Ebraham's eyes snapped open, a gasp tearing from his throat as the portal's violet whirlpool faded. Mist-cloaked bamboo swayed around a jade pavilion, the air thick with pine and the metallic tang of distant sword clashes—Murim, the savage martial world of his wildest fantasies. Heart pounding, he locked eyes with the old man cross-legged before him, bearded and serene, radiating ki like a storm held in check."Where am I?" Ebraham croaked, propping up on enhanced arms, Dex:18 steadying his vertigo.The old man smiled faintly. "The Great Central Plains. Murim itself."Ebraham's breath hitched, joy exploding through disbelief—he was here, in the legendary jianghu where sects like Mount Hua forged sword saints, Shaolin monks shattered stone with fists, and the Demonic Cult devoured the weak. As a hardcore fan devouring manhua late into nights on digs, he'd dreamed of this: ki cultivation, realm ascensions from third-rate grunt to heavenly demon��."Are you Ji Tiandao?" he blurted, scrambling to kneel, eyes alight.The old man chuckled, gravel-voice booming. "My father. And you are?""I am Ebraham Thomas Emmanuval, successor of the Kalabhra Empire," he declared, flashing the back tattoo—a crowned sunburst glowing with ancient power. "I came through the portal to learn martial arts. Take me as your disciple, Master!" The system dinged approval: Quest Complete: Find Ji Tiandao. Training Unlocked.�Ebraham kneels three times before the pavilion, palms pressed together in gongshou salute. He presents the glowing Kalabhra tattoo, voice steady: "Disciple Ebraham Thomas Emmanuval seeks the path under your guidance, bearing the mark of lost empire." The old man (Ji Tiandao's son) tests him with a palm strike—Ebraham dodges via Dex:18, earning a nod.
