Chapter 1: A God Emperor? A Recluse?
The Immortal Realm, Battlefield of Gods and Demons.
Ten demon lords' corpses fell from the sky.
Standing tall, the First Divine King of the Immortal Realm, the sole God Emperor, Ye Feng, raised his sword high, declaring victory.
As the cheers and cries of the Immortal Realm’s people echoed, Ye Feng let out a bitter smile.
He was already at his limit, drained of every ounce of strength. Survival was no longer an option.
His life had been exhausting. If there was a next life, he wanted it to be simpler.
Closing his eyes, Ye Feng fell.
And so, the era of the God Emperor ended.
But every ending marks the beginning of another story.
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Blue Star, Peng City, Eastern Domain.
Ye Feng opened his eyes and stretched lazily.
It had been sixteen years since he arrived in this world. Today marked the second month of summer vacation after his middle school graduation.
Blue Star had no cultivators, but it did have a unique group called mages. Their status was akin to that of cultivators in the fantasy worlds.
Three centuries ago, an unprecedented disaster struck Blue Star. Beings from other realms invaded, and humanity began a long and arduous resistance.
As time passed, even with advanced technology, humanity found itself at a disadvantage. Fortunately, some awakened to magic and became mages. Their numbers grew, granting humanity the power to resist the otherworldly creatures.
Now, magic had become a cornerstone of defense, yet Ye Feng had no interest in it.
In his eyes, no matter how refined magic was, it couldn’t compare to cultivation. His current cultivation level was at the late-stage Golden Core, on the verge of breaking through to Nascent Soul.
At his age, reaching this stage would make him a prodigy even in the Immortal Realm.
Pop!
A bottle of soda opened. Ye Feng sipped his drink, watching anime.
This leisurely life—this was what he had always wanted.
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Suddenly, the bedroom door slammed open.
An angry voice followed:
“Big bro! Can you stop cooping yourself up at home? Go out and do something!”
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Turning, Ye Feng saw his cousin, Ye Xueying. Without hesitation, he raised a middle finger.
“Mind your own business, kid. You wouldn’t understand the joy of being a recluse.”
Ye Xueying had lived with Ye Feng for years. Since Ye Feng’s mother, Qin Yuxin, left for work a year ago, the house had been theirs alone.
“Big bro, there’s only a month left before school starts. Don’t you want to ace the entrance exam for Magic High, get into a good class, secure resources, and climb to the top?”
“Nope. If life isn’t about slacking off, it’s like soda without fizz—completely meaningless.”
Work hard? Not a chance.
He had spent his last life battling demons and defending the Immortal Realm for millennia. Now that he could finally enjoy life, why struggle again?
Ye Xueying fumed at his response.
In the end, she turned off the TV, shoved him out of the house, and declared,
“Don’t come back before six tonight!”
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With a sigh, Ye Xueying muttered to herself,
“Mom asked me to keep an eye on him, to get him moving. But all he does is stare at the TV and drink soda. I need a plan to spark his interest in the outside world, or he’s going to waste away completely.”
Meanwhile, Ye Feng had already wandered into an internet café.
Who said recluses could only stay at home?
“Boss! Boot up a system for me!”
Ye Feng slapped his ID on the counter. The screen flashed: Balance: 0.
The café owner asked, “How much? Recharge a hundred and get fifty bonus.”
Ye Feng froze.
Since his mother left, all household expenses had been managed by Ye Xueying. He wasn’t just broke—he had nothing at all.
“Damn it, being broke makes it hard to even be a recluse,” he grumbled. Then, turning to the owner, he asked with a grin,
“Miss, what’s the quickest way to make money these days?”
“Make money? Become a hunter, of course,” the café owner replied, eyes sparkling with admiration.
“Hunter?”
Ye Feng raised an eyebrow. He’d heard of them. Hunters were essentially mages who formed teams to hunt beasts or complete tasks for commissions.
With his abilities, a few jobs should easily cover his internet fees.
Before the café owner could snap out of her daydream, Ye Feng was already gone.
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Peng City, a second-tier city, naturally had a Hunter Association. To become a hunter, one needed to join a team and earn a license through teamwork.
Squeezing through the crowd, Ye Feng approached a team.
Before he could say much, they waved him off.
“No way.”
“Why?”
“Kid, this isn’t a playground for children.”
Smack!
The woman’s words hit home. Ye Feng realized his mistake—he was only sixteen. No wonder they turned him away.
But that wasn’t a problem.
In a restroom, Ye Feng circulated his spiritual energy. Moments later, he conjured a black mask with intricate patterns, revealing only his eyes.
With the mask on, he set out again, spotting a new target: a woman in her thirties with a scar across her face, sitting alone at a recruitment booth, engrossed in her phone.
The sign in front of her read:
Recruiting teammates (Lightning mages only).
Lightning was the most destructive element, often bypassing defenses like scales and armor. But its rarity matched its power.
Ye Feng wasn’t a lightning mage—he had awakened fire. But so what?
Who said only mages could wield lightning?
Approaching the scar-faced woman, Ye Feng rasped,
“You’re looking for a lightning mage?”
Her brows lifted in surprise. “You are?”
Ye Feng nodded. Clenching his fist, brilliant arcs of lightning danced in his palm, crackling with energy.
The crowd erupted.
“No way! A lightning mage hunting beasts?”
“Aren’t lightning mages treasures of the major families? Why would one become a hunter?”
“Could he be a wild, unaffiliated mage?”
The scar-faced woman was equally stunned. They had struck gold—a genuine lightning mage seeking to join them.