In the dead silence of night, under the dim lights of a half-collapsed lab on the outskirts of the city, a man stood atop the edge of a bridge, soaked in rain. His white lab coat clung to his body, tattered and stained. His eyes were hollow—filled not with fear, but with failure.
His name was Yin Yin, once hailed as the youngest genius scientist in Asia. At just 21, he'd developed the prototype of a Dimensional Gate—a door to parallel worlds. He thought he would change humanity.
But the world wasn't ready for a savior. The moment he showcased his invention, the vultures came flying in. Big corporations colluded with powerful families. His research was stolen, his funding cut off, and the media painted him as a fraud. Within weeks, the genius was turned into a joke.
His family fell apart. His once-proud father now worked labor jobs in construction. His younger brother and sister dropped out of school to support the family, working nights at convenience stores. Loans piled up—one billion debt with collectors breathing down their necks.
And now, Yin Yin stood at the end of his line.
"I'm sorry," he whispered into the wind. "I wanted to change the world. I just didn't know the world would change me first."
Without hesitation, he jumped.
The cold water swallowed him whole.
But he didn't die.
Instead, he woke up—on a golden silk bed, in an ancient room lit by spiritual lamps.
"What the hell?" he sat up in panic. "Where am I?! Who am I?!"
A beautiful woman with silver hair rushed in, tears streaming. She hugged him tightly.
"My son! Are you hurt? Did you hit your head again? It's me… your mother."
"M-mother?" Yin Yin blinked, confused. Her face was unfamiliar—but strangely warm.
He pushed her slightly away, heart pounding. "I… I don't remember. What is this place?!"
"Don't worry," she cupped his face gently, "it's alright. You're safe."
Then he noticed something shining on his hand—a ring.
That ring.
The ring he was wearing during the test of the Dimensional Gate.
He instinctively touched it—
—and in a flash of white light, his surroundings changed. He was back.
Back in his ruined lab.
Panting, drenched, and confused.
"What… the hell…"
The ring glowed faintly, almost as if whispering: You're not done yet.
A wild idea bloomed in his mind.
If he could travel between the modern world and this cultivation realm…
If Earth's science could mix with the power of ancient spiritual energy…
Then perhaps…
"I'll become the most powerful being in both worlds."
But little did he know—his ancient body has no spiritual root.
No cultivation. No power. In this world, he was... trash.
Yet the heavens forgot one thing:
He was a genius.