A dull ache throbbed in Wu Ji Tian’s body as he stirred awake, his limbs feeling heavier than usual. Blinking away the grogginess, he pushed himself up from the floor, only to wince as pain shot through his muscles.

  "What the hell...?" he muttered, rubbing his temples.

  The st thing he remembered was stepping back to his store and receiving the reward, then an excruciating pain—and then darkness.

  "Finally awake? Took you long enough. It’s already 8:00 AM. Open the shop."

  His expression stiffened. “Why do I feel like I got trampled by a demonic beast?”

  "Oh, that? Your new physique finished integrating. The pain was too much for your weak mortal self, so you passed out."

  His eye twitched. “And you didn’t think to warn me beforehand?”

  “Would it have changed anything? You still would’ve colpsed. At least this way, it was a surprise.”

  Wu Ji Tian clenched his jaw. He wanted to argue, but knowing the system, it’d just brush him off with more sarcasm. Taking a deep breath, he let it go.

  Because there was something more important than having an argument with a system that had a built-in sarcasm module.

  “What exactly did I get?”

  A flood of information rushed into his mind, knowledge about his newly acquired cultivation art and physique.

  —-----------------------------------------

  Glitched Reality Absorption (Cultivation Art)A cultivation method that defied the natural order, bending reality itself to accelerate growth in ways no cultivator should be capable of.

  Reality Overwrite (Passive/Active) – Absorbs and refines qi at a distorted rate, compressing hours of training into mere minutes. The effect intensifies under certain conditions but risks instability with overuse.Desync Resonance (Passive) – Qi signature randomly shifts out of phase, making it difficult for others to gauge cultivation level or nd precise attacks. Even detection-based techniques struggle to lock on.Instability Surge (Active) – Temporarily "glitches" cultivation, forcefully breaking past limits to provide a surge of power when facing stronger opponents. However, excessive use may cause severe backsh or disrupt cultivation stability.

  Wu Ji Tian was amazed. The sheer absurdity of this cultivation art—it was beyond anything he had ever heard of. If just the technique alone was this powerful… then what about the physique that had forced him into unconsciousness with excruciating pain?

  Reality Shift Physique (Innate Physique)An unnatural foundation, designed solely to stabilize the impossible nature of this cultivation art.

  Desynchronized Existence (Passive) – Presence does not fully align with reality, altering time perception. Enables unnatural comprehension speeds, near-instantaneous reflexes, and the ability to react to attacks moments before they nd.Quantum Flicker (Passive) – The body phases unpredictably, making it difficult for enemies to nd direct hits. At higher levels, reality itself struggles to determine exact position, causing attacks to miss even when aimed perfectly.Multi-Point Qi Absorption (Passive) – Unlike normal cultivators, qi is absorbed from multiple locations at once, even distant sources. This exponentially increases cultivation speed under the right conditions.Data Reconstruction (Passive/Conditional) – Injuries have a chance to reset to a previous state, as if nothing happened. However, activation depends on unknown factors and is not entirely within control.Adaptive Cultivation (Passive) – Traditional bottlenecks do not apply in the same way. Since existence itself is unstable, so are the heavenly ws that hinders normal cultivation progress.—---------

  A surge of exhiration rushed through Wu Ji Tian's veins. His fist clenched, then rexed as his breath quickened

  This… this wasn’t just an improvement. It was a complete reconstruction of what cultivation even meant. He wasn’t just a step ahead—he had stepped out of the normal rules entirely.

  Every fiber of his being screamed to test it.

  Would his movements feel lighter?

  Would his body flicker if he tried to dodge?

  Could he force a glitch in reality with his qi?

  The possibilities cwed at his mind, demanding to be explored right now—

  Wu Ji Tian's fingers twitched with anticipation. His heart pounded as he absorbed the st traces of knowledge about his new abilities. This wasn’t just some minor breakthrough—his entire foundation had changed. The idea of testing it immediately was irresistible.

  Just as he was about to jump to his feet and start experimenting, the system’s cold voice echoed in his mind.

  "It’s almost 9 AM. Failure to open shop on time may result in punishment."

  Wu Ji Tian blinked. “Punishment? What kind of punishment?”

  There was a short pause. Then, in an almost amused tone, the system responded:

  “Would you like to experience a heavenly massage?”

  Wu Ji Tian narrowed his eyes. “…That doesn’t sound too bad.”

  “By electrocution.”

  He felt a phantom zap run down his spine. “…I was just asking.”

  The system fell silent again, and Wu Ji Tian let out a resigned sigh before making his way to the entrance. It wasn’t like he had customers lining up outside, but he wasn’t about to take chances with a system that thought ‘heavenly massage’ and ‘electrocution’ belonged in the same sentence.

  Testing his newfound power would have to wait—at least until he secured his right to exist without being fried. He grumbled under his breath and moved toward the entrance. He reached for the door, unlocked it with a sigh, and flipped the sign to "Open."

  Virtual Haven was officially open for business.

  With the shop ready, Wu Ji Tian leaned against the counter. There were no customers yet, and the street outside was still waking up.

  Perfect. That gave him time to test his new abilities.

  Sitting cross-legged behind the counter, he took a slow breath and began to cultivate.

  The sensation was immediate. His old method had been sluggish, requiring deliberate focus to draw in qi. But now—

  The air around him pulsed. Streams of energy didn’t just flow toward him; they warped, flickered, and folded through space itself, rushing into his body at unnatural speeds.

  His eyes widened.

  This... this is insane.

  After a few minutes, Wu Ji Tian felt a shift in his cultivation. The energy rushing into his body intensified, condensing and settling within his dantian. A breakthrough.

  Qi Gathering Fourth Level.

  His breathing remained steady, but his excitement grew. This pace—this efficiency—was something he never could have imagined before.

  An hour ter, another breakthrough.

  Qi Gathering Fifth Level.

  Three hours ter, yet another.

  Qi Gathering Sixth Level.

  This cultivation art was absurd. The way it bent the rules of qi absorption made each advancement feel effortless, as if the so-called bottlenecks in cultivation had been nothing more than illusions.

  He was tempted to keep going, to push further and see just how far he could take this, but his stomach had other pns.

  Right. Food first.

  A simple meal would do.

  After eating his lunch, Wu Ji Tian prepared to continue cultivating, but before he could settle back down—

  Bang!

  The shop’s door swung open with enough force to shake the walls, though not enough to cause damage.

  “Wu Ji Tian! You brat, you’re alive!”

  A rge figure filled the doorway. Round face, broad shoulders, and a stomach that rivaled a storage ring in capacity. His clothes were fine silk, but slightly stretched at the seams, as if they, too, were struggling to keep up with his enthusiasm.

  Wu Ji Tian blinked. A fatty?

  -----------------------------------

  Wu Ji Tian's mind adjusted as memories surfaced—fragments of a familiar presence, a childhood friend who had been by his side for years. He might not have personally experienced it, but the original Wu Ji Tian had, and those memories painted a clear picture of the person before him.

  Guo Xiong. Son of a wealthy restaurant owner, raised in a family that controlled several well-established restaurants across the city. Not exactly a major power, but well-off enough to have some useful connections

  So every main character has a fat best friend? Is this some kind of universal w?

  Before Wu Ji Tian could say anything, Guo Xiong strode forward with heavy steps that made the newly tiled floor groan in protest.

  "You disappear for two years, get kicked out of your sect, and don’t even tell your best friend you’re back? If my servant hadn’t mentioned seeing you, I wouldn’t have even known!"

  Wu Ji Tian raised an eyebrow. "I didn’t disappear. I joined a sect. Pretty common thing you know?"

  Guo Xiong waved a hand dismissively. "Bah! Same thing.’’

  Wu Ji Tian chuckled, shaking his head. Guo Xiong hadn’t changed a bit. His loud voice, exaggerated expressions, and dramatic presence—exactly as the original memories described him.

  “Good to see you too, Guo Xiong.”

  The fatty snorted, plopping himself down onto a chair near the counter, making it creak under his weight. “Good to see me? Hah! You should be groveling in gratitude that I came all the way here just to check on you.” He folded his arms, his chubby face twisting into a mock-serious expression. “Hmph, not even a message! Not even a single letter! You wounded my heart, Wu Ji Tian.”

  Wu Ji Tian smirked. “I was busy.”

  “Busy being kicked out?”

  “…Alright, fair point.”

  Guo Xiong ughed loudly, spping his belly. “At least you’re honest about it! But seriously, old man Wu would’ve smacked you upside the head for not writing back after joining that sect.” His expression softened slightly. “I heard about your grandfather. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”

  A brief silence settled between them.

  Wu Ji Tian exhaled, resting his arms on the counter. “It’s fine. I wasn’t here either.”

  Guo Xiong nodded. “Still, if you need anything, you just have to ask. You know my family has connections all over the city. I can pull some strings for you.”

  Wu Ji Tian smiled faintly. The offer was genuine. Despite his carefree nature, Guo Xiong was one of the few people who actually cared about the previous Wu Ji Tian.

  “I appreciate it,” Wu Ji Tian said.

  Guo Xiong grinned, leaning back in his chair. “That’s more like it! Now then, tell me—what is this pce?”

  His eyes wandered around the shop, finally taking in his surroundings properly. A moment ago, his focus had been entirely on Wu Ji Tian, but now, curiosity bloomed across his face.

  “This... doesn’t look like a pill shop. But it’s definitely not a restaurant either.” His eyes nded on the strange, futuristic-looking VR capsules. His brows furrowed in confusion. “What in the world are these things?”

  Wu Ji Tian smirked. “Interested?”

  Guo Xiong pointed at one of the machines. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. But more than that, I’m confused. I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life.”

  “Well, that’s because they don’t exist anywhere else.”

  Guo Xiong blinked. “Oh? So what do they do? Are they alchemy furnaces? Cultivation aids? Some sort of extravagant seating arrangement for rich young masters?”

  Wu Ji Tian chuckled. “Not quite. These are called Virtual Cultivation Capsules. They allow cultivators to train in a completely immersive world, one that simutes reality with near-perfect accuracy.”

  Guo Xiong squinted at him. Then at the capsules. Then back at him.

  “…Are you messing with me?”