Chapter One: Transcendence

In a lush, overgrown thicket, a young boy struggled to his feet, battered and disheveled. Qi Xiao paid no heed to the scratches covering his body; upon rising, he scanned his surroundings, fear mingling with bewilderment. He had been comfortably watching a newly released film when suddenly darkness engulfed him; the next moment, he awakened, sprawled in this wild grass.

The environment seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't recall ever having seen it before. The grass here grew so tall it nearly reached his waist; had he visited this place, it would surely have left a stronger impression.

Wait—something was amiss.

Qi Xiao abruptly realized the issue wasn't with the height of the grass, but with his own body. He had shrunk. A quick self-examination confirmed it: his whole frame had diminished by more than a size, and his slender wrists moved with uncomfortable awkwardness.

No matter how fantastical it seemed, Qi Xiao had to accept the reality—he had transmigrated.

He rummaged through his clothes for any usable items or clues, and found only a black badge in his jacket pocket. The moment he saw the badge, clarity struck: the source of his faint sense of familiarity with this place.

He was now in the world of the movie. This was the site of the Newcomers' Selection Tournament for the mighty organization, the Arcane Vault. Every three years, a hundred youths blessed with cultivation talent gathered here, competing for badges over the course of a week.

At the end of the tournament, those holding ten or more badges could become official members of the Vault, and would receive at least one invitation from a full-fledged wizard, offering to take them as an apprentice.

The recruitment methods used by such powerful factions were not uncommon, but none were as ruthless as this one. Officially, it was called the Newcomers' Selection Tournament, but privately, the apprentices referred to it as the Arena of Death.

Every participant signed a voluntary agreement: their lives were forfeit in the competition. While a mere gesture would summon Vault members to extract them, the grounds were riddled with traps, wild beasts, and sudden assaults from other competitors—one might not have the chance to call for help.

As a result, at least thirty percent of newcomers perished in each selection.

To be here meant possessing the gift for meditation and cultivation; even as a junior wizard apprentice, one could live comfortably among mortals. The mortality rate was enough to deter most, so those who came were either seeking greater resources, unwilling to remain apprentices for life, or had made enemies among wizards and sought a swift path to become a disciple, securing a reliable backing for survival.

Qi Xiao had no idea why his predecessor had agreed to come, but whatever the reason, survival was paramount.

Grasping his predicament, Qi Xiao immediately crouched low, letting the grass cover his head. Exposing himself here was dangerous; he could be targeted at any moment.

He strained to recall the plot of this place, but before his thoughts could gather, his mind suddenly cleared, and a mechanical female voice echoed within.

[Ding, congratulations on binding to the Alchemical Supplier System.]

As the voice sounded, a torrent of alchemical knowledge surged into his mind, turning his newly clear thoughts into agony.

Qi Xiao clenched his teeth, refusing to cry out. Though his expression twisted in pain, his lips involuntarily curled, making his face appear bizarre.

After about two minutes, as his mind neared its breaking point, the influx of knowledge ceased. Qi Xiao propped himself up, gasping for air, marveling at the strange sensation in his mind.

[The system grants initial benefits: Fundamental Alchemy Knowledge. From now on, all tasks must be completed by yourself for further rewards.]

[Whenever you sell an alchemical product you personally crafted (with more than 70% participation), you will receive a corresponding reward. Each product yields feedback only once. The higher the quality and price, the stronger the reward. Please enhance your own abilities and alchemical skills as soon as possible!]

With the final words, the mechanical voice faded.

Qi Xiao waited another half minute, then exhaled deeply and rose slowly. Feeling the newly acquired alchemical knowledge swirling in his mind, he finally dispelled the anxiety he had felt upon realizing his situation.

"Now... the most important thing is to turn this knowledge into combat strength. Demonstrating the alchemical process itself is a huge advantage."

Having seen the movie, Qi Xiao knew every action was, in truth, under surveillance. If one performed impressively enough, even without achieving the target, some wizard might still offer apprenticeship.

"The most critical task now... is to secure those supplies."

Qi Xiao checked his direction, then hunched over and headed toward a distant tree, towering about thirty meters high.

"Fortunately, the target is prominent. I recall that the protagonist found supplies in the hollow of that tree."

Qi Xiao was certain that the protagonist's tournament and his own weren't the same, for while the badges bore the same emblem, the protagonist's were red.

He worried that if he arrived after the protagonist's timeline, the supplies might be gone, but it made sense that such basic resources would be replenished. He decided to check regardless.

Above the grounds, a dozen wizard apprentices manipulated crystal balls with magic, projecting images. Nearby, several apprentices rode Wind Falcons, ready for rescue.

At the center, three official wizards watched the screens with boredom.

A witch with flamboyant lipstick seemed to notice something, tapped the arm of the meditative wizard beside her, and pointed at one screen:

"That boy, after waking from his faint, went straight to a supply point—did you leak the answer to him? Hehe."

The tall wizard beside her, whose arm was as thick as the witch's waist, ignored her, eyes closed, unwilling to respond.

The fair, blue-haired witch answered gently,

"Yara, only the organization’s higher-ups know the exact locations of the supplies. If he had such backing, he wouldn’t need to compete. Most likely, his talent is related to inspiration or prophecy.

Rocco, check the vision this contestant saw during his talent assessment."

A wizard apprentice with a peculiar headband immediately stood and replied,

"Yes, Lady Franca."

He rummaged through the files and retrieved several dossiers.

Yara, unconvinced, twirled her pink hair with a finger. She knew only official wizards could access such information, but she was simply bored and looking for conversation.

She had a new idea now and coquettishly shook the wizard’s muscular arm,

"Lord Hulk, am I less charming than Franca in your eyes? Why won’t you pay attention to me? Am I not beautiful enough?"

Hulk, irritated, asked,

"Have you found it yet, Rocco?"

Rocco, sweating profusely, his headband drooping, dared not join the official wizards' debate.

They could jest with each other, but he didn't want to get involved—his own status was far too low.

Finally, he found the newcomer’s file, quickly opened it, and reported,

"The newcomer is Qi Xiao. The records state that during his talent test, he saw a person who, according to his description, looked much like an older version of himself.

He saw shadows emerge from both his and the other person’s bodies, then enter each other's bodies... After that, his consciousness returned and the test ended."

Yara, initially making idle conversation, now showed genuine interest, "That is rather intriguing."

Franca frowned in thought, uncertain,

"Wizards often see visions tied to their talents during their first mental strength test.

He saw his future self upon awakening; this likely points to a prophecy-type talent, which fits his current behavior."

Nearby, Locke took out a book from his storage ring and flipped through it, saying,

"The 'Complete Record of Wizard Talent Awakening Visions,' issue three hundred seventy-two, describes an awakening vision much like his.

That wizard saw his future self speaking to him and later became a rare dream-type wizard.

Hmm, the little fellow has retrieved the supplies—he was certain something was in that tree hollow."

Qi Xiao found a backpack in the hollow, containing a dagger, two healing potions, and enough food for three meals, perhaps two days if rationed.

Since the backpack’s color differed from the movie, Qi Xiao worried the contents might change as well.

Luckily, the dagger was still there. He finally relaxed. He hadn't cultivated yet and only his knowledge of runes from the alchemical enchantment branch would be usable without materials or magic.

To carve runes, a sharp blade was essential.

Time was precious; after a quick inventory, Qi Xiao picked up a thick branch, cut a piece, and began whittling.

The dagger was sharp; a few strokes produced a reasonably flat wooden board. Among basic runes, the most potent was "Explosion," so Qi Xiao began engraving without hesitation.

Though it was his first time, it felt as if he had already practiced thousands of times.

He sensed he could enhance, diminish, or stabilize the rune’s power by adjusting shapes or sizes of certain parts.

It was a pleasant sensation, saving him immense practice time. Clearly, the system had not merely imprinted the knowledge into his brain, but made it readily usable.

In half an hour, he carved five "Explosion" runes, two "Invisibility," three "Speed," and three "Shield."

Qi Xiao became engrossed—the thrill of alchemy was addictive. Since there was little else to do, he decided to remain and stockpile "weaponry," waiting for the badges outside to gather before making his move.

He reckoned those who weren’t even junior wizard apprentices would not withstand his barrage.

Even if they all possessed remarkable skills and he failed to collect ten badges, the wizards observing his outstanding alchemical talent would surely vie to take him as an apprentice.

Qi Xiao understood well—this was, in essence, a reality show; performance mattered more than results.

Satisfied with his logic, Qi Xiao fashioned a stool and table, settling comfortably to continue engraving runes.

Rune carving was taxing: complex shapes, varying pressure on different materials—it demanded vast time and money to master.

And this was only the simplest runes; crafting higher-end alchemical items required learning how to combine runes.

Combining two, three, even four types—depending on order, force, size, and slight changes in design—produced different effects.

One had to master at least a hundred combinations to barely qualify as an enchanter.

And enchantment was considered the easiest branch of alchemy, at the very bottom of the hierarchy. The other branches were even harder.

Alchemy was notoriously difficult, but its equipment and potions crucial, so alchemists always held esteemed positions, welcomed everywhere.

As Qi Xiao carved his first few runes, the three wizards commented with praise.

"Impressive, carving runes without even beginning meditation—his mental strength must be high."

"Yes, and judging by his technique, he’s practiced often. The file says he’s only fourteen—diligence, perseverance, and talent, the most vital wizard traits—he has them all. Watch this child closely; don’t let him die. I want him for my Fist Pavilion."

"You, a bloodline wizard, think you can teach an alchemist? Don’t joke. I know Master Ryan and Granny Huajia—once he joins our Flower Island, I’ll take him to them."

"When he enters our Moon Refuge, Lady Janet of 'Moonlight'—a veteran alchemist—will teach him."

"He’s learning runes—what could Janet, a potion alchemist, teach him? You think I know nothing of alchemy?"

"Alchemy shares fundamentals. Besides, you two likely can’t even find an alchemy apprentice; mine is the best fit."

Hearing the wizards bicker, the other apprentices kept their heads down, fearful of drawing attention.

Rocco stood respectfully, head bowed, listening as even gentle Lady Franca debated to recruit the newcomer, feeling envy stir within.

He had reached the peak of senior wizard apprentice, seemingly one step from advancement, but that final step had stalled countless others.

Rocco knew that, to official wizards, he was merely a slightly larger ant.

Unlike the newcomer—such alchemical talent, if cultivated to senior apprentice level and given enough materials, he could very likely craft one or two high-quality alchemical items.

But as Qi Xiao carved more and more, the room gradually fell silent.

Watching Qi Xiao carve his twentieth "Explosion" rune, Franca finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"I just probed with my mental strength. Indeed, there’s no magic in his body, and his soul is perfectly fused—no sign of possession or reincarnation. With such talent..."

Yara’s face turned grim; she urged,

"Why don’t we bring him up now? A once-in-a-millennium alchemical talent—if we wait until the trial ends, those old monsters will snap him up. We might as well risk a penalty or loss of magic crystals and contributions, and let him choose among us now, for at least a chance."

Locke shook his head, "Not wise. Even if we can’t recruit him now, it’s easy enough to earn his goodwill with gifts—he might help us craft items someday. Forcing him to join could breed resentment."

Hearing the official wizards, who usually stood high above, speak as if the newcomer was soon to be their peer, Rocco’s envy turned gradually to fear.

He, too, had studied alchemy but never passed the threshold, so he knew just how much talent and effort the boy below must possess.

He stared hard at Qi Xiao’s file, at the photo and the age—fourteen—an insight dawned in Rocco’s heart.

Once Qi Xiao officially joined the Arcane Vault, he would spare no effort to please him, ensuring goodwill, or at least incurring a debt.

Rocco had a vague premonition: the elusive opportunity he had sought for twenty years, ever out of reach, might just lie with this youth!