Chapter 1

The scorching sun burned the earth, and despite it being the end of August, the hot summer still lingered with its remaining heat.

A gentle breeze swept through, but it brought little relief to the people. It blew through the bustling city of Jiangbin and into a civilian house in the eastern district.

“Ugh...” The young man, who was leaning over his computer desk, rubbed his head in pain, opened his dazed eyes, and looked around in confusion.

At that moment, the standard three philosophical questions popped into his mind:

Who am I?

Where am I?

What am I supposed to do?

Oh, right, my name is Jiang Xiao.

Jiang Xiao rubbed his head, wincing in pain, and thought, “My head hurts so much...”

Looking around, whose room is this?

Is this a pigsty?

Clothes are scattered everywhere?

And... um, paper balls?

Good grief, this is something else.

Wherever his eyes landed, he saw a mountain of paper balls in the nearby wastebasket.

No matter whose room this is, it's a fine example to follow!

However, the playful thoughts in Jiang Xiao's mind vanished in the next moment. Inadvertently, he saw the figure on the computer screen, slightly swaying.

The figure reflected on the black computer screen saver was, of course, Jiang Xiao himself.

Jiang Xiao knew that the figure in the black screen was himself, but... but the not-so-blurry image was actually that of a child?

Jiang Xiao leaned forward in disbelief, and the figure in the black screen saver did the same.

“Swallow.” Jiang Xiao's Adam's apple moved as he swallowed, and he cautiously touched the mouse.

The screen saver disappeared, and on the computer screen, a young man with a shocked expression stared dumbly at the screen, which was exactly how Jiang Xiao looked at that moment.

What kind of video software is this?

Jiang Xiao blinked his eyes. This didn't seem to be a video chat but a recording?

Looking up, he saw a camera. What was the original owner of this body doing just now?

Was he making a small video?

Uh,

Recording a small video?

Clearly, the video was still being recorded, which made Jiang Xiao somewhat interested.

If the owner of this body had been recording the whole time, then the entire process of his穿越 (穿越 means "穿越" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越" in English, but in this context, it means "transmigration" or "穿越" into another world) might have been recorded?

Is there such a bonus?

Jiang Xiao quickly pressed the stop recording button and chose to play the file.

After a few seconds of waiting, a slightly immature face appeared on the computer screen.

A plaid shirt, a round-cropped hairstyle, about 15 or 16 years old, with a rather handsome appearance.

This clean and tidy look didn't seem to match the guy who threw paper balls all over the place?

“Hello everyone, my name is Jiang Xiaopi,” the boy in the video finally spoke. “Unfortunately, I have a bit of a cold recently, so you won't be able to hear my magnetic, manly voice.”

Jiang Xiao: ???

In the video, Jiang Xiaopi casually pulled out a tissue, blew his nose, balled it up, and threw it on the ground.

So that's where all these paper balls came from.

Yeah, Jiang Xiao thought the same thing.

What else could tissues be used for? To blow your nose, of course.

Jiang Xiao reached out and pulled a tissue from the box on the desk because he finally realized that “he” had a cold.

In the video, the young man who called himself Jiang Xiaopi continued:

“I'll say it again, my name is Jiang Xiaopi! Remember this name that will make you admire me for the rest of your life!”

“This is my first time opening a Weibo account because I've realized that my powerful abilities no longer allow me to remain low-key.”

Jiang Xiao quickly pressed the pause button, looking at the “himself” on the screen. At that moment, he suddenly had the urge to beat himself up.

How did this kid grow up?

How did he survive for so many years?

Jiang Xiao calmed down for a while and then pressed the play button again.

In the screen, Jiang Xiaopi didn't continue boasting but changed the subject: “Let me introduce myself briefly.”

“Kids always ask their parents where they come from. Parents give various answers, like being picked up from a trash can, given as a gift with a phone bill, or received as a gift during a holiday.”

Jiang Xiaopi suddenly looked very seriously at the camera and said, “But I'm different. I was really picked up from a trash can.”

“My mom is a beautiful lady, gentle and lovely. Her name is Jiang Hongye. Listen to this name, how beautiful! This is a real person's name! Now, look at my name, sigh...”

In the screen, Jiang Xiaopi pouted, looking unhappy, and muttered, “The day I was picked up, my mom's dog died. The dog's name was Xiaopi, so I was called... um.”

Jiang Xiaopi looked unhappy but then his eyes brightened as he looked at the camera and said, “Fortunately, the dog was quite cute, a smiling golden retriever.”

Jiang Xiao: “...”

In the video, Jiang Xiaopi propped his chin on his hand, paused for a moment, and said, “Alright, I think you've remembered my name. Now it's time to express my attitude. I'm about to enter Bincheng High School, and now I'm going to tell all the freshmen!”

Jiang Xiao watched the screen with slight anticipation, wondering what Jiang Xiaopi would say.

In the video, Jiang Xiaopi said, “From today on, I'm the big brother of the freshmen! If anyone doesn't agree, meet me in the small forest after school! I, Jiang Xiaopi, am the biggest in the freshmen!”

“Also!” Jiang Xiaopi pointed at the camera and continued, “Those second and third-year students, don't think that just because you're older and have awakened your abilities a year or two earlier, you can do whatever you want. The school beauty, surnamed Xia, is already reserved by me. No one can take her from me! If you don't agree, meet me at the playground or the small forest after school. I, Jiang Xiaopi, am not afraid of anyone!”

Jiang Xiaopi looked fiercely at the camera, with a cute but fierce expression: “I will make you understand that beauty is only for the strong to possess!”

Jiang Xiao looked at the screen, where the late-stage middle school syndrome “himself” was, and was completely stunned at that moment.

Click!

In the video, the door behind Jiang Xiaopi suddenly opened, and a beautiful figure stepped in.

Jiang Xiao raised his eyebrows, tsking, this girl is really beautiful.

Like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without any adornment.

She was wearing a white nightgown, clearly home attire, and she must also live in this house.

She was about 17 or 18 years old, tall and slender, with a delicate face. At that moment, her beautiful face was covered in frost, and her long black hair swayed with her angry steps.

In the screen, the girl with a cold expression kicked the paper balls on the ground and quickly walked behind Jiang Xiaopi, who was still boasting.

The girl raised her hand and slapped Jiang Xiaopi on the back of his head!

Thud!

What a satisfying sound!

A dull thud, and Jiang Xiaopi's head hit the computer desk. The girl, still angry, glared at the “dead” Jiang Xiaopi and said, “Get up! Do something useful! Cultivate your star power, or clean the room! Don't make such disgusting videos.”

Jiang Xiaopi lay motionless on the computer desk.

“If you don't, you won't eat!” The girl said coldly, turned around, and the white nightgown fluttered as she kicked the paper balls on the ground and walked out of the room, slamming the door hard.

In the screen, the “dead” Jiang Xiaopi didn't seem to be faking it?

Jiang Xiao sat at the computer desk, looking at the Jiang Xiaopi on the screen. After five minutes, he saw “Jiang Xiaopi” rubbing his head and looking around in confusion.

Was this the moment when he transmigrated?

Wow!

Amazing!

He was actually slapped into this world?

Jiang Xiao rubbed his head, inheriting Jiang Xiaopi's body, and tried to recall the memories in his mind.

This girl seemed to be Jiang Xiaopi's sister?

Han Jiangxue?

The father's surname is Han, so the daughter naturally follows the father's surname.

Jiang Xiaopi was picked up by his mother, and at his mother Jiang Hongye's request, he followed the mother's surname.

In Jiang Xiaopi's memory, his parents seemed to have disappeared on a mission three years ago.

Hmm?

The siblings lived together?

The older sister was as beautiful as a fairy?

They had no blood relation?

Hmm, it's time to highlight the key points.

Highlight... what a joke, Jiang Xiao was completely stunned at this point, where was the mind to highlight the key points?

The key point is that Jiang Xiao, a 25-year-old young man, had become a 16-year-old young man, from a rookie entering society to a high school student?

And this world...

Jiang Xiao moved the mouse pointer to the bottom left corner of the computer and saw the date: August 20, 2015.

Hmm, the time difference wasn't significant, the same as the world Jiang Xiao came from.

But what did the “awakening” and “star power” mentioned by the siblings mean?

Jiang Xiao frowned, carefully recalling Jiang Xiaopi's memories, and was surprised to find that this world was not his Earth?

This was a world filled with magical abilities, magical awakeners, and dimensional spaces.

Due to the existence of dimensional space gates, this world was vastly different from the Earth Jiang Xiao originally lived in.

Behind the countless dimensional space gates, there were all kinds of bizarre and strange worlds, as well as all kinds of strange creatures.

Sadly, most of the creatures inside the space gates were not friendly.

In the long and turbulent history of humanity, humans not only faced internal wars but also the invasion and harassment from external dimensional environment creatures.

Star power is a magical energy that appeared with the dimensional space gates. This magical energy changed people's physical abilities and also changed their way of life.

With the emergence of the first star power awakeners, humans, who could only use “strong ships and powerful cannons” to fight against dimensional creatures, finally had a new choice.

Of course, although the new energy entered Earth and changed the fate of humanity, it did not change the fate of everyone.

In fact, most people were still ordinary, and their bodies could not bear this magical power. Rash cultivation would not only fail to strengthen the body but also cause physical damage.

Over time, humans' understanding of star power deepened, and after repeated verification, “16 years old” became the internationally recognized age for awakening.

At 16, the probability of human awakening is the highest, and it is the best time for artificial intervention. Too early or too late might cause physical damage to the subject.

Of course, there are always some geniuses! They would do things that shock both humans and gods, and we call them “geniuses.”

They don't need to do anything; one day, they suddenly feel the omnipresent star power on Earth, known as natural awakening, with unlimited potential.

They might even start their awakening journey at 10, 8, or even 6 years old, years earlier than normal awakeners.

Of course, there is no such thing as fairness in this world.

Apart from a few exceptional geniuses, most people are awakened through external intervention, making up the majority of the awakener community. Jiang Xiaopi clearly belonged to this category.

After 16, with the help of awakeners, star power is guided into the body, thus starting the career of an awakener.

But this must be done through a strict and formal process, and a qualified guide must have a good grasp of the process.

There are too many people who cannot awaken. They are unwilling to accept this result and try every means to achieve their goals, but the results are often not good.

Such people will be injured or even die on this path. In most cases, they not only fail to awaken but also suffer significant physical damage, becoming weak and frail.

Just two months ago, at the final graduation ceremony of the third year of junior high school, a dozen awakeners stood in formation, helping this batch of children complete their final graduation assessment.

The principal was already accustomed to enjoying the cheers during his speech, of course, everyone knew that the cheers were not for the principal's long speech but for the children who awakened one after another.

That graduation ceremony finally marked the beginning of Jiang Xiaopi's career.

Jiang Xiaopi's body was suitable for cultivating star power,

He successfully opened his star map!