Chapter 3: The Unexpected Surprise! Heart of Elements!

“Buzz, buzz!”

“Buzz, buzz!”

“Holy shit, what’s going on? Is this… is this Endless Continent? Did I actually teleport to this unfamiliar world?”

“Hey, lady! Why are you butt naked? Just arriving here starkers?”

“Huh? Pervert! I thought I was hallucinating! Whaaat? How do I get back? How do I get back?”

“Huh? The lady vanished. Looks like logging out is possible. What’s our situation here? Endless Continent? Slaying demons and ascending to immortality?”

“Is this a mass isekai? HAHAHA! Perfect! Everyone’s on the same starting line now. I’m gonna become a god, a patriarch! I’ll stand above everyone else!”

Qingtian Town, Snowfall Empire, Endless Continent.

Elegant, revival-era architecture perfectly fused with retro garden-style homes.

Cobblestone streets exuded an aura of timelessness, bathed in the light of surrounding elemental arrays.

Within an immense plaza, newcomers from Blue Star gasped in shock and awe.

Wang Shikong materialized among them. Seated in a wheelchair, a fan in his left hand, he gently fanned himself, feeling the heat in the air. His gaze swept the plaza before settling on nine imposing, ash-gray structures at its heart. These peculiar forms represented symbols, each etched with characters below.

​​[Descendants of Foreign Worlds, please proceed to the Altar to awaken Elemental Perception. Choose your path of cultivation and master the arts of elemental sorcery.]​​

The voice of the Heavenly Dao echoed once more. Steering his motorized wheelchair, Wang Shikong moved directly toward the nine structures.

“Damn, the crippled dude is still crippled here? That’s rough,” someone murmured upon noticing Wang Shikong, a note of pity in their voice.

“What the fuck? Buddy… is that an AK? You can bring that in here? Isn’t that total cheat mode against monsters?!” another cry of astonishment rose nearby. Eyes turned to a young man fully decked in tactical gear, an AK clutched in his hands.

“Hurry! Go activate whatever perception thing they mentioned!”

Wang Shikong remained unruffled. He had lived this before.

This was not a game world, but reality itself.

Whatever weapon one held on Blue Star—be it an AK or a Barrett—could be brought in and used just as effectively here.

There was no such thing as a 'level playing field,' not even after arriving.

The disabled remained disabled.

The only elements common to everyone were the cultivation techniques and the ten lives granted upon arrival.

Endless Continent offered two primary cultivation paths: Body Cultivation and Spell Cultivation.

​​Body Cultivators:​​ Absorb elemental energy to fortify the physical form, opening the Lower Dantian. Elemental power resides within the body, focusing on close-quarters martial prowess.

​​Spell Cultivators:​​ Absorb elemental energy to strengthen the spirit, opening the Upper Dantian (Divine Palace). Elemental power resides within the spirit, excelling in long-range spellcasting.

Wang Shikong approached the altar, his eyes fixed on the nine elemental symbols.

Each symbol represented one of the nine base elements. Below each, four characters spelled out their essence:

​​Praise Life​​ // Life/Wood

​​Sing Praises to Light​​ // Light

​​Wield Raging Flame​​ // Fire

​​Conjure Water's Dance​​ // Water

​​Enthrall the Abyss​​ // Darkness

​​Commandeer Lightning​​ // Thunder

​​Tame the Unyielding Metal​​ // Metal

​​Command the Howling Gale​​ // Wind

​​Govern the Earth Itself​​ // Earth

These four-word tenets corresponded directly to the nine elemental forces: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Light, and Darkness.

But Wang Shikong knew a secret: there were two more elements beyond these nine.

​​Respect the Void​​ // Space

​​Look Upon Eternity​​ // Time

The legendary forces of Space and Time.

Though Wang Shikong wasted immense primordial energy trying to cure his paralyzed legs in his previous life, he still managed to rise, eventually ranking among the Top Ten Powerhouses of Xia, precisely because he mastered a sliver of Spatial Power in his later years. He condensed two spatial abilities and forged his Spatial Domain. As the saying went in Endless Continent: "​​When Time stands still, Space reigns supreme.​​"

At the center of the nine elemental symbols stood a stone stele. It recorded the characteristics of the two professions—Body Cultivator and Spell Cultivator—along with their foundational cultivation methods:

Elemental Body Tempering Method

Elemental Spirit Refining Method

It also held the most basic teachings of elemental application for both paths.

​​Elemental Body Attachment:​​ The Body Cultivator’s elemental application. Sensing ambient elements, they coat their bodies or weapons to enhance attack power, defense, or grant special effects.

​​Elemental Manipulation:​​ The Spellcaster’s elemental application. They master the properties of Metal, Fire, Water, Wood, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Light, and Darkness, controlling their forms and manifestations to unleash attacks.

​​*Ding! You are bathed in Endless Continent's Sacred Light. Elemental Perception Awakened. A Personal Attribute Panel manifests according to your innate talent.​​*

​​*Please select your Cultivation Path immediately. Learn and master Elemental Application. The first to master an element shall receive its Blessing.​​*

The system prompt sparked murmurs and a rush of activity. Some cried out, others immediately began memorizing their chosen profession’s fundamentals, scrambling to grasp its elemental skills.

“Open Status,” Wang Shikong commanded mentally, the familiar interface flooding his consciousness.

​​Invoker:​​ Wang Shikong

​​Profession:​​ Unselected

​​Realm:​​ 0

​​Level:​​ 0 (0/100 EXP)

​​Health Points:​​ 140/200

​​Physique:​​ 7

​​Spirit Energy:​​ 10/10

​​Elemental Affinity:​​

Metal (78) | Wood (89) | Water (88)

Fire (92) | Earth (80) | Wind (88)

Thunder (80) | Light (77) | Darkness (72)

Space (95) | Time (MAX)

​​Abilities:​​ None

​​Equipment:​​ 1. Sands of Time (Primal)

​​Secondary Profession:​​ Locked

A starkly simple panel materialized. Due to his paralyzed legs, his Health Points stood at 140, his Physique at a mere 7. A normal adult would have 200 HP and Physique 10.

“Maximum initial Elemental Affinity for anyone is capped at 100. Innate talent varies, shaping each affinity’s level. A higher affinity accelerates spell learning and casting while reducing spirit energy consumption,” Wang Shikong mentally reviewed, noting his stats were identical to his previous life. However, this time his panel displayed his Time affinity. His base nine affinities were excellent; some people started with affinities as low as 20-40. Elemental Affinity was paramount. Yet, in this real world, true strength depended on multiple factors, and affinity could even be increased via heavenly treasures.

“And that Elemental Blessing… In my past life, Lord Yan Kuang, the Scorching Monarch, one of Xia's Ten Greats, let slip a truth: he was the first on Earth to master the basic application of Scorching Flame. He received a Flame Blessing, instantly boosting his Fire Affinity by 100 points. That overwhelming affinity is what made his mastery over flame so terrifying and earned him the title Scorching Monarch.”

Wang Shikong recalled Endless Continent’s first major opportunity. His eyes gleamed. Sensing the Metal elements within a ten-meter radius, he focused intently on the template representing Unyielding Metal.

​​*Ding! Congratulations! You have learned the Unyielding Metal Element Template.​​*

Seeing the prompt, Wang Shikong willed his spirit energy to reach out, gathering nearby Metal Qi to construct its form – the ​​Unyielding Metal Template​​!

Hum!

A shimmering sphere of pure golden light coalesced in his palm. This sphere was Metal Energy in its primal state, capable only of rudimentary blunt-force damage, essentially like throwing a rock. But to change its shape to a dart or needle would amplify its lethality exponentially. Wang Shikong concentrated. The golden sphere instantly solidified into a gleaming inch-long golden needle.

​​*Ding! Congratulations, Descendant! You have mastered the Basic Application of Unyielding Metal. As the First Practitioner to Comprehend Metal's Essence, you are rewarded with the Blessing of Metal.​​*

​​*Blessing of Metal: Metal Affinity +100.​​*

​​*Ding! You have grasped the secrets of Metallic Transformation! Skill Proficiency advanced to ‘MASTERED TO PERFECTION’.​​*

Warmth surged through him as the prompts chimed. Wang Shikong could distinctly sense the surrounding Metal Qi rushing towards him in dense clouds. The Scorching Monarch’s claim was true! He let the needle disperse. Without pause, he channeled his intent into mastering the basics of the remaining elements: Scorching Fire, Darkwater, Vigorwood, Fortearth, Summoned Gale, Thunderbolt, Mystic Wind, Radiant Light, and Shadowy Void.

In his previous life, having reached the 4th Transcendence Realm, Wang Shikong had long ago perfected these elemental basics to the pinnacle. Even with his current lower spirit energy, he didn't need incantations or gestures. Each foundational form manifested perfectly in under a second.

​​*Ding! Congratulations, Descendant! You have mastered the Basic Application of Scorching Flame. As the First Practitioner to Comprehend Fire's Essence, you are rewarded with the Blessing of Fire.​​*

​​*Blessing of Fire: Fire Affinity +100.​​*

​​*Ding! Congratulations, Descendant! You have mastered the Basic Application of Vigorwood. As the First Practitioner to Comprehend Wood's Essence, you are rewarded with the Blessing of Wood.​​*

​​*Blessing of Wood: Wood Affinity +100.​​*

...

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Prompt after prompt cascaded through his mind.

​​*Ding! You have received Blessings of Nine Elements. Elements oppose and nurture, repel and merge. Nine Elemental Blessings Evolve into: Heart of Elements.​​*

​​*Heart of Elements: Elemental Affinity +500. Reduces Elemental Damage taken by 50%.​​*