The first thing Lu Haoran noticed was the wind.
Cold, thin, carrying the scent of damp stone and old wood. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a cracked stone platform. Half the sky was covered by clouds; the other half peered down through the broken roof of what used to be a grand hall.
He sat up slowly.
The hall was a ruin.
Tiles scattered.
Beams snapped.
A bird's nest sat proudly on what might have been the central pillar.
Lu Haoran stared.
"…Where am I?"
His last memory was mundane: a quiet night on Earth, a streetlight flickering, then darkness. He certainly did not remember waking up in a place that looked like the aftermath of a demolition accident.
A signboard lay in front of him. Half-buried in dust.
He pulled it up and brushed it off.
"Heavenly Peak Sect."
The last character had been gouged so badly it barely existed.
He sighed.
"Is this supposed to be my inheritance? Did the heavens run out of options?"
That was when a sharp, metallic sound echoed in his mind.
A voice followed, clear and annoyingly cheerful.
[Unorthodox Sect Master System activated.]
Lu Haoran froze.
"…A system?"
[Correct. And congratulations, Host. You have just inherited the weakest sect in the entire Lower Dust Realm.]
"That sounds less like congratulations and more like mockery."
[Both can be true.]
Lu Haoran rubbed his forehead.
So he had transmigrated into a cultivation world.
And not a good one, apparently.
The System continued, almost humming with delight.
[Scanning environment...]
A long pause.
[Scan complete.
Conclusion: Your sect is impressive.]
Lu Haoran frowned. "Really?"
[Impressively terrible.]
A gust of wind passed through the broken roof and knocked down another loose tile.
The System added helpfully:
[Host, that tile is now stronger than your sect's defensive formation.]
"…Do I even have a defensive formation?"
[Not anymore.]
Haoran took a deep breath and forced himself to stand. Ruined or not, this sect was the only thing he had. He walked outside and found an overgrown courtyard. Grass came up to his knees. The well in the center was cracked in three places. A single chicken stared at him murderously from atop a fallen statue.
"This is tragic."
The System spoke again.
[Host, before your existential crisis deepens, here is your first mission.]
[Mission: Recruit one disciple.]
[Reward: Partial repair of spirit well.]
"A disciple? There's no one within ten miles of this mountain."
[Host, with your luck, that's probably for their safety.]
"You're very confident in insulting me."
[I have a purpose: to guide you and to keep your ego at healthy, minimal levels.]
Lu Haoran massaged his temples.
He had a ruined sect, a rude system, and no idea why he ended up here.
Still… he felt something strange.
A faint pull.
A sense of familiarity in this ruined place, as if some part of him recognized it.
But that was impossible. He had never been here before.
The System gave a soft chime.
[Host, you should get ready. Your first disciple will appear soon.]
"What? From where?"
[From destiny. Or bad luck. Hard to tell with you.]
Lu Haoran sighed again.
"Fine. Let destiny come."
As if responding to his words, a distant scream echoed from the forest below Heavenly Peak.
The System spoke casually.
[Host, destiny has arrived. Try not to die.]
Lu Haoran straightened.
Weak sect or not, this was the beginning.
His beginning.