The night sky over Azure Cloud City was suffused with the faint glow of spiritual energy. Above the towering walls and glittering pavilions, a giant moon hung, casting its cold light upon the sprawling capital of the Northern Province.
Within a courtyard that had once been resplendent but now looked half-abandoned, a young man sat cross-legged on a cracked stone platform. His hair was messy, his face pale, and his clothes worn-out, though faint traces of noble embroidery still clung to the fabric.
This young man was Li Tianming, once the most talented cultivator of the Li Clan, but now the laughingstock of Azure Cloud City.
Two years ago, he had been hailed as a genius with unparalleled spiritual roots, destined to reach the Golden Core Realm before the age of twenty. But fate was cruel. During a secret realm expedition, his dantian was shattered by an ambush. His fiancée annulled their engagement, his clan cast him aside, and his friends abandoned him.
Now at nineteen, he was nothing more than a cripple, mocked as "Trash Young Master Li."
---
Despair and Awakening
Li Tianming coughed violently, a trace of blood staining his lips. His body was weak, unable to circulate even the thinnest wisp of qi.
"Pathetic," he muttered bitterly, staring at his trembling hands. "Is this my destiny? To live as a cripple, scorned by all?"
He remembered the look of disgust on his fiancée's face when she tore apart their engagement scroll. 'A cripple like you is not worthy of me.'
Hatred burned in his chest, but it was quickly swallowed by despair. For the past two years, he had tried every method—ancient medicines, obscure techniques, even begging wandering cultivators—but nothing restored his dantian.
Tonight, under the cold moonlight, he finally whispered, "Maybe it's better to end it all."
His trembling hands reached for a rusty dagger hidden beneath the stone platform. He pressed it against his chest, right where his heart was.
But before he could pierce his flesh, a sudden chime echoed inside his mind.
[Ding!]
"Heavenly Dao System initializing…"
"Host detected: Li Tianming."
"Synchronization complete. System fully bound."
Li Tianming froze, eyes wide.
"…What was that?"
A translucent panel suddenly appeared before his eyes, shining faintly with golden runes.
---
The System Appears
[Heavenly Dao System]
– Host: Li Tianming
– Cultivation: None (Dantian shattered)
– Talent: Sealed
– Current Status: On the verge of death
Main Quest Activated:
– Rise from the ashes. Restore cultivation within three months.
– Reward: Restoration of Dantian (First Stage: Qi Refining)
– Failure: Death
---
Li Tianming's breath quickened. His hands trembled, but this time not from weakness—from excitement.
"A… system?" he whispered, recalling the tales he had once heard in drunken taverns about mysterious legacies descending upon mortals.
The panel shimmered again.
[Additional Function Unlocked: System Shop]
– Items available: Body Tempering Elixirs, Basic Sword Arts, Foundation Pills…
[Additional Function Unlocked: System Lottery]
– One free spin granted.
---
The First Step
Hope surged within him for the first time in years.
"System," he said cautiously, "use the free lottery spin."
[Ding! Initiating lottery…]
The golden panel transformed into a spinning wheel filled with countless treasures—divine swords, celestial pills, jade scrolls, even ancient beasts. It spun rapidly before slowing down, landing on a glowing item.
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: "Heavenly Reconstruction Pill (One-time use)."]
Item Description: A pill forged from the essence of heaven and earth. It can restore a broken dantian and rebuild spiritual roots.
Li Tianming's eyes widened. He nearly dropped the dagger still clutched in his hand.
"This… this is real!"
With trembling hands, he summoned the pill into reality. A jade-like pellet appeared in his palm, glowing faintly with a soft golden light. The fragrance alone made his pores relax.
He swallowed it without hesitation.
---
Rebirth
The moment the pill entered his stomach, a torrent of heat exploded within his body. His veins burned as if molten lava surged through them.
"Aaaghhh!" Li Tianming screamed, clutching his abdomen as waves of pain and ecstasy alternated.
Inside his body, his shattered dantian began to knit together. Cracks closed, fragments fused, and soon a pristine spiritual core shimmered into existence. His meridians cleared, his blood surged, and his soul quivered with joy.
[Ding!]
"Congratulations, Host! Your dantian has been restored."
"Cultivation Level: Qi Refining, 1st Stage."
Li Tianming gasped, then laughed wildly. He lifted his hand, circulating qi for the first time in two years. A faint wisp of azure light danced on his fingertips.
"I'm… back!"
His laughter echoed across the courtyard, startling servants nearby.
---
Foreshadowing Rivals and Fate
But his joy quickly darkened into determination.
"Those who betrayed me, who mocked me, who trampled on me…" His eyes gleamed coldly. "I, Li Tianming, will return everything tenfold."
The System chimed again.
[Side Quest Activated: Humiliate your former fiancée, Zhao Yue, during the Azure Cloud Sect Entrance Trials.]
– Reward: Spiritual Root Enhancement + Unknown Item
– Failure: -1 Level penalty
Li Tianming's lips curved into a sharp grin. Zhao Yue—the woman who had discarded him—was the jewel of Azure Cloud Sect. Within a month, the entrance trials would be held, open to all youths of the province.
"Perfect," he murmured. "System, let's begin."
---
The First Encounter (Foreshadowing the Harem)
Just as he rose, a soft voice echoed from outside the courtyard.
"Young Master Li?"
He turned and froze. Standing at the gate was a young woman clad in a plain green dress. Her features were delicate yet striking, her black hair cascading like a waterfall. Though her clothes were simple, her clear eyes shone with quiet determination.
This was Su Ning, the daughter of a minor merchant. She had once admired Li Tianming's talent, even after his downfall, visiting him secretly with food and medicine.
Li Tianming felt his heart tremble. He had forgotten how beautiful she was under the moonlight.
"You're still here?" he asked softly.
She bit her lip, then stepped closer. "I… I heard you coughing again. Are you alright?"
He stared at her, then suddenly smiled—a real smile, the first in years.
"I'm more than alright," he said, clenching his fist as qi surged faintly around him. "Su Ning, from tonight onward, I'll rise again. And I promise… I'll protect those who stayed by my side."
Su Ning blinked, stunned by the fire in his eyes. For a moment, her cheeks flushed red.
Behind Li Tianming, the golden panel shimmered faintly.
[Potential Harem Member Detected: Su Ning. Compatibility 78%.]
Li Tianming blinked, nearly choking on his own breath.
"…System, what the hell is this function?"
[Ding! Host, as the chosen bearer of the Heavenly Dao System, your destiny involves not only strength but companions who shall aid your rise. Potential partners will be evaluated and recorded.]
Li Tianming's mouth twitched. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
But deep down, his blood boiled with excitement. Strength, revenge, and… companions?
His path as a cripple had ended.
His journey as a cultivator with a system had begun.