C1 System Awakening

"No!" Yang Ying bolted upright, gasping for breath as cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He gazed out the window, lost in the view, his mind a blank.

He had the same nightmare again: being cast out of the Outer Sect and relegated to a remote disciple. In a subsequent conflict, his inadequate strength led to his demise at the hands of a single punch.

"By my calculations, I've only got half a month left to live! If I don't make a breakthrough, the horrors of my dream might just come true!" Despite his frustration, Yang Ying found himself without a plan.

He rose, donned his grey robe, straightened himself out, and headed towards the Outer Sect's Hall of Deacons.

Today was his day to collect supplies. Every Outer Sect disciple of the Green Cloud Sect was entitled to two low-grade Spirit Stones and two low-grade Qi Replenishing Pills each month.

Upon entering the Hall of Deacons, Yang Ying noticed the queue of disciples waiting their turn as Deacon Lu methodically handed out resources.

Patiently, Yang Ying took his place in line.

When it was finally his turn, he approached and respectfully said, "Deacon Lu, I've come for my resources."

Deacon Lu gave him a cursory look and drawled, "Someone else has already claimed your share. Go back. Next."

"But Deacon Lu, I've only just arrived. How can my resources be gone?" Yang Ying asked urgently. "Was it Lu Chenghua again?"

Deacon Lu paid him no mind.

At that moment, another figure entered, clad in a grey robe with a Storage Bag at his waist and a long sword slung across his back. The sword's fine make marked it as a top-grade magic weapon.

He chuckled at Yang Ying, "Second-level Yang, you're on your way out of the Outer Sect. Why bother with resources? Consider it a good deed; I've collected them for you."

"Lu Chenghua! I'm perfectly capable of collecting my own resources. I don't need your 'help'!" Yang Ying retorted, his anger rising.

"There's no need to rush. Taking these resources would be a waste anyway," Lu Chenghua responded coolly.

"This is none of your business!" Yang Ying shot back, already moving towards him.

Before he could confront Lu Chenghua, two disciples in grey robes entered from outside.

The hefty man at the forefront leapt forward, swiftly cutting off Yang Ying's path.

"Fatty! You again!" Yang Ying seethed through clenched teeth.

He was well aware that in a fair match, he stood no chance against this opponent.

Without hesitation, Yang Ying adopted a reckless approach, throwing caution to the wind as he aimed for the fat man's vulnerabilities.

The fat man, realizing Yang Ying was going all out and targeting his critical spots, became momentarily flustered and unable to counter effectively.

Ignoring everything else, the fat man called out to his companion, "Lee, help me out here!"

Upon hearing the plea, the youth known as Lee advanced and threw himself into the fray.

Yang Ying, only at the Second Level of Qi Refining, was outclassed by both the fat man and Lee, who were nearing the Fifth Level, already standing firm at the Fourth.

It took merely a couple of exchanges before Yang Ying was sent sprawling to the ground.

The fat man pounced on the fallen Yang Ying, pummeling him with his fists and bellowing, "Not so cocky now, are you?"

Lee joined in, delivering a series of brutal kicks to Yang Ying's prone form.

Yang Ying, drained of any strength to fight back, could only shield his head with his arms and curl up protectively.

The onlookers discreetly stepped aside, some with looks of pity, yet none dared to intervene.

Lu Chenghua, observing Yang Ying's motionless figure, signaled for a halt, "Enough, don't beat him to death."

The fat man finally rose off Yang Ying, rubbing his face, "Man, he packs a punch!"

He then landed a harsh kick on Yang Ying, venting, "Second-level Yang, you're nothing but trash. I could kick you to death!"

The bystanders rose, straightened their attire, and respectfully addressed Lu Chenghua, "Master Lu, he had the audacity to challenge you. He'd have only himself to blame if he were beaten to death!"

With a dismissive wave, Lu Chenghua led the group away.

Pausing by Yang Ying, he prodded him with his foot, "Quit playing possum! Next time you see me, make sure you steer clear!"

As he spoke, he spat disdainfully onto the ground before leading them out the door.

The crowd outside parted ways as they emerged.

Yang Ying lay on the ground for a while, every part of him aching. With effort, he got to his feet and stumbled forward.

A quarter of an hour later, he reached an area strewn with rubble, inching his way through the stones with difficulty.

At last, he came to the edge of a cliff, a thick patch of grass before him. Parting the weeds, a crevice in the rock revealed itself.

Yang Ying wobbled through the gap, and the scene opened up before him.

A sheer cliff lay ahead, its depths unfathomable, with birds occasionally gliding below.

To his left was a flat expanse of land, the mountain curving inward to form a spoon-like hollow.

Upon his arrival, he had wondered if this place might hold some mystical fate. But after a thorough search yielded nothing, he abandoned the thought.

Yang Ying leaned against a stone, easing himself onto the grass, gazing vacantly at distant peaks. "I've only got half a month left..." he murmured.

The recent indignities overwhelmed him; he was a man of 21st century Huaxia, unaccustomed to such treatment.

In his past life, he'd gone out for drinks with colleagues just the night before. A few too many, it turned out.

Waking up, he never imagined he'd find himself here, in a body that, by some twist of fate or sheer coincidence, also bore the name Yang Ying.

Frustration took hold, and he pounded the earth, letting out a defiant roar to the heavens, "I refuse to accept this!"

As he did, blood trickled from between his fingers...

Then, a crisp voice echoed in his mind.

"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for activating the Ultimate Upgrading System! Now commencing attribute assessment for the Host!"

"Assessment complete!"

"Ultimate Upgrading System? Could this be like those systems from the novels of his previous life?" Yang Ying wondered aloud as a semi-transparent interface of the character system materialized before him.

Name: Yang Ying

Identity: Outer Sect Disciple of the Green Cloud Sect

Talent: Red Level

Realm: Second Level of Qi Refining

Cultivation Techniques: Profound Essence Spell (Initial Success), Basic Sword Arts (Initial Success)

Origin Strength: 0

Origin Strength needed for next upgrade: 0/50

"The identity details are accurate, but I'm at a loss about what Origin Strength is."

Born in Huaxia, Yang Ying's greatest pastime had always been reading novels. Now, faced with such an extraordinary occurrence, he found himself more thrilled than bewildered.

"How do I acquire Origin Strength? It looks like I'll have to experiment. Could meditation boost my Origin Strength?"

Without further hesitation, Yang Ying braved the pain, sat down cross-legged, and formed a seal with each hand. As he meditated, spirit energy gradually flowed into his body.

Completing a full cycle of meditation, Yang Ying ceased his practice and promptly summoned the system interface. The glaring red zero stung his eyes.

Meditation had brought some recovery to Yang Ying's body, but his injuries were still too severe for sword practice.

He managed a few feeble swings, teeth clenched in agony, before he had to stop.

He resolved to try sword practice the next day to see if it might increase his Origin Strength.

Half a month earlier, Yang Ying had finally integrated the memories of this body's original owner.

Yang Ying resided in the Green Cloud Sect, one of the five major sects of the cultivation world in Yaen Country, on the Qiming Continent, which comprised seven nations: Qi, Chu, Qin, Han, Wei, and Zhao.

Four years prior, the body's former owner was selected by the Green Cloud Sect, becoming an Outer Sect disciple.

Since then, he had dedicated himself to mastering the Profound Essence Spell and Basic Sword Arts, practicing tirelessly every day in hopes of advancing to the inner sect and becoming an Inner Sect disciple.

Yet, since reaching the Second Level of Qi Refining, no amount of rigorous training allowed him to break through to the Third Level.

With his eighteenth birthday approaching, his anxiety grew by the day.

One evening a month prior, the former inhabitant of this body had ventured alone to his usual sword practice spot with a bottle of wine in hand.

Somehow, upon awakening, it was Yang Ying from Huaxia who found himself in possession of the body.