Chapter Five: Leaving the Valley, Entering the World

Ten thousand years—a span of time almost unfathomable in its vastness.

Xu Zhe had never imagined he would recover his own flesh and blood. He could barely recall, but ten thousand years ago, their graduation trip ended in a plane crash, and only a hundred of them survived, stranded on a deserted island. In the end, searching for Wang Xinran led them all underground, where they fell into sleep pods and lost consciousness.

When Xu Zhe next opened his eyes, he found himself in the body of an infant, mere months old. It took him a long time to understand that he had crossed into another world, that his soul had transmigrated into the body of the scion of a supreme immortal clan in the Heavenly Domain.

Yes, a true scion of the immortals.

For his "father" was an Immortal Emperor, ruler of his own realm, acclaimed as the First Emperor under the Heavens, unmatched and peerless—until he died. It was as abrupt and as strange as that.

The mighty Immortal Emperor had perished on the eve of Xu Zhe’s arrival.

Fortunately, Xu Zhe never suffered vengeance at the hands of enemies. From beginning to end, he was cherished like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, nurtured with the finest treasures of heaven and earth. Over ten thousand years, the imperial clan raised him to be the new Immortal Emperor.

And then he too died.

Thus came to pass the scene of today, as his soul returned to his body.

"Ten thousand years—it seems a dream, yet when I look back, every detail remains vivid." Xu Zhe’s heart was filled with emotion as he recalled it all.

To tell the truth, those ten thousand years passed in something of a haze. Most of his time was spent in forced seclusion. Among all the imperial clan, only he had the potential to become Immortal Emperor; he was the last, best hope. The family watched his cultivation with relentless attention. When he met a bottleneck, he was made to read—the scriptures, the commentaries, the records of his predecessors.

If one were to divide the ten millennia, six thousand years were spent in cultivation, the other four thousand in study.

Cultivation was dull, but reading brought joy. The only thing the two pursuits shared was that, once immersed, time flew by at a dizzying pace.

Ten thousand years—a span so long, yet it seemed as brief as a dream, gone in the blink of an eye.

"Young Master Xu."

"Xu the Prodigy."

Voices echoed from the ridge above, snapping Xu Zhe out of his reverie.

He gathered his thoughts, feeling a bit disoriented.

Xu the Prodigy?

When did I become a prodigy? In my last life, people called me the son of the Immortal Emperor, and later, Xu the Celestial Emperor.

Ah, that’s right—I remember them saying something just now. All one hundred of us from back then are considered prodigies?

"Every century for ten thousand years, one awakens. Am I the last?"

Piecing together what he’d overheard, Xu Zhe was astonished.

How had his body endured ten thousand years? Was it all thanks to the sleep pod?

"But then again, this land—Eastern Qian Province, Western Kun Province, Southern Tian Province, Northern Di Province…"

Xu Zhe gazed at the sky and muttered, "So this isn’t the Heavenly Domain. No wonder I could find no trace of Li Chungang and the others in my last life. I don’t even know what sky this land lies under, and the spiritual energy here is astonishingly thin."

Xu Zhe began to look around. So many questions, but there was no rush. He would just seek out an old classmate—or anyone who could answer his questions.

He soon realized that many people had gathered to witness his awakening, but none of his old classmates were among them.

Were they all so busy?

No, wait—why were there so few people on the ridge now? They left as soon as I woke up, and almost all of them were men...

He understood at once.

Xu Zhe touched his face with a sigh of resignation.

"Xu the Prodigy, why not come up? If you have any questions, we can answer them," called a young man in blue, pointing the way.

Xu Zhe turned to look. There was a stone stairway, clearly hand-hewn and roughly paved with slabs, weathered and ancient.

"That’s the Mortal Path Stairway. The first generation of prodigies built it a thousand centuries ago, and all who awaken walk this path out," someone explained.

"Who was the first to awaken?" Xu Zhe asked.

This was his first conversation since waking.

The crowd on the ridge was taken aback; it was the first time they’d heard his voice.

Handsome enough, but his voice too? It was almost unfair. Well, at least his bloodline and talent were unremarkable—there, balance restored.

"The first to awaken was the Saintess of the Lingxiu Sanctuary—Wang Xinran. But she vanished over three thousand years ago," someone replied.

Wang Xinran?

Xu Zhe was stunned. Disappeared again?

That classmate of his was truly something.

He shook his head, pushed himself up with both hands, and leapt nimbly from the sleep pod. Landing steadily, he strode toward the weathered stairway.

But as he stepped onto the first stone, he noticed several lines carved into the steps.

"Li Chungang was here."

A little further down, in a different hand: "Idiot Li Chungang, leaving his name here to be trampled. I, Wang Jianguo, would never do such a thing."

Those two idiots!

Xu Zhe couldn’t help but laugh. He bent down, took up a pebble, and seemed about to carve something of his own.

But after a long pause, he looked up at the unfamiliar faces on the ridge, smiled again, and tossed the stone aside. He wrote nothing.

With everyone watching, he climbed the stairway, step by step.

"Eh…"

At the last step, Xu Zhe discovered a barrier spanning the valley, enclosing its heart.

No wonder everyone stood above and never descended. His body had lain undisturbed for ten thousand years, likely thanks to this shield.

And this valley itself… something about it felt extraordinary.

With that thought, Xu Zhe stepped through the barrier.

At once, the crowd gathered close. Some faces were all warmth and smiles; others were cold or hesitant, as if weighing their options.

An elder, respectful in demeanor, approached Xu Zhe, bowing slightly. "Greetings, Xu the Prodigy. I am Zhang Chang, steward of the Prodigy Pavilion. I’m here to escort you to your accommodations."

"Prodigy Pavilion?" Xu Zhe arched a brow.

The elder nodded. "The Pavilion was founded by Li the Blade God for those prodigies who awaken later. Most people here hope to invite you into their sects. Of course, there are also those with ill intentions. Until you decide your path, the Pavilion ensures your safety."

Li Chungang, responsible? Or was it just to protect the female classmates?

Xu Zhe smiled, glancing around at the crowd before turning to the elder. "Elder Zhang, what about these people…?"

"Please, Young Master Xu, don’t call me elder," Zhang Chang protested, his face changing dramatically. "I’m barely three hundred years old; I can’t bear such an honorific. Please, just call me Little Zhang."

Xu Zhe was speechless.

Fair enough—I suppose I’m technically over ten thousand years old.

"Young Master Xu, this isn’t a suitable place to talk. As is customary, you should first stay at the Prodigy Pavilion. They’ll give you invitations, and you can choose whom to meet," the elder explained.

"Very well. But please, don’t call me ‘the Prodigy’—I’m not used to the title," Xu Zhe replied with a smile.

The crowd was surprised. Though Xu Zhe’s bloodline and talent were ordinary, he seemed humble or at least self-aware. Most prodigies had relished the title.

At once, several observers warmed to him, judging him to be modest and approachable.

"Then… may I call you Young Master Xu?" Zhang Chang ventured.

Xu Zhe blinked. Not 'Xu the Celestial Emperor'?

"That works," he agreed.

…

After a brief exchange, Xu Zhe followed Zhang Chang, ready to leave the valley.

Waiting for him was an old-fashioned bicycle.

The elder stepped forward, expertly gripped the handlebars, kicked up the stand, swung his leg over, then turned with practiced grace and patted the back seat, looking respectfully at Xu Zhe.

"Young Master Xu, please."

"???"

Xu Zhe stared, dumbfounded, questioning reality itself.

Had he transmigrated back to Earth? Was this some kind of elaborate prank show?

In a world of cultivation, with everyone dressed in ancient garb, he—the former Immortal Emperor—was being welcomed with a bicycle?

…

…

[A new week begins! Please add the story to your library and vote for recommendations. PS: No need for wild speculation—there are no minotaurs.]