Chapter 1 : Ding!

*** Martial World ***

Bang!

Breathe.

Breathe.

In a sun-soaked training courtyard surrounded by straw dummies, a young boy with black hair found himself in a dire situation.

Lying on the ground, Akeno struggled to breathe, covered in his own blood.

It had been ten years since he was reincarnated into this world where cultivation was at the heart of everything.

During all those years, he had been relentlessly training and had managed to join the Thousand Lotus Sect as a promising disciple. However, showing some talent and maturity beyond his age was far from enough to survive in this world.

"Damn..." Akeno muttered, his words barely audible.

With his black hair gently cascading over his shoulders, his muscled yet slender body, and a face that could be described as average, Akeno didn't consider himself either ugly or particularly attractive.

Before him stood another child of the same age, basked in sunlight.

"So, orphan, can't get up, huh? Ahahahah!"

This other child had joined the sect at the same time as Akeno. Also aged 10, he was much more talented and stronger than most of the sect's children.

"Very well, children, I think we can stop here. You've performed well, Liu Jie," declared the instructor without even glancing at the wounded Akeno lying on the ground.

"Liu Jie is amazing, he deserves his title of the strongest of the young generation!"

"Liu Jie is so handsome, and he throws his punches with such grace!"

"Compared to Liu Jie, this orphan is so pathetic. He simply doesn't deserve to be in the sect."

While the other children praised Liu Jie while throwing in a few insults here and there, Akeno painfully got up and headed toward his house. Born and abandoned in an orphanage with the only name "Akeno," he had endured the ostracism of the other sect children.

He had always been careful not to draw too much attention to himself. With the chance for a new life, he had trained relentlessly from the moment he could walk.

Reaching the Meridian Awakening level at the age of 8 on his own, he had caught the instructor's eye when he came to the orphanage to recruit new members.

The Thousand Lotus Sect was located in the Holy Spirit Empire, in one of the three major cities of the empire, Glory City. It might not have been the most powerful, but it held authority just below the king over the entire surrounding region, making it a perfect choice for Akeno.

As a reincarnated person, he expected to progress much faster than others if he dedicated himself seriously. Unfortunately, reality proved to be much harsher.

As an orphan, he had no financial support, no status beyond being a sect child. Most of the other children didn't live in the sect and had families or even clans. Liu Jie, who kept attacking Akeno, was one of these children. Being from the Liu clan, one of the most powerful in the city, he had the authority and confidence to do pretty much whatever he wanted in the city, including within the sect.

Finally arriving at his home, located outside the main sect area, he painfully fell to the floor of his house.

Plop...

Plop...

Blood continued to trickle down Akeno's cheeks.

"Darn it! Ten years! I've lived in this world for ten years and I'm still this weak!"

During those ten years, Akeno had trained with the goal of reaching the pinnacle of martial arts. He had coughed up blood during his training, faced the wind atop a mountain to understand the principles of the wind, endured pouring rain to grasp even a fragment of the Dao.

In the modern world, all he would have gained from this training would have been a good cold at best. But in this world where the Dao was the foundation of the universe, where the laws of the world could be understood and controlled to some extent, this training might actually work.

Since arriving in this world, Akeno had heard numerous legends and stories of great martial artists achieving an understanding of the laws of the universe through meditation or combat.

But despite all these efforts, he had only reached the first stage of Physical Awakening, far behind his peers and even Liu Jie, who had already reached the second stage, Qi Condensation.

The path of cultivation was long and arduous. Going from the stage of Physical Awakening to Body Forging, and finally reaching the stage of Rebirth, which represented the beginning of a new life. Each stage was composed of three levels, each more difficult than the last.

"Why can't I achieve anything? Is my talent so weak?"

Clutching his fist against the wall of his neglected and vegetation-covered house, Akeno complained inwardly.

Being an avid internet novel reader, his disappointment was even greater. He had dreamt of being able to travel to other worlds, to experience adventures and be free. As a reincarnated person, he had expected at least some kind of golden finger, like a ring containing the soul of a legend that would aid him in his cultivation journey, or a powerful family that would have abandoned him early in life only to return to him later.

Unfortunately, these hopes had shattered in the face of reality. In ten years, he had experienced nothing but discrimination due to his lack of background and weaker talent compared to others.

Eventually, the only advantage he might have had as a reincarnated person, knowledge, was useless in this entirely unfamiliar world.

"If only I had reincarnated into a world like One Piece or Naruto, I would have at least known how to become strong!" Akeno lamented.

While Akeno wiped the blood from his wounds and healed himself with what he had on hand, his hatred for this world grew stronger. He had realized since his first defeat against a noble in the city: he could rely on nothing but himself.

After his daily anger outburst, he returned to cultivating. He felt it; today would be the day he broke through to the second level, Qi Condensation.

He stood up, retrieved a training pill that the sect provided them weekly, and began to train. Today, physical training would be useless; he needed to meditate.

After a night of meditation and circulating his soul's strength through his body, he had succeeded. His red-stained clothes had turned black, emitting a strong scent that would repel any animal within a 100-meter radius.

"Hehehe, FINALLY!! I'VE SUCCEEDED!!"

Ding!

"What the f**"