Chapter 0 : Prologue – The Spark of Nothingness

Before time, before light, before even the idea of existence—there was Nothing.

Not silence. Not stillness. Just pure nonexistence.

And then… after countless eons of undisturbed void, Nothing dreamed.

From that single, flickering awareness, a Consciousness emerged. It had no name, no shape—only thought. Drifting through eternity, it slowly gathered emotions and impressions… until it was struck by boredom.

Boredom—an emotion so searing it split the void.

So, the Consciousness acted.

"What if I created... something?"

With boundless will, it birthed a Universe.

It forged stars, rewrote cosmic laws, and spun galaxies into motion. It breathed Dao into reality, layered dimensions like fabric, and seeded realms with infinite possibilities. Civilizations rose, beings honed the arts of body, soul, karma, and faith, and power systems bloomed like wildflowers. Its final creation was Earth. After creating everything, the Creator fell into slumber—awaiting countless years to regain its spent power.

Earth, a fragile and disconnected world without qi or spiritual force, remained a mere sandbox of mortality. Yet it possessed one unique gift—imagination.

Mortals on Earth could dream of immortality, weaving legends of cultivation, ascension, and transcendence. Their fantasies, though devoid of real power, sowed the seeds for ways of cultivation in other worlds someday .

Long after the Universe matured, the Consciousness of Nothingness awoke from its slumber, curious about its creation. It observed the progress of life and, after millions of years of silent watching, conceived something new—for its own amusement: a universal Immortal Cultivation Chat System. This system would link beings across realms—to boast, to challenge, to teach, to sign in; to battle for one purpose: to ascend the ranks and uncover the hidden truth behind the competition and its ultimate winner.

But the Creator also longed to participate. It split off a mere strand of its consciousness—a spark of thought without will, sent drifting through chaos—before it slipped back into slumber.

That strand, drifting for thousands of years, eventually merged with a dying soul.

From Earth, an ordinary man passed away—a man who had lived a good, unremarkable life, fueled by a deep curiosity and an otaku passion for fantasy. His soul, however, was special—an anomaly in the Soul Realm that shouldn't exist. It became different because of a mistake from the Creator, made at the very moment when Earth was the final creation and the Creator began to slumber. As a result, his soul remained incomplete—an ever-evolving void striving for wholeness by absorbing every form of energy it encountered. Over time, it evolved ceaselessly until, by accident or fate, it collided with a wandering strand—a spark left behind by the original Consciousness of Nothingness before its next slumber. Instinctively, it sensed that merging with this spark could elevate it far beyond the limits of an ordinary soul.

That soul was Markandeya—his earthly name for a destiny marked by transformation. As his soul forcefully merged with the spark, it was reshaped by his Earth-born memories and boundless imagination. The once aimless strand transformed into a System—not alive, not intelligent, but a force that would guide his growth and mark his participation in a vast, cosmic competition.

Though his innate talent remained average, Markandeya's anomalous soul allowed him to harmonize all forms of cultivation energy—Qi, Body, Soul, Dao, Elemental, Karma, Beast, Artifact, and Chakra. His true edge came from two mysterious "cheats":

1. The Cultivation Chat Group:

A secret multiversal network linking powerful cultivators from countless realms. Through discreet sign-ins, battles, and challenges, he slowly earns strength, reputation, and the chance to rise through the chat ranks.

2. Survivor's Growth Bonus:

A passive gift that grants him a small, permanent increase in cultivation talent for every day he survives—the more he endures, the greater his power becomes.

Reborn as a Child of a mighty world's core—a being of pure energy—Markandeya also inherits a seed for an Inner Galaxy. This nascent faith cultivation system will eventually blossom into a personal pocket realm, a sandbox where he can create entire civilizations, bizarre species, or chaotic ecosystems when the cultivation drama grows tiresome.

Each time Markandeya advances in the Chat Rank, his personal System issues a hardcore quest. Overcoming these ordeals grants him massive talent boosts, enhances his daily survival rewards, and bestows rare, growth-type treasures, beasts, and techniques—rewards that scale with his increasing rank.

His loyal beast companions, each with peculiar and evolving abilities, accompany him through challenges across worlds. Occasionally, after acquiring forbidden techniques or ancient treasures, he retreats into years-long secluded cultivation arcs, adding both realism and mystery to his arduous journey.

Unlike typical heroes, Markandeya isn't a ruthless killer or an untouchable saint—he's clever, adaptable, and relies on wit as much as strength. No harem, no sudden plot armor—only grit, strategy, and an insatiable hunger to survive and transform.

What began as a cosmic glitch evolved into the greatest game ever played across the stars.

He wasn't chosen.

He wasn't planned.

He was a glitch in the system—

But he might just become its final winner: a candidate for Overseer, second only to the Creator itself.

Let the journey begin.

Fun Twist: When the weight of cultivation and cosmic competition becomes overwhelming, Markandeya retreats into his Inner Galaxy—a vibrant, evolving realm where he creates entire civilizations and bizarre species purely for his own amusement. In this living sandbox, his creations may wage wars, evolve independently, or even worship him—making his pocket realm as unpredictable as the universe itself.