The moment Lian Hong accepted the system prompt, the air in his tiny wooden room shifted.
A faint hum vibrated through the floorboards.Threads of spiritual energy—thin, almost imperceptible—drifted toward him from every corner of the servant compound, pulled as if by an invisible tide.
Lian Hong sat cross-legged on the worn bed.The system screen before him glowed with golden light.
[Initiating breakthrough sequence…][Stabilizing host's meridians…][Cleansing impurities…]
A sudden wave of warmth flooded his body.
His meridians trembled violently. For a moment, the pain was sharp enough to steal his breath—but it was nothing compared to the agony he remembered from his past life.
If he could endure having his spirit root shattered, this was nothing.
He focused his breathing.
Inhale.Exhale.Guide the spiritual energy through the meridian ring.Refine.Condense.
Boom—
A knot within his qi pathways loosened, releasing like a dam breaking.Qi surged forward, flooding him with renewed vigor.
The floor creaked beneath him as his body trembled.
[Breakthrough progress: 43% → 62% → 89% → 100%][Breakthrough complete!]
A crisp chime echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations! Host has reached:Qi Gathering – Second Layer]
Lian Hong opened his eyes.
His vision had sharpened. The world seemed brighter, clearer. He could feel the faint pulse of qi in the air, like invisible currents brushing against his skin.
But the system wasn't done.
[Ding!Initialization Quest complete.][Rewards issued:]• Attribute Points ×10• 1× Basic Technique Draw
A second panel unfolded, showing a shimmering golden wheel divided into dozens of glowing fragments.
––––––––––––––––––––––[Basic Technique Lottery]– Tap to Draw –––––––––––––––––––––––
Lian Hong's heart stirred.
In the past, outer disciples could only access the lowest-grade manuals—weak, incomplete, and often filled with errors. True cultivation techniques were hoarded by the inner sect elites. Even a single low-tier manual could take months of contributions to earn.
But now…This system draw could produce anything.
He exhaled once, steadying his mind.
"Start the draw."
The wheel spun instantly, radiating bright arcs of luminescent light.
Tick—tick—tick—tick—
The spinning slowed.
[Ding!Congratulations!You have obtained:〈Crimson Meridian Breathing〉 – High-Mortal Rank]
Lian Hong froze.
High-Mortal Rank?
Even the outer-sect elders wouldn't casually hand out a Mortal-rank technique. And he had pulled a high-tier one from a single draw?
In his past life, he struggled for years using flawed, incomplete breathing methods. His cultivation foundation had been unstable from the start.
But now—
He examined the technique.
〈Crimson Meridian Breathing〉 refined qi into a denser form, cleansing meridians and accelerating growth. Most importantly, it enhanced battle awareness—perfect for someone destined to fight above his level.
A treasure.
Even inner disciples would fight for something like this.
He closed his eyes, imprinting the technique into his mind. Lines of energy slowly formed in his meridian grid as he practiced the first cycle.
Qi surged more smoothly than ever.
[Attribute Points: 10Assign points?]
He hesitated.
Strength?Agility?Endurance?Spiritual Power?
This decision would shape his early growth.
He remembered all too clearly how Wei Changbai and his accomplices had toyed with him ten years later—smirking as they destroyed his future.
A cold light flashed in his eyes.
"System," he said quietly."Assign 5 points to Strength, 3 to Spiritual Power, 2 to Agility."
[Points assigned.Updating status…]
––––––––––––––––––––––[Status]Name: Lian HongAge: 15Cultivation: Qi Gathering – Second LayerStrength: 8Agility: 6Endurance: 3Spiritual Power: 5Unassigned Points: 0––––––––––––––––––––––
A wave of raw physical power flooded him, tightening his muscles and filling his limbs with explosive strength. His senses sharpened further; his hearing extended beyond the wooden walls, catching distant conversations of other servants.
He stood.
The fragile wooden bed creaked under the pressure of his rising aura.
He clenched his fist, and a faint ripple of qi surged around his knuckles.
This… this was power.
Power he never had at this age.Power he desperately wished for in his past life.Power he would use to rewrite fate.
Just as he was testing his strengthened body—
A voice echoed from outside his door, angry and impatient.
"Lian Hong! Overseer Chen wants all servant disciples at the training yard! And you better not be late this time!"
Zhou Shan again.
The corner of Lian Hong's mouth slowly curled upward.
In his previous life, he would have flinched, panicked, and rushed out in fear of punishment.
But this time—
He opened the door calmly.
Zhou Shan was about to continue yelling, but the words died in his throat when he met Lian Hong's gaze.
Something was different.The weak bully target he always mocked now stood with an aura that made his skin crawl.
"You… why are you looking at me like that?" Zhou Shan asked, voice cracking.
Lian Hong stepped toward him, eyes icy calm.
"No reason."
He walked past him without another word.
But in his heart, one thought burned like fire:
This is only the beginning.
Tomorrow, the entire servant quarter would realize—Lian Hong was no longer the boy they remembered.
He was someone reborn.
Someone rising.
Someone destined to ascend.