"Huff!"
Chu Hao took a deep breath and suddenly awoke.
Memories not his own flooded in, giving him a splitting headache.
This place... was not Earth but a place known as the Lower World. And he was no longer himself but the only son of a noble in Eastern Cloud City.
The original Chu Hao had been abandoned at an orphanage's doorstep, parentless from infancy. But his derivation abilities were astonishingly strong, and after graduation, he swept through numerous gambling houses with such skills, earning a fortune of several hundred million.
His character was filled with a spirit of adventure, and once he had earned "enough to live on," he felt no more motivation. Coupled with the fact that big casinos everywhere had blacklisted him, he began a "retired" life at 25, traveling the world, adventuring, and somehow making quite a name for himself, with substantial influence all over the globe.
Not long ago, he had taken his private plane to explore a mysterious island but encountered a bizarre lightning storm that crashed the plane. He naturally thought he was a goner but never expected to wake up in another world with a new identity.
"Is this just a dream of mine, that I was always Chu Hao? Or have I really traveled to another world?" Chu Hao murmured to himself, but soon he was certain—his experiences on Earth were no dream; he had crossed over.
"Judging from this Chu Hao's memories, this world is filled with wonders, with Martial Artists comparable to mythological heroes, and ferocious beasts akin to monsters," Chu Hao's eyes sparkled.
His body had changed, but his character had not at all, still brimming with a spirit of adventure.
On Earth, there was little left to excite him, but here were powerful Martial Artists wielding terror-inducing strength of tens of thousands or even millions of pounds—how enticing?
"Martial Artists, eh? Seems fun," a smile formed on Chu Hao's lips, completely settling into his new identity without a hint of maladjustment.
He got out of bed and walked over to a mirror where the reflection of a young man, no more than 18 years old, appeared. With fair skin and rather handsome features, he would surely be a hot commodity if he were on Earth.
"Younger by ten years," Chu Hao said as he rubbed his face. The original Chu Hao was already 27 years old, but this Chu Hao was only 17, "However, my current situation doesn't seem too good."
In this Chu Hao's memories, he had always been three beats slow in reaction time since childhood. So, forget about training in martial arts—even living a normal life was challenging. Fortunately, his father, Chu Tianyun, was a noble with abundant wealth, so there was no worry about food and clothing.
This problem likely originated in the womb as his mother had been struck in the stomach during pregnancy. At the time, both mother and child were fine, but during Chu Hao's birth, his mother suffered complications and died, while Chu Hao, due to his slow reactions, was labeled an "idiot."
Chu Tianyun, in his effort to cure his son, spent months and years traveling far and wide, buying all sorts of precious medicines. Half a year ago, when he heard about the Thousand-Year Spirit Ginseng in Fire Cloud Mountain, he decided to venture into the mountains to get it for his son, but then he was heard from no more.
Five days ago, Chu Tianyun's clothes and sword were finally found, leading the City Lord's Mansion to change his status from "missing" to "deceased" and stripped him of the Noble's title.
—In the Lower World, nobility wasn't inherited; it had to be fought for. To compete for a Noble's title, one first had to attain the Cultivation of the Vajra Realm, and then within a city, there were only nine spots available, determined every five years through combat challenges.
Following the confirmation of his father's death, Chu Hao was heartbroken and succumbed to illness, passing away after five days, hence the current Chu Hao.
Chu Hao displayed a hint of sadness. In his last life, he had been an orphan, and now, having crossed into another world, he found himself an orphan once more. However, this Chu Hao at least knew who his parents were and had experienced his father's love, unlike him, who had named himself after learning to read.
"From now on, I am Chu Hao." He clenched his fists, his consciousness merged with the original Chu Hao's memories, with no distinction between the two. All the humiliation and injustice the former Chu Hao had suffered flashed through his mind as if he had experienced them himself.
"First step, become a Martial Artist. In this world, only strength matters. Without strength, anyone can bully you, and even if you sit on a fortune, it's only there to be plundered."
"But as a top-level Martial Artist, not only will everyone respect you, you'll also have enough power to explore all sorts of mysterious places."
"Floating mountains, perpetually burning seas—this world is just too interesting, I wish I could go explore it all right now."
Chu Hao's adventurous heart grew excited.
"However, before I can start my martial arts training, I need to make money."
Training in martial arts is no joking matter—it requires substantial financial backing. Unlike the saying 'poor studies, rich martial arts', studying only needs paper, a pen, and books, but the martial arts consume much more—various supplements, healing medicines—are not something an ordinary family can afford.
Chu Hao walked out of the bedroom, heading for the hall.
"Sister, it looks like that idiot won't last through today."
He had not yet entered the hall when a man's voice reached him, causing an instinctive feeling of disgust, a reaction from the original Chu Hao.
This man was Lin Ziming... his future brother-in-law.
As the sole son of Chu Tianyun, one of the Nine Great Nobles of Eastern Cloud City, Chu Hao might have been notorious as a fool, but it didn't deter women from pursuing him. His fiancée, Lin Yuqi, was indeed a beauty, ranking in the top five at Thousand Winds Academy with plenty of suitors.