The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Outside the city walls, towering walls stood majestically, and flags fluttered above the city gates. Jiang Chuan gazed at them for a moment, a sense of indescribable pride welling up within him.

"How fortunate I am to have been born on this land!" Jiang Chuan murmured to himself.

"Hello, what brings you here?" the gatekeeper asked politely, always prioritizing courtesy over the visitor's identity.

"Hello, I am Jiang Chuan." Jiang Chuan introduced himself, and the gatekeeper's eyes immediately showed more respect.

"So it's Mr. Jiang Chuan. Welcome. Our master specifically instructed us to give you a warm welcome."

After a brief internal communication among the gatekeepers, someone soon appeared and led Jiang Chuan into the Red City.

The city was simply furnished, and Jiang Chuan quickly glanced at it to get a general understanding of its internal structure.

He came to a door and knocked three times gently.

"Please come in."

A voice, both authoritative and kind, came from inside the room. Jiang Chuan pushed open the door and saw an elderly man with a white beard sitting behind a desk.

Facing this extremely familiar figure, Jiang Chuan couldn't help but straighten his back, filled with respect.

This man has made countless contributions to the country.

"Is this Jiang Chuan? Please come in!"

The adult's warm smile was as comforting as the early spring sunshine. Jiang Chuan scratched his head sheepishly, unsure of what to say.

"Relax, we're just having a chat."

The adult gently patted Jiang Chuan's shoulder, trying to ease his tension.

Although it's unrealistic to be completely relaxed, Jiang Chuan quickly adjusted his state.

The adults on TV are serious and imposing, but in reality they are surprisingly approachable.

The adult pulled a document from the table and handed it to Jiang Chuan.

"check it out."

“I contacted Zhou Shan, the head of the organization, a while ago, but you didn’t seem to be there at the time.”

As soon as the adult finished speaking, Jiang Chuan nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, I was on a mission at the time."

"The current international situation is turbulent and strange phenomena are occurring frequently. All countries are experiencing strange events. Our country is able to maintain relative stability, which is largely due to you."

As the adult spoke, he patted Jiang Chuan's shoulder again, making Jiang Chuan feel an invisible pressure.

"Not at all, it's just our duty."

"As members of the nation, this is our duty."

Jiang Chuan's words made the adult nod in satisfaction.

"What brings you here today?"

Jiang Chuan paused briefly and said, "Sir, Mr. Zhou has discussed this with me. You want me to serve as your bodyguard, which I am deeply honored by. However, there are undercurrents in the country, and it is far from being as peaceful as it appears on the surface."

"The demon race is stirring up trouble. If it is not contained, it may cause even greater panic."

The adult nodded after hearing this.

"That's exactly what I wanted to discuss with you."

"Now that you're here, why not make a bold guess?"

"Whenever an anomaly occurs, we send out our elite forces to provide support, but the effect is minimal."

"Most of these elite soldiers have awakened some kind of ability, and our research department is working day and night to develop a drug that can enhance their physical fitness."

"However……"

"Failed."

Jiang Chuan frowned slightly. A potion to enhance physical fitness? That's probably very difficult, extremely difficult, not just ordinary.

"We tried experimenting with strong individuals, but we were unsuccessful."

what's the situation! ?

Jiang Chuan's heart tightened.

The experiment with the strong means...

The staff within the organization have already begun research and practice; it seems they've genuinely encountered a problem.
Several familiar names flashed through my mind.

"That's right, Mr. Zhou Shan is one of them."

The adult spoke slowly, his gaze fixed on Jiang Chuan's face.

as predicted!

Jiang Chuan guessed correctly!
"The reason we call it a failure is because our drug was also a success in some respects."

"Zhou Shan can reach the early stage of the Earth Rank in a short time, but the price is that every success will cause permanent muscle damage that cannot be recovered even by using spiritual power."

The adult sighed softly as he finished speaking. No one wanted to see this outcome.

Jiang Chuan's heart sank as well.

Actually, the consequences aren't too bad; at worst, Zhou Shan can just stop using his abilities.

The less you use it, the less damage it will cause.

The adult turned his gaze to him. Did he want him to become a test subject as well?
"I heard you broke through to a higher level on the summit of Mount Hua?"

The adult asked softly, and Jiang Chuan was startled.

Information travels so fast...

"Yes."

"You should be in the early stage of Earth Rank now, but your foundation is not yet stable."

Jiang Chuan was secretly surprised. They even knew this?

The adult is indeed unfathomable.

"Don't worry, I won't let you participate in that experiment."

"I'm just curious, why is your cultivation speed so fast? Is it simply because you've awakened your own abilities?"

The adults understood, of course, that the memories Jiang Chuan had awakened were his own.

"Perhaps it's related. Spiritual energy is scarce on Earth, but Mount Hua has relatively abundant spiritual energy."

"My current strength is probably far from enough. I need to accumulate experience through actual combat, which is the key to my breakthrough."

The adult smiled with satisfaction.

Then she said, "Don't worry, relax. Let's stop here for today. I have a meeting to attend."

This is the end?

Although he came on his own initiative, Jiang Chuan felt that the adult still had something to say.

However, it might be better not to say anything...

At this moment, Jiang Chuan wanted to find Zhou Shan and find out the whole truth.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Jiang Chuan stepped out of the city. Looking at the still bustling street scene, the sense of satisfaction in his heart had not yet dissipated.

The situation is urgent, so I need to work even harder.

If there are such significant side effects at the early stage of the Earth Rank, what about at the Heaven Rank?
That's all still unknown, but Jiang Chuan isn't thinking about it too much right now, since he hasn't reached that level yet.

Suddenly, a black dot appeared in the sky and disappeared in an instant.

Jiang Chuan frowned slightly, because he sensed a hint of hostility emanating from the black dot.

With a thought, Jiang Chuan instantly transformed into a shooting star, chasing after the black dot.

What puzzled Jiang Chuan was that when he was fast, Jiang Chuan was fast; when he was slow, Jiang Chuan was slow.

It all seemed like a trap he had set.

"Flow II!"

boom!
Jiang Chuan was enveloped in a faint golden light, and his speed instantly increased by several degrees.

Soon, their speed increased dramatically, and they arrived at a mountain range.

In the desolate mountains, surrounded by withered trees, only the howling wind echoed in this empty space.

The place where the black dot finally landed was unusually eerie, and the tranquil atmosphere carried an indescribable tension.

Jiang Chuan stood atop a small hill, his eyes piercing as he stared intently at the unmoving black dot in the distance.

"Who is this...?"

Jiangchuan muttered to himself.

The vigilance in his heart did not lessen in the slightest because the other party had stopped. "Come out, I've seen you!"

Jiangchuan Langsheng shouted, his voice echoing through the valley, but there was no response.

His brow furrowed even more; the person behind that black spot was no ordinary individual.

Suddenly the air began to distort, and a man dressed in black ninja attire slowly emerged, a playful smile on his face.

"Mr. Jiang Chuan, your reaction is indeed very sharp."

He spoke in broken Chinese and looked at Jiang Chuan with disdain.

"Islanders!?"

Jiang Chuan was startled!
It flies so blatantly over China and knows exactly where it is.

He appeared in his field of vision the moment he stepped out of the Red City.

Unbelievable!
Jiang Chuan felt that this was a premeditated plan.

"Who are you!"

As a Chinese, how could these islanders be so arrogant? I have no choice but to teach them a lesson.

The man in black, dressed in ninja attire, quickly formed hand seals, and a fireball, blazing with intense light, hurtled towards them.

"Die!"

Jiang Chuan felt extremely uncomfortable with the broken Chinese.

"Learn to speak before you try to fight me!"

Jiang Chuan did not dodge, but instead slightly turned his body, clapped his hands together, and suddenly pushed forward.

"Spiritual energy shield".

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Immediately, a semi-transparent blue light shield appeared out of thin air, steadily blocking the incoming fireball.

The fireball struck the shield with a muffled "thud," then shattered into sparks that scattered on the ground.

"interesting."

The man in black spoke slowly, his tone full of amusement.

"Few people can remain so calm under my fireball."

"It seems the Chinese aren't as weak as they appear..."

"Compared to before, you are already very good."

The previous one?
Jiang Chuan frowned again; it seemed he had already searched for quite a few Chinese people.

And it's highly likely that he's already killed them...

Thinking of this, Jiang Chuan clenched his fists even tighter.

"Island people?"

The man in black smiled arrogantly, "I didn't expect you to see through me."

"That's a pity, you're doomed to die!"

Jiang Chuan glanced at him warily, but couldn't detect any spiritual energy fluctuations from him.

Could it be that he relied on ninjutsu?
Jiang Chuan stared intently at him, not missing a single subtle movement.

The man in black smiled slightly, revealing a hint of provocation.

"So what if they know who I am?"

"The main reason I came to China this time is to test you."

"According to intelligence, your strength is among the best in China. As for the others I killed, it was just a matter of course!"

"You Chinese have an old saying: 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.'"

"I think my purpose is already quite clear."

Jiang Chuan's eyes gathered dazzling spiritual power, which flashed and formed into tiny, sharp spiritual energy arrows that circled and flew around him.

"It seems you know nothing about the strength of China."

Jiang Chuan said in a deep voice, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

The man in black smiled contemptuously and moved his hands rapidly.

"Water Dragon Break!"

Moisture in the surrounding air rapidly gathered, condensing into a gigantic water dragon that roared towards the river with the force of a raging torrent.

With spiritual energy surging beneath his feet, Jiang Chuan leaped lightly, leaving afterimages in the air as he skillfully dodged the water dragon's fierce attacks.

He wasn't simply defending; every move he made was an opportunity to launch a counterattack.

"Ha, all you can do is dodge?"

The man in black spoke with obvious mockery, "The strong in China are nothing special!"

"Indeed, simply avoiding things isn't my style!"

As soon as Jiang Chuan finished speaking, his hands quickly formed hand seals, and the spiritual energy arrows at his fingertips seemed to receive a command, shooting out instantly and heading straight for the man in black.

The speed was astonishing, and the arrows left a series of sharp whistling sounds as they pierced the air.

The man in black's expression changed slightly, and he quickly mobilized his power, instantly conjuring a water curtain around him as a defense.

However, these arrows, made of pure spiritual energy, were incredibly sharp. Even the seemingly indestructible water curtain cracked under their impact and eventually shattered.

"How is this possible!" The man in black exclaimed in disbelief. He had never seen such a sharp attack before, and he never expected that his opponent could display such strength without even needing to awaken.

It should be noted that in the island nation, his strength is already in the upper-middle range.

But how could this man in front of me so easily deflect my attack?

He took a deep breath, then swiftly retreated to a safe distance.

"Ha, that's enough."

After the man in black finished speaking, he instantly bit his finger, blood congealing at his fingertip, before slamming it hard onto the ground.

The ground rumbled, and cracks spread like a spider web.

In an instant, a huge, muscular ape wielding a massive club slowly crawled out of the crack!

Its eyes gleamed with a fierce light.

"Ape Demon?"

Jiang Chuan swallowed hard. Does this kind of thing really exist?
I used to think those were all from anime.

I never imagined it actually existed.

Jiang Chuan smiled coldly, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit.

That's when things start to get interesting.

The ape demon's strength should not be underestimated. Facing this ancient spirit beast, it seems I'll have to use my true skills.

The man in black shouted something in Japanese, which Jiang Chuan couldn't understand.

Anyway, the ape roared and swung its club, sweeping towards Jiang Chuan like a landslide.

Jiang Chuan moved with ghostly speed, his feet moving with strange steps, easily dodging a blow that could have shattered rocks.

At the same time, he seized the opportunity to counterattack, unleashing a punch imbued with rich spiritual energy straight at the ape's face.

The force of the punch struck the air around the ape, creating ripples.

Even the ape was pushed backward by this invisible force.

Jiang Chuan was not keen on fighting; he felt that the island nation's strength was only so-so!
This summoned beast is trash too.

He didn't even use his weapon; he looked at the Dragon Roar Sword at his waist.

It seems you don't even need to lift a finger...

He knew very well that a protracted battle of attrition against an opponent of this caliber would be of no benefit to him.

It seems it's time to kill it with a single blow.

Seeing Jiang Chuan's disdainful expression, the man in black clearly felt insulted.

"The world of ninjas is much wider than you can imagine!"

The man in black said coldly, his hands forming a hand seal again, and he chanted a spell.

The ape instantly received the command, its body suddenly swelled, and its whole body was shrouded in a faint layer of golden spiritual power, but Jiang Chuan felt that it was not spiritual power.

Perhaps it's a chakra unique to island nations?
Driven by chakra, the monkey's staff grew even larger and heavier, each swing in the air seemingly capable of tearing space apart. (End of Chapter)