Chapter 1

C1 – Strongest Talent System!On October 22nd, according to the Galaxy Calendar:

“Hello, everyone. I’m Lulu, the host of the ‘Abyssal Documentary’ program, exclusively sponsored by the large-scale virtual game ‘Survival in the Wilderness.'”

The charming hostess Lulu flashed a sweet, innocent smile.

Yet, she was struggling to suppress her feelings of dejection.

She had been assigned to this program as a consequence of having offended her superiors.

This month, the Interstellar Media Group launched eleven new programs.

‘Abyssal Documentary’ had the lowest expectations among them.

Company analysts predicted that the viewership might not even break the ten million mark. seaʀᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The reason was straightforward.

It was a public service program lacking any significant innovation.

The ‘Abyssal Documentary’ focused on observing the living conditions of the Human Race on the Exile Planet, A518.

The program aimed to expose the public to the harsh realities faced by criminals and their descendants who had been deprived of all rights.

With technological progress lagging, the Human Race had been unable to venture beyond the Milky Way. They were also increasingly disadvantaged in conflicts with other species, leading to escalating public discontent with the Human Federation.

Additionally, crime rates had been rising annually.

To cultivate a positive image, major media and entertainment corporations had introduced many similar public service programs.

The oversaturation of such content had left audiences disinterested.

As anticipated, the viewership at the premiere was a mere three hundred thousand, most of whom were drawn by the host herself.

​Despite her disheartened state, Lulu had no choice but to muster enthusiasm.

“Unlike other programs that observe the survival of entire tribes, ‘Abyssal Documentary’ will concentrate on individual observation subjects.”

“Coming up, the Intellectual Brain will select ten subjects for observation.”

“You, the audience, will have the opportunity to vote on whether you agree with the Intellectual Brain’s choices.”

After Lulu’s brief introduction, the director switched the feed.

The screen displayed a series of humans clad in animal hides.

After several seconds, the image settled on a muscular man with coarse skin and one missing arm.

His profile then appeared alongside the image.

Name: Zang Yun. Gender: Male. Age: 28.

He had been responsible for a string of horrific acts. He was the seventh-generation descendant of Shao Weiting, a notorious serial killer.

He was the Patriarch of the Kifa Tribe. His strength had waned after a hunting incident where a ferocious beast bit off his arm. Now, his leadership was at risk.

“Even though he’s only 28, he looks over fifty with that white beard.”

“That’s typical for the folks on the Exile Planet.”

“Let’s switch to a different observation subject. I have no interest in a man who’s lost an arm.”

“Unless it’s a young and beautiful girl, I’m voting no.”

“You won’t find any beautiful girls on the Exile Planet.”

The live broadcast audience perked up a bit at this.

On Flame Mountain, located on Planet A518, Jiang Que opened his eyes, gazing around in confusion.

​He found himself in a dim, damp cave.

An overwhelming flood of information barraged his mind, causing a severe headache.

It took him quite a while to regain his composure.

Surprise etched across his face.

“Did I actually just travel through time?”

He looked down at his dirty clothes, crudely stitched together from animal hides, and let out a wry smile.

He had landed on a planet that seemed to be stuck in a primitive era.

Worse yet, the planet was home to a variety of terrifying ferocious beasts.

As someone who had just transmigrated, he was at a disadvantage without a system.

Jiang Que felt a surge of panic.

Without a system, he doubted he’d survive more than three days here.

“Congratulations on activating the Strongest Talent System. Please select your talent development path!”

​A clear voice echoed in his mind, followed by a virtual screen materializing before him.

“Technology path: You will possess the Human Race’s most advanced technological creation talent.”

“Cultivation path: You will possess the Human Race’s most formidable cultivation talent.”

“Sensing path: You will possess the Human Race’s keenest sensory talent.”

“Reproduction path: You will possess the Human Race’s most potent reproductive talent.”

There were hundreds of talent development paths to choose from.

Jiang Que was ecstatic.

Indeed, those who transmigrated were either incredibly fortunate or endowed with remarkable talents.

Which path should he take?

Jiang Que stared at the screen, his heart filled with uncertainty.

Most of the talents were beyond his comprehension.

Inwardly, he queried, “System, can I select them all?”

Silence was the only reply.

It seemed this system was not particularly intelligent.

In the end, he decided to go with something familiar.

The technological path was what he knew best.

However, Jiang Que quickly abandoned this choice.

In this brutal, primitive age, technology seemed pointless.

It appeared his only option was the cultivation path.

With a determined bite of his lip, Jiang Que stopped hesitating and chose the cultivation path.

“Selection successful! Congratulations, you now possess the Human Race’s strongest cultivation talent!”

Immediately, hundreds of options vanished.

Strongest Talent System.

Host: Jiang Que.

Sphere of Influence: 16 square meters.

Talent Bonus: 16 times.

Beyond that, there were no instructions.

But Jiang Que surmised that this system should help him rapidly advance his cultivation level.

The catch was, he needed to rule a territory and establish a sphere of influence.

The greater his sphere of influence, the higher his talent bonus.

For the moment, Jiang Que wasn’t concerned with the connection between sphere of influence and talent bonus.

He faced a more pressing issue.

Without a cultivation method, how could he cultivate?

Did he need to invent his own method? With the strongest talent of the Human Race, surely he could manage it.

Jiang Que quickly resolved to do just that.

Since he lacked a cultivation method, he’d create one.

Having read countless cultivation novels, he believed this wouldn’t be too challenging.

He knew the first step was to sit cross-legged!

Jiang Que made up his mind and sat down.

Next, he should sense the presence of the Qi Sea. He recalled that the Qi Sea and the Dantian were supposedly located below the navel.

He closed his eyes, calming his spirit. Clearing his mind of distractions, he tried to visualize the Qi Sea.

Meanwhile, in the Abyssal Documentary’s live stream.

The audience numbers were dwindling, now down to just over two hundred thousand.

The host, Lulu, maintained her professionalism. Her smile remained sweet and innocent.

“Coming up, our tenth and final observation subject.”

The screen flickered with images of humans clad in animal skins.

At last, the frame froze.

Displayed was a dimly lit cave.

Inside, a young man with a handsome face and soiled clothes sat cross-legged.

​Jiang Que, a 19-year-old male, is the grandson of Jiang Wudi, a Nine Stars Great General who once sought to topple the Human Federation and establish a monarchy.

Originating from the Green Tribe, Jiang Que has been frail and sickly since childhood, rendering him unable to partake in hunting. Upon his father’s death, he lost his support system and was cast out from the Green Tribe.

He eventually made his way to Flame Mountain, where he was fortunate enough to avoid encounters with ferocious beasts. He found a cave for shelter and subsisted on wild fruits.

Two days ago, he contracted a severe cold that nearly claimed his life. However, just ten minutes ago, his fever broke, and he regained consciousness.

“He’s quite handsome, a shame he’s not a lady.”

“Can you believe he’s actually Jiang Wudi’s grandson?”

“What’s so surprising about that? The Exile Planet has been around for over two thousand years, and it’s seen its fair share of notable exiles.”

“Every criminal sent to the Exile Planet has their memory wiped. Regardless of their former status, they must strive to survive. The same goes for their offspring.”

“It’s astonishing that with such poor health, he’s managed to survive on the Exile Planet until the age of nineteen. It’s nothing short of a miracle.”

“Time to place your bets! I wager he won’t last another month, and I’m putting down game currency from the Hegemony Competition of All Races.”

“I’ll put up two hundred game currency. He’s already defied the odds once; I’m sure he can do it again.”

The audience in front of their screens was abuzz with conversation.

The female viewers were thrilled by Jiang Que’s good looks.

Meanwhile, the male viewers debated whether any of the ten observation subjects could survive another month.

The ten observation subjects were quickly finalized.

The studio was segmented into ten sections. The host, Lulu, would select a section based on its popularity and provide commentary on the observation subjects’ actions while engaging with the audience.

Viewers were free to join any of the live broadcast sections..