He enjoyed simple things. A warm bed, a good book, and a freshly steamed pork bun on a cool morning. That was all he asked from life.
So naturally, fate decided to murder him with a bun.
It was a nice, fat, piping-hot one too. Perfectly steamed, soft and fluffy, with juicy minced pork inside. Unfortunately, Li Qing got a little too excited and bit off more than he could chew — literally.
One moment he was savoring the delicious flavor. The next, he was choking, flailing his arms like a drunk duck in front of a shocked street vendor.
Then… darkness.
His last thought?
“If there’s a next life… please don’t let me die hungry.”
When Li Qing opened his eyes again, everything hurt.
His head ached, his chest burned, and worst of all — his stomach growled like a starving beast. He groaned and slowly sat up, only to find himself lying in a patch of grass beneath a giant, ancient tree.
Above him, sunlight filtered through thick, misty branches. Strange birds chirped, and somewhere in the distance, the faint sound of flowing water echoed.
Li Qing blinked.
“…Am I dead?”
A soft breeze rustled his hair. His clothes — no longer his familiar street-worn jacket and trousers — were now a set of plain white robes, tattered at the edges.
Then, as if answering his question, a cold, mechanical voice echoed inside his head.
[Binding with host complete.]
[Congratulations, Host, for awakening the Supreme Fate Defying Heaven-Toppling Overlord System!]
Li Qing’s eyes went wide. “Huh?!”
A system? Like those online cultivation novels his cousin used to read at family dinners?
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
[Warning: Host’s current cultivation realm: Trash-tier Mortal Level 1.]
“…Ah.”
That stung.
Li Qing rubbed his face and sighed. “So… I transmigrated? Into a xianxia world? As a weakling? What kind of bad karma did I rack up in my past life?”
The system spoke again, ignoring his complaints.
[System Function: All of Host’s actions will unknowingly trigger unfathomable phenomena, causing others to perceive Host as a supreme peerless existence. Cultivation points will be passively accumulated through misunderstandings.]
Li Qing frowned. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘misunderstandings’?”
Silence.
No answer.
Typical system behavior.
He sighed again. “Well, whatever. Let’s figure out where the hell I am first.”
A Rocky Beginning
Li Qing tried standing up — and immediately tripped over his own robes, crashing face-first into the grass.
“Pffft—!”
He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. Behind him, a bush rustled.
A boy in shabby clothes and a straw hat peered through the leaves, his face pale.
“Th-that aura…!” the boy whispered in horror.
Li Qing groaned, rubbing his scraped chin. “Ugh, my face… what aura?”
The boy immediately knelt on the ground, trembling. “I-I beg senior to spare this lowly one’s life!”
Li Qing blinked. “Huh?”
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have gained 500 Cultivation Points through being mistaken as a supreme expert!]
“Huh?! Wait — system, what?! I didn’t do anything!”
The boy was still prostrating on the ground, mumbling, “Please don’t eradicate my family…!”
Li Qing panicked. “No, no, no! Get up, kid! I’m not going to hurt you!”
To the boy, it sounded like a profound declaration of mercy from a being who could level mountains with a glance.
The boy’s face lit up. “A-ancient senior spares me! This humble one shall remember your great virtue for eternity!”
Ding!
[Cultivation Points +300.]
Li Qing’s lips twitched.
Was this real life?
A New Name in the Wind
By the time Li Qing convinced the terrified boy to lead him to the nearest village, rumors had already begun to spread.
“An ancient immortal descended from the heavens!”
“They say he crushed a mountain with his sneeze!”
“I heard he made a whole demonic beast pack kneel with a glance!”
Li Qing had done none of those things. He stubbed his toe on a rock and sneezed once because of the dust.
But in this world of cultivators obsessed with power and destiny, even a sneeze could be interpreted as a world-shaking technique if you squinted hard enough.
By sunset, Li Qing was seated awkwardly at a small banquet in a shabby village, surrounded by trembling elders and wide-eyed children.
A plate of steamed buns sat in front of him.
Li Qing eyed them warily. “You guys don’t have… uh… rice, or something?”
The village head, an old man with half his teeth missing, bowed low. “These humble offerings are all we possess, revered senior!”
Li Qing sighed. “Fine. But if I choke again, I swear…”
He reached out and picked up a bun. The villagers held their breath.
Li Qing hesitated, then carefully tore it in half before eating.
Ding!
[Cultivation Points +2000: Villagers mistake Host’s cautious action as a profound cultivation ritual.]
The village head burst into tears. “T-t-to think! The Immortal Ancestor uses buns as a heavenly dao test! Incredible!”
Li Qing chewed slowly.
“…This world is nuts.”