In this world, the path of a warrior was divided into eight distinct realms: Warrior, Martial Disciple, Martial King, Grand Martial Disciple, Martial Spirit, Grandmaster, Martial Emperor, and finally—Martial God. Rumor had it that beyond the Martial God realm lay even more mysterious, godlike levels shrouded in myth.
Each realm was further split into ten stages. Judging from the comparison with the memory fragments in his mind, Yang Haoxuan realized something shocking—his current Flame Burst attack carried the power of a Stage 2 Warrior.
That might sound weak, but under normal circumstances, reaching Stage 2 would require at least several months of hard cultivation. For him, it had taken a single night. One night!
Still, Yang Haoxuan was no fool. He understood that leveling up would only get harder from here. Grinding on monsters and meditating to restore mana wouldn't be enough. He needed real techniques—manuals, skills, legacies. Maybe the Yang family had something useful lying around...
Morning sunlight bathed the vast Yan Mountains in golden light, a complete contrast to last night's perilous shadows. Yang Haoxuan walked through the forest with surprising ease and no further beast encounters. As he wandered, he stumbled across a grove of crimson maple trees, where nestled among them lay a serene, shimmering lake.
The water sparkled beneath the rising sun, and the lake was so clear it reflected the fiery red leaves like a painting. Feeling grimy, sticky, and still bloodied from his earlier wounds, Yang Haoxuan grinned.
"Man, Earth never had a view like this... or a bath this good."
Without hesitation, he stripped off his blood-soaked clothes and dove into the lake.
The water was icy cold—but in this summer heat, it felt like bliss. He swam to the center, turned onto his back, and floated lazily. Just as he was enjoying the cool embrace of nature, a sound drifted to his ears—laughter. Light, playful, unmistakably female laughter.
He tensed. Were there women... bathing nearby?
Turning his head toward the far end of the lake, he noticed a cluster of rocks that looked like the lake's edge—but something felt off. On closer inspection, it seemed there was more lake hidden behind those rocks. Heart racing, he swam closer and peeked around.
His jaw dropped.
Behind the rocks, there was indeed a secluded part of the lake. On a flat stone surface by the water lay an assortment of women's clothing—delicate robes, silk undergarments, even... intimate innerwear.
Back on Earth, Yang Haoxuan had been a self-proclaimed otaku—not exactly a hero, but far from a saint. Faced with such a scene, he couldn't resist a glance.
That's when the water stirred.
A woman emerged slowly from beneath the surface—eyes closed, long dark hair trailing behind her, water cascading down porcelain skin like liquid crystal. Her features were like something from a dream: flawless and soft, eyes like stars, lips like cherry blossoms, and skin like jade. A painting couldn't have done her justice.
She rose higher, and Yang Haoxuan's breath caught.
Her smooth neck, her flawless collarbone... then her chest, full and proud, its soft curves barely concealed by water and shadows. Two rosy buds peeked just beneath the surface, making his blood boil.
Come on, just a little more... Just a little higher...
He stared, spellbound, until he saw the outline of her thighs and the dark shadow between them. Then—splash!—she vanished back beneath the surface.
"Damn it!" Yang Haoxuan muttered, slapping the water in frustration.
"Who's there!?"
A sharp voice sliced through the air. The beautiful woman had heard him! She spun toward the sound, eyes fierce, scanning the rocks.
"No one!" Yang Haoxuan instinctively ducked and called out. "I'm just a passerby, I swear! Totally accidental! Just passing through!"
Not waiting to see her reaction, he bolted for the shore. As he scrambled to get dressed, he heard a sudden splash. The next moment, the woman leapt from the rocks, fully clothed in flowing white robes, a shimmering sword in her hand.
She locked eyes with him, her expression cold and furious.
"Shameless pervert! Take this!"
With a light tap of her foot on the lake's surface, she glided forward like a dragonfly skimming the water—her sword aimed straight for his chest.
Before Yang Haoxuan could react, a translucent screen flashed in his mind:
Name: Yan Ya
Level: 19
Realm: Stage 9 Warrior
Class: Swordswoman
HP: 1420 / 1420
MP: 789 / 789
Strength: 1541 +50 (Rage)
Intelligence: 124
Spirit: 97
Agility: 1457 +50 (Rage)
Combat Skill: Frostwave Sword
Life Skill: None
"Holy crap, she's a walking tank!" Yang Haoxuan cursed. He didn't hesitate—he raised both hands and hurled two Flame Bursts at her, then turned to flee.
To his surprise, Yan Ya flinched at the sight of the fireballs. She had never seen this kind of attack before. Though she sensed they weren't too powerful, she was still cautious. She struck the incoming spell with her blade—
Boom!
The explosion sent vibrations down her sword arm, and fragments of flame scattered like fireworks. Then came another fireball—forcing her to back off, shielding herself from the worst of the burst.
Though the damage was minor, the blast had left singe marks on her clothes—and even on her face.
Meanwhile, Yang Haoxuan ran like hell.
This isn't a game, he reminded himself. If I die here, there's no respawn!
He ran until his lungs burned and the forest gave way to open grassland. In the distance, a massive city loomed.
From memory, he recognized it: the capital of the Great Yan Dynasty.
He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Ancient cities. Traditional dresses. Beautiful women.
But he shook his head. Now wasn't the time for fantasy. He needed a plan.
Yang Haoxuan wasn't exactly a schemer, but after reading hundreds of web novels, he knew one thing: always plan ahead.
Back when this body's original owner lived, he was arrogant and reckless in the outside world, but inside the Yang family... things weren't so simple.
There were two big problems.
First, his uncles and elders were just waiting for an excuse to kill him and push his father out of power.
Second, the family had an adulthood trial, which he was expected to pass—or be expelled. The minimum strength required was Stage 6 Warrior. But with his dantian shattered, that was impossible.
In short, he needed strength. Fast.
Deep in thought, Yang Haoxuan arrived at the city gates. Towering stone walls loomed over him, immaculate and imposing.
"Five coins to enter!" barked one of the guards.
Yang Haoxuan raised an eyebrow, face twisting into arrogant scorn—almost involuntarily.
"How dare you! Do you not know who I am? I am the Young Master!"
He blinked. Did I just say that?
It wasn't conscious. It just... came out. Like muscle memory. Like instinct.