"My head hurts..."
"Classmate, how are you feeling?"
Ye Qingzhou, whose head felt like it was splitting open, tried hard to open his eyes. Immediately, what came into view were two soft, delicate white lights, large and round.
When his blurry vision cleared, Ye Qingzhou finally saw that he was lying on a hospital bed, with a stunning woman sitting by his side.
She looked about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, wearing a lightweight, breathable lace V-neck white blouse, paired with a tight-fitting knee-length pencil skirt, showcasing the alluring charm of a young woman.
"Where is this?"
"Of course, this is the school's medical room."
"Medical room? I think I just got hit by a cruise missile..."
"You're quite interesting, classmate. Don't worry, you just got hit by a soccer ball on your head, causing a mild concussion. I've already massaged it for you, there won't be any problems."
The beautiful school nurse slightly pursed her lips, seemingly wanting to prove that she had professional training, and no matter how funny the patient's words were, she wouldn't laugh.
Unless she couldn't help it.
Her name was Lei Ying, the new female school nurse at Linjiang First High School this semester. Having just passed her medical postgraduate exams and started a work-study life, her beauty, stunning figure, gentle personality, and sweet smile had, in less than two weeks, remarkably increased the school's injury rate tenfold, making her the 'Teacher Da Lei' everybody in the school talked about.
Every day, boys and even male teachers came up with all sorts of excuses to visit her in the medical room, though claiming to be hit by a cruise missile was a first.
She couldn't help but sigh lightly: "Ah, what's going on in the minds of young people these days?"
When Ye Qingzhou left the medical room, he was still in a dazed state: "Have I traveled through dimensions?"
Just a few minutes ago, he was accompanying the ambassador from the Eastern Country on a state visit to the Sha Kingdom and had been warmly received by the Crown Prince Salman as a martial arts representative.
With global turmoil causing shifts between old and new powers, the era of Western dominance was ending, while the ancient Eastern land was rejuvenated with new vitality, like a rising sun.
Prince Salman, unlike his father, was tired of being ordered around by the West and treated as a dog. As a member of the younger generation in Sha Kingdom, he tended to gravitate towards the Eastern countries that never interfered in his internal affairs. He was also personally interested in Eastern culture.
Invited by the Crown Prince, Ye Qingzhou impromptu demonstrated the skill of slicing bullets with a sword, stunning everyone and leaving Prince Salman in awe.
Then Prince Salman warmly invited Ye Qingzhou to travel with him on the same helicopter to the capital city, Riyadh, but things went awry mid-flight.
A cruise missile, flying at a speed of 880 kilometers per hour, suddenly appeared. Even Ye Qingzhou, the national martial arts champion and a Gang Force expert with unparalleled swordsmanship talent of the era, was powerless against the might of technology. He was ultimately blasted by the fierce explosion into this unfamiliar new world so similar yet different from Earth.
Linjiang First High School, golden sunlight spilled over the corridors of the teaching building. Ye Qingzhou walked slowly, memories belonging to the original owner of this body flooding his mind.
He had traveled to a world called Blue Star, an environment vastly different from Earth, with the most significant difference being the unparalleled flourishing of the path of Martial Arts in this world.
Two hundred years ago, just as Blue Star's human world was on the verge of stepping into the industrial era, the first Grotto Heaven Secret Realm was discovered within the borders of Dian Country. Mighty mythical life forms officially entered the human vision, legends gradually becoming reality.
Blue Star's humans, through exploration of the Grotto Heaven Secret Realm, first came into contact with the extraordinary knowledge system called Martial Arts.
This power, capable of human evolution, directly triggered a worldwide technological revolution, allowing Blue Star's Martial Arts to progress alongside science, becoming a prominent field of study.
With the development of Martial Arts, the profession of Martial Artist formally emerged onto the historical stage, setting Blue Star's human civilization on a development path entirely different from Earth.
To face the threats of the Grotto Heaven Secret Realm and compete with other nations, governments worldwide on Blue Star unanimously began promoting Martial Arts, investing massive social resources to establish specific Martial Arts Associations, cultivating and managing young Martial Artists to contribute to nation-building.
Students in all major countries on Blue Star start learning martial arts theory from middle school.
In the first year of high school, they delve into understanding human anatomy; by second year, they take elective courses in Martial Arts, formally stepping onto the martial arts cultivation path.
In college, students start to participate in various assessments and even competitions, relentlessly pursuing the goal of becoming Professional Martial Artists.
After becoming formal Martial Artists, there are higher-level professional leagues and rank assessments, increasing the influence of Martial Arts, penetrating all aspects of human society constantly.
Even the average workers with only a high school education, who have learned a few basic cultivation techniques, can tighten screws several times more efficiently than those who have never practiced martial arts.
Meanwhile, as Martial Artists continue to shine in various industries and fields, martial arts have undoubtedly become one of the core drivers of human civilization's progress.
In the army, judiciary, firefighting, and even the medical system, the role of Martial Artists is evident and irreplaceable.
For instance, some doctors adept in advanced martial arts knowledge can use True Qi to stimulate human cells, bring the dead back to life, and reconnect flesh and bones. If firefighters practice fire attribute techniques, they can fearlessly enter fire scenes, drastically reducing casualties and property loss.
As for the army and judiciary, potent martial arts coupled with modern weapons create an unbelievable might, intimidating any enemies or criminals into submission.
After all, times have changed. Even Grandmasters of martial art can use machine guns and even cannons. Regular military and law enforcement are naturally at a disadvantage against powerful Martial Artists who have unlocked human potential. If Martial Artists wield powerful thermal weapons, they become ruthless machines of massacre on the battlefield.
Clearly, Blue Star's martial arts are far stronger than Earth's. Some powerful Martial Artists can even fly through the sky and burrow through the earth, single-handedly suppressing a nation.
Having absorbed the original owner's memories, Ye Qingzhou couldn't help but find himself enamored with the path of Martial Arts on Blue Star.
In his previous life, he possessed unparalleled talent in swordsmanship, able to master any sword technique at a glance, innovate them by integrating strengths from various schools, honing his sword skills to flawless perfection, reaching the Ultimate Realm in martial arts at the young age of 25, and could even slice bullets with his sword, earning him the title of "Sword Saint" in the martial arts world.
Sadly, compared to the grand might of technology, his swordsmanship was of little worth. Even at the Gang Force level, he was merely a bearer of intangible cultural heritage.
At his best, Ye Qingzhou could strike away three handgun bullets simultaneously, placing him at the pinnacle of Earth's martial arts world, a first among equals.
However, on the African Continent, a second-hand AK47 worth 80 dollars could fire ten rifle bullets a second, and a hand-cranked Gatling gun's firing rate surpassed a thousand rounds a second. Not to mention cruise missiles flying at speeds over twice the speed of sound.
These technological creations are inherently insurmountable by human power. On Earth, all martial artists from ancient times to the present stand no chance against thermal weapons, only facing death.
But this world is clearly different, where the power of martial arts can even rival technology!
Ye Qingzhou, being an orphan and passionate about martial arts, leading a solitary life, was deeply thrilled to come to this world where martial arts prosper: "Blue Star, here I come!"