Li Shen groggily opened his eyes as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the small window of his outer disciple quarters. His muscles ached in protest, every joint stiff from yesterday's grueling Ironwood labor. The faint scent of dust and sweat clung to the air. He had expected another day of weariness—perhaps a dull morning stretching into endless chores and aching limbs.
But something unusual caught his attention.
A faint shimmer hovered above his wooden desk, forming the outline of a translucent screen. Symbols and geometric lines glowed faintly within the air, neither illusion nor Qi manifestation. It was unlike anything he had ever seen in this world—or any world, for that matter.
[Do you wish to synchronize with the system?]
Li Shen blinked in disbelief. "System? Synchronize… with what?" he muttered, rubbing his temples.
[Host recognition confirmed. Soul integrity at 100%. Energy interface stable.]
His breath caught. That voice—it wasn't human. Calm, precise, mechanical… eerily reminiscent of the synthetic assistants he once worked with on Earth.
"Okay… sync," he said hesitantly.
At that instant, a surge of cool, ordered energy flowed into him, threading through his consciousness like liquid steel. His senses sharpened. Images, numbers, and diagrams burst behind his eyes with crystalline clarity. Something—or someone—was mapping his existence down to the atomic level.
[System Name: Origin Blueprint System.]
[Primary Directive: Comprehend, analyze, and optimize the blueprints of existence.]
[One core function unlocked: Scan Blueprint.]
[Diagnostic interface active. Function limited by host's cultivation stage.]
[Current Access: Physical Structure Scan Only.]
Li Shen exhaled and steadied his mind. "System… show my interface."
Floating blue runes spiraled outward, assembling into glowing rows of information before his eyes.
Parameter
Value
Name
Li Shen
Cultivation
Body Tempering – Early
Cultivation Technique
Verdant Breathing Art (Tier I) – 32% Proficiency
Qi Density
31 Q units
Mental Energy
90 / 100 units (10 units per scan)
Almost every other tab remained dimmed—locked. The system's potential seemed vast, but restrained, as though conserving energy.
So that's why I've been feeling weak these past days… Li Shen realized, frowning. The system must've been repairing my soul since transmigration.
The interface pulsed faintly, as if acknowledging the thought. It didn't speak, yet he could sense its silent affirmation—a cold, logical hum resonating with his mind.
He drew in a steady breath. "Alright… system, scan myself."
[Scan initiated. Mental Energy -10. Remaining: 80 units.]
A geometric grid of light enveloped his body. His vision filled with shifting diagrams—muscles, tendons, bones, and Qi meridians—each labeled with precise annotations and flowing data.
[Muscle Integrity: 87%]
[Bone Density: 92%]
[Meridian Circulation Efficiency: 68%]
Li Shen frowned. "Sixty-eight percent? That's… barely acceptable."
[Current cultivation stage limits physiological optimization. Suggested corrective measure: Increase rest period and nutrient intake. Predicted improvement: +3% efficiency per rest cycle.]
He couldn't help but smirk. "A cultivation report card, huh?"
Yet the machine's tone, cold and analytical, reminded him of his past life as an engineer—constantly measuring performance, optimizing systems, improving flow. Only this time, he was the system.
"Let's see what you can do," he murmured. "Scan my cultivation technique—Verdant Breathing Art."
[Scanning...]
[Technique: Verdant Breathing Art (Tier I)]
[Proficiency: 32%]
[Qi Circulation Efficiency: 41%]
[Potential Improvement: +7% through optimized breathing rhythm.]
[Energy Cost: -10. Remaining: 70.]
His eyes widened. The system didn't just analyze his technique—it identified inefficiencies and simulated improvement paths.
In this world, most cultivators advanced through painful trial and error. Sect manuals were often vague, generalized, and tailored for ideal bodies that rarely existed. Yet this system could tailor every breath, every movement, to his exact physiology.
"This…" he whispered, heart pounding. "This is a full cultivation laboratory inside my mind."
He could already imagine it—refining his breathing cadence, aligning muscle tension with Qi flow, syncing respiration to the natural rhythm of ambient energy. With every scan, he could engineer his way to perfection.
He clenched his fist. "System, spend all remaining energy to optimize the Verdant Breathing Art."
A melodic chime echoed in his mind.
[Technique: Verdant Breathing Art (Tier I)]
[Proficiency: 32% → Adjusted for optimization.]
[Qi Circulation Efficiency: 48% → 88%]
[Overall Improvement: +40%.]
[Mental Energy depleted. Remaining: 0.]
A warm current surged through his meridians. His Qi felt smoother, denser—no longer clumsy and fragmented.
Then the final message appeared:
[Warning: Host mental reserves insufficient. System functions entering recovery mode. Estimated reactivation: next sunrise.]
Li Shen exhaled, half in exhaustion, half in awe. He had reached the limit. Still, even that limit revealed the system's nature—powerful, logical, and bound by structure.