[Deepest condolences! Sea City's Donghua Village was attacked by ferocious beasts last night. Casualties have exceeded 236. Click here to watch the live rescue broadcast.]
[Protests break out in refugee camps across multiple regions. Is the atrocious living environment to blame?]
[Shocking! What caused the Wudang Sect's Eldest Senior Sister to scream in the middle of the night?]
Shen Yun scrolled through the news on his phone, one article at a time, his mouth twitching slightly.
One second, he had been playing PUBG on his phone. The next, he appeared in this bizarre place. His house was still his house, his phone was still his phone, and Sea City was still Sea City. However, the world was no longer the one he knew. Pinned to the top of his browser in blaring crimson text was a banner: "A Look Back at the Third Anniversary of the Spiritual Qi Outbreak!"
Damn it! This was too much!
Transmigrating into a dangerous parallel world was bad enough, but why wasn't he given a cheat? Ever since Shen Yun realized he had transmigrated, he had tried all sorts of tests. No system! No cheat! To make matters worse, his parallel self had zero talent for cultivation and was a stubborn holdout who refused to move to a refugee camp! According to the online news, the people being slaughtered by berserk beasts across the globe were mostly stubborn holdouts just like him.
Simply put, the Spiritual Qi outbreak had turned the world upside down. Countless animals worldwide had become incredibly powerful and ferocious. While it hadn't quite reached an apocalyptic level, the world had become extremely unsafe for ordinary people.
"I can't stay here anymore!"
Shen Yun suddenly leapt up from the sofa and looked around. This parallel world's villa was identical to the one he had lived in for twenty-four years in his original world. The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth. Located in the suburbs of Sea City, this luxury villa had been his greatest asset in his previous life. Based on the old housing market, he could have sold it and instantly become a millionaire, living comfortably for the rest of his days. But now? The property value had plummeted to rock bottom!
He had no idea why his parallel self had stubbornly refused to move to a refugee camp, but to him, his life was obviously the top priority. The Donghua Village that had been massacred last night was less than ten kilometers away!
Screw this, he was leaving right now!
Shen Yun felt as if he could faintly hear inexplicable roars echoing in the distance. Unwilling to linger for even a second, he immediately started packing. His phone was an absolute must; he couldn't breathe without it. He would leave the computer behind. Then came clothes, food, cash...
When Shen Yun dragged his heavy suitcase outside, he breathed a sigh of relief. His Wuling minivan was still parked in the driveway. He cast one last glance at his large house, feeling rather sentimental. He was a nostalgic person who took good care of his belongings. He had used his Pineapple 9 phone for three years, changing the screen protector multiple times so it still looked brand new.
Even though this was a parallel world, everything in the house was exactly the same as in his past. Thinking about how he would have to drift along with the tide in this turbulent new era with an uncertain future, he felt a faint sense of melancholy. Suppressing his last bit of hesitation, he pulled open the door of the minivan.
Right at that moment, a rolling rumble suddenly echoed across the dusk sky!
Shen Yun looked up and witnessed an incredibly shocking sight. Swirling, iridescent light surged from the far east! In an instant, it blanketed the entire sky like a tidal wave, bathing the whole world in a brilliant, flowing radiance.
BZZZT!
His phone began to vibrate violently. Chat groups and streams of information flooded his screen nonstop. The entire world was in an uproar, utterly stunned! Deep in the mountains where the great sects resided, many elderly martial artists gazed up at the sky in awe. Tears streamed down their aged faces as they threw their heads back and howled!
"The Heavenly Dao has been reshaped!
"This is an era of grand opportunities!
"Ascension to the heavens! We finally have hope for immortality! Hope for immortality!"
Staring at the indescribably magnificent phenomenon, Shen Yun felt profoundly shaken. He had never seen the aurora borealis, but he imagined it couldn't be anywhere near as spectacular as this. Oh, right. He needed to record a quick video as a souvenir. Shen Yun took out his Pineapple 9 phone and gripped it tightly.
Suddenly, a bizarre mutation occurred!
To his horror, Shen Yun watched as green branches abruptly burst out of his right arm, completely entangling his phone and his forearm together. What in the world was this?!
He shook his hand, instinctively trying to throw the vines off. But the moment the thought crossed his mind, the branches seemed to find an opening. Emitting a soft green glow, they surged entirely into the phone he was holding.
BOOM!
Without warning, a deafening crack of thunder tore through the sky. The iridescent flowing light from moments ago had slowly vanished, replaced by pitch-black clouds gathering overhead, flashing with lightning and rumbling incessantly.
A Celestial Tribulation?
The term suddenly flashed across Shen Yun's mind. Just as he stood there at a loss, a bolt of lightning struck down. It precisely hit his hand—or rather, his phone, which was now floating into the air.
Then came a second bolt.
And a third!
The branches gradually retracted back into his body while the phone flew higher and higher. The device radiated a crystalline light that formed a tight protective barrier over Shen Yun and his sprawling villa behind him. Even as the lightning grew increasingly frantic, striking continuously like a fiery waterfall scorching the earth, Shen Yun remained completely unharmed.
However, he was absolutely dumbfounded! What was he looking at? The phone that had accompanied him for three years was currently undergoing a Celestial Tribulation!
His right hand still felt a little numb. Shen Yun raised his arm and discovered that a green tattoo had mysteriously appeared on the back of his hand. It looked like a willow branch twisted into a circle. Faint currents of electricity occasionally rippled through it, sending waves of tingling numbness through his entire body. He felt a profound, intrinsic connection to his phone. At the same time, a sudden wave of comprehension blossomed in his mind.
Bodhi Branch.
This was the absolute last remaining branch of the Bodhi Tree.
It could grant Enlightenment to all things.
Shen Yun finally understood. He had just subconsciously used this branch to grant Enlightenment to his phone. His phone had now birthed its own sentience! So this was his cheat all along. Shen Yun was overjoyed.
Anyone who actually transmigrated would know that the sheer helplessness and confusion of a suddenly altered world was enough to drive someone to the brink of despair. But having a cheat changed everything. The only difference between despair and anticipation was simply a matter of having a cheat.
Constant explosions deafened his ears, and furious lightning blinded his eyes. Yet, Shen Yun's heart was completely unfazed.
Both he and his villa were entirely enveloped by the flowing light radiating from his phone. Even the dense, waterfall-like barrage of lightning couldn't breach it. Although witnessing the raw might of heaven and earth from such a close distance was terrifying, Shen Yun did his best to stay optimistic. The final branch of the Bodhi Tree had inexplicably bonded with his body. There had to be some unseen, predestined reason for this. He wouldn't die that easily.
At this point, Shen Yun stopped worrying about unnecessary questions—like who had transmigrated him and given him this cheat, or what kind of grand conspiracy or scheme was operating behind the scenes. Right now, his only thought was to survive, and to live a good life while doing so.