Eastern Domain.
Xuantian Sect.
An old man with long white hair, dressed in a black robe, leaned heavily on his cane. He stared in disbelief at the weathered face reflected in the lake and let out a sharp expletive.
"Holy shit!"
Ye Junlin never expected that dozing off in class would lead to reincarnation.
Now, staring at the wrinkled, elderly face in the water, Ye Junlin trembled with rage, eyes bloodshot as he roared:
"Is there even a shred of justice in this world?!"
While others reincarnated as prodigies from prestigious clans or strikingly handsome geniuses from ancient sects, he ended up in the body of a decrepit old man?
From the memories flooding in, he learned this was the Kunlun Realm—revered by cultivators, where flying swords and moving mountains were commonplace.
The original owner of this body was the Peak Master of Mysterious Peak, one of the six great sects in the Arid Province of the Eastern Domain.
He was once a respected genius, having reached the Golden Core Stage at a young age. But after being ambushed during a mission to eliminate evil cultivators, his Dantian was destroyed, and he lost all his cultivation, becoming a cripple.
For decades, he remained a recluse on the mountain, sinking into despair and isolation.
The elders of Xuantian Sect, watching their once-promising Peak Master fade into obscurity, were filled with regret—yet none could help him.
"Wait a second... I'm just a regular person now. If I calculate based on my previous age…"
Ye Junlin's expression stiffened as a terrifying realization hit him.
This body—bluntly put—was already over a hundred years old. The only reason it had survived this long was due to longevity pills consumed during his cultivation days.
But now, without spiritual energy to maintain it, this body was on its last legs. Death could come at any moment.
"No way! I just reincarnated, and I'm already at death's door?!"
"Wait, wait, there's still hope. This is usually when game mechanics kick in!"
Recalling countless web novel tropes, Ye Junlin gradually calmed down. Slamming his cane into the ground, he shouted to the heavens:
"System! Your father is here—come out and greet me!"
Silence.
"Huh?"
"Don't play dumb with me. Come on out already!"
Still nothing.
"System, my dear system, I was just joking! A little response would be nice!"
"System-sama?"
"...System-dono?"
Still as silent as a grave.
"…Alright, guess this isn't one of those system-type stories."
Changing his approach, Ye Junlin patted himself down, finding only an old ring. He leaned closer to it, muttering hesitantly:
"Master… are you inside?"
No response.
"Old man, quit pretending. I know you're in there."
The ring: "..."
"Do I need to drop blood on it or something?"
Ye Junlin bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the ring, then stared expectantly for ten seconds.
Nothing.
Damn it!
No system, no golden finger—what was the point of reincarnating if he was just going to die right away?
With this frail body, one stumble might send him straight to the afterlife.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He raised his cane toward the sky and cursed:
"Heaven! I swear—%#&*%#..."
Two minutes later.
[Ding—System activation detected: Host's vulgar language exceeded acceptable thresholds. This system can only activate passively. Please refrain from excessive profanity and maintain civilized conduct.]
A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Ye Junlin froze, clutching his chest like he was about to keel over.
"You damn system! You show up now?! I was starting to think this was a slice-of-life novel!"
[Ding—Apologies. This system was in deep hibernation. I just woke up as well.]
"What kind of unreliable garbage system are you? Is this how you treat reincarnators?!"
[Ding—Please mind your tone. This system is highly professional.]
"Fine, let's test that. You systems always sound like cold robots. If you're so professional, give me a proper loli voice."
[Loading new voice package...]
[Ding—Loli voice package successfully loaded. Host, does this meet your expectations?]
In the next instant, the mechanical voice turned into a sweet, high-pitched tone.
"Yo! For real?! That's more like it. But don't you dare change it back without permission!"
[Ding—Understood. To compensate for the delayed activation, the system is granting you a starter gift pack. Would you like to open it now?]
"Open it!"
[Ding—Congratulations! You've received the special ability: Stronger When Facing Stronger Enemies!]
"System, elaborate."
Ye Junlin narrowed his eyes.
[Ding—Whenever the host faces an opponent of a higher realm, your cultivation level will instantly rise to one tier above theirs. No side effects.]
"You serious?"
Ye Junlin's voice trembled. "So if I'm just a regular guy, and I face someone at the early Golden Core Stage, I'll jump straight to mid-Golden Core? If it's a late Tribulation Stage opponent, I'll be at peak Tribulation? What about facing—Heaven itself?"
[Ding—This system is honest and reliable. Just try it and see.]
The loli voice chirped confidently.
"…Try it and die, more like."
Ye Junlin muttered under his breath.
Still, if this power really worked, wouldn't he shoot straight to the top? He could just provoke powerhouses and instantly overpower them.
Who needed cultivation when you could level up by getting beat up?
[Ding—Reminder: Host's current physical condition has less than one hour of life remaining.]
"No way, I'm really about to die?!"
"What do I do? Wait—if I fight someone strong, I can trigger the ability and extend my life!"
Making up his mind, Ye Junlin gritted his teeth, grabbed his cane, and slowly began descending the mountain in search of a target to provoke.
But the moment he moved, his legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed. After a few dozen steps, he was already gasping for breath.
Staring at the long path ahead, he cursed bitterly.
"Seriously? Why'd you have to isolate yourself way up here?! You've set me up for failure!"
Ding ding ding—
Suddenly, a loud bell rang from the Xuantian Sect.
The entire sect was thrown into alarm. The bell meant one thing—enemies were approaching!
Boom!
Dark clouds surged in as massive flying beasts blotted out the sky.
A suffocating pressure swept over the land like a tidal wave.
"What the hell is happening?"
Ye Junlin's scalp tingled.
From all over the sect, brilliant rings of light shot into the sky, forming grand formations that radiated terrifying energy.
Disciples and elders rushed out, wielding their magical treasures and preparing for war.
"Who dares to attack my Xuantian Sect?!"
A thunderous voice echoed.
Sect Master Xu Yonian appeared in mid-air, flanked by powerful Peak Masters.
The leader of the invaders—a fierce figure radiating demonic energy—grinned coldly.
"You pitiful Daoists… You didn't expect this Demon King to return alive, did you? Today, I'll drown your sect in blood!"
It was the Qingpeng Demon King.
"So it's you!"
Xu Yonian's expression turned grim.
Ten years ago, the Qingpeng clan had massacred a small nation in the Arid Province. Xuantian Sect had intervened, and Xu Yonian personally struck down the Qingpeng Demon King, who then fell from a cliff and was presumed dead.
They hadn't expected him to return alive—stronger than ever.
"I've never forgotten that humiliation. I came back for vengeance!"
Qingpeng Demon King's wings spread wide, unleashing a torrent of pressure.
"Hmph. You dare spout nonsense with just a flock of beasts?"
Xu Yonian's hair fluttered wildly as he sneered.
Boom!
The Demon King's aura exploded outward. It was the pressure of the Nascent Soul Stage—overwhelming and suffocating.
"You broke through?!"
Xu Yonian's face paled.
He himself was still stuck at the peak of the Golden Core Stage and had seen no hope of advancement in years. Now this demonic creature had beaten him to it.
In this corner of the Eastern Domain, even one Nascent Soul cultivator was enough to dominate everything.
"Master, what do we do?"
The seven Peak Masters looked grim.
"At this point… we have no choice but to fight!"
Xu Yonian growled.
"Kill these wretched Daoists!"
The Qingpeng Demon King dove like a green meteor, emanating pure destruction.
"Yes, my king!"
A wave of demon birds descended, some shooting beams of light, others diving straight at the defenses.
"For the Xuantian Sect—we fight to the death!"
Xu Yonian led the counterattack, cultivators surging to meet the invading force.
Meanwhile, on Mysterious Peak, Ye Junlin stood stunned before suddenly raising his cane, shouting desperately:
"Hey! Somebody hit me! Just hit me already!!"
Unfortunately, no one could hear him over the chaos of battle.
[Ding—Warning: Host has 20 minutes of life remaining. Please act quickly!]
"No way! Time's almost up?!"
Ye Junlin slammed his cane to the ground in frustration.
He never imagined that his new life might end before his cultivation journey could even begin.
---
The cover picture was made by Ai
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