Dragon Peak Mountain was nothing like the hiking trails back home.
The trees were twice as tall as normal, with leaves that glowed faintly in the dark.
Strange animal sounds echoed through the forest, things that definitely weren't squirrels or deer. The air felt thick, like breathing soup, and everything had this weird tingly feeling.
Spiritual energy. The memories told me that much. Places with strong spiritual energy were good for cultivation. They were also dangerous.
"Great," I muttered, jumping over a fallen log. "Monster-infested death mountain. Just what I needed."
[3 hours, 42 minutes remaining]
The system kept updating the timer. Very helpful. Very stressful.
My legs were screaming. Swift Steps made me fast, but it burned through my qi like crazy. I was running on fumes, and I was only halfway up the mountain.
A roar split the air.
I froze. Something big crashed through the trees to my left. I dove behind a boulder just as a massive bear, no, not a bear, something worse, lumbered into view.
It was the size of a car, with black fur and glowing red eyes. Spiritual beast. The memories identified it immediately.
Foundation Establishment level, way above what I could handle.
It sniffed the air. Looking for me.
I held my breath. My heart hammered so loud I was sure it could hear it.
The beast took a step toward my hiding spot.
Then something whistled through the air. An arrow made of pure light slammed into the beast's side. It roared in pain and charged off in a different direction.
I peeked out. A group of cultivators in green robes stood on a nearby cliff, bows in hand. Sect disciples, probably here for training.
"Did we get it?" one asked.
"No, but we scared it off. Come on, Elder Wu wants us back before dark."
They left, walking on air like it was nothing. Flying. That's what high-level cultivators could do.
"One day," I whispered. "One day that'll be me."
I waited until they were gone, then kept moving.
[2 hours, 18 minutes remaining]
The cave entrance was exactly where the system said it would be, hidden behind a waterfall, covered in vines. You'd never find it unless you knew where to look.
Or unless you were a reincarnated emperor with a thousand years of memories.
"Lin Tian would've walked straight here," I said. "Lucky for me, I got here first."
I pushed through the vines. Water soaked my robes immediately. The cave beyond was dark, lit only by strange blue mushrooms growing on the walls.
[Ancient Sword Inheritance detected]
[Warning: Guardian constructs active]
[Estimated difficulty: High]
"Of course there are guardians."
I stepped inside carefully. The cave was bigger than it looked from outside, opening into a huge chamber. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like teeth. And in the center, on a stone pedestal, was a sword.
It was beautiful. Straight blade, simple design, but it glowed with golden light. Power radiated from it, making my skin tingle.
[Heaven-Cutting Sword]
[Legendary Grade Weapon]
[Left behind by Sword Saint 3,000 years ago]
[Contains incomplete Sword Saint inheritance]
My mouth went dry. This wasn't just some random treasure. This was the kind of thing that could change everything.
I took a step forward.
Stone scraped against stone.
Three statues along the walls jerked to life. They were humanoid, made of gray stone, each holding a sword. Their eyes lit up red.
[Stone Guardians]
[Power Level: Foundation Establishment (Early)]
[Weakness: Poor mobility, vulnerable to environmental damage]
"Foundation Establishment. I'm dead."
The first guardian charged. It moved fast for a stone statue, sword raised high.
I dove to the side. The sword smashed into the ground where I'd been standing, cracking the stone floor.
"Okay, okay, think!" I scrambled backward. "The system said environmental damage!"
I looked up. The ceiling was covered in stalactites. And the cave walls had crystals embedded in them, glowing with stored spiritual energy.
The second guardian swung at me. I used Swift Steps to dodge, barely avoiding getting cut in half. My qi was almost gone. One, maybe two more uses and I'd be helpless.
The third guardian moved to cut off my escape.
I ran toward the nearest wall. The guardians followed, their stone feet thundering against the floor.
I grabbed a loose rock and threw it as hard as I could at the nearest crystal.
It shattered.
The explosion was way bigger than I expected. Blue light erupted, and the shockwave threw me backward. I hit the ground hard, ears ringing.
Two of the guardians were caught in the blast. Cracks spread across their bodies. They moved slower, damaged.
The third one was fine. And it was right in front of me.
I rolled away from its sword strike. Once. Twice. My body was too slow, too weak. The original Chen Feng had never trained properly.
The guardian raised its sword for a finishing blow.
I looked at the pedestal. At the glowing sword. It was only ten feet away.
"Screw it."
I burned the last of my qi and used Swift Steps. The world blurred. I crossed the distance in a heartbeat and grabbed the sword's handle.
Nothing happened.
The sword didn't budge. It was stuck in the stone, King Arthur style.
"Are you KIDDING me?!"
The guardian's shadow fell over me. Its sword came down.
I pulled with everything I had. Desperation. Fear. The absolute certainty that I was about to die for the second time in two days.
Something inside me snapped. Not physically. Something deeper. Like a door opening.
The sword slid free.
Golden light exploded through the cave. Power flooded into my body, burning through my meridians. The Heaven-Cutting Sword hummed in my hand, alive and deadly.
I swung without thinking.
The blade cut through the stone guardian like butter. It split perfectly in half and crumbled to dust.
I stared at the sword. At my hand holding it. "Holy..."
[Heaven-Cutting Sword bound to Host]
[Inheritance absorbed]
[Technique acquired: Sword Saint's Basic Form]
[Cultivation increased: Qi Condensation Layer 3 → Layer 6]
[Providence gained: +5,000]
[Current Providence: 5,000]
Power rushed through me. My body felt lighter, stronger. The exhaustion vanished. I could feel qi flowing through my meridians properly for the first time, smooth and natural.
The two damaged guardians tried to attack. I cut them down with two casual swings. The sword moved like it was part of my arm.
When the last guardian fell to dust, silence filled the cave.
I stood there, breathing hard, adrenaline still pumping.
"I did it. I actually did it."
[Tutorial Quest Complete]
[Congratulations! You have stolen your first Providence!]
[Reward: Heaven-Cutting Sword, Sword Saint Inheritance, 5,000 Providence Points]
[New ability unlocked: Heaven's Gaze]
[You can now view detailed information about any person]
The sword disappeared. Not literally, it went somewhere inside me. I could feel it there, waiting. I could summon it anytime I wanted.
[Warning: Lin Tian approaching]
[Distance: 2 miles]
[Estimated arrival: 8 minutes]
My grin faded. "Right. The guy I just robbed."
I looked around the cave. Empty pedestal. Destroyed guardians. It was pretty obvious someone had been here.
"System, is there a back exit?"
[Yes. Northern passage, behind the pedestal.]
I found it, a narrow tunnel, barely visible in the shadows. I squeezed through just as I heard voices echoing from the cave entrance.
"Senior Brother Lin, are you certain the inheritance is here? This cave looks dangerous."
"I'm certain. My past life memories never fail. The Sword Saint's inheritance has been waiting here for three thousand years.
Today, it becomes mine."
The voice was young but had an edge of absolute confidence. The kind of confidence that came from living a thousand years and conquering everything once already.
I crept through the tunnel, moving as quietly as possible.
"Senior Brother, look! The guardians are destroyed!"
"What?! Impossible! Who could have"
I didn't hear the rest. I was already running through the back tunnel, out into the forest on the other side of the mountain.
Behind me, I heard a scream of rage that echoed through the peaks.
Lin Tian had arrived to find his inheritance gone.
I laughed as I ran down the mountain, using my new and improved Swift Steps. Faster, smoother, barely winded.
"Sorry, buddy. Better luck next time."
[Lin Tian's Providence decreased: 12,000 → 10,500]
[First major setback recorded]
[His fate has been altered]
The sun was setting by the time I reached the city. I snuck back into the Chen mansion the same way I left. Nobody had even noticed I was gone.
In my room, I locked the door and collapsed on the bed.
My body ached. My robes were torn and dirty. But I was alive. And I was stronger.
I pulled up my status screen.
[HOST STATUS]
[Name: Chen Feng]
[Age: 18]
[Cultivation: Qi Condensation Layer 6]
[Providence: 5,000]
[Techniques: Swift Steps (Intermediate), Sword Saint's Basic Form]
[Weapons: Heaven-Cutting Sword (Legendary)]
[Enemies: 1 (Lin Tian)]
From trash at Layer 3 to Layer 6 in one day. With a legendary sword and a system that could make me even stronger.
"This is just the beginning," I whispered.
Outside my window, the Azure River City sparkled with lights. Somewhere in that city, in this world, there were more protagonists. More lucky bastards with cheat abilities and plot armor.
And I was going to rob every single one of them.
My second life was going to be very different from my first.
[NOTICE: Sect Recruitment Ceremony in 3 days]
[Multiple Sons of Destiny will attend]
[Opportunities detected: 7]