Some say that people die at 25 and are just buried at 80.

Some say that all important choices in life happen silently; on a calm and tranquil day, when one thinks about what to eat next, what to do for fun, and who to hang out with, one fails to notice that destiny has already forked in the road ahead.

Some say...

Lu Manman had thrown all those boring, melancholic sentences she had read before into the trash can.

One day.

Just one day.

She underwent earth-shattering changes.

Originally, she had taken the day off work without much thought, her emotions stirred after watching a video of "High Energy Ahead," just to clear her mind. She didn't have a specific destination in mind, just wandering from where she was tired of living to where others were tired of living, trying to dispel the melancholic feelings in her heart.

He's not dead, thank goodness. But why hasn't he come to find me? Has he, upon entering the Fairy Palace gate in this life, decided to love no one else henceforth?

Even during her respite, she couldn't dispel these various thoughts. At this time, she heard rumors of the Fairy Palace Assassin appearing in the attack on Heavenly Lotus Academy. Since she hadn't decided which city to go to next, she decided to visit Lianjiang for fun. She had heard that the morning tea in Lianjiang was delicious, with plenty of gourmet food, and that the locals' Mandarin carried a hilariously funny accent—it would be worthwhile to go.

She had never intended to run into other people from the Fairy Palace. She was just an ordinary person who stayed informed via her phone, traveled on foot, and even had myopia—she couldn't see far or walk fast, which is why she was so troubled and melancholic. Because he had become a Transcendent being and still maintained his youthful appearance from the old days, while she had already... aged. She was just an unmarried woman, an old maid.

Yesterday, she hadn't planned to go anywhere; she just stayed in the hotel, idling and playing with her phone. Suddenly, a little bald guy emerged from the ground, startling her. Then the little bald guy took her to a large square, where she encountered him, and then...

When she came to her senses, Lu Manman was already on an emergency flight to Sky Capital. She was now in the restricted research institute in Sky Capital, cultivating according to the Cultivation Technique in her mind. The Spiritual Energy, which had been misrepresented on the internet and only known by name, was like a gentle feather being moved by her Willpower, falling into the Qi Cyclone.

Unlike what the 'keyboard cultivators' on the internet said, that cultivation is painful or joyful, Lu Manman only felt a sense of ease and naturalness. It felt as natural as drinking water and breathing, as if it was an innate instinct, without the need for praise or belittlement, a matter of course.

When Lu Manman left the place called the "Spirit Gathering Room," she saw the cloaked person and several people in white lab coats waiting outside. One of the female researchers came over, took her hand, and said, "Miss Lu, you really are... amazing."

Lu Manman felt a bit scared. Despite having lived for over thirty years, she had no experience dealing with such situations, so she mustered a polite smile. "Really?"

The female researcher presented a document, saying, "Your cultivation aptitude can be considered top-notch in Mysterious Country, but the most impressive is your awakened spell. You've shown no clear signs of awakening up till now; we thought you wouldn't awaken anytime soon. But your cultivation process shocked us so much that we shifted our investigative focus and discovered this is actually your real awakened spell."

Lu Manman took the document, which included detailed data analysis. She could only make sense of the summary at the top: "Effortlessly natural, without labor or fatigue, neither bitter nor sweet, cultivating whether moving or still."

"Your awakened spell is of the passive type, giving you a permanent and persistent effect, for which we have not yet named it," the female researcher said. "Generally speaking, cultivation is an activity that alternates between 'bitter' and 'sweet.' A Cultivator must first endure the 'bitter' process of mobilizing Spiritual Energy. After circulating it through their entire body once—a process that can exhaust one's spirit and tire the body—does the 'sweet' part come. That's when the Spiritual Energy fully integrates into the Qi Cyclone, prompting rapid recovery of the body and a gradual enhancement of the spirit. But you are different. When you cultivate, you experience neither 'bitter' nor 'sweet.' For you, transporting Spiritual Energy or integrating it into the Qi Cyclone is as easy as breathing. Not being bitter, it won't make you tired; not being sweet, it won't make you addicted. No matter what you do, it's all cultivation. In other words, even if you don't spend time on cultivation, you can still slowly..."

"What's wrong with you?"

The researchers found that, before they knew it, tears were streaming down Lu Manman's face.

Taking the tissue from the female researcher, Lu Manman wiped her tears and smiled, "It's nothing. By the way, you mentioned that this awakened spell hasn't been named yet, right?"

"Yes," the researcher responded. "If you wish, you can name it."

Lu Manman looked down at the document in front of her, feeling a warm surge in her heart.

This is the gift he gave me.

Lu Manman knew that from the moment the little bald guy took her to that plaza, the moment she saw the adventurer, she couldn't return to her past daily life.

That's why he gave her this gift, one that would allow her to protect herself, even if she was unwilling to make an effort.

"Let's call it 'Mid-Autumn.'"

Since he gave me the chance to be eighteen again, the chance to cultivate, how could I still be willing to live on aimlessly? Having received the gift near Mid-Autumn, I should use it to hope. But I will use the gift you gave me to have a chance to reunite with you again.

The female researcher noted the name without comment and then turned to introduce the man in the cloak: "This is 'Three Thousand Li,' Mr. Chuan. You've already met."

Lu Manman hurriedly greeted him, but the man in the cloak gestured that there was no need for formalities.

"Mr. Chuan came to personally invite you to join the Great Wall," the female researcher said. "The Great Wall is a special Transcendent force organized by our country, which can mobilize resources in any special zone across the nation to investigate mysterious events and defend against foreign enemies. Also, if organizations like the Fairy Palace or the World Tree appear, the Great Wall will cross provinces to investigate the situation..."

"I'm willing to join!" Upon hearing the last part, Lu Manman agreed without hesitation.

The researcher seemed to have anticipated this and continued, "However, the minimum requirement to join the Great Wall is a Fourth-Stage Cultivator. Only after you become one can you officially join the Great Wall. Until then, you can only continue your cultivation here..."

Lu Manman didn't know the difficulty of advancing from the first turn to the fourth transformation. She understood the threshold wouldn't be low, but she resolutely agreed anyway. She had few concerns; she wasn't married and only had herself to support.

Having decided to walk the path of a Transcendent, she wouldn't leave any way out for herself.

"Alright, I'll take you to meet your mentor now, the number one Transcendent in Mysterious Country, so he can guide your development..."

As the researcher was speaking, her communication device lit up. She glanced at it, arched an eyebrow, and said, "Your meeting has been postponed until tomorrow. For now, please follow me back to your room."

Lu Manman received an access card allowing her to move freely within the base. Apart from the dining area, sports area, cultivation area, and entertainment area, she couldn't go anywhere else, though she had no interest in the other areas. Only after reaching her room could Lu Manman finally relax. She flopped onto the big bed, rolling around indulgently. From yesterday afternoon until now, this was the first moment she had to relax—the sleep on the plane had been fitful at best.

The room was fully equipped with an en-suite bathroom, air conditioning, a high-spec computer, even a large TV, and a double bed perfect for rolling around comfortably.

If this were the more introverted Lu Manman from before, she might have jumped for joy at such a room. But now that she had a new goal, she only had one thought about the room: It seemed she was considered a VIP at this base, hence the nice room.

She turned on the computer and found it could connect to the internet, although a pop-up message warned, "You are under surveillance, please surf the internet with caution."

Lu Manman, who had anticipated this, wasn't surprised. She opened a video website and discovered an update from Ren Naiser; it had only been posted a few hours ago.

I'll watch a video to relax, Lu Manman thought. She opened a video and saw that Ren Naiser had posted two new videos: "Assassin's Return" and "Adventurer's Return," both of which were about the incidents that occurred in Lianjiang.

It was her first time watching the combat scenes from "Assassin's Return" and "Adventurer's Return," and she was deeply shocked by the Transcendents inside. Could the teachers at Heavenly Lotus Academy really be that formidable? Cold Ice Teleport disrupting firearms...

In "Adventurer's Return," Lu Manman even saw the battle footage of that cloak-wearing person from earlier. She knew at first glance that the cloaked figure was definitely not an ordinary person—no beggar would dress like that—but she didn't realize just how strong the cloaked figure actually was! Especially when she saw the cloaked figure alter the terrain, causing dozens of concrete spikes to emerge from the expansive ground to kill the foreigner, Lu Manman started to look forward to it silently. Could she ever reach that level in the future?

Later in "Adventurer's Return," when the adventurer made a move, dressed in high-level equipment with shiny eyes, the light effects were dazzling during attacks, and he even said powerhouse lines like, 'Once this sword is drawn, it must taste blood,' and 'I have seen the future, and you're not in it,' making Lu Manman sigh. How could I have fallen for this show-off for so many years?

After watching the two videos, Lu Manman casually scrolled to the comment section, only to discover that the top comment was a picture. In the picture was a tall girl, wearing a pink cheongsam with a high slit and high heels, with long legs in black stockings... Wait, isn't that the adventurer!? Is it really the adventurer? Is this photoshopped? That said, the adventurer was quite handsome to begin with, and he looked pretty suited dressed up like this... but I know the adventurer isn't that kind of person!

Lu Manman glanced at the commenter; it was... the Nine-Tailed Fox.

The Nine-Tailed Fox: "Even though you've got Mango Pomelo Sago, you wouldn't offer it to your sister, so I'm posting your embarrassing photo."

And the replies to this comment were basically:

Red Rabbit: "Front row licks boots of the Nine-Tailed Fox"

Man on the Throne: "Front row licks boots of the Nine-Tailed Fox"

Teacher Gongkou: "Front row licks boots of the Nine-Tailed Fox"

Lu Manman was already starting to believe it when she saw the keyword 'Mango Pomelo Sago.' Then, when she clicked on the profile and discovered there was no user named 'Nine-Tailed Fox,' she became half-convinced. Then she closely observed the adventurer in the picture, measuring the height and arm length, and realized that it was indeed the adventurer—she had been asked yesterday to help judge the authenticity of the adventurer through photos, so she knew many of his distinct body measurements.

At this point, Lu Manman covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. "You went through such humiliation, cross-dressing, all so I could have a taste of Mango Pomelo Sago..."

「——————————」

Seeing the spectacle in the Nine-Tailed Fox's comment, Ren Suo, having resolved a matter weighing on his mind, removed the "Unnamed Account" prop. He had just lifted the information restrictions obtained from the negative emotions of "Demon King's Descent" and was taken aback—videos posted by Ren Naiser didn't reap much negative emotion, whereas him pretending to be the Nine-Tailed Fox and posting the adventurer's cross-dressing photo had harvested a large wave of negative emotions. What gives? Were the onlookers blinded because the adventurer wasn't provocative enough, or were they so politely stiff because the adventurer was too provocative, and then they all blamed it on me?

Then Ren Suo hurriedly shut down the information feed, determined to ignore it all. He glanced at the photo and felt much better about himself. You got to show off, you charmed the girl, and I did all the hard work? No way things are that good for you!

Now, as he opened his Mini-World Game Console, he finally understood the great cost that the adventurer's glass of 'Mango Pomelo Sago' had taken on him.

By the way, Little Jiu had already been left at the Dong Chengling Family home. After hearing from his friends, Ren Suo deeply understood that he wasn't suitable to take care of children, and besides, there was a difference between boys and girls—although Little Jiu didn't mind, Ren Suo was not Zhao Huo. Besides, Little Jiu showed tendencies of becoming a rascal, and Ren Suo definitely couldn't bring himself to scold or punish her, unlike Dong Chengling. No matter how cute Little Jiu was, if she did wrong, the meticulous Dong Chengling would surely deal with it fairly.

After some discussion, Little Jiu also agreed to stay at the Dong Chengling Family home. After all, seeing Ren Suo was only a few minutes' walk away for her. Once she learned the straight-line distance to her big brother was less than a hundred meters, she was no longer so resistant. However, she softened up once she learned she'd be sent to school and would, sooner or later, be unable to see Ren Suo for half the day. Finally, when Ren Suo stated clearly that he didn't know how to cook, while Dong Chengling was very good at it, Little Jiu leaned towards Dong Chengling's side.

Most importantly, when Ren Suo, with an air of authority, asked Little Jiu to be obedient, she complied—his earlier summoning of Ilina had truly intimidated Little Jiu. Of course, she demanded to see Ren Suo twice a day, and he naturally agreed. Lunch and dinner, just perfect, he thought. Another excuse to mooch meals!

On second thought, Ren Suo realized this arrangement was actually quite good. He hadn't decided yet whether to reveal the Mini-World Game Console to Little Jiu. Revealing it would increase the risk; not revealing it would make it very difficult to keep it a secret while living together. Now that problem had simply disappeared.

Ren Suo turned back to the screen, which was displaying the "Equipment Interface." The section for the adventurer was now grayed out. When the adventurer initially asked Ren Suo for his support, he explicitly stated that this would reduce the "Summonable Duration" by 5 minutes and he would not be summonable again for 30 days—Ren Suo had anticipated this. However, the issue was that his star-level had permanently increased by one. So the adventurer was now a four-star character. The adventurer was originally a two-star character. His appearance at the comic convention, witnessed by thousands, had a significant impact and directly promoted him to three stars, followed by a permanent increase of one star. This permanent increase of one star also meant that even if Ren Suo used any "Star Reduction Item" in the future (for instance, the Collector could exchange for an item that resets the game character's star-level to its original state), the adventurer could at most revert to three stars.

The long-term implications aside, the immediate effect was: if Ren Suo's "Rippling Spring Sounds" wasn't upgraded to Level 5, he wouldn't be able to summon the adventurer. In fact, he couldn't summon anyone right now—there were only 55 seconds left of "Summonable Duration" in "Rippling Spring Sounds." It wasn't that he couldn't summon, but if he did summon in the game, Ren Suo could only bring forth a character who could make a decisive impact with a single strike—for example... Devouring the Spirit of the World, Ilina, Ren Han. It seems I must invest heavily in the free game for October.

Additionally, Ren Suo discovered that the "Rebel" had disappeared from the Equipment Interface. Or rather, the setting of the 'Rebel' might have existed just to deceive me from the very beginning. Now that I think about it, the Rebel's Equipment Slot was blur and indistinct from the very start, as if it could disappear at any moment, which was starkly different from other game characters' Equipment Slots. If I had noticed the problem back then... Of course, that was just one of many insignificant 'hints.' Ren Suo realized that such hindsight, discovering more hints after the fact, was meaningless.

Fate's gift of a spicy hotpot had long been paired with a corresponding spicy toilet. I've eaten the spicy hotpot and used the spicy toilet; is there any point in fussing over why I initially mistook the spicy hotpot for a tomato pot?

However, Ren Suo did gain quite a lot from this 'Rebel's Journey.' Adding up what he had reaped, he didn't have much to complain about. The new Bond "Phantom Illusionary Fragrance" and a Nine-Tailed Fox loli that could freeload meals anywhere, three Bond Levels had increased, he had learned "Proficient in English" and "Gauze Clothing," and he had also made the acquaintance of the wealthy British Ranpelrouge Sisters... Most importantly, Ren Suo had used "Datafication" to check himself and discovered that his cultivation had greatly improved.

'Cultivation State: Second Turn 90% (You have defeated 99.99% of the world's Upright Apes!)'

Ren Suo was still less than 30 days from advancing to the second turn. With his talent, even after 8 days of intense idle training, it was impossible to reach 90% so quickly. After much consideration, Ren Suo figured that it was probably when the Mysterious Energy that controlled him fully merged into his body after he completely cleared the game in reality yesterday, converting entirely into his cultivation. It was as if he had completed two tasks at once, and all the Experience Points earned were allocated to his cultivation. This mix of a blow followed by a reward left Ren Suo with no real complaints; he simply accepted it.

Should I focus on cultivating these next few days? Ren Suo mused, struggling with the decision. If he didn't cultivate in the next few days, new games would arrive in October. Not even ten of his livers would be enough to grind through all that content, leaving no time for cultivation.

However, at that moment, the game console suddenly delivered three notifications:

'The update for "Jedi Priest" version 1.11 is now complete.'

'The update for "Devouring the Spirit of the World" version 1.01 is now complete.'

'The update for "Midnight Walker" version 1.01 is now complete.'

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.