My classmates chose martial arts and fantasy, but I chose the prehistoric world.

Xiao Yan's home in the old town of Yuncheng, in the staff quarters of his work unit.

The old TV in the living room was on, the volume turned down low, repeatedly playing satellite images of the sinking of Japan and Shi Hao's declaration that had spread around the world.

Li Xiuying sat on the sofa, her eyes red and swollen, her gaze fixed on the screen, as if trying to etch every word and every frame into her mind.

Xiao Jianguo stood by the window, smoking silently, with seven or eight cigarette butts already at his feet.

He could hear his neighbors talking outside the window, with words like "demon world" and "mortality rate" mixed in, which made him frown even more.

"The world of immortals and demons... the immortal realm... the demon realm..."

Li Xiuying murmured repeatedly, her voice trembling, "Morality rate... 61%... 95%..."

She suddenly turned to look at her husband, tears welling up in her eyes, yet also a mixture of relief and lingering fear.

"Old Xiao, you know... it's fortunate that our Xiao Yan went to the Lower Martial Realm, isn't it? It's fortunate he didn't go to that Immortal Realm or Demon Realm... with such a high mortality rate, if he had gone..."

Xiao Jianguo took a deep drag on his cigarette and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

"Yes, luckily he went to a low-level martial arts world. As long as he doesn't cause trouble and stays hidden, his chances of survival are very high. But the immortal realm and the demon realm... are too dangerous."

"It's good that our Xiaoyan is back safe and sound, it's good that she's back safe and sound..."

Li Xiuying nodded repeatedly.

There was relief, but also fear.

I'm glad my son didn't go down that even more terrible path.

They were terrified that the world was more dangerous and unfathomable than they had imagined.

Their only son is currently gambling with a mortality rate of less than three percent in a "relatively safe" world.

"When Xiaoyan comes back, let him study hard and get into Wuhan University. After graduation, he can find a stable job. That's better than anything else."

Xiao Jianguo stubbed out his cigarette, his voice low and deep.

Faced with a tumultuous truth, this simple working-class family chose to cling tightly to the most reliable lifeline they could understand.

Safety is more important than anything else!

……

Luo Feng's home, a top-floor duplex in a high-end residential area in the south of the city.

Luo Zhenshan didn't turn on the TV. Instead, he stood under the huge cursive "Wu" character, his hands behind his back, looking up at the sharp edge contained in the character, remaining silent for a long time.

Zhang Hui sat on the sofa, her eyes filled with a complex sense of bewilderment.

"Old Luo..."

She spoke softly, "That Shi Hao... he said he came back from the Demon Realm. The death rate in the Demon Realm is over 95%... how... how did he survive? And become so strong?"

Luo Zhenshan slowly turned around, his eyes gleaming.

"Only through near-death experiences can one rise from the ashes!"

He said in a deep voice, "The Demon Realm is dangerous, but it also means greater opportunities. That Shi Hao, who was able to come back from there alive and still possess such strength, must have top-notch character, perseverance, and opportunities."

He paused, then looked at his wife.

"Xiao Feng went to a world of high-level martial arts. Although the mortality rate is over 10%, it's much safer than the Demon Realm."

"I initially supported him taking the plunge because I believed that with his talent and temperament, he had a chance to succeed in the world of high-level martial arts. Now it seems..."

His gaze drifted out the window, as if he could pierce through the void and see his son fighting in another world.

"The world of high martial arts is ultimately just the pinnacle of 'martial arts.' But the world of immortals and demons... that is a higher level of existence."

"If only I had known this option was available..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the fleeting heat in his eyes betrayed his true thoughts.

Zhang Hui looked at her husband, her lips moved, but in the end, it turned into a sigh.

She knew what her husband was thinking.

If he had known earlier, he might have really encouraged his son to risk the less than 40% chance of survival in the Immortal Realm and the less than 5% chance in the Demon Realm in exchange for the earth-shattering power of Shi Hao.

A family of martial artists, they revere strength and pursue the pinnacle...

Even if the price is nine out of ten deaths!

……

A detached courtyard house in the west of the city, the home of Chen Beixuan, with a tea room.

The sandalwood incense was still there, but the atmosphere was completely different from usual.

Chen Jinyan's face was gloomy, and the purple clay teacup in his hand had been crushed with fine cracks, but he was completely unaware of it.

Old Master Chen sat in the main seat with his eyes closed, breathing slowly, but his slightly trembling eyelids betrayed his inner turmoil.

"The Celestial Realm... the Demon Realm..."

Chen Jinyan squeezed out these four words through gritted teeth.

He looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with anger at being fooled.

"Those top families, those powerful figures... they knew all along! Yet they joined forces to suppress the news for over seven hundred years! Forcing our families to follow the path they laid out for us, to fight our way through the worlds of martial arts and fantasy!"

"They secretly send their own descendants to the Immortal Realm and the Demon Realm to obtain higher levels of inheritance and power!"

"Father! We've been tricked! Bei Xuan had a chance..."

"That's enough!"

Old Master Chen slowly opened his eyes, his gaze dark and unfathomable.

"What's the point of saying all this now?"

His voice was calm, yet carried a chill.

"Bei Xuan is already in the world of high immortals; the die is cast. What we need to do now is not to complain or blame others, but to figure out how to deal with the changing situation."

"That Shi Hao overturned the table, but also gave everyone a chance."

"On the day of our next departure, someone from the Chen family must embark on the path of immortality and demonhood!"

Chen Jinyan nodded emphatically, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"Excellent! On the next departure day, all eligible members of our Chen family will attempt to meditate on the world of immortals and demons! Even if the mortality rate is high, as long as even one person succeeds, it will be enough to help our Chen family surpass its past glory!"

……

On the edge of the old town, in the attic of Lao Meng's convenience store.

Meng Xiaoyu sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees, staring blankly at the official announcement video playing repeatedly on her phone, as well as the cold death rates in both the immortal and demon realms:

61.72 %

95.29 %

These two numbers were like red-hot branding irons, searing her retina and her heart.

So... besides the world of martial arts and the world of immortals, there's also a world of immortals and demons!

So... back then, my brother could have had a different choice!

"If...if my brother knew about the world of immortals and demons..."

Meng Xiaoyu's suppressed sobs echoed in the narrow attic. "What if... he won't choose the Primordial Era?"

Downstairs, Meng Shanhe stopped wiping the counter and looked up towards the attic.

Listening to his daughter's suppressed sobs, this middle-aged man, whose back was bent by the weight of life, had red eyes but couldn't shed a single tear.

"Ogawa..."

Wang Xiulan murmured, her eyes unfocused.

"Mom would rather you went to the Demon Realm... No matter how dangerous it is, Mom will still have hope..."

"But the primordial wilderness... that's a dead end... my son..."

Inside the convenience store, the dim light illuminated three figures abandoned by fate in a corner of despair.

Outside the window, the world gradually becomes noisy and restless due to the exposure of the truth.

Inside the window, there was a frozen, shattered stillness, a deathly silence stripped away even the last shred of false hope.

And at the other end of time and space, which they can never reach, a place so distant it's unimaginable—

The primordial world!

Above the Netherworld Blood Sea.

Meng Chuan took a step forward, and the aura of the Great Dao of Power was no longer concealed, crashing down on the boundless sea of ​​blood.

"The River Styx."

His voice was calm, yet it was like the first axe light that cleaved the heavens and earth, tearing through the sea of ​​blood and reaching its deepest depths.

"An old friend has come to visit; come out and greet him!"