Chapter One: Gao Sheng

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Northern Province, Dongjiang City, Ninth High School.

In early November, the north wind carried scattered snowflakes through the sky, blanketing the campus in white.

A skinny young boy hunched his shoulders, clutching the collar of his cotton coat. He muttered under his breath, “A sudden cold snap, and the weather report didn’t mention a thing. It’s never accurate!”

“It’s not that cold, is it…?” Gao Wu glanced at his deskmate, Shen Yue, whose shivering made him want to laugh. “You’re too frail. Were you sneaking around casting spells again last night?”

Shen Yue replied irritably, “You’re an intermediate-level martial artist, built like an ox. How can I compete with you?”

Ever since the invasion of Earth by otherworldly beasts a century ago, when Martial Emperor Qin Liuhe emerged to sweep away the monsters and founded the Sacred Alliance, ushering in a new era for humanity, the status of martial artists had risen steadily.

Now, everyone practiced martial arts, but only a rare few truly achieved anything.

Of the nearly three hundred thousand secondary students in Dongjiang City, only a little over eight thousand had martial artist certificates—a mere three percent. As for intermediate-level martial artists, their numbers were even fewer. Gao Wu was a member of the school’s martial arts team, and even as a substitute, his physical prowess far surpassed that of Shen Yue.

Not wanting Gao Wu to get cocky, Shen Yue pulled out his phone, opened the Dongjiang High School Martial Arts Rankings, and scoffed, pointing at Gao Wu’s position. “Look at you, only five hundred something!”

“The coach only promotes his nephew, never even gives me a chance to compete. What am I supposed to do…” Gao Wu retorted proudly, “I’m destined to be the world’s greatest—this little setback is nothing!”

Shen Yue was about to tease him further when a commotion erupted ahead.

“Someone jumped into the water…”

“A girl jumped in!”

The two looked up. Shen Yue was too short and his eyesight too poor—he could only see a dense crowd on the long bridge, all shouting toward White Scale Lake below.

Gao Wu’s vision was much better. Even from nearly two hundred meters away, he could make out a dark figure in the lake.

“Hurry…” Annoyed at Shen Yue’s slowness, Gao Wu left him behind and ran straight onto the bridge.

It was lunchtime, and already a large crowd of students had gathered on the bridge. Many had their phones out, filming, while others shouted anxiously, but no one jumped in to help.

White Scale Lake was no small body of water; to save someone, you’d have to swim at least a hundred meters to shore with the girl in tow. That very fact kept even capable swimmers from risking the leap.

Gao Wu, strong and agile, easily parted the crowd and reached the railing. Looking down, he saw the girl’s pale face drifting up and down in the icy water, her eyes tightly shut—a dire situation.

A thin layer of ice had already formed over the lake, and with the sudden drop in temperature, the water was only two or three degrees Celsius. In such cold, a person would quickly lose body heat, risking shock or even organ failure.

Gao Wu hurriedly stripped off his coat, pants, and sneakers, doing a few stretches to warm up.

Seeing he was about to jump in, the crowd instinctively cleared space for him, phones pointed his way, recording everything.

Clad only in a vest and shorts, Gao Wu was strikingly handsome—angular features, long limbs, and muscles that flowed powerfully beneath his ivory skin, radiating health and vitality.

A long scar ran down his neck to his chest, fierce yet lending him an even more heroic air.

“Those muscle lines are gorgeous…”

“So handsome!”

The boys looked on enviously; the girls’ eyes sparkled with admiration.

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“Whoa, it’s Saint Gao!” someone recognized Gao Wu, famous for his good deeds.

Doing a good deed once isn’t hard; what’s impressive is that Gao Wu had made a habit of it.

His helpful nature had earned him the nickname “Saint Gao” at Ninth High, and though it was meant in jest, it carried a certain renown.

Pleased by the crowd’s praise, Gao Wu had no time to bask in it. With no further delay, he steadied himself, vaulted the railing, and leapt gracefully.

Another wave of gasps rippled through the onlookers.

The bridge stood a good six or seven meters above the lake. Gao Wu crashed through the ice and plunged into the water, the frigid cold closing in from all sides.

It was as if a thousand needles pierced his body; even his scalp went numb and his limbs cramped, losing all strength.

In an instant, Gao Wu lost control of his body.

It felt as if some invisible water demon was dragging him deeper.

Alarmed, Gao Wu realized that with his constitution, this shouldn’t be happening—the water was unnaturally cold! No wonder the girl had made no sound after falling in...

In the crisis, Gao Wu calmed himself. Holding his breath to avoid choking, he silently recited an incantation: “Taiyi Azure Dragon, Qi arises from the East…”

The closed, shadowy world beneath the ice helped him concentrate.

After nearly two minutes of silent chanting, he completed the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra.

A spark of blue light flared between his brows, then transformed into a sinuous azure dragon that coursed through his entire body.

The dragon’s pure energy set his blood boiling, instantly driving out the chill that had seized him.

Gao Wu regained control, powered to the surface, and burst out of the water, gulping in a long breath. Instantly, his spirits revived.

Cheers erupted on the bridge. Gao Wu had vanished for nearly two minutes after entering the lake—everyone had feared the worst.

The girl was unconscious, which actually made the rescue easier.

He grabbed her by the collar, keeping her head above water, and began swimming toward shore.

Her body was cold as ice, with no sign of breath—her condition was critical.

Without sparing himself, Gao Wu swam with all his might. Though his technique was average, his strength and stamina more than made up for it.

He forced a surging white wake through the thin ice as he swam, his powerful strokes a striking display of both strength and grace.

Many on the bridge couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

“Damn, this guy’s incredible!”

“He’s swimming faster with a person than I can alone…”

The water’s cold was bone-deep, but with the Azure Dragon energy surging through him, Gao Wu was nearly immune. He pushed hard and made it to shore with the girl.

Without hesitation, he laid her flat in the snow, bent over to check her breath and heartbeat—both absent.

Her skin was ghastly pale.

White Scale Lake was wickedly cold today—even he had nearly succumbed, so her state was unsurprising.

Gao Wu immediately began rhythmic chest compressions, silently reciting another incantation.

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After nearly two more minutes of chanting, Gao Wu once again completed the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra.

Casting spells back to back had drained his energy, but he forced himself to focus and channel the sacred power. The dragon followed his pressing palms into the girl’s chest, transforming into a pure stream of vitality within her, jumpstarting her stopped heart and lungs.

The last of the blue light gathered in her brain, reviving the consciousness lost to oxygen deprivation.

The girl coughed up several mouthfuls of water, then suddenly broke into a fit of coughing. Two bright spots of color flushed her paper-white cheeks. She was clearly alive again.

Relieved, Gao Wu helped her sit up.

Her soaked short hair clung to her small face, and her thin pants hugged her legs. During the compressions, Gao Wu had noticed that though she seemed slender, her muscles and bones were taut and well-proportioned—she was clearly a martial artist.

Only now did he notice her exquisite features, her slender waist and long legs—a breathtakingly beautiful girl.

She regained her senses after only a moment’s daze and looked at Gao Wu.

Though he was dripping wet, the boy before her radiated a bright, sunny energy that naturally inspired goodwill.

Not one for eye contact, she lowered her eyes and spoke softly, “Thank you for saving me.”

Perhaps from swallowing water, her voice was a bit hoarse, lending a touch of fragility to her otherwise cool tone.

Gao Wu gave a raspy laugh and waved it off. “I’ve always loved helping people in need. Saving you was just being in the right place at the right time. No need to thank me.”

His voice was unusually hoarse. The girl thought he was mimicking her at first, but then noticed the deep scar on his neck—he must have damaged his vocal cords in the past, making his voice so rough.

Because of this, his voice left a strong impression.

Her gaze grew complicated, but she said nothing more.

Taking the opportunity, Gao Wu silently recited an incantation to summon his unique artifact.

An ancient, yellowed tome appeared before him, its cover inscribed with five archaic characters: The Book of Infinite Merit.

On its blank, open page, lines of merit points emerged: +1, +1, +1, +1, +50, +60, +1…

The handful of +50 and +60 stood out sharply amid the sea of ones.

Gao Wu glanced at the girl. No doubt, such large sums of merit could only come from someone truly grateful for being saved. All the other small increments must be from the crowd.

Though she seemed distant and cool, she had still expressed genuine gratitude. Who would have thought she was so heartfelt!

Looking at the flood of merit points, Gao Wu couldn’t help but smile, and silently praised her: “Good kid!”

He couldn’t resist reminding her, “Swimming in White Scale Lake is forbidden…”

“Hmm?” The girl’s lovely eyes flashed with confusion, then she realized he was joking—and reminding her not to do anything rash.

“Sorry for the trouble.”

She lowered her head, apologizing earnestly, her pale, delicate face serious.

For some reason, a thought popped into Gao Wu’s mind: Stable emotions, worth pursuing!