Chapter One: Transcended

The icy sea wind slapped her face haphazardly. Jiang Wangshu let out a deep sigh, swaying with the gusts, gazing down at the rolling waves beneath her feet and the sharks drawn by the scent of blood, feeling utterly desolate.

If only she hadn’t picked up that glowing gemstone. She knew all too well that misfortune followed sudden wealth, yet she simply couldn’t resist grabbing shiny things. She swore she’d never do it again! Oh, woe is her!

While she was mourning silently, a cold sneer echoed from above—the kidnappers.

“Today, you can save only one: your fiancée or your beloved. Who will you choose?”

With a harsh grinding sound, the gears turned, lowering both their positions so close to the sharks’ dorsal fins that they had to curl their feet to avoid contact.

She turned her head, and her memory reminded her: the fragile little flower beside her was her stepsister, Jiang Wanwan.

Jiang Wanwan’s eyes brimmed with tears, her whole being trembled like a weak blossom in the wind, stirring pity in the hearts of those who beheld her.

“Brother Qingzhi, save Sister. I won’t blame you. We’ll meet again in the next life!”

Her nominal fiancé—actually her stepsister’s lover—Shen Qingzhi reached out dramatically, “No! I won’t abandon you, Wanwan!”

He turned his gaze to Jiang Wangshu, closing his eyes with a look of unbearable anguish. “I’m sorry, Wangshu. My heart belongs to Wanwan.”

“I choose to save Jiang Wanwan. Give her back to me!”

What sort of idiotic melodrama was this? Jiang Wangshu was speechless. “What about your spiritual power, you fool? Use it!”

This isn’t an ordinary world—it’s a modern cultivation world!

Shen Qingzhi was at least ranked in the top ten at First City High School. Surely he could handle two thugs!

She couldn’t help but silently complain.

Shen Qingzhi awkwardly revealed the band on his wrist, stammering, “The kidnappers made me wear a spirit-suppressing device.”

Spirit-suppressing devices—tools that bind the spiritual energy of cultivators, typically used against evil practitioners or criminals.

Jiang Wangshu scoffed, “How obedient you are!”

Before Shen Qingzhi could reply, Jiang Wanwan interjected, unable to contain herself.

“Sister, don’t be ungrateful! Brother Qingzhi risked himself for us, how can you speak so coldly?”

Shen Qingzhi was moved, “Wanwan!”

Jiang Wanwan looked back at him, “Brother Qingzhi!”

As the two exchanged tearful glances, the sea wind suddenly stilled. The sharks beneath their feet vanished, their fins slicing through the waves as they fled madly into the distance.

An indescribable sense of oppression weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts. Jiang Wangshu’s hair stood on end, cold sweat streaming down her spine.

For a moment, only the sound of the waves remained.

The kidnappers glanced at each other.

“Big brother, I have a bad feeling.”

“Little brother, so do I…”

CRACK! A thunderclap split the air, followed by a massive force. The ten-meter fishing boat was flung five meters into the air before plummeting down.

“Aaah—!” Jiang Wangshu and Jiang Wanwan soared like kites.

Sensing danger, Shen Qingzhi swiftly tore off the spirit-suppressor, sprang forward, and cut the chains, grabbing Jiang Wanwan in his arms.

“Wanwan, are you alright?”

Jiang Wanwan, tears streaming, “Brother Qingzhi, I’m fine!”

Suddenly, a colossal shadow enveloped them. They turned to see a mountain-like monster with deep red eyes the size of wheels, tentacle-like hair thicker than fingers whipping through the air, dripping sticky and nauseating fluid—its gaping maw bearing down upon them.

“A deep-sea demon!”

Meanwhile, Jiang Wangshu plunged into the ocean, bubbles rising all around.

A chime sounded in her ear. “Honored host, this humble servant arrives late.”

A thin membrane rose from her body, separating her from the seawater.

Jiang Wangshu greedily inhaled fresh oxygen.

A plump, glowing orb danced before her. “Wuwuwu, honored host, are you alright? This humble servant is your beloved money-burning system!”

“Money-burning system? One that requires payment?” She seized the orb, delighting in its soft, squishy feel.

“Hehe, host, don’t be so blunt!”

The little orb glowed faintly red, puffing out its round belly.

“With a single recharge, your humble servant will grant you all manner of cheats!”

“Would you like the gold cheat, silver cheat, or the red cheat?”

Three colored wooden boxes appeared before her, tantalizingly out of reach.

Jiang Wangshu’s expression was deadpan. “I don’t have any money.”

In her previous world, she was always stumbling upon windfalls, but misfortune inevitably followed. Only by spending every last coin did the bad luck recede.

She could never save a dime.

In this new world, she’d just arrived—no time to get rich, empty-handed was truly her state.

The money-burning system’s bean-like eyes sparkled. “Honored host, please check your palm—a fragment of the Realm Stone, worth a hundred million energy coins. Would you like to recharge?”

The transparent membrane sank deeper into the sea. Jiang Wangshu flipped her hand—there, embedded in her palm, was the luminous gemstone.

A hundred million! No wonder it brought her such misfortune, even causing her to cross worlds!

“Recharge! Recharge! Recharge!” Spend it all at once, and the bad luck won’t chase her anymore.

If the money-burning system goes bankrupt, she won’t suffer!

The system cheered, “Processing your recharge, please wait!”

It could barely contain its inner jubilation—this host was truly the shiniest prize snatched from countless contenders, her fortune brighter than the World Pillar itself.

Its first transaction was a fragment from a shattered world—who could beat that?

“Congratulations, host, recharge successful!” Virtual fireworks exploded.

“This humble servant is at your service!”

Jiang Wangshu declared, “Open all three cheats.”

Windfall must be spent quickly—her lifelong creed.

“Congratulations, host, you’ve gained an Immortal-Binding Rope—binds immortals or demons alike!”

“Congratulations, host, you’ve acquired a supreme wood-type spiritual root—cultivation will progress in leaps and bounds!”

“Congratulations, host, you’ve gained a Contract Seal—strike a target with it, and you will have an absolutely loyal contracted guardian. Shared cultivation, life and death as one!”

Jiang Wangshu’s eyes gleamed. That ugly deep-sea demon from before seemed perfect.

Huge and hideous—perfect for scaring people. In future fights, she could unleash the demon to terrify opponents into submission—winning without ever lifting a finger.

And the demon looked powerful; just imagining it thrilled her.

“Hurry, hurry, Goldie! Upwards!”

“Right away! Hold tight, honored host!”

The membrane bubble shot upward. Jiang Wangshu opened her brown eyes wide, determined to spot the deep-sea demon first and contract it.

Above the waves.

Cultivators stationed at the shore sensed the demon’s disturbance and instantly activated protective barriers, shielding the coastal populace.

“Navy Battalion One, assemble!”

“Navy fleet, advance!”

Spiritual light flashed; five spirit boats formed a fleet, speeding toward the epicenter of the anomaly.