Morning had barely touched the tips of the trees when Luo Feng felt it.
Not killing intent. Not spiritual pressure. Something subtler—like someone had whispered his name just beneath the fabric of the world.
He opened his eyes.
The winds on Dawnmist Peak had stilled.
The birds had gone quiet.
Even the trees leaned, as if listening.
Ding! Presence detected: Unknown cultivator. Spiritual signature masked.Threat level: Unknown. Approach pattern: Deliberately non-hostile.System note: This individual has residual system-linked aura. Investigate with caution.
He stood, slow and careful, and walked to the edge of the peak.
And there he was.
A man in gray robes and travel-worn boots, making his way up the slope like any old scholar or trader might. But there was nothing ordinary about him.
He had no aura.
Not suppressed.
Erased.
Even the grass under his feet didn't react. The natural qi of the mountain recoiled from him—not in fear, but in confusion.
As if it wasn't sure he was real.
Luo Feng didn't speak until the man stood just a few paces away.
"Name," he said.
The stranger stopped and gave a polite smile. "You may call me Ren."
"That's not your name."
"It's the only one I remember."
Luo Feng's fingers twitched near his sleeve. "State your purpose."
Ren clasped his hands behind his back and looked around the peak, breathing in.
"You've built something beautiful here, Luo Feng. A sanctuary. A rebellion. A ticking time bomb."
"Speak plainly."
Ren met his eyes. "I know what you are."
Silence.
Then—
"I'm a teacher."
Ren chuckled. "Yes. But also a system anchor."
Ding! Unknown phrase detected: "System Anchor."Error: Definition unavailable.Warning: This term is not recognized by your current system permissions.
Luo Feng's eyes narrowed.
"I don't suppose you're here to explain?"
Ren's smile faded. "Not fully. But I can give you a glimpse."
He reached into his robe and pulled out a tiny crystal—black, pulsing faintly, like a fragment of burned sky.
When he let it drop onto the ground, it didn't bounce.
It phased through the rock.
And suddenly—
Luo Feng's system stuttered.
Error. Legacy Echo Interference Detected.Local Field Disruption: 3.4 seconds of temporal bleed registered.Source: [Anchor Fragment – Obsidian Class]
Luo Feng stepped back.
Ren raised a calming hand. "I didn't come to fight. I came to warn you."
"About what?"
Ren's voice grew quieter.
"About the system you carry. And the one carried by the man hunting you."
The air dropped ten degrees.
"You mean the impostor."
"I mean the original."
Ding! Legacy Alert: Unauthorized Disclosure Detected.System attempting to suppress memory fragment… failure.Locked data partially unlocked: [Origin Shard – Instructor Prime]
Luo Feng blinked as images—not memories—flickered in his mind.
A great palace in the void, built entirely of memory and light.
A man in robes of endless white, standing at a dais before thousands of kneeling figures.
And beneath his feet, an array. Glowing. Pulsing. Living.
A system.
Ren's voice pulled him back.
"There was once only one Celestial Mentor System," he said. "Built to preserve knowledge across collapsed timelines. A tool of salvation after a thousand apocalypses."
"And it broke."
Ren nodded. "Fragmented. Some pieces bonded with true mentors. Others—"
He looked toward the horizon.
"—found men who only wanted control."
Luo Feng clenched his jaw. "The Impostor."
"Not an impostor," Ren said gently. "Just a different reflection of you. One who teaches not to empower, but to enslave."
Luo Feng's eyes narrowed. "How do you know all this?"
Ren reached up and tapped the side of his head.
"I used to be one."
Ding! Memory match confirmed: Former Mentor-Class Anchor – Status: Decommissioned.This individual once held a Mentor Fragment but failed legacy trials. Access revoked.
"I tried to walk your path," Ren continued. "But I broke. My disciples died. My teachings led to war. So the system removed me."
"You survived."
"I remembered."
They stood in silence.
Then Ren said, "You're walking toward something dangerous. The feedback loops will intensify. Your disciples will grow faster than the world can accept. And the system—your system—will keep giving, until the world itself snaps."
"Then I'll teach them how not to break it."
Ren smiled sadly. "I hope so. But remember this: the more you teach, the more you change the world."
He turned to leave.
But paused.
"One last thing. When the Impostor comes… he won't attack your body."
Luo Feng frowned. "Then what?"
Ren looked back, eyes tired.
"He'll rewrite your disciples."
As the strange man vanished into the mist, A-Yan stepped out from the hut, watching with wide eyes.
"Who was that?"
Luo Feng didn't answer right away.
Instead, he looked to the sky.
To the place where legacy and memory once collided.
Then said, softly:
"Someone who failed the test I'm still taking."
Ding! System Evolution Triggered: Hidden Legacy Path Fragment Unlocked.New Passive: "Anchor's Resolve" — When a disciple is targeted by mental interference or memory alteration, Host may intercept once per day.Warning: This skill draws on unbound potential. Use will accelerate "System Reconciliation."
System Note: You are no longer alone in the legacy.