The sun was beginning its slow crawl across the eastern ridge when Qin Yu opened his eyes again.
A single ray of gold pierced through a crack in the wooden planks and lit a sharp line across the floor. Dust danced in the beam, slow and careless. The rest of the room remained dim, quiet. Faint footsteps echoed far off—villagers starting their day.
Qin Yu hadn't moved.
He sat cross-legged, spine straight, breathing even. His thoughts had been turning silently, one gear at a time.
This world was dangerous. Not just because of spirit beasts and corrupt sects. Because it celebrated prodigies—then devoured them.
The flashy ones. The reckless ones. The ones who caught attention.
Tang San was a genius. And he'd needed every ounce of plot armor to survive.
Qin Yu had no such luxury.
He didn't want to race to the top. He wanted to map the mountain. Mark every pitfall, every hidden trail. Let others rush forward—he would be waiting at the summit.
He opened the system's settings and created a simple routine:
> [Daily Protocol Activated]
Morning: Scan immediate vicinity (check for threats or changes)
Midday: Review cultivation logs, system gains, EXP rate
Evening: Practice low-effort skill or stealth maneuver, track timeline of canon events
Weekly: Evaluate target for spirit ring trial (once ready)
Override: Respond instantly to unusual energy spikes or named characters detected
He confirmed it. Closed the panel.
Time to begin the game.
And it was a long one.
He reached over and retrieved the small stone from his Inventory—returning it to the floor like a token being placed on a board.
Then he smiled faintly. Not out of joy, but clarity.
He had woken in a world of monsters.
He would become the shadow behind them.
And no one—not Tang San, not Spirit Hall, not even fate—would see it coming.
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