Chapter 1: Kindergarten Odyssey

Lin Cheng Town, Sunshine Hope Kindergarten.

A ray of morning sun slipped through the window, lighting up the face of a little boy who looked utterly speechless.

He listened to the nursery rhymes playing in the classroom and watched the pretty teacher in her floral dress stand at the podium, keeping time.

“Alright, little ones, let’s listen to the teacher one more time, then we’ll all sing together! Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!”

The little boy in the back row by the window was named Lin Zheng Ran. He was five years old, in the third year of kindergarten, class three.

Originally twenty-eight, he’d just received a huge demolition payout at home when a shady system forced him to bind and transport to this world.

According to the system, this was a world of immortals and heroes, full of demons and monsters, bizarre and harsh for ordinary people.

He had to start as a common rogue cultivator, gradually boosting his cultivation, expanding his influence, until he founded his own sect and became the strongest in the realm!

But this crappy system! Never mind if I wanted to cross over or not—you’re a knockoff, aren’t you? Open your eyes and look! Where the hell did you send me?

Is this even the homeland anymore?

Why are there cars, skyscrapers, and hot pot restaurants on the streets of a cultivation world? And why am I in a kindergarten? Plus, why am I only five years old?! I can’t even swear properly!

[System activation complete. Congratulations, host, on a successful crossing. Detected world: Lingqi Continent. Cultivation levels from one to one hundred; reach one hundred to become a god. Every ten levels, gain an exclusive skill that greatly boosts your combat power.]

Lin Zheng Ran heard the knockoff system’s voice in his mind. This setup screams piracy, no doubt about it.

[Your current cultivation level is one. Your aptitude is average. Fresh in this world, you’re lost and confused. A month in, your level hasn’t budged, and you’re staring blankly, worrying about the path ahead.]

[Today, you finally stumble upon a rare opportunity! On the road, you meet Fairy He from a righteous sect. She doesn’t seem too powerful. By eavesdropping, you learn she carries a Pure Yang Treasure Pill that can dramatically boost cultivation! Paired with Red Blood Pill, it can even remake your bones!]

[You need to find a way to get that pill to fix your mediocre aptitude. If you can’t, well, blame your bad luck and seek another chance.]

Dude, it’s been a month and the crossing glitch isn’t fixed yet. System, bro, please open your eyes—I’m in modern society now. Where’s this Fairy He with a pill? How am I supposed to seize opportunities?!

“Lin Zheng Ran? You’re sitting on my hair…”

His desk mate’s whiny, soft voice pulled Lin Zheng Ran from his thoughts.

The cute little girl in a pink dress with pigtails was Heqing, his desk mate and childhood neighbor.

“Lin Zheng Ran, my hair…” she said quietly, seeming afraid of him.

Lin Zheng Ran turned and saw her hair trapped under his arm, his gaze fierce.

But instead of lifting his arm, he asked curiously, “Who put your hair under my arm?”

Little Heqing looked upset but didn’t argue. “Sorry, it’s my fault. Could you lift your arm? I can’t move. I need to go to the bathroom.”

Afraid he’d say no, she pulled a milk candy from her pocket. “Here, I’ll give you this. It’s from my mom this morning—the only one I have.”

Lin Zheng Ran didn’t want to bother with a kid, so he lifted his arm.

Heqing quickly freed her hair, smoothed it out, and nervously placed the candy in front of him. “You eat it…”

After setting it down, she glanced at the teacher on the podium, hesitating while clutching her bulging tummy, her face full of conflict.

“I don’t eat that stuff,” Lin Zheng Ran said, not liking sweets. He was about to give it back when the system’s voice chimed in.

[Who knew you’d sweet-talk a righteous sect fairy into handing over the Pure Yang Treasure Pill without lifting a finger? Impressive! Take it right away! What if she changes her mind and you lose this chance? Since she’s so easy to fool, ask if she has more treasures. Or just quit while you’re ahead and say goodbye.]

Lin Zheng Ran: “???”

Staring at the milk candy in his hand, Lin Zheng Ran suddenly realized this system must be blind.

Wait, could it be!

On a whim, Lin Zheng Ran unwrapped the candy and popped it in his mouth.

To his surprise, it made him feel refreshed and sweet in the mouth! No—a surge of power shot from his fist!

Right then, Lin Zheng Ran felt like he could swat a giant mosquito with his bare hands!

[The Treasure Pill has boosted your cultivation. Level risen to three. Strength increased by one, stamina by one.]

Though the world didn’t match the system’s description, Lin Zheng Ran really felt his power grow!

Heqing heard him say he wouldn’t eat it and thought he’d give it back, but saw him change his mind. In her childish voice, she said, “But you said you wouldn’t eat it?”

Lin Zheng Ran paused, then realized the system still worked even after the crossing failed.

This changes everything.

He looked at Heqing with a meaningful grin.

Heqing thought her words had upset him, so she hung her head, clutching her belly, terrified.

“I didn’t say anything.”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled and asked, “Heqing, do you have any more snacks?”

Heqing shook her little head, her pigtails swinging.

“No.”

Lin Zheng Ran’s smile turned creepy: “Are you sure? I remember your mom gave you a bunch of snacks this morning?”

Heqing kept holding her belly and fished a big date from her pocket.

“That’s all… I ate the rest.”

[Red Blood Pill! The perfect match for the Pure Yang Treasure Pill. What luck today! Take both and your average aptitude will improve! The doors to cultivation will swing open for you!]

Exactly!

Even in this different world, doing similar things still lets me exploit system glitches for rewards.

Lin Zheng Ran took the date from her. Seeing her eyes well up like she might cry, he sighed and said:

“I’m not taking it for free. You’re holding your belly because you need the bathroom but don’t want to ask the teacher, right? I’ll call for her, and this date’s mine. Deal?”

Heqing was stunned. In her mind, the neighbor boy Lin Zheng Ran was always grumpy, so why was he saying this?

“Deal or not?” Lin Zheng Ran pressed.

Terrified, little Heqing nodded quickly.

Lin Zheng Ran shot up his hand: “Teacher! Heqing needs the bathroom!”

Heqing hadn’t expected him to shout it out. Her face flushed red as all the classmates turned to look.

The kindergarten teacher, used to this, said, “Go on, hurry back.”

Heqing jumped up, excited despite her shyness, and replied softly, “Thank you, teacher. I’ll be quick.”

She threw a grateful glance at Lin Zheng Ran, who was examining the date, then dashed out to the bathroom—she was about to burst.

Lin Zheng Ran ate the date.

He clearly felt something inside him strengthening.

Then the teacher cleared her throat and scolded, “Lin Zheng Ran! No eating snacks in class! It distracts the others! Save it for break!”

[How terrifying! After taking the fairy’s treasure, you’re hit with a distant threat! Must be her master’s voice from afar protecting her. Good thing you didn’t fight—otherwise, retaliation was certain! This scares you straight; in this world, you vow to be more careful or risk your life.]

[You’ve successfully absorbed the Red Blood Pill. Aptitude from average to somewhat unique. Level up to four. Energy increased by one.]

Lin Zheng Ran: “.”

Lin Zheng Ran: “Got it, teacher.”

Seems like this is a narrator system, but fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. At least in this world, I’m pretty safe. Time to grow strong!

How do I cultivate here? Can’t just rely on pills, right? Wait—don’t tell me it’s by reading books.

Lin Zheng Ran tried flipping open a kindergarten children’s book.

[Cultivating—This is a beginner cultivation scroll. Memorize it all to break through to level five.]

Lin Zheng Ran: “Damn it! It really is! The later stages must be insanely hard!”