Magic: Reincarnate from high-voltage electricity at the start, level up independently.

The next day, as dawn broke, the sunlight streamed through the French windows, bathing the room in a warm, golden glow.

With a happy expression, Chu's father placed a steaming pot of congee with preserved egg and lean pork steadily on the dining table.

"Wow, it smells so good!" Chu's mother's eyes lit up like stars as soon as she finished washing up.

She ran to Chu's father, hugged him tightly, and her eyes shone with adoration: "Darling, you're amazing!"

As soon as they finished speaking, under Chu Ge's gaze, the two of them lowered their heads and stood on tiptoe, exchanging a light kiss in perfect unison.

At the dining table, Chu's father first served half a bowl of porridge to Chu's mother, then filled two more bowls. One bowl was given to Chu Ge, and the other was left for Chu Hong.

"Xiao Hong isn't up yet?" Chu's father glanced at the direction of Chu Hong's room door and got up to go call him.

"Dad, my brother has already gone to school," Chu Ge interrupted softly, taking a letter out of her pocket and handing it to her father with both hands. "This is what my brother left for you."

"...So early." Father Chu was slightly taken aback.

Although Chu Hong wasn't a heavy sleeper, it was quite rare for him to be so diligent, leaving home at only seven o'clock. As he opened the envelope, Chu's mother immediately came over and gently leaned on his shoulder.

The handwriting on the letter paper was neat and tidy:

Mom and Dad, after this night, I've figured a lot out. A man doesn't easily shed tears, and this little setback won't defeat me. I'm going back to school now, and I'll take good care of myself. Please take care of yourselves too, and don't worry about me.

—Left by Chu Hong.

After reading the letter, Chu's parents' eyes instantly welled up with tears. They carefully folded the letter and hid it away.

Chu's mother sighed softly, "...this child."

Chu's father gently wiped away his wife's tears and hugged her tightly: "Xiao Hong has grown up. We finally don't have to worry about him anymore."

"Uh-huh!"

Chu Ge ate silently beside him, having already finished his seventh bowl of porridge, taking in all of this.

Although neither of the elderly couple smiled, she understood that their joy at that moment was genuine.

With her parents well, she no longer needs to worry about them and can focus on pursuing the Great Dao.

Chu Hong's beating was not in vain; on the contrary, it tempered his Dao heart.

This outcome benefits everyone, and is truly cause for celebration.

After breakfast, Chu Ge said goodbye to her parents and headed to school with her suitcase.

The school gate was already crowded with people, and seven buses were parked neatly, shining brightly in the sunlight.

"Good morning, Chu Ge!" A sweet voice came from behind.

Chu Ge turned around and saw a girl with pigtails and a tuft of hair on her head running towards him.

"Good morning." Chu Ge nodded in response, but his gaze unconsciously paused—a brand new digital camera was hanging around the girl's neck.

Ye Lingling noticed her gaze, lowered her head to take out the camera, and waved it: "Chu Ge, want to play with it?"

Seeing the camera the girl handed him, Chu Ge was slightly stunned, his heart suddenly clenched, and a sharp pain shot through him.

A person lives three lifetimes, but only one lifetime truly matters—

In his first life, before the arrival of cultivators from beyond the realms on Earth, Chu Ge had never had such a fervent desire for the Dao.

Back then, his dream was to become the world's top photographer, capturing every inch of the world's landscape with his lens.

For this dream, he dropped out of school to become an apprentice and took on several odd jobs, just to save money to buy his own camera and travel to the ends of the earth.

He is extremely talented in photography. After half a lifetime of hard work, he is already well-known in the industry and has even prepared his first solo photography exhibition.

But just before it was to begin—

Cultivators from beyond the realm have arrived.

They fell like meteorites, crashing through the exhibition hall and crushing his life's work.

He watched helplessly as it all unfolded, rushing forward with bloodshot eyes to fight back, but in the eyes of those high and mighty beings, he was nothing more than an ant.

He charged forward, but his body instantly withered, fell straight down, and shattered into pieces.

He died unwillingly, and his death was shrouded in mystery.

Reborn, he burned away his past, abandoned his dreams, and honed his physical body day and night, all in pursuit of transcendence and the Great Dao. He would reign supreme for eternity, no longer a fish to be slaughtered at will.

"……No."

Chu Ge snapped back to reality, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and refused Ye Lingling's kindness.

But suddenly, a ripple stirred in my heart. If I were to truly accept this camera, how could I then wholeheartedly dedicate myself to the path?

"……All right."

Ye Lingling had excellent eyesight and saw through her struggle at a glance.

Her eyes darted around, and she smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Since Chu Ge is so beautiful, why don't you be my model? I'm currently learning photography, so this would be perfect for practicing."

"...I don't like taking pictures." Chu Ge turned her head away, unwilling to look at the camera anymore.

"It's okay!" Ye Lingling grabbed her hand without saying a word and quickly ran to the flower bed next to her, snapping photos one after another.

The girl moved naturally, with no deliberate expression on her face, yet she was completely unaware that her steps had long since become uncontrollable.

...In the end, is it me who has never let go of the past? But where should I go from here?

Chu Ge was secretly heartbroken.

A quarrel broke out not far away.

"Hajiran, I command you, let me take a bite of your cilantro bun!" Xu Wan said, hands on her hips, with an air of self-righteousness.

"Don't you never eat cilantro?" Tang Xiaoran asked, full of questions, but still handed her one.

Xu Wan took it and took a bite. The unique aroma of cilantro exploded in her mouth, and her expression instantly became incredibly varied.

"See? I told you you couldn't do it." Tang Xiaoran had a "I knew it" look on her face.

"Heh." Xu Wan snorted coldly, took another big bite, and swallowed it while forcing herself to suppress her nausea. "What do you mean by 'can't eat'? I don't understand at all."

Before she finished speaking, she devoured the remaining buns in one gulp, wiped her mouth, patted her stomach, and looked smug.

"My cousin is destined to become an Emperor, ruling over all ages. How could I be hindered by mere cilantro?"

She tilted her head slightly, facing the sunlight, her eyes sparkling with boundless pride, and said:

"Those mere fears and obsessions about not daring to try are nothing more than a speck of dust on the roadside to me now. What's there to fear? Just face it boldly; the worst that can happen is choking to death!"

"If I lack even this much courage, how can I talk about pursuing the Great Dao? What difference would I have from those cowardly rats from Jiangdong?"

After Xu Wan finished speaking, she glanced sideways at Tang Xiaoran and sneered, "Bring a few more; this time I want to eat three in one bite!"

Upon hearing this, the white-haired girl in front of the flowerbed was startled, staring blankly at the ground, lost in thought.

After a long pause, she murmured softly, "Yes... just face it. I'm not even afraid of death, so why should I be afraid of letting go of my past obsessions?"

"Even Xu Wan could see through this, how come I only understand it now..."

Chu Ge looked at Xu Wan, feeling a surge of gratitude, but even more so, admiration.

This woman has a firm Dao heart and is decisive and fearless. She will surely become a Great Emperor in the future and achieve eternal life with me, looking down on all the heavens!

"Wow! I took such a beautiful picture!" Ye Lingling ran over excitedly, holding up her camera and bringing it close to Chu Ge's face, her eyes sparkling. "Look, look, isn't this one especially beautiful!"

"And this one, the angle is amazing! I'm a pro at taking photos!"

"...Hmm, quite pretty. You're very talented." Chu Ge looked at the girl before him, whose eyes were sparkling, without the slightest hint of discouragement. In a daze, he seemed to see himself from back then.

"Really?! Do I really have talent?" Ye Lingling's eyes lit up even more, and she grabbed her hand tightly and shook it.

"Of course, you are the most talented person I have ever met. Please be sure to love it," Chu Ge whispered to her.

These were the words spoken to her by her photography mentor back then.

She always remembered.

"That's fantastic!" Ye Lingling cheered, then suddenly shoved the camera into Chu Ge's hands. "Chu Ge, could you hold this for me for a moment? I have something important to take care of!"

After saying that, she ran away like a gust of wind.

Chu Ge watched the girl's retreating figure, then looked down at the camera in his palm, and slowly raised it...

Not long after, Ye Lingling came running back, panting, her face full of excitement:

"Chu Ge, I've already arranged with the class and Teacher Wang Jian to take a group photo together!"

"it is good."

On the steps in front of the library, everyone quickly took their positions.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come over!" Xu Wan pushed the somewhat shy bespectacled girl next to the white-haired girl, making the two of them stand close together.

"Is everyone ready?" a student from Class 2 shouted. "Then I'll take the picture!"

"Click—"

The electronic screen lit up, and the group photo of all the teachers and students of Class 1, Donghai Magic No. 1 Middle School, was captured.

In the photos: Li Muzi, Chen Xun, Wang Qiang, Ye Lingling, Xu Wan, Little Fatty... every face is vivid and lively, full of youthful energy.

The girl with glasses leaned slightly against the white-haired girl, her gaze not on the camera, but on her own world.

On the bus, Ye Lingling imported the photos to her phone and carefully looked through them one by one.

When she turned to a certain page, she suddenly stopped and stared in disbelief.

That photo had nothing to do with the class photo, nothing to do with the flowers and plants by the roadside, and nothing to do with Chu Ge as captured by her lens.

Just as the warm sun was shining brightly, the girl took a selfie in front of the camera. The smile on her lips was relaxed and confident, as if all her worries had been washed away, leaving her clean and clear-headed.