Chapter 1

At Fengling Ferry.

It was early February, and the weather had been fluctuating between cold and warm in recent days. The Yellow River had just thawed, but on this day, a north wind blew, bringing snow, and the river froze over again. With the water too dangerous for boats and the ice too thin for carts, many travelers heading south were stranded at Fengling Ferry, unable to continue their journey.

Although there were a few inns at Fengling Ferry, the influx of travelers from the north was constant. In less than half a day, all the rooms were filled, leaving no place for the latecomers to stay.

The largest inn in town was called "An Du Lao Dian," which meant "Safe Passage Inn." The inn had spacious guest rooms, and those who couldn't find a place elsewhere all flocked here, making it even more crowded. The innkeeper, using all his persuasive skills, managed to cram three or four people into each room. The remaining twenty or so people had no choice but to gather in the main hall.

Under the innkeeper's direction, the servants moved the tables and chairs and built a large fire in the hall. Outside, the north wind howled, and the cold, snow-laden air seeped through the cracks in the door, causing the fire to flicker. The travelers, seeing that they would likely be delayed further, wore expressions of worry.

However, no one noticed that in a dimly lit corner of the main hall, a faint, shimmering light was intermittently visible, enveloping a small area. On the cold floor, a young man of about twenty lay unconscious.

"Has the game already started?" Jiang Chen woke from his stupor, his mind buzzing with fragmented, grayish memories that quickly pieced together. He instinctively raised his left hand and saw a silver wristwatch that appeared and disappeared, which brought a bitter smile to his face.

Reincarnation, that was the name of the silver wristwatch!

Perhaps this was just a game, but it could also be a life-or-death competition. How it appeared was unknown, perhaps a divine blessing, but more likely a demonic prank. In any case, he was now a player in this game.

Retreat? Impossible! Because Jiang Chen had no way out. Before he entered this game, he was already dead!

Yes, he was dead, having died while saving someone. On a busy street, he saved a seven-year-old girl from a speeding luxury car, which hit him and killed him instantly!

The Buddha says, "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda!"

Jiang Chen didn't get a pagoda, nor did he know what it looked like. However, when he died, he realized that his consciousness did not vanish but continued to exist in another form. This confirmed for him that humans truly have souls.

He was relieved. Since souls exist, reincarnation must be possible. So, he eagerly waited for the underworld officials to take him to be reincarnated. After all, he died saving someone; he didn't expect to become a god or a Buddha, but at least he hoped for a good rebirth, to enjoy a life of luxury. Was that too much to ask?

But he waited for a long time, and no one came to take him. Instead, his soul gradually became lighter, and with the wind, he began to drift aimlessly. As time passed, his consciousness became increasingly hazy, and eventually, he knew nothing.

In this state, he drifted for an unknown amount of time until he faintly saw a purple light ahead. He instinctively drifted toward it and, as he got closer, saw that it was a path made of purple light.

The dazzling purple light and the magnificent path exuded an indescribable allure. In his hazy state, Jiang Chen couldn't resist and stepped onto the radiant path.

Step by step, he moved forward. The purple light under his feet gradually merged with his soul. He lost track of time until he reached the end of the path. As the last bit of purple light merged with his soul, a silver beam of light struck him, and the intense shock brought him back to full consciousness.

Opening his eyes, he saw a space on the verge of complete collapse.

Ruin! Ruin! These were the only words that came to mind, as nothing else could describe the desolate wasteland before him.

The space was vast and desolate, with colorful, chaotic gases surging everywhere. The ground was riddled with cracks and massive craters, emitting thick plumes of smoke that formed towering black columns reaching into the sky.

The smoke columns stirred the chaotic gases above, which varied in color and size. The largest were several miles wide, like evening clouds, while the smallest were only a few feet long, like thin veils. Regardless of size, they were all strikingly beautiful.

The chaotic gases were extremely turbulent, creating a sense of restlessness, as if the slightest touch could enrage them.

Above, through the chaotic gases, he could see enormous spatial rifts stretching for thousands of feet, like black dragons twisting and winding in the sky, as if they had torn the heavens apart.

From these rifts, endless chaotic gases surged, either swallowing or spewing out, with the power to shake the heavens. Despite the great distance, Jiang Chen could still feel their terrifying force, which was unimaginable.

"Where am I?" Jiang Chen was stunned, but then he felt something strange. Despite being dead for a long time, he suddenly felt the presence of his body again.

"Could I have been reincarnated? But that's not right! In legends, reincarnation involves drinking the River Styx to forget the past life. Could the River Styx be on vacation or something?"

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Jiang Chen examined himself. He was shocked to find that his body was not that of a newborn but a young man of about twenty, wearing coarse cloth clothing that looked like ancient attire. However, he also had a modern-looking silver wristwatch on his wrist, which made the whole situation seem very strange.

Everything was unfamiliar to Jiang Chen, and suddenly, the words "borrowed body, returned soul" popped into his mind.

Although he wasn't a hardcore fan of fantasy novels, he had read many, and as a Chinese person, he had heard many stories about ghosts and spirits. Throughout history, there were countless such bizarre tales, but like most people, he had always dismissed them with a smile. He never expected that such a situation would happen to him.

After a long while, Jiang Chen finally regained his composure, took a deep breath, and sighed, "Borrowed body, returned soul, perhaps this is heaven's way of giving me a second chance for saving someone's life!"

However, before he could finish his sigh, the space around him began to shake violently. A massive circular stone archway rose from the ground, covered in strange patterns that seemed both man-made and natural, emitting a faint glow, mysterious and inexplicable.

Jiang Chen was momentarily stunned. Before he could react, his silver wristwatch suddenly vibrated, and a point of purple light appeared. A torrent of information surged into his mind:

"Welcome to the Reincarnation Realm, favored player of the Reincarnation. The Reincarnation Gate is about to open!"

What does this mean? In the midst of intense pain, Jiang Chen's face was full of confusion. Then, the corresponding information appeared in his mind:

"This is a realm connected to all the worlds, a game of reincarnation that transcends gods and demons. If a drifting soul is favored by the Reincarnation, it can enter the Reincarnation Realm and open the Reincarnation Gate, participating in this game. Whether you successfully embark on the path of rebirth and transcend the worlds, or fail and die again, falling into the suffering of hell, it all depends on your own effort and luck!"

"Please prepare, the game has begun!"

Before his eyes, the massive archway glowed, and a strong light formed a huge vortex in the doorway. Jiang Chen had no time to react as he was sucked into it. His vision was filled with endless purple light, and his consciousness gradually faded until he was completely submerged.