The wind roared in Zhang Wei's ears as Zhang Huo carried him through the sky. The old man's grip was firm but not gentle—like he was hauling a sack of rice instead of his grandson. Below them, the Eastern Ridge stretched out in jagged peaks and misty valleys. Grand estates and towering pagodas stood proudly, symbols of power and wealth. It was breathtaking but harsh, like a battlefield frozen in time.
Zhang Wei's stomach twisted, and not just from the height. This was his new world—his new prison.
His head throbbed as memories tangled together—his own and those of the previous Zhang Wei. The original owner of this body had been a disaster. He was spoiled, lazy, and too busy chasing servant girls or gambling away spirit stones to care about cultivation. No wonder everyone hated him.
"Great," Zhang Wei muttered. "I am stuck in a body with more baggage than a failed marriage."
Zhang Huo's sharp eyes flicked down. "You are already muttering to yourself? Maybe that lightning did not just fry your body but scrambled your brain as well." His voice was dry and unreadable. Was he curious? Disappointed? It was hard to tell.
Zhang Wei held back a smart remark. Right now, he needed to figure out where he stood before mouthing off to a man who could crush him with a flick of his fingers. Instead, he focused on the warmth deep in his chest—the faint pulse of energy from the system's Basic Qi Awakening. It felt like a candle in a storm—weak but alive. He had overcome worse odds in games before. Back on Earth, he had survived on nothing but coffee and stubbornness. How hard could this be?
A chime rang in his mind.
[Basic Qi Awakening: 10% Complete][Current Task: Stabilize Foundation]Reward: Beginner's Cultivation ManualFailure: Qi Deviation (Permanent Damage)
Zhang Wei's eye twitched. "Qi Deviation?" He had read enough cultivation novels to know that it meant disaster—crippled meridians, destroyed cultivation, or even death.
"So I have a ticking time bomb inside me. That is just perfect."
He glanced at Zhang Huo, wondering if the old man could sense it. Probably not. The system felt personal, like a voice only he could hear.
Their descent was fast. Soon, they landed inside a grand courtyard, surrounded by red-tiled roofs and stone walls carved with dragon designs. Servants scurried around, avoiding eye contact. Zhang Huo dropped him onto the ground with a thud. Zhang Wei groaned and steadied himself against a pillar, ignoring the quiet laughter from a group of young cultivators nearby.
A tall, thin boy with a scar on his cheek smirked. "You are still alive, Third Young Master? We thought the heavens had finally done us a favor."
Zhang Wei forced a smile. "I guess they missed this time."
The boy's smirk twitched, but before he could respond, Zhang Huo raised a hand. "That is enough. He is my burden now."
The group scattered, but their whispers lingered. Zhang Huo turned to Zhang Wei, his gaze sharp. "You have quite the mouth on you. That is good because you will need it. Follow me."
They walked across the courtyard, passing training grounds where disciples sparred. Zhang Wei's eyes widened. These were not just martial artists—these were cultivators. Fists shattered stone, bodies moved faster than the eye could follow, and qi crackled in the air.
Zhang Wei swallowed hard. He checked his stats.
[Strength: 3 | Agility: 6 | Vitality: 5]
Even with the system's help, he was nothing compared to these people.
Zhang Huo led him into a quiet hall filled with the scent of incense and old wood. At the far end stood a low table, where the old man gestured for him to sit. "You are a mystery, boy," Zhang Huo said, sitting across from him. "Lightning does not strike from a clear sky without reason. Tell me what happened."
Zhang Wei hesitated. What was he supposed to say? Oh, I died saving a kid and woke up in your grandson's useless body? That would not go over well.
Instead, he shrugged. "I do not know. One minute, I was walking, and the next… I was here."
Zhang Huo narrowed his eyes. "Walking? You were drunk in a ditch the last time I heard, thrown out of the Jade Lotus Pavilion for pawing at the wrong girl." His voice dropped. "Do not lie to me, Wei. I have put up with your foolishness for too long."
The accusation stung, even though it was not his fault. Zhang Wei clenched his fists. He could feel the shame of the old Zhang Wei—years of failure pressing down on him. But that was not him. Not anymore.
"That is not me," he said, his voice firm. "Not anymore."
Zhang Huo raised an eyebrow. Then, to Zhang Wei's surprise, he chuckled. "Big words for a boy who cannot even sense his own qi. Prove it. Sit down, breathe, and show me that you are not the disgrace your father believes you to be."
A challenge. Zhang Wei's heart pounded. This was his chance.
He crossed his legs and closed his eyes.
[Task Updated: Stabilize Foundation][Progress: Focus Qi Flow – 0%]
He had never meditated before—not unless you counted zoning out during boring office meetings. But he had read the tropes: breathe, feel the energy, and guide it. It should be easy, right?
He inhaled slowly, searching for that flicker of warmth in his chest. Nothing. Just his heartbeat. "Come on," he muttered. "Give me something."
Minutes passed. Sweat dripped down his face. Zhang Huo's silence grew heavier. Then—there. A tiny spark, barely there. Zhang Wei latched onto it, willing it to grow. It flickered, unsteady, then surged—a thread of warmth snaking through his body.
[Qi Flow Detected: 5% Stabilized]
"Yes!" he hissed.
Then pain struck. His stomach twisted, and a sharp ache spread through his chest. He gasped, coughing as blood stained his lips.
Zhang Huo's hand caught his shoulder. "Fool," he snapped. "You do not force qi like that. You are lucky you did not cripple yourself." He paused, then nodded slightly. "But… you felt it. This was your first time, was it not?"
Zhang Wei wiped his mouth and nodded. "Yes, this was my first time."
His grin was weak, but real. He had done it. It was not much, but it was a progress.
[Qi Awakening: 12% Complete][Task Progress: 10%]
Zhang Huo stood. "Rest for now. Tomorrow, we will train—or you will die trying."
He turned to leave but stopped at the door. "And Wei… do not think this changes anything. You are still a disgrace until you prove otherwise."
The door slid shut. Zhang Wei let out a shaky breath and leaned against the wall. His body was weak, battered, and barely holding together. That small trace of qi inside him? It belonged to him now. His first step toward cultivation.
Back on Earth, he had been nothing. A nobody. Here, he had a chance to be something more.
His mind flickered to a memory—not his, but the old Zhang Wei's. A hidden cave in the eastern woods. A qi barrier. An ancient ruin. The old Zhang Wei had been too scared to explore it. But Zhang Wei? He was not that coward.
"Tomorrow," he whispered. "Training with Grandpa. Then that cave."
His fists tightened. This world did not care about weaklings. If he wanted to survive, he had to fight for it.
Outside, the wind howled through the ridge. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
The heavens were not done with him yet.
Good. He was not done with them either.