On a world far away from the untamed and cruel laws of the cultivation realm, there were no flying swords cutting through the azure sky, no ancient sects perched on floating mountains, and no divine beasts slumbering in primordial depths.
Instead, towering skyscrapers of reinforced concrete and polarized glass pierced the smoggy clouds of a sprawling metropolis.
Millions of ordinary people lived their lives bounded by automated subways, digital currency, artificial intelligence algorithms, and the mundane grind of nine-to-five jobs.
Here, the pinnacle of mortal ambition was not transcending the heavenly tribulation to achieve immortality, but climbing the corporate ladder and escaping into virtual escapism when the working day finally ended.
At this moment, in a cluttered, dimly lit bedroom of a modest high-rise apartment on the outskirts of this metropolis.
