Infinite Awakening: My Exp Doubles Everyday Chapter 1: Cultivation 101

A young man lay sprawled across a bed of dried leaves inside a weathered hut, situated on the Mountain Heart Pavilion of the Azure Cloud Sect. The dwelling was humble and offered little in the way of comfort; the wooden floorboards were chilled and worn, and the thin walls struggled to repel the mountain air. Despite the harsh environment, the boy remained still, looking vulnerable and completely unguarded.

The quiet atmosphere was short-lived. Without warning, the youth's limbs began to twitch. These small movements quickly escalated into violent tremors as thick beads of sweat broke out across his forehead, soaking through his coarse clothes. His face twisted in a mask of agony, as if he were caught in a nightmare so vivid it blurred the line between a dream and physical torture.

He suddenly bolted upright with a sharp gasp, his lungs burning as he inhaled air like a drowning man reaching the surface. His eyes scanned the unfamiliar room with frantic desperation, his confusion clear in every ragged breath. It took several minutes before his breathing slowed enough for him to find his voice.

"Where am I?" he croaked, his throat dry and scratchy. "I was just at work, wasn't I?"

Pressing his palms against the rough floor, he tried to stand, but his legs shook like those of a newborn animal. He stumbled repeatedly before finally steadying himself, taking cautious steps across the old floorboards. As he moved, a distorted reflection in a small glass window pane caught his eye, revealing a terrifying reality.

The face in the glass was not the one he knew. It was him, yet fundamentally changed. The bone structure and features were different—his soul had been poured into a stranger's body.

"What the hell is going on?" he managed to mutter before a searing pain sliced through his skull. It felt as though molten lead was being injected into his brain, causing every nerve to flare in protest. Clutching his head, a raw scream escaped his lips as he fell to his knees. The intensity of the pain was unbearable; his body thrashed against the hard wood in a violent convulsion.

Just as abruptly as the agony had arrived, it vanished, leaving him breathless and shaken but with a mind that was suddenly sharp. He slowly sat up, the truth of his situation dawning on him with brutal clarity.

He was Xiang Yu—not the legendary general, but a mundane office worker who had lived a forgettable life. He had been ripped from his predictable world and tossed into this place. This was a different realm entirely: a cultivation world, a land where immortals traveled through the clouds and terrifying beasts roamed the wilds.

For most bored salarymen, this would be a dream come true. To Xiang Yu, it was a living nightmare. He never desired destiny or grand adventures. His goals were modest: a quiet life, a loving wife, and the chance to grow old in peace. Now, he was trapped in a world where the weak were crushed without a second thought.

One might think Xiang Yu was being dramatic—couldn't he just live a normal life here? Impossible. How could he survive? A regular human without spiritual roots in a land of demons and immortals was nothing but fodder. He would likely be killed the moment he stepped outside his door. But as despair took hold, a glowing blue interface flickered into existence before him.

[Infinite Awakening System is binding to the host]

[Please wait...]

Xiang Yu watched in stunned silence as the text hovered in the air. Moments later, a new prompt appeared:

[System bound successfully]

The display expanded, showing his pathetic statistics:

[Name: Xiang Yu]

[Realm: Mortal]

[Species: Human]

[Spiritual Root: null]

[Techniques: null]

[Scriptures: null]

[System Function: Double Exp (Cooldown: 24hrs)]

…

Xiang Yu gaped at the shimmering screen, his mind reeling. The blue interface confirmed the tropes of the novels he had read—he had been granted a system upon his transmigration. The legends of the webnovel gods were true.

Instantly, the mechanics of the system were etched into his mind as if the data had been downloaded directly. His power revolved around experience points. Whether he was practicing cultivation techniques or reading ancient scriptures, he would gain exp. The true cheat was the doubling function: every twenty-four hours, his total accumulated exp would double automatically. This exponential growth could, in theory, reach god-like proportions over time.

A faint, uncertain smile touched his lips. This changed the game. With such a system, he could find hidden treasures, seek out legendary encounters, and eventually rule this cultivation world, right?

Wrong! Are you an idiot?

His smile died instantly. How was he supposed to conquer anything when his status clearly listed "null" for spiritual roots? Even with exponential growth, doubling zero still results in zero. No amount of math could create something out of nothing.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. However, it wasn't a total loss. Even without talent for spiritual energy, he could focus on external techniques—body tempering methods that didn't require spiritual roots. With the system's help, it didn't matter if it took centuries; eventually, the math would make him invincible. He wouldn't leave his hut until he was strong enough to survive the chaos.

For now, survival meant following the golden rules of any Cultivation World: Never provoke a "trash" disciple named Chen Mo (he is definitely a hidden protagonist). Never look down on a servant named Lin Feng (he is surely a sleeping dragon). And most importantly, stay far away from any woman named Li Yao (she is undoubtedly a future empress with a dangerous following).

As he finished these thoughts, a soft, feminine voice interrupted his meditation.

"Senior brother, I'm coming in."

The door swung open before Xiang Yu could react, and a woman of breathtaking beauty stepped inside. In his previous life as a corporate slave, he had never seen anyone so radiant. She looked like she had stepped out of a painting.

She was dressed in layered silk robes of deep azure, embroidered with silver cloud motifs that shimmered as she moved. Her dark hair was held up by intricate pins that sparkled in the light. A small storage pouch hung at her waist, and an elegant sword was strapped to her hip.

Within seconds, she was hovering over him, her soft hands checking his face and chest with frantic concern.

"Senior brother, are you alright? What happened? I heard a noise—are you injured?" She bombarded him with questions, her voice thick with anxiety.

Xiang Yu felt incredibly awkward and tried to push her back by the shoulders. Was there no such thing as personal space in this world?

"Slow down, one thing at a time," he stammered, finally managing to keep her at arm's length. Only then did the title she used register in his mind.

"Wait... Senior brother?"

A wave of dread hit him as the original owner's memories began to surface. This stunning girl was his junior sister. And her name was...

"Li Yao," he whispered the name.

The girl's face turned a soft shade of crimson. "Didn't you use to call me Yao Yao? Brother, is something wrong?"

Xiang Yu's blood ran cold. I'm dead! his mind screamed. He was only one chapter into his new life and he was already on intimate terms with a woman who was clearly a main heroine! This was a death sentence. Any side character who got too close to a heroine always ended up as a sacrificial lamb.

"Wait! I can fix this! I can't die yet!" A burst of survival instinct flared within him.

He gently but firmly pushed Li Yao away and looked to the side, trying to appear cold and distant.

"Junior sister, this behavior is inappropriate," he said with a stern voice.

Li Yao's eyes narrowed. Her confusion quickly turned into sharp suspicion and then cold vigilance. With a fluid motion, she unsheathed her sword, the steel reflecting the dim light of the hut.

"You," she said, her voice now sharp enough to cut. "You aren't my senior brother."

She leveled the blade at him, moving it closer to his throat. "What have you done to him?"

Xiang Yu stared at the blade in terror. She had seen through him instantly. Was his acting that bad, or was she a genius? Was his journey ending before it even began? You really couldn't touch a heroine and expect to live.

But in the face of certain death, a desperate idea came to him. If he wanted to survive—to actually have a chance to use his system—he would have to break the rules of survival.

"Yao Yao, what are you saying?" His voice became a soft, comforting murmur as he reached out and patted her head, like an older brother soothing a child. "I'm just exhausted and spoke nonsense. I apologize."

The change was instant. Her murderous aura vanished like smoke. The sword returned to its scabbard in a flash, and she threw her arms around him in a crushing hug.

"I knew it! Senior brother loves me the most!" she cried happily, burying her face in his chest.

Xiang Yu's mind was in a state of total panic. I'm definitely doomed! What was the original guy thinking? The previous owner of this body clearly had a relationship with Li Yao that was far from platonic. This was the ultimate death flag.

Can I get a reroll? he begged the heavens, wishing he could restart his entire transmigration.