On the outskirts of Qingzhou, there lies a nameless barren mountain.

"Boom!"

A sudden, thunderous noise shatters the tranquility of the mountain.

From a cobweb-filled cavern shoots a figure, embedding itself into the rock wall at a speed faster than a bullet, shaking the very earth and mountain.

"Cough, cough... Finally, I'm back."

He is a youth in ancient robes, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, and long hair that flutters loosely.

His name is Ning Chen, just returned from the cultivation world.

It's quite an outrageous story. Two thousand years ago, he, a lover of outdoor adventures, came to this barren mountain during the summer break after graduating high school. Unexpectedly, he was transported to the cultivation world via an ancient teleportation array.

Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion, Golden Core, YuanYing...

Despite his mediocre aptitude, he managed to break through to the YuanYing stage after two thousand years, becoming a venerable ancestor in his sect.

The teleportation array opens every two thousand years. He had intended to return to Earth today but was unexpectedly ambushed by a mysterious group!

"My Niwan Palace is shattered, my primordial spirit severely damaged, and my dantian is leaking... How could I be so gravely injured?"

"This is bad. The teleportation array has also been destroyed. With my injuries, it's impossible to heal without going back to the Little Southern Heaven world. The spiritual energy on Earth is too scarce."

Blood trickles from the corner of Ning Chen's mouth, his face as pale as a ghost.

With a shrug of his shoulders, the rock wall explodes, and he drops in front of the cave, picking up a dirt-yellow backpack.

"Eh? How is the backpack I left here years ago still so new?"

Ning Chen dusted off the bag.

Suddenly, a vibrating sound coming from a phone inside the bag reached his ears.

His facial expression slightly changed.

Two thousand years had passed, even a Nokia phone couldn't have kept its battery alive for this long!

In haste, he took out a cellphone that only had 1% battery left.

The displayed contact on the screen: Mom!

"Mom..."

Ning Chen felt a lump forming in his throat.

After struggling and braving through the world of cultivation for two thousand years, the words 'mom and dad' had become distant memories.

He glanced at the time, it was August 29, 2025.

He was dumbfounded.

Two thousand years in the cultivation world, but only a summer vacation had passed on Earth?

If it weren't for the fact that his earth-shattering cultivation abilities were still intact, he would have thought he was dreaming.

"Hello, Mom..."

Pressing the answer key.

"Rascal! Are you trying to kill me?! Not answering your phone for a month, are you trying to scare me to death?! Tell me, where have you been running off to again?!"

"Mom, hearing your voice again is quite nice."

"Xiao Chen, what did you say? Don’t scare me, where on earth are you now? Are you safe?"

"Very safe."

Ning Chen laughed.

To him, Earth was nothing more than a novice village where dismantling tanks with bare hands and slashing planes with a sword were child's play.

But unless necessary, he would never resort to such measures.

The rupture of the Mud Pill Palace meant that he could no longer absorb the aura from heaven and earth for cultivation.

Simply put, he was like a broken power bank now, only able to discharge electricity, but unable to charge.

Unless some heaven and earth treasure could be found to repair him.

"Xiao Chen, school is about to start soon, remember to go to Qingzhou to find your Aunt Qiao. Your mother has some things to do, I won't talk anymore."

His mother, Chen Lan, hurriedly gave a few words of advice before hanging up the phone.

Ning Chen had a bitter smile on his face.

Making an old Nascent Stage geezer like him attend university, wasn't this purely a joke?

"Aunt Qiao, my mom's best friend, is from Dongyang county as well; she later married a wealthy businessman in Qingzhou.”

"On learning about my admission to Qingzhou University, Aunt Qiao took the initiative to invite me to live at her place. Mom also readily agreed. It seems they harbor some intentions of match-making between me and Aunt Qiao's daughter..."

With these thoughts in mind, Ning Chen made a move, soaring halfway into the sky.

Feeling the slow depletion of his spiritual energy, he sighed bitterly, landing back onto the ground and proceeding to leave the mountain on foot.

...

Around noon.

He arrived at the address his mother designated — a café near the Qingzhou Train Station.

Two young girls had been waiting for a while.

"Why isn't he here yet? I've finished my coffee. Shu Yan, why don't you give him a call?”

A cute girl wearing a Hello Kitty t-shirt, chin resting on the café table, her small mouth pouted up high, said, "I’m so hungry that my stomach is flat now."

"The call does not go through, I'll wait another five minutes for him, then I'm leaving!"

"I can't understand why of all the people in the company, Mom made me pick up this Ning Chen. I was supposed to go to the cat café this afternoon."

A tall, stunningly beautiful girl expressed her complaints with her arms crossed in front of her.

She was likely around seventeen or eighteen, slender and petite, very tall, about 170cm, with curly champagne blonde hair flowing down to her waist. Her pretty face, despite being untouched by makeup, had a cold hue.

"It's because he is the son of your mom's good friend.”

The cute girl rested her head on her hand and giggled, "Hey, Shu Yan, do you think Aunt Qiao is trying to set you up with this Ning Chen?"

"Xiao Tang, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Xu Shu Yan said irritably, "A guy from some small county town, why would Mommy approve of him? Isn't that like pushing her own daughter into a pit of fire."

The cute girl laughed mischievously again, "What if he turns out to be a real hottie?"

Xu Shu Yan's adorable face slightly reddened, her eyebrows relaxed, "Well......That might be worth considering, going out for dinner or something, but getting married could be a bit difficult."

The cute girl stuck out her tongue at her, "You're such a flake!"

"Are you Xu Shu Yan, the daughter of Aunt Qiao?"

At this moment, a gentle male voice came from behind the cute girl.

"Ah!"

Surprised like a rabbit, the cute girl jumped up from her seat, "Who are you? Why did you suddenly appear?"

"Are you Ning Chen?"

Pointing at the guy in front of her, stained with scratches and dirt, and carrying a raggedy old backpack, Xu Shu Yan's pretty face gradually froze.

Where's the handsome guy she was promised?

Is she really going to have to dine with this country bumpkin?

Oh no, what if someone she knows sees them, how embarrassing would that be?

"Indeed, she is Xu Shuyan!"

In a crucial moment, Xu Shuyan used the adorable girl as a scapegoat and whispered: "Please, Little Sugar, help is needed, I will give you a lipstick as a return."

The adorable girl is called Jiang Tang, she whispered back: "Three lipsticks, Givenchy!"

Xu Shuyan patted her shoulders, "Deal!"

Ning Chen: "...."

Do these two girls think he is a fool?

"Hello, student Ning Chen, it must have been tough for you to come all the way from Dongyang County."

Jiang Tang greeted Ning Chen with a bright smile, "Let's go and eat, we can chat while eating."

"Sure."

Ning Chen rubbed his belly.

He was not hungry, but his energy spirit was leaking due to his shattered mud pill palace.

Although it could be ignored for the time being, in the long run, his energy spirit would inevitably weaken.

"Who would have thought that I, a prestigious elemental infant cultivator, would one day have to maintain my cultivation by eating mundane food?"

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Ning Chen's mouth as he left the coffee shop with the two girls.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Qiao's daughter even drove a car.

And it's a high-end Porsche Panamera, too.

You should know, Xu Shuyan and him are in the same year, just in their first year at university, and her family has already purchased this luxury vehicle for her, which shows their considerable wealth.

"So, you like the car?"

Xu Shuyan took out the keys to unlock the car, her eyes subtly scanned Ning Chen.

Surprisingly, this young man from the countryside didn't show an overexcited reaction as she expected.

Ning Chen nodded, "Um, not bad, just a tad slow."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shuyan instantly felt irked. "Slow? Humph, may I ask, what car do you drive, Ning?"

Ning Chen casually replied, "I don't have a car. I usually 'ride the clouds and summon the fog,' sometimes I 'control the sword' too."

"Ride the clouds and summon the fog? Control the sword? Pfft…"

Jiang Tang couldn't help but burst out laughing, "You've been reading too many cultivation novels! That's too cute!"

What a fool!

Did he think he was being funny?

Xu Shuyan rolled her eyes and responded, "If you think my car is slow, feel free to take a cab. Let’s see who gets there faster."

Ning Chen seemed indifferent, "Sure."

Xu Shuyan was surprised at Ning Chen’s willingness to take her up on the challenge, and she said incredulously, "Are you sure? We're going to the west city's Yintai City for dinner, which is about six or seven kilometers from here. Dare to compete? The loser pays."

"If you want to compete, let's compete then."

Ning Chen always seemed nonchalant when speaking, as if he were an adult dealing with a child, impatiently.

"But let me warn you in advance, I have a very big appetite."