thought, two talismans appeared in his hand. Information about them also appeared in his mind.
Basic Clairvoyance Talisman: When used, it automatically detects all situations within a 300-meter radius. It can discover the aura of any cultivator below the Nascent Soul realm even if they are hiding or concealing themselves. Duration: 24 hours.
Minor Teleportation Talisman: Teleports the user to a random location. The distance is also random, ranging from a hundred miles to ten thousand miles. Can only be used once.
"These are clearly tailored for my current situation," Lan An smiled with satisfaction. It seemed the System was quite reliable. Although the Lan Clan's territory spanned ten thousand miles, the core area was only within a thousand miles. Being able to leave the core region was already more than enough for him.
"The System is naturally reliable," Kim Nhi widened her eyes and added, "However, this is only the beginning for Young Master. Keep working hard to upgrade the System, and there will be even better rewards in the future."
Lan An nodded. Filled with anticipation for the future, he immediately crushed the Basic Clairvoyance Talisman in his right hand.