New Era, Year 3024.
Capital City of the Great Xia Nation, First Martial Arts Research Center.
Inside a sealed alloy chamber, dim lighting slowly filtered down, casting soft shadows on Lin Chen's face.
Lin Chen had well-defined features and a lean frame. He sat quietly at a steel table, his youthful face carrying a maturity beyond his years.
Sitting across from him was a young woman in uniform.
Her wavy black hair partly veiled her beautiful face, and the loose uniform couldn't conceal her graceful curves.
At this moment, she leaned slightly forward, her bright eyes fixed intently on Lin Chen.
"You're saying... you possess a special ability—one that allows you to travel to another world?"
"And now... you want to use this ability to serve the country?"
"You sure there's nothing wrong up here?"
She raised her fair hand and tapped her own head.
Lin Chen remained calm, his eyes casually drifting to his left arm.
"Yes, I'm sure."
"The power system in that world is completely different from ours... they're able to harness a force called spiritual energy."
"The powerful individuals in that world are called 'Immortals'... Yes, the very same kind from ancient myths and legends!"
The woman said nothing, her expression clearly suggesting she thought Lin Chen was delusional.
Without hesitation, Lin Chen pressed on with his thoughts.
"I know it's hard to believe... but I swear it's true!"
"If the Great Xia Nation could harness that kind of power, it would be a revolutionary leap forward!"
"And right now... I need your help."
Intrigued, the woman raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? What kind of help?"
"I need nine vials of I-3 stamina serum, one A-57 light combat suit, and a new kinetic handgun—preferably the 17mm caliber, fully loaded," Lin Chen stated firmly.
Upon hearing this, the woman nearly burst out laughing.
The I-3 stamina serum—just one vial was enough to keep a martial artist energized for an entire day. Each one cost 20,000 Xia credits.
The A-57 light combat suit was the latest development from the Martial Arts Research Institute, priced at 300,000 Xia credits per unit.
Asking for those two items at a first meeting was already over the top.
But the most outrageous request was for a 17mm kinetic handgun!
That was a strictly regulated item!
Even a child could kill a martial artist at close range with that weapon—assuming they could hit the target.
In the woman's mind, Lin Chen's "made-up story" and his three demands were no different from saying:
"I'm Qin Shi Huang, and I never actually died… now send me money!"
"Trust me, I'm not lying! I really need these things!" Lin Chen's voice grew more urgent as he glanced at the countdown on his arm.
The woman, clearly losing patience, waved her hand dismissively.
"Lin Chen, if I'm not mistaken, you're still under eighteen, right?"
"Your main focus should be the national martial arts exam in six months—not wasting time on fantasies with me... Understand?"
Lin Chen looked at the countdown on his arm again.
57 minutes and 46 seconds.
He had just under an hour to convince this woman and get those three items.
From his backpack, Lin Chen pulled out a file and handed it to her.
"In fact, I was accepted into the capital's Academy under the 'Sequence Program' a month ago."
"My current combat level has already reached Martial Disciple Stage 9... and my academic performance has consistently ranked first in the capital's high school."
"If you don't believe me, take a look at my file."
Skeptically, the woman took the file.
After flipping through it for a few moments, her previously relaxed expression began to grow serious.
There wasn't much information in the file, but its weight was undeniable.
Name: Lin Chen
Potential Rating: SS
Evaluation: Only 17 years old, base strength of 490 kg, running speed 18 m/s, blood and energy level 9.5, meeting the standard for Martial Disciple Level 9. Full marks in academic subjects and full marks in beast knowledge assessment. Meets the standards of the "Sequence Program" and is exempt from the National Martial Arts Exam; accepted early.
Sequence Ranking: 589
The official red stamp on the file indicated it was issued directly by the Great Xia authorities.
"Sorry, I need to verify the authenticity of this file first…"
Suspicion flashed across the woman's face as she began checking the document on her computer.
Moments later, shock appeared in her eyes.
"It's… real?"
She repeatedly compared the boy in front of her with the photo on screen, still having trouble believing it.
The Sequence Program, also known as the Godmaking Project,
was a top-secret initiative launched jointly by the Great Xia Nation and the entire Human Alliance over the past century.
Its purpose—was singular:
To create gods.
To cultivate the next Martial God for humanity.
Among nearly ten billion citizens of Great Xia, only ten individuals each year qualified to join the Sequence Program.
And Lin Chen, the boy before her, was one of them.
If she weren't the youngest deputy director in the research institute's history, she likely wouldn't even know about the plan herself.
If Lin Chen had been just an ordinary teenager, she would've dismissed him as a lunatic.
But this boy was a true prodigy of Great Xia. That meant what he said earlier had to be taken seriously.
The woman's demeanor became solemn as she said:
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I'm Wang Xinyu, Deputy Director of the First Martial Arts Research Institute."
"Lin Chen, are you absolutely sure you're not joking?"
"You really… have the ability to travel to a cultivation world? Do you understand what that kind of power means?"
Wang Xinyu fired off several questions in a row. She was clearly no longer calm.
The planet they lived on was called Blue Star, where martial strength reigned supreme.
Powerful humans could fly through the skies and tear apart mountains with their bare hands…
But humanity's situation was dire—beset by internal conflict and external threats.
Internally, nations squabbled, and traitors lurked in secret…
Externally, ferocious beasts and foreign races ran rampant—feeding on humans.
For thousands of years, mankind had struggled to survive under this grim reality.
In this era, both the Great Xia Nation and the entire human race desperately needed someone who could rise to the challenge.
If what Lin Chen said was true—if he really had the ability to travel to a cultivation world—
the impact would be unimaginable.
It would mean they could explore an entirely new realm, gain access to a completely different power system.
The entire Great Xia Nation—and possibly the whole world—could be transformed because of this.
Seeing Wang Xinyu's change in attitude, Lin Chen also responded seriously:
"I'm sure. I'm not joking."
"And... I don't have much time left. In 47 minutes and 33 seconds, I'll be transported to the other world."
"But I can't guarantee I'll survive…"
"47 minutes?"
Wang Xinyu nodded slightly and made a phone call.
"Hello? Secretary Liu? I need a few things. Write this down and have them delivered within 30 minutes."
"Nine vials of I-3 stamina serum, one set of A-57 light combat armor, one 17mm kinetic handgun... Oh, and one Y-3 model nano shield."
After hanging up, she looked back at Lin Chen.
"Lin Chen, until your claims are fully verified, I can't officially provide large-scale assistance on behalf of the state…"
"But I can choose to believe you, and personally offer some help."
"So, can you explain in more detail this… uh, ability of yours to travel to the cultivation world?"
Lin Chen nodded. He had already investigated Wang Xinyu in advance and knew she held considerable authority within the research institute.
He had gone to great lengths and careful planning just to secure this meeting.
So he didn't hide anything and began:
"I first started developing this ability a year ago… back then, it was just a recurring strange dream!"
"In the dream, I could see that cultivation world…"
"Then, two weeks ago, a countdown timer appeared on my arm—visible only to me."
Lin Chen raised his arm slightly and glanced at the remaining time: 31 minutes and 19 seconds.
He quickly continued:
"The total countdown was 168 hours—that's exactly seven days."
"When the countdown hits zero… I, along with whatever I'm wearing, will be transported to that cultivation world."
"Then, the countdown resets to another 168 hours… I can only return to this world after staying there for a full seven days."
After hearing this, Wang Xinyu frowned slightly and asked:
"Wait... If what you're saying is true, shouldn't there be another seven days before your next crossing? Why did you say there's only a little over forty minutes left?"
Lin Chen was glad that Wang Xinyu caught that detail, and he continued:
"Yes! And that's the second point I wanted to explain..."
"When I'm in that other world… time here in our world—Blue Star—stands still!"
"Therefore, I also suspect... that once I return to Blue Star, the cultivation world is also frozen."
Wang Xinyu frowned again. What Lin Chen was saying sounded overly metaphysical. Initially, she had assumed she would witness Lin Chen vanish on the spot, traveling to another world.
But according to his explanation, she wouldn't even be able to tell whether he had crossed over or not.
So, Wang Xinyu asked once more:
"Then how are you going to prove that what you're saying is real?"
Lin Chen shook his head.
"I can't prove it yet. But in about 21 minutes, you'll naturally notice something unusual about me..."
"Of course, that's assuming… I survive my trip to the cultivation world and return."
After thinking for a moment, Wang Xinyu asked the key question:
"You mean… you're in danger in that world?"
Lin Chen nodded.
"That's right. In that world, on my way to join an immortal sect, I encountered a group of rogue cultivators. You could think of them as... bandits."
"They're roughly at the early stage of Qi Refining, which is equivalent to a martial artist on Blue Star..."
"If I want to survive their attack, I'll need weapons to protect myself."
"As long as I survive… I can join the sect, and prove everything I've said!"
Just as Lin Chen finished speaking, a man with glasses walked into the room carrying a box.
"Director Wang... the items you requested."
Wang Xinyu nodded slightly and pointed to the table. "Secretary Liu, just leave them there."
Then she turned to Lin Chen:
"Lin Chen, based on what you've said, I should be able to verify your claims in fifteen minutes?"
Lin Chen glanced at Secretary Liu and said nothing.
Wang Xinyu gestured for Secretary Liu to leave.
Once he was gone, Lin Chen nodded and said, "Yes. To be exact—13 minutes and 16 seconds."
"And putting on the A-57 light combat suit takes time—at least three or four minutes from boots to full gear..."
Wang Xinyu understood what he meant and motioned for him to go ahead and suit up.
Lin Chen didn't hesitate. He quickly stripped down to just his boxers and undershirt, then began donning the light combat suit.
The A-57 Light Combat Suit was resistant to high temperatures and flames, and highly impact-resistant—a standard-issue battlefield uniform for soldiers.
Even though it was his first time wearing one, Lin Chen's movements were swift—no slower than that of a seasoned battlefield soldier.
Once suited up, Lin Chen drank one I-3 stamina serum and stored the remaining eight vials in his inner combat pouches.
Feeling his energy reach its peak, Lin Chen pulled out a tattered set of ancient robes from his backpack and put them on over the combat suit, completely covering it.
In his left hand, he held a compact nano shield, and in his right, a 17mm kinetic handgun. Lin Chen checked the magazine.
Sixteen bullets—fully loaded.
He chambered a round and glanced at the countdown on his arm.
1 minute and 3 seconds!
Lin Chen took a deep breath, trying to steady his breathing.
Seeing his tense expression, Wang Xinyu couldn't help but ask:
"So... in one minute, I'll know whether what you're saying is true?"
Lin Chen nodded, eyes fixed on the countdown on his arm. In his heart, he silently counted:
"Three... two..."
"One!"
In the next moment, Lin Chen's vision began to warp...
(End of Chapter)