The autumn wind that slipped in through the gaps in the giant pillars of the Blue Sky Hall felt like a chill that cut through the skin. In the middle of the magnificent hall, stood Lu Chen. His shabby gray clothes stood in stark contrast to the gold-embroidered silk robes of the elite disciples standing in the upper stands. Today was the Fate Determining Ceremony, a day where a young man could become a dragon soaring into the sky or a worm trampling on the ground. In front of Lu Chen, stood a three meter tall jet black monolith, the TALENT TEST STONE. The stone has determined the fate of thousands of people over the centuries. "Next, Lu Chen from the Outer Branch," Elder Feng's voice was heavy and indifferent. Lu Chen stepped forward with his heart beating so fast that his ears were ringing. He placed his palms on the ice-cold stone surface. He closed his eyes, hoping for a glimmer of golden or purple light, the colors for those with extraordinary talents. However, what happened was a deafening silence. The stone remains black. There's no light. There are no energy vibrations. "Lu Chen, talent: F-Rank. Spiritual Affinity: Zero." Elder Feng's voice echoed throughout the hall, followed by a moment of silence before finally erupting in a wave of laughter and ridicule. "Zero? How could someone living in a high spiritual energy environment like this sect have zero affinity?" said a handsome young man in a blue robe, Han Wei, who was known as a rank A genius. "He's not just trash, he's a vacuum! His existence here only uses up our oxygen." Lu Chen felt his face heat up. He clenched his fists until his nails turned white. In this world, spiritual power is the ultimate currency. Without affinity, he would never be able to absorb natural energy, would not be able to cultivate, and technically, he was just a mere mortal who would age and die in the blink of an eye in the eyes of cultivators. However, just as he was about to withdraw his hand from the stone, a strange sensation flowed from his fingertips. It was not a warm energy, but rather a very sophisticated cold vibration. [Ding! Finding a Qualified Host.] ['Omnipotence Mask' System Activated Successfully.] A transparent screen that only he could see appeared before his eyes. [Original Status: SSS+ (Divine Sovereign)] [Undercover Status: F-Rank (Total Trash)] [Warning: Your power is too great for today's world. The system will hide your original level under a 'Mask' so as not to trigger a premature apocalypse.] Lu Chen's eyes widened. SSS+? Legend has it that the highest level a human ever reached was only S-Rank, and that only happened once in a thousand years. But what does "triggering the apocalypse" mean? Before he had time to digest the information, the system screen flashed red again. [First Emergency Mission Active!] [Description: Contract with the first living creature you encounter in the next 10 seconds to stabilize the flow of SSS+ energy.] [Remaining Time: 09...08...] [Reward: Dragon Soul Synchronization & First Meridian Gate Opening.] [Failure: Host body will explode due to excess spiritual energy.] "What?!" Lu Chen panicked. He looked around wildly. In this hall there were only humans, and he couldn't possibly contract humans by force. His mind was stuck. Death felt very close. "03... 02..." Inadvertently, Lu Chen's eyes caught a slight movement near the crack of the marble floor under his feet. A small black ant, thin and weak-looking, was struggling to carry a heavy piece of bread crumb. Without thinking, Lu Chen knelt down. "I'm sorry, little friend!" Lu Chen bit his fingertip until it bled and pressed it directly against the small back of the ant. Whoosh! A very small—almost invisible—blood-red magic circle formed beneath the ant. The light was fleeting, like the flicker of a candle in the wind. "Hahahaha! Look at that!" Han Wei laughed until he held his stomach. "He's really gone crazy! Having no talent, he tried to become a Beast Tamer by contracting an ant? Hey Lu Chen, are you going to order that ant to bite our legs until we die laughing?" Elder Feng shook his head in disdain. "Disgraceful. Get out of here, Lu Chen. You are no longer part of the official disciples. Starting tomorrow, you are demoted to being a servant cleaning beast cages." Lu Chen didn't hear the insult. His ears rang from another sound. A voice that did not originate from the system, but rather from within his own soul—a voice that contained ancient authority, filled with a fury that could topple mountains. "Lowly human! How dare you?! I am Ignis, the Red Dragon King, the lord of all fire that has ever existed! I am older than your civilization, stronger than your gods! How could I be trapped in the body of this disgusting insect and bound by a contract with a vermin like you?!" Lu Chen was stunned. He stared at the ant that was now frozen still in his palm. It was as if the ant was staring back at him with burning anger. "Release this contract now, or I will make sure your soul burns in the deepest hell for ten thousand years!" snarled the voice again. Lu Chen actually smiled faintly, a smile he had never shown before. Behind his SSS+ system, he realized something. They were both the same—two huge entities trapped in a weak-looking package. "If you are indeed the dragon king," Lu Chen whispered so quietly that only the ant could hear, "then prove it to me. For now, you and I are just dust in their eyes. Let's see who will burn in the end." [Ding! Mission Complete.] [The 'Dragon Soul Synchronization' reward is being combined...] An extremely subtle yet dense burst of energy flowed from the ant to Lu Chen's heart, repairing every cell of his body instantly without a single person in the hall realizing it. The great game has just begun.
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