Chapter One: The Unusual Rebirth Pill (Cultivation)

The towering peak shrouded in clouds and mist soared skyward, its summit a battlefield where countless warriors clad in armor of every hue and wielding diverse weapons surged forward, wave after wave, toward the mountain’s heart. At the very center, a creature of myth—a winged dragon, fierce and sharp-edged, its maw filled with countless razor teeth—rampaged with a roar that shook the heavens. This was the Celestial Dragon. Its claws, swift and lethal, swept through the ranks, turning those before it into a storm of blood, as easily as slicing through tofu. Despite its immense size, the dragon’s body was streaked with blood, bearing countless wounds, yet the aura it exuded was as tangible as iron, slowing the warriors’ weapons as though they moved through water, their actions sluggish and labored.

This was the Celestial Dragon Peak of the Celestial Dragon Valley.

Blood-stained skies hung over a battlefield littered with broken limbs and dying steeds, the wind itself heavy with the scent of carnage, as if hell had descended upon the earth. Yet the warriors paid no heed, charging forward with no fear of death—some on horseback, their lances raised, others on foot, some archers loosing arrows to suppress the beast from afar, others with battered shields pressed ahead, their courage undimmed. The ferocity of battle mattered little to the soldiers, as if each were resigned to die.

Lin Mu was among the charging ranks, leading a contingent of his own territory’s soldiers in this desperate attempt to conquer the boss. His former employer had always treated him well, and after he left the company’s guild to forge his own path as a minor lord, while not a great power, he had realized his dream of lordship, rekindling ambitions long dormant.

A month ago, his former employer sought him out, hoping he would lend his strength to her faction in the assault on the greatest boss of Celestial Dragon Peak—the Celestial Dragon itself.

She had shown him kindness, and perhaps watched over him after he left the guild. Lin Mu felt he could repay her with what little he could offer.

As a minor lord near Celestial Dragon Peak’s county seat, he believed he understood this boss well, but when the day came to slay the dragon, harsh reality shattered his ambitions. The beast was a mountain—unassailable, unconquerable, and to kill it seemed nothing but a fantasy.

Yet man’s will could move mountains, and sacrifice would, in time, bear fruit.

Behind the dragon’s massive form lay its lair, treasures within gleaming with an irresistible allure.

Men are greedy, and the lure of countless treasures drove them to treat their lives as expendable, falling one after another.

Lin Mu’s position was east of the dragon’s body; though the lair was distant, his cultivation allowed him to see farther than most. He could not see all the treasures, but at the very heart of the lair, the most captivating sight was a floating golden dragon-shaped token, drifting in midair.

Lin Mu recalled a legend: in ancient times, a divine village creation token existed, capable of founding a supreme dynasty. It was said that the Han Dynasty’s imperial city was built upon such a token.

A sudden thought seized him: “This is the Divine City Heart—the divine token for founding a village! I must have it! I must!”

Uncontrollable ambition surged within him, irresistible, as though even his soul was tempted.

But Lin Mu did not charge like the other players; he merely ordered his soldiers to attack the boss.

“Mythic Three Kingdoms” was a mysterious, groundbreaking virtual online game.

Its realism purportedly reached the legendary 100%. Whether that was true…

At first, many doubted, but now, countless players flocked to the game, and Lin Mu had learned many secrets.

He was just an ordinary player, battling a game boss as others did, dreaming of defeating it and claiming legendary artifacts.

The death system in “Mythic Three Kingdoms” was brutal; upon death, players were sent to the Rebirth Hall, stripped of their levels, skills, and items. To regain them, they had to purchase back what they lost with coins and other resources—the cost enough to drive anyone mad. Players complained endlessly, but the game’s AI, Nuwa, never relented.

Each death was as ruinous as bankruptcy, returning players to their initial state.

Though the threat of death hung over them like a sword, the players still charged the Celestial Dragon, their hopes and losses known only to themselves.

Lin Mu understood how monstrous the boss was, but across the land, players were like ants—countless and relentless.

The sun set and rose again… Lin Mu lost track of time. His territory’s forces were depleted, his employer’s troops likewise spent. The battle was fierce beyond measure; his stamina was waning, his body exhausted, hands trembling, weapon broken and worn, blood congealed in heavy clots upon him.

He could not recall how many pills and provisions he had consumed—whenever hungry or lacking strength, he ate or took recovery medicine.

Finally, after an age, the battlefield began to change…

The enormous beast at the heart of the field was near death, and after countless sacrifices, the boss was finally defeated.

A chime sounded.

“—System notification: After endless hardship and fierce struggle, you have won your 187th battle, gaining 18,700 reputation, +5 combat power, +100 leadership, and +1 martial prowess.”

The system’s familiar tone rang out, but Lin Mu remained unmoved.

He gazed at the familiar yet strange figure, sighing softly. At last, he had repaid her favor, uncertain whether he felt relieved or more disappointed.

Few players remained on the battlefield, mostly her lieutenants. Lin Mu was alone—his companions had all fallen, sacrificed for the sake of a nebulous debt. He felt a bitter ache within.

He lacked the wealth to revive them, and so could only start anew.

He also knew others were quietly undermining him, with many players secretly joining new factions.

Lin Mu did not blame them…

People seek higher ground; water flows downward.

Perhaps, in her eyes, he was just a subordinate—a pawn.

After the boss was slain, came the most exhilarating moment: the division of spoils—the loot and treasures guarded by the beast.

Lin Mu felt no excitement; this time, he was but a drop in the ocean of expendable pawns, insignificant to some.

His territory’s power was weak, hardly worth their concern.

“Thank you all for your efforts today. Once the spoils are tallied, I will reward everyone handsomely to compensate for your losses,” her familiar voice called out, but Lin Mu’s face remained expressionless.

Her valiant figure collected the boss’s loot into her treasure pouch, then entered the coveted lair with her followers.

Lin Mu did not go with them; instead, he approached the mountain-sized corpse of the Celestial Dragon.

All its dropped items had been gathered, and even the body was picked clean, leaving only bones.

Lin Mu did not collect anything, merely gazing quietly, as though letting go of his obsession, his face gradually relaxing.

Seated cross-legged, Lin Mu suddenly saw a glow.

“What’s that?” he wondered, as the massive skeleton transformed into a beam of light, coalescing into a pill the size of a fingertip, floating in the air, wondrous and strange.

Startled, Lin Mu walked over and took the pill in his hand, amazed.

It was surely something valuable; at least his journey had not been in vain.

“What treasure did you take? Hand it over now!” a voice broke the mountain’s silence.

Lin Mu glanced aside—it was one of his former employer’s chief lieutenants, with whom he’d had conflict before; one reason he’d left the guild to strike out on his own.

“What business is it of yours? Get lost!” Lin Mu, in a foul mood, felt even worse seeing this wretch, his tone sharper than usual.

“You traitor—if the boss hadn’t warned us not to trouble you, you’d have died a thousand deaths by now. Your sticky fingers got you expelled; otherwise, you’d have been a rotten apple, ruining our reputation!” the lieutenant hissed venomously.

“Hmph, you’re not worthy to speak to me, trash!” Lin Mu hated this hypocrite, feeling almost a natural enmity.

Turning away, Lin Mu left; his purpose fulfilled, lingering would only invite resentment.

He would not beg for treasures, not even legendary ones—he would go his own way, as strangers henceforth.

“Heh, I couldn’t beat you before, but now you’re wounded—killing you is nothing. Die!” The man stabbed Lin Mu in the back with a slick, sharp rapier, the blade piercing through his chest, blood flooding his shattered armor. The coward had attacked from behind, unsurprising given his character.

Lin Mu, unable to support himself, half-knelt on the ground.

“Traitor, you killed me once and cost me most of my assets. Now I finally have my revenge. Ha! So much for the Eighteen Divine Generals—traitor, nothing but a bug. If not for the boss’s restraint, I’d have killed you a hundred times to sate my hatred…”

Lin Mu did not reply, only chuckling as he looked at the figure who had seemed to stand before him for so long.

If he guessed right, she could have stopped the lieutenant’s treacherous attack, but she had not. In her eyes, he was perhaps now worthless; his life or death meant little.

She stood coldly ahead, her gaze unfocused. Was his death truly near?

Lin Mu had never died since the game began.

He often heard of the terror of the Rebirth Hall, but with his skills, he had never once fallen since “Mythic Three Kingdoms” launched. At last, he would die.

Perhaps it was for the best; his debts repaid, they would be strangers, each taking a different path.

Reflecting on the past, nothing seemed important anymore. What mattered was starting anew.

A chime sounded.

“—System notification: Lord Lin Mu, you have fallen in battle. Soul returning to Rebirth Hall. Detected in your personal space: [Revival Pill]. Would you like to use it?”

Huh—he did not recall ever obtaining a [Revival Pill]. How did he suddenly have such an item? Lin Mu was puzzled.

Could it be that pill? He recalled the dragon’s bones transforming mysteriously; its power must be extraordinary. So, it was a revival item!

By his experience, this pill was surely one of those legendary items that could negate the penalty of death and rebirth.

Destiny’s hand had granted him this fortune.

Lin Mu silently willed, “Use,” and saw the pill emit endless chaotic light, enveloping him. He felt indescribably comfortable, as though all pain was forgotten, sinking into deep sleep.

In a haze, Lin Mu seemed to hear the familiar system notification, though he could not recall its contents…