The thunder crashed like a roar of a beast, shaking the very heavens.
Lin Yu stood at the edge of the Supreme Throne, poised to take the final step toward becoming the Celestial Emperor. He had conquered realms, fought countless battles, and ascended to the pinnacle of power. Nothing could stand in his way. His hands trembled slightly as he reached out, about to grasp the divine essence of the universe.
But then, it came—without warning. A storm of lightning, a force so immense it seemed to tear the very fabric of existence. The Heavenly Dao itself turned against him, as if punishing him for daring to defy its order. Thunderbolts rained down, searing through his immortal body, and his strength began to wane.
"This can't be…" Lin Yu whispered, struggling to retain control. He was so close, so close to seizing the throne of the gods. Yet here he was, falling before a storm he couldn't fight.
He tried to move, to fight back, but then, from the darkness, a figure appeared—Xu Shen, his most trusted subordinate, standing with cold eyes and a twisted smile.
"You were always too ambitious, Lin Yu," Xu Shen said, his voice carrying a chilling calm. "I told you the throne wouldn't be yours."
The betrayal hit Lin Yu like a dagger to the chest. His mind reeled, unable to grasp the enormity of the treachery. He had trusted Xu Shen. They had fought side by side, and yet now, this was the end.
Before he could speak, the blade struck, and the world around him turned black.
Lin Yu awoke with a gasp, his body crashing against cold, hard ground. The familiar rush of power that had always flowed through him was gone. He felt weak, human. Gone were the divine senses that had once allowed him to perceive the universe in its entirety.
He blinked, disoriented, and sat up slowly. This wasn't the Celestial Realm. This wasn't anywhere near where he had fallen. The air was different—thick, filled with the smells of dust, and faintly of gasoline and food.
"Where am I…?" His voice was hoarse, as though he had been shouting for years. His fingers grazed the surface beneath him—a wooden desk. He looked around and realized that the room was small, simple, with worn books and papers scattered about.
And then it hit him. He wasn't in the Immortal Realm. He wasn't even in a place that felt divine. He was back on Earth, in the world he had left behind long ago.
"What the hell happened?" Lin Yu muttered, his head spinning. He wasn't sure how, but the truth was undeniable. Somehow, through the chaos of his death, through that destructive force, he had been dragged back to this mundane world.
His eyes shot to the door, where a familiar face was looking at him, concern etched across her features. It was Cheng Xi, his old classmate.
"Lin Yu, you're awake," she said softly. Her voice was filled with a warmth that made him momentarily forget his surroundings.
Lin Yu froze, a chill crawling up his spine. Cheng Xi. He remembered—three days from now, a monstrous beast would emerge from the forest, a terrifying creature with the blood of a tiger and a leopard. And it would kill her.
No matter how much he tried to deny it, he knew the truth. He had returned to this world, this place that seemed so small in comparison to the vastness of the Celestial Realm, but he had a purpose. And that purpose was clear.
"Cheng Xi…" He looked at her, his voice quieter than he meant it to be. The weight of his memories, his past life, crushed him, but he knew what he had to do. "I have to save you."
Cheng Xi gave him a puzzled smile. "Are you okay? You look different…"
Lin Yu stood up quickly, shaking off the dizziness. He couldn't afford to be weak. He had to act fast.
This world, this Earth, wasn't the place he had once known. His powers were stripped away, and the rules of the immortal world no longer applied. But Lin Yu knew one thing: he wasn't just going to sit idly by. Not when Cheng Xi's life was at stake. Not when there was a chance to rewrite his fate.
"Something happened," he murmured under his breath. "Something's not right."
His thoughts raced. Xu Shen had betrayed him, yes, but that wasn't all. The world had conspired against him, pulling him back to a place he thought he had left behind. Earth. He had no powers, no allies, and no realm to call home, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. Not when there was revenge to be had. Not when there was a life to save.
He wasn't going to let the past repeat itself.
"Cheng Xi, I swear," he whispered to himself. "I won't let you die."