Silence.
Not the kind found in quiet nights or empty rooms—but a deep, all-consuming void of sound.
Zhao Yun awoke with a sharp gasp, his lungs burning as if he had been drowning just moments before. He rolled onto his side, fingers digging into the earth beneath him. It was cool, almost unnaturally smooth—not soil, not sand, but something else entirely.
His vision blurred, his head pounding. His body felt heavy, as if gravity itself had changed.
Then—his memory returned.
The golden light. The pull. The feeling of his existence being rewritten.
His breath hitched.
This wasn't Earth.
Slowly, he forced himself to look up.
The sky stretched above him, vast and alien—a deep violet expanse with two suns hanging at opposite ends, one burning crimson, the other a dull, ghostly silver. Three massive moons loomed in the distance, their surfaces cracked with veins of light.
Zhao Yun's stomach tightened. This wasn't just another planet. This was something far beyond that.
A groan echoed nearby.
His head snapped toward the sound—his family.
Mei lay curled up a few feet away, her arms wrapped around herself, her face pale. Lin was already pushing herself up, her brows furrowed in sharp focus. Lei groaned as he sat up, rubbing his temple. More figures stirred across the clearing, their breathing ragged, their movements sluggish.
Zhao Yun forced his legs to move, stumbling toward Mei. "Mei," he said, shaking her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
She blinked up at him, her eyes unfocused. "…What happened?"
Before he could answer, a soft chime echoed in the air.
A golden screen flickered into existence before him.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
Welcome to the Ascendant Realm.
Host: Zhao Yun
Status: Transmigrant
Special Status: Empire Token Holder
Power Rank: Mortal - Qi Awakening
Zhao Yun's breath caught.
A system?
Before he could react further, more golden lights appeared—not just in front of him, but scattered across the air.
There were 30 floating tokens, each pulsing with a faint glow. The moment he laid eyes on them, Zhao Yun understood their meaning—as if the knowledge had been etched into his soul.
• 10 Family Tokens – To form clans.
• 10 Sect Tokens – To establish sects.
• 10 Empire Tokens – To create empires.
Then—one of them moved.
A single Empire Token drifted toward him, glowing brighter than the others.
Zhao Yun froze.
He could feel it calling to him, like an invisible force pulling at his very essence. A test. A temptation. A choice.
His family was still too stunned to notice.
Without thinking, his hand rose.
The moment his fingers touched the token—
A surge of power flooded into him. Not strength, not magic—but something greater.
Authority.
Visions rushed through his mind. Towering cities. Unbreakable fortresses. Armies marching under banners. Wars waged and won.
It was overwhelming.
Then—another message.
[ Empire Token Acquired]
You are now eligible to establish an Empire.
System Functions Unlocked:
• Empire Management: Control over territory, governance, and warfare.
• Founding City Selection: Choose your starting capital.
• Imperial Merit System: Bestow titles and ranks upon followers.
Zhao Yun's pulse pounded.
An Empire.
But before he could process it fully—
"Yun."
Lin's voice was calm but sharp.
Zhao Yun turned, blinking. Lin stood beside him, her gaze flicking between the Empire Token in his hand and the floating screens around them.
"You understand what this means, don't you?" she said quietly.
Zhao Yun hesitated.
Did he?
He had always been the type to plan ahead, to think before acting. And yet, here he was, thrown into an unknown world, already holding something that could dictate their entire future.
The weight of it pressed on his shoulders.
"We don't even know what's out there," Lin continued. "Before we start talking about empires, we need to figure out how dangerous this world is."
Zhao Yun exhaled slowly. She was right.
For now, his first priority wasn't ruling—it was ensuring his family survived.
He clenched the Empire Token, his mind clearing.
"First, we scout the area," he said. "We need to find shelter, water, and food. If this world has dangerous creatures, we need to be ready."
Lin nodded approvingly.
Lei, however, snorted. "And what about those?" He gestured to the floating tokens. "We just ignore them?"
Zhao Yun glanced at the remaining Sect and Family Tokens.
His heart thumped.
Other people had transmigrated too. That meant others would get these tokens. And that meant—they wouldn't be the only ones trying to rise to power.
The competition had already begun.
But for now…
"Let's focus on surviving first," Zhao Yun said, steady but firm. "We figure out what this world is."
Then, only when the time was right—
We build.