The air in the Han Clan's "Hall of Ancestors" was cold, but the glares from the surrounding disciples were colder.
Han Feng stood in the center of the limestone floor, his legs trembling—not from fear, but from the residual shock of a soul that didn't belong in this body. Just an hour ago, he was a senior project manager in a high-rise office in Shanghai, dying of a sudden heart attack while staring at a spreadsheet. Now, he was standing in front of a glowing "Spirit Testing Stone," surrounded by teenagers in silk robes who looked like they stepped out of a period drama.
"Han Feng," a booming voice echoed. It was the Great Elder, a man with a beard so long it reached his waist and eyes that held zero warmth. "Eighteen years of age. Born into the direct line of the Han Clan. And yet... look at the stone."
Han Feng looked. The massive obsidian pillar remained dark. Not a single spark of light flickered within.
"Cultivation Base: None. Dantian: Withered," the Elder announced, his voice tinged with a mix of pity and disgust. "In a world where the strong eat the weak, you are nothing but a waste of rice."
A wave of laughter erupted from the sidelines.
"The 'Young Master' is a mortal!" "What a joke. Even my family's carriage driver is at the 2nd Layer of Qi Refining." "He should just go to the outer docks and carry sacks of grain. At least then he'd be useful."
Han Feng clutched his head. A flood of memories—the original Han Feng's memories—poured in. Years of bullying, the death of his supportive parents, and the constant humiliation of being the only "blank" in a clan of warriors.
So this is how it is, Han Feng thought, a cold cynicism rising in his chest. Different world, same office politics. Only here, they don't fire you; they just let you rot.
"I've heard enough," a sharp, arrogant voice cut through the laughter.
A young man stepped forward. He was handsome, wearing a high-collared violet robe that signaled his status as an Inner Disciple. This was Han Li, the clan's current rising star.
"Elder, since Han Feng has no cultivation, he is no longer fit to hold the 'Dragon-Marrow Pill' left by his late father," Han Li said, a predatory smirk on his face. "As the top disciple of the younger generation, that pill belongs to me. Han Feng, hand it over and kowtow three times. Do that, and I might convince the Elders not to kick you out of the city tonight."
Han Li let his aura explode. A visible ripple of green energy swirled around him, cracking the floorboards beneath his feet.
[Qi Refining Layer 4]
The pressure hit Han Feng like a physical weight, forcing him to one knee. His lungs burned. The gap between a mortal and a 4th Layer cultivator was an ocean.
Is this it? Han Feng hissed through gritted teeth. I die in an office, and now I die on a floor?
Suddenly, a sound like a digital bell chimed in his mind.
[Ding! Detects Host's Will to Defy. System Initializing...] [1%... 50%... 100%!] [Welcome, Host, to the Apex Parity System.]
Han Feng froze. A system?
[Current Environment Analysis: Host is under suppression by 'Han Li' (Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer 4).][Activating Core Logic: The Absolute Ceiling.] [Logic: Whatever the opponent's level, the Host shall be n+1.]
"What...?" Han Feng whispered.
[Calculation: Opponent = Layer 4. Host Level = Layer 4 + 1.] [Adjusting Host's Cultivation Base... Done.]
In a split second, the "withered" Dantian in Han Feng's gut didn't just heal—it turned into a roaring vortex. The stagnant air in the hall began to scream as it was sucked into his pores.
"Kneel, trash!" Han Li shouted, throwing a palm strike aimed at Han Feng's shoulder. He wanted to shatter the bone.
Han Feng looked up. To his eyes, Han Li's movement—which should have been a blur—was now incredibly slow. He could see the flaws in the flow of Han Li's Qi. He could see the overextension of the muscle.
Han Feng stood up. He didn't just stand; he rose with such force that the pressure Han Li was emitting was instantly blown back.
BOOM!
Han Feng didn't use a technique. He simply slapped the incoming hand away.
The sound of snapping bone echoed through the silent hall. Han Li screamed, his body spinning through the air before slamming into a stone pillar.
"You..." Han Li gasped, clutching his shattered wrist, his face pale with shock. "How? You're a mortal!"
The Great Elder stood up so fast his chair flew backward. He stared at Han Feng, his eyes bulging. "That aura... that's not the 4th Layer. That's... Qi Refining Layer 5?!"
The hall went deathly silent.
The "Trash" had just jumped from nothing to the 5th Layer in the span of a single breath. On the Azure Cloud Continent, breaking through a single layer usually took months of meditation and expensive pills. What Han Feng just did was a physical impossibility.
Han Feng felt the power coursing through him. It was intoxicating. He looked at the Great Elder, then at the groaning Han Li.
"You wanted me to kowtow?" Han Feng asked, his voice calm but carrying a terrifying edge.
He took a step forward. With every step, his aura flared, the 5th Layer Qi crushing the nearby disciples' spirits.
"Wait! Han Feng, stop!" the Great Elder shouted, realizing that Han Feng was heading toward Han Li with killing intent. The Elder shifted his weight, releasing his own pressure to stop the boy.
The Great Elder was at the 8th Layer of Qi Refining.
"Don't be arrogant just because of a sudden breakthrough!" the Elder barked, his pressure descending like a mountain.
Han Feng felt the weight again. For a microsecond, he felt like he would be crushed. Then, the chime returned.
[Ding!] [New Threat Detected: Elder Han (Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer 8).] [Logic Re-calculating: Host Level = 8 + 1.] [Current Level: Qi Refining Layer 9.]
VRRRRRRUM!
The stone floor beneath Han Feng's feet disintegrated into dust. The golden Qi surrounding him turned into a violent pillar of light that shot toward the ceiling.
The Great Elder's "mountain-like" pressure didn't just break—it was obliterated. The Elder gasped, his knees hitting the floor as he felt a cultivation level far superior to his own locking onto his throat.
"Layer... Layer 9?" the Elder whispered, his voice trembling. "Peak of the Qi Refining realm? In ten seconds?"
Han Feng looked down at the most powerful man in the room, who was now sweating and trembling under his gaze.
"Elder," Han Feng said, tilting his head. "Am I still a 'waste of rice'?"