On the way back, Chen Xiao-Jun sat cross-legged atop the Seven Kill Sword, when suddenly a crisp, melodious voice tinged with mechanical tones rang out in his mind.
"Ding! Ding! Ding! The host has obtained their first soul ring—eligible for one lottery draw!"
"???"
Ever since transmigrating, Chen Xiao-Jun had tried countless times to see if he had some kind of system or golden finger.
But after getting nothing for so long, he gave up.
"So I had to become a soul master first for this to activate?"
"System! System! System!"
Overjoyed, he called out to it mentally. After all, even if he'd never used one, he'd seen enough transmigration stories—systems respond to mental calls.
"Please do not repeat commands."
"...So, what kind of system are you?"
"A Power-Up System."
What a basic name…
"And this lottery?"
"A reward from the system to help you grow stronger. You get one draw for every soul ring obtained."
"So I only get a draw each time I get a soul ring? Only nine times total?"
"Fixed rewards, yes."
"Then are there non-fixed rewards?"
"Unknown."
Chen Xiao-Jun nearly exploded.
"How can you not know? You're the system!"
"I simply don't know. Non-fixed rewards depend on unknown conditions. The host must discover them for himself. All I can say is—they're extremely rare. Don't count on them."
"..."
Chen Xiao-Jun was speechless.
"Fine. Do I get a newbie gift package?"
"No."
"Any main storyline quests?"
"No."
"How about an exchange shop?"
"No."
"Then what is your purpose?"
"To help the host grow stronger."
"..."
Chen Xiao-Jun felt like he'd encountered the most primitive, most aggravating system in transmigrator history.
"So, how do I do the lottery draw?"
A large spinning wheel appeared in Chen Xiao-Jun's mind, like an AR game interface. It had 36 slots, each labeled with a character: 功 (technique), 法 (method), 技 (skill), 术 (art), 地 (land), 财 (wealth), 侣 (companion), 契 (contract), 丹 (pill), 符 (charm), 阵 (formation), 器 (weapon), 命 (fate), 植 (plant), 储 (storage), 分 (division), 场 (field), 令 (order), 职 (profession), 搜 (search), 兽 (beast), etc.
Despite its simplicity, it was surprisingly refined—not as low-quality as he'd feared.
"Host, would you like to use your draw now?"
"Do it!"
A golden iron ball appeared within the wheel, spinning slowly at first, then faster and faster.
1 second… 2… 3… 10… 30… 60…
"Why isn't it stopping?"
"You haven't said stop yet."
"!!!!!"
Chen Xiao-Jun realized he probably needed to go study some books on anger management.
"Stop!"
Ten seconds passed. The ball kept spinning.
"Still not stopping??"
"To prevent visual cheating, the ball stops 30 seconds after the stop command."
"00XX..."
Finally, it stopped—on the slot labeled '侣' (companion).
Three covered cards appeared in the system interface.
"Host, please choose one."
"Wait, what exactly does 'companion' mean here?"
"It refers to the 'companion' in the Cultivation Four Essentials: 'Method, Companion, Wealth, Land.' It means a like-minded Dao partner."
"Haha! Dao partner, great!"
"The character generated by the system will be naturally inclined toward the host. Whether they become a Dao partner depends on you.
They are a person—a real person—not some data-bound construct with a loyalty meter."
"..."
Chen Xiao-Jun had to admit—this reasoning was hard to refute.
"Middle card!"
He flipped it.
A purple-haired young woman stood quietly atop a tree branch.
A light veil covered her face, a purple gemstone dangled from her brow.
Her violet eyes gleamed like crystal, filled with endless cold indifference.
Behind her was a fan woven from silkworm silk and floral patterns—denoting her status.
Chen Xiao-Jun's pupils contracted—he never imagined it would be her.
With stunning beauty and a pure, untainted presence, she was one of his favorite fantasy characters in his previous life.
"Congratulations, host! You've received: Shao Siming from The Legend of Qin (Qin's Moon)!"
Shao-Shao!!
She was one of the most popular characters from Qin's Moon—a young woman with long purple hair and eyes, always veiled.
It was said her beauty was beyond divine, yet no one had ever seen her true face.
She was feared as one of the most dangerous assassins, cold and distant, with strength far beyond her apparent age.
But at heart, she was also pitiful—her backstory need not even be told.
The title Shao Siming was one of ill omen:
Anyone who held it… did not live long.
Every new Shao Siming had to personally kill the previous one.
Thus, each successor was stronger, more ruthless, and more inhuman than the last.
The role didn't use physical power but traded soul for strength.
Once the soul was depleted—the life ended.
Her signature move, Falling Petals Like Rain, used up her soul.
In other words: her life.
Life has form. Death has none.
When the soul is gone, qi dissipates.
That—is Shao Siming.
Thinking this far, Chen Xiao-Jun quickly asked,
"System, does Shao Siming come with her original cultivation techniques?"
**"Yes. Characters generated by the system come with their original world's skills and abilities.
To suit this world's context, she is currently six years old. She will appear today. Please receive her."**
"Huh? Where?"
"At the gate of Chenlin Village."
"Wait—I have a question. Shao Siming's 'Falling Petals Like Rain' uses soul energy… won't that be dangerous?"
"Host, don't forget what world this is."
"...Douluo Continent? Wait, you mean… she has a Martial Soul?"
"Yes. With a Martial Soul, she can absorb soul power from the world. In this world, she uses soul power—not her life—to cast techniques."
Chen Xiao-Jun breathed a massive sigh of relief.
Then suddenly another thought struck him.
"System, I remember Shao Siming… had some issues with her voice?"
"That's not a terminal condition. It can be treated."
"Can't you just fix it for her?"
"This system handles lottery draws only—not post-sale maintenance."
"..."
That tone… Chen Xiao-Jun was about to explode.
He got a little snappy:
"One more thing. Since you exist inside me—does that mean I have no privacy anymore?"
**"You don't have to worry, Host. I enter a dormant state under normal conditions.
I only activate upon reward generation.