Morning light filtered through the thin wooden window.
Lin Tian slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, he forgot where he was.
The unfamiliar wooden ceiling, the faint smell of herbs, and the distant sounds of people training outside quickly reminded him.
"Right…"
"I'm not in my apartment anymore."
He sat up on the bed and examined his body again.
Thin arms.
Rough hands.
A body clearly used to physical labor but lacking real strength.
"This Chen Yun really lived a miserable life," Lin Tian muttered.
Memories from Chen Yun's life slowly surfaced in his mind.
Chen Yun was an outer disciple of the Iron Mountain Sect, one of the minor martial sects in the region.
Outer disciples were basically the lowest ranking members.
They performed chores, gathered herbs, and occasionally trained in martial arts.
Only those with enough talent could eventually become inner disciples.
Unfortunately…
Chen Yun had almost no talent.
For three years he had remained at the first stage of Body Tempering, the lowest level of cultivation.
In the sect, he had become a joke.
A punching bag.
Someone the stronger disciples bullied whenever they felt bored.
Lin Tian rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"So basically I started the game on nightmare difficulty."
Just as he finished speaking—
A voice suddenly shouted outside.
"Chen Yun! Get out here!"
Lin Tian sighed.
"Looks like the welcoming committee arrived."
He stood up and walked outside the small wooden house.
The courtyard was already filled with disciples training.
Some practiced sword techniques.
Others punched wooden dummies repeatedly.
But the moment Lin Tian appeared, several disciples looked over and started laughing.
Three young men stood near the entrance.
The one in the middle stepped forward with a smug smile.
This person was Zhao Kang.
One of the stronger outer disciples.
And Chen Yun's biggest tormentor.
"Well well," Zhao Kang said with a sneer.
"The useless trash finally woke up."
The other two disciples laughed.
"Brother Zhao, maybe he was too tired from carrying water yesterday."
"Or maybe he fainted again during training!"
More laughter spread across the courtyard.
Lin Tian watched the scene quietly.
He didn't react.
Zhao Kang frowned slightly.
Normally Chen Yun would already be trembling in fear.
But today something felt… different.
Zhao Kang stepped closer.
"What? Cat got your tongue?"
Lin Tian tilted his head.
Then he suddenly smiled.
"You talk a lot."
The courtyard went silent.
Everyone stared at him.
Zhao Kang blinked.
"…What did you say?"
Lin Tian stretched his arms casually.
"I said you talk too much."
"If you're here to fight, hurry up."
"Some of us have better things to do."
For a moment the entire courtyard froze.
Then Zhao Kang's face twisted with rage.
"You trash!"
He raised his fist and rushed forward.
The punch came fast.
But in Lin Tian's eyes—
It was painfully slow.
His SSS-level comprehension was already analyzing everything.
Muscle movement.
Balance.
Attack trajectory.
Weak points.
In an instant, Lin Tian understood Zhao Kang's sloppy fighting style.
Just as the punch was about to land—
Lin Tian stepped slightly to the side.
Zhao Kang's fist cut through empty air.
"What—?!"
Before Zhao Kang could react—
Lin Tian lightly pushed his shoulder.
The movement was simple.
But Zhao Kang lost his balance completely.
Thud!
He fell face-first into the dirt.
The courtyard exploded into shocked whispers.
"What just happened?"
"Did Zhao Kang trip?"
Zhao Kang quickly stood up, his face red with anger.
"You bastard!"
He attacked again.
This time throwing several punches.
But every attack missed.
Lin Tian dodged effortlessly.
Left.
Right.
Step back.
Each movement was smooth and precise.
After the fifth missed punch—
Lin Tian sighed.
"You're too slow."
He casually kicked Zhao Kang's ankle.
Zhao Kang lost balance again and crashed to the ground.
The courtyard became completely silent.
Everyone stared at Lin Tian like they were seeing a ghost.
This was the same Chen Yun who used to get beaten daily?
Zhao Kang struggled to stand up again, humiliation burning in his eyes.
But this time he hesitated.
Something about Lin Tian's calm expression made him feel uneasy.
"Y-you just got lucky!" Zhao Kang shouted.
Lin Tian shrugged.
"Sure."
He turned around and started walking away.
Zhao Kang clenched his fists but didn't dare attack again.
As Lin Tian walked back toward his room—
The system voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Combat Analysis Completed]
[Martial Insight Gained]
+5 Origin Points
Lin Tian raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So that's how it works."
By observing and analyzing martial techniques…
He could gain Origin Points.
And this was only the beginning.
Lin Tian looked toward the distant mountain peaks surrounding the sect.
Countless powerful martial artists lived in this world.
Sect masters.
Hidden elders.
Legendary warriors.
To others, they were terrifying figures.
But to Lin Tian—
They were walking cultivation textbooks.
His smile slowly widened.
"This world…"
"is going to be very interesting."