"Today, the esteemed leader of the Force Sword Sect, Steel, along with the Holy Maiden, will be gracing our Divine Sword Pavilion with their presence. The Pavilion Master has given strict orders—every corner of the sect must be spotless. Nick, are you listening?!"
In Dragon Creek, within the Divine Sword Pavilion, the overseer of the servants barked at Nick.
The young man in his early twenties shrugged and replied lazily, "Got it."
With that, he picked up his broom and headed toward his assigned cleaning area.
For some reason, the overseer always seemed to have it out for Nick, but by now, he was used to it.
Ignoring the mocking and gleeful glances from the others, Nick walked on as if nothing bothered him.
Only when he reached his destination—the back garden—did he finally let out a sigh and slump onto a bench in the pavilion, looking utterly defeated.
Two years had passed since he transmigrated into this world of martial arts and cultivation, yet where was his damn system?
*Ding!*
"The Great Dao Sign-In System is binding..."
The moment the thought crossed his mind, a voice echoed in his head.
"System binding successful. Host, would you like to sign in?"
A mechanical tone followed.
"Holy shit! Finally!"
Nick nearly jumped for excitement. After waiting two long years, his golden finger as a transmigrator had finally arrived!
This was a martial arts world unlike Earth—a place where the strong reigned supreme, and the weak were trampled underfoot.
When he first crossed over, Nick’s talent was abysmal, so none of the major sects would take him in. Fortunately, he managed to scrape by as a menial laborer for the Divine Sword Pavilion, barely passing their grueling selection process.
Yet even so, his life had been one of humiliation and struggle.
But today—finally—his fortunes were about to change!
"System, how do I check in?" Nick could hardly contain his eagerness to grow stronger.
"Host may check in at any location imbued with Dao essence. The stronger the Dao essence, the richer the rewards."
"Alternatively, Host may choose to check in near a cultivator. The higher their overall strength, the greater the rewards."
"Daily check-ins are limited to three, with only one check-in allowed per location per day."
"However, consecutive check-ins at the same location may yield additional bonuses."
Perfect!
After hearing the system’s explanation, Nick was so thrilled he nearly checked in on the spot.
But he didn’t hesitate for long. Spotting a grand hall in the distance, he hurried behind it and attempted his first check-in.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully checking in at the Hundred Flowers Hall. Reward obtained: 600 low-grade spirit stones."
"The spirit stones have been deposited into your system storage and can be accessed at any time."
Nick was stunned by the reward.
From what he could sense, the Hundred Flowers Hall didn’t carry much profound Dao essence. He had assumed the check-in reward here would be meager at best.
Yet, he had just received 600 low-grade spirit stones!
As a mere outer disciple, his monthly allowance was a pitiful three low-grade spirit stones. Saving up even a hundred would take him over three years!
And from what he’d heard, even the elite inner disciples of the sect only received 100 low-grade spirit stones per month.
This system reward was downright heaven-defying!
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he became one of the wealthiest cultivators around—no longer just a pipe dream.
He still had two more check-in opportunities for the day. Nick decided to hold onto them and scout for better locations within the sect.
As he picked up his broom, a sudden thought struck him. Rumor had it that the Holy Maiden of the Bladesword Sect possessed the innate Heavenly Sword Physique. If he checked in near her, wouldn’t the rewards be even greater?
His mind made up, Nick resolved to use his remaining check-ins on the Bladesword Sect’s Sect Master and Holy Maiden.
The Bladesword Sect was currently the most powerful sect in Dragon Creek, and their Holy Maiden was the most outstanding talent among the younger generation. This check-in opportunity was bound to pay off!
Besides, he’d have plenty of chances to check in elsewhere in his own sect later. There was no need to rush.
Half an hour later, outside the Divine Sword Pavilion's outer gates.
Pavilion Master Thot stood at the forefront with a group of elders, while rows of disciples lined up respectfully behind them, awaiting the grand arrival of the Divine Sword Pavilion's Sect Master and the Holy Maiden.
As a menial disciple, Nick could only stand at the very edge of the crowd.
A streak of white light brimming with boundless spiritual pressure flashed across the sky as a Nine Heavens Silver-Patterned Mystic Eagle descended before the pavilion's gates. Two figures dismounted from its back.
They were none other than Sect Master of the Force Sword Sect and the Holy Maiden.
Steel stood with an air of supreme arrogance, his long eyebrows flowing like wisps of cloud, his star-like eyes deep as black holes, hands clasped behind his back as though overlooking all beneath the heavens.
Behind him trailed an ethereal figure in white—graceful, elegant, and otherworldly.
The moment Theresa appeared, the surroundings fell into a hushed silence. The disciples' gazes clung to her as if magnetized.
"The Divine Sword Pavilion welcomes Sect Master Steel and the Holy Maiden!" Thot announced in a clear, resonant voice.
Following his lead, the assembled crowd echoed in unison, "We welcome Sect Master and the Holy Maiden!"
Steel gave a haughty nod without a word, striding forward with Theresa in tow.
Nick waited eagerly for them to pass by his position—this was his chance to check in!
The system had just informed him that maintaining a distance of thirty feet would guarantee a successful check-in.
As Steel drew near, Nick immediately thought, "System, check in beside Steel!"
*Ding! Check-in successful.*
"Reward obtained: Celestial-grade Purple Cloud Sword—supreme quality!"
Nick's heart swelled with ecstasy.
As far as he knew, divine weapons and cultivation techniques were categorized into four tiers: Yellow, Mystic, Earth, and Celestial. Each tier was further divided into upper, middle, and lower grades.
Never had he imagined that merely checking in at Steel's territory would grant him such a priceless treasure.
From what he had heard, even Earth-grade weapons were exceedingly rare in Dragon Creek. As for the highest Celestial-grade, the entire continent likely possessed no more than three!