"Ji Wuchang! Step forward."
Changsheng Sect, Dragon Kingdom.
At the peak of the Outer Immortal Mountain, surrounded by drifting clouds, thousands of men clad in white eastern robes stood in orderly formation. The atmosphere was solemn, heavy with anticipation.
At the forefront of the crowd, atop a massive stone platform, stood an old man calling out names one after another. He wore an unassuming white robe embroidered with faint blue patterns. His hands were clasped behind his back as he watched each disciple approach with detached indifference.
From within the sea of white robes, a young man with a thin yet tall frame meekly stepped forward under the gaze of thousands.
"G-greetings, Elder Li," the young man said as he bowed deeply. His brown hair swayed freely as he stuttered, carefully maintaining a respectful tone.
"Hm."
The old man merely nodded, his eyes lingering briefly on the youth before shaking his head.
"Another one," he muttered under his breath.
"Ji Wuchang," Elder Li said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. "Eighteen years since your birth, and you have yet to reach the Qi Sensing Realm."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone as sharp as a blade.
"According to the rules of Changsheng Sect, you are deemed unworthy of further investment."
"Failing to meet the sect's criteria for continued cultivation, you are hereby stripped of your status as an Outer Sect Disciple."
The words struck like thunder.
"You may either leave the mountain," Elder Li continued indifferently, "or remain as a handyman disciple, should you wish."
Ji Wuchang trembled.
The moment the verdict settled in, he collapsed onto his knees. Tears streamed down his face as his shoulders shook violently.
"H–handyman disciple…" he sobbed. "I—I wish to continue as a handyman disciple, Elder."
Elder Li merely nodded.
Without another word, he gestured toward several black-robed coordinators standing nearby. They stepped forward immediately, lifting Ji Wuchang to his feet and escorting him away from the platform, out of sight and out of mind.
"Hah… another one."
Standing amidst the crowd, a young man muttered under his breath. He shook his head with a sigh, his expression filled with pity—but beneath it lay bitterness.
Because he knew.
In just a few minutes, he would be standing where Ji Wuchang once stood.
'But unlike him… I won't become some errand boy of this sect… right, system?'
***
[CopyCatSystem]
[Name]: Wang Teng
[Age]: 18
[Cultivation]: Body Refinement (4/9)
[Talent]: Lowest Grade Spirit Roots
[Fate]: Error
***
The moment the thought crossed his mind, a blue holographic screen materialized before his eyes—visible to him alone.
Damon—now Wang Teng—stared at the screen quietly.
Dying after being crushed beneath an aircraft… how exactly that had happened, he still didn't know. All he knew was that somehow, inexplicably, he had been reincarnated—or rather, transmigrated—into the body of this young man named Wang Teng in an entirely new world.
'A cultivation world… should I call this time travel?' Wang Teng wondered.
Just last night, memories from his previous life had flooded back to him. Damon—a young orphan from Earth—had awakened within this body, bringing with him a consciousness far more mature than an eighteen-year-old's.
And along with it came this system.
I didn't sleep the entire night because of this… Wang Teng thought as he rubbed the dark circles beneath his eyes.
Ahead of him, another name was called out for appraisal, but his mind was elsewhere.
The entire night, Wang Teng had questioned his reality. Perhaps because Damon had died at an older age, his consciousness and thought processes now dominated this body entirely.
As a long-time fan—and addict—of webnovels, Damon was no stranger to such scenarios. But experiencing it firsthand was a different matter entirely.
It took time to get accustomed to this world.
This world had no universal name, but the continent he resided on was known as the Xia Continent, dominated by dozens of kingdoms, sects, and holy lands.
Here, a special form of mystical energy known as Qi permeated the world, allowing ordinary humans to cultivate, evolve into higher life forms, and ultimately pursue immortality.
An eastern fantasy setting… and a system to match, Damon thought.
Recalling the strange survey he had filled out mere moments before his death, he couldn't help but sigh. There had to be a connection between that survey and his transmigration—he simply lacked proof.
Still, finding himself within the very genre he once read obsessively, alongside a system eerily similar to the one he had designed in idle fantasy, Damon found it hard to believe this was mere coincidence.
What is this system? Where did it come from? What's its purpose?
Countless questions flooded his mind throughout the night, only stopping when he finally forced himself to stop thinking altogether.
Whatever it is, I don't have the strength or authority to uncover the truth yet.
Damon was wary—of the system, of this world, of his own fragile position within it. But caution alone wouldn't solve anything.
Suspicious though he was, Damon understood one thing clearly: in a cultivation world where he possessed no talent and no backing, survival came first.
He decided not to overthink things.
Whether there was a plot behind it all, whether he was merely a puppet in some grand design—it didn't matter.
He couldn't change it.
If the system harbored impure intentions, it would harm him regardless of his choices. So Damon chose the only reasonable path.
Go with the flow.
Live freely.
Let his future self confront the truth—if he ever gained the power to do so.
"Sigh…"
Letting go of his tangled thoughts, Damon closed the status screen.
[Name]: Zhu Qiang
[Age]: 18
[Cultivation]: Qi Sensing (1/9)
[Talent]: Low Grade Spirit Roots
[Fate]: {White}
Born on 18th March..
[UpcomingOpportunities]: None
[Name]: Huang Li
[Age]: 18
[Cultivation]: Qi Sensing (1/9)
[Talent]: Low Grade Spirit Roots
[Fate]: {White}
Born on 29th April...
[Upcoming Opportunities]: None
Wherever Wang Teng looked, blue screens appeared before individuals, displaying their status in full detail.
This was one of the effects of the Copy Cat System.
The system allowed its host, Wang Teng, to see both his own and others' status. It revealed true name, age, cultivation realm, talent, fate, and recent opportunities.
The cultivation path was divided into nine realms:
Body Refinement
Qi Sensing
Qi Flowing
Foundation Establishment
Golden Core
Nascent Soul
Dharma Ascension
Thunder Tribulation
Mahayana Realm
From weakest to strongest, these were the nine realms Wang Teng was familiar with—he himself standing firmly at the very bottom.
Talent referred to cultivation-related potential such as spirit roots, supreme bones, and similar traits, while Fate represented the general trajectory of one's life.
Recent opportunities indicated strokes of fortune—lucky encounters capable of changing one's destiny.
Closing his eyes briefly before reopening them, Wang Teng dismissed the screens, returning his vision to normal.
The status and life-script features are amazing… but the best part is…
A grin spread across his face as a suppressed laugh escaped his lips.
"Wang Teng!"
The voice echoed across the platform, snapping him back to reality.
"Wang Teng!"
"H–here!" Startled, Wang Teng raised his hand and hurried forward.
"Hmph." Elder Li scoffed in displeasure.
"Wang Teng. Stage Four of Body Refinement," the old man muttered as he looked down at him unkindly.
"Do you wish to remain as a handyman disciple, or leave the mountain and the Changsheng Sect altogether?"
"With your talent, it would be better to leave and live as a mortal. You are destined for no more."
"Do not take offense," Elder Li added coldly. "The world of immortals is not meant for the talentless."
Wang Teng remained bowed, showing no reaction.
"Choose."
"I wish to leave the Changsheng Sect as per Elder's suggestion," Damon replied humbly.
Elder Li nodded, a faint smile appearing.
"It's good that you know your limits," Li Tiansheng said with a laugh as he prepared to announce the next name.
Slowly, Wang Teng raised his head and looked directly at the Foundation Establishment expert before him.
"Elder Li," Wang Teng said, heart pounding, "this disciple has one final wish before leaving the mountain. May I?"
"A wish?" Elder Li replied amusedly, stroking his long white beard. "Very well. Speak."
"I have always admired your teachings and values as a mentor," Wang Teng said sincerely. "In my hometown, it is tradition to touch the feet of one's elders and teachers as a sign of respect."
"If possible, this disciple wishes to perform this ceremony and receive your blessings before departing forever."
Elder Li nodded, clearly pleased.
"Very well. I shall allow it."
In an instant, Li Tiansheng appeared before Wang Teng.
Smiling innocently, Wang Teng bent down and touched the old man's feet.
[Ding! Physical contact with an entity detected!]
[Name]: Li Tiansheng
[Age]: 189
[Cultivation]: Foundation Establishment (1/9)
[Talent]: Middle Grade Spirit Roots
[Upcoming Opportunities]: None
[Do you wish to copy?]