Unfilial disciple, do not ruin your master's dream of ascension and peaceful life.

On this day in April of the year 11451 in the Celestial Calendar, the history of the cultivation world—the Cangxuan Realm—underwent a tremendous change because of one person.

On this day, the tide of spiritual energy swept across the heavens and earth, and endless thunderstorms tore through the sky. The entire Cangxuan Realm—whether cultivators or ordinary mortals—was deeply shocked by this terrifying power of heaven and earth.

Many powerful cultivators rushed to the highest point of Cangxuan Heaven, Tianwaitian, which is also the site of the ancient Immortal Alliance headquarters and the closest place to the plane crystal wall.

There, boundless spiritual light converged upon the man standing beneath the dimensional barrier. His figure was as upright and refined as an ancient divine sword; the power he unleashed with every gesture trembled the world. His cold, piercing gaze seemed to penetrate the barrier of the dimensional barrier, piercing directly into a world even higher than the Cangxuan Realm—the Immortal Realm!

"Holy Venerable Qianjing!!!!"

"What are you doing?!"

"Could it be that you want to—"

"Ascension!?"

"Ascension" is merely a legendary concept in the Cangxuan Realm; for tens of thousands of years, no one has found the true method of ascension! Now, is Saint Venerable Qianjing actually going to break through the shackles of the plane with brute force? How dangerous, how heroic!

The turbulent flow of spiritual energy prevented everyone from getting close, forcing them to watch from a distance with trepidation! Everyone was extremely tense and excited, especially the disciples of Saint Venerable Qianjing, whose most beloved master was about to break through to a realm unmatched in ten thousand years!

At the eye of the storm, Venerable Qianjing continued his ritual, completely ignoring the onlookers, and forcibly broke through the barrier by burning everything he could! Finally, the indestructible dimensional crystal wall slowly trembled, and tiny cracks appeared. The onlookers gasped in surprise, unable to contain their excitement any longer!

"Right now!!!"

At this moment, Venerable Qianjing unleashed all his power, tearing the crack open in one go, forming a wide dimensional rift! The instant the rift opened, his body transformed into a stream of light and rushed towards it, only a step away from the upper realm!

"Master—Master! Wait for me!!!!"

The disciples, unwilling to be separated from their beloved master, braved the void and fierce winds to try and catch up. Their eldest sister was leading the way—but it was too late. The Holy Venerable Qianjing, transformed into light and shadow, merely glanced at the countless people below, said nothing, and was sucked into the dimensional rift.

The overwhelming spiritual power dissipated like a flood.

The thunder from the heavens gradually subsided.

After the light faded, everything disappeared.

Only faint, barely perceptible gaps remain on the crystal walls of the planes.

"Master..."

Senior Sister Ye Yinqiu knelt down in despair, her face blank. She was genuinely happy for her master's ascension, but the loneliness of parting also filled her heart, as did the other disciples.

The strongest cultivator in the history of the Cangxuan Realm—the Holy Venerable Qianjing—has disappeared without a trace.

Suddenly, a tattered cloth floated down from the void. Ye Yinqiu recognized it as a corner of her master's robe, on which something seemed to be written!

At this moment, the eyes of the entire world are focused on this small, tattered cloth. This must be a message from Saint Venerable Qianjing to the Cangxuan Realm! It could be a reflection on the Immortal Realm, an insight into ascension, the inheritance of cultivation techniques, or the arrangement of his legacy! No matter what it is, it is enough to shake the world!

"Master!!"

Ye Yinqiu leaped out and caught him.

There is only one seven-character quatrain above.

This is the farewell poem that Venerable Qianjing bestows upon this world. The wisdom and mysteries contained within will become the core of research for the entire Cangxuan Realm for the next two hundred years. That is—

Overtime, overtime, and more overtime

"Add You to Feng's Stinky Lucky Class"

I'm quitting this job and running away!

You decide what to do.

"""""""…………ah?"""""""

-

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

----------

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

-

Earth, May 5, 2025 (Gregorian calendar).

In Pujiang District of Haijing City, the largest city on the southeast coast, Haijing University of Science and Technology is seeing its rising stars continue to write their legend.

As the weather warms up, the afternoon sunlight streams into the lecture hall through the large French windows, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that makes one feel sleepy.

A young man was dozing off on his desk, the soft sunlight falling on his slightly curly black hair. His body rose and fell gently with his breathing, and he was fast asleep.

"Qianjing...feed...Qianjing!"

The teaching assistant gently poked his side, but he didn't react. The teaching assistant had no choice but to pat his shoulder hard, and Qian Jing slowly woke up from the violent shaking.

"Hmm..."

He yawned, lifted his head from his arms, blinked his sleepy eyes—and then met the professor's (50+ years old, full professor, Mediterranean-looking) eyes.

"Ah... I'm sorry, Professor, I didn't sleep well last night, I just took a nap."

He immediately got up and came up with an excuse in just 0.1 seconds, but all he got in return was a bitter smile from the professor.

"A short nap, do you mean sleeping through the entire class?"

"Alas."

He looked around and saw that almost all the other students had left, meaning class had already ended. Only the professor and teaching assistant remained with him.

"And it's one thing to just sleep, but what about your coursework? I don't want anyone to fail in my class either, but today is the deadline. If you don't hand it in, I'll have to give you a zero."

"Give me two more days, please?" Qian Jing raised his hands in surrender.

"no."

"one day?"

"no."

"Grace period until this afternoon?"

"...Is it possible that it's already four o'clock in the afternoon?"

"Oh, really...?"

Qianjing took out her phone, glanced at it, and raised her eyebrows.

"Looks like I even slept through lunch. Happy times always fly by."

"Sigh, you..."

The professor sighed deeply and said to the teaching assistant:

"Teaching assistant, deduct all his class points."

"Yes, ma'am."

……

……

A few minutes later, Qianjing and the professor walked out of the teaching building together.

The professor's tone was somewhat like, "If you had a better attitude, I might have been able to help you out." However, Qianjing kept looking at his phone as soon as he left the classroom, completely ignoring the people around him. He checked the group messages from various course groups one by one, all of which were reminders to submit assignments/course projects/reviews/papers.

"You didn't do anything, did you?" The professor couldn't help but glance at his phone.

"There's always a way, don't push yourself too hard," Qian Jing said casually.

"...I've seen your previous student records. You weren't like this in high school. You were so diligent back then, even the top student in the city. How come you're so casual now that you're in college?"

Life is long, wouldn't it be boring to always face it with the same attitude? Changing your mindset and attitude towards life can definitely help you discover a lot of fun.

"You've been reading too much Yilin magazine... Bye-bye, I have class next period."

Bye.

After saying goodbye to the professor, Qianjing stretched and strolled around the campus.

It's four o'clock in the afternoon. Summer is just around the corner, and the warm sunlight is spreading like a velvet blanket across the university campus.

Outside the teaching building, groups of students without classes pushed their bicycles past; on the lawn, parents from nearby residential areas brought their children for a picnic; on the rooftop, the science geeks from the Science Association were launching drones; under the shade of the trees, young men and women were flirting and teasing each other.

The sky is not broken.

No invading monsters.

There are no evil spirits from beyond the heavens.

There is no aggressive partner.

There are no apprentices who cause you endless worry.

There are not trillions of living beings who cry out "Holy Venerable Qianjing, save me!" every single day.

so perfect.

Nineteen years have passed since I ascended to the Immortal Realm—which is this Earth world. If you include the fetal period, that's twenty years. These twenty years have been more pleasant than the two hundred years I spent in the mortal realm in my previous life.

Then he received a message from his twin sister, who shared an apartment with him. He opened it and saw:

[Dude, I'm staying at my best friend's tonight. You'll have to eat at the cafeteria by yourself.]

"What an inconsiderate younger sister..."

His little sister skipped dinner, and he doesn't have any close friends, so no one will ask him to hang out. But there's still a little while before dinner, so what should he do?

Earth, as the upper realm, offers far more entertainment than the lower realm. Today you play games, tomorrow you watch live streams, the day after you draw cards; every day brings a different kind of fun. Who would want to go back to their hometown to work overtime and clean up after the useless people?

The counselor suddenly called; this was the 40th time he had been directly called by the counselor this semester.

Qianjing, where are you?

"Getting ready to go to the terminal~"

"...As your senior, I have to remind you that you've been at the bottom of your class for two years in a row. If this continues, you might not even graduate. You should really focus."

"It's alright, I didn't cause any trouble for anyone."

"That's true... Never mind, I have two things to ask you. First, about tomorrow's off-campus activity, why haven't you signed it yet?"

"What event was it again?"

[Visiting the Kaijing City History Museum! Don't you ever check the grade-level groups?]

"Sorry, WeChat was taking up too much storage, so I deleted it..."

[You son of a bitch... never mind, the second thing is, you need to come to the counselor's office right now]

"Just to sign you up for extracurricular activities?"

The principal wants to see you.

"…………Wow."

Qian Jing frowned slightly.

The counselor on the other end of the phone sounded somewhat bitter.

The principal called your name. Did you get into some trouble? I can't protect you, you'd better... good luck.

……

……

A few minutes later, Qian Jing arrived at the second floor of the college's office building. This office building was at least sixty years old, and the old-fashioned floor tiles and wallpaper made people feel as if they had returned to the tenement building where their grandfathers lived.

He strolled slowly to the counselor's office at the end of the corridor, knocked on the door, but received no response. So he gently pushed the door open and went inside.

The counselors, their faces dark and heads bowed, huddled in their workstations, barely daring to breathe.

A woman was sitting in a chair opposite the office.

She looked to be in her thirties, dressed impeccably in a women's suit, pencil skirt, and stockings. She wore gold-rimmed glasses, had a sharp gaze, an excellent figure, and a striking beauty. Her extraordinary presence and commanding presence were evident in her very seat; she was clearly a powerful woman.

This is Lin Zhiyu, the president of Haijing University of Science and Technology.

She looked at Qianjing coldly.

Qianjing watched her silently.

"Um..." the male counselor broke the silence with difficulty, "Madam Principal, although Qian Jing has failed all his subjects since entering the school, I think he is essentially a kind person, you... uh..."

"No need to say anything more, you can all leave."

Lin Zhiyu interrupted the counselor's rambling, and everyone in the office felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and they all ran away in a flash.

Evening is approaching.

The orange-red sunlight streamed through the skyscrapers of Haijing City, casting a vibrant yet desolate hue over the now empty office.

Now, in this enclosed space, only the principal and Qianjing are present.

The university's highest authority and its worst students.

She looked at him.

He looked back at her.

The silent eye contact lasted for several seconds, and then—

"I've been waiting for you for ages! You're so slow!"

Lin Zhiyu instantly lost her capable and strong businesswoman demeanor. With a snap of her fingers, the candlelight flared up, and the previously empty walls were suddenly covered with colorful ribbons. A two-meter-tall cake appeared out of thin air in the middle of the office, topped with a full twenty candles.

"Ta-da! Happy 20th Anniversary of Ascension, brother!"

She struck an exaggerated pose (very much like the "How about it!" from Dark Souls), and flirted wildly with Qianjing, making him laugh.

"But I'm only nineteen years old this year."

"The time spent reincarnating in the upper realm is calculated from the time of conception. I even checked your birth record just to give you a surprise! Come on, eat!"

Qian Jing was momentarily distracted when he realized he had a knife, fork, and cake plate in his hand, but he had no recollection of ever having taken cutlery.

Before he knew it, the large cake in front of him had been cut up, his arms were stuffed with gifts, and Lin Zhiyu had turned on the stereo and started playing "Happy Ascension~" at some point. The scene was quite comical.

Everything that just happened occurred "unconsciously" of Qianjing.

"These things were all set up a long time ago, right? You used your ability to 'eliminate presence and manipulate the unconscious' for this?" Qian Jing teased.

"Anything is worth it as long as you're happy."

She smiled and plopped down on the desk in front of Qian Jing, pushing all the stationery on the desk down with her big butt. She even took off her high heels and massaged her sore, smelly feet, not treating Qian Jing like an outsider at all.

"Just to make me happy?" Qian Jing laughed.

"Of course."

"I have a feeling you're up to something."

"Tsk tsk tsk, you really are my good brother. Considering we're both Ascendants of the same kind, and I've been helping you change your grades behind the scenes, how about you listen to my little request?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello, friends from the lower realms!

You must be feeling quite lost since this is your first time in the Upper Realm.

Don't worry, as long as you follow the instructions in this manual, you will definitely have a wonderful time in the Upper Realm!

First, it should be noted that there are two types of ascendants:

The first type of ascendant is one who ascends voluntarily. For example, someone like Qian Jing, who reached the pinnacle in his hometown, breaks through the barrier between planes and reaches the upper realm. Such a person will be reborn on Earth with his memories and a completely new identity. He will grow up as a complete Earthling from the fetus stage, lose all his cultivation in his hometown, and embrace a new power called "superpower".

The second type is passive ascension. Even if their own power is insufficient, they can be guided up by an ancestor who has already ascended to Earth. These ascendants will not be reborn as fetuses, but will directly cross over while maintaining their original form. The cost is that they need to spend time and effort to adapt to Earth's environment and laws, and they may not be able to stably awaken their superpowers. Their superpowers are usually weaker than the first type of ascendant.

Which one are you?

If it is the former, please do not bring in any members of your tribe without prior notice; you must report to the organization in advance.

If it's the latter, please reunite with your fellow villagers as soon as possible; unity and friendship are the most important things.

Regardless of which type you are, please remember one thing:

No matter how arrogant you were in your homeland, please put away your arrogance after arriving on Earth, be a law-abiding citizen, and do not abuse your superpowers. Violators will be punished.

—《Ascension Mutual Aid Association Guidebook, 2025 Edition, Chapter 1》, supervised by the Friendship Department of the Ascension Mutual Aid Association