The air stank of blood and ashes.
Luo Feng groaned as he opened his eyes, his head pounding like he'd just been hit with a steel baton. The roof above him was cracked, warped tiles dangling like they could fall at any second. His whole body ached—joints stiff, ribs sore, and something deep in his core felt… empty.
He blinked again, heart racing.
This wasn't his dojo.
Where were the padded floors? The posters of old martial artists? The ever-present scent of sweat and floor wax?
Instead, he was lying on a straw mat in a room that looked like it hadn't seen a broom in years. Dust floated through the air. The silence was heavy. Oppressive.
Then came the memories—rushing in like a tsunami.
Demons. Screaming. Fire. The mountain was burning. Disciples were dying.
And… he had run?
"No," Luo Feng muttered, clutching his head. "I didn't… I wouldn't…"
But the truth was already burned into the bones of this body. Luo Feng, once a respected elder of the Celestial Dawn Sect, had failed to protect his disciples during a demonic invasion. Instead of dying with them… he survived. Alone. Cowardly.
The sect hadn't killed him. That might've been merciful.
They stripped his titles, gave him a rundown shack on the edge of the mountain, and let shame do the rest.
Luo Feng sat up with a grunt. His muscles screamed in protest. "What kind of sick joke is this?"
He wasn't from this world. He was a martial arts instructor back on Earth—nothing flashy, just a guy who ran a small school in the suburbs. A normal life.
And now?
He looked down at his hands. Rougher than they'd ever been. Older.
Before he could spiral, something strange happened.
A chime rang out in his head—soft, mechanical.
(Ding! Celestial Mentor System initializing…
Binding Host: Luo Feng (Transmigrator confirmed).
Welcome, Celestial Mentor. Your mission: teach and guide disciples. In return, you will be rewarded with exponential returns.
Warning: recruit a disciple within 24 hours or system will enter dormancy.)
Luo Feng blinked.
"A… system? Like in those web novels?"
The irony hit him like a punch in the gut. He'd spent months binge-reading those cultivation stories after work. Now he was in one.
"Teach disciples, huh? Guess it fits," he muttered. "I've been a teacher my whole life."
But who in their right mind would take him seriously? The entire sect hated him. Rumors called him a fraud. A coward. Even the outer disciples looked down on him.
Just then, the door creaked.
A thin figure peeked in—barefoot, maybe ten or eleven, with tangled black hair and a smudge of dirt across her cheek. Her eyes widened when she saw he was awake, and she darted off without a word.
A minute later, she returned. This time, she held a chunk of stale bread in both hands and placed it gently by his side.
Then turned to leave again.
"You," Luo Feng said.
She froze.
"What's your name?"
"…A-Yan," she answered, voice barely above a whisper.
Luo Feng studied her. Skin like she hadn't eaten properly in weeks. Slouched shoulders. But her eyes—those still had light. Defiance. Hunger.
"Do you want strength?" he asked.
She hesitated. Then nodded.
Luo Feng exhaled slowly. "Then kneel."
(Ding! Potential disciple detected.
Name: A-Yan
Physique: Sealed Voidwalker Constitution (Dormant)
Latent Talent: Spatial Affinity – Extreme
Do you wish to accept her as a disciple?)
His heart skipped.
"Yes."
A-Yan dropped to her knees without another word.
(Ding! First disciple accepted. Tutorial reward activated.You may now bestow a teaching or gift.)
He looked around. There wasn't much left—just an old, faded scroll half-covered in dust. He picked it up and brushed it off.
"Take this," he said. "It's called Flickering Shadow Step. Memorize it. Practice it at dawn tomorrow. I'll guide you."
A-Yan took it with both hands like it was gold.
(Ding! You gifted your disciple a basic agility technique.
Critical Hit Triggered! You have received 'Phantom God Movement Technique'!
Your body has been partially restored.
Movement speed +120%. Phase-step unlocked.)
A wave of warmth surged through him. Pain eased. His back straightened. The fog in his head cleared.
He could move again.
Luo Feng let out a breathless laugh.
It wasn't over.
They had called him a disgrace. A failure. A ghost haunting the edge of the sect.
Let them.
He was going to rise again—not as a warrior, but as a teacher.
And the world would learn exactly what kind of monsters a good teacher could create.