In the void.
'Against the Gods?'
The soul thought as he looked at the glowing words in front of him with familiarity.
"A bit of a dangerous world it seems, which you are quite familiar with."
The soul agreed with the words of the figure next to him, who wore a suit—though his face was not perceivable to the eyes.
God cannot be seen.
"Well, let's move on to the three wishes." The God noted as he gestured with his hand, holding three fingers up. "Use them wisely."
"My first wish is to have a good starter pack. My second wish is to have a shop system, no initiating tasks or anything."
The soul began stating his wishes after a minute of thought but paused after the second.
"Ask." The God said, even though he already knew what the soul was thinking.
"If my final wish is a Heavenly Restriction physique, can you tinker with it a bit so I can still cultivate?" The soul asked the question important to him. Even though he had quite some knowledge about that world, it was still a cultivation world. There was no such thing as being too cautious.
It was extremely dangerous—not because of ordinary or even divine cultivators.
He'd read many cultivation novels in his past life to know even the final boss isn't always the final boss.
Though he hoped that wasn't the case in this world—or else, he just wasted his wish.
"That is manageable, but your worries are a bit unnecessary." Even if the God's face couldn't be seen, his faint chuckle echoed. "After all, you should know that you—yourself—are a far greater anomaly than the so-called anomalies of that world."
"But seeing as you're the cautious type, I'll grant it. And I'll include a small gift that'll be quite useful in your last stand." His words carried an all-knowing profundity.
"Then that would be your final wish, it seems." He looked at the soul, who nodded in agreement.
"And yes, I will adjust your appearance to that of Uchiha Madara." He finally said, answering the soul before he could even make the request.
"Lastly, as a farewell—do what you want, and do what you desire. How you live from now on is your decision."
With that, the God snapped his fingers and teleported the soul to his destination.
.
.
.
[System initializing...]
[System booted successfully...]
[System activated.]
A series of mechanical voices echoed in the ears of a young man. His eyes, once shut, slowly opened.
He sat up and looked around.
"Am I in a cave?" Madara muttered, observing the dim, spacious surroundings. The rocky walls and polished stone floor made it clear—it was some kind of cave.
But before doing anything else, he had to check something.
"System." He whispered.
[Yes, host.]
The system's voice responded in his mind.
"Show me my status."
A blue screen appeared in front of him.
======
Name: Madara
Age: 13
Cultivation Base: None
EXP: 0 / 2000
Soul Coins: 0
======
Pending Starter Pack
======
"Open my starter pack." Madara noticed the pending starter pack waiting to be claimed.
[Opening starter pack: Basic-level Cultivation Manual. Will Manipulation Ability. Recall Talisman. Uchiha Madara's full-level combat experience. Navy Six Styles. Profound Opening Pills (x5). Body Tempering Pills (x5). Dismantle Technique. Enma.]
Madara looked at the items he received calmly. They weren't broken in any way—just good. Good enough to give him a solid start in cultivation.
The Cultivation Manual, just from the name alone, meant it would provide the basic knowledge needed to begin sensing and circulating profound energy throughout his body and dantian.
The Will Manipulation Ability appeared to allow him to manifest his inner will externally—to exert pressure on others. To force his will upon them freely. It reminded Madara of an ability from an anime called One Piece—Conqueror's Haki.
One of the three types of Haki, possessed by only a rare few. It essentially made someone a one-man army against those with weak willpower. Not only that, but the user could also materialize Conqueror's Haki into actual attacks.
Madara considered how he could apply not just the concept of Conqueror's Haki to this ability, but also Armament and Observation Haki, using profound energy tied to his willpower—granting him three powerful forms. Kingly Presence, Enhanced Offensive and Defensive Capabilities, and Heightened Senses
Next was the Recall Talisman. It worked like a recall point: when activated and placed somewhere, it formed a mental link to that location. With just a thought, he could instantly teleport back to it—no matter where he was. A lifesaving talisman for emergencies —or anything else. Though the first use was unlikely, it wasn't impossible.
Then came Uchiha Madara's Full-Level Combat Experience. The best taijutsu combat style at hand of the so-called Ninja God from the anime Naruto. Just Madara's performance in the Fourth Shinobi War said enough—his fighting style was a one-hit kill, precise, deadly, and masterful. A true Master at work.
Next was the Navy Six Styles—extraordinary physical techniques developed by the Marines of the One Piece world. If he had to describe it, it was an all-around martial art. A combat technique covering mobility, speed, strength, and utility.
Dismantle was a technique originating from Ryomen Sukuna in Jujutsu Kaisen—a powerful, instant slash that could be used from a distance.
Then came the special item—Enma. A powerful Great Grade katana from One Piece, infamous for its ability to drain the user's Armament Haki.
Yet, if wielded properly, it amplified the user's Haki—allowing them to unleash devastating attacks. A weapon that was both a challenge and an opportunity.
It required a swordsman with extremely strong will to tame it and control its power. The stronger the user, the stronger Enma became.
But here, in this cultivation world, it was likely even more dangerous.
Cosmology-wise, this world enhanced it far beyond its original capabilities.
That wrapped up the starter pack—aside from the pills he received, which would help him begin cultivating.
---
"Now I need to check the place," Madara muttered as he stood on his bare feet. He looked down and saw himself wearing a black martial arts outfit.
He could feel the weight of his long black hair falling past his shoulders. He couldn't see his face, but in his mind, he pictured the appearance of a young Madara Uchiha.
He looked toward the only passage where light seemed to be seeping through. A soft glow in the otherwise pitch-black cave allowed him to see—just enough.
He walked through the narrow passage. It took almost a full minute, and with each step, the dim light grew brighter and brighter.
Eventually, he reached the end.
The full force of the light struck him, and he instinctively squinted—his vision slightly blurred.
'This is…' he thought as his eyes slowly refocused.
What he saw was breathtaking.
He stood at the edge of a cliff inside a mountain cave, overlooking a vast landscape below.
As far as the eye could see, the terrain was covered in trees—towering, ancient trees, many times larger than any he'd seen in his previous, mortal life.
Their size was absurd—yet understandable, given the presence of profound energy in this world, which no doubt fueled such unnatural growth.
"Quite relaxing." Madara murmured as he stood still, letting the breeze brush against his face and ruffle his hair.
The cultivation world was dangerous, unforgiving.
But it also held some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring views one could imagine.
To the people of this world, such places were probably ordinary.
But to Madara, it felt mythical—otherworldly.
He raised his right arm, flexing his hand in front of him—clenching it into a fist, then opening it again.
"Heavenly Restriction…" He whispered.
Recalling the physique he had chosen as his final wish.
There was only one true reason for wishing for a Heavenly Restriction—not for its physical empowerment, but for its innate trait, the ability to escape fate.
From the moment he reincarnated into this world, he was already a greater anomaly than even Yun Che, the protagonist himself, and that was before the restriction took effect.
He wouldn't just be undetectable or untraceable—he would be completely imperceptible.
He wasn't someone whose future was difficult to divine or whose past was shrouded in mystery, labeling him as a variable. No—he was nonexistent across all timelines.
After all, he came from outside the box. An abnormal anomaly.
But he couldn't afford to be careless.
Even without the Heavenly Restriction's trait of severing fate, he already stood apart from the world's natural order. Still, that wasn't enough to make him feel safe.
His fate had already been severed, yes—but this world was vast. He had some knowledge of its structure, its cultivation paths, and the known powers. But what of the truly hidden beings? The ones he didn't know of. The ones that lurked behind the scenes, as every cultivation world inevitably had?
What if, by pure chance, one of those entities noticed him—perceived him as a blank, foreign entity?
What if they created a technique, some forbidden method, and forcibly reattached his fate to this world?
That would be a problem.
Because to be tied to fate is to become a puppet, your strings tugged by cosmic forces and ancient wills.
And if such a being saw him as a threat—even slightly—what could he do?
He would have no choice but to await his own death.
But now, that worry is gone.
The Heavenly Restriction guarantees that fate cannot cling to him. Not even the gods can tie a string to what does not exist.
As for the physical empowerment? Well, Madara was sure it was compatible with the rules of cultivation, just like the Enma sword—making it all the more broken.
"System. Show me the shop," Madara said.
A blue screen appeared in front of him, displaying an endless list of items. Techniques, weapons, formations, and abilities—many from different cultivation worlds, others from entirely different dimensions. Some even belonged to anime universes.
It was broken. Completely broken.
"Good." Madara muttered after browsing for a while—not because he was finished, but because he'd already seen enough.
The shop felt endless.
Abilities that defied logic.
Tools that could end realms.
But all of them needed one thing, Soul Coins.
"System, how do I earn soul coins?" he asked, even though he already had an idea.
[Kill. Kill anything that moves. Kill anything that breathes. Every living being counts. With every kill, EXP is gained. Once the limit is reached, Soul Coins will be transferred.]
Madara remained calm—but something about the way the system responded was… off.
It was mechanical, as expected.
But the first line—it carried a hint of malice.
A sadistic undertone, almost human.
He couldn't place it, but he felt it. Something darker lay within this system.
Still, he didn't flinch.
He looked into the distance, the winds of this new world brushing against his face.
"This is my path now." He said softly.
He had already chosen a path he would take.
The path of annihilation.
To slaughter.
To slaughter the Heavens. To slaughter the world. To slaughter the Gods.
He would become a Shura. A nightmare that even fate couldn't restrain.
The King of Hell.