In a secluded village nestled between sharp emerald peaks and mist-covered waterfalls, a child was born under a cursed star.
Well… "cursed" according to Elder Wu, who had been drinking fermented plum wine since the rooster crowed.
"He's got the Mark of Mischief!" Elder Wu declared, holding a chicken feather up like a divine artifact. "This child will bring chaos!"
The midwife rolled her eyes. "That's just a birthmark, Elder. And he hasn't even cried."
Indeed, the infant lay swaddled in soft cloth, blinking curiously at the confused adults hovering over him. Most newborns wailed. This one yawned.
"Is… is he okay?" his mother whispered, clutching her husband's arm.
Her husband, a tall, good-natured man with calloused hands, leaned in closer. "He's smiling."
And he was. Baby Shen Yuan smiled like he had a secret.
Because he did.
Somewhere between the birthing canal and the breath of life, the memories had hit him like a divine slap to the face. He wasn't just Shen Yuan. He was Shen Yuan again. Third time now, if anyone was counting.
First life: Earth. Career? Struggling stand-up comic. Died from slipping on instant noodles during a livestream. Second life: Transmigrated into a noble family in the Realm of Ashes. Cultivated like a maniac. Died from hugging a spirit beast that looked like a puppy. Spoiler: It wasn't a puppy.
Now? He was apparently born into a backwater village with no spiritual energy in the air, no apparent cultivation sects nearby, and a roof that leaked.
"Wonderful," Baby Shen Yuan thought, waving his tiny arms. "I'm rural now."
But he wasn't alone.
[Initializing system…]
A blue window appeared above him, visible only to his spiritual sense.
[Welcome, Host, to the Infinite Potential Rebirth System!]
[New life detected: Synchronizing destiny…]
[World difficulty: Extreme]
[Fortune rating: Negative Twelve Rabbits]
[You have been blessed with the following starter pack:
- Basic Qi Sense
- Hidden Storage Pouch (0.5 cubic meters)
- One (1) rubber chicken of unknown purpose]
Shen Yuan blinked again. The system was back. So was the rubber chicken. Always the rubber chicken.
---
As the years passed, Shen Yuan became the village oddity.
He laughed more than he cried, made pets out of chickens, and somehow convinced Old Man Hu to build him a miniature dojo out of dried bamboo.
At age four, he single-handedly orchestrated the Great Duck Migration of Spring by pretending to be a river spirit.
At age five, he fell into the well chasing a squirrel and came back up with a glowing stone and mild spiritual awakening.
"Young Yuan is… unique," the village chief muttered.
"Blessed!" his mother said firmly. "He dreams of flying!"
"From the roof," someone added. "Without ropes."
By age six, he'd mastered the village's five basic exercises, given nicknames to every tree on the east hill, and begun talking to clouds. They didn't answer, but he claimed they had "attitude."
It was around this time the system chimed again.
[Quest Available: Begin Path of Cultivation]
[Objective: Reach Qi Gathering Stage 1]
[Reward: Basic Cultivation Manual (comically outdated edition)]
[Warning: You are currently surrounded by mortals. Expect zero support.]
"Well, no pressure," Shen Yuan muttered.
He snuck away to the forest behind his village armed with nothing but an old mat, a weird breathing technique he pieced together from his dreams, and the rubber chicken.
---
The forest was serene, the air unusually still. Shen Yuan sat cross-legged under a willow tree, focusing on his breath.
"Inhale... hold... pretend I'm not being eaten alive by mosquitoes… exhale."
The system's voice chimed in.
[Tip: Qi is gathered best when your mind is still.]
"My mind is always still," Shen Yuan whispered. "It's the rest of the world that's too loud."
[Correction: Your mind is currently thinking about dumplings.]
He sighed.
Still, he pressed on. One breath. Then another. The sky shifted. The wind quieted. A faint warmth stirred in his dantian.
[Progress: 3%]
[4%]
Then, the branch above him snapped.
A squirrel fell on his head.
He shrieked. The squirrel shrieked. Birds scattered.
[Qi gathering… interrupted.]
Shen Yuan fell backward, groaning.
"So this is how geniuses start, huh?"
---
Despite everything, the progress was real. By age eight, Shen Yuan had actually entered Qi Gathering Stage 1, albeit through chaotic, squirrel-infested meditations.
That's when destiny finally took notice.
A wandering cultivator passed through the village one rainy evening. Cloaked in white robes, silver hair trailing behind him like mist, the man radiated power.
Everyone bowed. Shen Yuan, naturally, asked if he was lost.
The cultivator blinked. "I sense… something odd about you."
"That's what my uncle said before I turned his latrine into a furnace," Shen Yuan replied brightly.
The cultivator stared at him for a long moment, then chuckled. "Come with me."
And just like that, Shen Yuan was taken to the Mistcloud Sect.
Except he wasn't taken as a disciple.
No. He was taken as the sect's kitchen helper.
---
"Do I look like a cabbage boy to you?" he whispered, dumping carrots into a boiling pot.
[New Quest: Cook ten meals that make a cultivator cry with joy]
[Reward: Improved Spiritual Perception + Bonus Recipe: Fiery Phoenix Noodles]
"System, are you trying to make me a chef?"
[Path to immortality is paved with unusual ingredients.]
He groaned. Then tasted the broth. Then… smiled.
"…Maybe I'll be the first Grandmaster to win a cooking competition."
Outside, the sect elders debated his future. "He has no bloodline," one muttered.
"Too cheerful," another said.
"Too loud," a third added.
But the wandering cultivator, Master Zhen, only smiled. "Mark my words. That boy… he'll shake the heavens."
And possibly set them on fire.