Chapter 1

"Wei Zhengyang, you beast, I won’t let you off even if I become a ghost!"

Accompanied by his hoarse shout, Ding Jilin suddenly sat up in bed, drenched in sweat, his handsome face twisted with a fierce expression.

"Huh? How did I...?"

He gently lowered his head, feeling as if he had just woken from a long sleep. In his previous life, wasn’t he supposed to have been stabbed in the heart by Wei Zhengyang’s dagger and fallen off a cliff?

How could he not be dead...

Could it be that he had been reborn?

He looked around the room, which was very familiar. It was the employee dormitory where he worked at ECG. Could it be that everything that happened before was just a dream?

He hurriedly grabbed his phone and saw that it was October 18, 2025. Yes, on this day, *Tianxia* hadn’t launched yet. He really had been reborn!

"Phew..."

Ding Jilin took a deep breath, jumped out of bed with excitement, and rushed to the bathroom. Looking at himself in the mirror, he felt as if he had traveled through time. He had really come back, one year ago!

He quickly organized his thoughts.

Yes, three days before *Tianxia* launched, Wei Zhengyang found him and signed a contract for him to continue working for the Guanghan Group on the *Tianxia* project. It was this contract that led to his and Lin Xixi’s tragic deaths.

...

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A knock came from outside, and the voice belonged to Wei Zhengyang. "Ding Jilin, are you there? I’ve brought the contract."

He pushed the door open and laughed. "I knew you’d be slacking off in the dorm. Come on, sign the contract first, and then we’ll go out for a drink tonight to clear the bad luck and start fresh. We’re about to enter *Tianxia*, and a great future awaits us!"

In his previous life, Wei Zhengyang was the executive president of the Guanghan Group and the backer of the ECG club.

Ding Jilin, on the other hand, was a star player known as a "prodigy" and a "god-level mid-laner." Under his leadership, the club made it to the global finals.

Unfortunately, before the finals, Ding Jilin was in a car accident and injured his right hand, making it impossible for him to operate the mouse with the required dexterity. As a result, they lost the global finals.

After that, Ding Jilin was sidelined and could no longer compete, only managing to become an "assistant coach," a rather bleak outcome.

But Wei Zhengyang saw the value in Ding Jilin’s gaming talent. *Tianxia* had a simulation rate of over 50%, relying more on brainpower than just hand speed. So, in Wei Zhengyang’s eyes, Ding Jilin still had some value.

It was this "value" that led to Ding Jilin’s downfall.

After *Tianxia* launched, Ding Jilin joined Wei Zhengyang’s Guanghan Palace guild, using the ID "Baiyi Qingxiang" to lead the guild to the top of the national server.

He even became one of the four sword gods in the national server, known as "Baiyi Sword God." At the same time, he obtained a key to an "Overgod-level" treasure chest, which ultimately led to his downfall.

Because of this key, Wei Zhengyang betrayed Ding Jilin, killing him during a team-building trip. He then stole the valuable key using Ding Jilin’s account and became the new Baiyi Sword God.

Now, the deadly contract was right in front of him.

Ding Jilin’s anger burned fiercely, and he wanted nothing more than to grab the kitchen knife and cut Wei Zhengyang’s head off.

But that would be unwise. Wei Zhengyang had two bodyguards, and even if he managed to kill him, he would face legal consequences.

He frowned. Of course, he had to take revenge, not just on Wei Zhengyang but also on the high-ups at the Guanghan Group and the Wei family, including his parents, who were as venomous as scorpions!

In this life, if even a mosquito from the Wei family survived, he, Ding Jilin, would consider himself a failure!

...

"Old Wei!"

Ding Jilin coughed, rubbing his right wrist, and smiled. "My hand is no longer useful. I can’t even operate the *Tianxia* holographic keyboard, let alone pick up chopsticks without shaking. I’ve become a burden to the club, and I’ve lost my passion. I think it’s best to let it go..."

"Huh?"

Wei Zhengyang was surprised. "You... You really want to leave ECG?"

"Yep."

Ding Jilin nodded, his gaze resolute. "I’m feeling quite disheartened. I need some time to myself. Don’t try to stop me; I’ve made up my mind."

"Is that so..."

Wei Zhengyang frowned. "It seems you’ve really made up your mind. If that’s the case, I won’t force you. We’ll meet again someday, right?"

"Right."

Ding Jilin smiled brightly. "Who knows, maybe I’ll come back to ECG one day."

*When I come back, I’ll take your life!*

He didn’t say the last part out loud.

"Alright!" Wei Zhengyang agreed readily.

He was naturally pleased. In ECG, Ding Jilin had always been a thorn in Wei Zhengyang’s side, all because of Lin Xixi.

Lin Xixi was the executive vice president of the Guanghan Group and Wei Zhengyang’s right-hand woman, a stunning beauty. But she was also Ding Jilin’s senior and had a very close relationship with him. Wei Zhengyang could see that Lin Xixi deeply loved Ding Jilin.

In his previous life, Lin Xixi was killed while trying to save Ding Jilin.

Now, with Ding Jilin leaving, Wei Zhengyang was more than happy. Ding Jilin’s departure would give him more "alone time" with Lin Xixi. With both emotional and financial pressure, how could she resist?

She would eventually become his plaything.

"Want a farewell party?" Wei Zhengyang asked.

"No need."

Ding Jilin smiled, shook his head, and picked up his backpack, tucking his keyboard under his arm. "My contract was already up, and I’m leaving on good terms with the company. I’ll see you around."

"Okay, take care!"

Wei Zhengyang smiled and watched Ding Jilin leave.

...

Downstairs, the autumn wind was chilly.

The early autumn evening breeze was unusually cold. Ding Jilin, wearing an ECG jacket, stood by the roadside with his backpack and keyboard, waiting for a ride.

At that moment, a pure white two-door sports car, a Panamera, drove up and slowly stopped near Ding Jilin. The door opened, and a slender, smooth leg stepped out, followed by the owner.

She wore a black and white professional skirt suit, a designer windbreaker, and had a face that could topple cities and a figure that was both graceful and alluring—a true beauty.

It was Lin Xixi, the vice president of the Guanghan Group and one of the key figures who had invited Ding Jilin to join ECG.

In ECG, Lin Xixi and Ding Jilin had the best relationship. She was not only his superior but also his "senior" from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

They had been close friends since their college days, often hanging out at internet cafes and playing together after class. Unfortunately, their friendship never blossomed into romance.

"Ding Jilin!"

Lin Xixi quickly approached him.

Looking at her beautiful face, Ding Jilin felt a moment of dizziness. In his last memory, Wei Zhengyang’s bodyguard had held up Lin Xixi’s bloody head in front of him, her face covered in blood, her beautiful eyes losing their light.

She had been killed trying to save him.

"Any woman I can’t have, I’ll destroy!"

Wei Zhengyang’s hysterical voice still echoed in his ears.

So, seeing Lin Xixi’s face again, Ding Jilin felt a sharp pain in his heart. Since he had been reborn, he would not let her be harmed in this life!

"Did you hear that you’re leaving on good terms?"

Lin Xixi frowned, looking upset. "Why didn’t you consult me?"

Ding Jilin stepped forward and hugged Lin Xixi, gently stroking her hair. After the long sleep, he had missed her so much.

But he only hugged her for a second before letting go.

"You..."

Lin Xixi, who usually saw Ding Jilin as a wooden block, blushed and her face turned red.

"I’m really leaving."

Ding Jilin whispered in her ear, "Senior, listen to me. Stay away from Wei Zhengyang as much as possible. Find a chance to leave the company and keep your distance from him."

"Huh?"

Lin Xixi looked confused.

"Just trust me," Ding Jilin said, looking deeply into her eyes. "Believe me, I won’t harm you."

"Okay..."

Lin Xixi nodded lightly. "I’ll listen to you. By the way, *Tianxia* is about to launch. Shen Bingyue and I decided to start our own guild outside of ECG. Do you want to join us?"

"Not for now."

Ding Jilin turned and waved goodbye. "I’m leaving now. Stay in touch."

"You brat!"

Lin Xixi gritted her teeth, stomping her foot. Her heart was in turmoil. This guy was acting so intimate and then so distant. Was he on the wrong medication?

...

Ding Jilin got into the car and watched Lin Xixi’s figure disappear in the rearview mirror.

He turned his face, feeling a sense of relief. Since he had been reborn, by leaving ECG at this moment, he had broken the original timeline. This should affect the final outcome, right?

Rationally, the reason Wei Zhengyang killed Lin Xixi in his previous life was largely because of him. So, by keeping his distance from Lin Xixi in this life, he could protect her to some extent.

After all, in today’s society, a person wouldn’t go to such extremes unless they were completely insane.

His next step was to become stronger, using *Tianxia* to turn his life around and take revenge on the Wei family and the Guanghan Group!

He had many advantages.

For example, the techniques he developed in the game in his previous life.

And which bosses would drop the best items.

He also knew more about hidden classes than others.

Light Sword Saint, God Slayer Knight, Divine Mage, Shadow Assassin, and more, he had some knowledge of them all.

He also knew the game’s layout, which NPCs would trigger which quests, and which quests had the best rewards.

All of this, if he wanted, he could use to his advantage.

Ding Jilin’s gaming talent was extraordinary. In his previous life, he was already one of the four sword gods in the national server. In this life, he would do even better.