Chapter One: A Thousand Years in a Dream, Returned to Youth

“Huh! What’s this…? Wasn’t I just locked in a fierce battle against the many masters of the Araga Starfield in the world of cultivators? How come…?”

A rather ordinary-looking young man stood now in the shade of a tree-lined path, gazing around in bewilderment as if still lost in a daydream.

At this moment, he found himself in a modern city on Earth.

“Could it be that I’ve returned? I didn’t seize the chance to transcend during that great battle. Instead, I must have perished under the combined assault of those masters. Yet, because a sliver of my soul remained undying, I’ve been reborn on Earth—my former home!”

On Earth, this young man was called Zhang Pu, a name as plain as his appearance. But in the world of cultivators among the stars, he was known by a mighty title—Emperor Zhang.

His talent was extraordinary; where most cultivators would toil for ten thousand, even a hundred million years, painstakingly progressing from the basics—refining qi, building the foundation, forming the golden core, forging the nascent soul, ascending through spirit transformation, void return, unity with the Dao, and finally heavenly tribulation—he had achieved all this in just a thousand years after being rescued from Earth by a true immortal and brought into the universe of cultivation.

After that, he swept through the cosmos, challenging invincible beings and supreme rulers wherever he went, undefeated in a hundred battles. The cultivation world revered him as an emperor—Emperor Zhang.

At this moment, Zhang Pu could still recall, with vivid clarity, the details of his confrontation with the many cosmic masters:

“Emperor Zhang, you brazenly stormed the Holy Temple of the Radiant Star Realm, slaying three of our Grand Holy Knights. What crime could be greater?”

“Emperor Zhang, you killed both the Golden Sacred Dragon and the Frost Giant Dragon of the Divine Dragon Star Realm. Today, you will not escape death!”

“Emperor Zhang, you injured our Ice and Snow Star Realm’s Grand Advisor and insulted our Saintess. Today, you must die!”

“Emperor Zhang, you infiltrated our Dark Star Realm and murdered my prince. I will hunt you to the ends of the universe for vengeance!”

“Emperor Zhang, you slew the prodigy of our Undead Star Realm and seized his Nether Crystal. You shall pay with your life!”

After a chorus of thunderous accusations, the most ferocious attacks rained down from all sides.

“Hah! The Grand Holy Knights of the Radiant Star Realm put on pious airs, yet secretly seduced other men’s wives and daughters, then slaughtered entire families to keep it hidden. The Golden Sacred Dragon and Frost Giant Dragon of the Divine Dragon Star Realm, out of personal spite, unleashed floods that drowned countless cities. The Grand Advisor and Saintess of the Ice and Snow Star Realm enslaved billions for their palace construction, tearing families apart. The prince of the Dark Star Realm abused his power, leaving billions in misery and want. The prodigy of the Undead Star Realm, to master the Nine Nether Arts, ceaselessly plundered the souls of the living…

“All these people deserved to die! What wrong was there in slaying them?” Emperor Zhang answered righteously.

But none would listen; their attacks only grew fiercer.

“Ha ha ha!” Emperor Zhang laughed loudly, “Just as well, I’ll use your combined powers to transcend in a single stroke…”

Yet, now, he had failed in his tribulation. The once-mighty Emperor Zhang of the cultivation world had become Zhang Pu, a powerless youth on Earth.

All his mystical powers, divine artifacts, and immortal weapons had vanished without a trace. He had no idea if those villains who besieged him had perished. If they hadn’t, he would seek them out one by one when he returned to the world of cultivation.

For now, he was—just a student! He had been reborn into the year 2005, in his high school days on Earth.

Truly, a thousand years in a dream, and now returned to youth!

So be it!

After a sigh, Zhang Pu reflected carefully: perhaps his tribulation failed because he could not overcome the inner demons within his heart. Otherwise, as Emperor Zhang, he would not have been so dismissive of those who besieged him, nor claimed that their attacks would help him transcend.

But fate had returned him to his teenage years on Earth, stripped of all his cultivation.

Indeed, he could never forget those who had loved him and those who had harmed him while he lived on Earth! All those years cultivating in the other world, he had pretended to forget, training day after day, year after year—yet it was that very force, the memory of love and pain, that drove him, urging him on to succeed as swiftly as possible!

Love and hate alike can give rise to tremendous power.

I am back! I have returned to Earth, and in this lifetime, I will never be weak again; I will never retreat.

I will protect everyone who loves me, never letting them suffer harm or injustice again.

As for those who once hurt me, I will make them taste agony and regret, and for those who acted with utter cruelty, I will see that they know a suffering worse than death.

Yes, I will mend every regret from my past life and make this one beautiful.

Because in the world of cultivators, I was the omnipotent Emperor Zhang. I…

“Ouch—”

At the height of his passionate resolve, Zhang Pu instinctively tried to summon his inner power—only to find nothing but emptiness. The sudden motion nearly sent him sprawling.

Just then, two girls passing by looked at him as if he were some spectacle and burst into giggles.

Zhang Pu’s face flushed red, then turned pale. Coming to his senses, he hurried away.

I must adapt to my new life as soon as possible, or else anyone seeing me muttering to myself here would think I’d lost my mind.

Now, where exactly am I headed?

With a moment’s focus, Zhang Pu immediately recalled that he had just arrived in Qingwu City, having left his rural hometown.

His parents, busy with business matters, had entrusted him to an old classmate of theirs, Hong Guishan, who also ran a business in Qingwu City.

Hong Guishan was well-connected locally and had promised to help transfer Zhang Pu into the city’s best private school.

Now, Zhang Pu was on his way from his hometown to Hong Guishan’s home in Qingwu City.

From memories of his former life, Zhang Pu knew: Hong Guishan and his parents had been close friends since their school days, which was why, even as Zhang Pu was about to enter his third year of high school—a critical time—Hong Guishan was willing to go all out to get him into Qingwu City’s top private high school, Modern Academy.

Moreover, Hong Guishan intended for Zhang Pu to live with his family, to treat him like a son, and instructed his wife—a full-time homemaker—to take good care of his nutrition, considering the pressures of senior year. He had also heard that Zhang Pu’s grades back home were just average, and worried that if Zhang Pu rented a place alone, he might fall in with the wrong crowd.

Zhang Pu understood and appreciated Hong Guishan’s good intentions at first, but later, he would come to realize just how quickly their warmth would fade, how the situation would steadily worsen.