Lin Xuan walked slowly across the courtyard, his steps steady as he tried to appear no different from usual.
On the surface, nothing had changed. Disciples laughed, argued, and practiced their sword techniques beneath the morning sun. Some shouted instructions near the training grounds, while others sat under the shade of trees discussing cultivation manuals. It was an ordinary day in the Black Mountain Sect, peaceful and lively.
But inside Lin Xuan's mind, everything was different.
From the moment he collided with Zhao Tian earlier, the relic hidden within his sleeve had begun to react. Even now, a faint warmth lingered against his skin, pulsing rhythmically like a living heartbeat.
Then the cold, mechanical voice echoed once more, emotionless and absolute.
[Extraction complete. Target artifact successfully extracted. Analyzing artifact… Compatibility confirmed: Perfect.]
Lin Xuan nearly paused, but forced himself to keep walking as if nothing had happened.
A few disciples passed by him, chatting casually.
"Hey, are you joining training later?"
"Maybe. My arms are still sore from yesterday."
Their voices faded into the background.
"Perfect compatibility…" Lin Xuan repeated inwardly, his gaze sharpening slightly.
Before he could think further, the system continued.
[Artifact integrating with system core. Merging in progress.]
A faint frown appeared on his face.
"Merging…?"
The relic hidden in his sleeve suddenly grew warm, then hot. Within moments, it felt as though he was holding something alive—something that pulsed with a steady rhythm.
Instinctively, he glanced toward Zhao Tian.
In the distance, Zhao Tian remained surrounded by disciples, laughing lightly, completely unaware. There was no hesitation in his expression, no sign that anything had changed.
The system responded calmly.
[Concealment protocol active. Target unaware of artifact loss.]
Lin Xuan let out a quiet breath. "Good…"
If Zhao Tian realized the truth now, things would become dangerous. Even if he had yet to reach his future peak, he was still far stronger than Lin Xuan at this stage.
Another notification appeared.
[System core stabilizing. Merging progress: 41%… 67%…]
Lin Xuan gradually moved toward a quieter corner of the courtyard, his heartbeat quickening.
What exactly did I take from him…?
The relic trembled again, and a strange warmth spread from his arm into his chest. His expression shifted slightly as if something deep within his body was awakening.
Then—
[Merging progress: 100%.]
For a brief moment, everything went silent. The sounds of the courtyard faded, as though the world itself had been muted.
Then a deeper, heavier voice resounded within his mind.
[Congratulations. SSS-Rank system successfully activated.]
Lin Xuan froze where he stood.
"…SSS rank?"
Even in the cultivation world, such a classification was nearly unheard of. Techniques and treasures were typically divided into Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Divine grades.
But this… clearly surpassed them all.
The system continued without pause.
[System name: Heaven-Stealing System. Primary ability: Artifact Extraction. Secondary ability: Treasure Detection. Additional functions unlocking.]
Lin Xuan leaned lightly against a stone pillar and rubbed his forehead, letting out a quiet breath.
"So I really obtained something absurd…"
Another notification surfaced.
[Host data initializing.]
A translucent blue interface slowly formed before his eyes, its surface shimmering like flowing light. Instead of appearing all at once, the information revealed itself in a steady, readable sequence.
[Host: Lin Xuan. Age: 18. Cultivation: Body Strengthening, second layer. System rank: SSS – Heaven-Stealing System.]
More lines followed, organizing themselves naturally.
[Physical condition above average among outer disciples. Spiritual attributes notably strong, with soul power and comprehension exceeding standard levels. Dao comprehension initialized at 1%, indicating early awareness of worldly laws. Talent distribution unbalanced—luck critically low.]
Lin Xuan stared at the interface for a moment before letting out a quiet, amused breath.
"Luck… three," he murmured. "That explains a lot."
His gaze shifted, becoming more focused.
"Dao comprehension at one percent…"
Though the number seemed insignificant, he understood its value immediately. Most outer disciples had yet to even touch the concept of Dao. Reaching one percent before awakening a Concept was already abnormal.
A faint smile formed on his lips.
"So the system didn't just give me power… it changed my foundation."
The interface flickered slightly.
[New feature activated. Treasure detection initiated.]
A brief pause followed.
[Rare resource detected. Location: Broken Cliff Valley.]
Lin Xuan slowly lifted his gaze toward the distant mountains beyond the sect, his eyes darkening with thought.
"Broken Cliff Valley…"
At the same time, across the courtyard, Zhao Tian suddenly paused mid-conversation. The smile on his face faded slightly as he frowned and placed a hand over his chest.
For a brief moment, he felt an inexplicable emptiness, as if something important had vanished.
"Senior Brother Zhao? What's wrong?" someone asked.
Zhao Tian hesitated, then shook his head.
"…Nothing."
Perhaps it was just his imagination.
But what he didn't realize…
was that the greatest opportunity of his future had already changed hands.
And the one responsible…
stood less than thirty meters away, quietly planning his next move.