The Particle Collision and a New Beginning

In the early 22nd century, a laboratory, thirty stories deep, lay hidden beneath a desolate desert.

At its lowest level, over a dozen scientists, clad in white lab coats, gathered. A circular pipeline, intricately connected by numerous wires, ran around the room.

“Doctor, the 29th particle collision experiment yielded the same result: a power short circuit…” a middle-aged woman with glasses reported, diligently scribbling notes in a notebook.

“Hmm… the particles have already accelerated to the speed of light. Perhaps…” The middle-aged man stroked his chin thoughtfully before continuing.

“Increase the output. Let the particles reach their absolute maximum speed before collision.”

“But… that would deplete all our remaining energy. If there’s no result, all our efforts will be in vain, and the higher-ups won’t provide further funding…”

“Still, continuing these fruitless efforts is not an option. If there’s no result this time… then… we disband.”

A heavy silence fell upon everyone present. Three years of research—would it truly end so abruptly?

They instructed the staff to bring in a large quantity of new wiring and power sources, connecting them all to the particle collider. The new output rate was ten times higher than before!

****

“Wiring complete!”

“Equipment check complete, all systems normal!”

“The 30th collision experiment, begin!”

Inside the circular pipeline, two particles slowly accelerated in opposite directions: one clockwise, one counter-clockwise.

With the expanded output frequency, particles that once took an hour to reach the speed of light now achieved it in merely five minutes!

All the scientists in white lab coats looked up at the screen, watching the speed soar in a straight line.

“Exceeding the speed of light!”

“Not enough, accelerate further…” The middle-aged man fixated on the screen.

1.3 times the speed of light… 1.6 times the speed of light…

3 times the speed of light… 5 times the speed of light…

At this astonishing velocity, the pipeline emitted a deafening hum, causing the very ground to vibrate subtly.

“Line 56 burned out!”

“Cable 12 short-circuited!”

The machinery began to malfunction. Everyone secretly glanced at the middle-aged man, the experiment’s director. As long as he didn’t call for a halt, they had to continue.

“Doctor! Nine times the speed of light! Many lines are damaged; the speed cannot increase further!”

“Good… collide!”

After a quick adjustment to the machine, the two particles’ trajectories converged. At the exact moment of contact, the two particles, traveling at nine times the speed of light, collided! All the circuits in the laboratory instantly went dark!

Darkness enveloped the surroundings! The collision of the two particles generated an incredibly rapid vortex! The pipeline exploded! Coincidentally, the middle-aged man was standing near the collision point…

“I heard an explosion? Quickly, activate the backup lights!”

This wasn’t the first time the base’s power had short-circuited, but an explosion had never occurred before.

Several minutes later, the circuits recovered, and the laboratory lit up once more. The first thing everyone noticed was the ruptured pipeline.

“Doctor! What happened…”

“Doctor?”

The scientists exchanged bewildered glances, then cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. The director was gone!

“Where’s Doctor Lin Tian? He was standing right next to me just now?!”

After a thorough search, the conclusion was that the man had vanished into thin air; he was nowhere to be found within the base.

Shortly thereafter, the experiment concluded without results. The laboratory was sealed, and the matter of the director’s disappearance was suppressed by the higher-ups.

Lin Tian, the director, was 29 years old and unmarried. He lived alone, dedicating his entire being to scientific research. His colleagues considered him eccentric, a man whose eyes held only his work, deeply immersed in the pursuit of science… yet he was also worthy of respect.

****

In another world, within a grand mansion, seven or eight people gathered in a room as the cries of a baby emanated.

A weak woman lay on a sickbed, a dignified middle-aged man seated beside her.

“Master, it’s a girl!”

The middle-aged man beamed with joy, quickly rising to his feet and extending his arms. “Quick! Let me hold her.”

“Finally not another brother?! I have a little sister!” A young man nearby excitedly leaned in, his face alight.

“Go, go, go, all of you out. Let the madam rest for a while…”

“The name will be the one everyone chose earlier. For a girl, it will be Luo Yingkong.”

The middle-aged man lowered his voice, cooing in a playful tone, “Little Yingkong, do you like this name, ducky?”

Once everyone left, only the couple and the baby remained in the room. Strangely, the infant suddenly stopped crying, her small head wobbling as she opened her eyes wide, looking around.

‘Where am I? Who am I?’

The surrounding sights plunged him into confusion. He tried to speak, but only incoherent gurgles emerged.

‘That’s right, I was in the base conducting a particle collision experiment. I’m Lin Tian, the experiment’s director! But what is this situation?’

As a scientist, he instantly calmed down, using all his strength to pull out his small hand, revealing a chubby infant’s hand before his eyes.

“Look, she really likes the name; she’s not crying anymore. Little Yingkong, little Yingkong…”

Observing the long-haired middle-aged man before him and his attire, he drew a conclusion:

‘I’ve transmigrated?’

He was an atheist, disbelieving in reincarnation. Therefore, the cause must lie in the collision experiment.

‘Sigh… I wonder if the experiment yielded any results. For now, I should assess my current situation.’

Currently, he was a baby, utterly helpless, so he could only endure it for now…

‘Is this man my father? What did he just call me?’

“Little Yingkong, this is your mother. Quickly, say something…”

‘Wait, Yingkong… that sounds like a girl’s name!’

The fatigued voice of the woman on the bed murmured, “Stop teasing her. She was just born; how could she call out ‘mother’?”

“Ooh… Jin.”

“Eh! Did you hear her call out! She called out! Our daughter will surely be a genius when she grows up! Come, say ‘father’.”

The middle-aged man was filled with anticipation, but Lin Tian merely gave him a blank stare, leaving him awkwardly frozen.

****

Time flew by swiftly; twelve years passed in the blink of an eye.

The little infant from back then had entered adolescence, her body beginning to develop.

She sat in the study, engrossed in a thick, yellowed book. He harbored no resentment about transmigrating to this unfamiliar world, though accepting a girl’s body was still somewhat difficult for him.

This world didn’t exist in any history he knew. Fortunately, her family was wealthy, and over the years, he had read extensively, gaining a considerable understanding of this world.

Lin Tian never revealed his identity as a transmigrator, always pretending to be an ordinary girl. His family’s impression of her was that of a quiet, bookish type.

Even with these somewhat negative images, her family doted on her immensely. Her adorable appearance seemed to erase any perceived flaws.

In her father’s generation of the Luo family, there were six brothers. He was the third eldest and had five children of his own. Luo Yingkong was the youngest, and their only daughter.

“Miss?” A male voice came from outside, deliberately lowered, as if afraid to disturb Yingkong.

“Old Jiang? Come in…”

This was a white-bearded old man, their steward and house servant.

“Miss, everything you asked this old servant to collect has been gathered. It’s all in the utility room.”

“Oh?” Luo Yingkong put down her book, her voice that of a young girl. “And what about the items I asked the blacksmith to make for me?”

“This old servant has already delivered the blueprints to the blacksmith. Those items are difficult to produce, and even the best blacksmith in town needs a week to complete them. Calculating the days, they should be ready now.”

“Good! Let’s go retrieve them right away…”

“This… Miss has always been a homebody. How come today…”

Luo Yingkong shot him a glare, and the old servant said no more.

“This old servant will go prepare…”

Luo Yingkong set her book aside. This world, too, was driven by money, but even more so by martial prowess.

From her father, he had learned that this world also contained cultivators. However, these immortals did not involve themselves in mortal affairs, so they were rarely seen.

Such an unscientific phenomenon deeply intrigued Lin Tian, who was dedicated to scientific research. Yet, information about cultivators was scarce; he had sent people to investigate widely, but without success.

His only option now was to venture out himself. While still young, he would prepare some self-defense weapons.

“Is Miss going out? Your usual clothes won’t do. Come to the room quickly; this maid will help you dress up.”

A young maid ran into the study and pulled Luo Yingkong along. This was a maid taken in a few years ago, who looked only a few years older than her.

The maid was stronger than Luo Yingkong. Unable to break free, he simply allowed himself to be led.

Before the dressing table, he gazed at the girl in the bronze mirror: faintly purple pupils, long white hair, and cheeks still as rosy and pale as an infant’s.

Though cute, Lin Tian always felt as if this body wasn’t truly his own, especially as it began to develop, making him feel incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.

As he let the maid help him with his toilette, a cheerful voice echoed from outside:

“Sister Yingkong, I hear you’re going out! There are bad people who kidnap young girls outside, so let Big Brother accompany you!”

This was Luo Yingkong’s fourth elder brother, Luo Tao. He was four years her senior and had loved martial arts since childhood.

Whenever Luo Yingkong wanted to do something, he was always the first to rush forward.

A carriage was prepared outside. As Luo Yingkong and her maid emerged from the room, they encountered her father.

“Oh? Our dear daughter is dressed so beautifully today. Are you going out?” Her father, his temples streaked with white, smiled kindly. “Aren’t you curious about cultivators? Today, I heard some news from your second uncle.”

The usually expressionless Luo Yingkong’s eyes suddenly brightened, waiting for him to continue.

“Mount Mufu is recruiting disciples. I hear that every few years, immortals visit the place and select a few disciples, but…”

“But what?”

“Going there requires enduring much hardship. You are a young lady, frail in constitution. How could your father bear to let you suffer?”

Having searched for so many years, this seemed to be the only method available. He was no weak woman; since physical fitness was a requirement, it wasn’t too late to start training now.

“At what age can one apply?”

Upon hearing this, her father immediately regretted telling her. His daughter was incredibly stubborn; once she made up her mind, no one could stop her.

“Daughter, listen to your father. Our family is quite wealthy; there’s no need to go and suffer…”

Luo Yingkong remained expressionless, repeating, “At what age can one apply?”

Her father sighed, knowing anything he said now would be futile.

“You can apply at 16, and they recruit every year. But I hear the assessment is incredibly difficult; even your brothers wouldn’t stand a chance…”

Her father gesticulated wildly, spewing a torrent of words, but Luo Yingkong had already boarded the carriage.

“Father, is what you said true? Your child also wants to try!” Luo Tao’s eyes sparkled. He was already obsessed with martial arts and dreamed of joining a proper sect.

“Scram!”

The father snorted, clearly treating his children differently.

Luo Yingkong’s trip was to see if the blacksmiths of this world possessed the skill to forge handgun components. Materials for gunpowder were also prepared….