Invincible Leveling

Need to Grow Stronger

Qin Tian naturally dared not harm the old sow in the pigsty. It birthed two litters of piglets a year, all used for roasting pigs. If he killed it, Zhang Dafu would surely skin him alive.

Now that he had a leveling-up system, Qin Tian felt as if he could see a glorious future ahead, causing his heart to pound with excitement.

“Young master, did you break through to the second rank of martial artists? You seem different from before,” Meng Lei asked in confusion. He had known for a long time that Qin Tian’s damaged dantian made it impossible for him to advance past the first rank. Just now, however, he distinctly sensed a sharpness in Qin Tian’s aura—a sign of a breakthrough.

In the Tianyuan Continent, martial cultivation was inseparable from internal energy (qi) gathered in the dantian. If the dantian was damaged, qi would instantly dissipate, making any breakthrough unattainable regardless of effort. Such a condition was exceedingly rare, occurring perhaps once every few centuries.

Cultivation depended on both talent and opportunity. Even ordinary people, after a lifetime of effort, might only reach the basic martial ranks. However, someone like Qin Tian—forever stuck at the first rank—was unheard of.

Having endured five years of hardship, Qin Tian deeply understood the suffering caused by his damaged dantian. But now, heaven had smiled upon him, gifting him a leveling-up system that bypassed the need for a functioning dantian. He could gain permanent increases in his qi through leveling up and defeating monsters. His qi would no longer drain away due to his injury.

His martial rank had already risen to the second level. With enough experience, reaching the third rank was only a matter of time.

“Hard work means nothing to me now. I just need to kill more monsters—it's exactly like playing a game: defeat monsters, gain experience, level up, and grow stronger!”

This game-like progression was all too familiar to him. Since his life would now resemble a game, he resolved to become the strongest character in it.

Looking around to ensure no one else was present, Qin Tian flashed a secretive smile at Meng Lei and nodded subtly, confirming his advancement to the second rank.

Hearing this, Meng Lei grinned foolishly, his joy for Qin Tian more genuine than if he had broken through himself. Years of relentless effort had finally paid off, and tears welled up in his eyes from sheer happiness.

“I’m just so happy… so happy…” Meng Lei wiped his tears and spoke with his usual simple-minded tone.

Though they shared a master-servant bond, the two were like brothers, supporting each other through thick and thin. This deep camaraderie was something Qin Tian, in his previous life, could never have imagined. Now, however, he felt it profoundly.

“If my martial rank really improves with each system level, this is incredible! Others must train exhaustively, but I only need to slay more monsters. When faced with bottlenecks, my advantage will be even more apparent. This is my golden opportunity!” Qin Tian’s heart surged with excitement, and all his morning worries vanished.

By noon, the sun blazed high in the sky, and the bustling Furong Restaurant filled with diners.

Despite there being more than a hundred restaurants in Qinghe City, Furong was perpetually packed at mealtimes. Finding an empty table was nearly impossible.

“Manager, where’s our food?”

“Waiter, bring us some premium Zhu Fruit Wine!”

“Damn it, where’s my beef?”

Upstairs and downstairs, waiters rushed frantically amidst the chaos. Qin Tian, with a towel over his shoulder, darted back and forth without rest, bowing and scraping to satisfy customers.

In the eyes of many, he was nothing more than a lowly servant—a mere commoner unworthy of notice. No one took offense at his presence, for doing so would diminish their own status.

Some people, however, derived pleasure from his humiliation. Among them was Qin Kun in the “Heavenly Room” of the restaurant.

“Everyone, meet the greatest disgrace in the history of the Qin family! Our top waste of talent! He’s already fifteen and still stuck at the first martial rank. Brother Wang, how old were you when you reached the first rank?”

“I was five,” said one.

“I was seven, and now I’m at the fifth rank—only thirteen years old!” another added smugly.

“Did you hear that, you piece of trash? You’ve brought nothing but shame to the Qin family. If I were you, I’d have killed myself long ago. Hahaha…”

The room erupted in mocking laughter.

Qin Tian kept his head lowered, silent and calm as if they weren’t talking about him at all.

Qin Kun—the very same who had beaten him before—was the son of the elder Qin Xiangtian. Arrogant and strong, he was a notorious bully but also a recognized prodigy. At just sixteen, he had reached the seventh martial rank, with qi far more potent than that of ordinary seventh-rank warriors. The family had high hopes for him.

Displeased by Qin Tian’s lack of reaction, Qin Kun spat a wad of phlegm onto his face. “Get out.”

Laughter echoed as Qin Tian turned silently, wiping his face and closing the door behind him.

Outside, his body trembled—not with fear, but with rage. The humiliation burned deeply into his heart.

As he wiped away the spit, his eyes narrowed like a cunning fox’s, and he whispered, “Just wait…”

“Was it Qin Kun again? I’ll make him pay!” Meng Lei burst into view, furious like an avenging deity. Seeing traces of spit still on Qin Tian’s face, he clenched his fists, ready to storm into the room.

Qin Tian grabbed him tightly. “Are you a match for him? He would love nothing more than an excuse to attack us.”

Meng Lei was simple but loyal—he would fight to the death for Qin Tian.

“Let’s go talk to the patriarch!”

“Talk to the patriarch?” Qin Tian chuckled bitterly. Meng Lei’s suggestion was well-meaning but naive. Would the patriarch confront the elder for his sake? Would he reprimand the family’s brightest star for a useless servant?

No. The world was just as ruthless as the one he had known before. Power was everything.

Two lives’ worth of experience taught him the truth: the only path forward was strength.

“I must grow stronger.”