A few kilometers outside the grand city of Spirit Hall, nestled deep within a secluded canyon, nature thrived.
The soft rustle of countless exotic flowers and herbs dancing in the breeze echoed through the valley. The air was thick with a rich, heady fragrance that wrapped around the landscape like an invisible embrace.
At a glance, the canyon was a botanical paradise, teeming with vibrant life. It looked less like part of the real world and more like a lost utopia hidden from time.
Yet, in one shadowy corner of this breathtaking valley stood a dilapidated, out-of-place straw hut. Crumbling and barely upright, it looked ready to collapse if someone so much as sneezed nearby.
Inside that fragile shack lay a small boy, bruised and battered from head to toe, clinging to life. His breath was shallow—barely a whisper of air between life and death.
Suddenly, a beam of green light appeared out of thin air and shot straight into the boy's mouth.
In the blink of an eye, the boy's wounds began to heal at a visible rate. Cuts vanished, bruises faded, and not even a scar remained.
Then, with a jolt, the boy's eyes flew open. He shot upright in bed, gasping for air like a man pulled from drowning. His dazed gaze drifted across the floorboards beneath him.
"Where... where am I? Didn't I just get flattened by a semi-truck? Am I dead? Alive? Stuck in some weird limbo?" he mumbled, blinking rapidly as he looked around the unfamiliar room, thoroughly confused.
[Welcome, Host, to the Douluo Continent! This system is here to serve you faithfully.]
"System? Wait, hold on—did I just transmigrate? And into the Douluo Continent of all places?" Li Xuan squinted at the floating blue screen in front of him, still blinking like a broken robot.
He pinched his thigh just to make sure.
"Ow, ow, ow—okay! Definitely not a dream!" he yelped, wincing as he rubbed his leg. He may have overdone it a little.
Seeing the floating screen still hovering in front of him reassured Li Xuan a bit. After all, transmigrating without a system was like jumping out of a plane without a parachute. Dangerous, messy, and generally not advised.
Now that he had a system? Oh, he could work with this.
"So, System... what exactly can you do?" Li Xuan asked, eager to get the rundown. The faster he understood his new reality, the better.
To be fair, Li Xuan adjusted to his situation surprisingly fast. As a certified digital-age young man, he'd read his fair share of webnovels. Getting isekai'd? Practically a rite of passage at this point.
[This is the "Stay Alive System." At midnight each day, the system will assess your current strength and award Survival Points accordingly. You can then spend these points in the Survival Shop to purchase various items.]
"…That's it? That's your name? The 'Stay Alive System'? Did your developers even try?" Li Xuan muttered, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
Still, now that he had a system, he was curious.
"Oh right, System—can I check my stats?" he asked.
[Basic Attributes]
Name: Li Xuan
Age: 6
Martial Spirit: Azure Lotus
Spirit Power Level: Level 2
Spirit Bones: None
Survival Points: 0
---
"Hmm… pretty average, I guess," Li Xuan said, rubbing his still baby-smooth chin thoughtfully. "Not great, not terrible."
[Host qualifies for today's sign-in bonus. Would you like to sign in now?]
[Note: Only one sign-in allowed per day. The stronger you are, the better the rewards.]
"Of course I'm signing in!" Li Xuan blurted. "Midnight's coming, and I'm not about to miss my first reward!"
[Sign-in successful. Congratulations, Host—awarded 2 Survival Points.]
[First-time sign-in bonus activated: 100x multiplier! Total points received: 200.]
[Survival Shop now unlocked. Would you like to browse the store?]
Li Xuan's eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together. This was it—the beginning of his rise!
"Yes! Open it up! Let's see what goodies are in there!"
[Survival Shop]
Lunchbox: One meat, two veg combo – 1 point
Wow Spring Water™ – 1 point
Mystery Job Scroll – 50 points
Second Martial Spirit Awakening Pill (Limited-Time Offer!) – 100 points (Original Price: 200,000 points)
---
Li Xuan didn't hesitate. Like any seasoned webnovel veteran, he instantly bought all four items.
The Second Martial Spirit Awakening Pill was a no-brainer. His current Martial Spirit, the Azure Lotus, paired with only Level 2 spirit power, didn't scream "chosen one." Honestly, his talent kind of sucked.
But if he could awaken a second spirit, maybe he'd have a shot at greatness—or at least mediocrity with flair.
As for the lunchbox and water?
Well, he was starving.
A ripple distorted the air in front of him, and then—pop!—his purchases appeared: a steaming hot lunchbox, a bottle of water, a white scroll, and a finely carved wooden box.
"Food first, world domination later!" Li Xuan announced with great wisdom.
He cracked open the lunchbox to reveal a glorious meal: braised pork, stir-fried cabbage, crispy veggie balls, and a generous helping of fluffy white rice.
Li Xuan didn't even hesitate. He grabbed two twigs from the floor, wiped them on his shirt, and dug in with the hunger of someone who'd just come back from the dead.
Two minutes later, the lunchbox was empty, and Li Xuan sat back, patting his stomach with contentment.
"System, check the scroll and the pill for me."
[Item: Mystery Job Scroll]
Effect: Upon use, randomly grants the user a job class and its associated knowledge.
[Item: Second Martial Spirit Awakening Pill]
Effect: Grants the user a second martial spirit upon consumption.
---
"That's it? No warnings? No dramatic foreshadowing? What happened to proper item descriptions?" Li Xuan muttered with a helpless laugh.
He took a swig of water, then picked up the scroll and the wooden box. Opening the box revealed a pitch-black pill that gave off a weird, faintly rotten odor.
"…This looks more like poison than a miracle pill," he said, nose wrinkling.
Still, what choice did he have?
Li Xuan took a deep breath, pinched his nose, shut his eyes, and tossed the pill into his mouth like a man about to make some very questionable life choices.
The pill dissolved instantly, flooding his mouth with a taste that could only be described as "regret in solid form."
Then, above his head, a swirl of green light gathered into the shape of a translucent lotus.
Inside, the medicinal power surged through his body like a tidal wave. It exploded into every limb and organ, filling him with incredible energy—and unbearable pain.
A burning ache tore through his bones and nerves.
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
Li Xuan screamed as his body convulsed. Then, his eyes rolled back, and he flopped onto the bed like a dead fish.