C2 Outside the Skyborn Continent

"Young master, young master, what's the matter with you? Don't just stand there with your mouth open. Say something, will you? I hope you haven't been knocked senseless. Young master," the little maid said as she shook Wang Pingfan's arm.

"I'm alright, just a bit dizzy. You go on ahead; I need some time alone," Wang Pingfan replied. "Alright, young master. I'll leave you be. The black chicken soup is ready; I'll bring it up to you soon."

At that moment, Wang Pingfan was sorting through his memories of this world. He was still Wang Pingfan, but now in a place called the Skyborn Continent, which resembled the cultivation world from the novels he had read. This world had five continents, separated by vast oceans, with the central continent being the largest and the southernmost being the smallest. The most powerful in the south were the four empires: the Black Dragon Empire, the Barbarian Empire, the Sky Maple Empire, and the Amethyst Empire. Each empire ruled over several kingdoms, and the Aetherwind Dynasty where he found himself was under the Amethyst Empire. The Aetherwind Dynasty was divided into thirty-six counties and one royal city. Rerora, the county he was in, was home to four major families: the Zhao family, the Qian family, the Sun family of the city lord's residence, and his own Wang family. Apart from the city lord's residence, these three families were constantly at odds, engaging in countless skirmishes throughout the year.

Wang Pingfan sighed as he continued to sift through these memories. The world seemed incredibly chaotic. As a person who had crossed over from another world, he wondered if he could make a mark here. According to the usual tropes in novels, shouldn't there be an elderly mentor to guide him? He searched his person for any kind of talisman or jewelry, but found nothing. He called out in his mind repeatedly, yet there was no answer. He couldn't help but wonder if he would ever have the chance to return to his original world.

Just then, a voice emerged in his consciousness: "Holo-Brain Assistant, serial number C39764513, at your service. Please confirm if you wish to bond with me as your master."

Wang Pingfan leaped up, startled. I knew there had to be some kind of cheat code, he thought, ecstatic. "Confirm the bond," he said eagerly.

Wang Pingfan scratched his head, pondering. What good name could he possibly come up with? He decided, might as well just call it 'Cheat'.

"Name locked. Holo-Brain at your service." An electronic voice echoed in his mind.

"Damn, I was just kidding. Can't you take a joke? Can it be changed?" Wang Pingfan lamented.

"Once the name is locked, it cannot be changed," the electronic voice intoned once more.

"Ah well, it doesn't really matter what it's called. What functions do you have?" Wang Pingfan mused to himself, wishing it could instantly turn him into a master.

The cheat responded, "This product is an auxiliary photon processor with no offensive or defensive capabilities. Its sole function is analysis."

"What good is that? Oh well, it's better than nothing. At least it can keep me company. By the way, where do you come from?" Wang Pingfan asked, though he didn't really expect an answer.

To his surprise, the electronic voice replied, "I was manufactured in the Chaos Brain Division of the Gamma Galaxy's A13 sector. I entered your body due to a large space storm and system damage. Otherwise, I would require recognition from the main program to be utilized."

Wang Pingfan stood there, dumbfounded, overwhelmed by the information. His mind raced with questions. Could his own arrival here have been caused by a space storm? And what exactly was the Chaos Brain of the Gamma Galaxy?

Before he could ask more, a prompt suddenly appeared in his mind, "Energy insufficient. Please recharge promptly."

Then another voice asked, "Energy source detected. Would you like to recharge?"

At that moment, Wang Pingfan felt the small milky-white stone he carried – a spirit stone, the universal currency of this world. It was merely a low-grade spirit stone, yet it was incredibly valuable.

The common folk still traded with gold, and a hundred taels of gold could fetch one low-grade spirit stone, though such transactions were rare since no one typically traded spirit stones for gold.

On the black market, the going rate could be anywhere from 120 to 140 taels of gold, yet as a member of his family, he could only claim five low-grade spirit stones each month. This underscored the rarity and value of spirit stones.

After some deliberation, he decided to recharge it. "Charging complete. You have three days of use remaining."

He was taken aback. Just three days? Even with his monthly allowance of five stones and the additional two his father slipped him, that only amounted to twenty-one days of use per month. How was he supposed to cultivate? Wasn't he supposed to be the protagonist? Why was this happening?

It was clear he needed to find a way to make money. He inquired, "Cheat, how many money-making methods do you have?"

A synthesized electronic voice responded, "After analyzing this world, there are 400,000 methods. However, considering your current situation, I recommend thirty-six."

But then he reflected on his life. An orphan from a young age, he had never been popular among his peers. If he were to die, it was unlikely many would remember him. Wang Pingfan had always longed for genuine friendships, but his orphan status meant he faced constant exclusion at school. It was only after a rare invitation from the class monitor to join his classmates for an outing that he found himself in this predicament.

He shook off the thoughts. It was more important to focus on how to advance his cultivation and survive in this world. "Cheat, tell me the quickest ways to make money. I need to gather more spirit stones to speed up my cultivation."

Wang Pingfan scowled. Someone had poisoned him. The former wastrel knew nothing of such matters. It was frustrating to think that his predecessor's daily visits to the brothel for drinks were likely when the poisoning occurred. He had no idea who was targeting him. Sighing, he realized he had to take things slowly. But as for alchemy, he was completely clueless.

The cheat seemed to tune into Wang Pingfan's innermost thoughts. "There's no need to worry, Master. Crafting this low-level antidote is incredibly simple. Even an ordinary person could manage it after a single lesson."

Wang Pingfan mused to himself that if it were truly that easy, alchemists wouldn't hold such esteemed positions on the Skyborn Continent. His own Wang family could barely support a single 1-star alchemist, and the highest-ranking individual in the entire Aetherwind Dynasty was merely a 4-star alchemist, whom even the king would treat with utmost courtesy, careful not to cause offense.

"Rest assured, Master. Based on your memories, the standard of alchemy on this continent is rather poor. I shall impart to you the art of refining medicine using the Chaotic Brain technique. These lessons are typically premium content, but due to a connection failure with the main brain, I can offer a portion to you free of charge."

Wang Pingfan couldn't help but grumble inwardly, "Damn, why didn't you mention such a great deal sooner? What else do you have that's free? Hand it all over."

"Master, although it's free, transmitting this knowledge to you would still require a significant amount of energy. Even the simplest first section necessitates a hundred low-grade spirit stones to activate. So, Master, you must first acquire a hundred low-grade spirit stones and begin with the most basic drug preparation."

He sighed, realizing that spirit stones were a necessity. "Indeed, a single penny can stymie a hero's progress. I must accelerate my efforts. Tomorrow is payday, and I'll have to request more from my father. It's crucial that I grow stronger as quickly as possible!"