The sun had barely begun its ascent over the distant mountain range, casting a soft, golden glow across the jagged peaks and mist-cloaked slopes. At the very edge of a craggy, wind-battered cliff, where the wind howled like restless spirits, a young boy's body lay motionless—cold, pale, and lifeless.
His skin had the ashen hue of death, and his lips were slightly parted, as if he had been caught in the midst of a silent scream. His chest did not rise, and no heartbeat echoed within his still form. Death had claimed him, or so it seemed.
But then, something stirred.
A faint shimmer of crimson energy flickered around his inert body.
It began subtly—like the faintest flicker of embers from a dying flame—but gradually, the glow grew, pulsing with life. It wrapped around his limbs like a gentle current, sinking into his skin, as though drawn into him.
For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Then—
Gasp!
The boy's eyes shot open. His chest surged with a desperate breath, his lungs filling with the air that had once seemed out of reach. His eyes—those eyes that had been void of life just moments ago—now sparkled with clarity and shock. He blinked rapidly, struggling to adjust to the fierce wind and the blinding light of the morning.
Slowly, he sat up, his face unmarred, smooth as polished jade. Yet despite the calm on his features, his expression was frozen in disbelief. Just moments ago, he had been enduring unimaginable agony, his body burning as though flames danced in his veins. But now…
Now, he felt alive.
Not just alive—he felt invigorated. His body surged with an energy he didn't recognize, his limbs brimming with strength he couldn't remember possessing. The pain was gone. In fact, he felt better than ever.
"W-Where... am I?" he croaked, his voice hoarse and disoriented. "What happened to me? Where is this place?"
His gaze swept across the unfamiliar landscape—mountains that stretched to the horizon, layers upon layers of mist, and strange trees growing from the jagged cliffsides. None of this was familiar. None of it felt like the world he had known.
He raised his hands, staring at his palms in disbelief.
"My hair... it's long?" he murmured, running his fingers through a silky black strand that cascaded past his shoulders. "Wasn't it short just moments ago?"
A pang of realization struck his chest.
"This body... this doesn't feel like mine," he whispered, confusion thick in his voice.
And then, as if in response to his thoughts, a faint chime echoed inside his mind.
[Ding! Host has successfully awakened the Monthly Reward System.]
A translucent panel appeared before him, its edges shimmering faintly. The sight of the strange interface left him stunned. His eyes widened.
"A system? No way… this… this looks just like the ones from the novels I used to read! Don't tell me…"
He hesitated to finish the thought, but the next notification seemed to confirm his suspicions.
[Ding! Conceiving memories!!]
Before he could react, another panel emerged, and the world around him seemed to collapse into a torrent of information. His head throbbed as names, places, and events—some familiar, others completely foreign—flooded his mind.
> Flame Emperor, Xiao Yan… Soul Emperor, Hun Tian… Central Plains… Strange Fires… Shen Family… Falling Star Pavilion… Sky Mansion Alliance… Shen Yuan, the Genius…
The flood of memories felt like it would crush him under its weight. His body trembled violently as he clutched his head, desperately trying to keep himself grounded amidst the overwhelming rush.
It seemed to last forever, but finally, the storm of knowledge ebbed away, leaving him breathless and stunned.
His mind, once fractured by the intensity of the flood, began to steady itself. Slowly, he opened his eyes—now calm, now knowing—and his gaze took on a new light.
"…So I've transmigrated," he muttered, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. "And I've taken over the body of Shen Yuan. What a twist of fate."
A strange comfort settled over him. Despite the bewildering turn of events, the realization that he was now someone else, someone with a vast new world of possibilities, brought a sense of excitement.
He took a deep breath, his fingers still tingling with the faint residual energy coursing through him. This was his second chance—his new life, one filled with cultivation, power, and endless adventure.
"System," he called out, his voice firm, "open status panel."
The interface shifted and expanded, revealing a wealth of details about his new self.
---
[Status Panel – Shen Yuan]
"Host Information"
Name: Shen Yuan
Age: 16
Title: Talented Genius
---
"Attributes"
Bloodline: None
Special Physique: None
Constitution: 2
Physical Strength: 3
Agility: 2
Perception: 5
Control: 35
---
"Cultivation"
Current Realm: Dou Shi
Qi Method: Dual Rising Art (Low Di Level)
Elemental Affinities: Fire | Lightning | Wood
---
"Occupational Cultivation"
Spiritual Cultivation: Mortal Realm (High)
Formation Mastery: Unranked
Spiritual Runes Mastery: Unranked
Alchemy: Unranked
Talisman Mastery: Unranked
---
"Skills"
Learned Skills: —
---
"Techniques"
Combat / Support Techniques: —
---
"Relationships"
Master: —
Wife: —
Parents: Shen Ming (Father), Xiao Luo (Mother)
Apprentices: —
Children: —
---
"Points"
Stat Points: 0
Skill Points: 0
Attribute Points: 0
---
[Host has a Novice Gift Pack. Would Host like to open it?]
A grin spread across his face.
"So, my parents are Shen Ming and Xiao Luo… and judging by this handsome face, I must be quite the looker. Not bad," he mused, flicking his long hair back with a playful motion.
Without hesitation, he commanded, "Open the Novice Gift Pack."
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Qi Method – Origin Immortal Sutra.]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for gaining: 30 Stat Points, 18 Skill Points, and 1 Attribute Point.]
Shen Yuan's grin only widened as he tapped on the new Qi Method to inspect its details.
> [Origin Immortal Sutra – A powerful Heaven-Rank Qi Method. Grants the ability to control all types of Dou Qi and absorb natural treasures such as Heavenly Flames and Lightning to enhance cultivation.]
His smile deepened with satisfaction.
"Heaven-Rank from the start, huh? Seems like I've struck gold."
Yet, amid all the revelations, a strange sense of boredom tugged at his mind. Perhaps it was the side effect of the memory fusion, or maybe it was the realization that much still lay ahead before anything truly exciting unfolded.
He glanced at the memory of his location: near the Falling Star Pavilion, one of the major powers in the area.
Reaching into his robe, he retrieved a small green jade slip. After a brief pause, he crushed it between his fingers.
Crack!
A rift tore open in the air before him—a black swirling crack that stretched into the void.
Without a word, Shen Yuan stepped into the rift, his form vanishing into the darkness.
Moments later, he emerged, high above the familiar towers and peaks of the Falling Star Pavilion.
The wind howled around him as he activated a basic flying technique from the memories, floating effortlessly in the sky. His long hair whipped around him, his eyes gleaming with ambition. The world was his to conquer.