Liang Chen blinked, feeling the cool bite of mountain air against his skin. He was lying on uneven ground, surrounded by towering pine trees that swayed slightly, their needles rustling in the faint breeze. Mist hovered low on the mountainside, veiling distant peaks and valleys. The beauty was undeniable, but it was far from comforting.
Pushing himself upright, he took in the rugged landscape. There was no sign of civilization—no roads, buildings, or even a hint of the usual background hum he'd expect from an earthly setting. Instead, he was enveloped in an unfamiliar quiet, broken only by the sounds of nature. He inhaled deeply, but something felt…different. The air was purer, richer somehow, yet heavy in a way he couldn't quite explain.
Trying to process the strangeness of it all, he squinted up at the sky, noting its clarity. He was certain this wasn't Earth, but that only opened a host of troubling questions. Before he could dive deeper into his confusion, a voice broke through his thoughts—a calm, mildly amused voice.
"Well, well… You're finally awake. Welcome to your new reality, Liang Chen."
He froze, glancing around. There was no one in sight.
"Over here, genius. No, not there—right in that thick skull of yours."
The voice seemed to echo inside his head, a strange mix of calm and sarcasm that felt out of place in this serene wilderness. He shook his head, half expecting it to vanish as a figment of his imagination, but the voice continued.
"You can stop looking for me; I'm not going to materialize as a wise old sage or a talking cat. Let's just say I'm…what you'd call a guide. The Dream Reincarnation System, to be exact."
Despite the bizarre situation, Liang Chen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the name. "Dream Reincarnation System?" he muttered under his breath, half disbelieving.
"That's right. Call me Dream Reincarnation System if you want something shorter. I'm here to help you—well, help in a manner of speaking. I don't do charity cases," the voice replied, sounding just a little too amused at his bewilderment. "You're in a new world, one that's as different from Earth as you can imagine. Or maybe even more so."
Liang Chen took a moment, exhaling as he adjusted to the fact that he was hearing a voice in his head that wasn't his own. "So…this isn't Earth?"
"Congratulations, he figures it out!" The Dream Reincarnation System responded, mockingly. "Nope, you're in a world known as the Qingyuan Realm, where power and status are everything. And, lucky you, you're starting from the very bottom of the food chain. Think of yourself as a…free-range punching bag until you get yourself sorted."
Despite the sarcasm, Menghuang's words settled heavily. This world wasn't just foreign; it sounded dangerous, even deadly.
The voice took on a more informative tone, as if sensing his unease. "This world revolves around cultivation, and cultivators are its superstars. They're not like the actors and singers you knew on Earth. Here, they hold real power—spiritual, physical, sometimes even elemental. And guess what? You're going to be one of them. Well, if you don't get yourself killed first."
"Cultivation…?" Liang Chen echoed, half to himself, trying to latch onto the term.
"Yes. And, since I'm feeling unusually generous today, let me break down the basics for you. You'll be progressing through what we call 'Realms,' each one a milestone on the path to power. There are nine main realms in what's known as the Mortal Realm. And you're currently at…let's say the absolute beginning."
"Starting Realm?" Liang Chen asked, mentally bracing himself.
"Oh, you're at the Qi Gathering Realm," Dream Reincarnation System confirmed, sounding slightly exasperated. "It's your introduction to cultivation, where you learn to sense and absorb Qi—the spiritual energy of this world. The 'baby steps' stage. Moving on from there, you'll hit…"
The system paused, almost as if it were rolling its eyes. Then, it continued.
"Foundation Establishment Realm. This is where you solidify your base, learn basic energy attacks, and stop being quite as helpless. You'll need patience and discipline for that one, but let's not get ahead of ourselves," it said dryly.
"After that, there's the Core Formation Realm," it continued. "You condense your Qi into a Core, which makes your power much more potent. Imagine it as forming a battery of spiritual energy inside yourself."
Each description brought a clearer picture of what lay ahead, but the casual tone of the system made it feel almost surreal.
"Then there's the Golden Core Realm," it said, almost sounding intrigued. "That's when things start getting serious. Your Core turns golden, giving you better energy projection and minor self-healing abilities. Basically, you start looking a little less like a worm and more like someone with potential."
"Following that, we hit the Nascent Soul Realm. You'll form a miniature, spiritual version of yourself inside the Core, like a 'spiritual mini-me.' Trust me, it's more impressive than it sounds."
Liang Chen could feel his mind reeling slightly, the sheer concept of a "Nascent Soul" far beyond his experience.
"Then there's Soul Transformation, where your spiritual and physical forms merge," the system explained, sounding just a bit impressed. "It's hard to manage, and if you're not careful, it can mess with your mind. After that, we get into realms that actually start affecting the world around you."
The voice paused for effect, and Liang Chen could almost picture it smirking.
"Spirit Severing Realm. You start letting go of attachments and become attuned to natural elements. Then we move on to Void Refinement, where you'll touch the void itself—don't ask me how, just imagine it as a step toward manipulating space."
Finally, the system's tone turned slightly more serious.
"And then there's the Ascension Realm. That's the final step in the Mortal Realm, where you face something called the Tribulation. It's essentially a massive, divine test to see if you're worthy to move beyond mortality. Or, if you're not worthy, it's the perfect opportunity to die in a blaze of glory."
Liang Chen was silent, taking it all in. Each realm felt like a world of its own, with challenges and transformations he couldn't fully comprehend.
"You look overwhelmed. Good," Dream Reincarnation System quipped. "It's important to realize that here, without power, you're a nobody. Cultivation is everything. And without a sect or clan backing you, you're going to need every ounce of resilience you can muster."
He clenched his fists, feeling a sense of determination stir within him. He'd survived challenges before, though nothing like this. But he wasn't one to give up.
"Where do I start?" he asked, his tone calm but resolute.
"Atta boy. Now, as you're in the Qi Gathering Realm, I suggest you focus on, well, gathering Qi. And as your ever-helpful guide, I'm here to provide a little assistance in that regard. Tomorrow, I'll offer you a 'friendly tutorial,' something I like to call the Dream Reincarnation Simulation. But be warned, it's as real as it gets, and if you're not careful, you'll wish you'd stayed asleep."
With that, Dream Reincarnation System went quiet, leaving him alone on the mountainside, facing a world that was both beautiful and utterly foreign. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp air, and felt the first spark of energy