Kunlun Realm, Eastern Region, Wasteland Province
An old man, his long white hair trailing down to his waist, stood by a tranquil mountain lake. Dressed in black robes and leaning heavily on a weathered cane, he stared into the water, stunned by the reflection that stared back at him.
"…What the hell?!!!"
Ye Junlin could hardly believe it.
All he'd done was doze off during class, and the next thing he knew, he'd woken up in an entirely different world — and worse, in the body of someone else.
As he stared at the deeply wrinkled face in the water, veins popped on his forehead. Rage boiled in his chest, and his whole body trembled as he let out a furious roar.
"Is there no justice left in this world?!"
Other people in novels who transmigrated ended up as peerless geniuses from prestigious clans, holy sons of ancient sects, or at the very least, handsome youths with decent prospects. But him? He'd become some decrepit old man with no energy left in his bones?
From the memories that came flooding into his mind, Ye Junlin quickly learned the truth.
This world was called the Kunlun Realm, a vast land where cultivation reigned supreme. Here, one could soar through the skies on flying swords, tear mountains from the earth, and stir the seas with a flick of the wrist. Only the strong were respected.
The original owner of this body was none other than the Peak Master of Misty Peak, one of the core peaks of the Xuantian Sect—a sect ranked among the six great powers in the Wasteland Province of the Eastern Region.
In his prime, the old man had been a revered figure, a prodigy who reached the Core Formation realm at a young age. His talent once shook the entire Wasteland Province.
But decades ago, during a crusade against a group of evil cultivators, he was ambushed by several of them at once. Though he miraculously survived, his dantian was shattered in the process. With his foundation destroyed, his cultivation collapsed overnight. From that day forward, he became a cripple.
In the years that followed, he fell into despair. Aimless and despondent, he isolated himself atop Misty Peak, letting the years slip by in silence.
The elders and sect leaders of the Xuantian Sect could only sigh with regret as they watched the former peerless genius fade into obscurity, powerless to change his fate.
"In other words... I'm just an ordinary person now. Based on my age..."
Ye Junlin froze.
A creeping sense of dread surged through his chest like icy water.
Wait a second.
This body... is already 110 years old!
The only reason it hadn't turned to dust yet was because the previous owner had consumed a ton of life-extending pills back when he was still a cultivator. But even with all that alchemy, in mortal terms, this body was hanging onto life by its last thread!
If he didn't do something soon, he'd be joining the ancestors any day now!
"No way... I just got transmigrated! You're telling me I'm about to say goodbye to this world already?!"
Just when despair was about to swallow him whole, Ye Junlin's eyes lit up.
"Wait! I still have a chance! Now's usually when the golden finger appears!"
As a veteran of countless online novels, Ye Junlin knew the drill. He steadied his breathing, lifted his head high, and slammed the ground dramatically with his cane. With a heroic expression on his wrinkled face, he shouted into the sky:
"Yo, System! Your daddy is here! Hurry up and show yourself already!"
…
Nothing.
"..."
Ye Junlin's eyebrow twitched.
"Playing hard to get, huh? Quit messing around and come out already!"
Still silence.
Ye Junlin panicked a little. His tone softened.
"Big bro System, my bad! I was joking! Just... say something. Anything!"
Still no response.
"…Maybe… maybe it's not a system story. Maybe it's that old-man-in-a-ring kind of plot?"
Hope reignited, he immediately started groping himself all over.
Sure enough — a ring! A plain, ancient-looking one tucked away in his sleeve.
With great anticipation, he leaned in close and whispered:
"Master, are you in there...?"
The ring stayed as silent as a rock.
Ye Junlin narrowed his eyes.
"Old man, I know you're in there! Quit pretending!"
Ring: "..."
"…Does it need a drop of blood to activate?"
Without hesitation, he bit his finger and dripped blood onto the ring.
One second… five seconds… ten seconds passed.
Nothing.
Pah!
Ye Junlin angrily threw the ring on the ground.
"No golden finger, no system, no old man?! Then what the hell was the point of this transmigration?!"
He looked down at his wrinkled hands and let out a miserable groan.
"With this old body and brittle bones, I might actually die from just tripping on a rock!"
The more Ye Junlin thought about his situation, the angrier he got. He jabbed his cane toward the sky and let out a furious stream of curses:
"Goddammit! You've gotta be kidding me! F%#@! &%#*! — AHHHHH!!"
Two minutes later...
[Ding! It has been detected that the host's vocabulary is too vulgar. This system was forced to activate early. Please stop cursing and become a civilized person!]
A cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Ye Junlin froze. His eyes widened. His hands clutched his chest in shock, and he nearly collapsed from cardiac arrest.
"S-System?! You're real?! You finally showed up! I was this close to believing I got thrown into one of those boring powerless slice-of-life transmigrations!"
[Apologies. This system was in deep sleep. I've just woken up.]
"What?! You were asleep?! Is this how you treat a newly transmigrated host?! Where's the professionalism?!"
[Ding. Host, please mind your tone. This system is very professional.]
"…Alright, fine. But at least change your voice! You sound like an emotionless printer! Since you're so 'professional,' gimme something spicy. Gimme a sexy MILF voice!"
[System is loading new voice packs...]
[Ding! Sexy MILF voice successfully installed. Is the host satisfied?]
In the next instant, the system's tone shifted from robotic to a rich, sultry voice — smooth and seductive, with a teasing lilt that sent shivers down Ye Junlin's spine.
Ye Junlin blinked.
"Yo... You actually did it?! This system's kinda based?!"
[Ding. As compensation for the delay, the host will now receive a newbie gift pack. Would you like to open it?]
"Hell yes! Open that baby!"
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving the special ability: Strength Through Adversity!]
[Effect: Whenever you face an opponent stronger than you, regardless of their cultivation realm, you will instantly break through to a realm higher than theirs — on the spot!]
"...EHHHH?!"
Ye Junlin's jaw dropped. "Wait wait wait — are you serious? So like, I'm a mortal right now. If I go up to, say... an Immortal, I'd just BAM! instantly surpass him?!"
[Ding. This system is no-nonsense. Try it and see. Guaranteed results~]
Ye Junlin stood there, stunned. His breathing quickened.
"If... if that's true, then... I've basically ascended in life! No more cultivating step by step — just find powerful people and zoom past them!"
"Cultivation? What cultivation? Just go provoke monsters and walk away stronger than them! HAHAHA!"
[Ding! Warm reminder: This system has scanned the host's body. Current remaining lifespan — one hour.]
"...What?! ONE HOUR?!"
Ye Junlin panicked. "I'm really about to die?! Now?! Right after getting this cheat?!"
His eyes darted around wildly. Then a wild idea struck him.
"Wait... if I can find someone stronger than me and challenge them, I'll immediately surpass them — and my life span should increase too!"
After making up his mind, Ye Junlin gritted his teeth and began hobbling forward with his cane, determined to find someone — anyone — to provoke before his hour ran out.
Unfortunately, his current body was already circling the drain. The further he walked, the more his legs wobbled. After just a few minutes, he was gasping like an asthmatic donkey and seeing stars.
Looking at the winding mountain path that still stretched far below, he nearly collapsed from frustration.
"Damn it! Why did this old guy have to isolate himself up in the mountains for decades?! Now I've inherited this useless body and I can't even get down the damn hill!"
Just then—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sect bell rang out — loud and urgent.
All throughout the Xuantian Sect, alarm spread like wildfire. That bell only rang for one reason:
The sect was under attack.
RUMBLE—
Dark clouds rolled in overhead like ink spilling across the sky. A flock of massive, sinister birds loomed on the horizon, each one radiating overwhelming demonic energy. Their screeches shook the heavens as their wings stirred violent gusts of wind.
Ye Junlin's scalp tingled.
"…What the hell is happening now?"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dozens of dazzling halos rose across the sect's mountain range as the great formation activated. Spiritual light exploded into the sky as layers of protective arrays came online.
Disciples and elders alike flooded out of their courtyards, magic weapons in hand, their expressions solemn as they took battle positions.
"WHO DARES?!"
"Which evildoer dares to cause trouble for my Xuantian Sect?!"
A thunderous voice echoed across the mountains.
Sect Master Xu Younian had arrived, his robes billowing as he hovered mid-air. One by one, the other peak masters followed, surrounding him with powerful auras that distorted the air.
And then—
"You worms of Xuantian Sect! You didn't expect this demon king to still be alive, did you?!"
A sinister voice echoed across the sky, filled with hatred.
"I'll slaughter every last one of you today!"
The speaker was the Azure Roc Demon King, his monstrous bird-like form looming above, eyes burning with resentment.
Xu Younian narrowed his eyes.
"So it's you, you wicked beast…"
Ten years ago, the Azure Roc demon clan had carried out a brutal massacre in Wasteland Province, slaughtering people of the Li Kingdom. Xuantian Sect had been called in to stop them — and it was Xu Younian himself who led the assault and decimated their forces.
Back then, he personally struck down the Azure Roc Demon King, sending him plummeting off a cliff. His survival had been uncertain ever since.
Until now.
"You may have forgotten," the Azure Roc Demon King snarled, "but I remember everything — the humiliation, the agony. I crawled out of that abyss just to return and destroy you all!"
Xu Younian's voice was cold. "You think you can wipe out my sect with this ragtag flock of yours?"
The demon king sneered.
"Oh? You think I'd come back just like that?"
BOOM!
A terrifying surge of spiritual pressure erupted from his body, blanketing the entire sect like a tidal wave.
Nascent Soul Realm.
The pressure shook the mountaintops. Clouds exploded. Even the strongest disciples stumbled backward, blood seeping from their lips.
Xu Younian's face changed dramatically.
"You… you broke through?!"
He himself was still stuck at Core Formation, unable to advance despite years of closed-door cultivation.
But this monster — this fiend who should've died ten years ago — had somehow survived, cultivated in secret, and now returned as a Nascent Soul powerhouse?
In a province as remote as the Wasteland Province, just one Nascent Soul cultivator was enough to stand above all others — like a god among men.
"Sect Master, what should we do?!"
The seven Peak Masters hovered behind Xu Younian, their expressions grim.
Xu Younian clenched his jaw. "At this point, we have no choice but to fight!"
In the air above, the Azure Roc Demon King let out a piercing screech. His massive wings swept down, causing violent gales to tear through the sky.
From afar, he looked like a cyan comet crashing from the heavens, exuding pure destruction.
"Kill every last one of them! Leave nothing behind!"
"YES, YOUR MAJESTY!"
A swarm of demonic birds shrieked and dove down in formation. Some opened their beaks and unleashed beams of blazing light, while others tucked their wings and swooped like living missiles toward the sect's formation.
"Swear to defend Xuantian Sect to the death!"
Xu Younian roared, drawing his sword. With a shout, all disciples surged forward, filling the sky with glowing blades, spiritual light, and blood-curdling battle cries.
Back on Misty Peak, Ye Junlin stood dumbfounded as chaos unfolded in the sky.
And then—he realized.
His eyes lit up. He waved his cane wildly and screamed toward the battlefield:
"HEY! SOMEONE! QUICK, HIT ME!
I NEED TO BE ATTACKED! PUNCH ME IN THE FACE RIGHT NOW!!"
But his desperate cries were completely drowned out by the thunder of clashing spells and demonic roars.
Everyone was too busy trying not to die.
[Ding! System reminder: Host currently has 10 minutes of lifespan remaining.
Please take immediate action to prolong life.]
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
Ye Junlin almost spat blood. He slammed his cane against the ground and paced in circles like a dying chicken.
"I've only got ten minutes left?! You couldn't have warned me earlier?! You're really trying to rush me into reincarnation before I even get to use my starter pack?!"
He looked up at the sky, helpless.
"Am I really gonna die like this? Before I even get to flex? Before I even get one cool entrance?"
The dream of becoming an immortal… was starting to flicker.
And death was now only minutes away.