The moment Liu Yuan's body was completely shattered, the system's notification sound instantly echoed in his mind: "Ding! User 'Liu Yuan' has been killed by 'Xue Yu' in the 'Zhu Shi Du Jie' scenario!"
"Scenario completion conditions: None."
"User's final comprehensive rating: C+."
"Reward points: 5."
"The user's soul is about to return to the original world. Countdown: 10, 9, 8..."
Liu Yuan was utterly bewildered. What just happened? He had been killed? He hadn't even properly tested out his "Body Refining Technique" and he was instantly dead?
However, the cold, emotionless voice of the system didn't give him time to think.
He was only a fledgling cultivator at the first level of the 'Qi Refining' stage. Even with the defensive capabilities provided by the system and his attempts at body refining, his physical body was still as weak as a newborn baby bird.
The first move of the "Zhu Shi Du Jie" scenario was designed to be a challenge. The two figures in the sky, one male and one female, were "Xue Yu" and "Liu Yuan." This was a battle between the peak powerhouses of the demon and human realms, involving the 'Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Great Array' and the 'Divine Array of the Void.' These were top-tier artifacts, and their confrontation was guaranteed to be a world-shattering event. Even a speck of residual force from their clash was enough to instantly annihilate him, let alone a direct hit from a powerful attack.
Wait, shouldn't scenarios start from the beginning? Why was he directly thrown into the middle of a fight? Was this a bug?
He had specifically chosen the "Zhu Shi Du Jie" scenario because he was captivated by the story of the male protagonist, Liu Yuan, falling into a mortal trap and the heroic female protagonist, Xue Yu, sacrificing herself to rescue him. This was a story he had long admired. He had imagined reliving the heroic moments, perhaps even helping the male protagonist avoid the pitfalls.
The countdown reached zero. Liu Yuan's consciousness rapidly faded as he was forcibly pulled out of the scenario.
Back in reality, Liu Yuan sat numbly on his bed, recalling the shocking events of the scenario. He had expected to start from the beginning, maybe interacting with the characters, learning some cultivation techniques, and then gradually getting involved in the plot. He certainly hadn't anticipated being instantly killed!
It was like a newborn baby being thrown into the middle of a martial arts tournament – what could they possibly do?
If he were to continue like this, he would simply be repeatedly killed at the start of every scenario!
"System, what's going on? Is there a problem with the scenario settings? Why am I instantly killed at the beginning?" Liu Yuan asked the system.
"Ding! The scenario 'Zhu Shi Du Jie' starts from the beginning of the plot. The current starting point of the scenario is precisely the beginning of the plot," the system responded.
Liu Yuan's mouth twitched. This was the beginning? Was the beginning of the "Zhu Shi Du Jie" scenario a direct confrontation between the two main characters? What about the events leading up to this? The setting of the trap, the misunderstandings, the protagonist's fall, the emotional build-up, the development of their relationship? Were all of those not considered part of the plot?
"System, is there a way to start from an earlier point?" Liu Yuan asked hopefully.
"Ding! The scenario starts from the beginning of the plot. There is no earlier starting point," the system replied.
Liu Yuan felt a wave of frustration. He couldn't even begin the scenario properly before being instantly killed. How was he supposed to earn points and become stronger?
Suddenly, a thought struck him. The scenario itself was a story from a novel, right? The plot started with the male protagonist falling into a trap, leading to the confrontation and the female protagonist's sacrifice. But the beginning of the *story* was not necessarily the beginning of the *plot* itself. The characters had their own lives, their own histories, their own relationships before this event.
Perhaps the "beginning of the plot" referred to the moment the main conflict began.
But even so, he needed a way to survive the initial attack. He couldn't just stand there and be blown to pieces.
"System, is there any way to increase my starting strength or acquire some protective items before entering the scenario?" Liu Yuan asked.
"Ding! The user can use reward points to purchase cultivation techniques, skills, and items from the system store," the system replied.
Liu Yuan's eyes lit up. He had 5 reward points from his last disastrous attempt. Not much, but it was a start.
He opened the system store. The interface was simple and clear. Items were categorized into cultivation techniques, skills, items, and miscellaneous.
He first browsed the cultivation techniques. They were listed with their names, descriptions, and prices. The prices were steep, ranging from hundreds to thousands of points for even basic techniques.
Skills were similar, including martial arts, array formations, alchemy, and more. Prices varied depending on the skill's rarity and power.
Items were even more diverse, including spiritual pills, magical artifacts, talismans, and various other treasures.
Liu Yuan sighed. With only 5 points, he couldn't afford anything substantial. A basic cultivation technique cost at least 100 points. Even a low-grade defensive talisman was out of reach.
He looked at his current stats: cultivation level, Qi Refining Stage 1; physical strength, average; spiritual power, low.
He needed a way to survive the initial attack, even if it was just for a few seconds.
He scrolled through the item list again, his eyes scanning for anything within his price range.
Suddenly, he saw an item listed under "Miscellaneous" that caught his attention: "Beginner's Luck Potion."
Description: A potion that grants the user a small chance of triggering a fortunate event in the next scenario. Price: 5 points.
"A chance of triggering a fortunate event?" Liu Yuan raised an eyebrow. This sounded vague, but it was the only item he could afford. Maybe it could help him avoid the initial blast or land in a safer location. It was a long shot, but he had nothing else to lose.
"System, I'll purchase the 'Beginner's Luck Potion,'" Liu Yuan decided.
"Ding! Purchase successful. 'Beginner's Luck Potion' has been added to the user's inventory," the system confirmed.
Now that he had spent his points, he had to try the scenario again. He selected "Zhu Shi Du Jie" from the scenario list.
"Ding! Entering scenario 'Zhu Shi Du Jie'..."
The familiar dizziness enveloped him. This time, before his consciousness fully stabilized, he mentally triggered the "Beginner's Luck Potion."
He opened his eyes. He was still in the sky, but this time, he wasn't directly in the path of the colliding arrays. Instead, he was slightly to the side, still close to the immense spiritual pressure, but not at the epicenter.
The two figures in the sky were still there, locked in their fierce battle. The 'Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Great Array' and the 'Divine Array of the Void' clashed with earth-shattering force.
Liu Yuan felt a powerful ripple of energy wash over him, but it wasn't the focused destructive force from before. It was more like a powerful wave, pushing him away rather than annihilating him.
He was thrown backward, tumbling through the air. He coughed up a mouthful of blood. He was injured, but he was alive!
He had survived the initial shockwave. The "Beginner's Luck Potion" had worked!
He struggled to regain control of his body, his senses reeling from the impact. Below him, he could see the ravaged landscape, the ground scorched and cracked.
He was still in grave danger. The battle was far from over, and he was a mere mortal in the midst of a fight between deities.
However, he had bought himself some time. He needed to think, to find a way to survive in this chaotic environment.
He looked back at the two figures in the sky, the male and female protagonists of the story. They were surrounded by blinding light and swirling energy, their forms barely discernible.
He was just a tiny insignificant speck in this grand conflict, but he was determined to survive. He would find a way to escape this battlefield, to perhaps even influence the course of the story.
He knew the basic plot: the male protagonist falls into a trap, the female protagonist sacrifices herself to save him. This was the core event.
Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to intervene. Perhaps he could warn the male protagonist, or somehow help the female protagonist.
But first, he needed to get to safety. He scanned the landscape below, looking for any signs of cover or escape routes.
The ground was a wasteland, but in the distance, he could see the silhouette of a forest. If he could reach the forest, he might be able to find some cover and hide from the raging battle.
He pushed his injured body to move, focusing his meager spiritual power to propel himself towards the distant trees.
Every movement sent a jolt of pain through him, but the fear of being annihilated kept him going.
He was a survivor. He had made it through the initial trial, and he wouldn't give up now.
The scenario had just begun for him, and he was determined to see it through, to earn those precious reward points and grow stronger.
He was Liu Yuan, and he would not be killed so easily again.
