A Desperate Gamble
Becoming a First-Order Transcendent Evolutionist seemed just as impossible. Zane's search revealed that these individuals were the modern-day equivalent of nobility, possessing the power to destroy an entire building in a short time. He felt a wave of hopelessness wash over him.
"Is going to conscription my final destiny?" he murmured.
The malicious, unknown voice echoed in his ear. "This is your ultimate fate. Accept it with joy and enjoy your last moments."
Hearing the voice, Zane suddenly calmed down. He had one last lifeline: his mysterious new superpower, Transcendence Derivation Manifestation. It could send his consciousness to the past, future, and other worlds, and each time, it would derive three extraordinary talents for him to choose from. This was his only way out. Hope flickered in his eyes.
He closed his eyes and, with a thought, tentatively activated the superpower. Instantly, brilliant starlight filled his vision, and his consciousness was pulled into an invisible vortex. Countless pieces of information flooded his mind, and three golden talents materialized.
• Extraordinary Comprehension: Unimaginable Comprehension Ability
• Constitution Transformation: Physique Transformation and sublimation constantly rising
• Double Pupils: Eyes different from ordinary people
Zane felt a gasp catch in his throat. These three talents were incredible. The first, Extraordinary Comprehension, was straightforward. The second, Constitution Transformation, promised a continuous improvement to his physique. The third, Double Pupils, was a bit more mysterious. He recalled the legends from his old life—Double Pupils were a sign of a saint, a sign of emperors, even rumored to be a path to immortality. He didn't know what kind of power this talent would grant him, but he sensed time was running out. He had to choose quickly.
Without a second thought, he chose the first talent: Extraordinary Comprehension. He would save the other two for later, if he was lucky enough to transmigrate again. The talent scattered into a shower of golden light and seeped into his being.
The Qin Dynasty
Past, over 1.1 million years ago, Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period. Qin, Xianyang.
Zane awoke in complete darkness, surrounded by water. A sudden realization hit him. "In the womb?" He felt a wave of sleepiness and drifted into unconsciousness. In a hazy state, as his body grew, he received a strange prompt.
You have Extraordinary Comprehension. While in the womb, you comprehended the Innate Fetal Breathing Method, and your physique and bone structure are gradually strengthening.
As his body matured, he began to hear sounds from the outside world—a gentle female voice and a deep male voice. His Extraordinary Comprehension activated immediately. The unfamiliar ancient words were rapidly deconstructed and absorbed.
You have Extraordinary Comprehension. From the dialogue, you have clarified the essence of ancient language. You have mastered a new language.
He heard the man and woman talking. "Zichu, will you be good to me and our child in the future?" the woman asked.
"Naturally..." the man replied.
The conversation made a chill run down Zane's spine. "Zichu... Ying Yiren?" He had transmigrated to the Warring States Period... to Qin? And to the body of the half-brother of Ying Zheng, the man who would one day be the first emperor of China. A brother who was not in any historical records.
A sense of crisis arose in his heart. The royal family was a dangerous place, and being an unrecorded child of the future King of Qin was a ticking time bomb. Ying Zheng was currently a hostage in a rival state, and his own fate would likely be similar.
As if reading his mind, the woman outside, Concubine Han Ni, asked the crucial question. "If one day you become the Great King, would you use our child as a hostage to ensure peace with an enemy country?"
There was a moment of hesitation before Ying Zichu's voice came from outside. "Uh..."
Zane frowned. He refused to be a political pawn, suffering hardship in a rival state. He had to find a way to improve his standing in the Qin royal family.
Just then, the amniotic fluid around him shifted. A painful cry came from outside. "My belly hurts so much!"
"Someone! Quick, someone!" the man shouted.
In the darkness, Zane felt a tightening sensation. The time had come. In a flash of inspiration, he knew what he had to do. He had to perform a miracle.
The moment he was born, he was met with biting cold air. His body, strengthened by the Innate Fetal Breathing Method, was far from a normal infant's. He quickly broke free from the midwife's hands and unsteadily stood up.
Gasps of surprise filled the room. Ying Zichu rushed in, and he, along with the maids, froze in shock. They saw a jade-like infant, faintly glowing, taking seven steps, one for each of the four cardinal directions and one for each corner, before sitting cross-legged. With one hand pointing to the heavens and the other to the earth, the child spoke with a voice that was cold and divine.
"Above the heavens and below the heavens, only I am supreme!"
Ying Zichu, his wife, and the midwives were stunned. Their eyes bulged, their pupils dilated, and they looked as if they had just seen a god.