"System, speak!"
Looking at the so-called "immortal cockroaches" lying lifeless on the ground, Qin Yang called out to the system in his heart.
He needed a reasonable explanation.
The system remained silent for a moment, as if shocked, before finally responding.
[The host is truly a hero!]
[As expected of the one chosen by this system, you crushed a beast king with a single kick!]
[It has been detected that the host has killed a beast king far above his level. Reward: tenfold increase. Special magical talent acquired: Immortal Body. Additional reward: sixty years of cultivation.]
The system's tone brimmed with awe, as if Qin Yang had just accomplished something unprecedented.
"...?"
A big question mark practically floated above Qin Yang's head.
"Do you want to eat oil cakes?"
What nonsense was this? He wanted a reasonable explanation, not this absurd praise.
Before he could complain further, an enormous surge of energy suddenly flooded into his body.
Qin Yang's expression twisted in pain as he staggered slightly, overwhelmed by the influx.
"N-no... Brother Tongzi, are you serious?"
The mention of sixty years of cultivation hit him like a thunderbolt. His eyes widened in disbelief.
As the energy rampaged through his meridians, Qin Yang clenched his teeth against the pain. Yet beneath it all, a seed of anticipation stirred within him.
Immortality?
Sixty years of cultivation?
How far could this strength take him?
After a few moments, the turbulence in his body subsided. The pain faded like a receding tide.
Qin Yang let out a long breath of relief and flexed his fingers, feeling an unfamiliar yet exhilarating surge of power flowing through him.
"Is this... true essence?"
His eyes lit up.
Star warriors absorbed the power of the stars and condensed it into true energy within their bodies. Now that he had sensed the presence of true essence...
Did that mean he had become a star warrior?
Qin Yang could barely contain his excitement.
In this world, where strength reigned supreme and danger lurked everywhere, only star warriors could protect themselves and survive.
And now, he had simply stepped on a cockroach... and become one?
Incredible.
Unbelievable.
But completely real.
"It's just... what level am I at now?"
As the question formed in his mind, a translucent screen appeared before his eyes.
Name: Qin YangAge: 19Qualification: Low levelCultivation: Half-step XiantianSupernatural Power: Immortal BodyMartial Arts: None
Qin Yang's gaze locked onto those four words: Half-step Xiantian. His heart skipped a beat.
Half-step to Innate?
System, are you kidding me?
He knew the cultivation system well. The first realm for a star warrior was the Acquired Realm, broken into nine levels.
Half-step to Innate meant he was standing just a breath away from crossing into the legendary Innate Realm.
"I didn't expect... I'd become this powerful."
Qin Yang clenched his fists, his eyes shifting to the remains of the so-called immortal cockroach. No matter how he looked at it, the whole thing felt surreal.
He had crushed a bug... and nearly reached the Innate Realm?
Outrageous!
Absolutely outrageous.
But...
He loved it.
Just a moment ago, he'd been cursing this unreliable system.
Now?
Brother Tongzi was the best!
"Wait... there's also the supernatural talent reward."
Suddenly remembering the other half of his reward, Qin Yang recalled the system had mentioned a magical ability: Immortal Body.
"That must be the ability of the immortal cockroach, right?"
The name alone triggered a sense of curiosity.
"System, what does this Immortal Body actually do?"
Thinking of how easily he'd crushed the so-called immortal cockroach, Qin Yang didn't hold out much hope.
How powerful could it be? After all, he had stepped on it without breaking a sweat.
The system quickly responded, as if sensing his doubts.
[Immortality: After being injured, the user recovers rapidly. As cultivation increases, this power strengthens, allowing for regeneration of limbs and even rebirth from a single drop of blood.]
"Regeneration of limbs... rebirth from blood?"
"Zundu fake du?"
Qin Yang was stunned.
"So powerful?"
The system hadn't been exaggerating this time. The Immortal Body sounded absolutely broken.
To test it, Qin Yang grabbed a small knife and made a shallow cut on his finger.
"Hiss!"
He grimaced as blood welled up. But then something miraculous happened.
A warm sensation spread from his fingertip. True essence surged silently from within, and the wound began to knit itself together at a visible speed.
Within seconds, the skin had fully healed.
No scar. Not even a trace of injury.
"This effect... is incredible."
Qin Yang blinked in disbelief.
If his body could heal this fast now, what would it be like in the future?
According to the system, this was only the beginning. As his cultivation grew, the power of this Immortal Body would only become more terrifying.
To regenerate limbs... to revive from a drop of blood...
That was true immortality!
Just imagining it sent a thrill through him.
He had stepped on a cockroach and gotten this strong?
Not only did he become a half-step Innate expert, but he also gained an ability that made him nearly unkillable.
So... what if he killed more?
If killing one cockroach made him this powerful, what would happen if he stepped on a mouse? Or even a real star beast?
Wouldn't he become invincible?
The thought excited him beyond reason.
Without hesitation, he began searching around the room for more insects.
His perception had greatly improved after his cultivation breakthrough. He could now sense even the faintest movements in his surroundings.
In no time, the room was swarming with mosquitoes and rats.
Even the ants hiding in the corners didn't escape his detection.
And Qin Yang? He slaughtered them all without mercy.
Achievement unlocked: Ten consecutive kills of small animals!
But as he looked at the tiny corpses scattered across the room, Qin Yang frowned.
"System? Are you there?"
"Stop pretending to be dead!"
"Where's my reward?"
He waited.
And waited.
No reply.
"System!" he called again, more urgently this time.
Silence.
Qin Yang sat on the edge of his bed, brows furrowed.
Something wasn't right.
He had killed more than a dozen small creatures just now. Why hadn't he received a single reward?
After thinking it through carefully, Qin Yang came to two possible conclusions.
First, the insect he had crushed earlier truly was special. As the system had said, it might have carried the bloodline of an ancient demon insect, which triggered the system's response.
Second, the system might genuinely be malfunctioning. That earlier reward could have been a random glitch, and he was just lucky enough to benefit from it.
"Looks like I'll need to study this further."
Qin Yang sighed.
He couldn't tell whether having this system was a blessing or a curse.
But even if it was a glitch, he still made a huge gain today.
The true essence coursing through his body was real.
His cultivation level was real.
He was now a half-step Innate warrior.
In a world where the strong ruled and star beasts ran rampant, that meant everything.
At only nineteen years old, being at this level was rare, even in a place as large as Jianghai City.
From this day forward, he was no longer a waste.
At the Jianghai Martial Arts Library, he could even be considered a minor master.