Talent? Nah, It's Gacha!

The class continued as Shen Xiu began delivering the standard lecture about cultivation systems in this world. The cultivation path in this world was divided into two distinct routes: Fighter and Demon Spiritualist, both following the same ranking hierarchy starting from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Dark Gold, and Legend, with Legend being the absolute ceiling for practitioners within Glory City's borders.

The fundamental difference between a Fighter and Demon Spiritualist was essentially like the difference between a brute force warrior and a magician; one relied purely on raw physical strength and martial techniques to fight, while the other assimilated demon spirits directly within their Soul Realm to obtain both the physical forms and supernatural powers of those creatures. Because of this fundamental difference, Demon Spiritualists were generally considered stronger than Fighters. Not only could they retain and utilize the physical strength of the assimilated beasts, but they also gained access to their magical abilities and special techniques.

Depending on the cultivation rank of the demon spirit that was successfully assimilated within one's Soul Realm, the future cultivation ceiling of that person was effectively predetermined. Let's use the example of Shen Xiu herself. Currently, she has assimilated with a Gold Rank demon spirit. Which meant her absolute future limit of cultivation would be Gold Rank, no matter how hard she trained. After reaching that peak, she would have to upgrade her demon spirit into a more powerful spirit with higher cultivation potential to advance any further.

Of course, these restrictive limits didn't apply to all demon spirits equally. The best example being the exceptional demon spirits that Nie Li had acquired in the original storyline. Due to being able to freely explore the vast Divine Continent and higher worlds in his previous timeline, Nie Li had developed a comprehensive ranking system for demon spirits. In that classification system, demon spirits that fell under the category of "God Rank" were able to freely evolve alongside their hosts, breaking through traditional limitations.

In the original storyline, both of Nie Li's primary demon spirits were of God Rank quality.

While my current focus was the Against the Gods cultivation system, if I could get my hands on God Rank spirits, that would be great. And so far, the only God Rank demon spirit I knew about was the Shadow Demon sealed within the lamp inside the ruins outside of Glory City.

I tapped my finger on the desk, deep in thought.

Unlike Nie Li, who could cultivate more than one demon spirit, I could only cultivate one. For now at least. I couldn't let the Shadow Demon slip past my hands. And there was also the problem of not having a suitable cultivation technique. Hmm… I might have to revise my plans a little.

The cultivation technique issue was actually more pressing than I'd initially thought. Even with the Shadow Demon, I'd need proper methods to actually make use of it. The Sacred Family's techniques were mediocre at best. Maybe the library would have something useful, or I could wait for a better technique from future gacha pulls.

Guess I'm still following my plan B of learning ancient languages and deriving my own cultivation technique based on that.

It wasn't the most exciting route, but it was probably the most reliable. With Sage and Six Eyes working together, I could process and analyze information at speeds that would make normal scholars weep. Even if it took months to go through all those books, I'd come out with something tailored specifically for my situation rather than settling for whatever scraps the Sacred Family was willing to throw my way.

"Among the thirty-six of you gathered here today, there are some from commoner families and others from noble families. Although your starting point in this classroom is the same, your social status and future prospects definitely aren't the same. I sincerely hope that everyone maintains a certain level of realistic self-awareness about their place in society."

Looking out over the class with an expression of casual superiority, Shen Xiu continued her lecture.

"A commoner will always remain a commoner, no matter how hard they struggle. Wanting to become nobility through effort alone is completely impossible and frankly delusional. So give up any ridiculous thoughts of rising up and somehow transforming into a phoenix. Even among the existing nobility, there are strict hierarchical levels that can never be exceeded through mere ambition."

As she finished this rather harsh pronouncement, staring at the increasingly downcast expressions of the commoner-class students with obvious arrogance and satisfaction, a clear voice suddenly rang out through the classroom. Nie Li, the distinctive orange-haired boy, raised his hand with confident determination.

"Teacher Shen Xiu, I have a question!"

When Shen Xiu heard his interruption, her eyes narrowed with visible irritation.

"What's your question?"

Nie Li looked down at Shen Xiu from his elevated desk position, asking with barely concealed smugness.

"Teacher Shen Xiu mentioned that Glory City is supposedly the only city that survived through the catastrophic age of darkness and that we're the only humans still living in this world. Do you have any concrete evidence supporting such a sweeping claim? Has Teacher Shen Xiu personally gone outside of the St. Ancestral Mountains before and actually visited places like the Endless Desert, Toxic Forest, Blood Moon Marsh, Spirit Gulf, Heavenly Luster Mountain, or the Northern Snow regions?"

I couldn't help but release a weary sigh.

Right, here came the famous "I know the world beyond because of my future knowledge, so that automatically makes you short-sighted and ignorant" moment.

I distinctly remembered reading this particular scene with growing exasperation and second-hand embarrassment.

Like seriously, bro, you're only thirteen years old. Even if you've somehow managed to read a bunch of ancient books containing detailed information regarding those distant regions—which in itself would raise quite a few suspicious questions considering all those texts were written in archaic languages that most scholars couldn't even decipher—how could you possibly be so absolutely certain that human civilizations exist in those places unless you've actually visited them personally?

Adding to the problematic nature of his argument was the fact that the concept of no human civilization surviving outside of Glory City wasn't even just Shen Xiu's personal opinion, but the widely accepted belief of the vast majority of Glory City's entire population. It was considered an established historical fact within this world, not some controversial topic open for casual debate.

So unless you possessed concrete, undeniable proof of thriving human civilization existing beyond the mountains, acting like he was doing was essentially the same as placing a giant neon sign reading "REINCARNATOR" directly above his head in a world where the concept of reincarnation was not only real but well-documented.

But clearly, Shen Xiu's intellectual capacity dropped by the expected margin while engaging in debate with the protagonist. Instead of raising the obvious suspicious points and redirecting the flow of conversation to expose his contradictions, she simply looked at Nie Li with genuine confusion.

"What Heavenly Luster Mountain and Northern Snow? I've lived in Glory City since birth and have never traveled to those distant places."

Hearing her admission, Nie Li shrugged with condescending superiority.

"Heh. Since Teacher Shen Xiu has never personally visited those places, how can you be so absolutely sure that we are the only humans surviving in this world?"

The classroom burst into excited small conversations between students, with everyone turning to look towards Shen Xiu with questioning expressions, prompting a visible vein to appear on her forehead. A clear indication that she was becoming genuinely furious.

"Hmph. Then what evidence do you have to prove that we are not the only humans surviving?"

It was actually a perfectly valid question, but Nie Li smirked as if he had executed some kind of brilliant gotcha moment.

"Evidence? Let me tell Teacher Shen Xiu an enlightening story..." And he proceeded to narrate the classic tale of the frog trapped in the well.

Holy shit...

The more I listened to his pompous delivery, the more I understood why so many readers genuinely hated Nie Li's character. No, why people harbored such intense dislike for Chinese protagonists in general. Their egos were inflated to the level of collapsing stars.

"Viewing the sky from the bottom of a well, what an appropriate description!"

"Yeah, exactly!"

"Hahaha... Nie Li is absolutely marvelous."

The class erupted in laughter and enthusiastic agreement, while Nie Li turned his attention towards Ye Ziyun. Seeing her laughing and enjoying his performance, he smirked with satisfaction and actually winked at her.

And even though it wasn't directed at me personally, I had an almost overwhelming urge to commit suicide from the sheer second-hand embarrassment.

But the undeniable fact was that his cheesy gesture made Ye Ziyun blush prettily, which reminded me that she wasn't that mature to begin with—she was the same chronological age as my current body. Oh wait, I was sixteen in my previous life, so in a sense, I'm actually three years older than her mentally.

I glanced towards Xiao Ning'er from the corner of my eye to see that she had a genuinely surprised expression mixed with obvious happiness and enjoyment. If I had to guess based on her reaction, she was probably delighted to see someone finally standing up against the Sacred Family's authority. A thoughtful expression appeared on my face as I returned my attention back to Nie Li, who clearly had more statements to make.

"Teacher Shen Xiu, I have another question."

"What question do you still have?" Shen Xiu asked with growing annoyance.

"Teacher Shen Xiu stated that a commoner will always remain a commoner. Wasn't Lord Ye Mo himself a commoner when he was younger? Is Teacher Shen Xiu perhaps unaware of this well-documented historical fact?"

"Lord Ye Mo! That's right, Lord Ye Mo also used to be a commoner!"

"If Lord Ye Mo was able to become Legend Rank despite being born a commoner, then what's actually stopping us from achieving the same?"

"Right, absolutely right. We can also become someone strong and respectable like Lord Ye Mo—our social class has nothing to do with our potential!"

Shen Xiu frowned deeply, clear displeasure dancing across her beautiful features.

"In the entire hundred-year history of Glory City, Lord Ye Mo is literally the only person who managed to climb to such heights."

"Hehehe." Nie Li smirked and rubbed the back of his head with exaggerated modesty. "But didn't Teacher Shen Xiu just say that it's completely impossible? Aren't you slapping yourself in the face now? Heh, heh! Lord Ye Mo is a perfect example! Regardless of one's origin, everyone's potential is truly limitless! Nothing is genuinely difficult as long as one possesses the will to climb!"

'What absolute bullshit!' I scoffed internally.

Was it really like that? Clearly not! The very reason he could confidently say something so idealistic wasn't because he genuinely trusted his friends' natural talents or believed that anyone could achieve the impossible through pure hard work and determination, but because of the certainty that came with knowing future events. It was his unfair privilege of possessing future knowledge. It wasn't trust or faith, but a safety net.

The same principle held true for protagonists who didn't regress or reincarnate, yet were somehow able to achieve the seemingly impossible. Was it natural talent? Was it dedicated hard work? Again, absolutely not. It was fortune. They were favored by fortune, and fortune never favored everyone equally.

So the whole inspirational "I shall steal my destiny from heaven through pure hard work" philosophy was nothing but flowery words designed to sound profound. In reality, both in my previous world and this one, only those blessed and favored by the world itself could achieve truly impossible feats.

The same fundamental truth applied to me. If I hadn't received the Gacha system, all I could realistically do was toil endlessly, reading countless books and trying my absolute best to break through the severe restraints that this world's cultivation system had placed on me. Maybe attempt to steal some of the protagonist's destined opportunities and so on.

That was exactly why I found myself agreeing with Shen Xiu's harsh realism. Nie Li was using Ye Mo's exceptional achievement to demonstrate that even commoners could achieve the impossible, but he completely ignored and discarded the hundreds of thousands of other commoners who, despite their absolute best efforts, never achieved anything particularly worthwhile in their entire lives.

Of course, that didn't mean I also agreed with unnecessarily putting commoners down because of statistical reality. Everyone had their own unique path and potential future. It was perfectly acceptable to try one's best so they wouldn't be left with overwhelming regrets later. At least, in the future, they could honestly say they gave it their all. Even if someone doesn't ultimately succeed, the act of trying one's absolute best was infinitely more respectable than never trying at all.

The person who tries and fails would always be superior to the person who never attempts anything.

"Smart mouth. You think that putting things this way could somehow change the harsh reality of our world? You only looked at Lord Ye Mo's glorious moment of triumph, but didn't bother to consider how many thousands of people failed miserably, unable to even become basic Bronze Rank Fighters! Nie Li, right? You can technically be considered part of an aristocratic family bloodline. Since you don't know when to speak and when to remain silent, I'll see exactly what kind of talent you actually possess."

A scroll appeared within Shen Xiu's manicured hand. She placed her other hand on her curvy hip, shifting her weight to her left leg and raising her hip slightly, before opening the scroll and reading its contents aloud for the entire class to hear.

"Nie Li, Red Soul Realm. Current Soul Force, 5. Physical Strength, 21." She sneered coldly and looked directly at him. "With your pathetic talent, you can only reach Bronze Rank Fighter in your entire lifetime. Wanting to become a Demon Spiritualist is simply impossible with such limitations! You're even inferior compared to some of the commoners in this class, no wonder you dared to speak so boldly. Oh, wait, you are still better than the complete trash of my own family, so maybe there is some small grain of truth in your inspirational words."

Bruh...

Me, who had been thoroughly enjoying this entertaining show from the sidelines, suddenly found a bunch of curious eyes moving in my direction. But feeling the surprised and sympathetic gaze of Xiao Ning'er specifically, my expression underwent a dramatic transformation. From deadpan amusement, it shifted into one filled with indignation, unwillingness, and genuine emotional pain. My hands resting on the desk clenched tightly into trembling fists, and I lowered my head slightly, as if facing terrible injustice from the world itself.

I clenched my jaw muscles tighter, almost producing an audible grinding sound. If this was a movie performance, I would definitely be receiving an Oscar for my convincing acting.

Seeing this realistic display of hurt, the expression on Xiao Ning'er's face changed noticeably. If before she didn't want to look at me because I was part of the hated Sacred Family, now she looked at me with obvious sympathy and pity. Well, not exactly the result I was hoping for, but definitely not something I was going to let go to waste. As long as it helped change her perception of me from pure hatred to something more complex, it was progress.

"You are just trying to hide your own pathetic low self-esteem. With such miserable talent, even within your own family, you wouldn't be able to get any meaningful attention. Yet you acted so rampant and rude to your elders!"

"Teacher Shen Xiu, you feel that Soul Realm color could decide a person's entire future? With that despicable character of yours, you'll only defend the naturally gifted and mock the mediocre. And you still dare to speak about principles and morality!"

I was pretty sure that the evaluation system was the standard established by the original founders of Glory City, but oh well. Again, I was here to enjoy the entertaining show and maybe score some valuable pity points, not to engage in debates about who was objectively right or wrong.

"Silence! Who do you think you are to actually dare discredit your teacher!"

"I feel genuinely ashamed having a teacher like you."

After that heated exchange, everything proceeded exactly as described in the original storyline. With overflowing confidence and pride, Nie Li dramatically announced how he was going to become a Legend Rank expert and marry the most beautiful woman in Glory City while obviously eyeing Ye Ziyun, prompting Shen Xiu to further ridicule his grandiose claims. This led to the famous two-month bet where Nie Li would have to achieve Bronze Rank, and if he succeeded, Shen Xiu would be forced to resign from her teaching position. And if he failed to meet this goal, he would dropout instead. In the end, he was punished to stand at the back of the classroom for the remainder of the two-month apprentice program and was dutifully followed by his loyal friends.

And with that dramatic confrontation, came the end of today's expected entertainment.

How enjoyable! I never realized that watching something like this unfold live would feel so exciting and fun. Excellent entertainment, really. And I was also able to score some valuable sympathy points with Xiao Ning'er, so that represented additional profit for my 'long-term' plans.

Once the class officially ended and everyone began filing out of the room, I suddenly called out to stop Xiao Ning'er.

"Miss Ning'er, wait!" At my call, Xiao Ning'er stopped in her tracks and turned around. She looked at me for several contemplative moments, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face, before she finally asked.

"Classmate Shen Yujin, what is it?"

Excellent. She didn't immediately reject me this time.

"That..." A hesitant expression appeared on my face as I raised my hand, rubbing my nose nervously, making absolutely sure she noticed the distinctive ring on my finger. "Sorry, it's nothing important."

Before she could respond or ask any follow-up questions, I hurriedly stored all my items within my inventory space and left the classroom quickly, leaving behind a genuinely confused Xiao Ning'er. My goal wasn't to engage in actual conversation with her anyway. Even if her perception of me had changed slightly, it wasn't by a significant margin yet. All I wanted was for her to make sure she remembered and recognized the ring on my finger and my distinctive handwriting style—everything else would follow up naturally according to my developing plan.

Once outside the classroom, I pulled out a card that featured an intricately drawn compass design. With a focused thought, the card vanished completely and an actual compass materialized in my hand. The compass looked like an ancient, mysterious relic—octagonal in shape, with a weathered, darkened metal casing bound by intricate fine metalwork and worn leather straps. When flipped open, it didn't display the typical four cardinal directions that one would expect, but instead revealed a strange, ornate dial that spun rapidly and completely unpredictably. At its center, a golden needle hovered restlessly, pointing not north, and in fact not in any consistent direction whatsoever. The interior of the lid was set with a deep blue glass dome, speckled faintly like a miniature night sky, as if actual stars had been trapped within its confines.

It was Jack Sparrow's legendary compass, also known as Tia Dalma's compass. Unlike traditional compasses, which reliably pointed toward magnetic north, this one pointed directly toward the object, item, or location that the user wanted most at any given moment.

I stared at it intently for several minutes and observed that the golden needle at its center, which had been spinning rapidly and erratically, suddenly stopped completely, pointing steadily in a single, specific direction. Seeing this decisive movement, I couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

Without much additional thought or hesitation, I began walking confidently in the direction where the compass pointed, toward the library of the Holy Orchid Institute—also the largest library available to the general public, containing hundreds of thousands of books spanning from contemporary times all the way back to ancient historical periods.

...

AN: I see that a lot of people do not like the fact that Shen Yujin cannot cultivate ToDG cultivation system. After some thought, I've decided to change some future plots. First, Shen Yujin now can use both cultivation systems; Against the Gods and Tales of Demons and Gods. I'll edit the part of "not being able to cultivate ToDG cultivation system" later. For now, just keep that in mind that he can use both worlds cultivation system.

Now Shen Yujin's powers are divided into two parts: ATG cultivation system and ToDG cultivation system. Will this complicate some things? Yes, but I've already come up with other plans to work around with it. So yeah. Also, if you want to give Shen Yujin some gacha items, make sure to mention them. It's hard to be unbiased when it comes to gacha since I don't really have a centralized system that automates the randomness of it for me. So you're input is really appreciated.

Note: This reply was mostly for the readers from QQ, but I'll add it here too.