Lin Feng's eyes fluttered open to a throbbing ache that pulsed behind his temples, sharp enough to make him wince. The first thing he registered was the texture of the bedding beneath him—not the soft cotton sheets of his apartment, but a scratchy, threadbare straw mat that dug into his forearms and cheek. The air around him carried a strange, earthy mix of scents: mildewed wood from the walls of the hut, the faint bitterness of low-grade healing herbs (likely leftover from whatever injury this body had sustained), and a distant whiff of damp soil, as if the very air breathed in the forest that surrounded the place. It was nothing like the familiar smells of his former life—the sharp, roasted aroma of the coffee he brewed every morning, the faint ink tang of the documents he'd spent endless overtime hours reviewing, or the distant hum of traffic that seeped through his apartment windows at night. For a moment, he lay there, disoriented, wondering if he'd fallen asleep at his desk again and stumbled into a particularly vivid dream.
But then the memories hit—fast, fragmented, and overwhelming, like shards of glass piercing his mind. He saw flashes of a different life: a small boy with the same name, Lin Feng, growing up in a stone courtyard surrounded by people in flowing, pale-blue robes, all of them murmuring about "spiritual qi" and "cultivation." He saw the boy's hands trembling as he tried to mimic the others, sitting cross-legged and focusing on drawing something invisible from the air—only to slump in defeat, time and time again. He saw the sneers, the sideways glances, the way other children would knock his training tools to the ground and call him "useless." And finally, he saw the most recent memory: the boy, thin and gaunt, carrying two heavy buckets of water toward the inner disciples' quarters, his shoulders hunched under the weight. A sudden bump—he'd stumbled into two taller boys, spilling a splash of water on their robes—and then the violence: a fist to the stomach, a shove that sent him crashing to the stone path, the sickening crack of ribs, and the sound of laughter as the two boys walked away, leaving him curled on the ground, gasping for breath.
Lin Feng's chest tightened, not just from the phantom pain of that memory, but from the realization that this wasn't a dream. He'd died—he remembered it clearly now. He'd been at his desk at 2 a.m., staring at a spreadsheet that blurred in front of his eyes, when a crushing pain had wrapped around his chest, squeezing so hard he couldn't breathe. He'd reached for his phone to call for help, but his arm had gone limp, and the last thing he'd seen was the glow of his laptop screen reflecting off the office walls. That had been the end of his life as a 28-year-old data analyst in a cramped city office. Now, he was trapped in the body of a teenage boy in a world he didn't understand—a world where "spiritual qi" determined your worth, and being unable to draw it made you an outcast.
This body's original owner, he pieced together, was also named Lin Feng, an outer disciple of the Qingmu Sect. Once, the Qingmu Sect had been a respected name in the Qingyun Domain, known for its mastery of wood-element cultivation and herbalism. But now, it was a shadow of its former self—its senior disciples had left for stronger sects, its resources had dwindled, and the remaining members scraped by, clinging to the sect's fading reputation. For the original Lin Feng, born without the ability to sense or absorb spiritual qi, life here had been a endless cycle of humiliation. The other outer disciples mocked him as a "qi-deficient nobody," the inner disciples ignored him unless they needed someone to haul water or clean their quarters, and even the sect elders barely spared him a glance. Yesterday's beating had been the final straw—his cracked ribs had gone untreated, and he'd slipped away in this tiny, dilapidated wooden hut, alone and forgotten. Until Lin Feng, the man from another world, had woken up in his place.
He tried to sit up, testing the limits of his new body. A sharp pain lanced through his chest, making him grunt, and he fell back against the straw mat, his breath coming in shallow gasps. His arms felt like twigs, his legs thin and weak—this boy had clearly been malnourished, his body worn down by years of hard labor and neglect. He closed his eyes, trying to calm the panic that was rising in his throat. What was he supposed to do here? He knew nothing about cultivation, nothing about this world's rules, and he was stuck in a body that couldn't even defend itself. Back home, he'd solved problems with spreadsheets and deadlines, not fists or "spiritual qi." This was a nightmare.
Just as he was about to sink into despair, the hut's splintered wooden door was kicked open with a violent crash. The sound made him jump, and he looked up to see two boys standing in the doorway, their figures backlit by the afternoon sun. They were both taller than him, with the same pale-blue outer disciple robes, but theirs were cleaner, their postures confident—no doubt the ones who'd beaten the original Lin Feng yesterday. The one on the left was broad-shouldered, with a square jaw and a scowl that seemed permanent; the memory in his mind labeled him as Zhang Dazhuang, a brute who liked to pick on anyone weaker than him. The one on the right was slighter, but his eyes were sharp with malice—Li Er, who was even worse than Zhang Dazhuang, always quick to egg on violence and mock those he considered beneath him.
"Well, well, look who's finally awake," Zhang Dazhuang said, striding into the hut with heavy steps that made the wooden floor creak. He stopped beside the straw mat and kicked it hard with his boot, sending a jolt through Lin Feng's body that made his ribs scream. "Thought you'd play dead forever, huh, qi-deficient loser?"
Li Er leaned against the doorframe, folding his arms and snickering. "Told you he was faking it. A waste like him doesn't have the guts to die. He just likes lying around while the rest of us work." He nodded toward the door. "The backyard water vat's empty. The inner disciples need fresh water for their evening baths—go fill it up. Now."
Lin Feng's jaw tightened. He could feel the anger bubbling up inside him—not just for this body's original owner, but for himself. In his past life, he'd never been one to pick fights, but he'd also never let anyone walk over him like this. He stared up at Zhang Dazhuang, his voice hoarse from disuse. "I can't. My ribs are broken."
Zhang Dazhuang laughed, a loud, cruel sound. "Broken? So what? You think a nobody like you gets to rest? The inner disciples don't care if you're hurt—they want their water. Get up, or I'll drag you up." He reached down, his large hand hovering over Lin Feng's arm, ready to yank him to his feet.
Li Er snickered again. "If he doesn't move, let's just drag him to the beast woods. The First-Rank spirit wolves there love weak little snacks. Maybe they'll put him out of his misery."
The threat made Lin Feng's blood run cold. He didn't know what a "First-Rank spirit wolf" was, but from the way Li Er said it, it was something deadly. He tried to push himself up again, gritting his teeth against the pain, but his arms gave out, and he fell back, dizziness swirling in his head. His vision started to blur at the edges, the faces of Zhang Dazhuang and Li Er growing indistinct. He could hear their laughter, but it sounded like it was coming from far away, as if he was sinking into a deep pool.
This is it, he thought. I died once, and now I'm going to die again—this time, eaten by some monster, all because I'm stuck in a body that can't fight back. The despair was overwhelming, heavier than the pain in his chest. He closed his eyes, waiting for the darkness to take him.
But just as his consciousness was about to slip away, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly cut through the void in his mind—clear, crisp, and entirely alien.
[Detecting host at critical life threshold… Vital signs dropping below acceptable parameters…]
[Initiating emergency protocol: Star Evolution System binding sequence activated…]
[Binding progress: 10%… 25%… 45%… Energy signature stabilized. Continuing binding…]
[70%… 90%… 100%! Binding successful.]
[Star Evolution System online. Greetings, Host Lin Feng. Initial status scan in progress…]
Lin Feng's eyes shot open. The voice was inside his head—no one else could hear it. He stared up at Zhang Dazhuang, who was still sneering down at him, oblivious to the strange phenomenon unfolding in Lin Feng's mind. What was this? A system? Like the ones he'd read about in the webnovels he'd sometimes binged on during his lunch breaks?
Before he could process the thought, the mechanical voice spoke again, this time with a hint of urgency.
[Host status: Severe rib fractures (2), moderate malnutrition, zero spiritual qi absorption ability, low muscle mass. Immediate intervention required to prevent host death.]
[Issuing emergency Novice Quest: Survive the next 10 minutes. Objective: Repel or evade immediate threats (Zhang Dazhuang, Li Er) and maintain vital signs. Reward: 1 bottle of Low-Grade Qi-Nourishing Elixir, basic system interface unlock.]
Lin Feng's heart raced. A quest? A reward? For the first time since he'd woken up in this world, a spark of hope flickered in his chest. He looked up at Zhang Dazhuang, who was now reaching down to grab his arm, and something in him shifted—fear turned to determination. He wasn't going to die here. Not now. Not when he had a chance.
He tensed his body, ignoring the screaming pain in his ribs, and waited for Zhang Dazhuang's hand to close around his arm. When it did, he summoned every ounce of strength he had and yanked his arm away, causing Zhang Dazhuang to stumble forward, off balance.
"What the—!" Zhang Dazhuang snarled, turning to glare at him.
Lin Feng scrambled backward, using the wall to push himself into a sitting position, his back pressed against the rough wood. He didn't know how he was going to survive the next 10 minutes, but he knew he had to try. The system was his only lifeline—and for the first time in this terrible new world, he felt like he might have a fighting chance.
Zhang Dazhuang recovered his balance and stepped forward, his fists clenched. "You little bastard—you think you can fight back?"
Lin Feng stared him down, his voice steadier than he felt. "I'm not moving. And if you touch me again, you'll regret it."
It was a bluff—he had no idea how to back it up—but for a split second, Zhang Dazhuang hesitated. The Lin Feng he'd known had always cowered and begged. This version, with fire in his eyes and a steady voice, was something new.
Li Er, noticing the hesitation, stepped forward from the doorframe. "Don't let him trick you, Dazhuang! He's just bluffing. Beat him until he can't stand—then drag him to the water vat!"
Zhang Dazhuang's scowl returned, and he lunged forward, his fist aimed at Lin Feng's chest. Lin Feng's heart jumped—he couldn't dodge, not with his broken ribs. But just as the fist was about to connect, the system's voice sounded again.
[Warning: Imminent physical impact detected. Suggested evasion maneuver: Tuck left shoulder, roll 45 degrees to the right. Utilize opponent's momentum to avoid critical damage.]
Lin Feng didn't hesitate. He followed the system's instructions, tucking his left shoulder and rolling to the right as fast as he could. The movement sent a wave of agony through his ribs, but it worked—Zhang Dazhuang's fist slammed into the wall where Lin Feng had been sitting, leaving a small dent in the wood.
Zhang Dazhuang roared in frustration, turning to glare at Lin Feng, who was now huddled in the corner of the hut, gasping for breath but alive.
[Quest progress: 3 minutes remaining. Host has evaded initial threat. Continue evasion or repel threats to complete quest.]
Lin Feng's mind raced. He had seven more minutes. He just needed to hold on a little longer. He looked around the tiny hut, searching for anything he could use as a weapon—a piece of wood, a stone, anything. His eyes landed on a small, sharpened wooden stick in the corner, left over from when the original Lin Feng had tried to carve a bowl. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
As Zhang Dazhuang lunged at him again, Lin Feng grabbed the stick and held it out in front of him, pointing the sharpened end at Zhang Dazhuang's chest. "Stay back," he said, his voice trembling but firm. "I'll use this."
Zhang Dazhuang froze, staring at the stick. He was bigger and stronger, but the sharpened wood could still pierce his skin. Li Er, who had been watching from the door, cursed under his breath. "He's not worth getting hurt over, Dazhuang. Let's just tell the inner disciples he refused. They'll deal with him later."
Zhang Dazhuang hesitated, then spat on the ground at Lin Feng's feet. "You're lucky, you little rat. Next time, I won't be so nice." He turned and stormed toward the door, Li Er following close behind. The two of them slammed the door shut as they left, the sound echoing in the small hut.
Lin Feng collapsed back against the wall, his body shaking from adrenaline and pain. He looked at the system interface that had popped up in his mind—a simple blue screen showing his status, the quest progress, and a countdown timer.
[Quest progress: 9 minutes 45 seconds. Immediate threats eliminated. Vital signs stable.]
[Quest "Survive the next 10 minutes" completed! Reward issued: 1 bottle of Low-Grade Qi-Nourishing Elixir. Basic system interface unlocked.]
A small, glass bottle materialized in Lin Feng's hand—warm to the touch, filled with a pale green liquid that glowed faintly. The system's voice spoke again, softer this time.
[Low-Grade Qi-Nourishing Elixir: Restores minor physical damage, boosts spiritual qi absorption efficiency (temporarily). Suggested usage: Consume immediately to treat rib fractures and initiate spiritual qi sensing.]
Lin Feng stared at the bottle, then at the closed door. He was alive. He'd survived. And for the first time since he'd arrived in this world, he didn't feel like a helpless outcast anymore. He had a system—a tool that could help him get stronger, that could help him survive.
He uncorked the bottle and drank the elixir in one gulp. It tasted bitter, but almost immediately, a warm sensation spread through his chest, easing the pain of his broken ribs. He closed his eyes, savoring the relief, and smiled.
This world was dangerous, and he had a long way to go. But he wasn't alone anymore. The Star Evolution System was with him—and together, they were going to turn this "qi-deficient outcast" into something more.