Filthy Cultivation: I Pierced the Heavens with the Merit System

The town is small, with only one main street.

The houses on both sides are arranged in a staggered manner, and the blue bricks and gray tiles look antique under the quiet moonlight. The occasional cries of babies and barks of dogs add a unique charm.

It was late at night, and the streets were deserted.

Li Fuyao, who had been running around all night, was so tired that she kept yawning. After successfully squeezing into Lin Qingqing's bed by acting cute and pitiful, she finally fell into a deep sleep.

I was woken up by a system notification sound when I opened my eyes again.

[Ding! Mission complete. The host's exclusive system panel is now open, and one attribute point lottery draw has been issued.]

[Host detected to have killed 3 Filthy Beasts. Congratulations, host, for exceeding the mission target and achieving the first kill achievement.]

The achievement reward has been sent to your account. Please check.

Li Fuyao reached out and touched the empty bed beside her. When she opened her eyes, she found that Lin Qingqing was no longer in the room.

She looked at the dawn light outside the window, sat up, and clicked on the white skill card that was an achievement reward, then selected to use it.

【Name: Flat A】

[Quality: Average (0/100)]

[Available uses: Permanent]

[Release Conditions: Consumes 5 points of Spirit Power. Can be released on the target in any way. No cooldown.]

[Skill Effect: Deals damage to enemies equal to the user's attack power]

[Note: Leveling up is possible once proficiency is maxed out; the simplest path is often the best.]

Although it was a very basic, low-level skill, and seemed rather weak at first glance, Li Fuyao clicked her tongue as she read the description, feeling quite satisfied:

"Great, it's a permanent skill that grows with you. I like it."

The system wouldn't give her something useless, especially given her current lack of attack methods.

Li Fuyao believed that if this skill were developed, it would definitely not disappoint her.

She had experienced the dangers of this world firsthand yesterday, so she naturally understood the importance of having the ability to protect herself.

After witnessing Lin Qingqing's methods, he became even more eager to cultivate and become stronger.

Recalling the cultivation technique that had entered his brow yesterday, Li Fuyao was about to examine it when he unexpectedly discovered that three pale golden, semi-transparent panels—one large and two small—had appeared out of thin air in his mind.

Upon closer inspection, a thin, elongated panel on the right side displayed two options: the System Shop and the Space Farm. However, both were grayed out and locked, indicating that they would be unlocked once one's cultivation level reached the Qi Refining stage.

The long, thin panel on the left is the taskbar, which is completely empty; there are no tasks at the moment.

The largest panel in the middle reads:

Name: Li Fuyao

[Level: Early Stage of Acquired (0/100)]

Health Points: (100/100)

[Spiritual Power Value: (0/100)]

【Strength: 2】

[Agility: 5]

[Defense: 3]

【Soul Power: 30】

(The highest possible stats for cultivators of the same level are 10.)

[Free attribute points: 0]

[Profession Specialization: (Not yet unlocked)]

Merit Points: -

"Unknown origins, born in a chaotic era, and possessing a cheat-like advantage—what a classic protagonist setup..."

Li Fuyao squinted and complained:

"Is the reason my soul power is so high because I brought over the strength of my soul from my previous life when I transmigrated? Seriously, it's one thing to have such weak attributes, but what's with me having over 300,000 merit points?!"

She stared wide-eyed at the line displaying merit points, then lay back down on the bed with a sullen expression, and started punching and kicking the air as if having a fit:

"Even if I was a ruthless, cunning, and selfish person in my past life, I never did anything to intentionally harm anyone! How did I become a morally bankrupt person now?!"

"You started by giving me psychological trauma, and now you've left me heavily in debt, huh??? I didn't even poop 300,000 jin in my past life!!! How come I lost over 300,000 yuan in merit?!"

Li Fuyao grew angrier the more she thought about it, and simply shouted in her heart:

"Damn system, get out here for me!"

[Ding! Detected that the host has opened their personal panel and has some doubts about their merit debts.]

To protect the reputation of the Merit System, this system will issue a new task as an explanation.

As soon as the system finished speaking, Li Fuyao saw a new task appear in the small, previously blank box on the left:

Title: Pay Back Your Debts, or You'll Lose Your Life

[Remaining time for the mission: 3 years]

[Task Reward: You're already being kind by not asking for interest, and you dare ask for a reward?]

[Task Details: To ensure your soul's safe transmigration to another world, this system has spent one million merit points as a price. After deducting the merit points you accumulated in your previous lives, you now owe the system a total of merit points.]

Please repay any outstanding merit points before the deadline. Otherwise, the remaining merit points will be repaid by deducting one point for every month of lifespan. If the host fails a main quest before the debt is repaid, the points will be automatically cleared and used to repay the debt.

[Note: 1. The merit points obtained by the host can be used to repay merit debts.]

2. There are two ways to obtain merit points: the host can obtain them by doing good deeds or by selling the obtained items to the system shop.

Wait, three years?!

More than 300,000 yuan in three years?!

She was just a frail, lonely little girl, living in a strange, chaotic world that wasn't much better than the apocalypse, and she still had to pay 300,000 yuan in three years!

Looking at this side quest, Li Fuyao felt a wave of dizziness. She already foresaw her future miserable life of working like a workhorse, toiling away to accumulate merit.

One month of lifespan is deducted as one point. If you calculate it this way, if she fails to complete the mission, even if she were a turtle, she would be reduced to ashes!

Okay, okay, you want to be a corporate slave somewhere else, huh?

There's no such thing as a free lunch!

She was dreaming of having multiple partners and reaching the pinnacle of life, but now it seems like she was just dreaming. She should just focus on paying off her debts!

She leaned back, utterly dejected, and rolled around like a dried salted fish.

After rolling around for a while, Li Fuyao sat up as if nothing had happened:

"To hell with deducting lifespan! I finally have a healthy body, and you expect me to only enjoy it for three years? Dream on!"

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it. Instead of just giving up, let's get to work!"

Doing good deeds is not easy, but once she has the means, it won't be difficult for her to make something to sell.

She glanced at the system store, which was not yet open, and then calmed down to read through the cultivation technique that had seeped into her mind.

[Ding~ The system has detected that you have come into contact with cultivation-related knowledge; a cultivation task has been triggered~]

Side Quest: Beyond the Ordinary

[Remaining time for the mission: 5 hours]

[Task Rewards and Penalties: The reward is one attribute point lottery draw and ten low-grade spirit stones. Failure will result in the deduction of ten years of the host's lifespan and twelve hours of complete paralysis.]

[Mission Details: Within the mission time limit, the host successfully advances to the Innate Realm.]

[Note: Strength is the foundation for doing good deeds and the first step towards the top. To achieve perfect merit in your chivalrous deeds, start training, newbie!!!]

Li Fuyao was too lazy to complain about the system's silly notes; all her attention was now focused on the cultivation manual called the Heavenly One Technique.

Li Fuyao has always been a top student with a photographic memory and exceptional comprehension, so it's no exaggeration for her to say that she was well-read in her previous life.

Anything that doesn't involve physical ability, she can achieve first place through her own skills if she wants to, which is also the source of Li Fuyao's pride.

She originally thought that this Heavenly Secret Technique was similar to those she had learned in her previous life, and would be of no use to this task.

But upon closer inspection, he was shocked to realize his own arrogance.

The Heavenly Secret Technique gave her a feeling of being in the vast Milky Way while reading it.

This was the first time Li Fuyao had ever experienced this feeling.

As the incantation was memorized, the indescribable majesty and mystery grew stronger, causing her to involuntarily close her eyes and begin practicing the Heavenly One Technique.

As the cultivation technique was activated, specks of spiritual energy gradually converged towards Li Fuyao.

The attracted spiritual energy gathered more and more, and gradually condensed into a spiritual mist that filled the room.

Li Fuyao was completely unaware of any of this; she only felt as comfortable as if she were soaking in a hot spring. The cloud-like and misty things around her were drawn to her and quickly gathered together, rushing into Li Fuyao's body with an intimacy akin to a child returning home.

She felt like an uncontrollable range hood running at full power, indiscriminately inhaling all sorts of smoke and mist.