"Hello, is anyone there? No System? No Master?"

Cangwu Continent, Southern Region. White Cloud Sect- Yinwu Forest.

....

The sound of rain and thunder resounded throughout the night. Deep within a cave lay a boy in white robes, bloodied and torn. His black hair was disheveled, and his body was covered in numerous injuries. Without interference, he would soon be dead. Suddenly, lightning struck the cave, and a piercing white light enveloped it in an instant. Slowly, the boy's eyelids began to open.

"Ugh… I'm alive?"

The last thing he remembered was being picked up by a taxi from the airport and getting into a car crash. His face contorted as a piercing headache attacked his mind — years of memories flashed by. He let out a self-deprecating chuckle, thinking about his current predicament.

"Hah… So I managed to transmigrate into a world that seems to be right out of a xianxia novel. I hope that taxi driver survived. Who knows, maybe he transmigrated too."

"My name in this world is Bai Jian, same as before. Isn't this quite typical? Whatever the case, I'll think about it all later."

The previous owner of this body had been ambushed by a group of people wearing black clothing while returning from a mission outside the sect. Through a stroke of luck, he'd managed to kill one of them. Running with the man's belongings, he'd fled into a hidden cave to seek shelter but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

"No more time to sit and think about all that right now. My main priority should be to get out of this cave."

He tore a piece of his robe and wrapped it around his arm. Slowly getting up, he found a stick to use as a makeshift cane and limped out of the cave. Following the river, Bai Jian made his way back to the sect. Without alerting anyone, he safely reached his house and collapsed onto his bed.

As memories of his past life on Earth resurfaced, he clenched his fist, thinking about the life he'd left behind. Back on Earth, he'd been a third-year university student, soon to graduate. He was returning to his home city as summer approached, the school year having ended. Who would have thought that as soon as he got into the taxi, he'd be launched straight into a new world?

He struggled internally, sensing that something larger was at play. "This can't be a mere coincidence," he thought. 

"There has to be a reason for my being sent here. I might not be able to do anything now, but in a world where immortals and devils reign supreme, there must be an answer to my crossing over." 

The reason was out of reach for the time being, so he reminded himself there was no point in brooding over it.

"Only with strength can I take hold of my own fate!"

With the merging of memories from both worlds, he decided that, from now on, he would live on as Bai Jian of both realms.

...

The name of the sect was the White Cloud Sect, where he'd resided for the last few years. Through the memories of this body, Bai Jian learned he was currently an outer disciple, a spot he only managed to obtain due to his clan.

Bai Jian was part of the Bai Clan within the Southern Region of the Cangwu Continent. His parents had been missing since his birth, leaving him to be raised by his grandfather, Bai Tianlong, the current patriarch of the Bai Clan. Through his grandfather's stories, he'd learned that his father, Bai Yuntian, had been a leading figure of his generation, a heaven-defying genius.

One day, Bai Yuntian returned home with a baby in tow, saying that he would come back again. However, as years passed with no word, many in the clan began to spread rumors that Bai Yuntian was dead. With no mother or father, Bai Jian relied solely on his grandfather's guidance.

Life as a young master wasn't easy. Bai Jian showed no signs of the talent his father had. Though it was disappointing, his grandfather still doted on him. Despite ridicule from others in the clan, he was able to continue an average life. When he came of age, he was sent to cultivate in the White Cloud Sect and granted a position as an outer disciple.

Bai Jian was considered below average, reaching the 6th Level of Qi Condensation after years in the outer sect, where he eventually stagnated. His cultivation method was the sect's signature, the "White Cloud Breathing Technique." Although he'd shown progress at first, he'd hit a plateau, as many do. Cultivation was arduous; few progressed far in their lifetimes.

"My first task should be assessing my current situation."

"My run-in with the people in black clothing couldn't have been a chance encounter. They seemed to be searching for something in the Yinwu Forest."

Bai Jian checked the belongings he'd taken from the man he'd killed the night before. There were a few Qi Gathering Pills, some rations, a map, and what appeared to be a key.

"Looks like whatever is on this map is what they were after, and the key must be related. I'll have to check it out next time I leave the sect."

He knew leaving abruptly to explore the forest would only bring him trouble. If he tried it now, he'd be courting death. For now, it would be best to focus on other matters. The White Cloud Sect's quinquennial tournament was approaching, and the top five disciples would be promoted to the inner sect.

"My main focus should be to become stronger for the tournament. Only by entering the inner sect can I obtain more resources and further my cultivation!"

He paused, thinking. "Now, how should I go about this?"

"Usually, all the protagonists come with some kind of cheat. Is there a hidden pagoda in my mind? A family inheritance bloodline power of some kind?" He closed his eyes, concentrating. Nothing happened.

"System… ACTIVATE!"

Still nothing.

"Hello? Are you there, senior?"

Silence.

"Damn… I really am pitiful compared to the other transmigrators from novels."