When Lin Zhiyue died, she was still clutching the stylus of her drawing tablet.
The car accident came without warning. One second she was rushing to finish the acknowledgments section of her graduation thesis, and the next, blinding headlights swallowed her consciousness.
When she opened her eyes again, the scent of damp earth lingered at the tip of her nose, unfamiliar birdsong echoed in her ears, and she was lying in the middle of a barren wilderness, dressed in coarse cloth clothes of an unrecognizable dynasty's style.
“Congratulations, Host, on binding the 'Peerless Grace: Cultivation Fashion System'! This system is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality fashion experience in the cultivation world, helping you reach the peak of fashion... Oh, wait, the peak of cultivation!”
A sweet electronic voice echoed in her mind, its cheerful tone sounding exactly like a Taobao customer service representative.
Lin Zhiyue lay on the ground for a full incense stick's time before she finally digested the memories of this body's original owner.
The original owner was also named Lin Zhiyue. She was an outer disciple who had just been kicked out of a small cultivation sect called the Clear Creek Sect. The reason was that she had been caught slacking off and sleeping in the spiritual herb garden by the supervisor, and after talking back to him, she was promptly thrown out.
The original owner couldn't take the indignation. Exhausted and starving, she breathed her last after wandering into this forest, only to be replaced by her.
A master's graduate from a top-tier university, she had a bright future. How bright, exactly?
During her four years of undergraduate studies, she ranked in the top three of her major, won so many national scholarships her hands grew tired of receiving them, and was the first author on three core journal papers. Her advisor used her experimental data as a model for the entire group during every meeting. On the day she was recommended for graduate school, the academic affairs teacher patted her shoulder and said, “Xiao Lin, you're cut out to stay at the school and become a professor in the future.”
She hadn't slacked off during her three years of graduate school either. While grinding out data in the lab, she took on freelance commercial illustration gigs. Starting from fifty-yuan avatars, she eventually made a name for herself in the community, with clients proactively raising their offers to five figures just to book her schedule.
On the day her graduation thesis was submitted for review, HR representatives from three major internet giants sent her job offers simultaneously, with salary figures that would take an average graduate five years of hard work to earn. There was even a leading gaming company that flew directly to her university to interview her in person. The director shook her hand and said, “Miss Lin, once you join us, you'll be on track to become our lead artist. We don't lack money; we just lack talent like you.”
Just a few days ago, she had been sitting in her dorm room, agonizing over the three offers for three whole days. Before she could make up her mind, a dump truck running a red light sent her straight here.
Now, she was lying on a damp, cold pile of withered leaves. Compared to the sterile, temperature-controlled suits of her laboratory, the coarse cloth clothes she wore felt as rough as sandpaper.
“So,” Lin Zhiyue massaged her temples, trying to reason with the system in her head, “you gave me a gacha system for clothes. In a dog-eat-dog cultivation world where people draw swords at the slightest disagreement, what use is this?”
The system's sweet voice carried a hint of grievance. “Host, please do not underestimate this system! Every single fashion item produced by this system contains a unique effect, and collecting a full set can unlock powerful skills. The newbie benefits have been distributed. Please complete a simple quest to start your first gacha pull!”
As soon as the voice finished speaking, a translucent light screen materialized out of thin air before her eyes:
【Newbie Quest: Gather 10 stalks of Moonflow Grass (0/10)】
【Quest Reward: Newbie Gacha Ticket ×1】
【Moonflow Grass Characteristics: Emits a faint glow at night, leaves are crescent-shaped, commonly found by streams.】
Lin Zhiyue looked down at her dusty, coarse cloth dress, then looked up at the gradually darkening sky.
Well, at least it was better than forcing her to fight someone right off the bat.
Following the faint sound of flowing water, she found a small stream and indeed discovered patches of herbs emitting a soft glow along the bank. Moonflow Grass was very easy to recognize; its curved leaves looked like scattered pieces of silver in the twilight. Lin Zhiyue squatted down and carefully dug up ten stalks, roots and soil included, piling them onto her skirt.
“Quest completed. Newbie Gacha Ticket has been distributed. Would you like to draw now?”
Lin Zhiyue brushed the dirt off her hands. She might as well try her luck. “Draw.”
A vibrant, colorful animation exploded across the light screen, and an exquisite earring spun into view. It was entirely jade-green, and upon closer inspection, it featured layered patterns resembling distant mountains shrouded in misty rain. A tiny, flowing golden bead hung from the bottom, giving it a design that was ancient yet elegant.
【Congratulations on obtaining: "Mist-shrouded Verdure" Gilded Jade Earring (Left)】
【Quality: Purple】
【Slot: Earring】
【Effect: Spatial Storage (10 m³)】
【Set: Mist-shrouded Verdure (1/8)】
【Set Skill: Locked】
Lin Zhiyue watched as the actual earring fell into her palm, feeling cool to the touch and carrying a noticeable weight.
“Spatial storage?” Her eyes lit up. “Like the storage rings in cultivation novels?”
The system cheered, “Yes, Host! Although it is only 10 cubic meters, it is completely sufficient for the early stage! Please collect the full 'Mist-shrouded Verdure' set as soon as possible to unlock the set skill 'Misty Rain Steps,' which can triple your movement speed for a short duration!”
Lin Zhiyue put the earring on her left ear. With a thought, the Moonflow Grass on the ground instantly vanished, appearing inside a hazy gray space about the size of a wardrobe. She tried putting a nearby stone inside as well, and succeeded just the same.
“Good stuff.” She touched the earring, a smile finally tugging at the corner of her lips.
But soon, her smile faded.
Over the next three days, the quests issued by the system ranged from "gathering blood-stopping grass" to "helping Uncle Wang at the village entrance find his lost chicken." The rewards were exclusively gacha tickets.
Lin Zhiyue completed her quests diligently, but the items she pulled became increasingly ridiculous. Her second pull was the matching belt for the "Mist-shrouded Verdure" set. It was indeed beautiful, made of teal brocade with subtle patterns, but its effect was "Dustproof."
The third pull went completely off-track, yielding a bracer from another set called "Flowing Fire and Scarlet Stars." It had a red base studded with tiny stars, and its effect was "block intense impacts three times." If she had owned this before transmigrating, she probably wouldn't have died in the car accident.
The most infuriating part was the fourth pull. She pulled the "Mist-shrouded Verdure" earring again—the right one this time.
“Do not lose heart, Host! Once you collect the eight-piece set, you can unlock 'Misty Rain Steps.' You already have the belt and a pair of earrings now. The progress is delightful!” The system cheered her on from the side.
Delightful, my foot. Lin Zhiyue rolled her eyes. Right now, aside from this pair of earrings and the belt, everything else she wore was coarse cloth clothing bought from a roadside stall in the newbie village. The "Mist-shrouded Verdure" set had eight pieces in total: a crown, robes, left and right earrings, bracelets, a belt, and shoes... She had pulled three pieces, and they were all minor accessories.
“Is there a pity system?” she asked.
“Pity system?” The system sounded bewildered.
“As in, how many draws does it take to guarantee a full set?”
The system went silent for two seconds. “This system adheres to the principle of random fairness, so there is no pity system, dear~”
Lin Zhiyue took a deep breath. Forget it, having something was better than nothing. At least the earring's spatial function had been a lifesaver. Over the past few days, she had earned some copper coins by helping the villagers with chores, using them to buy dry rations and bedding to stuff into her earring. No matter where she went, she didn't have to worry about starving.
On the fifth day, she arrived at a place called Qingxia Town.
The town wasn't large, but it was bustling. It happened to coincide with the triennial "Sect Assembly," which had set up a preliminary testing ground here. Rogue cultivators and disciples from minor sects gathered from all directions. The inns were fully booked, and the streets were packed with cultivators carrying swords and sabers.
Lin Zhiyue originally wanted to take a detour. She was currently dirt poor, and the spiritual energy in her body was so thin it was practically nonexistent; joining such a crowd would just be asking for humiliation. But the system suddenly popped up with a new quest:
【Time-limited Quest: Go to the Sect Assembly preliminary testing ground and showcase a purple-quality fashion item in front of at least 50 cultivators.】
【Quest Reward: Advanced Gacha Ticket ×3】
【Failure Penalty: Deduct 5 existing Gacha Tickets】
Rate on N.U.
