In the corridor of Lincheng Central Hospital, the pungent smell of disinfectant lingered, so strong that it almost choked one into unconsciousness.
Zheng Zha leaned against the wall, his slender figure clad in a faded martial arts uniform that seemed even more worn out, as if it might be blown away by the wind at any moment.
He lowered his head, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, knuckles turning white from the pressure, clearly revealing his intense anxiety.
The doctor's voice echoed in his ears like a thunderclap: "Your grandmother's condition is not optimistic. She needs surgery as soon as possible within three days, and the cost will be around two hundred thousand."
Two hundred thousand.
For Zheng Zha, this was undoubtedly an astronomical figure, a sum he had never seen in his life.
He abruptly lifted his head, the harsh fluorescent lights of the corridor reflecting off his slightly tanned face, resembling a ghost. His eyes were filled with urgency and helplessness, along with a deep sense of despair.
"Go home and quickly gather the money from your family!" the doctor advised again from behind him.
Zheng Zha scoffed; apart from his grandmother lying in the hospital bed, he had no family left. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling violently, and turned toward the stairwell, his steps heavy as if they were leaden.
He had to find a way; he must gather this money no matter what!
Back in his cramped rental room, Zheng Zha collapsed onto the bed, feeling as though all his strength had been drained away. Three days. Damn it, the doctor had only given him three days!
The mottled walls and simple furniture served as constant reminders of his dire living conditions, like an invisible hand gripping him tightly.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his thoughts drifting back to before he had crossed over.
At that time, he was just an ordinary college student leading a mundane yet stable life—attending classes, playing games, hanging out with friends. Though life was plain, it was filled with joy.
A sudden accident brought him to this world where martial arts reigned supreme, turning everything upside down.
In this world, everyone underwent a talent awakening at the age of fifteen, which determined their future life trajectory. Talent levels were classified into five grades: D, C, B, A, S, along with the rarely known hidden grade S+.
Talent level dictated a person's fate; this was an unchanging truth throughout history.
Zheng Zha's talent was extraordinary. At fifteen, he had already reached level 8 in the Sea of Talent realm—far surpassing his peers—which caused quite a stir at the time and indicated that he could easily awaken an S-level talent without any mishaps.
But during the talent awakening ceremony, he suddenly loaded a system in his mind, facing two choices, two completely different destinies.
【The host is awakening their talent, please choose…】 The system presented two options.
One was an S-rank explosive power talent, enough to catapult him to fame and make him a genius admired by all.
The other was a D-rank Spirit Child bloodline, a seemingly lackluster choice.
This bloodline was incredibly weak in its early stages, even inferior to some ordinary talents, making him the laughingstock of everyone.
However, it had the potential for evolution and could ultimately grow into an SSR-level Nezha Killing God Bloodline, possessing the power to annihilate the world!
Zheng Zha chose the latter without hesitation, filled with hope for the future.
Deep down, he had an indomitable spirit; he craved challenges and breakthroughs!
He wanted to walk a path unlike any other, to stand at the pinnacle of martial arts and look down upon all beings!
But reality dealt him a heavy blow, crashing him from the clouds into the mud.
Awakening with the lowest D-rank talent left him five levels below the expected S-rank! The immense gap between expectations turned him into a joke; his former glory and halo vanished in an instant.
His childhood sweetheart, who once treated him with kindness and tenderness, now avoided him and even announced arrogantly in front of him that she was engaged to an S-rank talent.
His uncle expelled him from the family without mercy, transferring his rightful place in the family core to his cousin, whom he had always regarded as an underling.
Even the prestigious Lingyun Academy, which had promised him admission—the martial arts sanctuary that countless dreamed of—revoked his acceptance and shut its doors on him.
In his lowest moments, when everyone had abandoned him, it was his grandmother, that kind old woman, who took him in and provided him with the warmth he desperately needed.
She used her life savings to support his training and encouraged him not to give up; even when the whole world betrayed him, she remained his strongest ally.
Now, as his grandmother lay on her deathbed gravely ill, he felt utterly powerless, forced to watch her suffer.
Thinking of this tore at Zheng Zha's heart like a knife, filling him with unbearable pain.
"Grandma..." he whispered, his eyes reddening as tears welled up within them.
"I will definitely cure you! I will never let you leave me!" He suddenly opened his eyes wide, determination blazing in them like an unquenchable flame.
Zheng Zha opened his phone, his fingers trembling as he searched for information about the Qingli Academy's special admissions assessment. This was his last hope.
"The special admissions assessment will take place in three days. Successful candidates will be rewarded with two hundred thousand..."
Upon reading this line, a glimmer of hope ignited in Zheng Zha's eyes, like a beacon of light in the darkness, illuminating his path forward.
This was his only chance!
In three days, he had to pass the assessment!
Outside the window, the night was deep and cold, with the howling wind resembling the growl of a beast, sending shivers down his spine.
Zheng Zha stood by the window, gazing at the distant flickering neon lights, silently praying that fate would smile upon him this time.
Success or failure hinged on this moment.
He had to succeed, for Grandma, and for himself.
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