The world had once knelt before him.

Empires had risen and fallen at his command.

He had crushed kings, shattered gods, and united a world under one banner.

His banner.

Yet, at the peak of it all, he had refused divinity.

He rejected the heavens, choosing mortality over ascension.

And so, in the end, he died.

Pain.

Blinding, searing pain.

His body felt foreign—weak, fragile, different.

His breath came in ragged gasps.

His fingers twitched.

The scent of blood filled his nose.

He opened his eyes.

Darkness.

A damp wooden ceiling greeted him. The faint flicker of candlelight. The rough texture of a straw mattress beneath him.

This wasn't his palace. This wasn't divine light.

Was this Heaven?

No. He had rejected divinity. He had turned his back on the gods. They wouldn't have sent him here.

Hell? He thought about the many deities and demons who would have wanted his soul. Even they would have had to sacrifice much of their own energy just to touch it. And even then, his spiritual force alone would have disintegrated them.

As he stirred, his body ached. The weight of exhaustion pressed down on him like chains. His limbs were frail. His head pounded, each movement making it worse.

No. He wasn't dead. But where was he?

His new body felt weak, far weaker than it should have been.

For the first time in centuries, he felt completely vulnerable.

This body. What was it? He struggled to sit up.

"Where...?" he muttered to himself. His voice was weak.

Standing up, he groaned. Shabby—that was the word for this body. His movements were stiff and clumsy, not like the graceful warrior he once was.

"Well, this certainly isn't Latvaria..." He squinted at his surroundings. It looked nothing like the grand empire he had once ruled. "But this doesn't feel like the underworld either..."

He paused. He'd been there before. He'd crossed through death and back. But this—this wasn't the place.

Then a jolt ran through his skull.

Pain, sharp and sudden.

His vision blurred. A strange sensation surged through his brain, making his head throb. A screen materialized before him, blocking his view.

[Transmigration Complete]

[Edward Reinhart, previous accolades:]

[Strongest Under the Heavens]

[The Chosen One]

[Greatest Emperor of Latvaria]

[Godslayer]

[Demonslayer]

[Ally of the Dragon]

[Previous Stats:]

[Strength: Unmeasurable]

[Agility: Unmeasurable]

[Durability: Unmeasurable]

[Mana: Unmeasurable]

[Spirit Energy: Unmeasurable]

[Welcome to Murim. Survive and conquer as you always have, great warrior.]

He blinked, the words burning into his mind. His jaw clenched.

"Just when I think I've gotten a break, huh?" he muttered bitterly.

This world definitely wasn't Latvaria. There was no doubt. But who had sent him here?

None of the gods he knew had the power to touch him.

The very act of moving a soul across realities—especially one as powerful as his—should have been impossible.

The Three Divinities themselves were bound by the laws of causality and cosmic order. Even they couldn't simply pluck a soul from one reality and deposit it in another without severe consequences. The energy requirements alone would have been astronomical.

Unless...

Unless this wasn't their doing at all. Unless something far more fundamental to reality itself was at play.

He closed his eyes, trying to center himself, to feel for the familiar pulse of mana that had been his constant companion for centuries. Instead, he felt... nothing. No, not nothing. Something else. Something alien.

The energy in this body, in this world—it wasn't mana. It felt muddled, less pure, yet somehow more primal. It moved through his meridians like muddy water through ancient pipes, clogged and sluggish.

Another screen materialized:

[System: Energy detected. You have sensed Qi]

[Qi is the fundamental energy of this world, present in all living beings. It flows through meridians and can be cultivated through specific breathing techniques and martial arts. While similar in concept to mana, its properties and applications differ significantly.]

[Warning: Attempting to manipulate Qi as you would mana may result in meridian damage. This body's current cultivation level: None.]

He frowned at the notification. So this energy was called Qi. The concept wasn't entirely foreign—he'd heard of similar energy systems in some of the more distant regions of his old world. But this... this felt fundamentally different.

He tried to move it again, this time more cautiously. The energy responded sluggishly, barely a trickle compared to the vast ocean of mana he once commanded. It felt raw, unrefined, almost primitive compared to the sophisticated energy he was used to.

A small noise from outside caught his attention. Footsteps, multiple sets, approaching cautiously.

The door slid open, revealing a group of children in tattered clothes. They stared at him with a mixture of fear and awe. At their head stood a boy who couldn't have been more than twelve, his eyes sharp with street-learned wisdom.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Young Master," the boy said, bowing slightly. "You've been unconscious for three days. We... we weren't sure you'd wake up."

Young Master? He looked down at his body again. Young, probably around sixteen or seventeen, dressed in equally tattered clothes. So this was his new vessel. A street rat, by the looks of it.

"What happened to me?" he asked, his voice still rough.

The boy hesitated before responding. "Well, Young Master, it appears you picked a fight with the Jin Clan's cultivators that passed by... and you lost. Badly. They used their martial arts, and we found you bleeding to death after. We used everything we had and asked a local physician to heal you."

He paused, digesting the information. So that's what happened... the boy's soul must have departed before I entered it.

But asking them too much would be suspicious. And he didn't know if this world had any techniques to detect possession.

"I'm sorry for asking so many questions," he said, lowering his gaze. "I can't remember anything after that incident."

The children exchanged glances. "So that's what happened... but it's fine, Young Master. At least you're alive."

He looked at the boy who had spoken, at the others around him. They were weak, underfed, but their eyes shone with a loyalty that reminded him of the comrades he'd once fought beside.

Such loyalty... this reminds me of them.

He pushed the thought aside. The previous owner of this body must have been a great kid to inspire such devotion.

"I have a question," he asked. "Why do you call me 'Young Master'?"

"Oh, that's what you told us to call you," Ho-Jin said, grinning. "After you saw those noble bastards and how their guards addressed their leader."

"I see, then what are you?"

"Oh, I'm your second-in-command. Everyone calls me Ho-Jin."

Tae-Won observed the group of children around him, his sharp gaze sweeping over them. Most of them looked more physically capable than Ho-Jin, yet they had all accepted this boy as second-in-command. That alone was enough to make him curious.

Tae-Won furrowed his brows. "But how did I become the leader?"

Ho-Jin chuckled. "Well, you're the strongest out of all of us, of course. I'm the second strongest, even though I don't look it."

Tae-Won laughed lightly. These kids, as young as they were, already understood the nature of the world. Strength dictated everything. But this Ho-Jin... he was weak. Yet something about him was off. It felt like he was hiding something, which was surprising. This meant that he possessed something that increased his strength.

Still, if Ho-Jin was so frail physically, yet claimed to be the second strongest among them, what was his secret? Matter of fact, how was Tae-Won himself the strongest among everyone? The others had more muscle, better physiques. Could it be...?

Tae-Won pushed the thought aside for now. He would find out later.

"I see," he said. "Well, I'm fine now, but I want to be left alone for a while."

Ho-Jin nodded. "Alright, we'll leave you be, Young Master."

As the children dispersed, Tae-Won leaned against the wall, lost in thought. These kids had given up everything just to keep this body alive. Their loyalty was remarkable, but there was nothing he could do to return the gesture now. That was simply the law of the world—the strong survived, and the weak perished. There was no point in dwelling on sentimentality. All he knew was that he had a new world to conquer.

Maybe the opponents here were stronger than the ones in his past life. Good. That just meant he had to grow stronger as well. But first, he needed to understand how this world functioned—and more importantly, the true nature of this body's "structure."

For a brief moment, he had sensed something strange. The other children, stronger and bulkier, had lost to this body in a fight. And Ho-Jin… that brat seemed to be hiding a unique ability as well. Could this be a body constitution?

In Latvaria, body constitutions determined a person's innate potential. There were legendary ones—the Heavenly Martial Body, the Sword Demon Constitution. Such traits made up half of one's talent. While one could acquire new constitutions over time, those were temporary; a true constitution was an inseparable part of a person.

In his past life, he had been lucky enough to be born with one—the Mystic Dragon Bone Structure, a rare gift granted by the dragons through his mother's lineage. Thinking back, that "Chosen One" title had really been too much. He had simply been blessed by fate. But now... what did this body possess?

"Magic thing… appear."

A silence stretched before a large screen materialized before him.

[Wait… what was its name again?]

A mechanical voice echoed in his mind. [Hello. My designated name is A23, but you may simply call me 'System.']

Tae-Won's eyes widened slightly. A system? What kind of name was that?

"Alright, System," he said, regaining his composure. "Analyze this body's constitution."

The screen flickered, then displayed a response.

[Analyzing…]

[Body Constitution: Azure Phoenix Meridians]

[Rare constitution that allows refined absorption and circulation of Qi better than other constitutions.Enhances strength and agility. Difficult early cultivation but exceptional control once mastered. Grants ability to sense Qi fluctuations within 100 paces. Cultivation bottlenecks are far less severe and common but require greater Qi purity.]

Tae-Won's lips curved into a smile. A phoenix constitution... so it's rare but not unheard of. With proper cultivation, this could become a formidable weapon.

"System, how do I begin cultivating?"

[Basic Qi Cultivation Method detected. Would you like to access it?]

"Yes."

Tae-Won settled into a cross-legged position on the floor. The cultivation method appeared in his mind—a simple breathing exercise meant for beginners. Nothing like the advanced techniques he had mastered in his past life, but it would have to do.

He closed his eyes and began to breathe rhythmically, drawing air deep into his lungs. In... out... in... out...

At first, nothing happened. The Qi remained stagnant in his meridians. He frowned, concentrating harder. Still nothing.

Then he remembered—this wasn't mana. The principles would be different.

Rather than forcing his will upon the energy, he tried to coax it gently, to guide rather than command. Slowly, ever so slowly, he felt something stir within him. A warmth began to spread from his dantian—the energy center below his navel.

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his meridians. His eyes flew open as he gasped.

[Warning: Meridian damage detected. Azure Phoenix Meridians are sensitive to impurities during initial cultivation.]

Tae-Won clenched his teeth against the pain. "Then what should I do?"

[Suggestion: Purify external Qi before absorption. Azure Phoenix Meridians excel at refinement but require pure input.]

He nodded, understanding dawning. This body's constitution wasn't meant for brute force cultivation—it required finesse, precision.

Taking another deep breath, he extended his senses outward, feeling the ambient Qi in the air around him. Most of it was indeed impure, tainted with the grime and despair of the slums. But here and there, he could sense tiny motes of pure energy—likely remnants of some natural phenomenon or distant cultivation resources.

With careful concentration, he drew only those pure particles inward, filtering out the rest. The sensation changed immediately. Instead of pain, he felt a cool, refreshing energy flowing through his meridians. His dantian began to warm pleasantly, like embers catching fire.

[Congratulations! You have successfully begun cultivation.]

[Current Realm: Body Refinement Stage 1]

[Qi Reserves: 0.1%]

A smile spread across Tae-Won's face. It wasn't much, but it was a start. He could feel the potential of these Azure Phoenix Meridians—their capacity for precise control, for refinement beyond what most cultivators could achieve.

Just then, a commotion erupted outside. Shouts and the sounds of struggle filled the air. Ho-Jin's voice rose above the din, panicked.

"Young Master! They're back! The Jin Clan cultivators!"

Tae-Won's eyes narrowed. Perfect timing. He rose to his feet, the minute amount of Qi he'd gathered already making his movements smoother, more deliberate.

[Warning: Current cultivation level insufficient for combat against trained cultivators.]

He ignored the warning. In his past life, he'd defeated gods with nothing but a broken sword and his wits. A few arrogant young masters wouldn't be a problem.

As he stepped toward the door, a new notification appeared:

[Quest Alert: First Blood]

[Defeat the Jin Clan disciples to establish your presence in Murim]

[Reward: 100 Cultivation Points, Basic Combat Technique]

[Failure: Possible death, loss of followers]

[Accept? Y/N]

Tae-Won's lips curved into a predatory smile. So the System offered quests too? Interesting.

"Let’s see how strong these bastards are," he said simply, pushing the door open to face his first challenge in this new world.

The sun was setting, painting the sky blood-red as five young men in elegant blue robes stood in the muddy street. Behind them cowered Ho-Jin and the other children. The leader, a tall youth with a sword at his hip, sneered when he saw Tae-Won.

"Well, well, the trash lives. I thought I'd finished you last time." He placed a hand on his sword hilt. "Looks like I need to be more thorough."

Tae-Won stepped forward, feeling the meager Qi in his body responding to his will. It wasn't much, but perhaps it would be enough—if he was clever.

"You know," Tae-Won said casually, "where I come from, we have a saying..."

He shifted into a stance that felt foreign yet somehow natural to this body.

"...a phoenix always rises from its ashes."

-End Of Chapter.