Standing atop the mountain, Die Yuan withdrew his Divine Sense and summoned the translucent System Panel before him.
His eyes immediately widened when he saw the number displayed in the corner.
200,000 System Coins.
"So many coins...?" Die Yuan murmured in shock.
Only then did he realize that he had accumulated an enormous amount of System Coins over time, yet had barely used any of them.
"I completely forgot that I had been saving them all this time," he said to himself.
Curious, he entered the System Store and began browsing through the available items.
As he scanned the options, one entry suddenly caught his attention.
Special Reward.
Die Yuan frowned.
"A Special Reward? What exactly is this?"
He immediately questioned the system.
The system replied:
[Unknown reward. The host must purchase it to discover its contents.]
Die Yuan fell silent for a moment, considering the risk.
"Unknown, huh..."
After a brief pause, he smiled.
"Fine. I'll buy it."
The moment he confirmed the purchase, a bright notification flashed before his eyes.
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully claimed the Special Reward.]
[Reward: Level Advancement.]
A powerful surge of energy exploded within Die Yuan's body.
His cultivation began to rise at an astonishing speed.
He had originally been at the Middle Stage of Level 8.
In an instant, his cultivation broke through to the High Stage of Level 8, then to the Peak Stage of Level 8.
Before he could fully process the change, another breakthrough occurred.
His cultivation advanced to the Low Stage of Level 9, then to the Middle Stage, High Stage, and Peak Stage of Level 9.
The energy within him showed no sign of stopping.
With a thunderous vibration, Die Yuan broke through into Level 10.
His cultivation continued to rise from the Low Stage to the Middle Stage, and finally to the High Stage of Level 10.
Another notification appeared.
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully reached the High Stage of Level 10.]
Die Yuan opened his eyes, and a powerful aura swept across the mountain.
A look of joy appeared on his face.
"I actually reached the High Stage of Level 10 in a single breakthrough..." he said with satisfaction.
After calming himself, Die Yuan began examining the memories of the original owner of this body, Lonas.
From those memories, he learned that Lonas's mother was not originally from the Lower World.
When Lonas was still very young, his mother's family from the Upper World had come to take her away.
Before leaving, she had spoken to her husband, Auldos Wun, and her son.
"Forget about me," she had said with sadness.
"My family is far too powerful. Take care of yourself and our son. I know you work hard, but you can never defeat the supreme ancestors of the Upper World."
Die Yuan quietly absorbed these memories, understanding the pain hidden within them.
He continued exploring Lonas's memories to learn about his father.
He saw that after Sarena Kai's departure, Auldos Wun had abandoned almost everything and devoted himself entirely to cultivation.
Because of this, many family members began to resent and bully Lonas.
Then, one day, Auldos Wun suddenly disappeared.
From that moment onward, no one in the family had seen him again.
The memories also revealed that Lonas's mother was named Sarena Kai, while his father was named Auldos Wun.
After his father's disappearance, Lonas's life within the family became miserable.
Only one elder, Che Wun, treated him with kindness and cared for him like a father.
But even Che Wun eventually died in a war.
After his death, the remaining family members began calling Lonas a "useless trash."
They mocked him because his cultivation talent was poor, and they also blamed him for the actions of his father, who had abandoned the family for the sake of love.
After witnessing these memories, Die Yuan sighed softly.
"His life was similar to mine," Die Yuan murmured.
"But my fate was even worse. If only I had been able to protect my own people...
After regaining his composure, Die Yuan slowly let out a long sigh.
"No matter which world it is," he muttered, "people are all the same."
"They become obsessed with power, wealth, status, and resources. To obtain them, they are willing to sacrifice anything. In front of greed, love, family, friendship, and loyalty can all be abandoned."
At that moment, a notification sounded in his mind.
[System Notification]
Host, are you feeling sad?
Die Yuan smiled faintly and shook his head.
"No."
"I just find it amusing."
"So many people speak about pure love, eternal loyalty, and unbreakable trust... yet reality is completely different."
"In any world, there is no one you can rely on forever. The only person you can truly depend on is yourself."
"If someone treats you kindly, there is usually a reason behind it."
"People may speak to you with warmth today, but tomorrow they may ignore you as if you never existed."
"You might try again and again to keep the relationship alive, yet they will only respond with a few careless words before walking away."
"The truth is, their heart was never with you. To them, you were only someone who helped pass the time."
"So instead of chasing people..."
"...become stronger."
"As long as you possess overwhelming power, no one will dare look down on you."
Die Yuan's eyes gradually became calm once more.
He had already experienced betrayal once in his previous life.
Because of that, he no longer believed blind trust or empty promises.
To him, only absolute strength could determine one's fate.
Meanwhile...
Far away from the Die Family estate...
The three disciples of the Heavenly God Profound Sect finally arrived before the enormous gates of the Die Family.
The majestic entrance towered into the sky, radiating an ancient and overwhelming aura.
The three disciples looked at one another in silence.
Their expressions, once filled with confidence, slowly turned serious as they realized that the Die Family was far more extraordinary than they had imagined.
Without hesitation, they stepped forward toward the gates, ready to meet the mysterious family that had shaken the entire continent.