Rebirth into a Cruel World

It was suffocating. Endless. An abyss with no light, no warmth—only a crushing silence that pressed against his soul.

For a moment, Xu Liang thought he was dead. Truly dead.

Then, pain surged through his body like a tidal wave, dragging him out of the void.

His breath hitched. His chest burned, his limbs felt like lead, and every inch of his body screamed in agony. His head throbbed as if someone had taken a hammer to it.

As his senses returned, so did something unexpected—memories.

Flashes of a different life. A boy of sixteen, beaten within an inch of his life. The scent of blood. Mocking laughter. A group of young men in martial robes, their eyes filled with disdain.

"Trash like you doesn't deserve to stay in the Iron Wolf Sect."

"Your father is dead. You're nothing now."

A final kick to the ribs, then darkness.

Xu Liang's eyes snapped open.

He was no longer in his world.

Instead, he was lying in the dirt, his body weak and trembling, surrounded by towering trees and thick undergrowth. The air was damp and heavy with the scent of rotting wood. He could feel the cold ground beneath his fingertips, the uneven texture of dried blood on his skin.

His breathing was ragged. His fingers twitched.

This… wasn't a dream.

A rush of panic surged through him, but he forced himself to stay calm. He needed to assess the situation.

His mind was jumbled, but the fragments of memory that didn't belong to him slowly pieced themselves together.

His name was Xu Liang. Sixteen years old. The son of an elder from the Iron Wolf Sect, a lower-tier martial sect. His father had mysteriously disappeared a few months ago, and without his protection, the wolves turned on their own.

Xu Liang had been bullied relentlessly. They called him trash, useless, a waste of resources. He had no talent for cultivation—his meridians were weak, his dantian unstable. When he finally retaliated against one of the senior disciples, they beat him half to death and threw him out of the sect.

Left to die in the wilderness.

'No wonder this body was on the brink of death…' Xu Liang thought bitterly.

His fingers clenched into the damp earth beneath him. His head still throbbed, but a single thought burned in his mind: I will not die here.

As if responding to his will, a sudden mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

[Initializing… System Awakening Complete.]

Xu Liang's breath caught.

A system?

Before he could fully process it, a translucent screen materialized before his eyes.

—

[Host: Xu Liang]

[Cultivation Realm: None]

[Physique: Severely Damaged]

[Lifespan: 3 Days Remaining]

—

Xu Liang's pupils shrank. Three days?

Cold dread seeped into his bones. His body was still weak—if he did nothing, he would die in less than seventy-two hours.

Just as panic threatened to rise, the system's voice rang out again, emotionless and precise.

[Host's survival is in critical condition. Activating Emergency Restoration Protocol.]

A surge of warmth spread through his body, gentle yet powerful, like sunlight breaking through an ice-cold winter.

Golden light enveloped him. The pain that had tormented him moments ago faded away. His broken bones mended, his dried blood vanished, and his tattered organs rapidly healed. His shallow, uneven breathing grew steady, his heartbeat strong.

Moments later, another message appeared.

[Body Restoration Complete. Additional Bonus Granted: Minor Strengthening.]

Xu Liang gasped, sitting upright. His hands trembled as he felt his own body. The bruises were gone. The sharp pain in his ribs had disappeared. Even his vision was clearer, his senses sharper.

This wasn't normal healing. It was miraculous.

His gaze fell back onto the system panel.

This system had just saved his life.

A mixture of disbelief, excitement, and wariness filled his heart. He wasn't a fool. He had read enough novels in his past life to recognize the significance of what just happened.

A system that grants power… If this is real, then my fate has changed forever.

Xu Liang took a deep breath and focused. He needed answers.

"System," he said, testing his voice. "Explain your function."

[The Immortal Ascension System has one core directive: To assist the host in reaching immortality.]

Xu Liang's eyes flashed.

Immortality.

That word alone sent shivers down his spine. It was the ultimate goal. The peak of all existence.

In his past life, immortality was nothing but a fantasy. But in this world, where cultivators could shatter mountains and live for centuries, it was within reach.

And now, he had a system designed to help him achieve it.

A slow smile spread across his lips.

This is perfect.

But before he could celebrate, a rustling sound came from the bushes nearby.

Xu Liang's body tensed.

He turned his head sharply, his senses now heightened. A pair of glowing yellow eyes stared at him from the undergrowth.

A beast.

It stepped forward, revealing itself—a Scarlet Fang Wolf, a low-tier spirit beast with razor-sharp fangs and crimson fur streaked with black. It was only the size of a normal wolf, but in his current state, even a creature like this could be deadly.

Xu Liang's mind raced. He had no cultivation. No weapons. If the wolf attacked, he wouldn't stand a chance—

[Combat Assistance Mode Activated.]

Suddenly, battle information flooded his mind. Instincts that weren't his own took over, guiding his movements. He shifted his body slightly, lowering his center of gravity.

The wolf growled and lunged, aiming straight for his throat.

Xu Liang moved before he could think.

His foot slid back, dodging the attack by a hair's breadth. The wolf's jaws snapped shut just inches from his neck.

Time seemed to slow.

An opening.

Without hesitation, Xu Liang grabbed a thick branch from the ground and drove it into the beast's eye.

A piercing howl rang through the forest.

The wolf thrashed wildly, blood spurting from its ruined eye.

Xu Liang didn't stop. His body moved with newfound precision, fueled by the system's combat guidance. He gripped the branch tighter and twisted, shoving it deeper into the creature's skull.

With one final spasm, the wolf collapsed, lifeless.

Silence fell.

Xu Liang panted, his body trembling from the adrenaline.

Then, a notification appeared.

[Host has defeated a Low-Tier Spirit Beast: Scarlet Fang Wolf.]

[Award: +5 Strength, +2 Agility.]

Xu Liang stared at the screen, then at the dead wolf.

He had won.

Not through brute force, but through skill. Through the system's guidance.

His heart pounded. The realization sank in.

With this system… I can survive. I can grow.

He clenched his fists.

And one day… he would reach the peak of this world.

He would never be weak again.