I woke up feeling like a new person.
No, seriously. I felt amazing.
The aches were gone. The bruises had faded. Even the constant fatigue that had plagued me since, well, since I'd apparently been reincarnated into this body, had completely vanished. I sat up, stretched, and actually heard my joints not creak like a rusted door hinge.
"Okay," I said to the empty room. "That's new."
[GOOD MORNING, BOSS! ☆]
[AUTO-CULTIVATION REPORT: NIGHT 1 COMPLETE]
[QI REFINING REALM - STAGE 1 → STAGE 3]
[BODY TEMPERING PROGRESS: 15%]
[CULTIVATION SPEED: 847% FASTER THAN AVERAGE CULTIVATOR]
[CONCLUSION: SLEEPING IS OVERPOWERED. WHO KNEW?]
I blinked at the notifications. "Wait. I jumped two stages? In one night?"
[YEP! TURNS OUT HAVING INFINITE QI IS PRETTY HANDY!]
[NORMAL CULTIVATORS NEED MONTHS TO BREAK THROUGH ONE STAGE.]
[YOU DID IT WHILE DROOLING ON YOUR PILLOW. EFFICIENT!]
I looked down at my hands. They looked... the same? But when I clenched my fist, I could feel it, a subtle strength that hadn't been there before. Like my muscles had been replaced with something denser, more refined.
"This is actually happening," I muttered. "I'm actually cultivating. While sleeping."
[CORRECT! AND SINCE YOU'RE AWAKE NOW, AUTO-CULTIVATION EFFICIENCY HAS DROPPED TO ONLY 300% NORMAL SPEED.]
[RECOMMENDATION: GO BACK TO SLEEP FOR OPTIMAL GAINS.]
"I just woke up!"
[YOUR POINT BEING?]
I rubbed my face. This was going to take some getting used to. "Okay, System, ACS, whatever. If I'm in a cultivation world, shouldn't I, you know, actually learn how to cultivate? Techniques? Martial arts? Don't I need a manual or something?"
[OH, BOSS. SWEET, INNOCENT BOSS.]
[WHY WOULD YOU MANUALLY CULTIVATE WHEN I CAN DO IT BETTER, FASTER, AND WHILE YOU'RE UNCONSCIOUS?]
[BESIDES, I'VE ALREADY ANALYZED 847 CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES FROM THIS WORLD'S AMBIENT QI SIGNATURES.]
[I'M SYNTHESIZING AN OPTIMAL TECHNIQUE SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR INFINITE QI CONSTITUTION.]
[ETA: 3 DAYS]
"You can... create cultivation techniques?"
[I'M AN AUTOMATED CULTIVATION SYSTEM, NOT A CALCULATOR.]
[CREATING TECHNIQUES IS LITERALLY IN MY JOB DESCRIPTION.]
I opened my mouth to respond when my stomach growled so loudly it echoed off the wooden walls.
Right. Food. That's a thing humans need.
"Where exactly am I supposed to get food around here?" I asked, glancing around my barren room. There was literally nothing here except the bed, a small wooden chest, and that cracked mirror.
[CHECKING SECT LAYOUT...]
[OUTER SECT CAFETERIA: 300 METERS NORTHEAST]
[WARNING: YOUR PREDECESSOR HAD TERRIBLE SOCIAL STANDING]
[EXPECT HOSTILITY, MOCKERY, AND POSSIBLY FOOD THEFT]
"Great," I sighed. "So I'm not just cannon fodder, I'm bullied cannon fodder."
[TECHNICALLY, YOU'RE BULLIED CANNON FODDER WITH INFINITE QI AND A CHEAT SYSTEM!]
[GLASS HALF FULL, BOSS!]
---
The Azure Peak Sect was... exactly what I expected from a cultivation sect.
Elegant pavilions with curved roofs. Stone pathways winding between gardens. Disciples in flowing robes walking around looking either wise and mysterious or arrogant and punchable. The morning mist hadn't fully cleared yet, giving everything a mystical, painting-like quality.
It would've been beautiful if I wasn't acutely aware that this entire place was getting invaded in less than seven days.
I followed the system's directions toward the cafeteria, trying to look inconspicuous. My robes, gray, marking me as an outer sect disciple, were threadbare and patched in several places. Everyone else I passed wore cleaner versions, and more than a few shot me looks ranging from disdain to pity.
Yeah. My predecessor definitely wasn't popular.
[SOCIAL ANALYSIS ACTIVE]
[DETECTING: CONTEMPT (34%), INDIFFERENCE (61%), MILD CONCERN (5%)]
[YOUR PREDECESSOR WAS CONSIDERED TALENTLESS AND WEAK]
[HE WAS BASICALLY THE DEFINITION OF 'BACKGROUND CHARACTER WHO DIES IN CHAPTER 2']
"Stop reading my social standing," I hissed under my breath. "It's depressing."
[WOULD YOU PREFER I LIE AND SAY EVERYONE LOVES YOU?]
"...Yes, actually."
[SORRY, BOSS. I'M PROGRAMMED FOR BRUTAL HONESTY.]
The cafeteria was a large open-air building with long wooden tables. Disciples were already gathering for breakfast, and the smell of rice porridge and steamed buns made my stomach growl again. I grabbed a tray and got in line, keeping my head down.
That's when I heard it.
"Well, well. Look who finally crawled out of his hole."
I turned to see three disciples blocking my path. The one who'd spoken was tall, with slicked-back hair and the kind of face that screamed "I peak in high school." His robes were pristine, and he had the cultivation aura of someone at... Qi Refining Stage 5? Maybe 6?
[IDENTIFYING...]
[NAME: ZHANG WEI]
[CULTIVATION: QI REFINING STAGE 6]
[ROLE: MINOR ANTAGONIST / STEPPING STONE CHARACTER]
[THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE ANNOYANCE]
"Zhang Wei," I said neutrally. The name came to me from the predecessor's memories, fragmented and hazy, but there. This guy had made the original Lin Tian's life miserable for months.
"Oh, he remembers my name!" Zhang Wei grinned at his two lackeys. "I'm honored. Tell me, Lin Tian, did you finally break through to Stage 2? Or are you still stuck like the worthless trash you've always been?"
The other disciples were watching now. Some looked uncomfortable. Most looked entertained.
I really, really didn't want to deal with this.
"I'm just here for breakfast," I said, trying to step around him.
Zhang Wei's hand shot out, gripping my shoulder. His Qi flared, a deliberate show of force meant to intimidate. To the old Lin Tian, it probably would've worked.
But I wasn't the old Lin Tian.
[DETECTING HOSTILE QI]
[AUTO-DEFENSE PROTOCOL: STANDBY]
[RECOMMEND: DON'T MAKE A SCENE. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LAY LOW.]
The pressure from Zhang Wei's grip was... nothing. I barely felt it. In fact, compared to the Qi churning inside me right now, his cultivation felt like a candle next to a bonfire.
Wait. Was I already stronger than him?
[CORRECT! YOUR QI DENSITY IS APPROXIMATELY 8.7 TIMES HIGHER THAN HIS.]
[HOWEVER, YOU LACK COMBAT EXPERIENCE AND TECHNIQUE.]
[IN A REAL FIGHT, ODDS ARE 50/50.]
Zhang Wei must have noticed I wasn't flinching because his smile faltered slightly. "What, got brave overnight? Don't tell me you actually broke through?"
"Stage 3," I said before I could stop myself.
The cafeteria went quiet.
Zhang Wei's face twisted. "Liar. You've been stuck at Stage 1 for six months."
I shrugged. "People change. Now if you'll excuse me—"
"Prove it."
Oh no.
"Prove you're Stage 3," Zhang Wei said, his voice getting louder. "Right here, right now. Release your Qi aura. Unless you're lying to save face."
Every eye in the cafeteria was on me now. I could feel the weight of their attention, their judgment. The original Lin Tian would've crumbled under this pressure, probably stuttered and ran away.
But I wasn't him. And also, I was really hungry and getting annoyed.
"Fine," I said.
[BOSS, WAIT—]
I closed my eyes and did... whatever you're supposed to do to release your Qi aura. It came surprisingly naturally, like flexing a muscle I didn't know I had.
The reaction was immediate.
The air around me shimmered. A pressure radiated outward, not aggressive, but undeniable. Several disciples actually took a step back. Zhang Wei's face went pale.
[QI AURA RELEASE: SUCCESSFUL]
[CURRENT STAGE CONFIRMED: QI REFINING STAGE 3]
[ADDITIONAL NOTE: YOUR AURA IS UNUSUALLY PURE. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO NOTICE.]
"Stage 3," someone whispered.
"How did he...?"
"Wasn't he talentless?"
Zhang Wei looked like he'd swallowed a lemon. "That's... that's impossible. You must have taken some pill. Borrowed someone else's Qi. Cheated somehow—"
"Or," I interrupted, "I actually cultivated. Wild concept, I know."
I pulled my shoulder free from his now-slack grip, grabbed my tray, and walked past him to get food. My hands were shaking slightly from the adrenaline, but I kept my face calm.
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FIRST FACE-SLAP]
[REWARD: +10 REPUTATION POINTS]
[BONUS: ZHANG WEI WILL PROBABLY TRY TO MURDER YOU LATER]
'Great,' I thought. 'Just great.'
I loaded my tray with rice porridge, steamed buns, and some pickled vegetables, then found an empty table in the corner. As I ate, I could feel people staring, whispering.
The quiet life I wanted was already slipping away.
[ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, YOU'RE NO LONGER INVISIBLE!]
[ON THE DOWN SIDE, YOU'RE NO LONGER INVISIBLE.]
[TRADE-OFFS, BOSS. TRADE-OFFS.]
I sighed and took another bite of my bun.
Six days until the invasion. I needed to get stronger, keep my head down, and figure out how to survive.
But first, I needed to finish breakfast.
Priorities.
---
[DAILY QUEST UNLOCKED: SURVIVE YOUR FIRST DAY WITHOUT DYING]
[REWARD: 1 GACHA TICKET]
[CURRENT PROGRESS: 43% COMPLETE]
[GOOD LUCK, BOSS!]