Chapter 1

Zhou Yi was born in 2196 in the Bai Lu District 6 of the southeastern part of the Union. It had been eight years since Bai Lu District was designated as a civilian area in the regional division. Growing up breathing the stale air of Bai Lu District, Zhou Yi often wandered around the Hongye Bridge as a child, standing at the only exit of Bai Lu District, gazing at the distant commercial streets and wealthy neighborhoods, filled with longing for material wealth and a better life. Many other children joined him, for things that looked beautiful always seemed desirable.

In the summer of 2215, Zhou Yi, with 200 yuan in his pocket, bid farewell to Bai Lu District, crossed the Hongye Bridge, and stood on the street of the commercial district. The commercial street of Fengye District left him spellbound and reluctant to leave. Soon after, Zhou Yi started working at a game studio run by an acquaintance. Initially, he just wanted to earn a living, but when he entered the virtual world developed by the Union government, he discovered for the first time how beautiful the virtual ancient world could be. The magnificent scenery made him realize the importance of the Union's virtual development project and why so many young people from Bai Lu District were willing to devote themselves to the virtual industry without hesitation.

The virtual project was called "Pianan," a game that integrated ancient historical figures and various mythological and supernatural stories.

In the days that followed, Zhou Yi worked hard in this vast virtual world, stumbling along with the studio. He finally figured out how to make money, and his continuous progress gradually made him well-known. He did quite well for himself. After understanding the entire operation, he used his accumulated connections and funds to establish his own studio team, securing a steady and substantial income. In "Pianan," he gained various major resources, and his strength soared. In the martial cultivation path, Zhou Yi was the third player to reach the "Fleshly Body Ascension" realm. His game experience included staying at the Tai Shan Imperial Temple, working under the Second Lord of Guanjiang, serving in the Thunder Department of the Heavenly Court, and finally joining the Eastern Supreme Green Emperor, taking on a divine position in the Heavenly Court. With the Eight-Nine Mystic Art and the Heavenly Thunder Righteous Law, he became a prominent figure, and even the strongest few would have to carefully consider before taking action against him.

Success brought ambition, and perhaps Zhou Yi was too confident. He never thought he was inferior to those from prominent families. That year, his plan was to create a new cultivator character and pursue a beautiful woman from high society. However, when he actually pursued a young lady from a prominent family, he ended up clashing with the son of the Hongye Group. After a tumultuous six months, the plan to create a new cultivator character was long forgotten, and his hard-earned virtual industry was dragged down. The studio was forced to dissolve, and his most trusted assistant betrayed him at the most critical moment. If this was the price of growth, Zhou Yi couldn't afford it. He could bear his own loss, but he couldn't face the young people from Bai Lu District who had come to seek his help. In times of adversity, there are always those who will kick you when you're down. This is life. At the center of the storm, the philosophy graduate from a prominent family calmly told him an age-old truth: "Equal status."

These four words were enough to explain the situation.

One afternoon, Zhou Yi called a few friends who still had a good relationship with him in the game, found new studios for the dozen or so new members who insisted on staying, and then calmly watched as the machine workers emptied the entire floor. He followed the last virtual game pod down the stairs and hailed a taxi.

"Sir, where are you going?"

The intelligent driver asked politely.

"Bai Lu District 6."

Zhou Yi answered expressionlessly, already getting into the car.

"Sorry, sir, the taxis in this area don't have navigation for Bai Lu District."

The robot still answered politely. Zhou Yi shook his head and said calmly, "I know your cars don't go to Bai Lu District. Just take me across the Hongye Bridge..."

"Please fasten your seatbelt..."

As the taxi started, Zhou Yi slumped in the back seat, taking out some documents from his bag to check. The last game data appeared before his eyes:

Character Name: Zhou Yi

Cultivation Realm: Level 311 [Fleshly Body Ascension]

Faction: Martial Cultivator [Secular]

Lineage: Grand Supreme Green Emperor of the Eastern Supreme Palace

Nine Heavens Thunder Deity

Second Lord of Guanjiang, True Lord of Guanjiang

Cultivation Techniques: "Eight-Nine Mystic Art," "Great Compassion Sutra of the Supreme Green Emperor," "Supreme Nine Heavens Jade Clear Thunder Scripture"

...

The taxi drove onto the Hongye Bridge. Thinking about it, this bridge connecting the poor and rich districts was built by the Hongye Group. In a way, everything Zhou Yi had once had was given by the Hongye Group. He opened the window and threw all the documents he had on him out. In this era of resource scarcity, the white pages flew in the air above the Hongye Bridge.

"Aren't you the one who said everything I have is from you? Now I'm alone, I have nothing to lose, and I don't owe you anything!"

Zhou Yi felt a great weight lifted, and he laughed to himself, completely ignoring the beeping alarm from the intelligent driver. The next second, the tires screeched as the car crashed into the bridge's railing and rolled off the bridge...

Beep, beep, beep...

The sound was much quieter, like an alarm clock. This familiar feeling made him stretch, and suddenly he realized something. Zhou Yi opened his eyes wide and sat up abruptly, looking at the digital clock on the bedside table.

2213, August 29, 11:30 AM

Zhou Yi touched his face, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. Thinking about it, his life experiences seemed like a dream, but this dream was too vivid. He tried to recall, but his mind was a mess. He clearly remembered falling into the river with the taxi, and the date was October 14, 2223. How could he have gone back ten years?

The messy room, the cactus on the windowsill, the old desk, the clothes thrown around, the dumbbells under the table, and the faint stale smell from outside the window—all of it felt familiar. Zhou Yi got dressed and walked out of the bedroom. The narrow living room was clean, the bathroom window was wide open, and the mop was hanging on it. In the kitchen, his mother was busy cutting vegetables. Hearing the noise in the living room, she said without turning around:

"All you do is sleep, lying there until 12! Look at Xue Mei's son, he's younger than you and already working to earn money..."

Hearing his mother's nagging as soon as he woke up, Zhou Yi felt a strange sense of warmth and a deep sense of guilt for being away from home for so long. After a while, his mother called him to take the money on the table and go buy some vinegar.

Looking at the few coins on the table, a distant memory came back. He suddenly remembered a time when he stayed up all night playing until 3 or 4 AM, set the alarm for 11:30 AM, and was scolded by his mother when he woke up. His father, who taught at a middle school in District 12, wasn't home, and his mother sent him to buy vinegar. Life is full of small, insignificant moments that are stored in the memory album, only to be recalled when memory overlaps with reality.

"Those experiences were real..."

Putting on his shoes and stepping out, Zhou Yi walked down the street, breathing in the familiar air. The gloomy sky, the trash on the street, and the stone bricks under his feet—all of it felt like a dream.

This feeling of returning home was unmistakable. Zhou Yi walked down the narrow street, greeting the uncles and aunts he knew. The jumbled timeline and similar scenes made him feel a mix of emotions.

This was a different, more backward area compared to the other side of the Hongye Bridge. In the resource-scarce modern era, every bit of natural resource was a luxury. The environment in Bai Lu District was terrible, but Zhou Yi walked aimlessly, taking in every detail. Even the dirt and disorder were precious, filled with childhood memories.

That dream was real, and now Zhou Yi was back ten years ago. He had to make a choice: to follow the same path, cross the Hongye Bridge in a few years, or stay in this place that raised him, as in the dream.

But the choice was no longer a problem. As he walked aimlessly, he could already see the Hongye Bridge. Standing on the street in District 1, the gloomy sky and dirty streets didn't affect his mood or his decision.

He still wanted to strive, and every young person should strive. But if he could strive in the virtual industry he knew so well, did it matter whether he crossed the Hongye Bridge or not?

He had always wanted to create a cultivator character, but the turmoil had prevented him from doing so. Now, free from everything, he could finally follow his original plan. Staying in Bai Lu District, what was wrong with that?

The smell of the river came from the dock in District 1. Zhou Yi looked at the other end of the bridge, where the buildings bathed in the pale sunlight looked beautiful, and the flowers and willows by the river were enchanting.

No matter how beautiful the scenery, Zhou Yi was no longer attached. He realized that his "other shore" was not on the other side of the bridge but under his feet. The plan to create a cultivator character had been planned for half a year. If he implemented it now, with his abilities, he could achieve great things.

Standing by the river, Zhou Yi looked back at the impoverished Bai Lu District, feeling a sense of resolve: The Hongye Bridge was the path to the outside world. If he had the strength to change the entire Bai Lu District, what would he do?

He had already passed his 17th birthday and was legally an adult according to Union law. It was time to take responsibility.

His gaze fell on a small supermarket, where a large poster was displayed. The poster showed a mountain and sea, with a sword light disappearing into the clouds, representing the virtual world created by the Union, a world filled with ancient legends. The title of the poster caught his eye: "Pianan—The Chronicles of the Nine Provinces."

"The Chronicles of the Nine Provinces? It's 2213 now. If I remember correctly, the Pianan world just ended its testing phase and started operations. But the first chapter... wasn't it supposed to be called 'The Chronicles of the Nine Provinces and Demons'?"

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