A gentle, familiar voice came through the phone: “Xiao Ji, how’s your summer vacation going? Did you go anywhere to relax?”
“Mom, I miss you so much.” Xue Ji’s voice trembled uncontrollably. After living in another world for ten years, the accumulated longing could no longer be suppressed. She couldn’t hide her emotions from her parents.
But on the other end of the line, the voice that responded was unmistakably that of a young girl. For a moment, Xue’s mother thought she had dialed the wrong number—yet the caller ID clearly displayed the words “My Son.”
“Huh? What’s wrong with your voice?”
“It’s nothing… I just really, really miss you.” Driven by emotion, Xue Ji’s words came out like a whimper, almost like she was acting spoiled. Without realizing it, her voice had taken on a shaky, tearful tone, and tears began streaming down her cheeks of their own accord.
There was a brief silence on the other end before her mother replied softly, “Alright, Xiao Ji. We’ll come see you in a couple of days.”
Xue Ji didn’t even notice when the call ended. She had wanted to stay strong, but her tears refused to obey, leaving glistening trails down her face and dampening the front of her clothes.
All of this was silently observed by Ling Xiaoxiao, who stood behind her. Watching Xue Ji like this made her heart race and her breathing grow heavy.
‘If I pushed her down right now, would she get mad at me?’
‘How could I let a thousand years of restraint be overcome by mere desire?’
Ling Xiaoxiao felt as if her heart was being torn in two as she struggled to suppress her urges.
Only when Xue Ji wiped away her tears did she finally notice Ling Xiaoxiao standing quietly behind her.
“What are you looking at? My eyes just itch, that’s all.”
Ling Xiaoxiao played along. “Then let me blow on them for you.” She was the type to act immediately—without hesitation, she stepped closer, gently pushing Xue Ji onto the sofa.
Xue Ji froze. By the time she processed what was happening, Ling Xiaoxiao had already pulled her into an embrace. Their faces were so close that they could feel each other’s breath.
“W-What are you doing?!” Xue Ji turned her head away, her heart pounding after just one glance at the other girl’s breathtaking beauty.
Ling Xiaoxiao swallowed hard as she gazed at the teary-eyed girl in her arms.
“Just hugging you. You look so pitiful when you cry—it makes my heart ache.” The trembling in Xue Ji’s voice only emboldened Ling Xiaoxiao further. She used her sleeve to wipe away Xue Ji’s tears, a mischievous thought surfacing in her mind.
‘Just teasing her a little shouldn’t hurt, right?’
She pulled Xue Ji back into her arms, enveloping her in warmth and a faint, soothing fragrance. Xue Ji found herself strangely reluctant to pull away, even as her rational mind urged her to resist.
She didn’t want to surrender so easily to Ling Xiaoxiao’s embrace—she needed to keep her distance.
But Xue Ji’s resistance was weak at best. With a little more force, Ling Xiaoxiao pulled her entirely into her lap, pressing Xue Ji’s face against her chest and letting her tears soak into the fabric of her robe.
After a while, sensing that the girl in her arms had calmed down, Ling Xiaoxiao began gently stroking Xue Ji’s back, as if comforting a frightened kitten.
Only when Xue Ji started feeling lightheaded did Ling Xiaoxiao finally release her—though she still refused to let go completely. Now seated in Ling Xiaoxiao’s lap, Xue Ji found herself in an undeniably intimate position, the kind only lovers would share.
“Xiao Ji, feeling better now?” Ling Xiaoxiao asked softly.
Xue Ji’s heart skipped a beat, her face flushing red.
“Y-Yeah… Thanks.”
But when Ling Xiaoxiao felt Xue Ji trying to slip away again, she tightened her hold and teased, “Even though you were originally a man, you’re even more adorable than a girl, you know?”
“I just missed my parents, that’s all! What does gender have to do with it? After not seeing them for over a decade, isn’t this kind of reaction normal?” Xue Ji’s flustered explanation only made the atmosphere even more awkward, as if she were making excuses. Then, realization struck her. “Wait—how did you know I was…?”
Before she could finish, Ling Xiaoxiao cut in. “Intuition.” As she spoke, her right hand casually found its way to Xue Ji’s chest—and gave a light squeeze.
“…?!” Xue Ji stared at the ancient-robed beauty in shock. Had she just been groped?! Weren’t people from ancient times supposed to be conservative?!
Feeling the unmistakable sensation of being handled, Xue Ji quickly shoved Ling Xiaoxiao away.
Even though she was now a girl herself—and had even fantasized about playful touches between girls—when it came to Ling Xiaoxiao, she could always sense the woman’s overwhelming desire to devour her. She needed to stay on guard against this freakishly strong woman and not let her take an inch!
…
The students were buzzing about the upcoming Awakening Ceremony at the start of the school year.
Wang Ziyi: “This is insane! Superpowers?! I can already picture myself summoning storms!”
Wang Lingkai: “I hope I get sand manipulation. Then I can cosplay Gaara while singing!”
Cai Kun: “Stop daydreaming and come play basketball.”
Ding Zhen: “Huh? What’s happening?”
Homeroom Teacher: “Everyone, take this seriously. Not everyone will awaken flashy abilities like in novels—manage your expectations. No matter what power you get, you’re still students. Focus on your studies and plan your path carefully after awakening.”
“Those with combat-suited abilities can join the Special Forces. Others should continue preparing for college entrance exams. That said, universities will likely have quotas for awakened individuals—research your options. After the spiritual revival, the world will only grow more dangerous. As your teacher, I hope all of you stay safe.”
The heartfelt words from their homeroom teacher quieted the restless chatter. The days they spent in school now were more precious than ever.
Xue Ji silently observed the conversation without joining in. She had already decided to walk a dangerous path—as a legendary Sage, she could never choose an ordinary life in this era.
As this thought crossed her mind, the phoenix feather that had merged with her body earlier materialized before her chest. Radiant light enveloped Xue Ji, filling her soul with an overwhelming energy. Her spirit was wrapped in a silvery veil, and from it emerged not just mana—but an entirely new force.
Xue Ji quickly recognized it: spiritual energy, the same power her cultivator companion in the other world had wielded.
‘Strange… Why am I generating spiritual energy internally instead of absorbing it through my dantian?’
She distinctly remembered that her companion had relied on pills and spirit stones to replenish energy during their journey—because when the Demon King awoke in the Western Continent, there had been no ambient spiritual energy there.
It seemed that spiritual energy and mana were mutually exclusive. Since returning to Earth, her mana recovery had slowed to a crawl, and its consumption rate had skyrocketed. Worse yet, as time passed, the mana in her body grew increasingly sluggish—soon, it would become unusable.
But the emergence of spiritual energy solved this dilemma. She could now use it in place of mana for spellcasting, just as she had in the other world.
However, her current spiritual energy generation rate was only equivalent to that of a novice mage’s mana recovery. ‘Did the universe just give me a secondary account?’
When Xue Ji opened her eyes, the phoenix feather had vanished.
Though her max-level character would soon be banned, spiritual energy could not only replace mana—it would also allow her to awaken a supernatural ability. She would possess two power systems at once.
The thought filled her with anticipation for the upcoming Awakening Ceremony. What kind of ability would she awaken?
(That night…)
Xue Ji changed into her old men’s pajamas—though on her now 155 cm frame, they hung ridiculously loose. The oversized shirt draped over her like a dress, the collar slipping off one shoulder to reveal delicate, snow-white skin.
Staring at her reflection, she couldn’t deny it: with her dewy, flawless complexion and rosy cheeks, she was the very image of a supernaturally beautiful silver-haired girl.
‘If I keep looking, I’ll get a nosebleed.’
She blamed the hot water—definitely not the stimulating sights during her bath.
Following memories of her mother’s routine, Xue Ji picked up the hairdryer. The loud whirring grated on her nerves—this body was sensitive in every way, like a newborn’s. “Ugh, my hair’s so heavy… and takes forever to dry.”
By the time she finished, two hours had passed. Despite being a meticulous person, Xue Ji couldn’t help but sigh. Being a girl is so much work.
But the real torture was yet to come.
Ling Xiaoxiao pleaded in a sweet voice, “Xiao Ji… help me bathe?”
Xue Ji’s face turned crimson. Her mind instantly conjured scandalous images.
“Okay!” she agreed immediately—before hastily justifying it to herself. Ling Xiaoxiao’s an ancient relic—she probably needs assistance. Under the other girl’s pitiful gaze, Xue Ji reluctantly conceded.
Eagerly, she led Ling Xiaoxiao into the bathroom. But after all her mental preparation, a red light flashed—and Ling Xiaoxiao reverted to her crimson sparrow form.
Xue Ji’s expression collapsed.
The sparrow smirked. “What, disappointed? Should I change back?”
After a moment’s thought, Xue Ji decided against it.
Ling Xiaoxiao scoffed internally. “All lust, no guts.”
A voice called from outside Xue Ji’s door: “Xiao Ji… can I sleep with you?”
“NO!” Xue Ji snapped, still bitter about being teased earlier.
Ling Xiaoxiao’s frustration grew. The long night stretched before her, leaving her no choice but to reluctantly retire to the guest room—where she consoled herself by imagining Xue Ji surrendering to her touch.
Outside the window, the moon glowed with a faint crimson hue. The transformation of Earth had already begun—Xue Ji could feel it. The mana in her body had nearly ceased flowing entirely.
(Meanwhile, deep in the southern forests of City A…)
A grotesque, stitched-together mass of flesh and limbs staggered forward, barely maintaining a humanoid shape. Drawn by the moonlight, it trudged toward the city.
When it reached a scorched patch of land at the forest’s edge, it paused. Its body trembled, emitting a soundwave that attracted lingering presences nearby.
Under the dim light, the fallen soldiers and giant wolves from before reappeared—though not in physical form. The spectral wolves tried to flee, but the fleshy abomination’s vibrations ensnared them, devouring their essence.
Now satiated, the creature’s form mutated further, sprouting thick white fur until it resembled a yeti. It attempted to draw in the soldiers’ souls next, but silver light flickered around the spirits, resisting its pull.
The monster scratched its head in confusion before giving up.
After digesting the wolves’ energy, it limped forward.
Behind it, several stationed soldiers lay mutilated in pools of their own blood.
“Uuugh… aaaah…”
Its guttural, distorted groans faded into the city’s darkness.