Chapter 1 – The Furnace City
Qinghe City was scorching in June.
The sky stretched wide and blue, cloudless and cruel, while the blazing sun poured down like molten gold. The heat shimmered off the roads, turning every breath into fire.
At Qinghe No. 1 High School, the afternoon bell rang loudly—
"Ring, ring, ring…"
The shrill sound broke the stillness, and the entire campus seemed to awaken at once.
Classrooms burst open. Laughter, chatter, and footsteps flooded the air as students poured out like waves escaping a dam.
"The weather's unbearable today!" someone groaned, fanning themselves with a notebook.
Amid the noise, a familiar voice called out, "Hey, Ren Yu! Let's hit Wild Rose Pub tonight. Ice-cold drinks, man—it's the only way to survive this heat!"
Ren Yu blinked, pulled from his daze.
He turned to see Kairen Liu, a lean boy with an easy grin and sunglasses perched on his head.
"Kairen…" Ren Yu murmured. The name stirred old memories, faint and distant, like echoes from another life.
"I'll pass," he said after a moment. "Not feeling great today."
Kairen pouted dramatically. "Come on, bro! It's been ages since our group met. You can't ditch us like that."
Ren Yu rubbed his temple and sighed. "Fine. Tomorrow, then."
"Deal!" Kairen said with a grin. "I'll tell the others."
As they reached the school gates, a sudden commotion broke out ahead of them.
"What's happening?" Kairen asked, stretching on tiptoe.
Before Ren Yu could reply, his friend darted into the crowd.
"Wait, Kairen—"
Too late.
Ren Yu shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled forward.
Students noticed him and quickly stepped aside, their expressions wary.
Even after his rebirth, his reputation followed him.
He chuckled bitterly. So much for a clean slate.
When he reached the front, the scene made him pause.
A girl in a neat school uniform stood in the middle of the open path, her ponytail swaying slightly in the hot breeze.
Three gangsters with streaked hair lay sprawled on the ground before her, clutching their bruised arms and groaning.
The girl—Lira Han—didn't even look fazed.
From the murmuring crowd, Ren Yu pieced together what had happened.
The delinquents had harassed her after class, throwing crude remarks her way.
Unfortunately for them, they'd picked the wrong "victim."
"Goddess Lira is incredible!" someone whispered, awe in his voice.
"She's an advanced-stage martial disciple! Those idiots were asking for it!"
Martial… disciple?
Ren Yu's heart skipped a beat.
He thought he'd misheard. But when another boy spoke—face flushed from excitement—he knew he hadn't.
"They say she trained for three years straight! She's the only female advanced disciple in the entire school!"
Ren Yu's mind reeled. What's going on? Martial disciples? This is just high school… isn't it?
He watched silently as Lira frowned at the gathering crowd. Without a word, she turned and left, her shadow long in the afternoon sun.
The crowd soon scattered, and Kairen came jogging back. "Man, you missed it! Lira took them out like lightning! Remind me not to annoy her."
Ren Yu forced a smile. "Yeah… remind me too."
But his thoughts were spinning.
Something was off.
The world felt wrong—too alive, too sharp, too powerful.
When he reached the school gates, his driver was already waiting beside a sleek black BMW.
Jealous stares followed him as he stepped inside.
The car sped down the clean, tree-lined streets of Qinghe City. Outside the window, the world seemed brighter than he remembered—buildings taller, the air faintly shimmering with energy. Even the roadside trees looked unnaturally lush, their leaves glowing faintly under the sun.
Ren Yu frowned. Was it always like this?
A few minutes later, he spotted something that made his breath catch.
A young woman was walking a massive dog—so big it was almost the size of a calf.
"What the…?" Ren Yu muttered.
It wasn't just that dog. Others along the street walked enormous pets too, some with glowing fur or two tails. Children rode them like mounts, laughing as if it were normal.
Ren Yu leaned closer to the window, disbelief etching his face.
"This… isn't my world."
The realization settled like a weight in his chest.
Even though his home, his friends, and his memories remained—everything else had changed.
After twenty minutes, the car turned into a quiet villa district lined with trimmed hedges and silver gates.
Ren Yu exhaled softly. At least my house is still here.
His family—wealthy, influential, respected—had built their empire on business. His father, Ren Housheng, led the Xinteng Corporation; his grandfather oversaw the far larger Rongsheng Group.
In his previous life, both had fallen—crushed by rivals, ruined overnight.
Ren Yu clenched his fists. Not this time.
He stepped out of the car, his reflection rippling in the tinted window.
"If this really is a new world," he murmured, "then I'll carve my place in it—with strength, not regret."
He looked up at the tall villa gates, took a deep breath, and walked through.
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