East Blue, Star Cape Town.
The sunlight was blinding, the sea breeze gentle.
Waves rolled in one after another, slapping against the shore. From afar came the noisy clamor of human voices, mixed with the cries of unfamiliar birds.
Ronan opened his eyes, his vision swallowed by an almost dazzling expanse of blue.
It was a sky he had never seen before—clear, boundless, a blue so pure it felt as though it could cleanse one's very soul.
"Where… is this?"
He murmured softly, his throat so dry he could barely force the words out.
Ronan pushed himself up with both hands. Using the reflection on the water's surface, he finally saw himself clearly.
—A body both unfamiliar and powerful.
At least 185 centimeters tall, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, his muscles well-defined, every inch of him brimming with strength.
This wasn't his body.
This physique was even more perfect than the one he had tempered through more than twenty years of relentless martial training.
Just then—
Bzzz—
A strange vibration rippled through his mind.
A pale-blue light screen slowly appeared before his eyes.
[Perseverance System loading…]
[Unique Rule: As long as you do not stop cultivating, your strength will grow without limit]
[Host: Ronan]
[Strength: 10]
[Speed: 10]
[Physique: 10]
[Spirit: 10]
[Skill: Xingyi Thirteen Spear · Proficient]
[Overall Combat Evaluation: Elite among ordinary people]
The characters on the light screen trembled faintly in the air.
Ronan froze.
Born into a martial arts family, he had entered the path through Xingyi at a young age and believed in nothing but his own strength.
Yet everything before him now—
Unexplainable, yet undeniably real.
He had died once.
And now, he was alive again.
Alive in a completely new world.
Another wave surged in, splashing against his ankles.
From the distance came faint shouts—and… crying?
Ronan's head snapped up.
Beyond the rolling sand dunes, he saw a small town not far away—engulfed in raging flames, thick black smoke shooting straight into the sky.
Shouts of slaughter and screams of agony were carried by the sea wind.
He didn't hesitate.
With a light tap of his toes, his body leapt like a hunting hawk. In just a few bounds, he had reached the outskirts of the town.
In the shadows of shattered buildings, he saw the scene clearly—
Dozens of men wearing tattered coats and wielding machetes were slaughtering at will.
An old man clutched an iron shovel, standing in front of a child who was crying and calling out, "Grandpa!"
"Run!"
The old man roared hoarsely.
"Die, you old bastard!"
A scar-faced pirate sneered viciously and swung his blade downward.
The flash of steel tore through the air—
In that instant, Ronan finally understood. The world he was in now was no longer his original one.
The appearance of these bandits… they looked exactly like the pirates of legend.
In the blink of an eye, the old man was about to be cut down, blood splattering on the spot.
Ronan had no time to think.
His right hand shot out, grabbing a wooden stick from the ground beside him. He stomped forward—
Boom!
Sand and dust exploded from the ground.
In the next moment, his figure appeared behind the pirate.
The stick thrust out like a dragon, its momentum like thunder!
Pshhk—!
The wooden stick pierced straight through the pirate's chest, blood spraying everywhere.
The grin froze on the man's face. He didn't even have time to scream before his body went limp and collapsed.
Blood dripped down the stick, splashing onto the ground and blooming into crimson flowers.
Ronan exhaled softly, flicked the tip of the stick, and shook the corpse free.
He looked up at the old man. "What are these people?"
The old man trembled as he struggled to his feet, his voice shaking.
"Pi… pirates. They're pirates! Young man, run! They even dare to kill the Marines—"
Before he could finish—
[System Notification: Host has entered combat state. Cultivation multiplier ×3]
Bzzz—
Ronan's pupils contracted sharply.
The blood and qi within his body surged, erupting like a volcano.
A deep, muffled cracking echoed through his bones and tendons. He could clearly feel that every breath he took was making his body stronger.
"Cultivation… can actually grow during battle?"
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, a long-lost battle intent surfacing in his eyes.
The sea wind howled, sunlight outlining the resolute profile of his face.
The wooden stick slowly leveled in his hand, like a silent iron spear.
Ronan's chest rose and fell, his blood roaring through him like fire.
That power—surging, vivid, almost scorching.
In his previous life, he had trained the Xingyi Thirteen Spear day and night, never slacking. Back then, every bit of progress had been bought with sweat and pain.
But now, merely entering a combat state allowed him to feel his strength steadily rising.
That tangible sense of growth made his heart tremble, shock and ecstasy intertwining.
"This body… this talent…"
Ronan murmured, curling his fingers slightly. His knuckles popped softly in the air.
—Perfect.
This body was practically born for cultivation.
His gaze passed over the flames and chaos, locking onto the group of pirates rampaging through the town.
Under the sunlight, their twisted laughter sounded like a chorus of demons. Townsfolk fled in all directions, cries echoing endlessly.
It was a scene straight out of hell.
Ronan lowered his eyes, his voice deep. "Old man, get out of here."
The old man froze, staring at the young man before him.
Though young, he radiated an aura that made people afraid to even look directly at him.
It wasn't something shouted out in rage, but a cold resolve emanating from his very bones.
The old man understood.
This young man… would not retreat.
Gritting his teeth, he grabbed his grandson and ran toward the outskirts of town. Watching their figures disappear, Ronan took a deep breath, his foot pressing firmly against the ground.
"Boom—!"
Power erupted,burst into the air".
Amidst the swirling dust, his body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
At that moment, his mind was calmer than ever before.
Not numbness, but the clarity of a warrior.
The mental state forged by a cultivator tempered through countless trials of life and death.
He felt the flow of battle intent, almost hearing the low chant of his own soul.
"If this is a new world where one can cultivate,"
"Then let them see what it means to practice—Xingyi."
He whispered the final word.
His figure vanished from where he stood.
The wind howled, killing intent surged like a tide.
Ronan held the wooden stick angled toward the ground, his entire body streaking into the town like a shadowed line.
His steps were steady as a mountain, yet light as a roaming dragon—Xingyi footwork, carrying the momentum of tiger and dragon.
Whoosh!
He moved through the chaos of the battlefield, his aura sharp as a blade.
Ahead, a pirate had pinned a young girl by the shoulder, a cruel grin spreading across his face.
At the instant that smile fully bloomed—
Ronan was already there.
"Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain!"
The Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain stance was the seventh form of the Xingyi Thirteen Spear, relying entirely on waist and arm strength. The movement had to flow in one breath, without the slightest hesitation.
Originally, hand, eye, body, and footwork all needed perfect coordination.
But for Ronan—who had immersed himself in spear arts for over twenty years—those techniques had long been fully master.no longer bound by rigid forms.
He leapt straight in front of the pirate.
The stick thrust out like a spear, tearing through the air—
Shiiing—!
The air ripped apart, pressure waves roaring.
In an instant, the tip of the stick swept across the pirate's throat. The force was so violent that even his scream was cut short.
Bang!
A dull impact rang out.
Blood sprayed everywhere. The pirate's body was sent flying several meters before slamming heavily into the ground, his neck shattered, lifeless.
In the town, Ronan stood alone, holding the stick in one hand, his expression cold.
Blood dripped from the tip, staining the stone slabs at his feet red.
Feeling the continuously growing power within his body,
A glint flashed through Ronan's eyes.
In that moment, he seemed to see the road ahead—
An endlessly extending path of cultivation.
And this vast sea—
Was his proving ground.