The morning light was weak, filtering through the cracked wooden window. Dust floated in the air. Li Fan stood silently, scanning his small room. Every detail was familiar now, every crack, every blemish. He had learned to observe, to calculate.
He reached for the small wooden chest in the corner. It had been here in his first life, but he had never cared much for it. Now, curiosity was a tool.
Inside lay a simple jade pendant, dull and unassuming. Li Fan picked it up. His fingers traced its surface. It was smooth, heavy, and cold.
Inside lay a simple jade pendant, dull and unassuming. Li Fan picked it up. His fingers traced its surface. It was smooth, heavy, and cold.
The moment he touched it, a voice echoed in his mind.
"System activated. Welcome, User: Li Fan."
Li Fan did not flinch. He had expected many things in this second life, but not this.
[System Interface – Online]
User: Li Fan
Level: 0 (Novice)
Power: Dormant
Objectives: Pending
A small window appeared in his vision, listing options:
1. Observe: Scan surroundings, people, and cultivation potential
2. Analyze: Evaluate techniques, sect structures, resources
3. Train: Accelerate cultivation efficiency
4. Recruit: Assess individuals and potential allies
5.Mission: Suggested actions for growth
Li Fan tilted his head, studying the interface.
This was no gift. It was a tool. A precise instrument for planning.
"Interesting," he murmured.
He raised a hand, touching the "Observe" command. Instantly, his vision shifted. Every object, every person, every hidden corner within the sect could be analyzed. Energy flows, potential talent, dangerous traps. All visible.
He tested another command, "Analyze." His mind immediately processed possibilities. Strength ceilings, growth paths, possible outcomes of conflict, probability of betrayal.
Li Fan's lips curved into a faint smile.
So this was the system.
It would not fight for him. It would not make him stronger by itself. But it would give him information, clarity, and prediction. Tools for a strategist.
Exactly what he needed.
He activated "Mission" next. A list appeared:
Recruit talent from nearby villages
Secure spiritual herbs from the Eastern Forest
Investigate abandoned sect ruins
Evaluate potential disciples within Azure Root Sect
Li Fan closed the chest and tucked the pendant into his robe.
Everything was calculated. Every mission, every resource, every disciple would serve a purpose. Nothing wasted. Nothing random.
He took a deep breath.
The system had awakened. Now he could begin. Not just surviving. Not just cultivating.
He would build his sect, step by step, perfectly.
Outside, the bell rang again. The world was waking. And Li Fan was already ten steps ahead.
The game had entered a new phase.