In the penthouse suite of a gleaming skyscraper, Lin Xuan stood before floor-to-ceiling windows, watching a rain-slicked city blur under the neon haze. The skyline stretched endlessly, a glittering testament to his empire—XuanTech, the world's most valuable multinational conglomerate.
At just 39 years old, Lin Xuan had turned a startup built in his college dorm into a titan of industry. His face graced the covers of financial magazines. Politicians courted him. Rivals feared him.
But inside?
He was tired.
He loosened his tie and returned to his desk, the walls of his office lined with polished wood, priceless art, and accolades. Every item screamed success. Yet as he sat in the expensive leather chair, a dull ache echoed in his chest—a longing, not for power, but for purpose.
His eyes drifted to an old photo on his desk, him and his early team, back when the company operated out of a rented apartment. They were laughing, arms slung around each other, celebrating the first small client they'd landed. They'd eaten instant noodles that night like it was a feast.
A smile crept onto Lin Xuan's face. That had been real joy. The struggle, the camaraderie, the thrill of building something from nothing.
"Have I already peaked?" he murmured.
The office was silent.
He leaned back, eyes growing heavy, and sleep took him—deep and sudden.
Across realms, in a world where spiritual energy pulsed through the very air, an old man sat slumped in a crumbling stone hall. Dust choked the once-sacred space, cobwebs stretching from cracked beams to broken ancestral tablets.
He was Shi Liang, the last disciple of the Myriad Heavens Pavilion.
Alone.
Weak.
Failed.
He drank cheap wine from a clay jug, his cultivation stuck in early Qi Condensation despite being nearly 40. No one would join a sect with no disciples, no resources, and no future. The Pavilion, once the strongest force in the empire, was now a forgotten ruin—its name buried under the weight of betrayal and time.
"They all left... all gone…" he muttered. "Maybe... if I'd been stronger…"
He stumbled to his feet, swaying, and kicked aside a piece of rotted wood—only to trip on hidden debris beneath the dust. He fell forward, head cracking sharply against an untouched ancestral tablet.
Blood bloomed. The stone hummed.
A pulse of light surged from the tablet, arcs of golden energy leaping into the air. The wine jug shattered. Wind howled inside the sealed hall.
And far away, across space , Lin Xuan's soul stirred.
With a start, Lin Xuan jolted upright.
But something was wrong.
This wasn't his office. The air smelled of mold and ancient incense. His sleek black suit was replaced with coarse robes. Dust clung to everything. And the body—this wasn't his body. It was older. Firmer. Scarred. And his hands were calloused, fingers weathered by labor, not luxury.
Before he could rise fully, a blue screen materialized in the air before him.
[Sect Revival Protocol Activated]Host: Lin XuanSoul Source: Earth, Mortal PlaneVessel: Shi Liang (Last Disciple of Myriad Heavens Pavilion – deceased)Objective: Restore the glory of the Pavilion. Let no one defile its name again.Initializing System...
"…What… is this?" he whispered, brows furrowed.
He stumbled to his feet, disoriented. "A dream?" He touched his chest. "No… this feels real. Too real."
Then the system's voice echoed in his mind—calm, mechanical, and dispassionate.
"Welcome, Sect Master Lin Xuan. You have been summoned by the residual will of the Pavilion's ancestors to inherit its legacy and lead its restoration."
"Restoration? Legacy?" Lin Xuan turned in place, eyes adjusting to the decaying interior. A single room. Shattered plaques. Half a roof. No disciples. "…Some legacy."
"Current Sect Resources: None.Current Sect Reputation: Nonexistent.Sect Members: One (You)."
Lin Xuan sighed. "Of course."
"Your first task is simple. Restore dignity to the ancestral hall. Clear the debris. Clean the statues. Dust the tablets. Honor demands cleanliness."
A chime echoed.
[Mission: Clean the Ancestral Hall]Reward: Unlock Heaven's Treasury (Basic Tier), +50 Sect PointsNote: Completion is mandatory. Even divine legacies don't tolerate filth.
He blinked. "Let me get this straight… I've been reborn in another world, put in charge of a dead sect, and my first mission is to… sweep?"
"Correct."
"Well. At least some things are universal."
He rolled up his sleeves—though they were already threadbare—and got to work. He dragged broken beams outside, coughed through the dust, and used ancient rags to wipe down stone tablets. At one point, he fought with a territorial squirrel nesting in the rafters.
Two hours later, sweaty and aching, he collapsed onto a half-splintered bench.
[Mission Complete]Heaven's Treasury (Basic Tier) Unlocked+50 Sect Points AcquiredNew Function: Weekly Draw Unlocked
A soft hum filled the air as a translucent golden shop screen unfolded before him.
Dozens of items shimmered in rows:
[Qi Recovery Pill x3] – 15 Points
[Beginner Alchemy Furnace] – 35 Points
[Low-Tier Spiritual Herb Seeds] – 20 Points
[Ironwood Sword (Mortal-Grade)] – 30 Points
[Basic Cultivation Technique Scroll] – 25 Points
[Map of Local Region: Broken Earth Valley] – 10 Points
And in a separate, locked section:
[Heaven Devouring Physique] – 50,000 Points
[Nascent Divinity Artifact: Voidcleaver Spear] – 80,000 Points
[Ancient Phoenix Bloodline (Incomplete)] – 100,000 Points
"…Right. That's not happening anytime soon."
He tapped to inspect the shop's rules.
Heaven's Treasury Regulations:
Items refresh weekly.
Limited stock per item per cycle.
Item tier is influenced by Sect Rank and Reputation.
Basic Draw: 1 Free Draw per Week
Lin Xuan muttered, "A gacha system? Of course there's a gacha. Wouldn't be a system without one."
He selected the free pull. The screen spun like a wheel of fortune, glowing with symbols and cryptic item names. It finally stopped with a triumphant ding.
You have obtained: [Three-Seal Talisman – Foundation Blocker]Description: Nullifies up to 3 attacks from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Single-use.
Lin Xuan stared. "I get summoned across worlds and my first pull isn't some heaven-defying technique or divine inheritance—it's a glorified panic button?"
"Survival is also glory."
"Sure. Let's go with that."
Just then, the system chimed again.
[Main Quest Activated: Establish New Sect Grounds]Objective: Locate a Spirit Vein of Adequate PurityReward: Unlock Sect Construction MenuNote: The Pavilion cannot be rebuilt on rotten roots.
Lin Xuan rubbed his temples.
"So… I just cleaned this whole hall for nothing?"
"Correct."
He groaned and looked at the dusty ancestral tablet. "You people couldn't have left a floor plan?"
Still, he smiled faintly. The fatigue of his old life felt distant. In this strange new world, purpose burned fresh in his chest.
Lin Xuan—the man who built an empire from nothing—was back where he belonged.
Building again.
But this time?
He would raise a legacy so mighty, even the heavens would bow.