On a summer morning in 2016, the air was still cool. On the rooftop of an old building at Changqing High School in Nanzhou City, Sichuan Province, a young man in a green robe stood silently, long hair swaying slightly in the breeze. He looked down at the empty sports field below, eyes glowing with excitement, a relaxed smile on his lips.
As the soft morning sun lit up Zachary Green’s face, he lifted his head and shouted, “Earth, I’m back!”
His voice echoed through the air like thunder cracking across the sky.
To anyone else, it might’ve sounded like nonsense. But to Zachary, those words carried a weight no one could understand.
“I spent eight thousand years in the land of Xavier Tempest,” he muttered to himself, eyes scanning the campus below, “and only eight years passed here. Time... it’s a strange thing.”
He took in the view—familiar buildings, yet changed. “A backwater school turned into a national key institution? Even this little town became a booming development zone.” His voice was calm, but tinged with surprise.
Eight years ago, this place was dying. Now skyscrapers surrounded the school, glass and steel rising high into the sky.
“I’m back, little sis,” he whispered, before disappearing from the rooftop without a trace.
“Odd... I swear I heard someone shouting,” muttered a security guard as he pushed open the rooftop door, scratching his head at the empty space.
Then, standing at the entrance to a large shopping mall, Zachary froze. It was early morning, the mall not yet open, and he just stood there, staring.
“Where is it…” he whispered.
The tiny, broken-down house he’d grown up in—all gone. Replaced by steel and lights that didn’t belong to his memory.
“Little sis…” His expression darkened, guilt weighing heavy on his chest.
He had vanished without a word, leaving his sister alone in this world. Back then, it was just the two of them, scraping by on neighbors’ help and whatever odd jobs Zachary could manage. Life was hard. Too hard. And he had no idea how his twelve-year-old sister would’ve survived alone after he disappeared.
But fate had ripped him from this world. Pulled into a harsh and brutal land where strength ruled everything, where the weak were trampled and the strong held the power to crush mountains and swallow seas.
Thrown into the body of a disgraced noble with the same name, Zachary had been mocked and beaten down. But he fought back. With Earth’s knowledge and his own stubborn will, he clawed his way up. Three thousand years of blood and grind led him to the throne. And over eight thousand years, he became that world’s true Sovereign—feared, worshipped, untouchable.
His name turned into a myth, a taboo. His power crushed the sky. People knelt before him across the realm.
But it was all dust in his heart. Every glory, every title—couldn't quiet the question that haunted him: where is she now?
So, he searched. He built a world-breaking artifact that tore open the heavens, ripped a path between realms. In front of countless beings, he stepped into that rift, alone.
And now, he was back.
Though he looked like a young man, his soul had lived through eight millennia.
“Only eight years here... but when I left, she was still a child. What did she have to face after I vanished?” Standing under the vast sky, on the plaza in front of the mall, Zachary spoke softly, every word sinking deep into the silence around him.“If I hadn't run into trouble coming back, ended up injured and powerless, I would've already turned the whole planet upside down to find my sister. Wouldn't be sitting here with nothing to go on.”
Frustration surged in Zachary Green’s chest, his spiritual energy stirred restlessly. The sky, once clear, suddenly darkened like a storm was brewing.
“Only way forward now is to get my strength back—fast,” he muttered. As he calmed, so did the energy inside him. The sky cleared again.
Just then, a yellow convertible Porsche zipped past, then reversed slowly. The driver turned his handsome face, pulled off his shades, and shouted in surprise, “You’re… Zachary Green?”
Zachary looked over, brows lifting. “Jason Rivers?”
“Thought I was seeing things!” Jason leaned against the car door, body cocked to the side, right as Tara Manning in the passenger seat came into view. She’d just taken off her sunglasses, her wide eyes betraying surprise.
“You too, Tara,” Zachary said.
“Long time,” she replied, glancing at him before quickly turning away, almost like she didn’t want Jason to read too much into it.
Eight years had passed. Jason and Tara looked more mature now. Back in high school, they were all classmates. Zachary and Tara were close—so close that even their teacher assumed they were a thing.
Jason? He’d been the rich kid in town, cocky and competitive. He had it bad for Tara, and used to stir up trouble for Zachary all the time, even hiring some thugs once. But Tara had no interest in him back then, so Jason could only gnash his teeth in frustration.
Who’d have thought those two would end up in the same Porsche, looking like a couple?
Time changes people.
“Eight years ago, right before the college entrance exams, you just vanished,” Jason said with a trace of drama. “Teachers were panicking. Rumor had it you died or something. Never expected to bump into you here today.” He chuckled after a pause, eyes scanning Zachary’s outfit. “What's with the look? Cosplaying some martial arts character? You missing a sword or something?”
Zachary just smiled. After all he'd lived through, people's opinions meant nothing. That old grudge with Jason? Long buried.
“What brings you two out here?” Zachary asked.
“This area?” Jason smirked. “Our family built the mall here. I was just looking around.”
Zachary raised a brow. “So this is your family's place?”
Jason, clearly enjoying the moment, said, “Caught the real estate boom at just the right time. That’s how I won Tara over too.” As he spoke, he dropped a hand on Tara’s shoulder and gave Zachary a triumphant look.
See that? She’s mine now.
“Congrats,” Zachary said evenly, then added, “Since your family owns the place, maybe you’ve seen my sister? We used to live nearby.”
“No idea where she went,” Jason replied with a shrug, losing interest now that Zachary wasn’t playing along. “Heard some rich family took her in. Probably living it up now.”
Unspoken but clear—Zachary was the only one left behind.Jason Rivers suddenly paused mid-conversation, then leaned into the car and pulled out a thick wad of cash. With a smug smirk, he waved it in front of Zachary Green. “Back when the demolition happened, nobody could find you, and your sister was gone too. You guys missed out on the payout. This is just me doing my part.”
His tone was generous, but the look on his face was pure mockery. He held the money like he was tossing scraps to a beggar.
Zachary’s eyes shifted from the cash to Tara Manning. She glanced at him briefly before turning her head away, a silent message—whatever was between them, it was long gone.
Jason was clearly pleased by Tara’s response. He turned back to Zachary, who hadn’t moved. “What, not gonna take it?”
Zachary just smiled and shook his head. He wasn’t in the mood to bicker with this guy.
Tara chimed in from Jason’s arms, her voice soft but cutting, “This world’s all about money. Maybe you could start a small business with that.”
Jason chuckled and added, “What, you think it’s not enough?” Then, trying to look generous, he grabbed another wad. “Fine, one more stack. Old classmates and all.”
Zachary looked at the money, not a hint of shame in his eyes—just a quiet amusement. It felt like a monkey trying to hand him cash. Ridiculous.
Still, free money was free money.
“Appreciate it. I could use it,” Zachary said with a faint smile, stuffing the two stacks into his coat.
That stunned both Jason and Tara for a beat. Then Jason burst out laughing. “Zachary, I could use a driver. You in? Consider it charity.”
Zachary shook his head. “Forget it. We’re not from the same world.”
Jason liked that answer a little too much. “Fair enough. I’ve got things to do anyway.” He checked his flashy Rolex and slid on a pair of sunglasses.
“Oh, right. Class reunion at Jiangzuzui Hotel, five days from now. Everyone’s going. Even the homeroom teacher. You coming?”
Zachary knew exactly what kind of game Jason was playing, but he didn’t care. He nodded. “I’ll be there.”
“Good. See you then,” Jason said with a grin. The sunglasses hid the sneer in his eyes.
“See you then.”
With a brief nod, Zachary turned and walked away.
Jason watched him go, lips curling. “Can you believe I once saw him as competition? Look at him now—pathetic.”
“He’s already at rock bottom. Not worth getting worked up over,” Tara said, staring ahead.
“Yeah, he knows his place now. After the reunion, it's over,” Jason replied, then hit the gas and sped off.
Zachary watched the car vanish, then let out a low chuckle. “I thought about throwing them a bone, for old time’s sake. Seems like they don’t need it.”
Still smiling, he left the square behind.
