Earth.

Jiangling City, West Mountain Cemetery.

A woman stood silently in front of a newly erected tombstone, mourning the last journey of the deceased.

The tombstone bore the name of the departed: Lin Jichen, aged 29.

The woman, Ren Lan, was Lin Jichen's senior from university.

She stood quietly before the grave, gazing at the portrait on the stone, which depicted a man with a handsome and clear-cut visage, his eyes bright as stars.

Lost in the photograph, Ren Lan was momentarily transfixed.

A cemetery worker approached, pushing a cart that held a dark mahogany ashes box.

"It's time for the burial, ma'am. Would you like to do it, or shall we?" the worker reminded her.

"I'll do it."

With a heavy heart, Ren Lan walked over, took the ashes box, and carefully placed it into the small, square pit beneath the tombstone.

"I never imagined that after all these years without seeing each other, this would be our next meeting."

She spoke to herself, mist forming in her eyes.

Her voice choked up, unable to hide her sorrow.

"You see, if you had just believed me back then, none of this would have happened. You had such a promising future in 'Tale of Immortal', but you chose to trust the wrong people, got cheated, and didn't even realize it... Ah, well, it's all in the past now..."

"Ma'am, please place the deceased's personal effects in as well," the worker prompted again.

Ren Lan nodded, her eyes reddening as she placed Lin Jichen's last belongings into the grave.

But suddenly, she remembered something and hurriedly retrieved a voice recorder from among the items.

A note was stuck to the recorder, with a message written in small letters: "Ren Lan, open this when I'm buried."

She had always remembered it, but in her grief, she had nearly forgotten.

Holding the voice recorder, Ren Lan chose to play it, and a voice message began to play.

"Miss Frenzy, long time no see, haha, surprise! I've achieved enlightenment and am about to ascend to the heavens. This might be the last chance we have to 'meet,' so I thought I'd leave you a recording..."

The voice in the audio was cheerful, without a trace of the solemnity or sadness one might expect in a final message, even jokingly equating his own death to ascending to immortality.

Ren Lan wasn't surprised, as the Lin Jichen she knew had always been optimistic and sunny.

The recording continued.

"Actually, I owe you an apology. I should have listened to you sooner. But my own blindness is to blame, not others. I'm sorry, my dear senior Ren Lan. If fate allows, we'll meet again in another life, and I'll continue to tease you, be your Taekwondo sandbag... Hehe... Well... it's time to say goodbye..."

Hearing this, Ren Lan's tears flowed freely. This was the second time in her life that she had cried.

The first time was when Lin Jichen misunderstood her and they parted ways.

Ren Lan, who had always prided herself on never crying, broke down because of Lin Jichen.

But in the next second, the tone of the audio changed abruptly.

"Damn! Where is this? Why is it so dark? Wasn't I supposed to ascend to immortality? Why am I locked in a little box? Help!"

Is anyone there to save me? I'm scared~ Stop! No, No! Stop~"

The cemetery workers nearby couldn't help but laugh; they had never heard such an unusual last message.

Their job usually precluded laughter, given their professional training.

Pfft. Ren Lan laughed too, wiping away her tears and cursing at the tombstone's occupant, "Lin Jichen, fuck you!"

***

Ding-ding-dong-dong...

The ringing of a cell phone woke Lin Jichen from his deep sleep.

"Ouch, my head hurts."

Lin Jichen clutched his head as he opened his eyes, his body and breath reeking of the unpleasant smell of alcohol and stomach acid from vomiting.

Looking around at the room that felt both unfamiliar and vaguely familiar, his brain short-circuited for a moment.

"Holy crap, where am I? This looks so much like my college dorm."

"Didn't I suffer a fatal injury from the Immortalization Realm BOSS, Illuminating Dragon, and die after all treatments failed? How am I still alive?"

"Hey! Where's my Storage Ring? Where's my Elixir Field? Why is everything gone?"

***

Ten minutes later.

After several confirmations, Lin Jichen finally understood.

He had been reborn.

Back to ten years ago!

That year, he had just finished his college entrance examination and was a freshman.

At nineteen, he was youthful and full of life.

As for why he was reborn, Lin Jichen thought hard.

If he wasn't mistaken, it had something to do with the Jade Pendant he snatched from the cave of the Illuminating Dragon.

Lin Jichen had just obtained the pendant when it disappeared, but in the second before his death, he vaguely remembered seeing it again, emitting a dazzling light.

Then, he found himself back ten years prior.

Lin Jichen pondered for a moment and remembered.

Before 'Tale of Immortal' merged with the real world, there had always been a rumor.

The strongest Exotic Beast in the Immortalization Realm, the Illuminating Dragon, possessed a Supreme God artifact called the Double Fish Pendant, which could comprehend the laws of heaven.

But no one had ever obtained it. After being framed, he accidentally fell into the Illuminating Dragon's cave.

The Jade Pendant he obtained was most likely the legendary Double Fish Pendant.

Unexpectedly, this legendary artifact granted him a chance to be reborn.

"Since heaven has spared me, Xu Zihui, Guo Jie, you treacherous pair! In this life, I will make you taste the pain of betrayal and utter despair!"

Lin Jichen stood in front of the dormitory mirror, looking at his reflection, his eyes flashing with a cold and bone-chilling chill.

Before his rebirth, he had experienced the most tragic and desperate time of his life.

His girlfriend of ten years, Guo Jie, betrayed him, getting together with his most trusted brother, Xu Zihui.

The two even conspired to swindle all his wealth, Immortal Pills, and Magic Treasures accumulated over ten years.

In the end, they tricked him into the abyss of the Illuminating Dragon to face certain death.

Even as Lin Jichen, the strongest practitioner of the Enlightenment Realm and the world's number one magic user, he couldn't withstand the terrifying Immortalization Realm Exotic Beast and was gravely wounded before barely escaping.

Due to his severe injuries and the lack of a cure, Lin Jichen soon passed away.

Reflecting on his past life, Lin Jichen realized he had lived a complete tragedy.

A good hand played terribly wrong.

He had so many better choices, so many people who truly cared for him.

But because of his stubbornness and misplaced confidence in his own judgment.

He pushed away the girl who truly cared for him, responding coldly, while he embraced the viper-hearted woman, yielding to her every whim.

Thinking about it, Lin Jichen found himself utterly ridiculous.

Heaven was kind to let him return to ten years ago, to the year 2040.

On August 8, 2040, a day that would change everything.

***

A virtual online game with a realism rate of 100%, named 'Tale of Immortal,' created by the universe-level artificial intelligence 'Nuwa,' emerged, drawing on the cultural backgrounds of many countries to craft this epoch-making first virtual game.

Everyone thought it was just a virtual game.

Until five years after the game's launch, strange things began to happen!

First, a few players discovered that abilities and Magic Treasures from the game could be brought into reality, and even the NPCs from the game could come to the real world.

Once this discovery was made public, humanity flocked to 'Tale of Immortal,' all to gain the various abilities, cultivation levels, Magic Treasures, Immortal Pills, Supernatural Powers, and so on from the game.

But with that came the various demons, villains, and massive Beast Tides from the game, descending upon reality.

Even the worlds within the game merged with reality.

It was this game that made Lin Jichen a practitioner of the Enlightenment Realm, that gave him everything, and also took everything away.

But now, everything was starting from scratch, starting anew.

Lin Jichen believed that with his ten years of knowledge about 'Tale of Immortal.'

He was well aware of the various Secret Realms, hidden quests, immortal caves, Divine Pets, and divine weapons.

With the skills he had honed over the past ten years, Lin Jichen was confident he could become the strongest cultivator in 'Tale of Immortal'!

The game had been running for ten years, but if you discount the time when the worlds merged, the actual game time was only five years.

And Lin Jichen had only played for four years.

He only came across the game in the second year after its public test, and he had a rough start, receiving a rather mediocre talent.

Despite that, he rose above it.

He caught up with most players and even made it into the top ten of the 'Tale of Immortal' leaderboard.

And now, the date was August 7, 2040.

The public test for 'Tale of Immortal' was tonight!

Lin Jichen tried to calm his breathing and contain his emotions, sweeping away the gloom of his previous life, and grinned at the mirror.

In this life, he would start over, seek revenge, and right wrongs!

In this life, he would make up for the regrets of his past life and compensate those he had let down.

In this life, he must not miss another year, wasting the most precious initial period of the game.

Even if his start was the same as his previous life, receiving only a mediocre talent.

Lin Jichen was still confident that with his knowledge of 'Tale of Immortal' and ten years of skill, he could leave everyone far behind and reach the pinnacle of the 'Tale of Immortal' world!

Ding-ding-dong-dong...

The phone rang again.

Lin Jichen picked up his Huawei Tianwen phone from ten years ago, and the caller ID displayed: "Miss Frenzy."

Seeing this name, Lin Jichen couldn't help but smile brightly and immediately answered the call.

"Little Lin! Why did you take so long to answer my call? Big news, you have to brace yourself!"

On the other end of the phone, a youthful female voice came through.

Lin Jichen didn't pay attention to the content, simply savoring the sound of the voice.

How long had it been since he heard this voice? A full ten years.

Yet it was still so familiar, so comforting.

"I'm sorry, Miss Frenzy," Lin Jichen suddenly whispered.

"Huh? Sorry for what?" The person on the other end clearly didn't catch on.

"Nothing, just felt like saying it."

Lin Jichen chuckled, casually brushing it off.

In his past life, he owed apologies to two girls, and Ren Lan was one of them.

Ten years ago, to the day, Ren Lan called me.

She said she saw Guo Jie kissing another guy on the street and then getting into his car.

Guo Jie was the girlfriend I met in college, and I loved her deeply, so I refused to believe Ren Lan's words.

Not only that, I even scolded Ren Lan for it.

We had a huge fight over it.

After that call, Ren Lan, who used to be so close to me, never sought me out again, and our friendship was broken.

Ren Lan had planned to stay at the university for her postgraduate entrance examination, but because of this incident, she gave up and transferred to a school in another city.

Since then, I never saw Ren Lan again, and, blinded by Guo Jie, all I wanted was to marry the woman I loved.

Little did I know, Guo Jie was not as simple as I thought.

To describe her with internet slang, she was an Angelic Bitch, and a high-level one at that.

She was even on par with that '65-page PPT girl'.

As a naive first-timer in love, I was easily played by her.

She deceived me for ten years, and in the end, she was even involved with my 'buddy' Xu Zikai.

For a whole decade, I was fooled by her appearance and acting skills.

Looking back now, I can't help but feel I was truly foolish.

"Hey, I don't have time for jokes. Brace yourself, I just saw Guo Jie kissing a guy on the street and she got into his sports car!" Ren Lan said earnestly.

"Oh, got it."

"Oh? Just an 'oh'? Come on, I'm not messing with you, it's true!"

Ren Lan was frantic, thinking I didn't believe her.

"I believe you," I said with a light chuckle. "But right now, I'd rather take you out for a meal. Are you free?"

"Buddy? Let's stay calm, don't do anything rash, okay? You've got me all confused."

Ren Lan was completely baffled, not understanding why I was so composed.

Of course, she knew how much I, the naive one, liked Guo Jie.

But now, with such shocking news, how could I remain indifferent?

"I'm not upset. Seriously, come down to my dorm building, I'll treat you to a meal, right now, immediately."

"Uh... okay, I'll feel better if I keep an eye on you. I'm on my way."

The call ended.

I immediately went downstairs.

***

I didn't have to wait long at the dorm building before a graceful figure appeared in my line of sight.

Ren Lan was tall, nearly 1.8 meters, just half a head shorter than me.

Her long, slender legs, like those of a walking model, were particularly eye-catching.

Dressed in sportswear, with a sports headband tied around her forehead.

Ren Lan's looks were natural and unpretentious, with a distinct Eastern charm.

Her features were delicate, and perhaps due to frequent sun exposure, her skin was a healthy light wheat color.

Her bare face needed no makeup or foundation to enhance it, and the vigor in her eyes and brows gave her a spirited air.

As she approached, passing male students all turned to look, exclaiming "goddess."

"I've done a good deed today, you've got to treat me to a feast. I want Teppanyaki!" Ren Lan said boldly as she approached me.

"No problem, eat your fill," I agreed without hesitation.

"Heh, that's my buddy, let's go!"

We headed straight to the nearby food street and sat down at Ren Lan's favorite Teppanyaki restaurant, facing each other.

"Little Lin, I really didn't lie to you. It all happened so fast, I just pulled out my phone to take a picture for evidence, but they left immediately. Otherwise, I would have proof."

As soon as Ren Lan sat down, she repeated the story to me.

I was busy looking at the menu, replying nonchalantly, "I said I believe you, so you don't need to give me evidence."

"So you're not going to react? You don't care?"

"Of course, I don't care anymore."

"Damn, you're not into some weird fetish, are you? Like getting a kick out of being cuckolded?" Ren Lan teased.

I scowled and said, "You're the one who likes being cuckolded. I mean, I don't care about Guo Jie anymore, that's all!"

Ren Lan was even more surprised, asking skeptically, "Did you already know?"

I shook my head with a wry smile, "Let's just put an end to this matter. My relationship with her is over too, so don't worry about me. I'm doing great."

"Wow, did you two break up?" Ren Lan's eyes widened.

"Yeah, for now, it's a unilateral decision on my part."

"Awesome, this is the first time I've seen you take such a stand. I thought you'd hang yourself on that crooked tree."

Ren Lan marveled, making me laugh and cry at the same time.

The food we ordered arrived quickly.

Looking at the long-missed food, I couldn't remember the last time I had grains.

As a practitioner in the Enlightenment Realm, I had long reached the state of Inedia.

Now, as an ordinary person, the smell of food made my stomach growl with hunger.

We began to tackle the food on the table.

Ren Lan chatted sporadically as she ate.

"I told you long ago, Guo Jie isn't a good girl. I have a sister who's her roommate, and she told me firsthand that Guo Jie has to say goodnight on the phone to seven or eight guys every night, and you're just one of them.

This woman is opportunistic, vain, and loves money. If it weren't for your looks as the Campus Idol, giving her face when she's out with you, she wouldn't even spare you a glance. And more..."

The more Ren Lan spoke, the more it hurt, so I quickly interjected:"Alright, big sis, I've turned over a new leaf and started anew. Can we not talk about the past embarrassments? Isn't there enough food here to shut you up?"

"Heh, where's that gonna get me? At most, I'll be six-tenths full. You know I work out every day, how else am I going to have the strength to pump iron?"

Ren Lan replied with a grin.

I immediately understood her hint and ordered several more dishes.

"By the way, Little Lin, have you heard of 'Tale of Immortal'?"

Ren Lan suddenly brought up the game, which wasn't surprising given that 'Tale of Immortal' ads were everywhere.

"Of course, I'm planning to enter the game as a professional player." I answered frankly.

I had to go back and reclaim everything that was mine!

"No way, for real?" Ren Lan was shocked.

"You, who ranked top ten in League of Legends Korean server and top hundred globally in CSGO, the king of holographic battle royale."

"You weren't willing to go pro back then, and now you're telling me you want to be a professional player in a new game?"

Ren Lan couldn't believe I wanted to be a professional gamer.

My gaming talent was exceptional, and I excelled at any game I played, including a certain company's holographic battle royale, cough cough.

Ren Lan also loved gaming.

That was why she enjoyed playing with me; we always won, and no matter how much she messed up, I could always turn the tide.

Riding on coattails wasn't shameful.

I appeared very calm.

"This game has a lot of potential. I suggest you also invest your energy into it. Forget the old games, they're just a waste of time."

As someone who had been reborn, I knew what 'Tale of Immortal' represented.

But I couldn't just come out and say it, because no one would believe it. All I could do was offer some advice.

"Ha, okay! But you have to lead me, my gaming talent is nowhere near yours." Ren Lan didn't doubt me, she simply wanted to play too.

Now she had an excuse to indulge in gaming, so she was more than willing.

"No problem, I'm planning to move out of the dorm in the next few days and rent a place to fully immerse myself in it."

"So you're not going to school anymore?"

"No, degrees and diplomas are useless to me now."

I spoke of dropping out so casually.

If I said this now, I'd surely be criticized for squandering my potential.

But once 'Tale of Immortal' was released, they'd see how wise I was.

"WOW, I've known you for so long, and today is the day I think you're the most badass!" Ren Lan chewed on her steak and gave me a thumbs up.

I handed her a glass of juice with a smile, fearing she might choke.

Sitting across from a dear friend unseen for a decade, Lin Jichen felt an unprecedented joy in his heart, being able to chat and laugh together once again.

There were no more misunderstandings between them; they were still good friends.

To make up for past misunderstandings, Lin Jichen ordered several more dishes.

They feasted until they could eat no more, only stopping when they were about to burst.

When it came time to pay, Lin Jichen took out his phone to settle the bill.

But upon opening his phone, he was stunned.

His WeChat and Alipay accounts were empty.

Even his credit was maxed out.

He would have liked to casually pull out a precious Spirit Stone or gold bars and gems from his Storage Ring to pay the bill.

But now, he had neither Spirit Stones nor a Storage Ring, only an equally empty wallet.

With no other choice, the Enlightenment Realm powerhouse Lin Jichen, cheeks flushed, had to ask Ren Lan for help.

In the end, under Ren Lan's murderous gaze, they paid the bill and left the restaurant.

"(╬◣д◢) Lin Jichen, you sly little man! You promised to treat me, and in the end, I had to pay. What a move, really impressive!"

Lin Jichen's face turned red, and he walked ahead, too ashamed to face her.

"Emm... There was an unexpected issue. I checked my account history, and my wallet was overdrawn yesterday."

Ren Lan pouted and mocked, "Who asked you to live beyond your means? You gave Guo Jie such an expensive birthday gift yesterday and insisted on ordering so much alcohol. Now you're struggling to pay for a meal, right?"

Lin Jichen scratched his head, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Why couldn't he have been reborn a day earlier? If he had, he wouldn't have done such a foolish thing.

He could have avoided a huge expense.

Now, with Ren Lan bringing it up, he really did have a headache; he was indeed out of money.

He had been planning to move out and rent a place, but with this turn of events, it seemed he could only stay in the dormitory.

Wait, that meant he couldn't buy the game ring either!

Damn it!

Lin Jichen suddenly remembered why he had only entered "Tale of Immortal" a year after its beta test.

All his money had been spent on Guo Jie, the gold-digger, leaving him nothing for the game ring.

The gifts Guo Jie demanded became more and more expensive, and his debts snowballed. That year, he was busy earning money to pay off debts.

Moreover, Lin Jichen's parents had passed away early, leaving him nothing but an old house.

With the support of relatives, Lin Jichen barely finished high school.

Although he had the scores to attend a top university, the lack of funds led him to choose Jiangling Normal University, which offered him a tuition waiver and a scholarship.

In college, he earned his living expenses by leveling up accounts for others at internet cafes and being a paid gaming companion.

Yesterday's birthday celebration for Guo Jie had drained all his savings.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated Lin Jichen became. Why couldn't he have been reborn a day earlier?〒▽〒~~

"Give me your phone," Ren Lan suddenly said.

Lin Jichen handed it over without thinking.

Ren Lan took out her own phone and, after a flurry of tapping, Lin Jichen heard the sound of a money transfer from his phone.

He immediately understood.

"This is several years' worth of my gym membership fees. Remember to pay me back early. If I can't go to the gym because of you, I'll use you as a sandbag for my workouts."

Ren Lan waved her fist, threatening him fiercely.

Lin Jichen took his phone back and softly said, "Don't worry, I'll pay you back on time."

"Forget it, I'm not in a hurry. I can work out at home. I'm tired of giving money to the gym anyway. Besides, every time I go, there's a bunch of guys hogging the equipment, and I have to wait in line. It's better to just train at home." Ren Lan pretended not to care.

But how could Lin Jichen not hear that she was trying to comfort him?

So he mischievously smiled and asked, "Forget the sandbag, why not treat me as balloon and pump me instead?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than his ear was pinched: "What did you say?"

Ren Lan's eyes were sharp, ready to throw Lin Jichen out at any moment.

Lin Jichen quickly backed down.

Damn, this woman dares to be so disrespectful to an Enlightenment Realm powerhouse! So presumptuous... Ouch, that hurts~

***

After seeing Ren Lan off, Lin Jichen immediately left the school to look for a place to live.

To make it convenient for Ren Lan to visit, he looked for housing near the school.

Finally, after careful selection, he chose a well-furnished two-bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood.

The rent was only 3,000 yuan a month, a friendly price for a neighborhood close to a transportation hub and with a good environment.

Lin Jichen had seen other, inferior apartments going for several times the price.

The apartment was temporarily managed by an agency for rental.

The landlord was away traveling and wouldn't be back for a few days, leaving them in full charge.

The agent repeatedly reminded Lin Jichen to keep the apartment clean and tidy, not to keep pets, and to limit occupancy to two people, as per the landlord's requirements.

The landlord would inspect the place periodically, and if dissatisfied, could terminate the contract unilaterally and evict him.

This strictness was why no one else had rented the place, but Lin Jichen didn't mind. He was somewhat of a neat freak and would definitely keep the place clean.

Plus, it was just him, and with Ren Lan, they met the conditions.

Even if the landlord inspected often, it was no big deal for him, a grown man.

Decisive in his actions, Lin Jichen signed the contract, got the keys by noon, and checked the utilities with the agent.

By the afternoon, he had moved out of the dormitory.

The dormitory housed four people, but the other three roommates always ganged up against Lin Jichen.

The reason, unclear even after ten years, seemed to be that one of the roommates had a crush on a girl who was interested in Lin Jichen.

So, they had a grudge against him, often targeting him with petty actions.

Lin Jichen had never gotten along with them and had even forgotten their names.

Now that he had moved out, both parties were more at ease.

After moving into the apartment, the first thing Lin Jichen did was order the "Tale of Immortal" game ring online for 5,999 yuan.

The game also offered gaming pods, but they were expensive, starting at fifty thousand yuan, which was beyond Lin Jichen's current means.

The order arrived in less than two hours, showcasing the game company's efficiency.

Holding the familiar game ring, Lin Jichen played with it for a while before setting it aside.

The game wasn't open for public testing yet, so he couldn't play even if he wanted to.

Taking advantage of the remaining time, Lin Jichen cooked himself a bowl of tomato and egg noodles, took a bath, and then checked the time.

It was almost here.

***

August 8, 2040, at 00:00:01, "Tale of Immortal" went live globally!

At that moment, countless players donned their rings and dove into the world of Tale of Immortal.

Lin Jichen was no exception. Lying in bed, he put on the ring, completed the iris scan to bind it, and then his entire being entered the virtual world, surrounded by a sea of stars and enveloped in celestial mist.

He stood within a grand and ancient palace.

Ten years later, he was back where the dream began.