The Undying Immortal System

I opened my eyes.

I was kneeling in a courtyard surrounded by children.

The rusty gear of my mind started moving, and I began processing everything that I had experienced over the last eighty years.

The endless toils of constant alchemy felt… compressed. I knew I had spent decades in that house concocting pills and powders, but in my memories, it was like it all happened in an instant. I could pick out specific moments if I tried, but if I didn't, they all blended together. In that state, I felt as if I had only been trapped there alone for a few days.

I was only doing alchemy for a few days when…

The moment I began thinking about the events of the past month, they blazed to life in my memory. I had willingly thrown myself into torture. I was happy about being tortured. I wanted it. I wanted to be tortured for that bastard RuDi…

"Hmph. Rudy."

Changing the pronunciation of his name was a petty sort of revenge, but petty fit my mood perfectly.

My mood didn't stay so petty after my snort drew a certain someone's attention.

"Quiet!"

At the front of the crowd, as always, was a middle-aged man. He was glaring at me.

I glared right back.

It was Su YuanFei.

Rage filled me. Rage at everything that had happened over eight long decades. Rage at this damn clan and everything it stood for. On one path, I try to become a warrior and get brutally murdered time and time again. I try something new, and I get locked into eternal enslavement.

Oh, I know, I could invest everything to become a valued and hard-working member of the clan.

Fuck that! Fuck this clan!

This place was a cancer in the world that needed to be eradicated.

I stood.

As I looked at YuanFei's, FeiFei's, angry face, I heard a voice echo from deep within my soul.

You must repay your debts.

FeiFei's face turned bright red. "Sit back down!"

"Fuck you!"

I charged him.

The old bastard didn't even flinch. He simply waved his hand, and a small bolt of energy shot toward me.

You have died.

I opened my eyes.

I looked at the children that surrounded me. I saw the red-robed bastard who killed me on my first day in this world.

I ran at him with all the strength I could muster.

Before I even got close, a small bolt of qi hit me in the side.

You have died.

I saw the eighth-ranked elite disciple.

You have died.

System Warning: Quick, repeated, intentional deaths detected. Further actions may result in an administrative response.

I looked at FeiFei. All I saw was red.

You have died.

You have died.

You have died.

System Warning: Quick, repeated, intentional deaths detected…

…

Total Credits: 270

After a couple of dozen deaths, I started to feel like my soul was fracturing. When I opened my eyes, I could no longer muster the energy needed to continue this futile 'revenge.'

I followed the group back to my tiny house, and once inside, I collapsed onto the ground.

"System, what is the value of Rank 1 pills and their ingredients!"

Complete knowledge of Rank 1 pills prices. The cost is not possible to calculate at this time.

"Fuck off! What is the local price of Low-Purity Rank 1 Basic Qi Gathering Pills, Qi Gathering Powder, and blue peonies!"

The cost of that knowledge is 1 credit.

"Purchase!"

Purchase confirmed. 269 credits remaining.

The local market price of Low-Purity Rank 1 Basic Qi Gathering Pills is 5 silver, Qi Gathering Powder is 2 silver, and blue peonies are 50 copper each."

"Gods fucking dammit! System, I want the ability to appraise pills."

The cost of an ability to appraise all pills is not possible to calculate at this time.

"Mother Fu… System, I want the ability to appraise all Rank 1 pills."

The cost of an ability to appraise all Rank 1 pills is not possible to calculate at this time.

"Not the time! System, I want the ability to appraise most Rank 1 pills."

The cost of an ability to appraise a majority of Rank 1 pills is 5,000 credits.

"Shut up! I want the ability to appraise some Rank 1 pills."

The cost of an ability to appraise a limited set of Rank 1 pills is 10 credits.

"Purchase!"

Purchase confirmed. 259 credits remaining.

I waited, seething. The only thing stopping me from lashing out was the feeling that my soul could collapse at any time.

Again, I received the Guided Flame Mantra and was sent to study under Master Rudy.

I did my best to remain composed. I tried my best to mimic my actions from my previous life. It was hard, damn hard, and I know it wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. Eventually, Rudy sent me out to cultivate the damn slave mantra.

I did not cultivate. I waited several hours. When I was confident the main hall was clear, I snuck in, grabbed a blue peony, and headed to the alchemy room.

I was only a Disciple 1, so I didn't have much energy in my body, but I had decades of experience. I was as efficient as I could be at melting the flower, burning off the chaotic qi strings, and forming it into a pill. This process took everything I had, and the result was far from what I had been able to achieve at my peak, but I was able to successfully form a pill.

I used my new skill at appraisal and looked at it.

High-Purity Rank 1 Basic Qi Gathering Pill, 84% Medicinal Efficacy. Value: 20 silver.

You mother fuckers.

For the first time, I ran up the stairs to the second floor. I was going to hurt someone.

You have died.

I opened my eyes and saw that bastard FeiFei.

You have died.

You have died.

System Warning: The adminis—

You have died.

…

System Warning: The administrator has been notified of repeated infractions. Please Wait.

Total Credits: 419

My anger burned itself out, and I sat alone in my house.

I knew that if I took even one more step, I would crumble to dust, body and soul.

"Is this it? Is this all my life is now? Is it going to continue like this forever? I can try to do better, but does it even matter?"

I didn't have an answer.

"System… how much to just end this?"

There was only silence.

"How much to make this all stop?"

I waited.

.

.

.

An imperious voice shoved me down into the floorboards.

"Are you done?"

My eyes shot open. There was a man standing in my house. No one had ever entered this house before. This… This was different.

I tried to look at him, but it was like he didn't fit into this world, like he was outside of it.

He wore a vibrant red hanfu with gold embroidery that shone with its own light. My mind went back to the young, red-robed youth that had killed me long ago. This man was what that kid wanted to be.

It took me a long moment to respond. "Who… who are you?"

"I am the power that controls this world. I am the incarnation of the Earthly Dao. The being given mind and form to carry out the will of the Dao. Everything within this world is under the purview of the Earthly Dao, and I am its hand."

As the 'person' spoke, the light emanating from the gold threads of its robes shone with a brighter light.

"You were blessed. I am the one who blessed you. I chose you. Due to your circumstances, I was able to grant you a uniquely powerful blessing. One which will finally empower me to improve and advance this wretched world."

It glared at me.

"Allowing you time to acclimate to your new situation was necessary, and a large number of early deaths was foreseeable and acceptable. However, continued immediate suicide upon your rebirth will not be tolerated. I gain little if you do not survive for at least a few years."

I wanted to respond, to just say something, but I couldn't put any words together.

"If you continue to act in this manner, your blessing will be revoked."

I looked at the incarnation. The despair I had felt earlier was replaced with anger. "So, you are just using me?"

"Yes. This world, like every other, is about benefits. I, we, use everything in this world to push it forward toward advancement. I want you, and everyone else, to thrive. Not because I care about you, but because when you thrive this world thrives."

I thought about what he was telling me. How much of it could I trust?

"System, is… is all of this true?"

Veracity of statements made but the incarnation of the Earthly Dao. Cost… cost paid for by external entity.

Yes. The incarnation's words are true.

'Yes.' Did that mean that everything this being said was actually true? Not at all, but it did mean the 'incarnation' and the System were on the same page.

"Okay, fine. You put me here, and you don't want me to keep dying over and over countless times. If that's the case, answer some goddamn questions."

"No, go through the System. That is its purpose."

"No! At least tell me what is happening to my mind! My memories are… strange."

The incarnation squinted its eyes and then gave a dismissive snort.

"Very well. The short answer… is nothing. Your mind and body are here. Any damage to either your mind or body is not repaired when you die. It never existed in the first place. Only your soul is sent back in time. The memories you have of previous lifetimes reside within your soul. That is why they feel disconnected. The only memories that are 'real' to you are the ones currently in your mind.

"You don't have to worry about any damage to either your mind or your body. When you die, your soul will be brought here and any damage to your mind will have never existed. Damage to your soul is a different story though, and you have been caused quite a lot of damage there with your little pantomime earlier."

After saying this, it gave me a dismissive look.

"That is the only question I will answer. We will not be having this conversation again. Leave this place. Explore this world. Try not to die."

He began to walk away but then looked back at me.

"Oh, one last thing. In the past, you have received 'discounts.' That was me. I used the energy of the Earthly Dao to make up for the shortfall in credits. I only did this because forcing you into a situation where suicide was your only option served no purpose. Don't expect any such favors in the future. Handle everything from here on out by yourself."

With that, the incarnation vanished.

Credits expended. Transaction Complete. 356 credits remaining.