Teacher Ye, the male homeroom teacher, was briefing the students about the upcoming Awakening ceremony when a student sitting in the far right corner of the class caused a disturbance.
Furious, he shouted, "Yang Chen! What are you screaming for? The Awakening ceremony is just an hour away. Stop causing trouble in the class!"
Yang Chen, hearing the teacher's reprimand, lowered his head and he fell silently back on his seat. But the same couldn't be said about his mind.
His palms were clammy, his heartbeat pounding in his chest. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed softly, and the smell of chalk and aged wood lingered in the air. Around him, students whispered in hushed tones, their excitement about the ceremony evident. But none of that mattered to him.
"How... the hell did I get here?"
He was confused. Just moments ago, he was working overtime in his office. How had he ended up in a classroom as an 18 year old? And what was this Awakening ceremony the teacher mentioned?
Before he could process further, a sharp pain stabbed through his head. He winced, clutching his temples as unfamiliar memories surged into his mind. Fragmented images, words, and emotions overwhelmed him.
When the pain finally subsided, a horrifying truth emerged.
He wasn't on Earth anymore.
This was Xenon, a colossal planet estimated to be 20 to 50 times larger than Earth. While many countries bore similarities to those of Earth, numerous unfamiliar territories had emerged, totaling a staggering 217 nations.
Xenon had once been a world like his former. Ordinary, mundane until the day it was invaded by an unknown foreign race. Chaos reigned, cities burned, and despair spread like wildfire. Then, as suddenly as the invasion began, it was forcefully halted.
A gender-neutral voice had echoed across the planet:
[Congratulations. Your civilization has passed the threshold. Digitization is now commencing.]
The voice marked the dawn of a new era. Spiritual qi, a mystical and powerful energy, flooded Xenon. Towering ruins, ancient caves, and forgotten structures and unrecognizable flora and fauna materialized overnight, releasing traces of unknown cultivators who had once walked this world.
With the discovery of these inheritances, the impossible became reality. Humans gained abilities beyond imagination. They could soar through the skies, shatter mountains, part the seas, and even achieve near-immortality.
The rise of cultivation brought about a brutal struggle for dominance. Sects and organizations, drunk on newfound power, emerged to seize control over resources and talents. Wars were waged in pursuit of strength. What had once been myths and legends were now everyday truths.
Over time, the knowledge of cultivation became a fundamental part of society. Schools like this one taught students about martial spirits the manifestation of their inner potential. And today, the Awakening ceremony would determine each student's fate.
For those who awakened powerful or rare martial spirits, a bright future awaited. They would be pursued by prestigious sects, trained as elite cultivators, and revered as prodigies.
But for those who awakened weak or useless spirits, mediocrity was inevitable. And for the unfortunate few who failed to awaken at all, they were doomed to remain commoners, mere spectators in a world ruled by the strong.
Yet, there was one more truth that unsettled Yang Chen.
The pursuit of strength had come at a disturbing cost. In their relentless desire for immortality, people of Xenon had forsaken their mortal pleasures. Sexual desire, intimacy, and romance had long been discarded as pointless distractions.
Sex was no longer a source of joy or passion. It was reduced to a mechanical act a necessity for reproduction, performed without emotion only to create heirs. Even the concept of seduction or affection had become foreign. Lubricant and calculated thrusts were all it took to fulfill the obligation of procreation.
There was no concept of even dual cultivation. "What a mess," Yang Chen thought, his lips curling into a half smile. "Well, I guess that's kind of interesting."
His dry chuckle broke the silence in his mind, but the lingering unease remained. Before he could dwell on it further, Teacher Ye's stern voice echoed once more.
"Alright! Everyone, stand up and head to the school field for the Awakening ceremony!"
Chairs scraped against the floor as students eagerly rose, their faces alight with nervous anticipation. Whispers filled the air as friends exchanged hopeful glances. For them, today could mark the beginning of greatness.
Yang Chen stood up as well, his thoughts still a tangled mess realizing that he transmigrated and couldn't possibly go back.
"An Awakening ceremony, huh? Guess I'll find out soon enough what this world has in store for me."
With that, he followed the crowd, each step taking him closer to whatever fate awaited him on this unfamiliar planet.
The school field was vast, large enough to accommodate thousands of students. The vibrant green grass beneath their feet was damp with morning dew, while the sky above remained clear, the sun casting a golden glow over the area.
Yang Chen curiously scanned his surroundings as they entered the open field. Rows upon rows of students gathered in neatly organized groups, their excited chatter mingling with the light breeze.
But it wasn't the students that held his attention.
Far ahead, elevated platforms stood like grand thrones, reserved for the influential figures of the city. Lavishly dressed individuals, clad in luxurious robes embroidered with intricate patterns of gold and silver, gazed down with stern expressions. Their robes alone were a mark of status, and their presence radiated authority.
"High ranking city officials," Yang Chen mused.
Despite the sea of faces, four figures stood out.
On the main stage, four elderly cultivators moved with purpose, arranging mysterious ores and flags in a specific formation. The glowing ores emitted faint pulses of spiritual energy, while the flags fluttered unnaturally, their inscribed runes gleaming. Yang Chen didn't need to know much about arrays to understand what they were doing.
"Setting up the Awakening Array."
Behind the high platform were several ornate rooms, clearly prepared for esteemed guests likely from Sects, nobles, and organizations. Even from a distance, Yang Chen could feel the invisible pressure radiating from those chambers. Powerful auras leaked through the walls, though most were restrained.
"No doubt elite figures from powerful sects and organizations, waiting to observe the most promising talents."
Amidst the rising anticipation, a man stepped forward from one of the prominent seats.
With a flicker of spiritual energy, the figure gracefully flew onto the stage.
Yang Chen's eyes narrowed. The man appeared to be in his fifties, with short black hair streaked with silver. His sharp features and dignified presence left an undeniable impression. Dressed in a deep violet robe adorned with golden emblems, he exuded the might of a true cultivator.
The man surveyed the students below with an air of authority. Then, he raised his hand. A gentle yet powerful force spread across the field, suppressing the murmurs and capturing the undivided attention of the crowd.
"Ahem!" His voice, loud and commanding, echoed across the field. "Students, I am Huang Bao, your school principal, a Golden Core Realm powerhouse."
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
"Golden Core Realm?" Yang Chen's mind raced. In this world, the Golden Core Realm was considered the pinnacle of early stage cultivation, a realm far beyond what ordinary mortals could fathom. Cultivators at this stage were capable of manipulating spiritual energy to an astonishing degree. A single wave of their hand could crush buildings.
To stand before one was to stand before a force of nature.