Li He

Early autumn.

The afternoon sun was not intense, and the air carried a hint of crispness.

This was the central plaza of Qinghe No. 1 High School.

Today was the graduation ceremony.

On the plaza, students gathered in groups of three or five, laughing and playing, crowding around teachers for commemorative photos, or seizing the chance to present bouquets and confess to the girls they loved. The sound of camera shutters rose and fell, freezing one vibrant, smiling face after another in time.

Li He stood alone under a tall camphor tree at the edge of the plaza.

He leaned against the trunk, eating a white bread roll he had just bought from the school convenience store.

"Li He!"

A clear, melodious female voice rang out.

Hearing this, Li He did not stop his chewing; he merely looked up, his gaze casting calmly toward the speaker.

It was Su Yutong.

A faint blush appeared on the young girl's face.

"Excuse me, the graduation ceremony is over, and everyone is taking photos everywhere... Could I take a picture with you? Just as a memento, please."

Li He's mouth was stuffed with bread, his cheeks slightly puffed out.

He did not answer immediately, simply looking at Su Yutong while continuing to chew.

One bite, two bites, three bites...

The movements were slow but methodical.

The smile on Su Yutong's face remained, though under Li He's calm gaze, it became slightly unnatural. She exchanged a look with her best friend nearby—a look that said "as expected of him," helpless yet somewhat amused.

Finally.

Li He's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the bread, and the movement of his cheeks ceased.

"Sure."

Crisp and decisive, without any excess emotion.

"Great, thank you!" Su Yutong breathed a sigh of relief. She immediately took out a camera that looked quite expensive, handed it to her friend, stood beside Li He, and made a heart shape with her hands toward him.

Li He raised his right hand in response, four fingers curled into a fist with his thumb pointing upward.

A thumbs-up.

His expression was neither sad nor happy, his eyes staring straight into the lens.

A faint flash flickered, and the image was captured.

The background was the dappled sunlight of the camphor tree and the noisy crowd in the distance; the foreground featured a beautiful girl with a bright smile and flushed cheeks making a heart, and beside her, a young man with an expression as still as an ancient well, giving a thumbs-up.

"Thank you!" Su Yutong took back the camera, glanced at the image, and shook her head with a smile. "Happy graduation!"

Li He nodded: "Mm, happy graduation."

"We're heading off then. Aren't you going to take photos with the other students?" Su Yutong pointed toward the crowd beginning to gather in the distance.

"No."

After the two left, Li He lowered his head and continued to focus on eating his bread.

He finished the bread quickly, carefully ate the crumbs, clapped his hands, shouldered his bag, turned around, and walked toward the school gate, moving against the flow of people laughing, playing, and taking photos on the lawn.

There were no hugs, no tears shed on the spot, and he did not take one extra look at the lawn that had hosted his martial arts school career. His silhouette stretched long under the sunlight, soon merging into the surging crowd at the school gate and disappearing from sight.

The school gate was bustling with traffic.

It was unknown how much time had passed.

A sleek black Phantom hover-sports car glided to the side of the road.

Su Yutong sat in the comfortable back seat, the luxurious leather upholstery cool to the touch.

She tilted her head to look out the window.

Outside were the crowded, noisy pedestrian overpasses and the figures of graduates rushing on their way. Her smile slowly faded.

"What a peculiar person. It's a pity..." She paused slightly, her gaze following the crowd, searching for that figure carrying an old backpack.

"It's a pity that with your Grade 5 aptitude, from the moment you step out of this school gate, the distance between you and me will become impossible to bridge."

The black Phantom started silently and drove toward the bustling city center.

In the opposite direction, at a crowded commuter hover-bus station, Li He stood at the end of a long line, waiting to board.

Dusk.

The narrow alley was squeezed by high-rise buildings towering into the clouds on both sides, leaving only a sliver of dim daylight.

In the alley, the air was thick with a mixture of cooking fumes, cheap tobacco, and the damp, musty scent of aged concrete. Fragments of a "Martial Arts Revitalize the Nation" slogan still clung to the fractured walls.

Bang!

A dull thud shattered the silence of the alley.

A straight punch landed squarely against the gnarled trunk of a plane tree, crisp and decisive.

[Proficiency +1]

[Federation Body Forging Fist: Proficient (98%) → (99%)]

The panel appeared automatically before his eyes.

Li He finally retracted his hand; a dull ache and a wave of heat radiated from his bandage-wrapped knuckles.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. It was long and steady, condensing into a white mist in the cool air before quickly dissipating.

With a flick of his thoughts, more information appeared on the floating panel.

[Name: Li He]

[Age: 18]

[Vitality: 5.9]

[Skills: Federation Body Forging Fist: Proficient (99%)]

"Just a little more."

As the thought crossed his mind, Li He tightened his fist slightly.

The final barrier of strength was right before him, as immovable as a boulder, blocking his path to the gateway of a new world.

In this body, shackled by fifth-grade aptitude, every breakthrough was exceptionally difficult.

But fortunately, half a month ago, just after he had transmigrated here and the world's college entrance exams had concluded, he had awakened the Martial Arts Proficiency System.

Sweat and effort would never betray him; as long as he moved forward with determination, once proven, it was proven forever. One day, he would reach the pinnacle of martial arts.

Bang!

Another straight punch slammed fiercely into the tree trunk.

The bark of the plane tree before him was already mottled and shattered, the exposed wood covered in dents of varying depths, with fresh white impact marks layered over old, dark scars.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!

Li He rubbed his stomach and looked up at the fading orange glow hanging between the gaps of the high-rise buildings.

An exhausted body, a hungry stomach, and the sunset's afterglow.

These things made him feel truly alive.

Half a month ago, he was just an ordinary worker on Earth, living a life where he could see his future at a single glance.

Then came the transmigration.

He arrived in this parallel world, similar to Earth.

Here, history had largely mirrored Earth's until the early 22nd century, when the Abyss descended, bringing extraordinary power to the world. Martial arts broke through limits, genetic modification became reality, and bio-mechs emerged... the best among them earned names as legendary as immortals and buddhas.

This was an era reshaped by the Abyss, an era where power was supreme, and an era where everyone practiced martial arts.

The concept of nations had vanished, replaced by a unified Alliance.

The original owner of this body shared his name and surname, an ordinary person who had just failed the college entrance exam. He had a normal family, both parents alive, and no siblings.

The original Li He had harbored a desire to revitalize his family, but unable to accept his own lack of talent and crushed by the failure of the exams, he had died one night, allowing him to take over the body.

Thinking of this, Li He rubbed his ravenous stomach.

"Time to go home."

He soon returned home. As Li He pushed open the door, the scent of home mixed with the aroma of food wafted toward him, but today, there seemed to be a hint of an unusual meaty fragrance in the air.

"...Young people today, the moment they hear about practicing martial arts to break their limits, they complain about the hardship, the exhaustion, and the lack of a future. They constantly whine that martial arts are too difficult, that genetic modification risks are too high, or that bio-mechs are too expensive to afford..."

In the living room, the voice of an expert on the television sounded clear and grating.

Li He didn't pause his stride, walking straight into the bathroom.

"...Do these young people expect the Alliance to hand them resources, safety, and ready-made power on a silver platter? Surely not?..."

The voice from the living room continued to drift in.

Li He turned on the faucet.

Whether in his past life or this world he had transmigrated into, the smug face of an expert sitting in an ivory tower pointing fingers was a common sight, not enough to stir his emotions.

The sound of running water drowned out the noise from the television.

Click!

A crisp button press, clearer than the sound from the TV.

The expert's annoying face vanished as the screen went black.

His mother, Zhang Xiujuan, held the remote in her hand: "Listen to what he's saying. It's easy to talk when you're not the one suffering! Does he know that the field subsidies in the safety zones are bought with lives? Does he know how much a single Source-Drawing Needle that can improve aptitude costs..."

Her voice cut off abruptly the moment she saw her son turn around from the sink, wiping his hands.

The anger on her face faded, replaced by a gentle smile: "Hehe, you're back? You must be exhausted. Go wash up, dinner is ready."

The meal on the table was incredibly lavish.

A full basin of braised beef brisket, a bowl of milky-white fish soup, a plate of vibrant green water spinach stir-fried with lard, along with a dish of shredded potatoes and a side of pickled vegetables.

But the thing that drew Li He's gaze the most was a small saucer placed directly in front of his bowl.

On the saucer sat a single piece of meat.

It was about the size of a palm and a finger thick, its texture marked with dark red, magma-like veins, the surface covered in a membrane of fat that emitted a warm, lustrous glow.

The exotic fragrance he had smelled upon entering the house came from this very piece of meat.

Exotic beast meat!

The thought flashed through Li He's mind instantly.

In this era where everyone practiced martial arts, ordinary meat had long since become cheap and easily accessible due to highly developed livestock farming, making meat consumption a daily freedom.

But that meat could only provide basic protein and calories; for a martial arts practitioner, it was useless.

Exotic beast meat, however, could nourish blood and qi, warm and nurture the meridians, and some legendary exotic beast meat could even improve one's aptitude, granting the user strange abilities.

It was an indispensable and precious resource for martial artists, and its price was far beyond what an ordinary family could easily afford.

"Mom, this meat?"

His mother, Zhang Xiujuan, smiled broadly as she placed a large bowl of rice in front of Li He.

"Oh, this? You know Auntie Wang's son from next door? He's in the safe zone patrol team. He came back to visit family today and brought a bit of the welfare meat distributed to their team, so he shared a small piece with me."

"Mom was thinking that since you have your martial arts academy assessment next month, you need to eat something good to build up your strength. Go on, try it."

Li He didn't believe her.

Exotic beast meat was far too precious.

None of the people living in this residential complex were wealthy; how could someone just give it away to others?

At this moment, Li He noticed that one seat at the table was empty: "Mom, where's Dad?"

"Your dad? Oh, he's fine, he just went on a business trip. He said... he went over to Star Iron Gorge." Zhang Xiujuan lowered her head, her chopsticks aimlessly stirring the rice in her bowl.

"There's a mine shaft in the safe zone that needs people to inspect the lines. Your Uncle Zhuzi has connections and managed to get a short-term contract. The pay is quite good, so your dad went."

Her voice grew quieter as she spoke.

"Your mother is a little worried, but it is a safe zone after all, and the protection is very sufficient. Besides, your Uncle Zhuzi is a pulse explorer and Old Uncle Zhao understands the instruments; your dad is just doing his old trade to lend a hand."

A mine shaft in the safe zone? Inspecting lines?

Li He's heart sank.

That place was definitely not as safe as she made it sound. Why would his father, a simple technician, go there?

The answer was instantly clear: for money.

For this piece of exotic beast meat.

For his martial arts academy assessment.

The martial arts academy assessment was held one month after the college entrance exams. Students who failed the exams, if they wanted to continue on the path of martial arts, had to find an Alliance-certified academy, participate in the assessment, and become a social martial artist.

As long as one succeeded before the age of thirty, they would have the chance to keep moving forward; otherwise, they would be forced to live as an ordinary person for the rest of their lives.

He looked at his mother's bowed head, at the gray hairs at her temples, and at the subtle way her fingers were unconsciously twisting her apron.

Li He set down his bowl and chopsticks.

He reached out and covered his mother Zhang Xiujuan's slightly cool hand, his own rough calluses brushing against her skin, which was also marked by the wear and tear of life.

"It's okay, Mom. I'm not that worried, and you don't need to worry either. It's a safe zone, after all. Uncle Zhuzi and Old Uncle Zhao are Dad's old comrades-in-arms and they have experience; there won't be any danger."

Zhang Xiujuan looked up at Li He's steady face, feeling the warmth radiating from his hand. Her nose stung, and she laughed and scolded: "You brat, what kind of storms hasn't your mother seen? Do I need you to comfort me? Just focus on your exam; the family isn't short on money."

Li He said nothing more and picked up his bowl again, his gaze falling on the exotic beast meat on the saucer.

Worry was useless.

If he had enough strength, any difficulty would be overcome.

He picked up the exotic beast meat and placed it into his mouth.