Eternal Emperor's Path to Ascension

Planet Earth, Modern Era, Year 2023.

*Buzz!* *Buzz!*

A loud buzz of an alarm clock resounded throughout a white themed room adorned with expensive ornaments and high quality gadgets lying around, making it look both neat yet messy at the same time. Anyone with some insight could tell from a single glance that the owner of this room was either too lazy or too rich to care, perhaps a blend of both.

The alarm clock didn't stop ringing for 2 more minutes until a somewhat muscular arm reached out from under the bedsheets, pressing down on it besides the bed.

Slowly, a young man that looked to be in his late teens sat up on the bed. He had a well-toned physique, and his devastatingly attractive facial features couldn't be hidden even under his disheveled hair.

Sitting on the bed for some time with his head down as if to gather his thoughts, he got up after a few minutes, his black vest hanging loosely around his body as he made his way to the bathroom.

Before closing the door, he took a side glance at his desk where multiple books on human biology, religious texts, and ancient alchemy were scattered around.

He was remembered reading them last night before sleeping. No one in his family liked his obsession with those things, but he didn't really care about what others thought of it.

Thinking of that, his mood slightly changed, a hint of disappointment crossing his face as he closed the door.

Some time later, he came out after taking a shower and looked at the mirror.

He had an indifferent look on his face, his dark, slightly long hair hanging right above his crimson red eyes, which seemed to have a certain light in them that made them stand out.

*Knock!* *Knock!*

At this moment, a knocking sound came from the door.

"Young master, breakfast is ready, please come down."

The voice of a woman came from the outside, her tone even.

"Yes, I'll be there in a few minutes."

As the young man replied in a monotone voice, he soon heard footsteps fading away from the entrance of his room into the distance.

After some time, he wore a plain white t-shirt and jet black pants. Even with such simple clothing, he exuded an aura of elegance and calmness that felt natural and drew people in.

After picking up his backpack, he went downstairs to find his parents and younger sister already sitting on the dining table with food present in front of them.

"Yong'er, come and eat."

The middle-aged woman who seemed to be the the young man's mother called out to him with a warm smile on her face. Their resemblance to eachother was hard to not notice.

The young man sat down on one of the chairs and started eating.

A few moments later, the middle-aged man who was supposedly the young man's father spoke up in a neutral tone of voice, though his expression turned slightly helpless, "Yong'er, do you really not want to marry that eldest young lady of the Wang Family?"

At the mention of this, the atmosphere turned a bit solemn.

The young man's mother also glanced at him, waiting for his answer.

"Dad, we haven't even met each other, not to mention that both of us are merely students right now. And I don't think she'll agree to this either. Why don't you wait for 5 or more years before we talk about these matters? It's not like our family will fall apart if we do not establish any connection to another great power."

The young man said calmly, turning to look at his father.

The middle-aged man sighed softly, and then nodded in understanding.

"Alright, I'll talk to the Wang Family Head in a few days personally. But what's the problem in talking about these matters in your student years? During my time..."

"That was more than 20 years ago, dad. You didn't even have 3g networks back then."

The young man's sister who had been quietly listening in on their conversation immediately spoke up, giving her father an irritated look as she rolled her eyes.

"What the kids are saying is right, dear. Our era was different. We cannot force our beliefs and rules of the past on youngsters."

Hearing his wife's words, the middle aged man had no choice but to give in and raised his hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright. I won't bring up this matter anymore."

The young man secretly gave his sister a thumbs up, which the latter returned with a middle finger.

...

After finishing his breakfast, the young man stood up and looked at his sister before speaking, "Qi'er, finish your breakfast quickly and then we'll set off for school."

The girl nodded and finished her food, picking up her backpack as the siblings went outside of the house to the garage.

A row of expensive, high class vehicles appeared before their eyes, ranging from the latest models of high powered supercars to elegant and luxurious sedans designed to provide comfort.

The young man walked towards a drawer and took out a Porsche key, unlocking a grey colored Porsche 718 Spyder as he motioned for his sister to get in.

They went to the same school, as they were only 2 years apart in terms of age, with the brother a third year and the sister a first year. It was more convenient for the two of them to go together, though they still went back home on different hours.

"Why do you always pick this one out of all the others here?"

She asked curiously as she got into the vehicle.

"Why do you care? Just be grateful that I take you to school with me everyday, otherwise I can just go by myself. You wake up too late."

Hearing his words, she couldn't help but be momentarily speechless.

"Hah!? I woke up earlier than you today!"

"Only today. Your sleep schedule got fixed because of me nagging you everyday."

As both the siblings continued to argue, the car exited the huge estate and sped towards the school.

"Anyways, you will be turning 18 tomorrow. Mom said that we should visit a daoist temple today on the nearby mountain to pray since you're so interested in daoism. Don't be too late, alright?"

"Oh? My family supporting my interests? That's new. I won't be late."

The young man smiled at her faintly. They had already reached their school by this time, and the girl gets off the car as her brother parks it in the school's parking lot, parting ways with his sister.

On his way to the school entrance, everyone who encountered him was either too awestruck to speak to him or were people he knew, and they greeted eachother politely.

He was a natural ambivert, and he didn't speak much unless he was with people close to him. Combined with the expressionless look which was always on his handsome face, it gave him a certain presence that couldn't be ignored.

The young man rushed towards the class, and wherever he passed by, there was not a single person who did not turn back to take a second look at him, irrespective of their gender.

At this moment, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder, making him turn around to see who it was.

"Hey, brother Tian!"

An energetic looking young man says while tapping on "Brother Tian's" shoulder. While he's also pretty handsome, he is still nowhere near as good looking as the young man with the surname Tian.

The young man surnamed Tian smiled faintly as he called out.

"Brother Hong."

There were a few more people besides both of them, and they also called out respectfully, "Young master Tian."

The young man surnamed Tian nodded at them as all of them began to walk towards their class and chat along the way.

A few others saw this scene in the hallway of the school, whispering amongst eachother.

"Hey, who is that handsome young master? Why is everyone so respectful to him?"

"You're truly a frog in a well, don't you know him? He's Tian Yongheng, the eldest young master of the Tian Family, the most influential and powerful family in the entire city!

Not only does he possess a powerful background, he's also really handsome, well-behaved, intelligent and quick-witted. He lives up to the name of the Tian Family. It's rumored that the overall assets of the Tian Family have gone up around 5% in the last year just with his involvement alone, and their overall net worth crosses $400 million dollars at the moment!

I've even heard that he's an expert Martial Artist and has mastered multiple deadly Martial Arts such as Muay Thai and Krav Maga. He's what every guy in the campus aspires to be!"

Multiple gasps escaped the mouths of those listening in as hints of envy, admiration, and lament appeared on their faces.

"Damn, he's really a true big shot! But...aren't you exaggerating too much?"

"Well...what if he accidentally hears me and I leave a good impression on him?"

"F*cker..."

...

Meanwhile, on Tian Yongheng's side.

Just as he and his acquaintances are about to enter the class, he suddenly bumps into someone.