*Screeching Sounds*
*Crash Effect*
*White Light!*

[...]

"Aah, I shouldn't have eaten that last burrito..."

[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]

[Integration Complete]
[System Online]
[Searching for a Host Body]

"Excuse me, what?"

[Possible host body found]
[Calculating rejection possibility]
[Possibility of rejection is at 0.005%]
[Host body confirmed]
[Soul migration starting]
[1%...5%....55%....99%....100%]
[Soul migration complete]
[Integrating remaining memories from the body into the soul]

"AAAAAHHHHH"

[Memory integration complete]
[Sync point confirmed and verified]
[Calibration started]

[Welcome]

"..."

A young man in his mid-20s slowly opened his eyes. He found himself sitting in the middle of a foreign courtyard, surrounded by exotic-looking trees and flowers. The only source of light seemed to be the unusually bright moonlight.

The young man took a deep breath and thought 'Why am I sitting in such a weird position?'

Wasn’t this the famous lotus position? He remembered trying it out once out of curiosity.

'Let's think back slowly. Am I dreaming? If not, where am I?

…I died, didn’t I? Then a creepy, menacing sounding voice said some stuff, now I'm sitting, wearing old fashioned clothes, in the middle of the mountains, apparently…’

While looking around, he glanced at the exotic tree. ‘…That tree is called Weathered Iron Bark and it’s sampling costs 200 thousand spirit stones! There are 15 fully grown ones here, very few sects could afford something like this.' Thought the young man with a strange sense of pride.

How did he know that?

*gasp*

'This is definitely transmigration, right? Think! Think! YES! MY NAME IS HHAAANNN!!! Wait that should be my family name, my full name should be Han De!'

Han De slowly stood up. The excitement was written all over his face. If anyone familiar with the previous owner of his body could see him right now, they would've been shocked.

Han De, before he became Han De, was just an average guy. In school his grades were average. In the workplace his performance was average. His favorite pastime and longtime obsession were Xianxia web novels. He would read them during his breakfast, commute, and lunch breaks, he would read while walking home after work with a burrito in his hands. He was so dedicated that he even started learning Chinese! Unfortunately, laziness was one of his defining characteristics, so he ended up dabbling in the dark arts of MTL, being content with losing his brain cells.

'Transmigration usually involves a cheat, doesn't it? I wonder if I have one, wait didn't I hear something like a system?'

[Welcome]

'...'

'W-why is your voice so creepy?! Shouldn't your voice be like a robotic lady instead of this robotic demon from hell? Is there a preset for this?'

Naturally, there was no response. Han De quietly checked his status.

[Name: Han De]
[Race: Human]
[Sex: Male]
[Age: 26]

[Cultivation: Core Formation - Mid-Stage (3741/500000)]
[Constitution: None]
[Bloodline: None]
[Roots: Pending Calibration]

[Fame: Cloudy Mountains: 500]
[Sect: Starfall Mountain Sect (21st Core Elder)]

[Cultivation Methods]
-------------------------------------
[Starfall Scripture (Mortal)]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Intermediate (24/32)]
[Stage: Core Formation (Mid-Stage)]

[Martial Arts Methods]
-------------------------------------
[Heaven Defying Tyrannical Sword (Self-Made)]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Intermediate (2/10)]
[Stage: Core Formation (Mid-Stage)]

[Skills]
[ - ]

[Fate]
[Pending Calibration]

[Experience Points: 0]
[Skill Points: 0]

[Evaluation: Pending Calibration]

'Alright, not bad, but… I am at Core Formation realm. Hmm? This doesn't seem right.'

Han De realized he, or rather his body, had some information related to the cultivation of this world.

Core Formation was the 3rd major stage in cultivation, following Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment. These people were considered to be the core pillars of a normal sect and were quite costly to raise. Even if a sect could afford to raise many of them, they would still have to find people with exceptional talents first.

Ordinary cultivators would usually get stuck in the Qi Condensation realm. Those with good talents with some luck could end up at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Only those with great talents could have any hope of forming a Core. Even then, sects of this world wouldn't nurture these people. They would usually end up staying in the Foundation realm and become low-level elders. Reaching the Core Formation realm would depend on their merit. The lucky ones would finally form a Core at the end of their lives and enjoy their extended lifespan as respected elders of a sect.

Most of this information was irrelevant, or should’ve been irrelevant in his case. Wouldn’t a transmigrator get a body that was supposed to be trash anyway? Wasn't he, as the newly minted protagonist, supposed to use the system to get a disgusting number of power-ups, and wipe out the ones that bullied and offended “him” to the 9th generation of their families?

Han De stopped pacing after realizing he had started nervously moving around within the courtyard. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. After combing through the merged, yet still fragmented memories, he realized the gist of the situation.

His father was the current sect leader, and his grandfather was one of the core reserves that were in secluded meditation with all the other old monsters. Vast amounts of resources of the family resources were dedicated to him, and a considerable amount of sect resources was dedicated to him since his childhood. Even an ordinary cultivator would advance pretty quickly with these resources, but Han De was also a true cultivation genius! 2 years ago, after reaching the Core Formation stage he became the youngest core elder in the sect history!

However, previous Han De was arrogant. He wouldn't even look at outer sect disciples, let alone ordinary cultivators! The Han family was known to be a domineering force. Few dared to offend them. The Starfall Mountain Sect had the respect that few sects could enjoy. Although it was considered to be a mid-size sect, its foundation was known to be extremely deep. Even though they had over a million cultivators they were still known as a sect that valued quality over quantity.

Han De had a high amount of pride in being the prodigy of the Han family and the Starfall Mountain Sect. People that offended him would get beaten half to death by his subordinates. Han De himself sometimes personally crippled people that dared to not give him face!

The courtyard Han De was currently at was inside the abode of the previous Han De. Although he called it an abode, it was more of a giant estate within the sect boundaries. From the expensive decorations, to the spirit spring right behind him, just this 'abode' alone was worth more than a small sect!

'… This doesn't look like an MC template. No matter how I look at it, I seem like an Arrogant Young Master A that offends the MC and dies a few dozen chapters in…'

Han De nervously chuckled. The shock of transmigration had not dissipated yet. Many revelations one after the other felt unreal.

‘Alright, let’s test this. Didn’t that guy used to sit right there?’

His eyes went to the spirit spring at the center. In his memories, the previous owner of the body would often sit in the lotus position, and silently cultivate there for days, without the slightest worry in the world. No one would dare disturb the cultivation of the next heir of the sect, after all.

Han De took a deep breath and replicated the same motions from his memories. Unexpectedly, entering the state of meditation was like second nature to him. All he needed to do was to recall the feeling of cultivation from his memories.

Breathing in and out, circulating the energy through his meridians, exhaling the filtered stale spiritual energy… Everything was really as easy as breathing! Finally, after 10 minutes, his first cultivation cycle was complete!

'Damn, this really is cultivation!'

Excited by the result, he continued.

1 cycle.

2 cycles.

3 cycles.

4 cycles.

5 cycles.

6 cycles.

7 cycles.

8 cycles.

9 cycles.

10 cycles.

11 cycles.

12 cycles.

13 cycles.

14 cycles.

15 cycles.

16 cycles.

17 cycles.

18 cycles.

19 cycles.

20 cycles.

21 cycles.

22 cycles.

23 cycles.

24 cycles.

25 cycles.

26 cycles.

27 cycles.

28 cycles.

29 cycles.

30 cycles.

31 cycles.

32 cycles.

33 cycles.

34 cycles.

35 cycles.

36 cycles.

"AAAH I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!! Why is this so boring?! How could this guy cultivate for a whole day like this?! I did 37 cycles, 1 cycle is about 10 minutes, which means I've been cultivating for more than 6 hours!” Han De couldn’t help but sigh. “At least that should've made some dent, right? Status!"

[Cultivation: Core Formation - Mid-Stage ((+26)3767/500000)]

"Only 26?! 1 cycle doesn't even give 1 XP!?!?" Feeling irritated, Han De quickly started doing some math using his fingers.

"If it is 1 XP per 15 minutes then it would take me about 125000 hours to get 500000xp, if I could cultivate 18 hours per day then it would take me close to… 20 years… to get to the Advanced Core Stage…

S#$%! Wasn't this guy supposed to be a genius?! How did he reach the Mid-Core stage at 26?! Even if I gobble down an entire bottle a day, it wouldn’t even double the cultivation speed!”

Only when he heard the faint echo of his own voice, did Han De realize he had started speaking out loud from sheer frustration. What if someone that knew the previous owner of the body saw this sight?

Han De quickly closed his mouth and continued thinking about his current cultivation dilemma.

‘… Even if the required XP for the Mid-Core stage is lesser than the Advanced Core stage, it still should've taken this guy about a decade to reach it. What? Was he born in the Foundation Establishment realm or something? That doesn't seem to be the case looking at his childhood memories- wait!'

Han De started laughing and shouting like a maniac after remembering one crucial point.

"HAHAHAHAHA!

That's right! I got the system! I have the Experience and Skill points on my status screen. If I'm right, all I need to do is to hunt some spiritual beasts and skip all the boring cultivation! HAHAHA

Man, although this MC template is kind of wrong, with my system, I can have a truly easy life here! I'll just get some subordinates to capture some beasts! All I need is to be the last hitter. No one else can gain benefit from the last hit itself anyway! Perfect! The System truly is the best!"

[Calibration Complete]

[Fate Type: Calamity Attractor]
[Roots: Light (42%)]
[Evaluation: Extremely weak, destruction of the soul is inevitable]
[Considering Options...]
[Considering Options...]
[Considering Options...]
[Considering Options...]
[Considering Options...]

[Could not find a suitable option]

[Unlocking Unrivaled Master System]
[Removing Experience Points]
[Removing Skill Points]
[Activating Profound Points]
[Activating Privileges]
[Privilege Level: 1]
[Privilege level met, issuing the welcome gift box]

[Issuing First Quest]

[Quest: First disciple]
[Difficulty Level: Rating Requirements Not Met]
[Status: Issued]
[Summary: You are an elder in an extremely minor sect with extremely limited resources. As you are fated to attract calamities, with your weak cultivation and abysmal talent, your only hope is to foster strong disciples. Work hard.]

[Requirements: A disciple with over 30 total potential points]
[Time Remaining: 5 days]
[Success: 50 Profound Points]
[Failure: Removal of the System. As the System is completely integrated into the host's soul, removal will result in said soul's dissipation]

Han De stood in a daze. It was a lot to take in for him. He couldn't help but shudder when he read the words 'soul dissipation.’

'What the hell is a Calamity Attractor? I just transmigrated and this is what I get? Where is my cheat?! Where is my lottery system full of bullshit cheat items and scriptures?! Unrivaled Master System?! Can that even be considered a cheat?! Why did you remove my experience points?!?"

As Han De was complaining about how unfair life was, the sun was rising. As a Core Formation cultivator, he was acutely aware of his surroundings and felt a weak presence enter his abode. Slowly but surely, the presence was approaching the courtyard.

This was his first interaction with the people of this world, therefore Han De immediately collected himself. When he was alone, outbursts would be fine (probably), but he would rather not make a fool of himself in front of others!

From his memories, the previous Han De was an arrogant piece o... Ehm. The previous Han De was a young master, who always presented himself as an aloof expert. In dealings within his sect, he would usually adopt a faint smile, nod, and walk away.

Acting like someone else, Han De never tried anything like this before. Thankfully, he had the memories of the previous Han De. But, as he tried to find the correct posture to greet this visitor, he stumbled on a problem.

Having someone's memories and acting like that person were two different things.

After all, the current Han De wasn't Han De himself. He just had the memories of his predecessor, nothing more. The way he acted was still that of an average office worker. In fact, the first thing Han De considered was how firm his handshake should be while meeting this visitor!

‘… S#$%, this won’t do. This won’t do at all!’

Previous Han De was doted on by his family, if he started to act differently all of a sudden, the result would almost certainly be disastrous! Clearly, he had to tread carefully!

As Han De kept panicking inside while trying to pump himself up, the presence had already arrived.

A young disciple with grey robes and clear brown eyes, slowly entered the courtyard. Han De could tell this disciple was acting with the utmost respect. His posture while walking, and the crispness of his movements as he bowed, all spelled a substantial difference in status.

"Pardon for the interruption Elder De. Elder Yan wanted to inform you that the disciple acceptance ceremony is about to start. This year there seem to be disciples from prominent families that show some promise..."

Han De adopted a carefree expression and faintly smiled.

Though he had the memories of the previous Han De, the existence of a ceremony, let alone a disciple acceptance ceremony, hadn’t crossed his mind.

‘Right… Elders select disciples from this ceremony. Isn’t that exactly what I need right now?’

Ever since becoming an elder, the previous Han De rejected accepting a disciple in favor of advancing his own cultivation. He was a prodigy, after all. Even the idea of attending the event, he rejected without a second thought! Why would he waste his time with some ordinary trash? Those were his usual thoughts.

However, the current Han De got the feeling that he was supposed to attend this time, but he couldn't figure out why. His memory was too fragmented as a result of the merge, and he needed time to figure things out.

While he was in deep thought, the disciple in front of him was getting more anxious every passing second!

'Heavens! Why is Elder De staring at me with that creepy smile?! Did I somehow offend him?’ The disciple thought long and hard about his behavior. Yet he was certain that he never met the legendary young master of the Starfall Mountain Sect before this day!

He couldn’t look directly, of course, but the disciple noticed something peculiar about the young master Han De. ‘… H-Has he even blinked once?’

At that moment, the disciple was sure that he somehow offended the one person he shouldn’t have offended! ‘…Mom, Dad, I'm so sorry, I don't think I will be able to make it...'

Just as the disciple's legs started to give out, Han De made his decision.

"Alright, lead me to the selection area and start telling me about which families are attending, and who is showing promise."

Since he couldn’t remember if there was something the previous Han De was supposed to do at this event, he could only take care of his own predicament! This disciple selection event was like a godsend gift for his new quest.

And keeping this disciple close to him has advantages too. First, by interacting with a disciple of lower status, he could get a sense of how to act as the real Han De. Second, he could use him as a shield to prevent others from interacting with him. At least for the time being.

If an esteemed elder was walking and listening to some random disciple, wouldn’t other people think that he was listening to some important report? Wouldn’t it be very rude to interrupt them?

Of course, being an office worker, Han De was still thinking as a paper salesman. Walking to work was a natural action for him. Would a normal Core Formation realm cultivator, and an elder of sect no less, walk to the venue?

Unfortunately, the thought of flying towards his destination didn’t even enter his mind!

After hearing Han De's words, the disciple with the grey robes felt a chill running up his spine.