A Mortal's Ascension: Bound By The System

Qin Chen knew the place to test himself wasn't the sect right now. 

Letting other competitors know his increase in strength was pure idiocy.

It was better to let them underestimate him.

He already knew the perfect location.

The Azure Sky Wilderness.

It was a relatively common area for inner and core disciples to test themselves.

However, the deeper you venture in, the stronger the spirit beasts get.

Without thinking too much, he set off.

Walking straight out of the sect grounds and into the entrance of the wilderness.

The moment he stepped in, Qin Chen could feel it.

The wilderness was teeming with spirit beasts.

The deeper he ventured into the Azure Sky Wilderness, the more raw, unrestrained power he sensed in the air. Unlike the sect's neatly controlled environment, the forest was chaos itself.

Here, only strength mattered.

Here, he could truly test himself.

His golden eyes swept the dense terrain, feeling the heat of spirit beast energy pulsing in the distance.

Then—

Ding!

[New System Mission: Spirit Beast Hunting]

Defeat 10 Qi Refinement-Level Spirit Beasts (500 SP reward).Defeat 20 Qi Refinement-Level Spirit Beasts (1,500 SP reward + Item Bonus).Defeat a Foundation Establishment-Level Spirit Beast (3,000 SP reward + ???).

Qin Chen's smirk widened.

He knew the system wouldn't let him down.

As long as there was a challenge involved, the system would usually find a way to reward him SP.

"A new way to earn SP?"

This was exactly what he needed.

Rustling.

Then—

BOOM!

A giant shadow lunged from the underbrush, claws glinting under the moonlight.

Qin Chen dodged sideways, his body moving instinctively as the Blazing Fang Wolf landed where he had stood seconds before.

Scarlet fur shimmered, flames flickering from its paws.

Its fangs dripped with venom, its eyes locked onto Qin Chen as its next meal.

A mid-tier Qi Refinement beast—fast, aggressive, but not a real challenge.

Qin Chen exhaled, relaxed.

"Let's get started."

The wolf snarled and lunged, but Qin Chen was already moving.

Hell Flame Fist!

BOOM!

A single flaming punch crashed into the wolf's ribs, sending it flying into a nearby tree.

It hit the ground with a whimper—then went completely still.

Ding!

Spirit Beast Defeated!

+50 SP Earned!

Qin Chen rolled his shoulders.

Too easy.

Then—

More rustling.

Four more wolves emerged from the darkness, their eyes glowing red.

His smirk deepened.

"Now this is more like it."

Unlike human opponents, beasts didn't hesitate.

They attacked together.

One leaped high, aiming for his throat.

Another swept in low, targeting his legs.

A third tried to flank him from behind.

The last one roared—sending a fireball straight at him.

Most people would panic.

Qin Chen grinned.

He took a single step forward.

And vanished.

BOOM!

The first wolf missed completely, its fangs biting air.

The second wolf found itself punched straight into the ground before it even landed its attack.

The third wolf was blasted back by a flaming elbow strike.

The fireball? Qin Chen didn't dodge—he punched through it, shattering it mid-air.

Fire? What a joke. 

Attempting to attack Qin Chen with anything related to fire was akin to trying to freeze ice.

Fire was his best friend.

BOOOOM!

Seconds later, all four wolves lay motionless.

Ding!

Spirit Beast Defeated x4!

+200 SP Earned!

Total SP: 0 → 250 SP

Qin Chen exhaled, stretching his fingers.

This was real combat.

With five beasts down, Qin Chen moved deeper into the wilderness.

-10 beasts down. (Mission complete – 500 SP earned.)

-15 beasts down. 

Each fight became faster, smoother.

His body moved before he could even think, responding purely on instinct.

Then—

A deep, guttural growl.

The ground shook slightly.

Qin Chen's eyes sharpened.

Something strong was coming.

A two-meter-tall, gold-scaled beast stepped into view.

Ding!

Final Mission Target Found: Defeat a Foundation Establishment Spirit Beast – 3,000 SP Reward.

A Golden Horned Ice Ape.

Foundation Establishment Realm.

And not the first Stage either.

This would be tough.

Its muscles bulged, each movement causing tremors in the ground.

Its horn glowed with frozen energy, radiating unrefined ice essence.

This…

This challenge was exactly what Qin Chen wanted.

The ape snarled, slamming its fists into the ground.

BOOOOOM!

A wave of Ice energy surged outward, freezing the forest around them.

Qin Chen didn't move.

His golden eyes burned with anticipation.

"Let's see if I'm strong enough to bring you down."

The beast roared.

And the real battle began.