Chapter One: I Have Waited for This Moment with Eager Longing

“One Punch Man is literally unstoppable, right? Who could possibly take one of his punches?”

“Kakarot could eat the bald guy for breakfast.”

“Ultraman is the strongest. One energy beam can destroy a planet, and he can travel through space.”

“No, DC’s Superman is the real deal. He can blow out a star with a single breath and drag a dozen planets behind him like it’s nothing. Do you even understand the concept of a multiverse?”

The summer wind drifted in from outside the classroom. After the dull math lesson ended, the boys, who had been stifled for so long, launched into their most heated topic of debate: who was the strongest.

Comparisons of power within the same world, and across different universes. They’d quote lore, find panels, and even a bead of sweat during a fight could serve as “evidence” in their endless arguments.

“Childish.”

Jiang Si, passing by, sneered, “You’re in high school and you’re still into this stuff?”

One of the bespectacled boys, flushed from arguing with his classmate, slapped his desk, sending books tumbling to the floor. “And what do you watch that’s so mature, then?”

Jiang Si said nothing, simply sat down at his desk, and pulled out a thick book with bold, dazzling letters on the cover.

Covering the Heavens!

“Ye Fan—the Great Emperor Ye is the strongest, obviously.”

A ripple of laughter swept through the room. Some mockery was inevitable.

Jiang Si didn’t bother arguing with these frogs at the bottom of the well.

Ultraman? Superman? What were those but fireflies trying to outshine the moon? While they were still bickering over who was stronger, the protagonists of web novels had long since reigned supreme through all eternity.

Multiverse? Parallel worlds? Web novel protagonists had already proven their supremacy beyond all doubt, reversing cause and effect, looping time and space.

The difference in power was like that between the Trisolarans and cavemen—not even close. And the gap in their realms was even more staggering.

No matter how much he explained, these kids would never understand.

A tedious school, boring classmates, and teachers who knew nothing at all. Jiang Si had long since grown weary of everything here.

If only he could become like the protagonist of a web novel, perhaps then he could escape from all this.

He’d been searching for extraordinary power in this world—qigong, magic, superpowers, anything at all. Every supernatural ability he could find in the city, knowing that in the end, they could all lead to the path of cultivation.

As long as he could cultivate, he could walk the great path, live forever, and reign for all eternity!

But there was nothing. This world was painfully ordinary, with no supernatural power to be found. Chasing after rumors of the extraordinary had only led to disappointment and scams, again and again.

Since that was the case, Jiang Si no longer obsessed over it.

All ways eventually lead to the Dao. If there was no supernatural power, then he would take the clumsy route of proving the Dao through strength. If he could temper his body to the utmost, one day he would surely break through his limits and glimpse the great truth.

So Jiang Si was always training, every moment. Even during class, he would keep working a grip strengthener under his desk.

During lunch breaks he would run, do push-ups, chin-ups. He hadn’t slacked off once in more than five years.

But physical training alone wasn’t enough. What web novel protagonist had ever become strong by shutting himself away? They all transformed through real battles!

So, to hone his fighting skills, he often sought out local thugs for challenges. At first, he’d get beaten black and blue even one-on-one. Now, he could handle being ganged up on by two or three at once and hold his own.

He could feel himself transforming.

Maybe the stories were fiction, but the logic was always true.

Jiang Si didn’t neglect his studies either. Which web novel protagonist didn’t know a bit of physics and chemistry? Who couldn’t recite classical poetry at a crucial moment?

These were basic skills. But his energy was limited, so he only studied what was useful. As for things like English, which he’d never use, his grades were abysmal.

His abilities were unbalanced, sure, but he ranked solidly above average in class—good enough not to be noticed by teachers, and not so bad that people could blame web novels for ruining his studies.

There were only a few classes left in the afternoon, and soon it was time to go home.

When Jiang Si stood up to leave, passing by the group who’d been arguing earlier, they fell silent at once.

Though many classmates disapproved of Jiang Si’s obsession with web novels and his lack of socializing, nobody dared provoke him.

After all, he really could fight.

Everyone said they wanted to be Superman or Ultraman, but that was just talk and daydreams. Only Jiang Si was serious about becoming a web novel protagonist and cultivating immortality—after all, everyone saw how hard he trained every day.

Nobody wanted to get close to someone like that.

Well, almost nobody.

Take Lu Ya from the neighboring class, for example.

She came from a wealthy family, excelled academically, and was breathtakingly beautiful—yet she insisted on hanging around with the unpopular Jiang Si. Every day after school, she’d come over, ignoring all the strange looks, and follow him home.

Sometimes she’d even pull a new novel from her backpack and hand it to him.

The two never walked down the main street. As soon as they left the school gates, they’d slip into a side path where few people passed, disappearing from sight.

If not for Lu Ya’s popularity and the teachers’ favor, rumors would have been flying by now.

But in truth, there was nothing between them that couldn’t be seen in the light of day.

Jiang Si had once helped her out when he ran into some thugs, and later asked her to borrow some novels for him.

As for Lu Ya, she couldn’t see this classmate, who was always mumbling about the supernatural and obsessed to the point of madness, as a romantic interest.

“No matter how many web novels you read, you’ll never become the protagonist, you know.”

She always tried to remind him, hoping he wouldn’t lose himself in his obsession.

Jiang Si, without even looking up, would reply, “Don’t disturb my Dao heart.”

Lu Ya, used to this by now, would simply hug her backpack and keep nagging:

“The college entrance exams are almost here. Auntie told you to put the novels aside for now and focus on revision. If you try a little harder, getting into a good university isn’t difficult. If you get into the same college as me, I can keep finding new novels for you.”

“I have my own plans.”

“Your plan is just to stay the same—through college, even after? You can’t live like this forever, can you?” Lu Ya looked at him seriously. “You’ll regret it.”

Jiang Si pushed the book she handed him back into her arms and turned to go. “Destiny decrees defeat.”

Lu Ya, having read enough novels to recognize the line, knew the next one by heart.

The Immortal Lord regrets, but I do not!

Clutching her backpack, she stomped her foot. “Why won’t you ever listen?”

Just as she was about to chase after him, a small truck suddenly crashed through the wall beside them with a roar!

The alley was already narrow, and the truck wedged itself in, blocking the entire path. Without slowing at all, it barreled straight at them—no way to dodge.

“Jiang Si!”

The boy looked up at the dazed driver, and rather than retreat, strode straight toward the oncoming truck!

He kicked a large stone into the wheel’s path, jostling the truck and making it slow just a little. Jiang Si then delivered a direct kick, breaking his own leg in the process.

Yet, miraculously, the truck did pause for a split second.

He hurled himself into the vehicle, forcing the front end aside but dragging himself in as well.

Pinned between the truck and the wall, he was dragged along, scraping all the way.

At last, the vehicle came to a stop right in front of Lu Ya.

Stunned, Lu Ya dropped to the ground, then scrambled up again, helplessly staring at the boy whose clothes were shredded, half his body bathed in blood, swaying but still struggling to stand.

The driver, his face covered in blood, stumbled out and frantically dialed his phone. Lu Ya’s eyes filled with tears.

“You—you idiot! Why didn’t you run…”

The once-quiet alley grew noisy as people gathered. Jiang Si’s vision blurred, fading to nothing, but before he hit the ground, he managed a scornful, defiant smile:

“You think I’d avoid its edge?!”