YUAN'S ASCENSION

 

Chapter 1: Wu Yuan (1)

  Year 3224 of the Eastern Martial calendar, early spring.

  The Southdream Province of the Jiang Continent, Li City.

Though the chill of dawn had yet to fade, a large group of the county martial academy's disciples were already assembled on the training ground, going through their morning exercises.

This was an intermediate martial academy. The disciples were young and their musculoskeletal structures had yet to fully develop. Their understanding of martial arts was still shallow, and they had yet to embark on their true paths of martial arts.

But as an academy of the Cloudstride Sect, a formidable entity among the sixteen provinces of the Jiang Continent, those qualified to enter the academy were either talents from Li City or descendants of martial artists within the sect itself. The collective training of the group exuded a formidable air.

Whoosh! Among them was a disciple who practiced with a short spear. His limbs stretched taut like a great bow, and his waist and hips moved as one as he threw the short spear. The spear whistled through the air and pierced deeply into a wooden post.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Those engaged in hand-to-hand combat moved with the agility of foxes and attacked with the ferocity of tigers. All of them displayed extraordinary martial prowess.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the training grounds, a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy lay on the ground, propping himself with one arm in a strange posture.

"You need to move your waist a centimeter more. Your limbs aren't spread out enough, and you need to lean forward. Though you possess the strength of a thousand catties [1], you can only exhibit 70% of it." The boy, who wore a coarsely tailored and worn-down martial arts uniform, casually critiqued his classmates from afar.

To Wu Yuan, the vigorous movements of the martial academy's disciples were full of flaws.

"This world is indeed extraordinary. When I first arrived, I thought it was a low-level martial world. The martial techniques here pale in comparison to those of the Federation. The only thing that stands out is their physical attributes. The ordinary people of this world are strong enough to contend with the martial artists of the Federation, it's truly astonishing." Wu Yuan muttered to himself.

As the youngest martial arts Grandmaster of the Solar System Human Federation, Wu Yuan's understanding of martial arts ranked among the top ten in the Human Federation, which had a population in the tens of billions.

Of course, that was all in the past! For Wu Yuan had transmigrated to a new world.

The cause of this transmigration? Wu Yuan wasn't sure himself. By the time he woke up, he already found himself spirited away to this world.

The process of his transmigration? Wu Yuan didn’t have the faintest notion.

Since arriving in this world six months ago, he spent the first few months in a stupor, gradually recovering over the past month or so as the memories of the previous person were integrated with his own.

It's been half a year since I've transmigrated, but I don't see a system getting activated anytime soon. Guess you can't take webnovels seriously! Or could it be that ... I am not the protagonist?

In his previous life, he had practiced martial arts from a young age, though he wasn’t a diehard purist.

On the various cosmic islands of the Metaverse Federation, Wu Yuan had been known as a ‘keyboard warrior’. He had also read countless webnovels, allowing him to accept the fact that he had transmigrated with relative ease.

The only thing he was still worried about was his elder sister. But since he was already here, he decided to make peace with it. As a martial arts Grandmaster, Wu Yuan understood that empty thoughts bore no fruit. Strength was the root of action, especially in this Middle Land where might reigned supreme and heroes fought for domination.

After recovering from his disoriented state, Wu Yuan quickly adapted to his new identity and began his efforts to restore his cultivation. Unfortunately, an unfamiliar body and troubling family circumstances caused Wu Yuan's progress to inch forward at a snail's pace over the past month or so.

In my previous life, I had a steady supply of energy-dense supplements and a full-fledged artificial intelligence system monitoring my bodily functions. I also received training pointers from the 'Optimal Path of Martial Arts', the cumulation of over a hundred years of big data by the Human Federation. Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.

As for this life? His cultivation environment was a far cry from before.

However, it wasn't all disadvantages. The deeper Wu Yuan dove into this world, the more he realized its astonishing potential in the martial path. It was not as simple as the lowly martial world it appeared to be.

Reality is not a novel; my sudden transmigration has nothing to do with the heavens finding me handsome.

However, Wu Yuan was not actually indifferent to the reason behind his transmigration. It was just that he understood. He wouldn't be able to resolve this inexplicable matter for now. Even the Human Federation that had occupied the solar system in his previous life wouldn't be able to.

At this moment, my top priority is to seize first place in the martial academy major tournament in eight days. Wu Yuan's mind was calm.

The martial academy's major tournament was held once a year. The winner was qualified to enter the Cloud Martial Hall, the top martial academy within the Cloudstride Sect's territory. Even its weakest graduates were at least Adept experts.

A fifth-grade expert can be considered an Adept, and is qualified to become a thousand-soldier lieutenant colonel in the city guard.

In the past month, Wu Yuan gained a certain level of understanding of this world. This was a world where martial sects ruled. Powerful martial artists could become kings or lords! They could erect their own sects! They could wander the world! They could even establish their own empires! Strength determined everything here.

The Cloudstride Sect was considered a great martial sect, ruling over many thousands of li [2] of land. It had innumerable disciples and plentiful experts, making it a truly colossal entity.

However, Wu Yuan was not too interested in entering the Cloud Martial Hall. During his time at the county martial academy, he had encountered a fifth-grade expert who displayed remarkable strength, slightly stronger than his own at the peak of his previous life. But the martial arts techniques exhibited were disappointing, far inferior to what he had previously learned.

Science is the primary driving force of martial arts.

As a doctoral degree holder in the specialization of martial arts, Wu Yuan agreed with this statement wholeheartedly and was a devout practitioner of this belief himself.

Many of this world’s so-called experts spent twenty years of blood, sweat, and tears, just to comprehend some secret techniques. Some sacred martial sects claimed to have a thousand-year-old heritage, but in reality, they only recorded the top skills of a few thousand practitioners. How could they compare to the 'Optimal Path of Martial Arts' derived from the training data of billions of members of the Human Federation?

Wu Yuan was only interested in the martial academy major tournament because of the other award that the winner would receive - 500 taels of silver.

A large meat bun costs three copper coins. 500 silver taels are equivalent to the purchasing power of 500,000 star yuan in the Federation. Of course, it's only enough to buy a square meter of an ordinary property in the Ruling City.

Wu Yuan would have looked down on this bit of money in his previous life. A single martial arts duel with other martial arts Grandmasters earned him hundreds of millions in livestream rewards.

But Wu Yuan was destitute in this life. Just slightly better than those on the brink of starvation!

Martial arts practitioners require a much higher food intake than ordinary people.

The slow rate of my progress is closely related to my insufficient food intake. If I have enough meat in my meals, my cultivation speed will increase more than tenfold.

Wu Yuan had many plans in mind for his martial arts training, but even a shrewd housewife couldn't cook without rice. Martial arts training was not like cultivating to achieve immortality. One had to eat, and eat well!

The 500 silver taels were the most easily obtainable 'first pot of gold' for Wu Yuan. But most importantly -- It was safe, without requiring him to take any risks.

In this world, the study of martial arts seems to be built on a mediocre foundation. But a fifth-grade expert has power in the tens of thousands of catties. How strong are the first-grade experts who establish their own territories? And the legendary land deities in the Heavenly Ranking of experts?

Wu Yuan had previously browsed through some records in the martial arts academy. Without sufficient confidence and strength, he would not act rashly.

He was just an ordinary disciple of the martial arts academy. Why would he undergo a sudden metamorphosis? The right way to do things was one step at a time.

500 silver taels. After fulfilling my training needs, the remainder should be enough to cure my mother's illness. Wu Yuan couldn't help but recall his gentle mother's weathered face.

When he first transmigrated over, he floated in and out of consciousness for months. Many advised his mother to give up on him. But she held on, putting aside her dignity to beg the other clansmen and colleagues of her deceased husband to lend her large quantities of silver for her 'son's' recovery.

The hearts of men are not made of stone, how can they be unmalleable?

Over the months, Wu Yuan truly embraced this new body, accepting that this person was now his mother. Naturally, her actions touched his heart.

Having taken the place of her son, I shall bear this responsibility.

As time passed, the memories of the previous person who inhabited this body flowed into Wu Yuan's mind, and he felt the blazing warmth of his mother's love grow each day.

"Xu Yuanhan is here," someone suddenly called out from the other end of the training ground.

"He is the general of defense's son. The military training ground is better equipped, and he even has a dedicated soldier to spar with. He doesn't normally come to the martial arts academy for morning practice." N♡vεlB¡n: Inspiring Minds, Illuminating Souls.

"Looks like something is about to happen." The training ground buzzed with speculative chatter.

These martial academy disciples were one-in-a-hundred talents in Li Cty. But the newcomer was evidently even more extraordinary.

"Wu Yuan!"

A slightly immature but deep voice rang out from afar. Many students naturally turned to look at the corner Wu Yuan was lying in.

Huh? He's here so soon?

A burly teenager dressed in an extravagant purple martial arts uniform came into Wu Yuan's view. Standing at around 1.9m tall, he possessed an extraordinary robustness reminiscent of a brown bear. Yet, the movements of his limbs and spine were filled with invisible power, akin to a spear ready to explode forth at any instant. Each step he took radiated remarkable pressure, and he stood out among the rest like a crane among chickens.

He fixed Wu Yuan with a laser-like stare.

"Xu Yuanhan."

Wu Yuan somersaulted to his feet from the ground, soaring more than a zhang [3] into the air. He stood tall, wearing a friendly smile as he asked, "What is it?"

Wu Yuan was nearly 1.8 meters tall, but he seemed somewhat short standing in front of Xu Yuanhan.

"Last time, I lost to you due to my carelessness. Today, I challenge you to a rematch." Xu Yuanhan stared at Wu Yuan.

1. 1 catty = 0.5 kg ?

2. 1 li = 0.5km ?

3. 1 zhang = 3.3 meters ?

Chapter 2: Wu Yuan (2)

Their confrontation drew the attention of a large number of disciples on the training ground.

"I won't fight you." Wu Yuan shook his head decisively.

"Wu Yuan, are you afraid you'll lose to me? You placed first in the last minor tournament." Xu Yuanhan's voice rang out like a thunderous gong, deliberately amplified to draw the attention of all the disciples in the martial academy. N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

"Is Wu Yuan afraid to accept the challenge?"

"Xu Yuanhan is not an easy opponent. Wu Yuan won the previous match due to luck."

"I think Wu Yuan is the tougher one. He experienced a sudden awakening a while back. In the three recent martial academy minor tournaments, he placed tenth, then fourth, and finally, he won first place!" The many disciples of the martial academy whispered among themselves. All of them knew these two prominent figures in the academy.

Xu Yuanhan was extremely talented and hailed from a prestigious family. At fifteen years old, he was already a seventh-grade martial novice. His future was boundless.

Wu Yuan was from an ordinary family. Yet he stunned everyone, even drawing admiration from the academy headmaster.

"As a sage once wisely noted, when public opinion bears down on an individual, an average person may falter under the weight of criticism and fail to meet their usual standards." He eyed Wu Yuan. "I need to engage in more sparring sessions with Wu Yuan to gauge the extent of his strength, and afterward, seek guidance from several uncles to refine countermeasures."

Over the course of the previous year, he had emerged victorious in eighteen minor tournaments held at the martial academy. His acceptance into the esteemed Cloud Martial Hall was all but certain.

Who would have thought that as the major tournament approached, Wu Yuan would suddenly emerge as a contender?

"I am indeed afraid of losing, Xu Yuanhan. Wait till the major tournament, we'll have our rematch then," Wu Yuan replied nonchalantly with a smile, indifferent to what the academy disciples thought of him.

Reputation? Only children were bothered by such a thing.

In the previous three minor tournaments, Wu Yuan deliberately controlled his rank, climbing higher each time. This was to make sure he wouldn't look too suspicious when he finally won the major tournament

"Hm?" Xu Yuanhan's pupils contracted. He wasn't anticipating Wu Yuan's response. If he were in Wu Yuan's shoes, he would find it hard to maintain his composure under the stares of the crowd.

"You really won't accept my challenge?" Xu Yuanhan asked in a deep voice.

"I won't," Wu Yuan responded with a smile and shook his head.

Xu Yuanhan fell silent for a moment, then grinned. "Fine. Wu Yuan, you're interesting. Let's settle our scores at the major tournament."

Xu Yuanhan didn't linger. He turned and left the martial grounds with a few followers.

This scene left many disciples, who expected Xu Yuanhan to ‘exploit his authority as the general's son to oppress others’, somewhat disappointed.

On the contrary, Wu Yuan was calm. This was within his expectations.

My rank in the last three minor tournaments has risen consistently, the name list should have been placed on the county mayor's desk by now. I can't offend the general of defense, but merely his son?

The general of defense was a prominent figure in Li County, second only to the county mayor. Xu Yuanhan, his youngest son, was naturally not some ordinary martial disciple one could casually provoke. However, this did not include the already formidable Wu Yuan.

The county martial academy tournaments were held to identify true elite geniuses, one of the primary responsibilities of a county mayor. The general of defense wouldn't dare intervene with it on a whim.

In the thirteen continents of the Middle Land, where martial artists vied for supremacy, certain influential figures within the great martial sects opted for a more lavish lifestyle. This, in itself, was not a concern. However, when martial arts competitions were manipulated and the principles of fairness and justice were cast aside, it signaled the sect's impending downfall.

Moreover, Xu Yuanhan is no fool. Wu Yuan smiled, looking in the direction of Xu Yuanhan's departure.

Xu Yuanhan was born with a golden spoon, yet he trained in the depths of winter and heights of summer, practicing martial arts every day since his early childhood. He might act arrogantly, but he was not the type of person to cause such trouble for his father.

Even if he truly wanted to cause trouble for Wu Yuan, he would not do so under the watchful eyes of the others.

......

Within the county martial academy, in a nine-story building a kilometer away from the training grounds.

On the seventh floor.

A slightly stooped old man in a green robe leaned against the railing. To his right stood a middle-aged man in a black robe. He had a square face and an aura of authority that invoked respect.

"General Xu, what do you think?" The old man in the green robe chuckled, "As I said, this Wu Yuan is someone who thinks before acting and wouldn’t accept the challenge."

"Brother Zhang knows his disciples like the back of his hand, it's admirable. My unworthy son was reckless this time." The middle-aged man in black robes smiled, "However, Brother Zhang, are you really planning to refuse my previous proposal?"

"It's not that I want to refuse. It's the county mayor."

The old man in green robes glanced at the other man, continuing with a placid tone, "You are a core disciple of the sect, surely you are more aware of how strict the Inspection Hall is than I am."

"Haha, I am not obstructing Wu Yuan from entering the Cloud Martial Hall, I am just suggesting that he wait another year," laughed the middle-aged man in the black robe. "He just went through an awakening in his martial path. Old brother Zhang, if you nurture him just one year more, he could potentially enter the Cloud Martial Hall as the top entrant among four provinces. That is a major accomplishment."

"If he enters the Cloud Martial Hall this year, he will be just an ordinary disciple. No matter how incredible his future achievements, it will all be attributed to the Cloud Martial Hall's nurturing."

The green-clad elder only smiled in response.

"Three Qi Enhancement Pills, how about it?" The man in the black robe put forth his final offer.

The green-robed elder’s eyes narrowed, pausing for a moment, "And the county mayor's end?"

"There's no need for you to worry about that, Old Brother Zhang."

"Very well." The green-robed elder nodded, casually commenting, "I've seen Yuanhan grow from a child into a mature and steady young man. If he doesn't enter the Cloud Martial Hall this year, he will exceed the age bracket. What a shame that would be."

"Wu Yuan, this little fellow, just went through an awakening and is indeed still young. It would be more appropriate for him to temper himself for a year before entering the Cloud Martial Hall..."

......

The county martial academy, in an advanced combat chamber.

"Brother Yuan, be careful!" A burly young man in black, decked out in protective gear, moved with robust agility, unleashing a punch as fierce as a lightning bolt. The air itself seemed to howl.

Wu Yuan merely shifted a step to his left, narrowly evading the punch.

Boom!

The mighty youth was prepared for it. He executed a powerful kick with his right leg, the muscles on his thigh bulging like solid steel bars.

Wu Yuan took a step back in advance, almost as if he had anticipated the move, skillfully dodging the attack.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The muscular youth alternated between punches and kicks, every attack ferocious. The reinforced ground trembled subtly beneath him, but he could not lay a finger on Wu Yuan.

After nearly a hundred moves. The muscular youth finally ceased his assault, panting heavily. Drenched in sweat, he helplessly called out to Wu Yuan, "Brother Yuan, your footwork has progressed so remarkably. Just a few days ago when we sparred, I could still keep pace, but now I can't even touch you."

Wu Yuan laughed.

Touch me?

During their previous exchanges, he had feigned weakness to create the illusion of rapid progress. Otherwise, even if ten people at the brawny youth's level attacked him, Wu Yuan could easily dodge them all.

In terms of power, Wu Yuan wasn't much stronger than the buff youth. But skill-wise? It was a world of difference!

"Brother Yuan, do people really become so powerful once they experience an awakening in their martial path?" The muscular youth couldn't help but ask, "Before, I could always suppress you, but now, you can probably take on ten of me."

"Little Wu, when you awaken your potential as well, you will naturally understand," Wu Yuan laughed, giving an ambiguous response.

Awakening? In the Middle Land, such an experience was a miracle for martial artists. Wu Yuan used the term 'awakening' to disguise his rapid progress.

Awakening? Many martial artists struggle their entire lifetime without experiencing such a thing.

The muscular youth known as Little Wu sighed, "In the upcoming major tournament, I'm guessing Brother Yuan will be securing first place. After you graduate from the Cloud Martial Hall, you will be an Adept expert at least. When that happens, you will truly undergo a complete transformation in status. The Wu Clan may even appoint you as their chieftain."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly in response.

"Brother Yuan, I'm just concerned that Xu Yuanhan may be hatching some other plan to deal with you. His father is the general of defense after all." Little Wu looked worried. As the son of a hundred-soldier captain of the city guard, he understood the authority the general held more clearly than most.

"Don't worry," Wu Yuan patted his shoulder comfortingly, "In the worst-case scenario, I can always enter the Southdream Martial Academy instead. But if you don't get in, your dad won't let you off."

The Southdream Martial Academy was one of the three tertiary martial academies under the Cloudstride Sect, second only to the Cloud Martial Hall. It wasn't easy to gain admission.

"Brother Yuan, please, don't say anymore," Little Wu gave an exaggerated wail of despair.

Wu Yuan chuckled at his dramatics and shook his head.

Little Wu's full name was Wu Sheng [1]. His father and Wu Yuan's father were sworn brothers. Wu Yuan and Wu Sheng shared a bond that lasted from childhood till now. Wu Yuan, after fusing with the memories of the previous person, continued to honor this brotherly affection.

From what Wu Yuan could remember, eight years ago, his father died in a battle between the Cloudstride Sect and the Great Jin Dynasty in the Battle of Hillstride. From then on, his family fell into decline and was subjected to bullying within the clan. His mother was able to hold on largely thanks to the help Wu Sheng's family provided her.

......

As the sunset faded into dusk, Wu Yuan and Wu Sheng left the martial academy together. From a distance, they saw a carriage parked under the shade of a tree. An elderly man in a black robe stood by it, his brows furrowed.

"Brother Yuan, it's your Wu Clan’s chieftain. Perhaps he's looking for you," Wu Sheng said in a lowered voice. "He's coming over, I will leave first." The internal affairs of the Wu Clan were not something Wu Sheng or his father had the right to intervene in.

Wu Yuan nodded, then stepped forward to greet the chieftain "Chieftain, what brings you here?"

Wu Qiming was the chieftain of the Wu Clan’s Li City branch. The Wu Clan in Southdream Province was considered a relatively large clan, but Wu Qiming was merely the chieftain of a branch of the clan. The Wu Clan in Li City was an insignificant clan.

However, since Wu Yuan's father passed away, various parties within the clan joined forces to oppress their family. Wu Qiming established several rules to restrict their actions, otherwise, his mother wouldn't have been able to resist their pressure by herself.

In the past month, Wu Yuan quickly gained attention within the clan due to his meteoric rise in the martial academy.

"Wu Yuan." Wu Qiming looked at the most dazzling junior in the younger generation of his family and reprimanded, "What have you done to offend the general of defense?"

*The ‘Wu’ in Wu Yuan is different from the ‘Wu’ in Wu Sheng ?

Chapter 3: Bullying An Impoverished Teenager