Chapter 1: A New World

On the continent of Tianqi, the world was wild and desolate, with a hundred nations locked in ceaseless warfare and various tribes vying for supremacy!

The Divine Martial Emperor, a prodigy of his era, founded the Great Martial Emperor Dynasty! Sweeping across nations, he repelled the Eastern Barbarians, conquered the Western Rong, subdued the Southern Man, and drove away the Northern Di! From that moment on, the realm was unified, and all tribes submitted!

Yet, a millennium passed, and times changed. The last Martial Emperor indulged in luxury and debauchery, becoming decadent and incompetent, favoring sycophants and neglecting virtuous ministers, imposing heavy taxes and obstinately wielding power...

Beneath him, the civil and military ministers schemed for personal gain, took bribes, abused the law, treated human life with contempt, and brought ruin upon the nation and suffering to the people...

The millennium-old dynasty eventually crumbled to dust.

For the next four centuries, warlords battled fiercely; dynasties and empires rose and fell in succession—one fading as another ascended. Countless heroes emerged during this tumultuous era, each weaving their own legend.

Three centuries ago, the great pattern of the world was set: seven great imperial dynasties stood side by side. Though differing in strength, none could overpower the others. Some dynasties stood at the borders between the empires, serving as buffers.

Afterward, though occasional skirmishes occurred, the realm remained largely peaceful. Although there were changes within each dynasty, the seven great empires endured unshaken for three centuries.

...

On the continent of Tianqi, within the Great Cang Empire, in Wudu Commandery, lay the city of Zhentong.

Zhentong City was a strategic stronghold in the northeast of the Great Cang Empire, guarded for generations by the Zhentong General’s Mansion. For three centuries, the powerful Wang family, holders of the Zhentong Generalship, had entrenched themselves there, turning the city into a near-feudal domain.

Indeed, not only Zhentong City but the entire Wudu Commandery was under their firm control.

The four frontier generals—of the East, West, North, and South—were originally sworn brothers of the empire’s founding emperor. They fought alongside him in countless battles, earning glorious achievements. The Great Cang Empire owed half its territory to these four generals.

Upon founding the empire, the founding emperor, in gratitude for their merits, conferred upon them the title of duke and decreed that their descendants guard the empire’s borders for generations. For three centuries, the Four Frontier Generals remained the most powerful and influential military figures under the Great Cang emperor.

The Zhentong General’s Mansion was magnificent and grand, yet imbued with a palpable martial spirit. Spanning several hundred acres, it was a fortress within the city walls. Nearly a third of its grounds were devoted to training grounds for martial exercises.

...

The enduring authority of the Four Frontier Generals through three centuries owed much to their unbroken lineage of talent. Especially for the heirs, rigorous demands were placed upon them from youth—they had to personally experience the battlefield to hone their skills.

At this moment, within a courtyard of the Zhentong General’s Mansion, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen sat dazed upon a stone stool, his gaze unfocused.

“Have I actually transmigrated?”

Wang Zijie’s heart cried out wildly. How could such a scenario, existing only in novels, happen to him?

“Tianqi Continent? Eldest son of the Zhentong General? One of the Great Cang’s Ten Talents?”

As he digested the sudden flood of memories in his mind, Wang Zijie murmured to himself, his eyes shifting between confusion, excitement, and a trace of melancholy.

At this moment, the boy’s consciousness was gradually being replaced by that of a modern youth from Earth.

Originally, Wang Zijie was a wealthy second-generation university student on Earth. One weekend, when he went out looking for a part-time job to gain experience, he noticed a five or six-year-old boy standing in the middle of the street. Worried for the child’s safety, Wang Zijie immediately rushed forward to bring him to safety.

But just as he reached the boy, a car came speeding. Though Wang Zijie pushed the child aside at the last moment, he himself was caught in tragedy. Initially, he thought he had died and gone to the afterlife, but unexpectedly, he had transmigrated!

Well, transmigration was fine; he had hoped to be sent back to his youth, to use foreknowledge to prosper, upgrading from a wealthy second-generation to a first-generation tycoon. Or perhaps to a fantasy world, wrapped in a protagonist’s aura, cultivating and ascending to emperorhood, ruling over endless epochs.

But what was this Tianqi Continent? He had never even heard of it!

Fortunately, after a full day absorbing the memories of the original owner, Wang Zijie finally fully understood the identity of this body.

If before there had been any lingering confusion or helplessness about leaving his old world for a new one, now only excitement filled his heart.

For good reason: the original owner of this body was undeniably a winner in life.

...

By family heritage, the body belonged to a man named Wang Yu, eldest son of General Wang Chang of Zhentong. Besides Wang Yu, Wang Chang had two other sons, Wang Xin and Wang Wu. Wang Xin was only seven, and Wang Wu had just been born, posing no threat to Wang Yu.

Moreover, unlike Wang Xin and Wang Wu’s mother, who hailed from another noble family of the Great Cang Empire, Wang Yu’s mother was of royal blood—the younger sister of the current Cang Emperor himself. Curiously, Wang Yu found it strange that in this empire, or on Tianqi Continent, one could marry a princess and still take other wives.

Among the four great frontier generals, the East and North generals often married into the royal family. In the Zhentong General’s Mansion, almost every generation arranged marriage ties with the imperial house. Meanwhile, the West and South generals intermarried with each other, maintaining their power and standing through mutual alliance.

Besides a prestigious lineage, Wang Yu’s personal qualities were impeccable. By age ten, he had already entered the military camp with his father and soon began truly fighting on the battlefield.

Such an early start was rare even among the heirs of the Four Frontier Generals, who were typically sent to the camps only at twelve or thirteen.

Though young, he had already achieved notable military merits. Naturally, Wang Chang only allowed his son onto the battlefield because he had arranged sufficient protection around him to prevent accidents.

By age thirteen, Wang Yu had broken through to the first-class realm in martial cultivation, earning a place among the Great Cang’s Ten Talents and gaining considerable fame across the empire.

As for this world, though there were no immortals, gods, or demons—just ordinary mortals—in Wang Yu’s memories, the world thrived in scholarly pursuits and flourishing doctrines; martial arts prospered with many formidable warriors emerging.

Certainly, while there was a hint of high martial arts, no one could raze cities or fly through the skies. Even the strongest warriors had to submit before armies; none could rival an entire military force alone.

This was precisely why the seven great empires had held supreme power over this world for centuries. The various schools of thought and sects had to operate within imperial regulations; resistance meant extermination.

Much like scholars in ancient China who entered government service after their studies, many disciples of these schools chose to serve the imperial courts of various nations. Likewise, many martial artists joined their countries’ armies.

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