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It has been 16 years since Randy's soul arrived in this strange world, and although he had expected his life to resemble that of the Xianxia novels he had read so much about, reality had hit him with unexpected harshness. He had been reborn into a family of modest cultivators under the name Hu Shengyi, the third son of the Hu family.
In the Realm of the Eternal Earth where Shengyi now lived, cultivation level was the sole determinant of one's place in the social hierarchy. Here, the law of the jungle was not just a metaphor, but a literal truth, where your cultivation level dictated everything from your status to your survival. Shengyi's ambition was to become a Patriarch of the Eternal Earth Sect, not for prestige, but for survival.
Slowly, Shengyi got out of bed and went to the mirror in his small room. He looked at the reflection that had accompanied him for so many years: a frail-looking young man, with almost pale skin and green eyes that seemed to hold a glint of hidden determination, but not enough to overcome his destiny. His long black hair cascaded like a waterfall down his back, but his physique remained thin, almost out of place in a world where physical and spiritual strength was what defined great cultivators.
"Uf~" He sighed, remembering the frustration that had haunted him since he began practising cultivation. He had tried countless techniques, attended the most rigorous rituals, and even sought out amulets that would improve his energy flow, but nothing seemed to work. While his older sisters were rapidly advancing along the path of cultivation, gaining renown as young warriors in the sect, Shengyi was trapped in an inexplicable stagnation, as if some invisible force had decided to seal his fate from birth.
In addition, there was another issue that made him deeply uncomfortable: his body, especially in regards to his penis, which seemed to have shrunk to 8cm.
With resignation, he put on his white tunic and got ready for another day that would probably be just as frustrating. He left his room and headed for the dining room, where his mother and one of his sisters were already waiting for breakfast.
Shengyi calmly entered the small but cozy kitchen, flooded by the warm morning light streaming through the window. In the center of the room was the family table, where two women, seated across from each other, enjoyed breakfast.
The first to catch Shengyi's eye was his mother, Hu Lu Xi, a woman of arresting beauty, her long blonde hair cascading down her back like a golden river, her piercing blue eyes glinting with an untamed allure. Her physique was plump and voluptuous, her enormous breasts straining against the loose white shirt, resting lightly upon the table as she savored her rice bowl with leisurely grace. A wide, curvaceous rear filled her brown skirt, her chubby, sinuous form exuding a bold, unyielding presence that commanded attention without apology.
Shengyi felt even more uncomfortable seeing her, not only because of his problem in maintaining eye contact with women but also because of the embarrassing memories that came to his mind when he saw her. The image of his father, Hu Shengyi, fucking his mother in front of him came back to him like a flash, filling him with shame and confusion. He could not understand why that intimate scene kept replaying in his memory even though 16 years had passed.
The second woman, sitting across from his mother, was his older sister, Hu Mai Li. She had a strong, confident appearance, with short blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to pierce through anything. She wore a traditional lounge dress that clung to her generous curves, revealing huge breasts that were barely contained by the fabric. Her physique was chubby, which contrasted with the delicacy of her attire. Shengyi looked at her with a mixture of admiration and envy, remembering how his older sisters had always been capable and strong, while he was weak and slow.
Lu Xi, noticing her son's presence, smiled and said, "Ah, Shengyi, good morning. How are you feeling today?" Her voice was warm and welcoming, but Shengyi felt nervous, not knowing what to say. He didn't want to admit that he was depressed and tired with his situation. "I-I'm fine, Mother," he replied with a forced smile, trying to hide his true emotion.
Mai Li looked at him with a frown and said, "Shengyi, have you been practising your cultivation techniques? You need to improve your Qi level if you want to have any chance of surviving in this world." Her words were cutting and direct, and Shengyi felt overwhelmed by his sister's pressure.
He knew he hadn't been progressing as he should, but he didn't know what to do to improve. "I-I'm trying, sis," he said, feeling frustration growing inside him.
Mai Li snorted, crossing her arms over her generous boobs. "Well, if you do not improve soon, you won't last long in the outside world. We have to get our family up the hierarchy so we can eat," she said with a defiant look. Concern for their social status and family was reflected in her words.
Shengyi sat at the table in the chair next to his mother, feeling a mixture of anxiety and embarrassment. She noticed his concern and placed a hand on Shengyi's. "Don't worry, my son. Everyone has their own growth pace. The important thing is that you keep trying and don't give up," she said with a comforting smile.
Shengyi felt some comfort from his mother's words, but he couldn't help but feel like a failure compared to his older sisters. The pressure of living up to his family's expectations was overwhelming.
"Besides," Lu Xi continued speaking as she looked at the empty chair in the middle of the table, remembering a certain person wistfully. "The day you were born, the man who swore eternal love to me told me that you will carry our family to great heights," she said with eyes full of nostalgia.
The person Lu Xi was referring to was her late husband, Hu Shengyi, who nine months after the birth of their son, Shengyi, the love of her life and father of her three children, who had loved her so much and promised to lead the family to glory, had been killed in a settling of scores over an unpaid debt. Since then, the shadow of that tragedy has hung over them, harassed year after year by debt collectors.
That is why Mai Li and Lai Ya strove hard to become great warriors of the Sect, seeking to earn enough money to rid the family of that cursed debt and be able to live in peace. Shengyi's frustration at not being able to contribute anything to that family goal was evident.
Shengyi rose from the table with a defeated sigh. "I'm not hungry," he said in a muffled voice, avoiding his mother's worried gaze. Lu Xi wanted to stop him but realized that perhaps he needed to be alone to process all the weight he carried on his shoulders. Mai Li, for her part, watched him leave with a twinge of guilt for having reminded him of his weakness.
Shengyi trudged through the Suburbs, the most perilous level in the Realm of the Eternal Earth, his mind heavy with the expectations of his older sisters and the crushing debt that haunted his family.
The Eternal Earth Realm was a stratified realm, divided into three distinct tiers.
The Suburbs, nestled deep below the surface, were the lowest stratum—a festering pit of anarchy, poverty, and despair. Criminals, the destitute, and exploited laborers eked out a living amidst filth and smog, their qi weak or unrefined. These people were ignored, and until two years ago, no one from this level had ever entered the Sect of Eternal Earth—until Lai Ya ,Shengyi's elder sister, became the first.
Above, several kilometers up, lay the Middle Earth, a realm of both the weak and the mighty, where cultivators—whether humble or formidable—strove relentlessly to ascend to the heights. The scheming middle class groveled before the King, treating him as a divine figure in hopes of elevating their cultivation to reach the top. Among them, Lu Xi was originally from this land, a place where cultivators struggled to reach the peak, their potential limited by the harsh realities of the world below.
At the pinnacle sat the Eternal Earth, a paradise of opulent temples and luxury, reserved for the elite: primordial cultivators, royal kin, master healers, and their servants. It was here that the most powerful cultivation sect of the Kingdom, the Sect of Eternal Earth, was situated. Shengyi's mother, Lu Xi, had once been working as servants when he and his sisters were child, her beauty and resilience earning her a place there before she returned to the Suburbs.
As Shengyi walks through the streets silently out of nowhere, a group of children, younger but no less cruel, block his way, with their high-pitched, mocking laughter. "Hey guys, look, it's weak Shengyi" one of them taunted, finger pointed.
Shengyi attempted to brush past them, ignoring their jeers, but they were relentless. "Move, weakling!" they jeered, shoving him aside.
Determined to escape, Shengyi kept moving forward, but the smallest of the bunch grabbed his tunic, pulling him into a shadowy alley. "Not so fast!" he declared, dragging Shengyi deeper into the gloom. The others followed, their laughter echoing off the walls as they began to pummel and push him. "Let's show Shengyi how to fight back!" they chanted, their fists flying unchecked while Shengyi offered no resistance.
With each strike, Shengyi's mind spiraled, questioning his lack of strength compared to his sisters, feeling the world's cruelty like a personal vendetta. Why couldn't he just surrender to the darkness and let these kids kill him?
Just as the beating intensified, a voice cut through the melee. "What's going on here?" It was clear, authoritative, and feminine. The bullies paused, turning towards the sound.
There stood a woman, her long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes framed by the combat attire of the Eternal Earth Sect, her uniform clinging to a frame both sinuous and slender, tempered with muscle and adorned with an immense, gravity-defying chest.
"Who's this bitch?" a bully sneered. "Check out her tits, we should rape her," another suggested coarsely.
The woman, her smile tinged with a trace of madness, retorted, "It seems you young whelps require a lesson in propriety."
Infuriated by her words, they advanced to hit her, but she moved with unnatural speed. She incapacitated the first with a swift kick to his groin, the second with a punch that snapped his head back.
Seizing the one who'd insulted her by his collar, she unleashed a flurry of blows. Shengyi, mustering his strength, grabbed her arm, halting her. "Sister Lai, stop, they're just kids," he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. These bullies, though cruel, were mere children of 12 to 13, they were just naughty kids.
Hu Lai Ya, his elder sister, turned to him, her eyes softening at the sight of his battered face. She let the boy fall, then embraced Shengyi. "If anyone bothers you again, you come straight to me, understand?" she said, her smile strained with concern.
Shengyi, his voice weak and spirit low, simply nodded. ".....Okay," he murmured, the word barely escaping his lips.
Then Lai Ya realized that her brother was injured and needed medical attention. "You have serious injuries, little brother. You must go to the Priestess to be healed," she told him, grabbing his arm to drag him away.
But Shengyi quickly turned her down, remembering the amount of money it cost for medical attention. He didn't want to be a bother, so he gave her a fake smile and said, "I'm fine, no problem. You can go."
Lai Ya hesitated but decided to leave him alone and said, "Be careful, little brother. Get home soon. Rain is forecast and it's going to be heavy tonight; I don't want you to get lost."
Shengyi nodded his head, but Lai Ya looked at him with concern, knowing that her brother was not well. With one last look, she turned and walked away, leaving Shengyi alone in the alley.
Shengyi walked with an expressionless look on his face towards the mountain hill, determined to end his suffering. Reaching the top, the rain began to fall heavily. He looked up at the sky and thought, "If only there was something to make me stronger, I would sacrifice my own body to reach the top."
Kneeling on the ground, Shengyi took the dagger he had been given at birth and placed it on his stomach. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if this would end his suffering. But, angry that he didn't even have the strength to kill himself, he gripped the dagger firmly, ready to plunge it into his body.
Suddenly, a blinding light planted itself in front of his eyes, preventing him from dying. Shengyi covered his eyes, stunned by the glare. When he could finally see, he was met with a sort of video game-like screen that read "Welcome to the Onahole System."