C1 Grandmaster System

On the fifth of May, amidst the vast expanse of Boundless Mountain, the afternoon sun filtered through the bamboo window, casting a golden glow on a tall, dark-skinned young man reclining in a bamboo chair.

His name was Xu Renli, a man with a resolute face and profound eyes, now thirty-one years old. A year prior, Xu Renli had suffered a brutal assault by an Evil Demon of Martial Ancestor rank, a general of the Barbarian Tribe, and a Sea Clan fish king. The attack left him grievously wounded, causing him to plummet three major realms—from a High-Level Martial Ancestor to a High-Level Martial Cultivator.

Disheartened, he withdrew from the battlefront and retreated to his birthplace, Qing Feng Town, finding solace in the seclusion of Boundless Mountain. By a tranquil lotus pond, Xu Renli had constructed a bamboo house with his own hands, a humble abode that now encompassed his world.

In his leisure, he'd while away the afternoons fishing by the pond, and after meals, he'd stroll through the bamboo forest, embracing the ease of a simple life.

With a creak, he rose from his bamboo chair and strolled outside. The bamboo leaves rustled as a cool breeze swept through, carrying with it a refreshing chill.

Among humankind, the odds were high—seventy to eighty percent—that a traitor lurked in their midst. More precisely, it was likely that a traitor had emerged among the Martial Ancestors of Faywyvern, deliberately exposing his whereabouts to the enemy. Why else would the normally adversarial Evil Demon, Barbarian Tribe, and Sea Clan forge an unlikely alliance?

A century ago, Blue Star was rocked by cataclysmic upheavals: the ground trembled, cities crumbled, and technological civilization was brought to its knees. From a global population of ten billion, a mere one billion survived, huddled within a handful of colossal human strongholds during what was dubbed the "Great Dark Age." Beyond these bastions of humanity lay the wilds, now domains of the otherworldlings.

The threat of human extinction loomed large. Yet, perhaps by divine providence, remnants of an ancient martial arts civilization were unearthed, and from them, prodigies emerged. These martial cultivators rose to challenge the otherworldly invaders.

Xu Renli was one such prodigy: a Martial Cultivator by thirteen, a Martial Master by seventeen, a Grand Martial Master by twenty-three, and finally, at thirty-one, he ascended to the esteemed rank of High-Level Martial Ancestor.

Currently, humanity's numbers have dwindled to a mere billion, with only a few thousand Martial Ancestors among them—truly the cream of the crop.

Yet, all that splendor and prestige are now relics of a bygone era.

Xu Renli felt a persistent ache deep in his right leg. The surface wounds had healed, but during his ascension to the Martial Ancestor level, his right leg, which he had tempered first, was pierced through by a Sea Clan fish king. The essence of the bone marrow he had painstakingly refined was utterly ruined.

In other words, Xu Renli's prospects of advancing beyond the Martial Ancestor realm were bleak, his chances of a resurgence all but gone.

He picked up his usual bamboo pole and strolled to the edge of the lotus pond. After baiting his hook, he cast his line into the water and settled down to sit and doze, eyes half-closed.

The insistent drone of cicadas buzzed from the bamboo grove, grating on the nerves like a swarm of pestering spirits.

With a flick of his left foot, a pebble shattered, splitting into eight fragments that shot off in different directions. The cicada's chorus ceased abruptly with a thud, and tranquility returned to the world.

Within Xu Renli's mind, a screen flickered with static, reminiscent of an old black-and-white TV set from a couple of centuries ago.

The words on it were indistinct:

"Grandmaster System loading, 99.9%... Please wait."

Xu Renli had been eagerly awaiting for a year, yet the progress bar remained frozen at 99.9%—an infuriating tease.

He vividly recalled the first day he arrived to make his home at Boundless Mountain, when he had acquired this 'golden finger.' Overjoyed, he believed that with the system's help, he could heal his old wounds, restore his vitality, and reclaim his status as a Martial Ancestor.

But as it turned out, he had been too optimistic.

If this darned system had a gender, it would probably be a cruel temptress, leading him on only to abandon him in limbo.

Unforgivable!

At the base of Boundless Mountain, a narrow trail snaked its way to the summit.

Just then, a bright-eyed young girl emerged. With a hefty pack slung over her shoulders, she paused to wipe the sweat from her brow and gazed up curiously towards the mountain's peak.

"Uncle Renli really lives out here? That seems unlikely. Boundless Mountain is an undeveloped part of town, rarely visited by anyone—it's just too remote."

The girl, clad in a sports tank top, was about sixteen or seventeen, exuding youthful energy. Her ponytail flicked back and forth, as spirited as a feisty young colt.

At the mountain's summit, Xu Renli was strolling with ease when he suddenly leapt three meters into the air, nearly losing his grip on the bamboo pole.

The system had abruptly reached 100% loading!

"Grandmaster System loading complete, now binding... Binding successful!"

"The host may now recruit disciples, with a limit of one per month."

"The system will tailor a 'Sub System' based on the individual's physical qualities to assist in their cultivation!"

"Kindly note, this is the main system. The host will receive feedback from the Sub System. We urge the host to value each opportunity and select disciples with caution!"

Xu Renli understood each sentence, but strung together, they left him somewhat perplexed.

What were the main system and Sub System? Were they interconnected somehow?

He could recruit disciples and even bestow the system upon them?

And what exactly was this feedback?

Xu Renli mulled it over, not rushing to decide. He was beyond the age of rash actions, now prioritizing stability above all.

Half an hour later.

The girl stood outside the bamboo house, catching her breath. Peering through the fence, she eyed the towering figure by the pond with a mix of awe and nervousness.

Could this be the legendary Xu Renli her grandfather often spoke of?

He didn't quite fit the image.

His build was imposing, more like a solid iron tower than a man debilitated by severe injuries. She ventured a question.

"Uncle Renli, is that you? I'm Mu Yueqi, Mu Ying's granddaughter!"

"Yueqi?"

Xu Renli was taken aback.

"Isn't this young lady supposed to be in her senior year of high school? Summer break hasn't even started. How did she get here so quickly?"

Mu Ying was Xu Renli's cousin; they had grown up together and were close.

Unlike Xu Renli, who pursued the martial path, Mu Ying had no taste for combat and dedicated himself to cellular research. He was a professor at a research institute in the central city of Wellice, Wellice City, and had passed away a month prior.

Before his departure, Mu Ying took Xu Renli's hand in a solemn request, entrusting him with a special task.

It concerned his granddaughter, Mu Yueqi.

Despite her demure and captivating appearance, Xu Renli knew her to be the undisputed leader at Faywyvern's Fifteenth High School. She had rallied all the schoolgirls to join the women's club she founded, dedicating their afternoons to martial arts training.

The school's sports field would be overtaken by these fierce teenage girls, their faces set with determination, so much so that they once caught the attention of Faywyvern's Defense Bureau, who mistook them for the rise of a new campus queen.

If any girl at school faced bullying, a single word from this formidable 'big sister' held more sway than any admonishment from the principal.

"Come in."

"Sure thing."

A minute later, inside the bamboo house's reception room, Xu Renli was seated comfortably in a bamboo chair, smiling at the lively Mu Yueqi before him.

"Tired? Did you have lunch?"

"I did."

With a flourish, Mu Yueqi set her plump backpack on the table and lounged in the bamboo chair, her poise belying her youth as she stretched out with ease.

"Uncle, your place is so out of the way, I almost wore myself out getting here. My academic grades are excellent, so the principal granted me a month's leave. I just need to return next month for assessments in cultural studies and martial arts, which is why I've arrived a bit earlier than planned."