Extra Chapter 1: The Return

Blue Star.

The weather in July was a bit scorching.

Even at night, the heat lingered.

In one of the city’s streets, Su Luo, dressed casually, walked home after buying some things from a convenience store.

It had been two years since Su Luo returned to reality.

When he first came back to Blue Star, only a year had passed in this world.

In other words, Su Luo had effectively vanished from Blue Star for a year.

But since he had few relatives or friends, no one really noticed his absence.

He wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or melancholic about that.

Were the events of the cultivation world just a fantasy?

Of course not. Su Luo’s cultivation level remained that of an immortal.

To put it bluntly, on Blue Star, there wasn’t a single opponent who could challenge him—his existence was pure overkill.

But Su Luo had no interest in conquering the world. Even after returning to reality, he remained content with a laid-back life.

For the past two years, Su Luo had embraced the life of a shut-in. His old job was naturally gone after disappearing for a year.

But he no longer needed to rely on work to survive. With his abilities, earning money was laughably easy.

So he indulged without restraint—picking up old video games, playing new ones, binge-watching anime, movies, novels, and comics.

He did nothing but play and watch.

Two whole years passed without him stepping out much, yet he never felt bored. Life was just that fulfilling.

During these two years, no one had come to visit—specifically, Li Siyi and the others.

However, Xiao Pa had arrived. Though Xiao Pa’s original owner was Nangong Xiyun, she was fundamentally tied to the system, which made her default to Su Luo’s possession.

So from the very beginning, Xiao Pa had followed Su Luo back to Blue Star.

She adapted quickly to the new environment and even took care of Su Luo in small ways—cooking meals, taking out the trash, and the like.

As for Li Siyi and the others not arriving yet, Su Luo wasn’t worried. Traveling between worlds took time. He had the system’s assistance, so his return was swift.

But they didn’t have that advantage. Depending on their circumstances, their arrival times and locations would vary.

Still, one thing was certain: with the jade pendants he had given them, they were absolutely safe.

Su Luo had never been careless about this—those pendants were crafted with immense effort.

After leaving the convenience store, it was already 11 PM, and the surroundings had grown quiet.

Su Luo walked down the street but suddenly stopped.

A pair of crimson eyes stared at him from the darkness—not with hostility, but with trembling fear.

With a snap of his fingers, Su Luo erased the beast lurking in the shadows.

Not long after his return, Su Luo had noticed that Blue Star had changed—strange beasts had begun appearing.

He was certain these creatures weren’t native to this world.

At first, he thought his return had somehow dragged things from other worlds along with him.

But further investigation proved him wrong. These beasts had started appearing during the year he was gone.

They emerged sporadically across the globe, slipping into Blue Star from one or several unknown worlds.

The reason was unclear, but Su Luo wondered—was this the so-called "invasion of ten thousand races"?

Digging deeper, he discovered something even more interesting—some people had awakened.

Yes, just like in those novels—a so-called "spiritual energy resurgence."

Of course, to Su Luo, these powers were pathetically weak.

Only a minority had awakened, and the "invasion" occurred so infrequently that it barely affected ordinary life. News of it was suppressed.

Once he understood the situation, Su Luo lost interest and simply carried on with his life.

After casually disposing of another beast, he continued walking.

He hadn’t left home just to buy things—he was here to welcome Little Yu.

He had sensed where and when she would arrive.

"Su Luo?"

Someone called out to him.

Su Luo turned. The face looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it.

"It’s me, Liu Xincheng! Your middle school classmate," said the man in a suit.

Su Luo studied his face—yes, there had been such a person, though they hadn’t been particularly close back then.

Liu Xincheng, whatever he was like in the past, had clearly become quite the talker. He launched into a one-sided conversation with Su Luo like they were old friends.

"What are you doing out so late?"

"Just buying some things," Su Luo replied.

"So, where are you working now?"

"Unemployed. Taking a break."

"Honestly, that’s not bad. No job means freedom. Don’t be fooled by how I look—I just got off work. Life’s tough, you know?"

"Sure is."

"But you gotta make money while you’re young. I’m struggling now, but I’ve already got a Range Rover and a house on mortgage..."

Liu Xincheng rambled on, clearly fishing for admiration.

Su Luo finally caught on—this guy was here to show off.

He glanced at his own outfit—just a plain T-shirt and sweatpants. Did that make him look like he was struggling?

Liu Xincheng kept going, growing more animated, as if venting his overtime frustrations through his bragging.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed.

Liu Xincheng covered his eyes. "What the—? Who’s setting off flashbangs at this hour?"

A figure emerged from the void.

Little Yu, dressed in a light blue dress, stepped out from the rift between worlds.

After a long journey through the void, she had finally arrived.

"Little Yu, I’m here to pick you up," Su Luo said.

Without hesitation, Little Yu lunged at him, nearly knocking him over with the force of her embrace.

"Su Luo, I found you."

They held each other tightly.

Su Luo was genuinely happy to see her again.

"Let’s go home."

"Mm."

Beside them, Liu Xincheng’s vision was still blurry. "Su Luo? What’s happening? Who are you talking to?"

"My wife," Su Luo said, then had a mischievous thought. Turning to Little Yu, he added, "Hey, Little Yu, didn’t you say you’d take care of me for life?"

"Of course!"

"Then support me. I lost my job, and life’s been hard lately."

Little Yu didn’t understand why Su Luo would say that—since when did he work?—but she nodded earnestly.

"Everything I have is yours. Leave it to me."

Su Luo turned back to Liu Xincheng. "Well, old classmate, we’ll be on our way."

Before Liu Xincheng could respond, Su Luo left with Little Yu.

Liu Xincheng’s vision finally cleared, but he stood frozen in place.

Though he had only caught a glimpse, the woman’s beauty eclipsed anyone he had ever seen.

And yet, she was willing to support Su Luo?

Her tone had been so devoted—was she really that infatuated?

Did people like that even exist?

But the evidence was undeniable.

In an instant, Liu Xincheng felt like a clown.

All the pride he had mustered earlier shattered.

Sure, he had a Range Rover, but how was Su Luo living better than him?!

At that moment, he wished someone would see through his tough exterior and acknowledge the fragility beneath.

He wanted someone to say to him, with domineering assurance:

"Loser, just quit and coast."

I really want to say to someone: "Sugar mommy, I'm hungry, feed me."

But the reality is, I have to clock in at 8 a.m. tomorrow.