Xuan Tian stared at the cracked ceiling of the tiny hut perched on a green-clad ridge. Wind whistled through the pine branches outside, rattling the thin bamboo shutters, while the scent of damp moss and pine resin filled the cramped space. He was fourteen—a boy from a neon-lit city, torn from a rainy alley by a flash of blinding light and cast into a world that looked as though it had been painted by an ancient ink master.
The transition itself had been a blur. Cold. A roaring in his ears. Then darkness.
When his eyes finally opened, the sky was a deep sapphire, the sun a molten coin hanging low over a sea of emerald mountains.
He pushed himself upright, palms pressing against rough wooden floorboards, his heartbeat echoing faintly in his chest. A soft chime sounded within his mind. Before he could react, a translucent screen flickered into existence above his hand.
System activated
Name: Dao Xuan Tian
Age: 14
Talent: Infinity Eyes – Unknown Grade
Technique: None
Cultivation: Mortal
Mind: 0 (1/10000)
Base Stats:
Strength: 50
Agility: 90
Endurance: 70
Spirit: 129
Countdown: 12:57:29
The words glowed softly. A calm, genderless voice followed.
"Every twenty-four hours, all stats will increase by a factor of ten to one million. No action required."
Dao stared at the screen, the weight of reality settling heavily in his chest.
No sect. No master. No guidance.
Only silent mountains, a lonely hut, and a system promising exponential growth.
With a thought, he dismissed the screen. The glow vanished as if it had never existed. He would keep this secret. In a world like this, hidden power was more dangerous than weakness.
He stood and pushed open the hut's door. Cool air rushed in, carrying mist and the scent of pine. The mountain stretched endlessly before him, layered with trees and fog. A narrow path wound down the slope, vanishing into white haze.
Dao inhaled slowly.
Beneath the earth, something pulsed.
Qi.
It was faint, barely perceptible, but it was there. The Infinity Eyes stirred, granting him a hazy perception of invisible currents threading through the forest like unseen rivers.
He turned back inside.
The hut was sparse. A single lantern flickered atop a cracked table. A pile of yellowed scrolls lay beside it, and a rusted sword leaned against the wall. Dao knelt and unrolled one of the scrolls.
Basic Qi Gathering Technique.
The characters were elegant, each stroke precise and deliberate. He placed his palms on the parchment. Warmth surged up his arms and seeped into his meridians. For an instant, the world peeled open—threads of qi woven through trees, stone, even the lantern's flame.
Then it faded.
Dao closed his eyes and focused. The qi was weak, little more than a whisper, but it responded. Slowly, a tiny spark gathered in his dantian. Small, fragile—but real.
The timer ticked silently in the back of his mind.
Night descended swiftly. Dao sat cross-legged, scroll open, breathing steadily. The Infinity Eyes glimmered faintly as he observed the qi patterns around him. Beneath everything, the mountain's ancient heartbeat pulsed—slow, steady, patient.
Hours passed.
When dawn approached, a tingling sensation spread through his veins.
Dao opened his eyes.
00:00:02
The numbers flickered—then surged.
Stats Increase: 10×
Updated Stats:
Strength: 500
Agility: 900
Endurance: 700
Spirit: 1290
Mind: 0 (10/10000)
Power flooded his body. His muscles tightened, tendons reinforcing as strength settled into his frame. His movements felt lighter, sharper. The world itself seemed clearer, as though a veil had been lifted from his senses.
He could hear distant water flowing somewhere far below the ridge. A squirrel darted through undergrowth he could not see, yet every movement reached his ears. Even the mountain's qi felt more defined, its slow circulation no longer hidden from him.
Dao smiled faintly.
No one witnessed it. No one needed to.
He stepped outside as morning light spilled across the ridge. The green mountains stood vast and indifferent. He gripped the rusted sword and gave it a testing swing. The blade cut cleanly through the mist, sending a ripple of displaced qi down the slope. Pine needles cascaded in response.
Satisfied, he returned to his routine.
The system timer reset.
24:00:00
A quiet whisper followed.
"Next cycle pending."
Dao sat on the porch as sunlight crept across the peaks. He gazed out over the endless sea of green and thought of crowded streets, blinding lights, and a life where he had been invisible.
Here, he was alone—but no longer insignificant.
"Tomorrow," he murmured, "I'll be stronger."
Stars would rise again. The timer would tick down again. And when it reached zero, the mountain would feel another shift—small for now, but inevitable.