Ling Feng's body crumpled to the ground, his meridians searing as if filled with molten lead. The backlash of his failed cultivation attempt left him gasping, the metallic tang of blood sharp on his tongue. Around him, the sneers of the Azure Sky Sect's outer disciples echoed like the cawing of crows.
"Pathetic," spat a boy in rust-colored robes, kicking dust into Ling Feng's face. "Even a mortal could channel qi better than this trash."
Ling Feng's fingers dug into the dirt, his nails breaking. *This isn't how it was supposed to be*, he thought bitterly. In his previous life, Alex Chen had been a top-ranked esports prodigy—someone who outsmarted bosses and leaderboards, not a talentless disciple in a xianxia hellscape. But ever since his car accident and reincarnation into this broken body, he'd been trapped in a nightmare: mocked, beaten, and left to rot at the sect's outskirts.
As the disciples dispersed, Ling Feng dragged himself toward his ramshackle hut, each step sending jolts of pain through his battered legs. The sun dipped below the mountains, casting long shadows that seemed to claw at his back.
**[System Error]**
**[Host's Core Destabilized. Activating Soulforge Protocol…]**
A flickering blue screen materialized before his eyes. Ling Feng blinked, assuming it was a hallucination born of exhaustion—until the text sharpened into crisp, glowing characters.
**[Welcome to the Soulforge System.]**
**[Current Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage 1 (0.1%)]**
**[Primary Mission: Survive the Night.]**
**[Reward: 100 Soul Points. Failure: Death.]**
"What the—?" Ling Feng staggered, nearly tripping over a root. The screen followed his gaze, unflinching. Memories of gaming interfaces flooded his mind—health bars, quest logs, loot drops. *Is this… a system? Like a RPG?*
**[Alert: Host's Vital Signs Critical.]**
**[Recommended Action: Consume 'Low-Grade Healing Pill' (1 available).]**
A small pill materialized in his palm, its surface shimmering faintly. Ling Feng hesitated for only a heartbeat before swallowing it. Warmth spread through his chest, stitching his fractured meridians.
**[Qi Condensation Stage 1: 2.3%]**
A manic laugh burst from his lips. *So this is my cheat.* The system's cold logic mirrored the games he'd mastered—stats, objectives, progress bars. Here, the rules were quantifiable. *Winnable.*
But his triumph faded as a low growl rumbled through the forest.
**[Warning: Host Has Attracted 'Starving Shadow Wolf' (Level 5).]**
**[Recommended Action: Flee.]**
Ling Feng spun, heart hammering. Crimson eyes glowed in the twilight, followed by the gleam of fangs. The wolf lunged, its maw dripping saliva.