As morning sunlight filtered through the thin paper windows of his cottage, Li Yao stirred awake with a dull ache behind his eyes. His mind felt clouded, as though he had woken from a vivid dream but couldn't quite grasp it. He sat up, furrowing his brows, trying to recall what had happened the night before.
Fragments floated in his memory- a flash of light, an endless white space, and a crystal suspended in the void. The image was blurry, but the beauty of that crystal was imprinted deeply in his heart. It shone like the very essence of the heavens themselves, drawing his entire attention with an irresistible pull. But beyond that, the memory faded like mist.
He shook his head and redirected his focus. Sitting cross-legged, he entered a meditative state and scanned his body. To his surprise, he could feel it- a faint strand of refined spiritual qi coiled within his dantian. His heart lifted with joy.
"I did it," he whispered.
Two months of relentless effort had borne fruit. Every day of toil in the herbal garden, every lesson spent poring over basic characters with Instructor Ping, every moment of quiet study under the flickering lamplight had not been in vain.
Unable to understand the strange experience from the previous night, Li Yao chose not to dwell on it. After all, what mattered now was the qi circulating in his body—the undeniable proof that he had stepped onto the path of cultivation.
Later that morning, while tending to the medicinal herbs as usual, Li Yao encountered Senior Brother Wei in one of the outer plots. The older disciple gave him a warm smile the moment he saw him.
"Good morning, Junior Brother," Wei greeted. "Congratulations."
Li Yao blinked. "Congratulations?"
Wei chuckled. "You've stepped into the first layer of Qi Refinement, haven't you? Your aura has changed. Even though you haven't learned to restrain it yet, I can sense it."
Li Yao scratched his head sheepishly. "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to those more advanced. Come, let me help you suppress your aura."
With a few simple breathing techniques, Wei helped him veil his presence. Soon, the signs of freshly refined qi faded from his surface.
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
"Don't mention it. You've taken the first step- now comes the long journey ahead. Steady progress is better than rushing."
Li Yao nodded seriously. After they finished inspecting the morning dew herbs, Li Yao was tasked to observe the inner section of the herbal garden, where more valuable herbs grew under specialized care.
As he moved deeper into the garden, he came upon a cluster of unfamiliar herbs with silvery leaves. Curious, he knelt down and focused on them. Their structure, leaf patterns, and qi fluctuations were entirely new to him.
Just as he was scrutinizing one plant, a strange phenomenon occurred.
A translucent screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Would the host like to know the information about this herb?]
Li Yao startled, stumbling back a step. The floating screen hovered in midair, ethereal and silent. For a long moment, he just stared, heart thudding in his chest. Was this… some kind of illusion?
But it didn't vanish.
He slowly reached out, but his fingers passed through the projection. It didn't respond to touch, but then words appeared again.
[To view information about this herb, it will cost 0.01 Observation Points.][Host does not have enough points to access this information.]
Li Yao stared at the message in shock. His mind whirled. An illusion? Was this… connected to the crystal he had seen in the white space?
What was happening to him?
He quickly finished his morning tasks and returned to his cottage early. On his way back, Wei noticed his departure.
"Feeling unwell?" he asked with concern.
"I've completed my chores, Senior Brother. I'd like to spend some time cultivating," Li Yao replied truthfully.
Wei gave a nod of approval. "Diligence is the root of progress. Go, then."
Back in the privacy of his cottage, Li Yao sat down and focused his thoughts. The screen returned, blinking into existence at his command.
[Congratulations on binding with the Heavenly Observation System.][Would you like to learn about the Heavenly Observation System?]
"Yes," Li Yao whispered instinctively.
[The Heavenly Observation System is a shard of the heavenly dao and contains all the information under the heavens.][But everything comes at a price, even knowledge.]
As the words scrolled past his vision, Li Yao sat in stunned silence. A system, a shard of the heavenly dao, meaning the crystal in his vision last night was a shard of the heavenly dao.
The weight of it all hit him. This was no ordinary system- it was something ancient, something powerful.
"System, what is the price of the knowledge you provide?" Li Yao asked, his voice barely a whisper.
[Host, the price of knowledge varies. It depends on its significance and the nature of its content.][The price of knowledge can be given in the form of Observation Points.]
Li Yao took a deep breath. "How do I obtain Observation Points?"
[The host can obtain Observation Points by offering something of value to the system.]
Li Yao's mind raced. "One last question, system. Why did you choose me? I'm just an insignificant person. There are far more talented individuals. As you know all knowledge under the heavens, you must be aware of those talents. Why didn't you choose them?"
The system went silent for a few moments, the words taking their time to form.
[Host is not yet strong enough to pry into this secret of the heavens.][Host also does not have anything of equal value to offer to the system, other than his life right now.][But the Heavenly Observation System can tell you this: You are the most fitted person in this universe to contract with, as you have already proved yourself in your previous life, Host.]
Li Yao's breath caught in his throat. His previous life? What did the system mean by that? How could it know such things?
He closed his eyes, letting the silence of the cottage surround him. The weight of the system's words echoed in his mind, but he didn't seek answers yet. There was too much to comprehend, and he knew this was only the beginning.
He opened his eyes slowly, staring at the screen that hovered in front of him.
He could see the path more clearly now- not just the path of cultivation, but how to walk it.
There was power in knowledge. And with the Heavenly Observation System, knowledge was now within reach