Chapter 1: The Nine-Star Butler and the Blue Star Transmigrator
A small, well-kept villa sat nestled within a quieter district of the Jia Ma Empire's Royal Capital. It wasn't the sprawling, ostentatious mansion of a major clan, but it radiated a sense of comfortable security.
Inside the private training courtyard, the sun beat down on a figure practicing rigorous punches. Each fist was thrown with a snap and precision that belied the boy's age. This was Su Ron, the young master of the minor Su family.
Though his family's roots were modest, operating two vital shops in cooperation with the powerful Miteer family—a connection that gave them leverage—they were not without tragedy. Four years ago, when Su Ron was ten, his parents had ventured to trade goods in a barren desert region. They never returned, slaughtered by the savage Snake-People.
Su Ron was left alone, a boy with two businesses and a sizable fortune. As is common in the world of Dou Qi, greed followed swiftly. Once the whispers started and the assassination attempts began, his guardian had been forced to act.
A towering figure, the family butler, Jing Ning, unleashed a suffocating wave of Dou Qi, single-handedly slaying every assassin who came seeking the Su fortune and the boy's life. Jing Ning had been saved by Su Ron's parents years ago and had pledged his service out of gratitude. The butler, a formidable Nine-Star Grand Master, was now Su Ron's unshakable anchor in the Royal Capital.
The Template System
Su Ron threw his final punch, the force causing a mild gust of wind, and let out a long breath. He was fourteen now, and he wasn't truly the son of the Su family. His soul hailed from Blue Star, a world without Dou Qi or cultivation.
He had spent four years in the constant grip of anxiety. The world of Battle Through the Heavens was a death trap for weaklings. He was no main character, just a boy with the potential to be collateral damage for the powerhouse clans.
Then, at the age of ten, a metallic ding echoed in his mind.
> [Ding! Template System Open.]
> [Ding! Choosing Template for Host...]
> [Ding! Black Bolt from Marvel Character Template Selected.]
>
A giddy wave of relief had washed over him. Black Bolt. The cosmic king whose silent scream could shatter planets at his peak. Finally, he had a lifeline.
The template system had two rigid rules for increasing his power:
* Complete a Mission (Granting a varying percent).
* Achieve a Major Breakthrough (Granting a direct 5% unlock).
In the four years since, he had cultivated diligently. He'd broken through the Dou Disciple level to become a Dou Fighter—a major accomplishment in itself. Yet, despite the years, the Black Bolt Template was only 6% unlocked (5% from the Dou Fighter breakthrough, and 1% from completing an early, simple task).
Even at 6%, his power was significant. He could speak normally, but with a deliberate mental command, his voice became a sonic weapon capable of destroying a large building. His physical fitness was also far beyond that of a normal Dou Fighter, giving him a superhuman advantage in speed and strength.
The World Starts Moving
"Young Master," a deep voice rumbled.
Jing Ning, stoic and powerful, stepped into the courtyard. The butler's eyes, usually sharp and vigilant, held a hint of amusement as he watched the boy wipe the sweat from his handsome, long-haired face.
"What is the news, Jing Ning?" Su Ron asked, walking over to accept the towel offered by his butler.
"News from the Cloud Mist Sect," Jing Ning said respectfully. "The young miss of the Nalan Clan, Nalan Yanran, has accepted a three-year agreement from a young boy of the Xiao family in Wu Tan City."
Su Ron's handsome face furrowed, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So the main storyline has begun," he murmured to himself.
He knew what that meant: the rise of Xiao Yan, the eventual destruction of the Cloud Mist Sect, and the bloody, complicated entanglement with ancient clans. Su Ron wanted no part of it. His goal was simple: survive and grow strong enough to avoid getting crushed when the Dou Qi continent's titans clashed.
"Do you have the enrollment criteria for the Nalan Academy, and when are they due to visit the Jia Ma Empire?" Su Ron asked, steering the conversation back to his immediate plans.
"They arrive in a few days," the butler confirmed. "The requirement is simply to reach the Dou Fighter level before the age of eighteen. A good path, Young Master."
Su Ron nodded. He had already dismissed Jing Ning's earlier suggestion to attend the Cloud Mist Sect directly. Going there was walking into a lion's den. With his soul being unnaturally strong due to the act of transmigrating, he feared the old, powerful souls or guardians within the sect would sense his difference and see him as a threat—or a resource to be plundered.
"It is the safest path," Su Ron agreed, taking a bowl of medicinal soup offered by the butler.
He didn't have the backing of an ancient clan or a powerful bloodline, but he had his cheat. He had the Black Bolt Template. With time and diligent cultivation, he would reach the top. For now, he just had to cultivate, breakthrough, and survive.
Finished with his strenuous practice, Su Ron entered the villa, looking forward to a bath and the silky comfort of his bed, preparing for the next step in his journey.