Chapter One: The Ten-Star Pathway System!

"The enlightened ones are cherished by heaven and earth, revered by all, capable of ascending the highest heavens..."

On a sweltering summer day, the training grounds of the Only My Sect were filled with outer disciples, gathered to listen to the elder’s address.

Under the shade of a nearby tree, Wang Ran lounged against the trunk, a blade of grass between his lips, quietly observing the scene.

"Enlightenment, enlightenment, always enlightenment," he sighed deeply, gazing up at the clouds drifting overhead, unable to suppress his feelings.

"To think I, Wang Ran, was the top scorer in the national exams, a basketball prodigy, the strongest king in League of Legends, and now, after crossing to this world, am so downcast, unable even to grasp the basics of enlightenment."

"Why must the heavens treat me so? Is it just because I’m handsome?"

"I’m allowed to cultivate, yet denied even a shred of comprehension, and to make matters worse, they place an exceptionally gifted childhood friend beside me, just to highlight my shortcomings—what a joke!"

"Where are the promised benefits for transmigrators? Where is my chance to show off and soar?"

"This is outright consumer fraud!"

The more Wang Ran thought about it, the angrier he felt.

Yes, he was a transmigrator.

As a promising youth of the twenty-first century, he accepted his new reality quickly and lived without a care for eleven years.

Here, as in the novels and films he’d known, martial prowess was supreme; cultivation was the currency of status and influence.

Yet, there was a difference in this world—every stage of cultivation had its bottleneck, and no external force could break through it. Only one’s own comprehension, the forging of a personal path, could allow passage.

Otherwise, no matter how extraordinary one’s talent, progress was impossible.

Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul...

The first hurdle was the Foundation Establishment stage. Upon reaching the peak of Qi Condensation, one had to attain enlightenment, create a unique path. Success meant ascending in a single leap; failure meant remaining a Qi Condensation cultivator for life, burning out by a hundred years.

Wang Ran, after crossing over, was born a commoner in Green Ox Village.

When he was seven, playing with his childhood companion Ye Cang at the foot of the mountain, passing cultivators from Only My Sect noticed them and took them away.

Back at the sect, elders confirmed their talent. Wang Ran's aptitude was a rare phenomenon, and he stunned the elders, being directly promoted to outer disciple—the first ever without Foundation Establishment.

At the height of his glory, ready to begin his legendary journey, he discovered that Ye Cang, who had entered the sect with him, possessed a peerless physique unseen for a thousand years, immediately causing a sensation and being promoted to inner disciple.

If not for his insufficient cultivation, Ye Cang would have been made a true disciple straight away.

In comparison, Wang Ran, once a genius, was eclipsed entirely by Ye Cang’s brilliance.

Everyone knew Ye Cang, but not Wang Ran.

Ye Cang lived up to expectations, his demonic talent propelling him rapidly.

At eight, he entered the threshold, Qi Condensation Stage One.

At nine, he broke through to Stage Three.

At ten, Stage Six.

At twelve, Stage Nine.

On his thirteenth birthday, he achieved perfect Qi Condensation, shocking the sect as its youngest peak cultivator.

Now eighteen, the same age as Wang Ran, he had already reached the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment.

Wang Ran, though less gifted, was still superior to most peers—a genius seen only once in a century. Even under Ye Cang’s shadow, he shouldn’t have been so destitute.

But he never imagined that, despite his exceptional aptitude, he lacked even a trace of comprehension!

At fifteen, he reached perfect Qi Condensation, but his cultivation stalled completely, unable to create his own path and break through to Foundation Establishment.

Sixteen: perfect Qi Condensation.

Seventeen: perfect Qi Condensation.

Eighteen: still perfect Qi Condensation...

Gradually, Wang Ran’s light faded beneath Ye Cang’s name.

Most disciples who entered with him had already established their foundations.

No matter how hard he tried, enlightenment eluded him.

Once a genius, Wang Ran was now utterly lost among the masses.

He sighed, recalling his bitter life.

First, transmigration made him a genius per the usual trope. Just as he thought life would be glorious, a greater genius appeared at his side!

He could tolerate that, but being denied advancement was too much!

Couldn’t they leave him a little comprehension, at least enough to reach Foundation Establishment? Did he not deserve any dignity?

How could he show off at such a low level?

If a transmigrator couldn’t show off, what was the point?

Wang Ran even began to doubt whether he was the protagonist at all.

It was obvious Ye Cang fit the protagonist’s template!

If not for being a transmigrator, Wang Ran might have given up.

The thought made him even more despondent.

"Damn it, where’s my cheat? Why hasn’t it appeared? This doesn’t fit the novel pattern! Where’s my ring? Where’s my old master? Where’s my peerless skill? Just give me something, good or bad!"

He angrily kicked a stone at his feet, feeling deeply dissatisfied.

On the training grounds, today’s session ended.

The outer disciples rose, laughing and chatting, and as they passed Wang Ran, their expressions were full of disdain.

"Hey, isn’t that Wang Ran, known as one of our sect’s two geniuses?"

"All these years, and not an ounce of progress, hahaha."

"Utterly disgraceful for us outer disciples. He should be demoted to menial work."

"Exactly! Ye Cang, who entered with him, is already at Foundation Establishment Stage Seven!"

"They’re both from the same village, but their difference now is like heaven and earth."

"Forget it, don’t bother with him. I heard the elders plan to kick him out of the outer sect soon."

"Tsk tsk, life is unpredictable..."

Their voices faded, but it was clear those passing outer disciples relished Wang Ran’s misfortune.

The Ye Cang they spoke of was Wang Ran’s old friend, who had been taken from Green Ox Village with him.

Now, Ye Cang barely acknowledged Wang Ran.

He even regarded their childhood friendship as a stain upon his life.

As one of the sect’s most talented disciples, a leader among the inner disciples, Ye Cang planned to retreat this year and advance to Core Formation, becoming a true disciple.

Wang Ran, sharing his origins, but stuck at Qi Condensation, was seen as an embarrassment. Ye Cang had warned him repeatedly not to mention their acquaintance, fearing the shame.

Ye Cang would rather Wang Ran vanish entirely.

At this moment, Wang Ran stretched, watching the departing disciples with equal disdain.

"These little weaklings, once my cheat arrives, I’ll crush your Ye Cang in seconds."

Though the cheat had yet to appear, Wang Ran firmly believed he was meant to have one; otherwise, what was the purpose of his transmigration?

Humming a little tune, he headed home.

Despite having a residence like other outer disciples, his status meant it was in a remote area, nearly outside the sect’s mountain gates, beside a waterfall at the back mountain.

In earlier years, he’d lived among the spiritual energy-rich quarters, but after failing to attain enlightenment, the sect exiled him to this desolate place.

Making his way through a dense bamboo grove, a small wooden hut could be seen not far ahead.

Rustling—

Suddenly, a flurry of movement erupted in the bamboo around him.

Several figures in black emerged, swords drawn, eyes cold and fixed on Wang Ran.

"Boy, your life ends here!"

Wang Ran’s heart lurched—these men were all Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Judging by their stance, they were clearly after him.

As Wang Ran frowned, pondering his options, a chime sounded in his mind.

"Ding! Host’s life detected in danger. Ten-Star Dao System successfully activated!"

"Ding! Host Wang Ran successfully bound!"

"Ding! Three Realms Lottery function activated!"

"Ding! Dao Shop function activated!"

"Ding! As this is the host’s first use of the system, one Dao point awarded!"