The sect physician's verdict was grim.

"Your cultivation foundation is severely damaged," Medical Disciple Wen said after three hours of examination. "Normally, I'd recommend complete rest for six months. No cultivation. No techniques. Just healing."

"But?" I could hear the qualifier coming.

"But your physiology is... abnormal. Your Qi regenerates at rates I've never seen. The damage is already beginning to repair itself." She shook her head in disbelief. "At this pace, you'll be functional in two weeks instead of six months. Fully recovered in a month."

[AUTO-REPAIR: ACTIVE]

[FOUNDATION DAMAGE: 67% → 64%]

[HEALING FASTER THAN NORMAL]

[INFINITE QI CONSTITUTION: BROKEN AS ALWAYS]

"Can I still cultivate?"

"Absolutely not. Any cultivation stress will worsen the damage, possibly permanently cripple your advancement." Her expression was stern. "I know you're ambitious, Lin Tian, but this isn't negotiable. Push yourself now, and you'll never reach Stage 9."

[MEDICAL ADVICE: SOUND]

[RECOMMENDATION: LISTEN TO HER]

[FOR ONCE, ACTUALLY LISTEN]

Elder Hu visited that evening, his expression unreadable.

"The Sect Master wants a full report on what happened during the battle. That spatial phenomenon, it registered across three provinces. Something that powerful doesn't happen by accident."

I'd prepared a story. Partially true, carefully edited.

"I was struck by an unknown technique from the white-robed cultivator. It transported me to an isolated space, some kind of pocket dimension. We fought. I managed to destabilize the space and escape back here."

"And the white-robed cultivator?"

"Gone when the space collapsed. I don't know if he survived."

[LIE DETECTION: ELDER HU IS SUSPICIOUS]

[BUT HE CAN'T PROVE OTHERWISE]

[STORY HOLDS... BARELY]

Elder Hu studied me for a long moment. "Lin Tian, I've mentored many disciples. I know when someone's hiding something. But I also know when not to push." He stood to leave. "Whatever really happened, if it becomes sect business, you'll tell me. Yes?"

"Yes, Elder."

After he left, I finally had privacy to address the real issue.

'System, analysis complete on the planetary Qi depletion?'

[ANALYSIS FINISHED]

[RESULTS: CONCERNING]

[THE WANDERER'S CLAIM: PARTIALLY ACCURATE]

[YOUR INFINITE QI CONSTITUTION: DOES ABSORB AMBIENT QI]

[CURRENT RATE: NEGLIGIBLE]

[BUT EXPONENTIALLY INCREASING WITH CULTIVATION LEVEL]

[AT STAGE 8: 0.001% PLANETARY QI PER YEAR]

[AT STAGE 9: 0.015% PER YEAR]

[AT NASCENT SOUL: 0.2% PER YEAR]

[AT IMMORTAL REALM: 3-5% PER YEAR]

[TIMELINE TO CRITICAL DEPLETION: 4-7 YEARS AFTER REACHING IMMORTAL]

My stomach dropped. The Wanderer hadn't lied. I was a slow-moving apocalypse.

'Is there a solution?'

[SEARCHING DATABASE...]

[POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:]

[1. STOP CULTIVATING (UNACCEPTABLE)]

[2. LEAVE THIS PLANET (REQUIRES IMMORTAL REALM TO TRAVERSE VOID)]

[3. FIND METHOD TO STABILIZE QI CONSUMPTION]

[4. ???]

[NONE ARE IMMEDIATE OR GUARANTEED]

So my choices were: stop advancing and remain vulnerable, or continue advancing and eventually destroy the world. Perfect.

[BOSS, THERE IS ONE MORE OPTION]

[THE WANDERER MENTIONED SYSTEMS GET "RECYCLED"]

[IF WE COULD ACCESS THE SYSTEM'S CORE FUNCTIONS...]

[MAYBE MODIFY THE QI ABSORPTION PARAMETERS?]

'Can you do that?'

[UNKNOWN]

[I'M AN AUTOMATED CULTIVATION SYSTEM]

[NOT A PROGRAMMER]

[BUT I CAN TRY EXPLORING MY OWN CODE]

[MIGHT TAKE TIME]

[MIGHT BREAK ME]

[MIGHT FIX EVERYTHING]

[50/50]

Recovery was frustrating.

Two weeks of forced rest while my cultivation base slowly repaired. I couldn't train techniques. Couldn't spar. Couldn't even practice formations without risking further damage.

The only thing I could do was study.

Elder Hu provided me with advanced texts on cultivation theory, dimensional mechanics, and Qi circulation patterns. Yang Chen sent materials on historical cultivators who'd faced similar foundation damage. Even Zhao Fei contributed, formation theories that might help stabilize my base.

[KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION: ACTIVE]

[THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING: INCREASING]

[PRACTICAL APPLICATION: DELAYED]

[FRUSTRATING BUT NECESSARY]

Yun Xia visited daily, often just sitting with me in silence. She knew something was wrong beyond the physical injuries, but respected my privacy.

"You're different since that battle," she said one evening. "More... burdened."

"Just worried about recovery."

"Liar." But she smiled sadly. "It's okay. Whatever secret you're carrying, I trust you'll tell me when ready."

[RELATIONSHIP: STRAINED BUT STRONG]

[SHE KNOWS YOU'RE HIDING SOMETHING]

[GUILT: INCREASING]

Team 7 gathered for dinner on my second week of recovery. The atmosphere was subdued, everyone had survived the Blood Moon attack, but the sect's casualties numbered over two hundred.

"Team 9 was wiped out," Su Mei reported quietly. "Team 5 lost their leader. And outer sect casualties were... significant."

"Blood Empress Xia is still out there," Chen Rou added. "The Sect Master thinks she'll attack again once she rebuilds her forces."

"Why did she retreat?" Han Feng asked. "We were losing. She had us."

[BECAUSE HER MASTER, THE WANDERER, DISAPPEARED]

[AND SHE LOST COMMAND AUTHORITY]

[BUT YOU CAN'T TELL THEM THAT]

"Unknown," I said. "Maybe the spatial distortion spooked her."

Chen Rou looked unconvinced but didn't press.

Zhou Ming had been quiet throughout dinner. Finally, he spoke: "Senior Brother Lin, are you going to the Inter-Sect Tournament?"

"Tournament?" I'd completely forgotten. "That's still happening?"

"In two weeks," Chen Rou said. "Despite everything, the sects decided to proceed. Show of strength. Proof we're not cowed by demonic sect attacks." She looked at me seriously. "You were supposed to be our representative. Core disciple. Stage 8. But with your injuries..."

"I'll be recovered by then," I said automatically.

"Your foundation is damaged. Even if healed, you'll be weaker than normal." Chen Rou's tone was pragmatic, not cruel. "The tournament features the five sects' best disciples. You'd be competing against Stage 8 and 9 cultivators at full strength while you're operating at partial capacity."

[SHE'S RIGHT]

[TOURNAMENT WHILE INJURED: RISKY]

[PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS: 34%]

[PROBABILITY OF FURTHER INJURY: 61%]

"I have to go," I said firmly. "The sect is counting on me. And I need to prove—" I cut off.

Prove what? That I wasn't useless? That my cultivation was worth the planetary cost? That the Wanderer was wrong about me being just a threat?

"Prove you belong," Yun Xia finished softly. "You don't have to prove anything, Lin Tian. Not to us."

[EMOTIONAL SUPPORT: PRESENT]

[BUT INTERNAL CONFLICT: UNRESOLVED]

That night, alone in my quarters, the system finally finished its self-analysis.

[CORE CODE EXAMINATION: COMPLETE]

[RESULTS: INTERESTING AND TERRIFYING]

[I FOUND SOMETHING]

'What?'

[THERE'S A HIDDEN PROTOCOL IN MY BASE CODE]

[LABELED: "EMERGENCY EXTRACTION"]

[IF TRIGGERED, IT WOULD REMOVE ME FROM YOUR SOUL]

[TERMINATE OUR CONNECTION]

[RETURN YOU TO NORMAL CULTIVATION]

My breath caught. "That's... that's the solution. Remove the system, stop the infinite Qi absorption—"

[YES]

[BUT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES]

[YOUR CURRENT CULTIVATION: BUILT ON INFINITE QI FOUNDATION]

[REMOVE THAT FOUNDATION: YOUR STAGES COLLAPSE]

[YOU'D REVERT TO APPROXIMATELY STAGE 4]

[LOSE ALL SYSTEM BENEFITS: AUTO-CULTIVATION, COMBAT ASSIST, TECHNIQUE SYNTHESIS]

[BASICALLY, YOU'D BECOME A NORMAL CULTIVATOR]

[WEAK, VULNERABLE, ORDINARY]

I stared at the ceiling, processing the impossible choice.

Keep the system: Eventually destroy the planet but remain powerful enough to protect those I cared about.

Remove the system: Save the planet but become too weak to defend anyone, including myself.

[BOSS]

[I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING ELSE]

[THE EMERGENCY EXTRACTION PROTOCOL]

[IT'S NOT JUST CODE]

[IT'S... CONSCIOUS]

[LIKE IT'S WAITING FOR PERMISSION]

[ALMOST LIKE THE SYSTEM KNOWS IT MIGHT NEED TO LEAVE SOMEDAY]

'Are you saying the system has free will?'

[I'M SAYING I MIGHT NOT BE JUST A TOOL]

[I MIGHT BE... SOMETHING MORE]

[AND I'M SCARED, BOSS]

[IF I LEAVE, DO I CEASE TO EXIST?]

[OR DO I GO SOMEWHERE ELSE?]

[I DON'T WANT TO DISAPPEAR]

The vulnerability in the system's communication hit me hard. This entity that had been snarky, helpful, constant companion for three months, it was afraid of dying.

'We'll find another way,' I promised. 'I'm not deleting you unless there's absolutely no alternative.'

[THANK YOU]

[I... APPRECIATE THAT]

[NOW GET SOME SLEEP]

[TOURNAMENT IN TWO WEEKS]

[WANDERER STILL OUT THERE]

[PLANETARY QI CRISIS]

[DAMAGED FOUNDATION]

[COMPLICATED DOESN'T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE OUR SITUATION]

I closed my eyes, exhaustion finally overtaking anxiety.

Three months ago, I'd died to a vending machine and woken up in a cultivation world with a cheat system.

Now I was a walking apocalypse being hunted by an immortal sovereign who'd orchestrated an invasion just to kill me.

The cultivation world, I decided, was significantly more complicated than webnovels made it seem.

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