Chapter 1 The mysterious old king

In 2030, on October 1st, at 8 PM, the number of simultaneous online players in "Emperor of the Nine Heavens" surpassed 300 million, creating another miracle. The main cities across the game were packed with players, and the "Supreme Holy Sanctuary," one of the eight major cities globally, was bustling with activity. Hundreds of rarely seen Zeppelin Thorn airships floated in the sky, and even three Sky Fortresses competed for attention. Players crowded outside the guild halls, gazing up at the display of opulence.

Indeed, today marked the tenth anniversary celebration of the open beta of "Emperor of the Nine Heavens." Various mysterious quests were available, and of course, all potions and items were discounted by 20%. Even the most dedicated players couldn't resist stocking up, not just those willing to spend money but also those who played tirelessly.

The entrance to the Alchemists' Guild was particularly lively. In addition to the potion discounts, several new potions were introduced, along with rare potion recipes being made available.

"Dude, how much did you pay for this Moraso Double-Headed Gryphon?" A Martial Artist couldn't help but touch it. Even a single-headed gryphon was hard to raise, let alone this exceptional double-headed one. Walking around the city with it was a showstopper, though it was a profession reserved for the wealthy.

"Not much, just a few hundred thousand," replied the Soul Beastmaster, his expression betraying a hint of smugness. Among the eight major professions and hundreds of life skills in the Nine Heavens Continent, each had its own bragging points and technical challenges. For example, Martial Artists needed high skill proficiency, while Wizards required stronger soul perception. As for Soul Beastmasters, their only issue was money.

However, the Soul Beastmaster's smugness quickly faded when he spotted a familiar face. "Old Lu, Old Lu! Hey, brother, don't go yet! Do you have any Fear Potions? My baby has been waiting for over half a month."

"Hold your horses. Do you think potions are mass-produced? Your batch will take another two weeks," the Alchemist rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. An excellent alchemist always had an air of superiority.

"Come on, Brother Lu, I'm itching to get it. My Moraso Gryphon needs this potion to level up; look at its heads, one big and one small, so unbalanced." For a Soul Beastmaster, nothing mattered more than their pet. Dignity and pride were secondary when it came to their beloved creatures. Most people had limits to their spending, but not everyone could be like "Master Bei."

A group of familiar faces gathered around, chatting animatedly. The Eight Major Professions in the Nine Heavens Continent included Wizards, Martial Artists, Soul Beastmasters, Gunsmiths, Exorcists, Alchemists, Artificers, and Rune Masters. The first five were combat professions, while the latter three were scholar professions. Additionally, there were hundreds of detailed life support professions, such as gardeners, tailors, and gourmet chefs. These professions were interconnected, reflecting both real-world and fictional elements. This virtual game, combining "adventure," "heroism," "life," "professions," and "showboating," was destined for success, despite the company behind it nearly going bankrupt early on.

The crowd didn't idle, watching live streams while queuing. Today was the day for various S-grade challenge tasks, and top players in each profession were competing for the "No. 1 Peak" title. The game's embedded DouM Live broadcast covered the events in real-time.

"Holy crap, what kind of damage is that? So impressive!"

"Look at what he's using—the Great Lich King Mosa's Catastrophe. Damn, that staff alone surpasses my entire set of gear." A Wizard drooled visibly, perhaps more openly than when looking at women.

"Shallow. Donkey Emperor's skill combos are flawless, and his positioning rivals that of a Martial Artist. You can't become the world's best Wizard just by relying on gear."

"I say Fire Wizards are the way to go, Lightning Wizards are idiots!"

"Are you kidding? Only one Fire Wizard is in the top ten!"

"Fire Wizards are the strongest!"

They were watching the current global top-ranked Wizard, "Donkey Emperor," in the Wizard King Challenge. The debate between Fire Wizards and Lightning Wizards was long-standing, akin to the sweet versus savory soy milk debate. Official guides suggested Lightning Wizards were easier to master, but the current top Wizard was a Fire Wizard. The Soul Beastmaster watching the challenge drooled at the sight of a player named "Wild Love Baby," a cute loli controlling the ultimate dream for Soul Beastmasters—a Divine Soul Beast, the Dual-Body Fire Phoenix. This player was also the top spender, rumored to have spent hundreds of millions, earning the nickname "Master Bei," currently challenging the top Soul Beastmaster.

"Brother, wipe your drool. Your expression might offend Master Bei. Watch out for his fans."

"Whatever, I'd be happy to be one of Master Bei's pets!"

"Get lost. His lackeys are all top ten Soul Beastmasters in the server!"

"Wow, look, Donkey Emperor just became the world's No. 1 Wizard. They're interviewing him now. The first No. 1 in a profession has been born."

The post-match interview was underway, with the No. 1 player receiving honors and rewards, drawing envy from countless players. Donkey Emperor's stream had already surpassed 100 million viewers.

"Donkey Emperor, congratulations on setting a record. What do you want to say to your fans?"

The hostess looked at him with admiration, knowing no hero team could function without a powerful Wizard. She planned to add him on WeChat after the interview.

Donkey Emperor, a man in his thirties, spoke sparingly, a hallmark of a good Wizard. After a moment of silence, he said, "Old Wang, where are you? I completed your request. Where's the gear?"

Old Wang? Gear?

The audience was baffled.

In the battle for the top Soul Beastmaster, Master Bei demonstrated her wealth once again. Soul Beastmasters relied entirely on their beasts, and facing an opponent with a Divine Soul Beast and superior control, she revealed her trump card—two Divine Soul Beasts, the "Nine-Turn Dual-Tailed Fire Phoenix" and the "Ice Titan." This combination, known as "Sea and Land Ice and Fire," ranked third on the Soul Beastmaster's fantasy list, but no one thought it would appear.

Master Bei flaunted her wealth, declaring, "I'm rich and I do what I want."

Facing the Ice Titan wielding Zero Lightning, the American technical player Super S conceded defeat. This combination was too overwhelming.

Soul Beasts were classified as follows: Bug, Wolf, Tiger, Ghost, Dragon, and Divine, in ascending order. Dragons and above had extremely high mortality rates, requiring immense care and resources. Raising one needed a large support team and vast funds. Super S had an eighty-person team serving him, but two Divine Soul Beasts, especially with opposing attributes, were beyond mere wealth. Rumors suggested Master Bei was the game's favorite, blessed with unparalleled soul affinity.

After winning, Master Bei eagerly gave an interview, dressed in exquisite crystal heels and a detailed frilly dress, looking more like she was cosplaying than fighting. Her profile listed her height as 160 cm, but she seemed closer to 150 cm, a topic no one dared mention.

"Old Wang, Old Wang, I did it. Either pay me back or be my boyfriend!"

The stream exploded with three billion viewers. What was happening?

Payback? Girlfriend?

Both wealth and love?

Holy crap, was this even possible!

In the battle for the top Martial Artist, "Hell Dante" from Europe won the No. 1 spot. Known as "Emperor Dante," he was a former MMA champion who suffered a severe injury, leaving him paralyzed. But in "Emperor of the Nine Heavens," he found a new purpose, showcasing his exceptional talent and unwavering determination. He developed numerous Martial Artist skills, becoming a global inspiration. The competition was a formality, with participants there to worship their idol.

During the interview, Dante remained stoic.

"Old Wang, come out, you bastard. I challenge you!"

His final words left the global audience stunned. Who was this Old Wang?

Across the globe, "Daralbux" related topics dominated search rankings.

The top Gunsmith was Pavlyuchenko from Russia, nicknamed the Queen of Guns. Standing at 180 cm, she combined precision and agility, making her Saint Gun Heaven Burst a nightmare in the arena. In reality, Pavlyuchenko was reportedly a retired Russian special forces sniper.

To Pavlyuchenko, "Killing is an art."

Given the earlier oddities, the host asked, "Do you know Old Wang?"

Pavlyuchenko smiled, one of the top three beauties in the game, second only to "Master Bei." "My Saint Gun Heaven Burst was taught by him. Old Wang is my teacher and my idol. Dear teacher, I've completed my task. When can we meet?"

She winked playfully, adding a touch of charm.

The global audience couldn't handle it anymore, f*!

Is this still the cold and ruthless Kejie??? So sexy, what is she about to do...?

Screenshot, screensaver, it's a must!

I’m going to be wet.

The final winner of the five combat professions is the Exorcist. This profession requires patience and attention to detail, and is also an important support and brain in team battles. The player known as "NeverJoinTeams" with the nickname "TeamDad" won the top spot.

In fact, "TeamDad" had once declared that he would never participate in official events because the game was "too unfair." Participating in this competition makes him look like he’s contradicting himself. Of course, his fans don’t care.

"Old Wang, you’ve caused quite a stir. You’ve convinced so many people to work for you. For your sake, I’ve put my pride aside. It’s time for you to keep your promise. When will you give me the ‘All Things Revive’ barrier? And you said there would be a surprise. Damn it, where’s the surprise?"

NeverJoinTeams gritted his teeth. If not for the agreement, he wouldn’t have participated in this competition at all. However, the top-tier life barrier was too important... face wasn’t that important anymore. If necessary, he could trample on it.

Players were stunned. What’s going on? Barriers are basic skills for Exorcists, one of their core competencies. As a top-notch barrier controller, he still needs to learn from someone else?

Where did this person come from in Nine Heavens? Are we playing the same game?

The peak professional tournament is bound to break viewership records. The appearance of "Mysterious Old Wang" has brought players' enthusiasm to a climax. Judging by the name, it should be an ID from the Chinese region, and players with "Wang" in their names suddenly became popular.

"Hey, handsome guy, yes, you. Do you have Aruru’s Dream? I’ll buy it at a high price," a blonde, blue-eyed girl with ample chest stopped Wang Feng. After all, he had the emblem of a Pharmacist on him. "Bro, can you spare some? I just need one more set to complete my quest. If you have it, I can agree to some unreasonable requests."

Wang Feng slightly shook his head, and the next second, the girl moved on to continue her quest. She hated poor people; no time to waste.

... Damn, can’t these scavengers be a bit more patient? He was just distracted!

Wang Feng turned off the live stream. He had completed the other five tasks, and now it was finally his turn. But the road to the Pharmacist Guild was blocked by a sea of people.

"Dude, stop pushing. Are you milking cows? Queue up!" A muscular player in front turned around and glared fiercely at Wang Feng. If not for the NPC guards during the festival, he would have taught him a lesson.

"I’m not buying medicine, I’m here to submit a quest."

"Submit your father! Wait behind. See, my main profession is Martial Artist. I can take out ten of you with one punch, punk!"

Wang Feng slightly frowned and summoned his soul beast, a lazy short-haired dog appeared.

The Martial Artist laughed instead of getting angry and quickly backed away. The surrounding players also hurriedly distanced themselves. Wasn’t this suicide!

During the fifth anniversary, any soul beasts, demonic beasts, alchemical puppets, or mechanical creatures could only appear in the city’s safe zones and couldn’t roam freely. Any violation would result in immediate slaughter and punishment for the player, regardless of whether they were god-level or... insect-level like this dog.

This insect-level dog was given by the system to everyone, making Nine Heavens famous for starting with a dog. Some players named them after their ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends, and poor huskies were often used. But whether as a Soul Beast Master or another profession, they would soon abandon them for being useless and embarrassing.

NPC guards from the Holy Sanctuary were already rushing over, and the crowded crowd parted like a wave, creating a path.

Two squads of twenty-four Holy Sanctuary warriors in silver rune armor charged to Wang Feng in a flash.

The dog lazily looked at the two squads of soldiers, showing no sense of protecting its master, even looking disdainful.

"Holy shit, someone really doesn’t know death. They’ll be killed by the guards and can’t log in for three days."

"Looks like they want to quit. Sigh, this poor guy got triggered by the festival."

"Yeah, the festival has triggered so many people. There are so many experts in Nine Heavens; you don’t realize how poor you are until you play it."

The leader of the Holy Sanctuary guards approached Wang Feng, towering almost twice his height, carrying the Holy Sanctuary’s treasure—the Soul Devouring Blood Drinking Sword (Replica).

"I think he’ll use Cross Flash, four segments!"

"No, in this situation, showing off is basic. Maybe we’ll see Saint Paul’s Nine Dragons Flash!"

Players waited for the guard captain’s show, but the next moment, everything froze.

The guard captain suddenly knelt down, followed by the Holy Sanctuary warriors kneeling all around...

The scene was eerily strange...

"Welcome, *Sir. Please tell us what you need!" the guard captain said respectfully.

Players were initially silent, then exploded. Holy shit, what kind of reputation does this person have to make the guard captain kneel?

"This person hid their ID. The captain calls him by his title. What title is ‘Sir’?"

"Yeah, I’ve never heard of such a title."

Wang Feng had hidden his ID for the past ten years. Everyone enjoyed Nine Heavens, except him.

Players continued discussing the strange phenomenon. Nine Heavens was full of oddities, and today was especially packed.

Wang Feng didn’t pay attention and headed towards the Pharmacist Guild. The most arrogant and snobbish NPC in the city, the Pharmacist Guild President “Pu Chuan,” a sleazy old man, waddled out like he’d seen his ancestor, bowing deeply.

"The most noble *Sir, welcome. Please, this way. Your visit is an honor. Thank you for giving me the chance to serve you." His fawning manner made countless players who had been bullied by him want to bite him. This guy was the nightmare of countless pharmacists, always tormenting players.

What level is "Sir"? Everyone present was a pharmacist, including high-level ones. Master? Grandmaster? Supreme?

But they had never heard of such a title.

Pharmacists aren’t combat professions, but their role is crucial, earning them great respect from players. Healing, advancement, and survival all depend on potions. It’s perfect for hardcore players, and a good pharmacist can easily become wealthy. Many combat professionals choose pharmacist as a secondary profession due to the high cost of potions.

Clearly unwilling to engage, Wang Feng said, "I’m here to submit a quest."

Pu Chuan was slightly taken aback. "Which quest are you submitting?" It couldn’t be possible; all quests should be done.

Wait... "Could it be that quest?"

Pu Chuan was excited. This was an impossible quest!

Pu Chuan began expressing his admiration. His pharmacy would become famous. Wang Feng waved him off, not giving him a chance to flatter.

Then he started pulling out potion sets, common potions found everywhere in shops.

The players nearby didn't know what they were doing, but after all the tension and buildup, pulling out such a pile of "junk" was truly a waste of emotion. Especially since most present were alchemists, they couldn't help feeling a bit melancholic, as they could easily achieve this level themselves.

Thirty-six types of first-class magic potions, each in a set, were handed over. Yet Lin Feng's speed of taking out magic potions showed no sign of slowing down.

Two sets of Berserk Magic Potions, two sets of Feign Death Magic Potions, two sets of Lesser Spirit Gathering Beast Magic Potions, two sets of Low-Frequency Soul Training Magic Potions, two sets of Void Breaking Magic Potions...

Second-class potions had many more varieties than first-class ones, and Wang Feng took out potions for a full five minutes...

The onlookers sensed something, even though second-class magic potions weren't particularly valuable. But it was impressive how smoothly and completely he took them out. Judging by his manner, after first-class came second-class; would he continue with third-class potions next?

Wang Feng lived up to expectations and started taking out third-class potions.

Three sets of Soul Gathering Magic Potions, three sets of Lesser Quelling Magic Potions, three sets of Wind Fiend Fire Magic Potions, three sets of Soul Condensing Magic Potions...

After third-class came fourth-class, requiring four sets, then five sets of each fifth-class potion, six sets of each sixth-class potion... The entire guild hall was packed with people, yet there wasn't a sound. Everyone stared at the hands of this alchemist, and when he reached six sets of sixth-class potions, the players were almost going crazy.

Even gathering an alliance of alchemists would find it hard to do this.

Even Pu Chuan's hands were shaking, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Seventh-class magic potions..." A player swallowed hard. "This guy isn't going to take out seven sets of seventh-class potions, is he?"

Though the voice was small, it undoubtedly spoke everyone's thoughts.

Wang Feng did not disappoint and took out seven sets of seventh-class potions!

It was a dry-mouthed feeling. What he was taking out wasn't just magic potions; it was dreams—dreams of becoming a top expert, dreams of ruling and dominating. Some people had already started live-streaming. Who was this alchemist?

Eight sets of Life Creation Magic Potions, eight sets of Soul Dispersal Magic Potions, eight sets of Muscle Regeneration Magic Potions... Nineteen types of eighth-class potions, each in eight sets.

"Ninth-class! Ninth-class! Ninth-class!"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible. If he takes them out, I'll live-stream eating shit!"

"If you start a live stream, I'll come and watch!"

"Impossible, how can there be? It took me eight years to practice one!"

Seeing Wang Feng finish taking out all the eighth-class potions, he paused and shook his hand. The surrounding players couldn't help shouting in a trance-like state, dreaming of the ultimate alchemist's realm where one potion equals ten thousand gold: "Ninth-class! Ninth-class!"

"Damn it, stop pushing me, there's no space!"

"Who the hell touched my butt... My newly done chest isn't good enough?"

Players from across the city were crowding here. At that moment, on all related websites and forums of Nine Heavens, the mysterious alchemist appearing at the Alchemists' Guild had risen to the second spot on the trending list.

Almost instantly, the players were about to go mad. Meanwhile, the top twenty guilds in Nine Heavens had mobilized hundreds of thousands of members with high rewards to find any clues related to this mysterious "Wang Meng."

Wang Feng, living up to expectations, continued reaching into his spatial bag and taking out potions like magic. He had waited for this day for a long time, and he knew those people understood what he was doing!

Nine sets of Angel's Kiss, nine sets of Hellish Revelry...

When all twelve known ninth-class potions, each in nine sets, were placed on the NPC counter, some players fainted. This wasn't just taking out magic potions; it was taking out cities, one by one. What was he trying to do?!

Not only the players but even the staff of Nine Heavens were going crazy. How could this happen? Was it a cheat or a bug? Unlikely, as "Future 100," the most advanced quantum computer system, monitored everything, preventing hackers and privileges. This was one of Nine Heavens' major selling points, designed by a perfectionist.

But wait, was this a quest?

Who was this player? All they could do now was report to the board of directors.

Meanwhile, beams of holy light descended from the sky—it was Emperor Donkey and others who had just secured the five NO.1 titles. They rushed over upon seeing the news. Only one person could do this: "Old Wang"!

Master Bei pushed through the crowd with her two divine soul beasts. During the server-wide celebration, only she, who had just secured the NO.1 title, could bring her soul beasts around... and there was also a dog.

Wang Feng felt their presence but didn't turn around. He kicked the stray dog. "One, stop them."

The stray dog lazily stood up and walked towards the Nine Heavens Fire Phoenix and Ice Titan clearing the path.

The stray dog got into position and suddenly opened its mouth. "Scram!"

The players laughed. This dog had personality, actually cursing people.

Soon, their smiles froze... What???

A beast speaking human language? Divine beasts could communicate with players telepathically, but not verbally!

Then the Nine-turn Double-tailed Fire Phoenix landed fiercely, spreading its wings, while the Ice Titan tightly gripped his Zero-Degree Lightning. The Fire Phoenix's "Paradise" could burn everything, and the Ice Titan's "Ice Domain Lightning" could freeze everything instantly. The damage was enough to kill the stray dog a thousand times, and being killed by these creatures would cause experience loss. The players felt it was bad.

This was collateral damage. They were just watching.

In the next second, the Fire Phoenix and Ice Titan stiffly fell to the ground and started "rolling," very awkwardly and unskillfully. The Fire Phoenix's tail tripped the Ice Titan, causing him to roll in the wrong direction...

Master Bei's hat fell off. She lost face!

By the time people regained their senses, the mysterious alchemist and the dog had disappeared.

What happened?

Some sharp-eyed players noticed he used a teleportation array, which only top exorcists could use. Was he also a barrier mage?

Some players headed to the Exorcists' Guild.

But by then, Wang Feng had already arrived at the Blacksmiths' Guild. The same scene unfolded. Wang Feng completed the task, handing over eighteen Disaster-level "Devil's Dolls" and nine Hell-level Magic Armor Rune Mechs, the "Dominating Heaven Series." This was the SSS-level Nine Cauldrons Sky-Piercing Task for blacksmiths. Any guild obtaining such power could easily dominate the server.

The blacksmiths present were ecstatic. They wanted the blueprints. Each person's eyes burned with passion. When they prepared to exchange feelings with the mysterious figure, he vanished again.

The final stop was the Rune Masters' Guild.

If soul power is the core energy source of the Nine Heavens, then runes are its core technology. Everything operates with runes, from professional skills to equipment forging and even daily life details. However, this is also the most obscure profession because it is too tedious and difficult. Countless patterns can make one dizzy just by looking at them. But if one reaches a certain level in runes, especially if they can create new ones, that's truly impressive. It's not just about taking a chance to upgrade from a scooter to a motorcycle; it's about instantly piloting a spaceship. This is because all users of new runes must pay taxes, and the creator can collect those taxes!

The president of the Rune Master Guild, an old man with white eyebrows, was now looking at Wang Feng humbly and eagerly.

The entrance to the Rune Master Guild was orderly. This is a profession chosen only by the most learned players in the Nine Heavens. Yet, at this moment, these people looked like fools, their faces filled with fanaticism.

"Third-order runes, can they be combined like this?"

"A reaction has occurred. Fourth order, he didn't complete the drawing but directly connected it to the fifth-order rune!"

"...Why is he still drawing???"

Reaching the peak of the five orders of runes has been the norm for ten years. Many talented rune masters have tried to break through, as there seems to be a possibility of divine-order runes, but none have succeeded.

As Wang Feng completed his final stroke, a massive image of the Thunder God appeared. Immediately following, thunder roared, and countless lightning bolts covered the sky, as if the end of the world had arrived.

"Name: Blessing of the Thunder Lord"

In the crowd of gathered rune masters, someone suddenly screamed, foaming at the mouth and collapsed. They had reached enlightenment and fainted.

Someone had already started a live broadcast, and countless players poured in from the grand ceremony, watching this scene that would change the Nine Heavens forever.

God has descended — the sixth-order rune has appeared!

Since the rise of the Nine Heavens, almost everyone has speculated about whether there are sixth-order runes. Countless rune masters have tried and failed.

Now it has appeared. Clearly, this will change the current landscape and lead to a major reshuffle!

The entire Nine Heavens world was in an uproar. Everyone was watching this mysterious person, but he still hadn't stopped.

Another set of sixth-order runes appeared. Above the Supreme Holy Sanctuary, dark clouds gathered, and a sudden gust of wind swept through, creating whirlwinds of abundant soul power around everyone.

Name: "Medal of the Storm Knight"

Everyone, whether combat or life profession players, saw a new world—a world completely transformed, extraordinary.

Yet, the mystery continued. He submitted seven more sets, totaling nine divine-order runes, encompassing everything. Whether on-site or watching the video, all players went from shock to stupefaction.

The Rune Master Guild was completely surrounded. Meanwhile, the waiting time to enter the Supreme Imperial City was "1,050,970 hours," strongly suggesting players switch to another entry city.

The newly crowned No. 1, Emperor Donkey, and others were already there. They had rushed over upon receiving the news because they all had a hunch that Old Wang was up to something big today.

This guy, definitely the infamous Old Wang!

Dante, the Martial War God, wanted to rush in, but despite being a full-level martial artist, he couldn't cross the threshold. The super-divine-level demonic barrier—Desperate Blossom—prevented him.

At this moment, the sky across the global Nine Heavens world suddenly shone brilliantly, and countless holy lights descended, freezing time.

Ten years ago, a genius named Wang Feng wanted to usher in a new era in gaming. With his silver tongue, he successfully convinced eight followers, seven men and one woman, to establish the Nine Heavens Dream Studio and develop the virtual online game "Commander of the Nine Heavens." However, just as the game was nearing completion, the main creator, Wang Feng, disappeared. Lin Yueran, said to be Wang Feng's girlfriend, stepped up as the new CEO, causing a significant stir. There were rumors that the eight people had jointly forced Wang Feng out...

However, only Wang Feng knew that he had persuaded these people to abandon their life plans and join Commander of the Nine Heavens. But Wang Feng's high-demanding design quickly plunged the company into financial trouble. Lin Yueran, responsible for finances, had exhausted all options, even selling her parents' house, yet the financial crisis persisted. Despite the others' advice, Wang Feng borrowed high-interest loans, which were soon depleted due to his obsessive design choices.

Lin Yueran, Zhang Shao, Ma Tao, and others could only sleep three to four hours a day while enduring Wang Feng's temper. But they had no complaints, deeply admiring Wang Feng and believing that Commander of the Nine Heavens would succeed if he slightly lowered his perfectionist standards.

But young and headstrong, Wang Feng did not compromise, missing the best opportunity. Facing immense pressure and debt, the nearly obsessive Wang Feng finally broke down.

He... ran away.

Leaving the company and breaking his promises, he fled like a fool, falling from a celebrated genius into the mud.

Yet fate favored those who persevered... Lin Yueran had no choice but to release the initial version of Commander of the Nine Heavens, which, though imperfect, achieved huge success upon beta testing.

Operating and improving simultaneously, sometimes perfectionism can be quite a hindrance.

After succeeding, Lin Yueran and others ignored public criticism and tried their best to find Wang Feng.

But Wang Feng knew... he couldn't return, nor did he feel qualified to. All his pride had crumbled.

When the game launched, Wang Feng secretly experienced it. Perhaps it was a case of breaking before rebuilding; inspiration struck, and he found a way to perfect the Nine Heavens. As a special player, he decided to complete everything before returning.

Unexpectedly, this took another ten years. He slept on the streets, rummaged through trash bins, impersonated a loli and a mature woman, and at his lowest, almost became a gigolo. But in terms of resilience and persistence, Wang Feng never lost to anyone.

A new chapter of Commander of the Nine Heavens, the complete edition!

On the Nine Heavens continent, a beam of holy light descended from the sky, growing brighter and thicker. After a momentary pause, the entire game world began to tremble slightly, making the people in the hall feel like they were experiencing an earthquake.

Such light usually appears when characters level up or receive special rewards, but such a massive display was unprecedented.

In the light, a goddess in a white robe adorned with dazzling golden runes slowly appeared. Everyone recognized her, as she was the opening scene of the Nine Heavens, but this was her first appearance as an NPC.

The shining six-pointed star on her forehead symbolized her as the supreme existence in the Nine Heavens—the Nine Heavens Goddess.

"Woah, is this triggering a quest? What kind of quest is this?"

"Feels like we're playing too big this time. Did someone get poisoned?"

"Awesome! Just for an award, the highest goddess has to come out personally?"

"Holy crap, this goddess is sexy. I want to sing 'Conquer'..."

"You all shut up! Why isn't this earthquake stopping? My head is spinning..."

Some players were arguing, some were holding their breath, and many were simply waiting. They had no time to wonder how this was accomplished; the question was, what does this quest point to?

The surrounding space grew increasingly turbulent. Even Wang Feng, at the center of the disturbance, felt unsteady, but this did not affect his mood. Finally, it was complete!

The quest screen opened, just as he designed. Finally, this chapter was about to begin, marking the true start of the Nine Heavens' glory!

His ideal world.

The goddess silently gazed at Wang Feng, her body radiating light, and at the same time, all players received a notification.

"Open beta has ended. The entire map of the Nine Heavens World is now open to all races and professions. The Void Race has arrived, marking the end of the peaceful era and the resurgence of conflict on the continent."

A smug smile finally appeared on Wang Feng's face, reminiscent of ten years ago. Beastmen, the Eight Races, Sea Folk, and even monsters—just ask yourselves if that sounds appealing.

Yes, Old Wang is back!

I will make good on every boast I've ever made!

He would make the world reacquaint itself with the founder of Nine Heavens, the visionary who changed the gaming world.

He would stand proudly before Yue Ran, still the senior she once admired!

A real man gets up where he falls and soars from there!

At this moment, a cigarette was in order to celebrate. It wouldn't be long before the whole world recognized him again. Wang Feng was ready to start anew, and he believed that under his leadership, Nine Heavens would achieve even greater glory!

The forums exploded with excitement. If such a perfect Nine Heavens was only the beginning of the open beta, what would the new chapter bring? How magnificent would it be?

Within minutes, the stock price of Nine Heavens Corporation soared like a rocket. Clearly, several super-rich individuals were about to be born, and Wang Feng would be the wealthiest of them all.

"Mission accomplished, Iris, log out!"

Despite the hardships of the past few years, Wang Feng was still a bit excited. After all, he was only in his thirties, in the prime of his life, with plenty of time to start over. From tomorrow, the neighbor Old Wang would transform into a diamond bachelor!

He needed to celebrate properly. Change into clean clothes, get a haircut, damn it, why did he smell smoke without lighting a cigarette... Who was being so inconsiderate?

But the familiar control interface didn't appear. This kind of glitch only happened occasionally in the early days of the game. Old Wang... sensed something was wrong. He heard crackling sounds and smelled choking smoke, but his body wouldn't move, and the game screen froze, with only the Nine Heavens Goddess staring at him, lovingly and intently.

Damn it... What are you looking at? Help me!

Boom...

In an old residential area of Zhaxi District, a fire broke out due to outdated wiring and overloaded electrical appliances, leading to a gas explosion. A man was unfortunately... The district launched a safety inspection campaign for old residential areas...

(Brothers, Old Wang is back. This time, Old Wang is different from before. He's no longer just a straightforward guy but the essence of nine years of cultivation, with a strong sense of right and wrong, preferring words over action—a truly remarkable man.)