When Jian Chen opened his eyes, he was like, "Whoa, where the heck am I?" He had gone from being an ordinary guy on Earth—dodging cars and dealing with deadlines—to waking up in a world that felt ancient, powerful, and oddly chill.
The sky stretched endlessly above him, painted in shades of twilight like a cheap painting from a flea market, as the sun dipped behind some mist-covered mountains that looked like they were hiding secrets. The air was crisp, packed with energy that buzzed like a swarm of bees—like the whole world was throwing a party and forgot to invite him. Towering trees surrounded him, their bark all rough and gnarled, roots twisting around the ground like they were doing a weird dance. Each leaf sparkled like it just got out of the shower, catching flecks of light and throwing them around like tiny stars.
Slowly, Jian Chen took stock of his new body. It felt like a hand-me-down from a fitness fanatic—he was younger, barely in his twenties, with a lean and wiry frame covered in faint scars and calluses that looked like they had seen better days. His hands were no longer soft; they felt like they could probably bench press a small car instead of just being soft and squishy like before.
Beside him lay a curious object: a stone chessboard that looked way too fancy for his taste, polished and carved with intricate designs that seemed to glow like it was trying too hard to impress. Each piece on the board was carved from contrasting obsidian and ivory, pulsing with a subtle glow like they were about to start a rave. Somehow, he knew that this board held secrets he couldn't even begin to understand—like a family heirloom he had never asked for, linking his old life to this bizarre, mystical adventure.
As he picked up the board, a lightbulb went off in his head. He had been transmigrated—yep, that's right! His soul yanked from Earth and tossed into this world of cultivation and ancient mysteries. And this chessboard? It wasn't just a game; it felt like the first piece of some cosmic puzzle he didn't sign up for. A smirk crept onto his face as he thought about the kind of game he was about to play. "Checkmate? Nah, more like check yourself before you wreck yourself."
"Hey, stranger!" a voice interrupted his thoughts, like someone cutting in line at the coffee shop.
Turning around, Jian Chen found himself face-to-face with a young boy, maybe twelve, with wide, curious eyes that looked like they'd seen too many cartoons. His face was dirt-smeared, but his gaze sparkled like he just found a twenty-dollar bill on the ground, brimming with the innocence of someone who hadn't been hit by life's bus yet. The kid wore a loose shirt and trousers patched so many times they practically had their own zip code, telling the tale of a life in a humble village.
Jian Chen studied the boy for a moment, his mind already churning like a washing machine. He realized that, while this new world felt like a bad episode of a show he didn't want to watch, he could use everything he learned in his previous life here. He could be cunning and strategic, like a chess master—but he wasn't about to become a heartless jerk. Not entirely, anyway.
The boy glanced at the chessboard in Jian Chen's hands, wrinkling his nose like he just caught a whiff of spoiled milk. "What's that? A game? My grandpa says only old men play games like that."
Jian Chen couldn't help but chuckle. "It's not just a game, my dude. It's… well, it's something that'll make sense one day. Maybe. If you're lucky." The kid didn't need to know that, in his hands, this chessboard had the potential to turn him into the next big thing.
The village lay just beyond, nestled in a small valley, with smoke rising lazily from chimneys of humble cottages, probably where people cooked things that smelled amazing. Farmers moved about in the terraced fields, bent over like they were trying to hide from the sun. It was a postcard-perfect scene—a stark contrast to the concrete jungle and chaos he left behind.
For a brief moment, Jian Chen felt a pang of longing for the world he'd ditched, like missing your favorite fast food place. But just as quickly, that feeling disappeared. This was his life now, and if he was going to play the role of a pawn on this cosmic chessboard, he was going to do it on his own terms—complete with his own style and flair.
Somewhere in this world lay the answers he sought, and he would uncover them piece by piece, like the ultimate strategy game. After all, in this world of cultivation and secrets, only the clever would survive. And hey, maybe he'd even get a few laughs along the way.