Lee Han was born into the prestigious Lee Clan of the Mist Village. His father, the Village Chief, became a Martial Saint at the age of thirty — the youngest ever to reach such a realm. Everyone in the village respected him as the strongest under heaven.
But his son, Lee Han, was different.
While his parents hoped he would inherit their legacy, Lee Han spent his days sleeping, drinking, and avoiding all forms of training.
"What's the point of learning martial arts when Father is already the strongest?" he often muttered, yawning as he turned over on his bed.
Thirteen years passed.
Lee Han was now twenty-three — lazy, carefree, and infamous as a good-for-nothing.
---
One night, as he staggered home from the brothel, a foul stench of blood filled the air. His eyes widened.
The entire Mist Village was in ruins.
Bodies lay everywhere, drained of life. In the distance, his father battled a mysterious man who absorbed the life force of the villagers.
Lee Han ran home in panic—only to find his mother's lifeless body lying on the floor.
"No... Mother…"
He fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
In a fit of rage, he grabbed a rusty sword and charged toward the battlefield—
—but it was already too late.
The mysterious man was gone.
Only the corpse of his father remained, and beside him, a strange sword-shaped necklace.
Lee Han collapsed beside them and wept until his voice broke.
He once thought his father was invincible. But in that moment, the illusion shattered.
---
Three days later, after burying everyone in the village, Lee Han swore vengeance.
He found the clan's martial library and discovered the hierarchy of power:
> Martial Disciple — Ranks 1–2
Martial Master — Ranks 3–4
Martial Grandmaster — Rank 5
Martial Lord / King — Rank 6
Martial Sage — Rank 7
Martial Saint — Rank 8
Heavenly Emperor — Rank 9 (The pinnacle of martial arts)
"I'll climb to the top… and find you," he whispered to the empty cave where he began his training.
---
Twenty years later, Lee Han emerged as a Martial Sage.
By forty-three, he reached the Heavenly Emperor Realm, the end of martial cultivation.
He roamed Murim for ten years, fighting countless foes—but never found the mysterious man.
Until one day…
Returning to the ruins of the Mist Village, he saw him.
The same man, unchanged after thirty years, calmly searching through the rubble.
Lee Han felt dread crawl up his spine.
With fury burning in his eyes, he unleashed his strongest technique —
"Heaven Splitting Sword Art!"
A blinding slash tore through the heavens—
—but when the light faded, the man stood unscathed, as if protected by a divine shield.
"Who are you?!" Lee Han shouted.
The man smiled faintly.
> "A mere mortal like you cannot comprehend. I am a Cultivator."
Before Lee Han could react, the man appeared before him, piercing his heart with a single hand.
As his life faded, Lee Han muttered,
> "So… this is the end… I couldn't… avenge them…"
His vision went dark.
---
But suddenly, the sword necklace from his father's corpse began to glow.
When Lee Han opened his eyes again, he was… somewhere else.
A flood of unfamiliar memories rushed into his mind.
He was now Jin Haru, a young man whose mother died giving birth to him, whose father ignored him, and whose stepmother had just poisoned him to death.
Lee Han realized he had reincarnated — sixty years had passed since his death.
And to his shock, this Righteous Sword Clan was the same clan once founded by one of his disciples.
Falling to his knees, he whispered,
> "Why… why am I alive again? I couldn't even defeat that monster… what's the point?"
Suddenly, a glowing blue screen appeared before his eyes.
---
[Cultivation System Activated]
Welcome, Host, to the world of Murim — where strength decides fate, and only the powerful carve their path to immortality.
Status
Name: Jin Haru (Lee Han)
Age: 19
Talent: None detected
Cultivation Realm: Mortal (0/100 Qi)
System Mode: Beginner (Locked features)
---
[Main Quest: The First Spark of Qi]
Objective: Awaken your dormant Qi by connecting your body, mind, and breath.
Quest Steps:
1. Find a quiet place and sit cross-legged.
2. Take 100 slow, deep breaths — focus entirely on the rhythm of your breath.
3. Imagine energy flowing through your body with each inhale and purifying it with each exhale.
4. After completion, meditate for 5 minutes in silence.
Reward:
+5 Qi
+1 Mental Focus
Unlocks: Basic Qi Sensing Technique
Failure Condition:
Lose focus before completing all 100 breaths.
System Tip:
> "Every great cultivator once started as a mortal who refused to remain weak."
---
Lee Han stared blankly at the glowing screen.
"At this point… why not?" he muttered after a few minutes.
For the first time in decades, he felt a flicker of hope.
And thus began the second life of the Fallen Sword Saint.