Chapter 1

### Chapter 1: The First Leap of a Genius

"Attention, we are now interrupting our regular programming for a special news bulletin."

In 2025, on the giant digital TV screen in the center of Times Square in the capital of China, the famous host Jiang Bingbing, dressed in a stylish brown suit, received a piece of paper from the director with a pale face. Her eyes, fixed on the paper, turned red as she spoke, and tears could be seen welling up.

The unusual behavior of the well-known CCTV host Jiang Bingbing caused many passersby in Times Square to stop and look up at the screen.

"China's renowned master of ancient martial arts revival, Xiao Bei, was struck and killed by the first thunderbolt in the history of martial arts at the summit of Mount Tai just ten minutes ago. He was 29 years old."

Tears streamed down Jiang Bingbing's beautiful face as she continued in a sobbing voice, "Master Xiao Bei revived the ancient martial arts of the Chinese nation. Ten years ago, he initiated the revival movement of ancient martial arts, creating the Star Body Fist, a form of Tai Chi that is suitable for all ages, at the age of 19. At 21, he was unbeatable in the world, and at 23, he widely recruited disciples and founded the Star Body Fist Association, fulfilling his parents' wishes to promote Chinese martial arts... The death of Master Xiao Bei is a loss to the Chinese nation and to all of humanity!"

"Similarly, Master Xiao Bei has shown us the truth that this world has thunderbolts, and our cultivation is not in vain. Immortality is not a dream; the path of martial arts has always existed..."

Tears uncontrollably streamed down Jiang Bingbing's face.

In the crowd at Times Square, many people were wailing in grief...

Soon after, a massive mourning movement quickly spread across the world, all because of Xiao Bei—the most brilliant genius on Earth—had fallen!

...

"Am I dead?"

Xiao Bei felt a splitting headache and, without opening his eyes, the events that just occurred flashed through his mind. He had been ecstatic at the summit of Mount Tai, having successfully cultivated the family-secret *Star Canon*. Suddenly, the Star Palace in his consciousness began to tremble, and soon after, his entire body started to heat up, his head throbbed, and the sky darkened with storm clouds. Not long after, a massive bolt of lightning struck him, a force beyond his imagination...

The memory stopped there.

As Xiao Bei tried to investigate the state of the Star Palace in his consciousness, he was hit by an excruciating pain in his head!

"Ah..."

The pain was so intense that even the usually tough Xiao Bei couldn't help but groan.

...

After a while, Xiao Bei regained his consciousness, and the pain was gone.

"I see, I have been reincarnated in a strange continent. The person I possess is not only a bastard but also a martial arts waste, and he even shares my name. This must be fate. But I, a genius from Earth, couldn't even survive the first thunderbolt. I wonder what people will say about me, and whether my Star Body Fist Association will continue to thrive..."

"Ah, forget it. It doesn't matter what they say. After all, that me is gone."

Thinking about it, Xiao Bei opened his eyes and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Looking around, he saw a small room, no more than ten square meters, with extremely simple furnishings. There was only a wooden table, on which were piled various daily necessities like a wooden comb. The window was framed in wood and covered with a layer of paper.

"This strange continent values strength above all. Since martial prowess is the foundation of personal power and status, I need to see if my current resources are sufficient. Although this body belongs to the former waste Xiao Bei, whose meridians are blocked and unable to cultivate, my consciousness should not be as weak as before. It is the fusion of my strong consciousness and his. With such consciousness, I believe I have the means to survive."

With this thought, Xiao Bei immersed his consciousness into the consciousness sea.

Upon investigation, Xiao Bei was stunned and his heart tightened! The Star Palace he had cultivated according to the family-secret *Star Canon* was completely shrouded in rolling white mist. The star he had just cultivated, the central star, was also obscured by the mist, making it invisible.

Not only that, Xiao Bei could feel the "rumbling" sounds, and the Star Palace was extremely unstable under the rolling mist, causing his heart to tremble.

When Xiao Bei tried to investigate further, he found that his consciousness could not penetrate the mist. Although the mist did not harm his consciousness, it acted like a barrier, preventing his consciousness from passing through.

A martial artist must remain calm in the face of adversity.

Xiao Bei calmed his mind.

Then, he felt that the central star, the foundation of the Star Palace, was still there, though only a faint connection remained. However, Xiao Bei sensed that the central star had undergone some positive changes.

"Rustle."

As Xiao Bei probed, the mist began to roll even more violently.

After a while, the rolling stopped.

When the mist stopped rolling, Xiao Bei's lips curved into a smile. His consciousness detected that the Star Palace not only still existed but the central star had expanded to more than ten times its original size!

From the size of a walnut, it had grown to the size of a fist!

This was a qualitative leap. Undoubtedly, his cultivation method had advanced to a new level!

"It seems I can also be considered a master in this world. If I can guide the power stored in the Star Palace to break through the blocked meridians and refine my body, I believe it will only take a few days for my body to improve. I wonder what level my martial arts skills would be on this continent. I estimate at least the level of an Imperial Martial Artist in the先天 realm."

Smiling, Xiao Bei's lips curled up.

...

"Xiao Bei, Xiao Bei!"

A woman's voice called from outside the room. Soon, the wooden door was pushed open, and a woman with a worried and caring expression entered.

The woman looked to be in her forties, with a few wrinkles on her forehead, but her face was still very beautiful. Upon entering the room, she immediately looked at Xiao Bei's small bed.

"Xiao Bei, I'm so relieved you're okay. You really worried your mother." Seeing Xiao Bei sitting up on the bed, his eyes bright and alert, with only a slight swelling on his forehead, the woman sighed in relief and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her wet hand.

"I'm fine... Mother, I just fainted, nothing else." The effect of the soul fusion made it a bit awkward to call her "Mother," but Xiao Bei still did so.

The woman in front of Xiao Bei was the mother of his previous body. Due to the soul fusion, Xiao Bei felt a strong sense of affection for her.

"Hmph, this time he was lucky and wasn't killed by Young Master Yun. But if he doesn't learn his lesson next time, he won't be so lucky. Old woman, you can now go back to work. There are still more than ten pieces of the master's clothes that need to be washed. Don't dawdle, hurry up, hurry up..."

A woman in a fine green silk dress appeared at the door. Her face was pockmarked, and her fat, unattractive body made her look like a domineering hag. She huffed and put her hands on her hips, addressing Xiao Bei's mother.

"Sister Li, look, my son has woken up, but he hasn't eaten. Can I cook him some porridge before I go to work?" Xiao Bei's mother smiled at the hag at the door.

"That's not possible. The master's clothes must be washed by noon today, and after that, you still need to chop wood..."

The hag twisted her neck and rolled her eyes, shaking her head like a rattle.

"Get out."

Suddenly, as the hag was scolding Xiao Bei's mother, the young man on the bed spoke calmly.

The word "get out" made the hag's face turn red with anger!

"You want me to get out? You, a waste who can't even cultivate martial arts, dare to tell me, your aunt, to get out? I'll beat you to death!" The hag, looking like a cornered dog, rushed at Xiao Bei with her fat body.

However, when the hag, who usually thought of Xiao Bei as a weakling, expected to grab him like a chicken and slap him, she saw a sharp look in his eyes before her hand even reached him.

That look made the hag feel a chill down her spine, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

Then, as her hand hung in the air, she watched in shock as the young man raised his hand, which moved like a flash of white light, striking her face before she could react.

"Slap!"

The hag saw stars, her head buzzed, and her mouth tasted sweet.

She stumbled back several steps and fell on her buttocks, dazed. She covered her mouth with her hand and, when she pulled it away, saw it covered in blood and two yellow teeth.

"From now on, no one will treat my mother like this."

The young man on the bed spoke calmly.

But his words were firm and resolute!