Chapter 1

Lin Dong was stunned.

The reason was that upon waking up, he found an ancient and simple storage ring on his left middle finger.

This thing was something he had saved up enough spirit stones to exchange for during the third year of wandering in the cultivation world in his dream. He never expected that when he woke up, it would still be there, which was completely unscientific!

Hugging a pillow, Lin Dong desperately tried to recall everything from his dream, as if he had been bewitched.

No matter how he thought about it,

he just couldn't figure it out.

Actually, there was no need to dwell on this... Unscientific things happen all the time in the world, like toads being more accurate in predicting earthquakes than experts. But it's a fact, and the world is indeed that wondrous!

"The season of turning the tide has arrived. Ladies, I'm here. Rich daddies, get ready to feel the thrill of picking up the soap! Hahahaha!" After a moment of enlightenment, Lin Dong immediately jumped up, stood on the bed, put his hands on his hips, and laughed wildly, looking very much like a major villain from TV or movies. Lin Dong, who had struggled bitterly in the cultivation world, could now completely despise and crush everything in the mortal world.

If not for being destroyed by Fairy Ethereal's palm, Lin Dong could have transformed into a humanoid giant and taken on an entire army.

Sneaking into a forbidden area and peeking at another sect's supreme secret manual, getting killed instantly was quite normal.

Being able to return alive was already a stroke of luck.

Lin Dong wasn't angry at all.

Of course, the main reason he wasn't angry was that Fairy Ethereal was so beautiful that it was impossible to be angry...

"Strive hard, there will definitely be a chance to meet again." Lin Dong clenched his fists, a burning desire rising in his heart. Although this goal would probably take more than a hundred years to achieve.

Having a goal is always a good thing.

Without a goal, isn't life just like a dried fish?

"Let's eat first!" Cultivation could wait; the most pressing issue now was to eat.

Lin Dong, with a rumbling stomach, felt his pockets and found no money. After searching the entire house, he finally found a target under the bed—an old wallet that hadn't been used for a long time. Opening it, he found it was empty. Lin Dong had been in the cultivation world for ten years, long forgetting that he was once a poor student, even though this dream only lasted one night in the real world.

Damn!

This is too outrageous!

How can personal well-being still be such a serious issue? How can the experts who claim that the people have already moved from a well-off life to a prosperous one face this?

Standing in front of the ATM downstairs, Lin Dong tried to forgive himself, but when he saw the balance approaching zero, he immediately realized he didn't deserve forgiveness.

He must be punished!

Give himself a lesson with a profound impact...

"Five meat buns, five steamed buns, three baskets of small steamed buns, two plates of stir-fried noodles with meat and eggs, one congee, and two fried dough sticks..." Lin Dong ordered a large amount of food, determined to give himself an unforgettable lesson. The little sister who took his order initially didn't pay much attention, thinking he was taking it to go. But when she heard the order, she softly exclaimed, her voice as sweet as a bottle of Nongfu Spring water.

But when she brought the food to the table and saw Lin Dong eating the five meat buns with lightning speed, then reaching for the five large steamed buns, her eyes widened cutely.

Seeing Lin Dong devour the three baskets of small steamed buns and two plates of stir-fried noodles, and then eagerly pulling the hot congee to his side, she couldn't help but ask in a weak voice, "Sir, wait a moment, should I call 120 for you?"

"..." Lin Dong was drenched in sweat, thinking, aren't you in business? Are you afraid of big eaters?

"Choked?" The little sister looked at Lin Dong with fear, afraid he might collapse.

"Big man." Lin Dong shook his head to indicate he was fine.

He waved her away.

In the past, he definitely couldn't eat so much food at once, and even if he forced himself, he would probably burst. But after returning from the cultivation world, things were completely different.

Although his cultivation was destroyed, the mental strength he had honed over ten years in the dream was still there, and his realm hadn't dropped much.

Not to mention this much, even several times more,

it would be nothing.

Some cultivation experts could eat a whale, and while Lin Dong couldn't compare, eating ten or eight buns was still easy.

He remembered when he had mastered the Turtle-Snake Technique, he was full of confidence and went to challenge an old beggar. He thought he could eat a whole cow, but the old man ate nine cows and two tigers in one breath. If he had the ability, he might even eat a dragon. In the cultivation world, the size of one's appetite doesn't equal their ability, but those with great abilities can swallow mountains and drink seas easily.

Besides, a man must be tough on himself; otherwise, how can he give himself an unforgettable lesson?

Lin Dong wiped his mouth with a napkin, still feeling unsatisfied.

Unfortunately, he didn't have much money left.

Otherwise,

this punishment could have been a bit heavier.

"Are you really okay?" The cute little sister with a bit of baby fat on her face didn't believe it at all.

"Maybe I didn't eat last night!" Lin Dong had to find an excuse; scaring a child into a heart attack wouldn't be good. In fact, he could have this breakfast again.

"Oh, that's it." The little sister seemed to believe it.

"Right, by the way, can you pack twenty more steamed buns for me?" Lin Dong pulled out the only old bill from his wallet.

"You're really going to commit suicide! Dying from overeating is terrifying; I won't help you do such a scary thing!" The little sister was immediately frightened, putting her small hands in her mouth, almost crying.

"..." Lin Dong was speechless.

The twenty steamed buns were not packed successfully, and the lesson of punishing himself was impacted, failing to achieve the deepest and most profound impact. Well, there would be other opportunities. He let out a small burp, and now that he had returned from the dream with his cultivation destroyed, he finally had the time to think about his future.

Cultivation, starting over.

This was necessary.

Then, he would go to the cultivation world, find Fairy Ethereal, and tell her that cultivating alone was too slow, and it was more efficient to cultivate together... That was the whole plan.

Walking around the street, he found everything was the same, with no signs of the end of the world. His dream of crushing zombies on the street, rescuing girls, and occupying a villa seemed hopeless. But it was still good; after a trip to the cultivation world, his mindset had changed. Whether or not the end of the world came, he could easily turn the tide and win over rich and beautiful women without worrying about zombie evolution or food shortages.

"Let's forget it. If I can't be a savior, I'll just be a regular person. As long as I live a comfortable life, that's enough." Lin Dong had never had the resolve to be a hero in American TV shows; what was Spider-Man, and could he eat it?

Seeing all the girls on the street playing with their phones, Lin Dong remembered he had one too.

Back in his rented room, he found his phone was dead.

After charging it and turning it on, he saw numerous missed calls and messages. After thinking for a long time, Lin Dong recalled the memory from 'ten years ago.' It was now summer vacation, and he was working for a company. Two days before his dream journey to the cultivation world, he had a high fever and was bedridden, possibly dying from lack of care, which led to his穿越 (穿越 means "穿越" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越" in English, but in this context, it means "time travel" or "transportation to another world"). After wandering in the cultivation world for ten years, he was accidentally sent back by Fairy Ethereal's palm.

In other words, he needed to go to work today, and the reason for so many missed calls was that he had been absent for three days.

Go to work? I'm a diligent cultivator now.

Although he decided not to go to work, he still needed to make a call.

One must start and finish things.

"Ah, is this Brother Jian? I want to ask, has Manager Huang said anything these days?" Lin Dong searched for a long time to find the number.

This 'Brother Jian' was named Shi Jian, a colleague and senior.

After joining the company, Senior Shi was quite enthusiastic, especially when the old Lin Dong treated him to drinks, and when they were red-faced and hot-eared, Senior Shi would bang the table and say, "We are brothers, closer than blood." Of course, these words couldn't be taken seriously, but now was the time to test his character. Lin Dong had treated Senior Shi to meals and saunas, and if Senior Shi still had some integrity, he might find an excuse to cover for Lin Dong.

If he could help take a leave, that would be a true friend!

The previous treatment would have been worth it.

So, Lin Dong, pretending to be naive, called Senior Shi to test him.

But as soon as the call connected, Senior Shi harshly criticized Lin Dong, speaking in a big brother tone, "It's you, Xiao Lin! I've been looking for you. I've called you so many times, but you didn't answer... Why didn't you take a leave when you didn't come to work?"

"Company?" Lin Dong almost couldn't find a chance to speak.

"The work, I've been carrying it all alone. It's been tough!" Senior Shi spoke with a sense of righteousness.

"Work?" Before Lin Dong could finish, his previous fantasy was shattered by Senior Shi's words, "Don't even mention the work. You don't know, Huang the Skinflint is really angry. He threatened to kill you, cut off your limbs for a snack, and dry your head to put it at the company entrance as a specimen. I think you shouldn't come back to the company. You should go abroad to avoid the wind."

If Lin Dong were still the old him, he would have believed Senior Shi's care.

He might have been deeply moved.

And might have treated him to a meal again.

The truth was, Senior Shi, seeing Lin Dong not coming to work and the company having a major project with a shortage of people, had his girlfriend quit her job and take Lin Dong's position. As for Manager Huang, who Senior Shi described as similar to an African cannibal chief, he thought Lin Dong had found a better job elsewhere and was very regretful about the loss of talent.

Senior Shi's acting was quite good.

If he were to act in a drama, tearing apart Japanese soldiers would be no problem.

But now, Lin Dong, who knew the 'Sound Insight Technique,' couldn't be fooled like before.

However, Lin Dong wasn't a good person either. Knowing it was fake, he still showed a naive and sincere gratitude to the very loyal Senior Shi, "Oh, I'm sorry, Brother Jian, for involving you. When I have time, I'll definitely treat you to a drink."

Senior Shi laughed heartily, "No problem, it's what brothers do, it's what brothers do!"

He didn't say the next part.

Brothers can stick together, but for a woman, he can stab a brother twice.

If it were the old him, losing his job would have been regretful. Although the job was tiring and the salary was low, summer jobs were hard to find, and jobs where one could learn something were even rarer. He had worked hard to find this job, and now it was gone, which was a bit...

But the Lin Dong who had returned from the cultivation world naturally wouldn't waste his time in such a place. Being a diligent cultivator was the right path.

The conversation with the hypocrite ended.

Lin Dong, resting his chin in his hand, began to think about life.

"Hmm, I need to find a way to make some money. I'm a man who wants to become the Pirate King... Having a grand feast on the Grand Line, swimming in the R Sea of the human paradise, and making one goddess after another bow and lick my feet, this is the true meaning and pursuit of life!" The poor student Lin Dong decided to start an unprecedented turning-the-tide plan from today.

What?

Can't a poor person turn the tide?

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New book uploaded, wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

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