After the internet was disconnected, I connected to the magic world.

Zhao Hao was the first to fall asleep.

I did my homework until after 10 p.m., then secretly took out my phone to read a novel for half an hour. My eyelids were drooping so badly that I threw the phone down and fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

In a daze, he felt his body light up, as if he were falling.

When I finally stepped onto solid ground and opened my eyes, all I saw was a vast expanse of white, with nothing in sight.

A large bronze gate stood alone directly in front of them, its surface engraved with delicate cloud patterns, giving it an antique feel.

"Um?"

Zhao Hao was stunned for two seconds, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

He spun around on the spot, pinched his arm hard, and hissed in pain.

"It hurts! It really hurts!"

The boy immediately straightened his chest, stood with his hands behind his back, and laughed loudly three times.

"Hahaha! I'm finally back!"

"The Heavenly Court has indeed not forgotten me! They specially opened the Southern Heavenly Gate to welcome me back!"

As he spoke, he strode toward the bronze gate with a pigeon-toed gait, as if he were ascending the throne and attending court.

As he laughed arrogantly, a flash of white light appeared beside him, and another person appeared.

It is Master Xuanqing.

The old Taoist priest, dressed in a blue robe, with white hair and beard, stood as steady as Mount Tai in the white light.

Upon opening his eyes and seeing the pure white space around him, he was slightly taken aback. Then, he focused his mind and looked inward, feeling his pulse and performing a calming incantation.

A few seconds later, the old Taoist opened his eyes, his brows furrowed slightly.

"It's not a dream. My soul left my body? No, that's not right..."

He turned to look at Zhao Hao, then at the bronze gate, his eyes filled with inquiry, but without the slightest hint of panic.

Having cultivated Taoism my whole life, what strange things haven't I heard of?

If you actually encounter it, you'll be able to stay calm.

Just as Xuan Qing regained his footing, another beam of white light descended from his left.

Zhang Lei appeared in the same spot, yawning, his eyes still closed.

"Ugh... I'm so sleepy..."

He spent the afternoon showing rooms to clients, then had dinner with the landlord that evening, drank two bottles of beer, and went straight to bed when he got home.

My mind is still blank; I think I'm dreaming.

When he rubbed his eyes and saw his surroundings clearly, he instantly sobered up by half.

"Holy crap? Where am I?"

Zhang Lei spun around in place, looking at the vast expanse of white, then at the boy and the old Taoist priest not far away, and his heart skipped a beat.

No way? He drank himself into oblivion? He was kidnapped?

Wait a minute, I was definitely sleeping at home.

Just as he was panicking, two beams of white light appeared on his right side almost simultaneously.

A middle-aged monk in a gray robe stood with his palms together, his expression serene; this was none other than Shi Mingyuan.

Another young man wearing black-rimmed glasses and a plaid shirt was nervously clutching his backpack strap; it was Zhou Ming.

Five people—three men, one young boy, one monk, and one Taoist priest—stood in the vast, pure white space, looking at each other in bewilderment.

The atmosphere became quiet for a moment.

Zhao Hao was the first to break the silence.

Seeing that there were many people around, the boy became even more enthusiastic in his performance. He put his hands behind his back, glanced at everyone, and nodded slightly.

"You who have come to this realm with me are all destined for immortality."

"When I return to the Heavenly Court, I will bestow upon you all official positions and you will certainly receive your due benefits."

As soon as he said that, the remaining four people all looked at him.

Zhang Lei's lips twitched.

Good grief, is this some kind of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)?

This kid looks sixteen or seventeen, and he's already pretending to be the Heavenly Emperor?

Zhou Ming pushed up his glasses, looking somewhat bewildered, and didn't dare to speak.

Master Shi Mingyuan uttered a low Buddhist chant, shook his head slightly, and did not reply.

Master Xuanqing stroked his goatee, smiled at Zhao Hao, and didn't expose him.

Zhao Hao acted for a while, but when no one responded, he got a little bored.

He pursed his lips, dropped the pretense, went closer to the bronze door, touched it, and then turned to shout to the crowd:

"Hey, how did you all get here? I was sleeping at home, and when I opened my eyes I was here."

This immediately opened up a floodgate of conversation.

Zhang Lei spoke first, his tone still somewhat bewildered: "I was sleeping at home too. I had a few drinks, and after lying in bed for less than two minutes..."

That's all for now.

What kind of place is this? Is this a filming location for a variety show? A prank show?

As he spoke, he looked around for security cameras.

"Wait a minute, there aren't any cameras either."

"This humble monk was also meditating in the meditation room when I opened my eyes and found myself here."

Shi Mingyuan's voice was calm and emotionless.

"Me too, I worked overtime, came home, took a shower, lay down, and when I opened my eyes I was here," Zhou Ming whispered, sounding a little nervous.

Master Xuanqing nodded and slowly said, "I was also resting at the Taoist temple when I entered meditation and came here."

If the old Taoist is not mistaken, our souls have all left our bodies and entered a strange realm.

He paused, then looked at everyone: "Everyone, please feel your waists. Is there anything unusual?"

Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads and touched their waists.

They were all stunned when they touched it.

Each person had a palm-sized peach wood plaque hanging on their waist, smooth and round, engraved with cloud patterns, warm against their body.

"This token..." Zhang Lei took off the token and examined it over and over in his hand.

"I think I had something similar in my drawer. I thought it was left behind by a client. How did it end up here?"

"There is a wooden plaque like this on my desk. I just found it this morning. I thought it was a gift from a pilgrim."

Xuanqing also took off the token, his fingertips brushing over the patterns on it, lost in thought.

Master Mingyuan said, "There was also one next to my meditation cushion, which I thought belonged to the temple."

"The extra one in my bag,"

Zhou Ming pushed up his glasses. "It wasn't there when I was on the subway yesterday. I found it when I was rummaging through my bag this morning. I thought someone had put it in the wrong bag."

After the four finished speaking, they all looked at Zhao Hao.

Zhao Hao held the token and scratched his head: "I've always had a wooden plaque by my pillow, I found it... but there wasn't this door before."

He paused, his face full of certainty:

"Let me tell you, this is definitely time travel!"

Isekai (otherworld) travel!

I was here once before; it's a world with mountains and water. I woke up after walking only a few steps.

"It must be this token that's causing the trouble! We're all chosen ones!"

"Time travel?" Zhang Lei's lips twitched again.

"You've been reading too many children's novels, haven't you? There's no such thing as time travel in this world..."

Even so, looking at the token in his hand and then at the pure white space that had appeared out of nowhere, he felt a little uneasy.

It can't all be a collective dream, right? How can five people have the same dream?

Master Xuanqing held the token, his fingertips slowly tracing the patterns on it.

"Whether it's time travel or not, you'll know as soon as you open the door."

He took a step toward the bronze door.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute, Taoist priest!" Zhao Hao quickly ran over and blocked his way.

"Of course, I should be the first to scout ahead! I am the Heavenly Emperor, and I shall lead from the front!"

As he spoke, he reached out to push the door open.

"Please wait a moment, young friend." Xuan Qing reached out to stop him, his tone calm.

"We must not act rashly when danger is unknown. I am an old man with many bones; it is not a big deal if anything happens. Let me go first."

Zhao Hao wanted to argue, but Xuan Qing stopped him with a look.

The old Taoist priest looked gentle, but the calm and composed aura he exuded from years of cultivation made the young man obediently step aside.

Master Xuanqing took a deep breath, held the token in his left hand, and placed his right hand on the bronze door.

Apply slight force.

The heavy door creaked open slowly.

Soft sunlight filtered through the crack in the door, along with the fresh scent of grass and trees.

All five of them held their breath and peered inside.

Looking out, there are green meadows covering the hillsides, rolling green hills in the distance, and a clear stream at your feet, with the wind rustling through the leaves.

The air was unbelievably fresh; every breath made my lungs feel clear and refreshed.

"Is...is this really another world?"

Zhang Lei's eyes widened, and his voice trembled slightly.

Zhou Ming gripped the strap of his schoolbag tightly, his palms sweating with nervousness.

Master Shi Mingyuan gazed at the distant mountains and softly chanted a Buddhist prayer.

Master Xuanqing looked at the landscape before him, his eyes also rippled with emotion.

Zhao Hao was the most excited, clenching his fists and eager to try.

Master Xuanqing took the first step and crossed the threshold.

Seeing this, the remaining four people followed suit and went inside.

As soon as the last person stepped through the door, the bronze door behind them emitted a faint white light, slowly became transparent, and then completely disappeared into the air.

Not even a trace was left.

The five people turned around and saw that the door was gone.

"This..." Zhang Lei panicked a little, "Where's the door? How are we going to get back?"

"What's the rush?" Zhao Hao waved his hand, looking confident.

"I went back as soon as I woke up last time, so I guess I can go back when I wake up from this dream. Since we're here, let's make the best of it and explore the world."

As he spoke, he took the lead and walked forward, striding with long steps, as if he were inspecting his own territory.

The remaining four exchanged glances and had no choice but to follow.

We can't just stay in the same place.

After walking along the path for a short distance, we passed a small grove of trees, and suddenly the view opened up before us.

Nestled at the foot of the mountain is a small village with a few dozen households, mud-brick houses, a grain drying ground, an old locust tree at the village entrance, and wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys.

It looks no different from any other ordinary mountain village.

On the open ground by the roadside, a man dressed in coarse cloth and shorts was chopping wood with an axe.

Hearing footsteps, the man subconsciously looked up.

He spotted Zhao Hao walking at the front and then glanced at the four people behind him.

The axe in the man's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

His eyes widened, his mouth gaped open, and he stammered, finally managing to utter a few words:

"An...an extraordinary person!!"