"Confirm random summon of Forbidden-grade cultivation method?" The System's voice remained emotionless.
"Confirmed," Lan An replied, his breathing slightly hurried. This was a crucial turning point that would decide his future. Saying he was not nervous would be a lie.
"Ding! Beginning Forbidden-grade cultivation method summon."
"Ding! Countdown commencing: 3600… 3599… 3588…"
The countdown sound began ticking steadily.
Lan An took a deep breath. His dry lips moved as he swallowed hard. His heart pounded uncontrollably.
Even an Earth-grade treasure only took eight seconds to summon. He had already guessed that a Forbidden-grade existence would require a very long time, perhaps hundreds of seconds. Yet he never expected the System's countdown to start at a full 3600. One minute equals 60 seconds, so 3600 seconds meant 60 minutes — a full hour.
According to Kim Nhi, the stronger the item, the longer the summoning time would be.
Just how terrifying was this Forbidden-grade existence exactly?
Lan An could not even begin to imagine. After all, he was just a young man. The fact that he was about to possess something as powerful as a Forbidden-grade technique and had not jumped up screaming in excitement already showed how strong his mental fortitude was.
"There is nothing surprising about this. Even for the System, summoning a Forbidden-grade technique is no easy task. It is only because the System is currently at Level 1. Things will be different once it is upgraded," Kim Nhi spoke softly with her small lips, her expression extremely grave.
"1800… 1799… 1790…"
The System's voice continued ringing out slowly.
"Exit the Spirit Realm Bead first," Lan An thought.
He did not want any unexpected accidents to occur. After all, the Spirit Realm Bead was only an Earth-grade treasure. Summoning something as powerful as a Forbidden-grade technique inside it felt inappropriate.
Lan An's figure reappeared inside the small wooden shack. With a slight sense, he located the Spirit Realm Bead on the ground and hid it within his long hair. The bead remained smaller than a speck of dust.
Every second of the countdown passed. Lan An sat upright on the pile of straw. His heart gradually calmed down. No matter what kind of cultivation method it was, he would cultivate it without hesitation — even if it was an evil or demonic technique.
Kim Nhi also sat cross-legged seriously in mid-air.
The room was deathly silent. Only the System's constant ticking countdown echoed.
"10… 9… 7… 3… 2…"
"Ding! Summon complete."
Lan An's entire body was tense. That one hour had felt like several decades to him.
"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Forbidden-grade cultivation method [Immortal Derivative Sutra]," the System's cold, indifferent voice announced.
For some reason, Lan An clearly sensed a faint tremor hidden within that mechanical tone.
"Immortal Derivative Sutra… Immortal… Derivative…" Lan An whispered the name. Just hearing it, he knew it was extraordinarily powerful. Suppressing the excitement in his heart, he turned to Kim Nhi.
"This… Although other Forbidden-grade cultivation methods have appeared in the universe before, I have never heard of this particular one," Kim Nhi stammered. Even she had no information about the Immortal Derivative Sutra.
"Ding! The Forbidden-grade technique has been sealed. Does the host wish to begin cultivation?" the System asked again.
Lan An no longer hesitated and immediately confirmed.
"Ding! Beginning transmission."
In that instant, Lan An felt his soul being forcibly separated from his body. The world turned pitch black, and all his senses were sealed.
…
He did not know how much time had passed. When Lan An regained consciousness, what appeared before him was an endless, vast dark space. His soul floated alone within this boundless void, drifting aimlessly.
In the middle of this endless dark space, a small cluster of multicolored light suddenly appeared. It had clearly existed for an extremely long time — perhaps thousands, tens of thousands, or even more years.
This cluster of light sat at the center of the space like the most beautiful star in the entire filthy universe.
Mysterious… Noble…
That was Lan An's evaluation of the light cluster.
He wanted to know what was hidden inside, but he could not see through it. The light was not blinding, yet it completely covered whatever lay within — like a woman of average appearance who was filled with pride.
Outside the light cluster, countless chains silently intertwined. After careful observation, Lan An finally realized these chains formed the ancient character for "Suppress."
Only then did Lan An fully understand.
This boundless dark space was the System's private space.
Those mysterious chains were the seals used for suppression.
And inside the light cluster was precisely the [Immortal Derivative Sutra] that belonged to him.
As if guided by some mysterious force, Lan An reached out with both hands and embraced the light cluster along with the seal surrounding it.
In that moment, the seal outside the light cluster showed a tiny, almost imperceptible sign of loosening.
Then, a sudden change occurred.
An extremely powerful force erupted from within the light cluster and violently attacked Lan An's fragile soul, intending to shatter the soul of anyone who dared to claim it.
Lan An's soul shook violently, forming massive waves. His face twisted in agony.
He wanted to open his mouth and roar to vent the pain, but no matter what, he could not make a sound.
The torment of the soul was a hundred thousand times more painful than physical pain, yet he could not even scream to release it. Death seemed to loom over his frail soul.
Lan An's soul grew increasingly faint, on the verge of complete dissipation.
He knew that if he simply let go of the light cluster, all the pain would disappear.
But that would also mean failure.
Was he willing to accept that?
Of course not.
Recalling the scene of his previous life where he and his adoptive father were buried in a sea of flames, and all the humiliation and unjust death he suffered in this life, Lan An realized that life was precious, but dignity was even more so.
What was the point of living without dignity?
In this dog-eat-dog world, without absolute strength, who would grant you dignity?
Lan An wanted to live, and he wanted to live with dignity.
"The opportunity is right before me. Even if my soul scatters, even if the outcome is tragic, I must gamble everything!" This single thought dominated Lan An's mind.
He gripped the light cluster tightly. Despite the unending pain and his soul rippling violently as if it could dissipate at any moment, he refused to let go.
No one knew how much time passed. Just as Lan An's soul became almost transparent and began merging with the darkness, his consciousness on the verge of total collapse, his two arms still stubbornly clung to the light cluster.
As if satisfied with his performance, a miracle occurred.
The light cluster began spinning rapidly within the seal.
Countless mysterious ancient characters of every color emerged from the light and poured into Lan An's soul.
His originally weak soul suddenly condensed at terrifying speed. At the same time, his soul became covered with countless ancient characters that perfectly fused with it.
Clearly, these mysterious ancient characters had been directly engraved into Lan An's soul and merged flawlessly.
His pain-induced unconsciousness began to awaken.
Lan An sensed the state of his soul. He felt that his soul was now a hundred thousand times stronger than when he first entered the System space.
For a mere mortal like him, this was simply inconceivable.
Before he could rejoice, he sensed the ancient characters perfectly engraved in his soul. Lan An began to comprehend their contents. At this moment, these mysterious ancient characters now belonged to him, and he could understand them in a miraculous way.
What is mortal?
What is immortal?
Pursue immortality.
All living beings are equal.
…
No need for physique.
No need for talent.
Pursue evolution.
Only the heart matters.
...
[Immortal Derivative Sutra — First Layer: Gathering the Apex — Refining the Soul]