Qin Yi's expression lit up with joy.
At first, he believed he would have to rely on hard work and perseverance to rise from nothing to greatness. However, he wasn't sure how long that journey would take. Given his martial aptitude, he lacked confidence in his ability to reach the First Stage of Qi Condensation within a short timeframe. It might take him a year, two, or even five years.
But now, with the help of the golden finger, things were looking different!
"System, perform the extraction on the Deacon!" Qin Yi focused and mentally commanded the system.
He eagerly anticipated the results, but what happened next left him greatly disappointed.
[Extraction failed!]
[Note: You must touch the target to perform the extraction.]
[Note: The target is out of range.]
Qin Yi felt lost. He had failed on his first attempt. Who could he blame? After all, he was still unfamiliar with how the system operated.
However, how was he supposed to touch the Deacon now that he had already walked away?
Should he chase after the Deacon and touch him for no reason?
What if the Deacon misinterpreted his actions?
What if he thought Qin Yi needed a sugar daddy to provide him in the sect?
What if-
Alright, he decided to stop overthinking it.
"Forget it! I'll find a way to touch the Deacon the next time we meet..."
After lingering in front of his room for a moment, Qin Yi pushed the door open and walked inside. He lit an oil lamp and sat on his bed, ready to study the system.
Just as he was about to ask the system a question, a blue translucent user interface suddenly appeared before him, as if the system had anticipated his intention.
————————————
Name: Qin Yi
Age: 17
Martial Aptitude: Low-Grade
Cultivation Base: None (The First Stage of Qi Condensation (0/1000)
Divine Sense: 20
Cultivation Point: 0
Mastery Point: 0
————————————
"Well… this is like a game," Qin Yi muttered, surprised as he examined the user interface (UI).
As someone from Earth, he was quite familiar with this type of interface.
Although Qin Yi could not recall how he died, he remembered his hobbies—gaming and reading various genres of novels, including those based on game mechanics. Therefore, he was not particularly shocked by the UI.
Going through the below, he finally saw the introduction of the system.
「Basic Introduction:
"The Extraction System exists to aid the Host's cultivation journey—but at a cost. The heavens demand balance."
————————————
1. Casual Mode:
Function:
Extract a random attribute/item from any target (object, being, or location).
Requirements & Limitations:
- Spiritual Energy Cost: Each extraction drains the Host's spiritual energy (scales with the target's tier).
- Proximity: Must physically touch the target or be within 10 meters for the weaker target.
- Cooldown: 1 extraction per target every 24 hours.
- Karma: Repeated extraction from the same source attracts "karma debt".
2. Extreme Mode
Function: Completely extract one target's designed core essence (e.g., cultivator's martial aptitude, sword's spirit, a mountain's spiritual veins). The target will be permanently degraded/destroyed.
Requirements & Limitations:
The Host's life must be in mortal danger (system auto-detects).Or, the Host must sacrifice a part of their body or lifespan (1-10 years).
Consequences:
- System Shutdown: All functions are disabled for a month.
- Heavenly Tribulation: 30% chance of attracting a lightning tribulation or bad luck curse.
3. Universal Restrictions
- Soul Bound: The system cannot extract from targets two major realms above the Host.
- Ethical Lock: Sentient beings can resist if their willpower is higher.
- Overcharge Risk: Extracting too much in one day causes Qi Deviation (temporary paralysis).
"Hiss…" Qin Yi gasped, "What a cheat!"
In summary, the extraction system has two modes: casual mode and extreme mode.
The casual mode can be used freely, while the extreme mode is reserved for critical moments. Each mode comes with its own set of requirements and limitations.
It was no surprise that Qin Yi failed to perform an extraction on the Deacon. He estimated that even if he managed to make contact, he would still fail due to his lack of spiritual energy at that moment.
Furthermore, he could perform an extraction on the Deacon only once a day. Therefore, even if he met both requirements, he would have to wait until the next day to try again.
As for extreme mode...
Qin Yi frowned deeply, thinking, "This mode is simply broken!"
Once activated, this mode allows him to extract the core essence of the target he selects. Importantly, the essence extracted is not random but specifically chosen.
With this mode, Qin Yi might be able to extract the higher-grade martial aptitude of other cultivators and use it for himself.
Of course, the price of using such a broken mode was also exceptionally terrific, for which he had to sacrifice his limbs and even his lifespan.
He simply couldn't afford to use this mode, at least for now.
Qin Yi continued to scroll the text below...
「As the system owner, the Host can access their personal information through the user interface (UI). Below are the key details:
Name: Host's name.
[Note: It cannot be changed]
Martial aptitude: Not everyone possesses the innate ability to practice martial arts. Individuals with martial aptitude can become cultivators, while those without it must live as mortals with limited lifespans.
[Note: The current Host's martial aptitude is classified as low-grade. This can be improved by extracting targets with higher aptitude grades using Extreme Mode.]
Cultivation Base: This indicates the Host's current cultivation stage, which can be enhanced using Cultivation Points.
[Note: Advancing through stages requires a specific number of Cultivation Points. Higher stages necessitate a greater quantity of points.]
[Note: The Host will not face bottlenecks in cultivation, provided there are enough Cultivation Points available. This allows for a smooth breakthrough to higher realms. Good for you, Host~]
Qin Yi, "…"
Thanks, I guess?
He continued to scroll down.
Divine Sense: A form of spiritual awareness that serves as a radar for detecting energy, facilitating mental communication, controlling tools, and defending against soul attacks. Its range and strength increase with the cultivation base.
[Note: The Host was born with a high level of Divine Sense. Congratulations on having such a rare trait~]
Qin Yi widened his eyes as he read this information.
Based on the system's Note, it seemed that his Divine Sense was quite impressive!
"It turns out I'm not completely a waste! Not bad, not bad..."
This was probably the only quality he could take pride in regarding cultivation!
For a moment, a silly grin appeared on Qin Yi's face as his bright eyes continued to scroll down.
Cultivation Point: Conversion point of the leaked strands of spiritual energy extracted from the target that accumulated within a day.
[Note: The quantity of Cultivation Points that can be extracted depends on the target's cultivation base. Generally, individuals with a higher cultivation base will yield more Cultivation Points for the Host.]
Mastery Point: Points that can increase martial arts mastery. It can be obtained by converting Cultivation Points to Mastery Points.]
[Note: Given the current aptitude of the Host, the conversion ratio of Cultivation Points to Mastery Points is set at 1000:1. This means that 1000 Cultivation Points are required to obtain 1 Mastery Point.] 」
Qin Yi's expression darkened as he read the note.
The 1000 Cultivation Points that can allow him to instantly advance from the First Stage of Qi Condensation to the Second Stage could only be exchanged for a single Mastery Point.
This served as a stark reminder of how poor his martial aptitude was!
He thought his martial talent would no longer hinder his cultivation with the existence of the Cultivation Point. However, it was evident that they still significantly impacted his mastery of martial arts.
It appeared that using Extreme Mode was inevitable.
After all, only by utilizing Extreme Mode could he replace his martial aptitude.
***
The next day, Qin Yi carried out his usual tasks.
He wanted to extract some wool from the Deacon, but he didn't see the Deacon at all that day.
Additionally, he had no real reason to seek out the Deacon, and the Deacon had no reason to waste his precious time meeting an insignificant person like Qin Yi.
What a dilemma~
He tried to extract his fellow novice disciples, but to no avail, as they had not yet managed to gather spiritual energy. Besides, they are too poor to the point that they have nothing worth being extracted by the system.
As novice disciples, the only things they received from their time in the Novices' Quarter were daily meals and the cultivation techniques given to them on their first day.
A week later, a long-awaited Deacon arrived in the Novices' Quarter to oversee the work of the novice disciples.
This time, Qin Yi will not be as ignorant as the last time.
Sitting cross-legged on the martial arts field, he observed the Deacon's movements carefully, considering how he might approach him.
In addition to supervising the novice disciples, the Deacon also offered guidance and answered their questions about cultivation.
He was generous with his time and knowledge, which earned him a measure of respect from Qin Yi.
Soon, the meditation session came to an end. The Deacon shouted, "I've seen the results of your hard work this week, and I can see that you've all been diligent in your cultivation. It's time to distribute your monthly resources!"
The novice disciples, filled with excitement, listened intently as the Deacon continued, "Alright, the first disciple I call will come forward to receive their resources: Chen Mo!"
A young man named Chen Mo stood up and eagerly walked toward the Deacon, his face lit up with excitement.
Qin Yi also felt a rush of anticipation. He saw this as a chance to make direct contact with the Deacon.
Fortunately, there were fewer than a hundred novice disciples, so it only took about fifteen minutes for Qin Yi's name to be called as well.
With a slightly expectant expression and a hint of nervousness, Qin Yi approached the Deacon. Luckily, the Deacon didn't notice anything unusual, as he saw that nearly all the novice disciples were reacting with similar enthusiasm.
Soon, Qin Yi stood in front of the Deacon.
"Qin Yi, you were quite distracted during the meditation. You need to pay more attention; otherwise, it will take you longer to sense spiritual energy than your peers!" The Deacon spoke seriously before handing the pouch.
Qin Yi smiled in embarrassment, thinking, 'Deacon, you are the reason I was distracted during meditation!'
However, he dared not voice that thought and simply replied, "I understand, Deacon. I will be more focused next time."
The Deacon shook his head and continued, "This is a storage bag. It is a standard storage item for cultivators. Inside, you will find some resources; you can take a look later."
"Thank you, Deacon!" Qin Yi expressed his gratitude as he accepted the storage bag.
At the same time, he "accidentally" brushed his fingertip against the Deacon's hand.
Afterward, he silently commanded the system, "System, perform an extraction on the Deacon!"
Moments later, a notification appeared.
[Extraction completed!]
[Obtained 50 Cultivation Points]
Qin Yi frowned, unsure if 50 Cultivation Points were a lot or a little, since this was the first time he had performed an extraction.
Regardless, at least he had gained something.
In the next second, another notification startled him.
[Obtained Broken Jade Silver. Grade: Rank 1]
"Eh? I also got a treasure?" Qin Yi silently exclaimed in surprise.
He had initially thought he could only get one reward from a single person, but it seemed he was mistaken.
After receiving his monthly resources, Qin Yi returned to his original seat.
At the same time, he wondered if he could extract resources from the other disciples. After all, they were no longer poor and worthless. Perhaps he could get a share of their resources.
Thinking about this, he started to fantasize about how much he could earn from these novice disciples.
"Cough, be steady, be steady. I can't let everyone become suspicious of me," he reminded himself.
Fortunately, he discovered that the system had a storage feature. With the existence of this storage system, he finally felt relieved. No one would notice how much treasure Qin Yi possessed.
He wasn't in a hurry to open the storage system. He decided to wait until his work session was over. By then, the Deacon should have returned to his quarters.
Neither the Deacon nor the novice disciples noticed Qin Yi's stealthy behavior; everything seemed to be going as usual.
While waiting for the division of resources to be finalized, Qin Yi closed his eyes and meditated.
At the same time, he secretly commanded, "System, I want to use all my cultivation points to improve my cultivation base!"
In less than a second, the system responded to his command.
Suddenly, a mysterious yet comforting sensation surged through Qin Yi's body, flowing directly into his dantian.
However, this sensation was fleeting; it lasted only a short while before coming to an abrupt end.
Qin Yi raised his brows and muttered, "Is that all?"
He felt a bit disappointed, but what could he expect from just 50 cultivation points?
Still, it was impressive that it allowed him to sense spiritual energy.
Thanks to that, he had now officially become a cultivator.
————————————
Cultivation Base: 50 (The First Stage of Qi Condensation (0/1000)
————————————
Qin Yi opened the panel and briefly checked his status. He noticed a small change in his cultivation level before closing it again.
He then glanced around at his fellow disciples, thinking, "Now that I'm considered the strongest here, apart from the Deacon, I should be able to extract from them, right?"
According to the system's description, he could perform an extraction on individuals weaker than himself, without direct contact, as long as they were within a ten-meter radius.
With that thought in mind, Qin Yi commanded, "System, perform the extraction!"
A second later, notifications popped up on the screen.
[Extraction successful!]
[Obtained 15 spirit stones. Grade: Low-Grade]
[Obtained 5 spirit stones. Grade: Low-Grade]
[Obtained 10 spirit stones. Grade: Low-Grade]
[Obtained 15 spirit stones. Grade: Low-Grade]
[Obtained 3 Qi Strengthening Pills. Grade: Rank 1]
[Obtained 2 Qi Strengthening Pills. Grade: Rank 1]
[Obtained 5 Qi Strengthening Pills. Grade: Rank 1]
[....]
"I'm rich! I'm rich!" Qin Yi exclaimed to himself with excitement.