There was no sound.
No breath. No time. Just a pulse.Then another.
Lin Fei hovered in darkness. Not the Hollow. Not the chamber. Not even his own mind. This was something deeper — a core beneath thought. Beneath soul.
Then he heard it:
[Welcome, Seeker of the Root.]
The voice was cool. Genderless. Ancient. It resonated through marrow and memory.
[Heavenroot System: Core Integration Complete.][Host: Lin Fei – Recognized.][Initializing Cultivation Interface…]
A shimmer of gold unfolded before him — ethereal runes that coalesced into a circular array, floating in mid-air. Lines formed. Sectors rotated. Slowly, they shaped themselves into a cultivation wheel like nothing Lin Fei had ever seen.
Nine branches.Each tied to a unique "Vein Path."Each locked — for now.
Only one flickered to life:
[Primary Root Path: Heaven's Vein (Origin Bloom)]Status: Dormant – Awaiting NourishmentRequired Trigger: First Assimilation
Beneath it, more text scrolled:
🧬 System Functions Unlocked:
[Cultivation Tracking]
[Root Vein Analysis]
[Mission Protocol: Bloom Tasks]
[Spiritual Combat Log]
[Vein Adaptation Tree – Level 1]
[Rewards / Penalties Enabled]
[Cognitive Resilience Protocol – Weak Active State]
Lin Fei stared, trying to understand. This wasn't just a tool. It was a cultivation method. A system-bound dao.
Why me? he wondered.
The voice returned, but not as command. This time, it felt… curious.
[Fragment identified within host. Compatibility: 87%. Seed memory detected. Autonomous directive activated.]
[System is not bound to flesh. It is bound to path. You walk one.]
"I didn't ask for this," Lin Fei muttered aloud.
[Most do not. Most fall. Few bloom.]
The response wasn't unkind — but it wasn't warm either.
🌱 The First Task – Assimilation Begins
A pulse of light flickered in his palm. The jade token — now burning gold — dissolved into dust, absorbed by his skin. A new icon formed in the system wheel:
[ROOT TOKEN: Consumed]Function Converted: "Growth Seed"
[Task 001: Assimilate the Spiritual Core of a Fallen Cultivator]Reward: +1 Root Vein Segment / Spiritual Trait Selection UnlockedPenalty: Vein Suppression (72 hours)
Lin Fei's eyes widened. Assimilation? That was no ordinary task. To absorb a spiritual core — not a beast's, but a human's — was taboo in almost every sect.
"You want me to… devour someone?" he whispered.
[Clarification: Task permits core assimilation from the already-dead. Honor is not required. Action is.]
⚔️ The Return to the Hollow
Reality snapped back. The chamber reformed around him.
Lin Fei collapsed to one knee, gasping. His skin burned with golden light — lines of qi that raced along his arms like root-veins. His senses sharpened instantly.
He could smell faint ash from a fire burned days ago.He could hear drops of condensation fall on stone in the next chamber.He felt his spirit pressure triple.
The system had integrated — and it was already rewriting his limits.
"Alright," he muttered, rising. "Let's see how far this goes."
He moved forward. Deeper into the Root Hollow.
It didn't take long before he came across the first candidate.
A body lay slumped against a crumbled root wall. Robes of Cloudveil Sect. Skin pale. No heartbeat. But the dantian… still faintly warm.
Fell in battle recently. Spirit core intact…
He stared at the corpse.
And then at the system, which flickered alive.
[Target compatible. Proceed with assimilation?][Y/N]
He hesitated.
A storm of emotions churned in his gut. This was a sect brother — even if a stranger. Someone who'd chased the same dream.
"He's dead," he said, almost to himself.
"This is no different than harvesting a beast."
The system said nothing.
He tapped Y.
☯️ The Assimilation
Golden roots extended from his fingertips. Not physical — spiritual. They burrowed into the man's body, bypassing skin and flesh, and wrapped around the cracked spiritual core within.
And pulled.
Lin Fei gritted his teeth. A tidal wave of memory and energy surged into him. Searing pain. Flashes of the man's last moments. His regrets. His rage.
Then it ended.
He stood, trembling. The body collapsed into dust.
[Core Assimilation: Complete][Root Vein Segment +1][Spiritual Trait Unlocked: "Iron Focus – Rank F"][Bloom Level: 1/9]
A window opened in the system:
🌿 Root Vein Adaptation Tree – Level 1
TraitDescriptionStatusIron Focus+10% Spiritual Resistance (Mental Strain)ActiveRoot PulseAllows sensing enemy qi flowLockedSap Stamina5% faster qi regeneration when stillLocked
[Next trait unlocks at Bloom Level 2]
Lin Fei sat in silence for a long time.
He had done something forbidden. Something sacred. Something that gave him more.
And now he wanted more still.
"This thing… it's dangerous."
"But so is the world."
He stood.
The Hollow whispered as he passed.
🦋 Far Above – The Ones Who Watch
In the hidden chamber behind the Sect Master's throne, the projection spun faster.
Mo Jingyi stared at it — the system wheel blooming like a flower.
"Full integration," she whispered.
Elder Wei beside her grunted. "Too soon. He'll burn himself out."
"Or he'll burn everything else."
☠️ Meanwhile – In the Fog Beyond Trial Ten
Lin Fei sensed something ahead.
A figure — not dead. Breathing. Cultivating.
An inner sect disciple from Ironbone Pavilion. Injured. Alone.
Lin Fei crouched behind a thick root. He could attack. Kill. Assimilate.
The system didn't tell him to.
But it didn't stop him either.
[Optional Target Detected][Spiritual Core: 72% Stability][Risk: Moderate][Reward: Trait Upgrade Chance – 35%]
The decision was his.
He watched the man breathe.
Watched his chest rise and fall. His aura weak.
Then Lin Fei stood.
"I'm not a killer."
He walked away.
But as he left, the system whispered:
[Control: Maintained.][Cognitive Resilience Strengthened: +1%]
🔻 Chapter End: The Bloom Begins
Hours later, alone in a dark tunnel, Lin Fei opened the system menu again.
He stared at the words glowing at the center:
🌿 Heavenroot System – OnlineBloom Level: 1/9Root Vein Segment: 1Next Trial: Hidden – Path of Choice
And below it, in smaller text:
You are not the first. You are not the last.You are the next.