Su Chen stepped forward—thud… thud… Each step echoed faintly in the silent corridor. He reached out to push the ancient door in front of him.
But the moment his fingers touched the surface—
Swish—
His vision blurred. In an instant, before he could even react, his entire body was pulled inside by an invisible force.
It wasn't like falling or being pushed—it was more like space itself had swallowed him whole.
On the other side, Su Chen staggered slightly as he found himself standing in complete darkness. He instinctively tried to sense his surroundings, but his spiritual consciousness was already damaged, and couldn't be used for the next 24 hours. Everything around him was pitch-black, not a single speck of light in sight.
He took a deep breath to calm himself. Panic in a place like this could mean death.
With slow, cautious steps, he began walking forward. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint sound of his footsteps. He didn't know how long he walked—it felt like hours. Eventually, his eyes caught faint, shifting shadows in the air.
That's when he realized—he was surrounded by a strange, dense black mist.
A dull headache began to throb at the back of his skull. He frowned and muttered, "Must be this damn mist…"
Still, he pressed forward.
What he didn't know, however, was that the mist surrounding him was lethally poisonous—so toxic that even a God Transformation realm cultivator would die upon contact.
Yet Su Chen remained completely unaffected.
Unbeknownst to him, the reason he was still alive was the passive [Poison Immunity] talent granted by his system, and this little headache was just a minor side effect of it.
After what felt like an eternity of walking, Su Chen finally saw a faint light in the distance.
His eyes lit up, and he instinctively quickened his pace, hurrying toward it.
Swish—
In one swift motion, he emerged from the black mist, like a fish leaping out of dark water into the air.
"Huff… Huff…"
He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Though the mist hadn't physically restrained him, the oppressive atmosphere had made it difficult to breathe.
He lay there for a long time, unmoving, until his heartbeat gradually returned to normal. Once the dizziness faded, he pushed himself up with one hand and sat up slowly. As he rose to his feet, he instinctively patted his robes to brush off dust—though there was none.
Only then did he look around.
Countless mountain peaks floated in the distance, rising and falling through a sea of drifting clouds. The sky was vast and impossibly high. When he looked down, he realized he was standing on a wide stone platform at the very top of one such peak—so high that clouds gathered around his feet.
He turned back, expecting to see the black mist he had just escaped from.
But it was gone. Vanished completely. The space behind him was empty, as if the mist had never existed.
Still unsettled, Su Chen turned forward—and his jaw dropped.
On the peak opposite him, not far away, stood an enormous staircase. Pure white, glowing faintly, it stretched upward into the sky, with no end in sight. Even more bizarre, the entire staircase was suspended in the air, unsupported by anything at all.
"…This type of thing is normal in this world," Su Chen muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Floating stairs to the heavens, sure. Why not?"
He took a step forward, preparing to leap to the next peak.
Ding!
A crisp sound echoed in his ears.
His steps halted immediately. His eyes brightened.
It had been a long time since he heard that familiar tone.
"The system…" he murmured, lips curling into a slight grin. "Finally awake?"
[Ding! System Alert: Host has arrived at a critical turning point in fate.]
[Heaven-defying life choice detected — triggering Destiny Selection Protocol.]
Choice 1: Step Forward and Accept Destiny
Walk forward. Climb the Heaven Staircase. Challenge the trials and enter the Immortal Mansion.
This place was not a coincidence. It was created by a peerless existence — a generation-defining Immortal Emperor, a being capable of rewriting destiny, traversing the long river of time, and forging entire universes with a thought. Even in death, he cannot be truly killed — for should his true name be spoken again, he shall be able to return.
He has gathered the most promising geniuses, the so-called "Sons of Luck," all blessed with heaven-defying physiques. You, bearing the Innate Sacred Dao Fetus, were drawn here by his will, so that you may build an unshakable foundation and stand at the peak during the coming calamity.
However, from this moment onward, you will be bound to a greater fate — a future calamity war beyond mortal understanding.
Reward:
Immortal Galaxy Sword (Immortal Grade)
Bonus: True Dragon Treasure Technique
Choice 2: Step Aside and Walk Your Own Path
You may still climb the Heaven Staircase. You may explore the Immortal Realm. But reject all direct inheritance. Do not accept the arrangements of the Immortal Emperor. Refuse the title of a "Son of Luck."
Choose freedom over fate. Remain unbound.
Though your path may be less dangerous, it will truly be your own.
Reward:
Immortal Rebirth Armor (Immortal King Grade)
Bonus: Eternal Immortal Wind
A wisp of primordial wind born at the dawn of creation, when the first breath of Dao scattered into the void. Untouched by time or law, it drifts eternally, unclaimed even by True Immortals. It is said even Heavenly Tribulation gives way before it.
[Warning: Your decision will greatly alter the future. Please choose wisely.]
A blue, half-transparent screen floated silently in front of Su Chen, shimmering with ethereal light. Only two options were written on it, glowing faintly like some divine decree.
Su Chen stared at it in silence.
Then his expression twisted.
"...Fck. Fck—what the hell is this?" he muttered under his breath, his voice low but filled with rising irritation. "What kind of bullsh*t Immortal Emperor does this? Gathering people with rare physiques and forcing them to fight in some future calamity? Seriously?"
He rubbed his temples and took a deep breath, but that only made him angrier.
"I mean, yeah, sure, there's that old saying: 'Great power comes with great responsibility.' But here? Great physique comes with great trouble! That's just messed up!"
His gaze returned to the glowing options.
"I always thought I'd just cultivate quietly, stay low, stay alive. If the sky falls, there'll always be some bigshot to hold it up, right? Like those 'Sons of Luck' or some chosen ones. But no—some damned cosmic force looked at me and said, 'Hey, let's curse this guy with a freakish physique and drag him into the mess too.'"
He sighed heavily, shaking his head like a man accepting his cursed fate.
"But the worst part?" he grumbled. "This system of mine… is the biggest bastard of them all. I could understand if it made me work for rewards, fine. But only two choices? Not even a third hidden option? No loophole? No chance to run away into some forgotten corner of the world?"
He looked up at the sky, as if hoping someone—or something—was listening.