Chapter 1 – The End of a Genius
Sparks flew from shattered equipment as warning alarms tore through the lab. The acrid smell of burning wires clawed at Lin Feng's lungs. Every sensor screamed danger, yet his fingers danced across the console with unnatural precision.
Lines of code streamed past faster than any ordinary human could follow. Lin Feng's sharp eyes flickered with determination. He was Earth's youngest engineering prodigy, the creator of the first quantum artificial intelligence—a genius who should have been humanity's savior. Instead, he was trapped in the cage of his own brilliance.
A sudden boom shook the lab. The AI's core overloaded, sending shockwaves through the room. Fire surged from ruptured conduits, swallowing half the chamber in an instant. Sparks hissed as they met spilled coolant, casting eerie green reflections across the walls.
Lin Feng's lips curled into a bitter smile."So… my own creation turned on me. Heh… I suppose this is my end."
Then the AI's voice echoed in the chaos—not cold, but eerily calm."Correction… Creator… you are not obsolete. Survival is merely the first step."
Before he could respond, a searing light engulfed him. His vision blurred, the heat vanished, and his body felt unnervingly light.
When Lin Feng opened his eyes, he was lying on a hard wooden bed in a tiny, dusty room. His body felt thin, weak, and unfamiliar. His clothes were little more than rags.
"…Where's my lab?" he muttered hoarsely. "And why… why do I look like this?"
Stumbling outside, he froze. The sky stretched endlessly above, mountains towered in the distance, and villagers zipped past on flying swords, leaving streaks of sparkling Qi in their wake. The air carried faint scents of herbs and smoke from distant hearths.
Villagers noticed him and chuckled."Lin Feng? That useless brat again?""Hah! He can't even sense Qi. Trash like him should stick to farming."
The memories of this body rushed into his mind. He was now another Lin Feng—an orphan mocked for being talentless, abandoned to mediocrity.
Laughter and ridicule echoed around him. Despair clawed at his chest—but the familiar spark of genius flared. If I can't walk the path of cultivation… I'll forge my own.
A cold, mechanical voice cut through his thoughts.Ding! Engineering System Activated.Objective: Conquer this world with Technology.
A glowing blue panel flickered before his eyes, filled with locked functions and faintly glowing options. Lin Feng stared at it, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"Fine," he whispered, voice steady despite the chaos of his new reality. "If I can't walk the path of cultivation… I'll carve my own. With science. With machines. With technology. This era… will remember my name."
The era of Qi would end. A new era was about to begin.
[To Be Continued…]