The golden system screen shimmered faintly before Lian Hong's eyes, illuminating the dim servant quarters with an otherworldly glow.
A quest.A reward.A system.
In his previous life, even as a prodigy, he had never received such a blessing. Yet now—at the lowest point of his fate, reborn as a powerless outer disciple—he possessed something even the greatest geniuses of the Crimson Dawn Sect could never dream of.
A system that promised ascension.
Lian Hong inhaled slowly, calming his racing heartbeat. He reached out, touching the golden light as if to verify its existence. The screen rippled like the surface of still water.
It was real.
"A breakthrough before the Entrance Trial…"His eyes narrowed.
The Entrance Trial was only seven days away.
In his past life, he'd failed to stand out. As a low-ranked servant disciple, he'd barely qualified for outer-sect duties.
Now, with the system—
He would change everything.
He stood, stretching his unfamiliar young limbs. His body felt weaker than he remembered, but it also felt… untouched. Pure. As though none of the pain or betrayal had ever happened.
Because it hadn't. Not yet.
He clenched his fists.
"This is my second chance."
A sharp knock jolted him from his thoughts.
"Oi! Lian Hong! You still asleep in there?"
A mocking voice came from outside.
Lian Hong frowned, recognizing it instantly.
Zhou Shan.
In his previous life, this man bullied him relentlessly. Later, he became Wei Changbai's errand dog. A petty thug with a loud mouth and a small brain.
He pushed open the door.
Zhou Shan stood there with two other servant disciples, arms crossed arrogantly as if he were the sect master himself. His buck-toothed grin stretched across his round face.
"You're wanted at the training yard," Zhou Shan sneered. "Overseer Chen says you're late again."
Lian Hong's expression didn't change.
"I'm not late."
Zhou Shan blinked, thrown off. Lian Hong had always flinched or apologized in the past.
But this Lian Hong looked at him with calm, steady eyes—eyes that carried the weight of a man who had died once already.
Zhou Shan clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Just hurry up. If you make Overseer Chen wait, you'll get double chores."
He swaggered off with the others.
Lian Hong stepped outside, the early-morning wind brushing against his face. The air was cool, carrying the thick spiritual essence of the Crimson Dawn Mountains.
He felt alive.
Awake.
Hungry for the power stolen from him in his previous life.
As he walked, the system suddenly chimed:
[Ding! Quest reminder: A breakthrough before the Entrance Trial is recommended.]
Lian Hong smirked.
"I know. But for that… I need resources."
The outer-sect servants received only scraps—the lowest-grade spirit rice, diluted spiritual water, and a single basic manual.
It was nearly impossible to break through in such conditions.
Unless he used the system.
His eyes flickered.
"System, open status."
A new panel unfolded.
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[Status]Name: Lian HongAge: 15Cultivation: Qi Gathering – First LayerTalent Aptitude: LowSpirit Root: Mixed Root (Unawakened)Strength: 3Agility: 4Endurance: 3Spiritual Power: 2Unassigned Attribute Points: 0–––––––––––––––––––––––––
Low aptitude. Unawakened root. Weak stats.
Exactly the pitiful base of his first life.
But now—
He had the means to surpass all of this.
He reached the servant training yard. Overseer Chen—a gruff, thick-armed man—glared at the gathered disciples.
"About time, Lian Hong. Late again and you'll be cleaning latrines for a week."
Lian Hong bowed slightly.
"No excuses, Overseer."
But inside, a plan was forming.
His first quest required a breakthrough.
The system's reward would give him:• 10 attribute points• A technique draw
Both were priceless.
He had seven days to accomplish what had once taken him months.
He tightened his fists.
"First, I need enough spiritual energy. Then I'll use the system to break through."
As the morning drills began, sweat dripping and muscles burning, Lian Hong's mind stayed sharp.
He observed every movement.Every breath.Every spiritual fluctuation around him.
He felt the thin strands of qi in the training yard, swirling gently like faint threads of mist.
In his past life, he had been blind to them.Now he could feel them.Even without a technique.
His senses were sharper—perhaps the system was already influencing him subtly.
When drills ended, he quietly moved toward the back of the servant compound, where a small grove of spirit grass grew.
In his last life, he never noticed anything special about it.
But now—
His eyes widened.
The spirit grass shimmered faintly with energy.More than ordinary-grade plants should have.
A realization struck him.
"This grove… must've been absorbing spiritual veins from underground."
It wasn't much—but for a starving cultivator, even a drop of extra qi was precious.
He sat down cross-legged, forming a basic meditation posture, and closed his eyes.
Warmth trickled into him.
Slowly. Gently. But undeniably.
He felt his empty meridians quiver with life.
Hours passed.
The world dimmed.
Then—
[Ding! Cultivation progress: 78% toward breakthrough]
Lian Hong's eyes snapped open.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"So that's how it is…"
This hidden grove had enough ambient energy to bring him close to breaking through in just one sitting.
With the system's mission reward, he could leap forward even further.
He stood, glancing up at the fading sky.
"Seven days?" he murmured. "No. I'll break through in one."
With newfound determination burning in his chest, he returned to his small wooden room.
The system screen flashed again.
[Ding! Quest progress detected.Host is eligible to attempt breakthrough.Would you like to initiate?]
Lian Hong exhaled slowly.
"Yes."
A surge of power surged through him as the cultivation bottleneck loosened—
And his second life truly began.