Chapter One: Myself Ten Years Later

“Hey, bro, want to grab a drink at a little joint?”

Shen An lay on his bed, scrolling through his list of friends, wondering who he could hit up for a free meal.

He sent messages to seven or eight friends, but not a single one replied...

“These heartless bastards, not a single one can be counted on.”

Cursing under his breath, Shen An couldn’t help but try again, “Or maybe some skewers?”

Still, no one replied.

“This damn, broke life!” Shen An flung his phone aside in frustration.

He had just turned twenty this year, the perfect age to enjoy the golden days of university life. But after a brawl that left the principal’s grandson three teeth short, he was expelled and now sat idle at home.

No degree, no job, mediocre skills, and broke… In Shen An’s own words, his future was so bleak that not even a thousand-watt bulb could light it.

Ding—

A sudden message notification snapped Shen An to attention. Could it be one of his useless friends finally arranging a dinner?

He grabbed his phone eagerly, only to find a friend request instead. The profile picture was that of his favorite internet celebrity—the lovely Zhou Zhou!

He accepted instantly.

“Who are you?” Shen An asked directly, assuming it was a kindred spirit.

“My name is Shen An,” came the reply in an instant.

Ha, trying to mess with me?

“What a coincidence, bro. We have the same name,” Shen An sneered, convinced it was one of his friends with a new account trying to prank him.

“I know. You probably won’t believe this, but I am you—ten years from now,” the other replied just as quickly.

Read too many novels, haven’t you? Shen An burst out laughing and replied, “That’s impossible, because I was reborn!”

“…”

The other sent a string of dots, then quickly followed up, “I’m not joking. I am you. I know everything about you, including your status as an illegitimate child.”

Illegitimate child…

Those three words struck Shen An like a hammer, making him sit up abruptly, the nonchalant look vanishing from his face.

He asked coldly, “Who are you, really?”

The reply came: “My name is Shen An.”

“Bullshit!” Shen An snapped.

“I’m not lying. Five minutes from now, there will be an earthquake where you live—a strong one. The roadside hotpot stall you frequent will collapse. You can verify it yourself. But if you do, you must follow my instructions exactly—it’s a matter of life and death!”

Shen An chuckled lightly. An earthquake? In the middle of a vast plain, in a huge city? Even a poor student like him knew this wasn’t an earthquake zone. What a load of crap.

He was about to mock the sender when a long message arrived, clearly pre-written:

“The earthquake in five minutes isn’t real—it’s a surface tremor caused by primordial itch expansion. No one will realize it at the time, so they’ll miss the first, purest opportunity to absorb primordial itch. But you must go to Qianling Mountain in the western outskirts tonight. Arrive before midnight! At the northern foot, there’s a nameless little lake. Guard it and do not leave!

At midnight, you’ll feel another tremor. Then, a fragrant vapor will rise from the lake’s center—you’ll recognize it at once. Start absorbing it and meditate until dawn!”

Shen An raised his eyebrows. This had to be a madman. Though Qianling Mountain sounded nice, it was just a bald, barren hill—nothing but rocks! What lake?

But the next line made Shen An freeze.

“You must do as I say! In eighteen days, the world will change forever. Seize the opportunity, or in ten years… you’ll be nothing but bones.”

“Aren’t you me from ten years later? Then you died?” Shen An scoffed.

“…Yes,” came the reply.

Shen An broke into laughter. “Impressive! You’re dead and still messaging me? If you’re already dead, why not ascend to immortality?”

“I was betrayed during ascension. My soul is trapped in the void.”

“I’ll take possession of your body, then! Get lost!” Shen An cursed.

Lunatic! Did he look like a fool? Ascension, really? Idiot.

The sender ignored his insults and sent one last message: “I don’t have much energy left. Remember what I said. Go to Qianling Mountain. The vapor at midnight will later be called ‘primordial itch’. It’s the omen of the coming cataclysm. Only when you awaken your talent can we contact each other again…”

Shen An replied, “Stop making things up. Who are you really?” But the message failed to send due to “no network.”

He checked his full Wi-Fi signal and sent a few more messages—all failed.

The chat fell silent. Shen An frowned, threw his phone aside, and ignored it. Just a scammer.

Still, the fact that this person knew his background was troubling. Very few people knew, and those who did would never contact him, let alone joke about it.

Whatever—better to think about what to eat for lunch.

But before he could decide, the house suddenly started to shake!

“What’s going on?” Shen An jumped up, the room swaying violently. He rushed for the door, but after just a couple of steps, he froze in fear.

He grabbed his phone. It had been exactly five minutes since the conversation.

A chill ran down his spine.

Suddenly remembering something, Shen An dashed outside like a madman. After running thirty meters, he saw a roadside stall collapse just ahead—the very place he usually filled his stomach, now reduced to rubble in an instant.

It had really collapsed.

Could the world truly be on the verge of upheaval?

How could that be…

Even with all this before his eyes, Shen An could hardly believe it. This was real life, not a novel—how could the world just change overnight?

But his heart was pounding wildly.

All around him, people screamed, wailed, and shouted in panic, but Shen An heard none of it.

…

By six in the evening, the sun was already dipping westward.

Shen An, carrying a backpack and a folding tent, was hiking along the desolate path to Qianling Mountain.

Despite its elegant name, Qianling Mountain was a barren, rugged place rarely visited by people. Strangely, while the surrounding mountains had at least some vegetation, Qianling Mountain, nestled among them, was utterly lifeless—not even birds or insects would land there.

Because of this odd phenomenon, the mountain was fairly well-known.

Suddenly, the roar of engines rose from the main road below. Two paramilitary vehicles arrived, and two teams of armed police disembarked, led by a tall, capable-looking woman.

What were the armed police doing in this wilderness? Shen An wondered, instinctively hiding behind a tree.

“Team One, seal off the mountain. Team Two, come with me to investigate!” The woman’s voice was clear and cool, but her words made Shen An’s heart race with shock. Seal off the mountain? They were really going to do it?

Judging by Team Two’s route, were they heading for… Qianling Mountain?

A wild thought struck Shen An—had someone else received the same message?

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. Shen An hurriedly and quietly made his way toward Qianling Mountain.

This cheat was his—no one else was going to take it!